Discernment and Weddings

     Weddings are beautiful. Most people I speak to enjoy going to weddings and witnessing a couple full of love enter into the Sacrament of Marriage. However, weddings can also be a source of confusion to a man discerning his vocation. From the question of bringing a date to ultimately questioning his vocation, a wedding can be the source of inner turmoil if a man is not grounded.
   
     Let's dive into the first question. Should a man discerning the priesthood bring a date to a wedding? To answer this question we have to establish some basic ground rules. First, to discern properly one has to be free to discern. Dating can infringe on discernment, especially later on when seminary is looking more like a realistic step toward the priesthood. So, the answer to the question is, "it depends". Is the woman you are taking someone you could see things moving along with? Or is this simply a friend you wish the share the occasion with? If you are vulnerable to confusion, even simply taking a friend could infringe on your freedom to discern. This introduces the second rule; know thyself. A person discerning the priesthood will eventually realize that they to have built a great sense of self. This is very important, because discerning the priesthood involves seeking out God, and realizing God given gifts. Knowing yourself involves knowing what whether you are in a state of consolation or desolation (I will list resources below). If you are in a state of desolation and seem far away from God while discerning the priesthood, I would advise not bringing a date to a wedding you are attending. A spiritual director is a great person to help you answer these questions.
   
     Weddings are a good place to discern, because you are in a grace filled environment (the mass). Mass is a great place to discern. I like to utilize the sacraments (and sacramentals) to aid in my discernment. What I like to do at weddings is try to picture myself as one of the players in the ceremony. It is important to note that I do not attempt to force myself on a particular player. I ask God to open my heart and mind to enable myself to reflect on being either the groom or the priest. After the wedding and the reception are over I like to enter into a time of reflection. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my reflections on who I was. Personally, I have established a pattern of being the priest who helps the couple enter into the Marriage Sacrament. I reflect on preparing the couple, engaging with them on the teachings regarding marriage, ultimately serving as the official witness of the Church, and of course presiding over the celebration of the Mass.

   
     Being Catholic in the world doesn't mean simply attending Mass and fellowship groups (which should be done!), it also involves using experiences to build ourselves spiritually. We can use many different experiences to build our relationship with God, His Church, and the word. In this case we can even use wedding ceremonies to help us discern a particular vocation. It is also important to take thoughts and feelings and dig deeper. Below you will find some resources that have helped me along the way. Pax.

Resources:
1. "Discerning the Will of God" by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV
2. "The Discernment of Spirits" by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV
3. "To Save a Thousand Souls" by Fr. Brett A. Brannen


   

A Reflection on Jesus Cleaning House... His House.

Today's Gospel reading comes from the Gospel of St. Luke chapter 19. Glory to you, O Lord.

"Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, 'It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.' And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words."

The temple is the central place for the Jewish worship of God. It had a place of prominence in the city of Jerusalem. It was the place where God touched Earth, the Holy of Holies. So what does God find in this place of worship? Christ finds disorder and chaos. He finds a place that is more conducive to human wants and greed than to the worship of the Almighty God. So what does Jesus do? He cleans house. His house.

What is the significance of Jesus cleaning His house? First, it is frees it from the distracting chaos. It reestablishes a place of peace and order. Second, it allows us to truly be free to worship God. By casting out the distracting chaos, the unfair merchants, the junk we don't necessarily need, we can experience God fully. While God is bigger than the biggest spectacle, He presents himself to us in profound silence. Cleansing the temple allows us to see the true purpose of the temple, God.

So let's expand on this then. We hear often that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is certainly true since we have a soul, and God seeks union with us. As Jesus cleansed His house, allowing for us to freely experience God, we too must cleanse our temple. By allowing Christ to enter our hearts, we too can clean house. When our souls are clean, we are free to experience God more fully. We are more in tune to God's call for us.

The Church is to be the road to Heaven. Christ founded the Church to lead people to God. There is more to it though. While the road is neatly paved and maintained, it does no good if the car driving on it is not in good condition. The Church is our path to Heaven to meet our Maker. To travel on this path requires us to be in good condition also. Praise be to God that He is seeking to keep us in good condition. He is seeking to clean His temple, His rightful place in our hearts. Amen. Credo Domine.

St. Paul Sets the Record Straight

St. Paul seemingly never gives me a reason not to boast about him being my Patron Saint. The first reading today shows us an Apostle writing to his flock regarding competing Gospels. Oh boy, what I wonder the great Apostle would write in his Letter to the Americans! At the time of St. Paul early Christians were sometimes visited by recently converted Jews who tried to maintain Jewish customs. This is interesting given St. Paul's background as a highly educated Jewish man (which he points out in the verses following the reading). They would also be visited by other simply preaching different things in competition with the true Gospel. Here is today's first reading:


"I am so amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:6-12 NAB


What St. Paul is saying here is that if what his flock heard differs in anyway from what he brought to them, then it is false teaching! What a strong statement by one of the first bishops! St. Paul received the gospel from the risen Lord Himself. This passage from Sacred Scripture is critically important in our world today. We have thousands of protestant denominations teaching various things that differ from what St. Paul taught and practiced. Is St. Paul the risen Christ? No! I'm not saying he is, and he also says this throughout the Epistles. What I am saying is that St. Paul, an Apostle of Christ's one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, did not go rogue. He stayed true to St. Peter the first pope. He stayed true to the one church, which he also discusses in his Epistles.

There is one church. It is Christ's Church. Today in a world full of confusion let us dig deep and truly see what Christ's Church teaches. Let us pray for the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, as they meet to discuss the family in Rome. Credo Domine!

Easter, Race, Ukraine

It has been a while since I last posted. I thought I would be more committed to blogging during Lent. I had many ideas, but it seems my Lent needed to be a quiet one. Lent was challenging, but also rewarding. It was nice to do a lot of contemplation and self reflection, because it was certainly needed, but now that it is Easter it is time to be alive. Many things happened during Lent and some have spilled over into Easter. Easter is my favorite time of the year which had me celebrating, Russia is surrounding eastern Ukraine, and an NBA owner is being essentially exiled, picking at the racism scab all over again.

Easter is a time of renewal; a time to celebrate the victory we share in Christ! It was great to celebrate this blessed season with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ! Knowing how I lived in college, I certainly enjoy this season. I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like without Christ. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Easter Vigil. To be in total darkness amidst a great flame and then to process in as the light of Christ spreads from candle to candle is a magical moment. I am honored to be part of the RCIA team, helping people come in or back to the Church is truly rewarding. I remember my reentry very fondly. I was wide eyed with eyes filled with tears of joy, because of the incredible journey I was on. The journey continues, and hopefully it continues at St. Mary's Seminary on my way to becoming a Priest. Please pray for me. Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!

Earlier this week the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, was banned from the NBA for life. This race stuff is really getting annoying. There will always be people who are racist. Always. What he said is wrong, absolutely. However, why aren't we also discussing comments made by former NBA star Larry Johnson? He wants an all black league? Why is it OK to say that? Isn't that the exact opposite of what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted? Yes, it is. His dream was for all races to be able to work together and judge each other by their "character". How does the rhetoric by Mr. Johnson help King's cause? It doesn't. I have a proposal similar to King's; actually it is the same. Why don't we all just get along. King is remembered for his demonstrations of peace. He did not seek vengeance, he simply sought equal opportunity. We ought to work toward the same. We should not work for an all black league, or forced affirmative action. We should work for solidarity and opportunity. Enough of this vengeance seeking! It only fuels the fire of racists. It divides, not unites.

The Catholic Church is a shining example of how people of all walks of life work together for the glory of the Kingdom of God. The Universal Church is global, covering all races and cultures. The Catholic faith is applicable to every nation and tribe. It is absolutely beautiful. I can go into a Catholic Church in any country and celebrate the Eucharist with a multitude of people. I encourage you to look up footage from World Youth Day, where Copa Cabana Beach is filled with three million people from all over the world celebrating Mass. It is an amazing site.

And then we get to Russia and Ukraine. Putin is asserting his power during a time of US weakness. The United States has been drained by over a decade of war (three years of which there were two concurrent wars), and continues to build up trillions of dollars of debt. The United States is tired. It shows by our political climate. Each side continues to grow farther and farther apart, and the same can be said for the people of America. So while America continues to fight within, Russia is making moves. I also wonder what China is doing. We need to pay attention to the crisis in Ukraine. We are seeing incredible witness by Catholic and Orthodox Priests who are standing up for peace. Let us focus on this issue. Instead we are focused on what some old racist man said, and it is quite disappointing. I couldn't care less about the race "issue". Did Mr. Sterling's racism hurt anyone? Did his players get paid? Yes. Was his team all white? No. Is he wrong for being racist? Yes! However, instead of moving on and moving forward we let that bog us down. While this all happens Putin continues to move. We need to be paying attention, before China surpasses us as the world's largest economy. Yeah, that may happen in a decade as well. Did you hear of that? Probably not.

America needs to drastically discern its priorities. We are very concerned about social issues, but what about the economy and national security? How good are our arguments about social issues, if we can't keep our people employed and safe? They will all be for not. There is a solution. The solution is simple and many people know the solution, but choose the wide gate because it's easy. Let us choose the narrow gate. Let us choose Christ and seek to live by His commandments. If we all did this, the world would be a much better place. Well, at least it would have a better chance of being a better place. Credo Domine.

Discipline Prayer Discipline (DPD)

I. DPD Overview
Discipline, prayer, and discipline (DPD). No, that is not a typo or a mistake it is a way to go forward in pursuit of a strong faith in the midst of "toxic" environments. I had a short, but fruitful conversation with a college student today via Facebook, and the question was focused on maintaining your faith, while being around seemingly toxic people and places with an emphasis on an upcoming military life. I'm sure this person isn't the only college student that asks this, which is why I decided to write about it, hoping it reaches a few more people.

When it comes to discipline, discernment, and perseverance I am quick to turn to my Patron St. Paul the Apostle. One of the Church's greatest commanders (in this context commander as in Apostle or Bishop), St. Paul wrote a lot regarding proper practice doctrine. Sound like the military yet? The military is greatly concerned about proper techniques and doctrines. St. Paul is also greatly concerned with proper belief and practice, and rightly so! However, I will also focus on what the Great Apostle and first Vicar of Christ, St. Peter, has to say. As we meet at the corner of Peter and Paul this time, I will attempt to propose the DPD technique through the teachings of not only Christ, but the two Great Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul.


II. Discipline
I will begin with St. Paul and his teachings in 1 Corinthians 11:29-32. In Chapter 11 St. Paul discusses women's headdresses and the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. For the purposes of this post I will focus on the later. In verses 27-28 he states that eating and drinking the Holy Supper unworthily will result in judgement. One should examine themselves before partaking. This sounds exclusive, and indeed many Protestant denominations mistake the Church's teaching regarding the Eucharist. That is another post. St. Paul goes on to say in verses 29-32, "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgement; but since we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world," (1 Cor. 11:29-32 NAB). What a powerful statement!

What St. Paul is saying in these verses is that we must really understand and know of Christ's sacrifice, and cooperate in obeying the teachings. Obeying the teachings is in essence a way of knowing Christ's sacrifice. If I know Christ's sacrifice, would I not be inclined to work to sin less? I believe, and the Church believes, the answer is yes. St. Paul is teaching here that partaking in the Eucharist is a discipline! Obeying the teachings of Christ, and thus recognizing Christ's sacrifice, takes discipline. This is why I chose this passage to help in discussing DPD. To build up or maintain our faith in a world that often is toxic, we must begin with discipline. Faith is obviously the initial step, but beyond the starting point which is faith, step one is discipline. We must constantly examine ourselves and our relationship with our Lord and his Church. If we truly believe in Christ, we must do this frequently. Step one, discipline.


III. Prayer
Prayer, the second part of DPD, is the most beneficial and often neglected part of a life of a Christian. I often hear people say, "I'm a Christian. I believe in Jesus. I pray sometimes." Sometimes? My brothers and sisters (myself included here), let us pray often! Prayer can be very intimidating. "How do I pray?" "I sound like I'm whining." "God is probably tired of listening to me." "I'm a hypocrite and don't deserve to pray." Some of those statements are legitimate concerns, and the last one especially is despairing. God listens! When researching how to pray, let's start with the basics. The basic Christian prayer is in the Regulation (The Bible) and discussed heavily in the Field Manual (Catechism). I suggested that a good place to start a solid prayer life is with the Lord's prayer. What better way to start praying than with the prayer Christ himself taught us?

The Lord's Prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-13 (a shorter version is also presented in Luke 11):
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one," (NAB).

Boom! There is our starting point. Let us build our prayer life on the foundation of Christ and the prayer he told us to pray! He gives us the foundation! From there we can grow a fruitful prayer life. If you have the discipline to get going, and build on the foundation prayer (Lord's Prayer), you will notice yourself praying more spontaneously in time. This is good! Step two, prayer.


IV. Discipline
For the final part of DPD we return discipline. I could have used the word persevere or motivation, which St. Paul and others also frequently discussed. I chose discipline again, because it takes more discipline to keep motivated and persevere during the storms. It is discipline that will allow us to keep on the armor of God that St. Paul discusses in Ephesians 6:10-17 (constant prayer is also discussed in this chapter). I have discussed St. Paul already, though, and will now discuss St. Peter's teachings in 1 Peter 2. The entire chapter is devoted to living a Christian life in a hostile world. Let us look first at 1 Peter 2:11 and it states, "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage ware against the soul," (NAB). St. Peter is telling us to protect ourselves. He interestingly notes that the recipients of his letter are "aliens". This can be applied to us today. He addresses the readers as aliens, because the Christian is not of the world but in the world.

Verses 13, 16-17 are very interesting taking into account today's American political environment. In theses St. Peter discusses citizenry; "Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake... Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king," (NAB).  Pope Saint Peter tells us that we are not to be unnecessarily rebellious, but subjects of our government. He also tells us we are to use freedom for God and not for evil. Simply reflect on America today. Are we using freedom to build up God's Kingdom or to attempt to bring it down? This, also, is another post.


V. Conclusion
DPD; Discipline Prayer and Discipline. I believe this is a good way to enhance our faith that is in Christ. DPD is merely a tip to promote a life of faith by a humble follower of Christ. If there is something that works better at bringing you closer to Christ and his Church, by all means utilize it. You there is a better asset to complete a mission than the one you were given, would you not use it? Of course you would. I hope DPD is a motivator and and tool to place in the tool box. May we continue to look to Christ, using the saints before us and among us as guidance. Amen. Credo Domine.








Resource:
1. The Catholic Bible: Personal Study Edition. Second Edition. Jean Marie Hiesberger, editor. Oxford University Press. 2011.

Lent for the Busy Person

You may be like me on the day before Lent, better known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in the US, and make a list of Lenten promises to God. This list will include sacrifices, prayers, activities, and other things you will give up or do for Lent. If you are like me this list starts out fairly large. Not to boast, but here is an example of what my first list looked like:

If you are having trouble deciphering my beautiful calligraphy, the list reads:

1. No fast food 2. Facebook only on Fridays (Adoration Friday of course) 3. Daily Scripture reading 4. Finish "Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration" by Pope Benedict XVI and 30 day consecration ("33 days to Morning Glory" by Michael E. Gaitley) 5. Daily Rosary and Divine Chaplet 6. Daily Holy Hour (Eucharistic Adoration) 7. Gym three times per week.

You were probably chuckling by number four or five. What makes me chuckle is the line after the list which reads, "I think this is doable...." and then I add, "Also, praying more in Latin and Deutsch (German), and bed before 12am." To anyone counting, that is nine Lenten promises! Yes, nine! Sure, for a college student with a light course load this is possible, but I am not a college student with a light course load. You should have seen the reaction my spiritual director (Fr. Sean) had when I recited this list to him during my session with him. He had some good advice on how to refine this list. He broke it down into three categories (prayer, fasting, and alms giving). Here is my list following spiritual direction:

Again, my amazing calligraphy reads:

1. Prayer: a. Holy Hour three times per week minimum b. Daily Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy

2. Fasting: a. Facebook (one post per day [must be spiritual], and no more than one total hour surf time per day)

3. Alms giving: a. Volunteer three times during Lent

4. Spiritual Reading: a. Finish "Jesus of Nazareth" and 33 Days to Morning Glory

Again, looking back this is a jam packed Lent. Lent is supposed to be challenging, absolutely! Lent is a time to wrestle with our faults and find ways to eliminate or reduce them as we walk with Christ. I must admit, that I have not been proactive enough in following through in this refined list. I know that I could offer up three hours a week for Eucharistic Adoration. I already do an assigned hour on Fridays. I  know I could be reading the amazing work by Pope Benedict XVI instead of watching the WWE Network (which is awesome by the way). With work and prayer, I can commit to this list. Instead of volunteering, I have given money to Harvest for Hunger instead almost each time that I buy something at work. Since I seem to go two weeks to a month with out a day off, finding time to volunteer is difficult, so I made an adjustment.

At this point you may be wondering when I'm going to come up with ideas for you the busy person. The idea is this; make your initial list, reflect on your daily duties, and then discuss this list with friends, family, or a priest. You will find that you can refine this list and still have a fruitful Lent. Lent is not simply about abstaining from things. Lent is about spiritual growth. The goal is to come up with a list of things that will help you grow spiritually. Our relationship with Christ and his Church matters, and Lent is a time to get back to the basics. These basics, as Fr. Sean (my spiritual director/Confessor) puts it, are prayer, fasting, and alms giving. Find one thing that you can do or sacrifice in each of these categories, and Lent will be a fruitful one for you.

God knows our lives better than we do. God knows we are busy. Let us not feel guilty for having to trim our Lenten promises down to size. Let us, instead, be joyful that we are seeking a closer relationship with our Lord and his Bride, the Church. Lent is my favorite time of the year for this reason. I am so glad the Church has set aside a time to reflect, pray, and sacrifice to draw closer to God. Let us march forward toward Christ.

Here is a simple list you might be able to implement if you are having trouble:

1. Prayer: 10-15 minutes of prayer each day. Doing this around meal times is a good way to set aside time for it. Before bed is also a good time. Go to Confession more frequently.

2. Fasting: Limit social media time or Internet time to 1-3 posts per day if you are a frequent user. Or limit TV time to 1-2 hours a day if you watch a lot of TV. Do a good fast on Fridays (one meal and two smaller meals or snacks that do not add up to the one meal), or go 24 hours without eating (health permitting).

3. Alms giving: Pick a ministry and donate your time, money, or other resources throughout Lent. At Walgreen's they are supporting Harvest for Hunger. I simply add $1, $5, or $10 (on paydays) to my bill. This is a quick easy way to help feed the hungry.

I hope this list helps. Sometimes when it comes to our spiritual lives, less indeed is more if our mind, body, and soul are fully invested. I pray you have a blessed Lenten season. Please pray for me as I seek to better fulfill my Lenten promises. Please continue to pray for peace, especially in Ukraine and Venezuela. Let us be a witness to the love which conquers all. Credo Domine.

A Reflection on Matthew 17:1-9 (Sunday's Gospel Reading)

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Matthew 17:1-9:
"Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one fore you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.' When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Rise, and do not be afraid.' And then when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, 'Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.'"
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The Transfiguration of our Lord. This must have been an amazing, yet scary, event to witness. Jesus was standing amidst the great Prophets Moses and Elijah, but that wasn't all. God also descended upon them and told the disciples to listen to Jesus the Son of God. The Transfiguration is where heaven met earth through Jesus. It affirmed Jesus as the Son of God and as a teaching authority. It was a very important part of the life of Jesus; it displayed the divinity of Christ as well as showing the continuity of God through the ages. Let's use St. Peter's recounting of the Transfiguration to drive home the message.

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2 Peter 1:16-20:
"We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eye witnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father -- when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, 'This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.' We  -- ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
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St. Peter makes a very strong statement here. He is saying that he (and the Apostles) holds the message, and that it would be a good idea to pay attention to it. What is this message? Jesus is the Son of God and we should listen to him. There is a reason "listen to him" jumped out at me. We are to listen to Jesus Christ, because he is the Son of God! If Jesus says something, we know it is true, because it comes from God. When the Apostles say something, we know it is true, because they witnessed the message being told. St. Peter and the Apostles hold the teachings of Christ. We would be wise to know this.

As we move on this Lent, let us remember what Christ taught and use Christ's teachings, which are continuously brought forth by the Church, to shape our lives. Let us listen to Christ and confirm our souls to him, so that we can accept the heavenly glory that God invites us to receive freely. Amen, I say, Jesus' words are true! Credo Domine.