Just returned from visiting family. It’s Mother’s Day and I want to wish my mom especially a happy day! Thanks Mom for all you have done for me in my life! Without you I would not have become who I am.
To all of you out there who are mothers, may God bless you richly for choosing life.
Deacon Bob
St. Olaf Catholic Church
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thanks to a quick run over to Deacon Greg Kandra (see link under blogroll), I went over to The Tidings to read a wonderful story of a large diaconate class due for ordination in the archdiocese of Los Angeles.
A total of 62 men will be ordained to the diaconate for Los Angeles in two waves this year. Next month, fourteen men will be ordained and then in July, another forty-eight.
The diaconate is alive and thriving. If only in some way the full potential of the diaconate could be tapped and utilized in the local churches. Despite the vocations, much more needs to be done in terms of catechesis — what the diaconate is and what is the mission and theology of the deacon.
Thank God for the gift of the diaconate, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit during the Second Vatican Council which brought it out of the moth balls and back into the daily life of the Church.
Ad multos annos! to the diaconate class from LA.
What I want to bring to your attention is the Holy Father’s words to the new recruits. I am translating from the official Italian translation of the German original.
He said, in part:
The city of Rome is in fact a city of contrasts. It is so rich in history, faith and culture, yet it is also a city, like so many other major cities in the world, that is very worldly.
If Hans, the Swiss Guard commander from the 1970s may happen to stumble upon this blog, I extend a warm “hello!” I recall you well from my days in Rome and your coming to the North American College for soccer.
God bless the Guard in their service to the Holy Father.
I couldn’t help but both chuckle and shudder when I read Fox News’ report that Cameron Diaz has declared traditional marriage a “dying institution.” According to Fox News’ reporting of what was a Maxim interview with Diaz, she said, “I think we have to make our own rules” referring to the structure of marriage.
I have no doubt that people are trying to rewrite the “rules” of marriage. I see it every day in my psychotherapy practice. The new “rules” simply don’t work though. I also have no doubt that the traditional “rules” of marriage do work if embraced. I have also seen that over and over again in this medical center.
What astounds me is that few people in the popular press want to give any attention to that reality, i.e., traditional marriage (faithful, exclusive, monogamous, fruitful, until death, between a man and a woman) is the only marital arrangement that does work.
Perhaps you will point out relationships between two persons that endure, yet they never marry. I strongly suspect that those examples that you may surface all have the qualities mentioned above.
Marriage is under attack, yes. Alive? You betcha! The media and certain groups of people are just trying to sideline it to insignificance in the public’s eye.
Marriage is alive, and when lived, it is very well.
The problem, I think, is that marriage is not support adequately by our legal, economic and social systems.
You can read Fox News’ report at: Fox News.
I will be presiding tonight at Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction for one of the parishes to which I am assigned. It will be an hour of quiet before the Lord.
The crowd will be small, but those present have a certain hunger for rest and for presence.
Today’s Gospel is John 3: 16-21.
“God so love the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life…. the light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were wicked. Everyone who practices evil hates the light…. But he who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God.”
Life, love, light, and truth. All are of God. How often, I wonder, do we examine our consciences based upon these? What have I done, or failed to do, to promote life? What have I done, or failed to do, to love? What have I done, or failed to do, to bring enlightenment to those in the darkness of sin and ignorance? What have I done, or failed to do, to speak and live truth?
My friends, when John speaks of men loving darkness rather than light because their deeds were wicked, he is referring to these questions. None of us likes to think of ourselves as “wicked.” We reserve that term to the devil or evil, don’t we? But John is speaking to each one of us in this Gospel. We need to realize that in many small ways, usually, we live in the darkness.
The presence of our Eucharistic Lord during adoration and benediction affords us that opportunity to break into eternity, unimaginable beauty, light, truth and life. It offers us that opportunity.
Can we accept it? Do we promote it?
This doesn’t happen all that often, so it is newsworthy. The archdiocese of Washington, D.C. formally established a new seminary named Blessed John Paul II Seminary located near The Catholic University of America (CUA). Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington announced this on May 1st.
The seminary will be blessed on October 22, 2011 the feast day of Blessed John Paul II and the anniversary of his installation as pope in 1978. Formation of seminarians will begin there this August.
It will have space for 30 men who will take classes at CUA. It is a college level seminary, so the men will also take an additional four years of theology studies at various universities throughout the United States or in Rome.
You may read the announcement at: www.adw.org/news/news.asp?ID=885&Year=2011
It is encouraging to know that the numbers of seminarians seem to be on the rise a bit.
“Give praise to Him because He is good; exalt Him by your deeds, for He has sent you into the whole world for this reason — that in word and deed you may bear witness to His voice and bring everyone to know that there is no one who is all-powerful except Him.” — St. Francis of Assisi
I wish to provide my English translation of the declaration of the Holy See in reference to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
Osama Bin Laden — as we all know — was most gravely responsible for the spreading of division and hatred among people, causing the deaths of innumerable persons, and for the use of religion to this end.
When faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices; rather he reflects upon his grave responsibilities before God and men; he hopes, and so dedicates himself that each life event not be an occasion for growing hidden hatred, but of peace.
The Italian original is at: Vatican News Service.
You may not be aware, but one of the events occurring at the Vatican these recent days has been an invitation only meeting of Catholic bloggers from all over the world, sponsored by the pontifical councils for culture and social communications.
Actually, the councils accepted requests to attend, then drew names of the 150 participants once the requests were divided according to geography, language and whether the blog was personal or institutional. The meeting was aimed at acknowledging the role blogs play in modern communications and to start a dialogue between Catholic bloggers and the Vatican.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman,said, “Bloggers are important” for forming and informing church members, but anyone who influences what Catholics think must recognize the responsibility that brings with it.” He warned of the danger of bloggers getting hung up on self-centeredness and “ego.”
The Catholic News Service’s report on this can be read at: www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1101744.htm
I heard this morning that United States forces killed Osama Bin Laden and a few others in a raid in Pakistan. If you read the news reports, it would seem the entire nation is rejoicing.
Why is it I am not?
Don’t get me wrong…. I was not supporting him or his evil deeds. I am not doing so now. But I do not rejoice over the death of anyone.
My question for all of us is, “Have we forgiven him? Are we willing to extend mercy even to his soul?”
He was killed, my friends, on Divine Mercy Sunday.
Maybe a tall order, after what happened on 9-11, but a moral imperative nonetheless….. if we bear the name Christian.
Someone once said (perhaps a reader could remind us who, as I have forgotten the name) that we love God as much as we love our worst enemy.
May God have mercy on his soul.
My time in Rome during the pontificate of John Paul II was brief. I left Rome in December, 1978, shortly after he was elected. I was privileged, though, to have been able to be in the Piazza di San Pietro throughout the conclave, to have seen the white smoke signaling his election, listened to the first words publicly spoken by him, and finally to have been in the crowd of faithful during his installation Mass.
The thing that stood out so much – other than the immediate surprise of his Polish nativity – was his youth and vigor. Yes, his youth and vigor. He literally abounded with strength and energy during those months. Like his predecessor, he made an immediate connection with the people. He became one of us, first by acknowledging he was speaking “your” language (Italian) then catching himself and saying “our” language, second by telling us we could correct him (his grammar), then finally by literally running toward the faithful massed around the altar during his installation. His flight to the crowds caught the Swiss Guard and I am sure all his security detail by complete surprise. He ran toward us. His whole pontificate was an approachment of we the people.
I think most of us standing there that day, watching him bolt to the crowd, expected John Paul II to be an image of John Paul I…. perhaps a completion of what would have been should Luciani have had a longer life. It was only natural, I suppose, given he took Luciani’s name, came out of obscurity (at least to the common person at that time), our ongoing grief and shock over Luciani’s untimely death, and the desire we all had that the Church enter a new era of renewal.
Frankly, it was the perception of many that Wojtyla would be a “liberal” pope. What we got confused was the terms. Wojtyla was a pastoral pope (as no doubt Luciani was) but he was very orthodox (which Luciani was also, despite what may be some ill founded mythology about him). Wojtyla’s pastoralism extended even into his persistence in canonizing saints…. more than any other pope in history. He found sainthood in the common person, in many lay men and women, and he raised them to be honored by the universal Church. I don’t think we can call John Paul II a “liberal” in terms of his philosophy or theology — at least not in the contemporary meaning of the word “liberal” — but he was a man liberal in his use of the papacy for the common good of so many.
Some might protest that Luciani could never have been able to have written so masterfully the encyclicals Wojtyla wrote. I am not convinced of that. Luciani probably would not have written as many, given the age difference, but I suspect a Luciani encyclical would been every bit as rich as Wojtyla’s. Perhaps Luciani would have focused on other themes, but one of the biggest myths surrounding Luciani was he was a intellectual lightweight.
It is my hunch that in fact, we saw lived out in John Paul II the pontificate of John Paul I. I suspect that if Luciani would have been pope for twenty years, the crowds would have as forcefully, if not more so, shouted out at his funeral, Santo Subito!!
We can only guess, I suppose, but to have been graced with Papa Wojtyla was to have seen the face of Papa Luciani, only in Polish form…..
The Holy Father beatified Pope John Paul II this morning at the Vatican. From the reports I have read so far, it sounds like it was what everyone expected — a grand day.
The Anchoress, (see link to lower right) has posted a moment by moment account of her experience. You will be able to see many other accounts I am sure in the very near future.
Take a look at a website the Vatican has put together about Blessed John Paul II. The web address is: A Tribute to John Paul II.
Have a great Divine Mercy Sunday!
I want to alert you to a wonderful webpage provided by Corriere della Sera which is an Italian newspaper from Milan. They have several pages dedicated to John Paul II. Many photographs, a history of the popes, and all sorts of things well worth your time to review.
Don’t be afraid of the Italian. It is pretty easy to guess what the webpages are about. Just go ahead and click on the buttons!
Here you go: www.corriere.it/cronache/speciali/2011/beatificazione-giovanni-paolo/
“I am not moved to love You, O Lord my God for all the gifts You’ve given to share. Nor am I moved to please You in what is pleasing to me. It is enough to have the cross I bear.” — Gordon Dozier, SFO
