Holy Family Institute

What is the Holy Family Institute?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Who we are
We are Catholic couples, or the widowed, who wish to live our lives in a more consistent, God-oriented way. We draw inspiration from the Holy Family of Nazareth, model, light and source of grace. The goal we set ourselves is the sanctification of married/widowed life and we welcome the gift of consecration by Church-regulated vows of married Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience. We commit ourselves to making Christ's love reign in our hearts and in the hearts of our children.

What we do
We share in the spirituality of the Pauline Family and accomplish our mission as true members of the Family by our presence in the parish community. Depending on the time available, we are involved with Cenacles and Prayer Meetings, we sponsor couples preparing for marriage, help those in difficulty and support life from beginning to end. Many of us, however, devote themselves entirely to their families and home-school their children. We are concerned with the negative influence of the mass-media, but we also recognize their potential for good and we offer our lives for a blessing on media well-used and for God's mercy on famlies damaged by media misuse.

Why we do it
To respond to God's call to holiness by a Church-regulated commitment, and to support His saving action in view of the family.

Taken from the official website of the Holy Family Institute: http://holyfamilyinstitute.net/id3.html

Married couple promises holiness

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:50:00 +0000

This is a beautiful and rare video of a married couple making perpetual profession in the Holy Family Institute. Fr. Jeffrey Mickler, SSP recorded this video recently. I am so happy to see it on YouTube, because I have been unable to make it to our annual triduum where members renew their profession or make perpetual profession. Thank you, Fr. Jeffrey, for posting this video!

Prayer with HFI members

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Yesterday my family was blessed to participate in a holy hour with other HFI
members. The members meet every first Saturday at the Daughters of St.
Paul in Metairie, LA. They meet in the chapel for a “holy hour,” which
should really be called a “holy hour-and-a-half!” The hour consists of
vocal prayer, a reflection, and time for quiet meditation.

It was so good to be with other Paulines. This was the first time that our schedule allowed us to make the first Saturday event. The school year is just too hectic. However, being the summer, attendance at the holy hour was light. But that was okay. We were just happy to be there.

We also had the chance to visit for a short while with Sr. Julia Darrenkamp, FSP. We hadn't seen her in a long time. She is the Pauline sister of Best Catholic Books YouTube fame. You can find her videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/singingsisters. You also may want to check out the Daughters of St. Paul's website for excellent resources for the Pauline Year: http://www.pauline.org/.

Lastly, John and Jackie Ghawaly, if you are reading... it was so good to see you yesterday. We so enjoyed being with you, and we hope to make this a priority each month. May the Divine Master bless you abundantly!

It's not the "why," but the "what" and "how" that matter

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:32:00 +0000

For most of my life I have asked the question "why?" And that is normal... to a point. But when my concern for why prevents me from moving forward, then there is a problem.

For the last two years my family and I have been dealing with a terrible situation with our house. There are far too many details to get into here, but I can say that the problems stem from us purchasing a house with concealed defects. Those defects were only discovered a few months after we bought the house. The results of this unfortunate purchase? Displacement from our home for 10 months. Losing the use of the entire upstairs after moving back home. Living in complete chaos downstairs with so little space. Living with stress so terrible that we had to put the kids in school instead of continuing to homeschool. Tremendous financial strain and debt that has left us crippled financially. And law suits... against our insurance company, the seller, the roofers... everybody.

Over the last two years I have asked "why?" many, many times. Why, God? Why us? Why now? Why this? But all of my whys made it very difficult to move forward. At some point, I began to understand that "why?" isn't a question that God tends to answer much. As a matter of fact, not even Job could get an answer to that question. It seems that, at least in God's eyes, "why" simply is not important. God never answers my whys. But I've learned that he does answer other questions... especially 'what?" and "how?"

What, Lord, do I do now?

How do I do it?

These are questions that He is answering... slowly, in His time.

Why a Year of St. Paul?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Why St. Paul? We hear his name in the Sunday Liturgy, followed frequently by a reading which makes only limited sense and which the homilist may not refer to at all. And so the great Saint, who is the main reason why we Gentiles belong to a worldwide movement called "Christianity," has still to be discovered by most of us. St. Paul turned the work of Jesus out to the whole world and for that every nation and every century has to thank him.

There are so many facets of St. Paul to focus on for this year: his conversion, his preaching, his journeys, his martyrdom. But the one thing I want to focus on this year is Paul as a person, Paul as a human being like myself. In this way, he becomes much more accessible and much closer to my own experience of the Christian life. Paul was a man utterly enamored of the Lord, incessantly active in word and deed to tell the world about his fascinating Friend, and reaching out in every possible way to bring the Good News to anybody who would listen. It is this human Paul, rejoicing when his message is accepted but grieving like a mother over her errant children when he hears bad news, who should be known and loved.

Too many, if they know anything about him at all, see St. Paul as an early Christian writer, doubtless of importance to the early Christians, but with little to link him to our times. Such a view could not be more wrong, not only because his profound teaching will be relevant in every age until the end of time, but because he conveyed that teaching in such a passionate, exuberant and dramatic way in his immortal letters. Little did he think, as he agonized over those relatively few converts he made personally, that all this heart-breaking work would eventually disappear - with the exception of the Church in Malta. Little did he think he was writing for the Christian ages to come and not just for those few unreliable Christians he made and often wept over.

It is this great human being, great Saint and our great Patron in the Pauline Family that we are now going to focus on this year. With him as our leader we will experience something of what he experienced, and we will learn to love the Divine Master he loved so much.

--Slightly adapted from "The Great Apostle," a limited publication of the Holy Family Institute

The Examination of Conscience... What is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:08:00 +0000

"Examination of Conscience" sounds peculiar to modern ears. I teach high school. A typical teen reaction to "Examination of Conscience" is "Eeeewwww. What is THAT???"

Well, believe it or not, it's not as scary as it sounds. At least, it usually isn't.

So, what is an Examination of Conscience? It is simply an opportunity to stop and honestly reflect (in God's presence) on the condition of one's soul, on the way in which one is living the Christian life. This reflection takes only a few moments. We look at our day to see if we are living up our baptismal promises. We look at our actions to see if they befit a child of God. If not, then we simply ask God to forgive us and give us the strength to do better. The whole point of the examination of conscience is to make progress in the Christian life.

There are three basic examinations we can make: preventive, particular, and general.

The preventive examination usually takes place in the morning. We look at our usual faults and make a simple plan for the day on how to improve in those areas.

The particular examination focuses on what is called our predominant fault. Everyone has a predominant fault. It is the one area in which we fall most often. It is usual bound up with our personalities. Pride, selfishness, envy, greed, anger... these are some examples of predominant faults. These are ingrained sins that influence our daily actions and relationships. It is helpful to make the particular examination around midday. It is like a check-up. "How am I doing so far with this fault? What can I do better?"

The general examination takes place at night, usually just before bed. It is a time to review the day and to mark one's progress. Once again, we look at the areas in which we failed, and we ask forgiveness. But we also look at the times that we succeeded. That moment when I almost lost my temper, but by God's grace it was held in check. The gossip at the water cooler that I was able to avoid... by God's grace. By looking at our little successes we can see how God is really work in our daily lives. The general examination helps us to take our spiritual temperature. It also helps us prepare for the day ahead.

So, the examination of conscience is really a simply matter. It takes only a few minutes and, according to many saints, is very effective in nurturing our growth in Christ. It may be an excellent tool to help us enter more deeply into this Pauline Year.

Fr. Jeffrey Mickler, SSP on the Pauline Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:16:00 +0000

St. Paul, pray for us!

Holy Spirit Interactive in the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:55:00 +0000

How do we allow the Holy Spirit to interact with us everyday in our family relationships? We believe that he is really present in our hearts and lives. Outside of prayer time, how often are we aware of his loving, gentle presence? How much do we allow him to interact with us through each other? God is love and where there is love, there is God. The sacred life-giving love of spouses and parents is a sacramental sign of God's presence and creative action. When two or more are gathered together in Jesus' name, he is in their midst. Is this not true when spouses, parents and children are gathered together in Jesus' name?

The Holy Spirit is a real person, a Divine person, a gentle person who never forces himself on us. As we come to know him better and acknowledge our need for him, we will listen to his gentle inspirations. We will allow him to transform us, empower us and act through our weaknesses too. He loves each one of us as we are and in the state of life in which God calls us.

....To read the whole article click here: Holy Spirit Interactive in the Family....

The Feast of St. Sharbel

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:56:00 +0000

St. Sharbel (also spelled Charbel) is a saint of the Maronite Catholic Church. His feast day is July 24th. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 9, 1977.

Here is what the Holy Father had to say about St. Sharbel:

"...a hermit of the Lebanese mountain is inscribed in the number of the blessed, a new eminent member of monastic sanctity is enriching, by his example and his intercession, the entire Christian people. May he make us understand, in a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God..."

To read more about St. Sharbel visit Charbel.org.

The 3rd Annual Podcast Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:19:00 +0000

Nominations are under review. Once voting starts you may want to vote for the catholic podcasts that make up the SQPN network. Check out SQPN.COM for more info.

Great Quote from Blessed Mother Teresa

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:26:00 +0000

Do you really know the living Jesus - not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words he speaks to you?

Ask for the grace; he is longing to give it.

Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able hear Him saying, "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor.

Never give up daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person - not just the idea.

--Taken from When Did We See You, Lord? by Bishop Robert J. Baker & Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

This is a fantastic quote that cuts to the heart of the matter in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is REAL! He loves us and wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us. We simply need to open our hearts and SPEND TIME with Him in prayer.

May all of us dedicate time to Jesus every day!

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:35:00 +0000

21 years ago today, I had an experience of the Holy Spirit that changed my life. I experienced what is referred to as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The late Fr. Harold Cohen explained this experience as a "stirring up of the Holy Spirit that you have already received." He used the image of chocolate milk. The Holy Spirit is like the chocolate. If you pour Hersey's Chocolate into a glass of milk, what does it do? It sinks to the bottom and has no effect on the milk. In order to change the milk into chocolate milk you need to stir it up! Many times people can receive the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, but the Holy Spirit just sinks to the bottom of their hearts. We have a role to play here! We need to stir into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit!

For more information on the Holy Spirit and stirring the Spirit into flame, go here.

For more information on Our Lady of Mount Carmel, go here.

God bless you!

The Holy Spirit can set you on FIRE!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:48:00 +0000

Now on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:08:00 +0000

Check out twitter.com. Pretty cool concept. I don't know whether I can keep up with it or not, but you can find me by searching for alberione.

New Podcast!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:00:00 +0000

I launched a new podcast last week. It's not really a personal podcast...it's just makeup classes for 9th grade PSR (Parish School of Religion). This is part of the three year Confirmation program at St. Peter Parish.

If you have nothing better to do and want to hear about the Old Testament, you can check it out at 9psr.com.

The Night of Light

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Taken from a biography of Blessed Alberione by Sr. Mary Tiziani dal Masetto, SDDM found at here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the night between December 31, 1900 and January 1, 1901, James knelt in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He was sixteen, still somewhat confused as a consequence of his recent crisis.

The Cathedral of Alba was filled with parishioners and seminarians in response to the powerful, prophetic voice of Pope Leo XIII. The ardent pontiff had already called on the Catholic world to spend a Holy Year of prayer in preparation for the twentieth century and had written the encyclical Tametsi Futura, in which he vigorously pointed to Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life leading humanity to salvation.

After the celebration of midnight Mass, James and the other seminarians stayed at length in prayer. Four hours of fervent prayer! Young James was the last to rise to his feet. Later that morning another seminarian, Giordano, expressed astonishment upon meeting him; James must have let something of his interior state show.

Let us listen to how Alberione, fifty-three years later in Abundantes Divitiae Gratiae Suae, described his experience of God:

“ Particular enlightenment came from the Host, and a greater understanding of that invitation of Jesus: ‘Come to me, all of you…’ (Mt 11:28).

“ He seemed to fathom the heart of the great Pope, the Church’s call (for help), and the priest’s true mission. What Toniolo said about the duty of being apostles today and of using the means exploited by the opposition made sense to him. He felt deeply obliged to prepare himself, to do something for the Lord and for the women and men of the new century with whom he would spend his life” (AD 15).

“He had a clear grasp of his own nothingness. At the same time he experienced a message from the Eucharist, ‘And know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time’ (Mt 28:20). He understood that he could count on the Eucharist—on Jesus—for light, nourishment, consolation and victory over evil” (AD 16).

“His prayer was…for the century to be born in Christ in the Eucharist; for new apostles to reform the law, education, literature, the press, morals; for the Church to give fresh impetus to mission; for good use of the new means of apostolate; for society to welcome the great teachings of Leo XIII’s encyclicals.

“ His mind and heart became so fixed on the Eucharist, the Gospel, the Pope, the new century, the new means…and ‘Come to me, all of you’…from then on these things always dominated his thoughts, inspired his readings, his study, his prayer, his spiritual work, and his yearnings. He felt an obligation to serve the Church, the women and the men of the new age, and to work with others in an organized way” (AD 19-21).

“ Projecting himself mentally into the future, he felt that, in the new century generous people would experience what he was feeling and that teamed up into an organization they could bring about what Toniolo kept on repeating: ‘Unite; if the enemy finds us alone he will defeat us one by one.’ …This idea of his at first was quite confused; with the passing of time, it became clearer and more specific” (AD 17, 21).

In that first and extraordinary prayer he saw and felt clearly the specific mission, and the particular spirit, in which the Pauline Family would be born and live.

Though Alberione wrote the above experience in his characteristically laconic, under-stated way, we can gauge the magnitude of the mystery that had enveloped him that night. The huge growth in holiness, the enormous development of the works of God for which he would become a tireless instrument throughout his long life, would find in this “night of light and fire” its official onset.

SQPN CST #40: Is God Real? (We say yes)

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:01:00 +0000

SQPN CST #40: Is God Real? (We say yes)

Catholic in a Small Town on SQPN.com. Faith, Family, media and pop culture... Catholic in a Small Town has it all! (...and two hilarious hosts, as well!)

Check 'em out!

SQPN: The Best in Catholic Podcasting

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:36:00 +0000

If you haven't heard of SQPN, you really need to check it out. Head over to SQPN.com.

SQPN was started by a Roman Catholic priest in the Netherlands, Fr. Roderick Vonhögen. The network consists of several podcasts, all with a Catholic flavor. Some podcasts are hosted by married couples, others by priests. There is even a podcasts hosted by kids!

I highly recommend SQPN.com! Great podcasts about life, faith, and family!

Pope praises the life of the consecrated

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI praised the life and work of consecrated men and women during his homily for the World Day of Consecrated Life.

Read about it here.

Check out his homily here.

Restoration begins in the family

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:48:00 +0000

"GOD WISHED TO RESTORE ALL THINGS in Jesus Christ and he decreed that Jesus should begin his work presenting to all families a perfect model in the Family of Nazareth. In the Holy Family, fathers, mothers and children can find divine lessons of patience, chastity, filial love and the example of hard work. In that situation Jesus lived, worked, and prayed for many years and so the work of restoration began in the family." -- Blessed James Alberione

This quote is found opening Chapter One of the Statute & Directory of the Holy Family Institute. It sets the tone for the discussion of the nature and purpose of the Institute that follows in the Statute.

Blessed James Alberione established 10 branches in his Pauline Family. The first and second branches to be founded are the most well-known in the United States: the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul. You can check out more about these religious communities here:
The Society of St. Paul
The Daughters of St. Paul

The final branch to be founded is the Holy Family Institute. The fact that the Church has recognized a new secular institute for the married and widowed speaks volumes about the importance of family life today.

Here is the link to the official website of the Holy Family Institute in the United States.

It is my desire in to share with you my experiences and reflections as a consecrated married man in the Holy Family Institute.

About the Holy Family Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Young) — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 23:36:00 +0000

Reflections on consecrated married life in The Holy Family Institute.

The HFI is part of the Pauline Family founded by Blessed James Alberione. The Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul are two of the most well-known branches of the Pauline Family.

The Holy Family Institute nourishes a marriage-and-family spirituality in the Pauline tradition. After a period of formation, HFI members make Church-regulated public vows (the Evangelical Counsels) according to their state in life.