Holy Spirit Alive!

New Years Resolution on the Feast of St. Basil

2016-01-02T08:45:00.001-06:00

Something to think about for a New Years Resolution

St. Basil said:
“The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry;
The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked;
The shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;
The money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor;
The acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.”

Think about it!

4th Sunday of Advent

2015-12-20T02:18:00.001-06:00

O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

20 Dec Antiphon

First Week of Advent - Stand Erect!!

2015-11-30T05:48:00.001-06:00

... when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand. (Lk 23:28)

---

My Brothers and Sisters,

Standing erect in our culture means having the courage say "no."

Saying "no" to hate and "no" to some of the people who want to destroy the foundations upon which our country was created.

In this challenge by God, we are also called to look "forward" to the hope of Christ's redemption for each and everyone of us – – Christmas.

Question around the Advent Wreath for the Domestic Church:

In what areas do we, as a Domestic Church married, single, and widowed, have to say "no" so we can have a fulfilling Advent?

God bless you and your family,

Deacon Tom

The Universal Prayers - Christ the King (Prayers of the Faithful)

2015-11-18T02:55:00.001-06:00

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe B

Deacon/Lector

- For our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church:

May we proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth and to the end of time:... We pray to the Lord.

- For All Elected to Public Service:

May Christ the King lead them to place the dignity of human life at the center of all their policies, programs, and decisions:... We pray to the Lord

- For a Transformation of our Hearts:

May Christ the King change our understanding of power, success, and glory so we may place ourselves more fully in God’s service:... We pray to the Lord.

- For all Impacted by the Terrorism in France:

May healing and peace come to all the victims' families and may the peoples of the world unite in prayer to know Christ is the King of all:... We pray to the Lord.

- For the Men & Women in the Armed Forces:

May the Lord preserve them from all harm and help their families cope with the challenges arising from increasing world terrorism:... We pray to the Lord.

(Please add personalized prayers for the Sick and the Dead)

Change

2015-11-05T01:28:00.001-06:00

All of a sudden my life becomes

Feelings of rejection

Feelings of pain

Dying to old ways...

After time, maybe a long time

Peace arrives...

Colors of acceptance peek through

A new normal soothes our body and soul

Metanoia! Resurrection to new life...

Life is ablaze with love

Universal Prayers - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

2015-09-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

Prayers of the Faithful

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Deacon/Lector

For all in the Worldwide Catholic Church: May we grow in faithfulness to God's Commandments; interpreting them with wisdom and discernment for the holiness of all,…We pray to the Lord

For the Leaders of Nations: May they recognize the dignity of all people regardless of status, wealth, or social position and seek to meet the basic needs of every person,…We pray to the Lord

For all in Our Community who have hearing or speech problems: May we affirm them as sisters and brothers and help them to fully use of their gifts for God’s glory,…We pray to the Lord

For a spirit of listening in our Spiritual lives: May God free us from the noise blocking our ability to hear the Word of God and the distractions obscuring the hopes God has placed within our hearts....We pray to the Lord.

For all who protect others, in particular, our military, police officers and fire fighters: That God may grant them His protection as they serve their country and community....We pray to the Lord.

A Life of Prayer is a Call to Simplicity by Deacon Tom Frankenfield

2015-08-19T02:26:00.001-05:00

A Life of Prayer is a Call to Simplicity

Deacon Tom Frankenfield

The key to a full and simple life with God is found right in the word PRAY-that's right;just pray.

P - PRAISE God! Be thankful to God for all that you have

Take time to be thankful to God for all that you have been given in life. Often I am so focused on my needs that I genuinely forget to count my many blessings. During my sicknesses, I am crying out for healing and forgetting my gifts.

For example, I have a car to drive myself to the doctors' office; I have the money to pay my bills. I am loved by a family in spite of my frustration dealing with my illnesses. When I look at my gifts, I really do have many things to thank and praise God for.

It really helps to put God's gifts first in our prayer life. Praising God anchors us in the Blessed Trinity

R - REVEAL Reveal your real needs to God!

Next, we share our needs. At first glance this seems like the easiest prayer form; at least it is often the most common. I could spend the next hour telling God all the things I would like to have. However, for the simple Christian life, I would challenge you to review your life with a different perspective.

Can you tear away those things that are pure pleasure and see the things that you need to bring you closer to God? A new set of golf clubs might be great but ask yourself how that brings you closer to God. As we work through that process we begin to see our needs with a new vantage point.

Let your emotions lead your prayer in telling God your needs, not the commercials on the television or the radio.

A- ADORE Adore our amazing God and all His Works!

This next step means stopping and taking time to be with the Lord. For Catholics, we have the gift of the Eucharist to pray before. Take time in Eucharistic Adoration.

Allow yourself to be transformed! Allow the real presence of God to permeate your being. As a last resort use words!

Others will look at the beauty of God's creation; the beauty of our family and friends. The key here is to be present to God in these situations-then absorb the goodness!

Y - YES! Say "yes" being lead by the Holy Spirit!

After praising, requesting and an experience of adoring, we are ready to completely give our lives to the Holy Spirit.

In opening our lives to The Spirit many of us have experienced God in more of fruitful ways. For some, Scripture comes alive, with words seemingly jumping out off the pages; most have a craving for deeper prayer and for everyone, the Lord's peace and joy reigns in our lives in fresh ways. Can you let go to the Spirit?

Come, Holy Spirit, come. Teach us to pray. Anoint us so we have no fears of giving our lives to you!!

For Your Family Reflection

1. How do we pray in our family; either individually or communally? Are we making rules to make it too complicated?

2. Are you ready to a leader in your Domestic Church by walking through the 4 steps of PRAY. Lead by example and trust God to do the rest.

Holy Spirit Alive!: A Lifelong Journey - Going Home

2015-07-01T05:01:00.001-05:00

Holy Spirit Alive!: A Lifelong Journey - Going Home

A Lifelong Journey - Going Home

2015-07-01T04:57:00.001-05:00

A Lifelong Journey - from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey

Going home is a lifelong journey. There are always parts of ourselves that wander off in dissipation or get stuck in resentment. Before we know it we are lost in lustful fantasies or angry ruminations. Our night dreams and daydreams often remind us of our lostness.

Spiritual disciplines such as praying, fasting and caring are ways to help us return home. As we walk home we often realise how long the way is. But let us not be discouraged. Jesus walks with us and speaks to us on the road. When we listen carefully we discover that we are already home while on the way.

For further reflection ...

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1: 9b (NIV)

Our Mother of Sorrows - where I was Baptized

Lent—A Time of Transformation

2015-02-19T02:32:00.001-06:00

Spring is a time of anticipation. Winter has faded, and we all begin to look for signs of new life. The sun is closer to us and the earth is warmer.

We can feel a sense of newness in the wind, a feeling that something wonderful is going on around us. Flowers begin to bloom; leaves start to bud; birds begin to sing; even the earth smells fresh and vital.

For those who garden, spring is also a time for tilling the ground and planting seeds. Looking for a good harvest, we watch closely the rhythms of sun and rain and keep an eye out for any signs of growth. We stand in awe of the mystery of God’s creation as we ponder the relationship between soil, sun, seeds, and water as they work together to produce new life.

The season of Lent is related to spring and all that it evokes in our minds. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word lencten, which means to lengthen and refers specifically to the lengthening of days in the springtime. Like its counterpart in the natural world, Lent is the season when we anticipate and prepare for the new life to come. It is a time of tilling the soil of our hearts, planting the seeds of faith and love, and watching eagerly for the fruit of our efforts at Easter.

The forty days of Lent recall the time that Moses spent on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18), Elijah’s forty days in the desert (1 Kings 19:8), and, more specifically, Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). As always, God invites us during this season of Lent to reflect on our lives, both individually and together as his people. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus were especially close to God during their forty days of reflection and prayer. We too can experience the Lord’s love more deeply as we draw close to him and reflect on all he has given us in baptism and as we ask him to free us from our sins and weaknesses (see Vatican II, Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, 109).

A Season of Hope Think of what it’s like to plant a garden. Would you till the soil, plant the seeds, and faithfully monitor the crops if you had no hope for any growth? Would you spend your time, money, and energy for nothing? Of course not. We plant because we expect some return, some fruit, for our labors. With this in mind, we can understand how deeply God our Father is committed to the church. God loves his creation. He loves each and every person. His intention that his church bear lasting fruit is unshakable and unending. Full of love, God looks for a fruitful return on all he has given us.

Lent is a season of hope. Our hope rests in the fact that Jesus has defeated sin. He has delivered us from the bondage of sin and he will continue to deliver us with ever-increasing power. How he longs to gather his children together in his embrace (Mark 10:16). We have hope because God is for us, and no one can stand against us (Romans 8:31-32). He is on our side, eager to give us everything we need to grow more and more into the image of his Son, Jesus.

God will never abandon us. He will show us the way to our eternal home, and as we travel along the way, he will form us into his body. In his mercy, he has not left us helpless, but has given us wonderful gifts to help us follow him—faith and grace, his body and blood in the Eucharist, sanctifying gifts, and spiritual gifts. How wonderful is our God, so wonderful that we can see our lives change to reflect his life more and more!

Every Lent, God, like a farmer, wants to plant seeds in the church and watch them spring up. He eagerly waits to see new fruit, both in our own lives and in our neighborhoods and communities. He wants to see his people experience all the grace and power they received when they were baptized. He longs to see his church shine as a light to the world as the people proclaim the gospel in words and in acts of love.

Transformed by the Spirit Let’s take a look at how a “transformation process” can help us understand how we can grow this Lent. The process begins with baptism, when we are united with Jesus in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). In baptism we were given, in seed form, everything necessary to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48); we were brought from the death of sin into Jesus’ resurrection. All of this is the work of God’s wonderful grace, freely given to all (Titus 3:5-6).

Wonderful as it is, baptism is just the beginning of our life with God. As we mature, God wants us to experience the reality and hopeful assurance of all the blessings we have received. Just as parents want to see their children mature, so God wants to see us grow up in our faith and enter into our full inheritance as his sons and daughters.

Not only are we immature in faith, we are also weak and vulnerable to sin. Immersed in a sinful world, we have a disordered tendency (the “flesh”) to commit personal sins. Consequently, our experience of the grace of baptism is often hindered by our immaturity and our personal sins.

The Holy Spirit wants to nourish us every day so that we can move toward spiritual maturity. Just as God told Ezekiel to eat the scroll of his word (Ezekiel 3:1-4), the Spirit wants to feed us with the word of God—God’s very thoughts. The Spirit also invites us to draw closer to our Father in prayer and to receive Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist. Through the gracious work of the Spirit, we can be transformed into God’s likeness and come to love him more and more. The Holy Spirit will enable us to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12). We will want to love other people and take up Jesus’ call to share the gospel.

God knows that we all sin. In his mercy, he wants to reveal our sins and imperfections to us so that we can repent and be free (John 16:13). By choosing reconciliation, we choose to turn away from sin and toward God. Repentance leads to deeper conversion and greater joy as we see our life in the Spirit mature.

In this transformation process, God wants to shower his grace upon us. Grace is the power of God made active in our lives. As we turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer, at Mass, or as we read scripture or other spiritual writings, God fills us with grace. We experience his love. We know peace, even happiness, as we grow in our desire to please the Lord who has been so good to us.

Grace empowers us to repent and follow a more godly pattern. Through the power of God’s grace, we find ourselves increasingly uncomfortable with sin, even to the point of hating sin and its impact on our lives and the lives of our families. We find ourselves praying more, asking the Spirit for strength to resist temptation and turn away from sin. When we do see our sin, we are not discouraged; we are filled with hope, knowing that through repentance we can return to the Father who fills us with mercy and peace. We seek forgiveness and reconciliation, knowing that it is not achieved through our strength but by the indwelling Spirit. All of this is the power of God’s grace to transform us by his love.

The Grace of Lent During these lengthening days of spring, let us ask our Father for the grace to mature in our baptism and to turn away from sin. He who gives us the spring sunshine will also make the springtime of grace flow more freely. We need only ask, be open, and receive his grace.

Hope is the expectation that we can be transformed into the pattern of Christ. Our minds can be renewed as God our Father forms us according to his plan, not according to the ways of the world (Romans 12:2). Lent is a time when we can expect to see God change the church through his transforming grace. As we choose to accept his grace, it will become a part of us, transforming us through and through.

The natural season of spring brings change every year. Flowers begin to bloom, the earth comes back to life, the air becomes warm and inviting. Similarly, the spiritual season of Lent is a time to look for significant change. Just as God pours out a new spring of life in the natural realm, he is likewise eager to pour out a new spring of life in our hearts to renew and refresh his church. This Lent, as we look to God, let us reflect especially on our baptism, and on the gift of repentance, with the assurance that God will produce abundant fruit in our lives and in our church.

Blessing of the Children

2015-01-31T06:31:00.001-06:00

I love the comtemporary setting of a one room school.

How would we present this verse in today's culture? I wish I could draw. It would be fun to try.

In the gospel of Mark there is an episode where women bring their children to Jesus to have them blessed. Jesus' followers stop them, but Jesus then says that one should receive the Kingdom of God the way a child would if one wants to enter it.

This work is linked to Mark 10:14

Fritz von Uhde 1848 – 1911

Let the children come to me oil on canvas (183 × 280 cm) — 1884

Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig

.

Great Post from Henri Nouwen

2014-10-26T05:57:00.001-05:00

For anyone I have ever wounded -- please forgive me......Tom

From

Sunday October 26, 2014

The Authority of Compassion

The Church often wounds us deeply. People with religious authority often wound us by their words, attitudes, and demands. Precisely because our religion brings us in touch with the questions of life and death, our religious sensibilities can get hurt most easily. Ministers and priests seldom fully realize how a critical remark, a gesture of rejection, or an act of impatience can be remembered for life by those to whom it is directed.

There is such an enormous hunger for meaning in life, for comfort and consolation, for forgiveness and reconciliation, for restoration and healing, that anyone who has any authority in the Church should constantly be reminded that the best word to characterize religious authority is compassion. Let's keep looking at Jesus whose authority was expressed in compassion.

Liturgy Prep for 5th Sunday of Lent (A)

2014-04-02T02:27:00.000-05:00

For those who can use these in their communities

God Bless,

Deacon Tom

______________________________

Prayers of the Faithful5th Sunday of Lent (A)

Deacon/Lector

For the People of God, the Church: May our loving God bless it for all it has given to us like God's love, God's life through the guidance and strength of the Spirit,...Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those called to the priesthood, diaconate & consecrated life: May Christ deepen their faith to glorify God in a profoundly personal way through their vocations,...Let us pray to the Lord.

For those in our Parish needing new spiritual life: May we hear God’s invitation to come forth from our tombs of fear, anger, or abuse and live freely in God’s love,...Let us pray to the Lord.

For all who died in the Malaysian Airline crash and for all who mourn them: May God Draw them into eternal light and give peace to their families and friends,…Let us pray to the Lord.

For those ministering to death, like medical professionals and hospital chaplains: may God strengthen their spirits & help them respect the life of each patient…Let us pray to the Lord.

Reflecting on Pope Francis' Challenge for Us to Live in Simplicity

2014-02-20T09:56:00.001-06:00

Today I want to look at the way Pope Francis calls us to simplicity and to share our excess with the poor.

His constant reminders, which are often misinterpreted, are absolutely brilliant not because of it’s well constructed words and phrases – which it contains; because it seems to be the ultimate challenge for us in Western society.

Everywhere I go and every friend I have, including myself are affected and impacted by the corporate marketing of today’s world. We are called to buy bigger; more expensive, and to throw away old last year’s model.

On the other hand, God is calling us, Through the words of the Bishop of Rome, to live in simplicity and to share our excess with those who don’t even have the minimum.

My wife and I made a decision to buy a small house a few years back. From time to time after visiting friends with larger houses ie, with three car garages, etc. I feel myself with the pressure of personal failure as I compare myself to that other person. I guess that is what our Lord teaches us in the Our Gather when he says, "...lead us not into temptation."

Today Lord, I ask you to help me be satisfied with the gifts you’ve given me and to share my excess with someone who has the minimal.

God bless and peace to all,
Deacon Tom

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish Brothers & Sisters

2013-11-27T02:15:00.001-06:00

Hanukkah 2013 begins in the evening of Wednesday,November 27
and ends in the evening of
Thursday,December 5

IHanukkah, or the Festival of Rededication, celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its defilement by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE.

Here is a great link to learn more:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah.shtml

Wednesday June 5, 2013 God's Breath Given to Us

2013-06-05T13:06:00.001-05:00

Being the living Christ today means being filled with the same Spirit that filled Jesus. Jesus and his Father are breathing the same breath, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the intimate communion that makes Jesus and his Father one. Jesus says: "I am in the Father and the Father is in me" (John 14:10) and "The Father and I are one" (John10:30). It is this unity that Jesus wants to give us. That is the gift of his Holy Spirit.

Living a spiritual life, therefore, means living in the same communion with the Father as Jesus did, and thus making God present in the world.

Comment on this Daily Meditation.

Visit our website for inspiration, resources, news, events, community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceYBtFexZC8&sns=em

June 3 - Saint Charles Lwanga and companions The 22 Martyrs of Uganda (+ 1886-1887)

2013-06-03T00:04:00.001-05:00

Saint Charles Lwanga and companions

The 22 Martyrs of Uganda
(+ 1886-1887)

Charles was one of 22 Ugandan martyrs who converted from paganism. Though he was baptized the night before being put to death, he became a moral leader. He was the chief of the royal pages and was considered the strongest athlete of the court. He was also known as "the most handsome man of the Kingdom of the Uganda." He instructed his friends in the Catholic Faith and he personally baptized boy pages. He inspired and encouraged his companions to remain chaste and faithful. He protected his companions, ages 13-30, from the immoral acts and homosexual demands of the Babandan ruler, Mwanga.

Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism?

When Charles was sentenced to death, he seemed very peaceful, one might even say, cheerful. He was to be executed by being burnt to death. While the pyre was being prepared, he asked to be untied so that he could arrange the sticks. He then lay down upon them. When the executioner said that Charles would be burned slowly so death, Charles replied by saying that he was very glad to be dying for the True Faith. He made no cry of pain but just twisted and moaned, "Kotanda! (O my God!)." He was burned to death by Mwanga's order on June 3, 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Charles Lwanga and his companions on June 22,1964. We celebrate his memorial on June 3rd of the Roman Calendar. Charles is the Patron of the African Youth of Catholic Action.

http://www.savior.org/saints/

SAINT JUSTIN Martyr. June 1st

2013-06-01T03:51:00.001-05:00

June 1st - SAINT JUSTIN

Born: 100 AD, Nablus

Died: 165 AD, Rome, Italy

St. Justin was born of heathen parents at. Neapolis in Samaria, about the year 103. He was well educated, and gave himself to the study of philosophy, but always with one object, that he might learn the knowledge of God. He sought this knowledge among the contending schools of philosophy, but always in vain, till at last God himself appeased the thirst which He had created.

One day, while Justin was walking by the seashore, meditating on the thought of God, an old man met him and questioned him on the subject of his doubts; and when he had made Justin confess that the philosophers taught nothing certain about God, he told him of the writings of the inspired prophets and of

Jesus Christ whom they announced, and bade him seek light and understanding through prayer.

The Scriptures and the constancy of the Christian martyrs led Justin from the darkness of human reason to the light of faith. In his zeal for the Faith he travelled to Greece, Egypt, and Italy, gaining many to Christ.

At Rome he sealed his testimony with his blood, surrounded by his disciples. "Do you think," the prefect said to Justin, "that by dying you will enter heaven, and be rewarded by God?" "I do not think," was the Saint's answer; "I know."

Then, as now, there were many religious opinions, but only one certain-the certainty of the Catholic faith. This certainty should be the measure of our confidence and our zeal.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Thursday, May 23, 2013 St. Felix of Cantalice (1515-1587)

2013-05-23T01:45:00.001-05:00

Thursday, May 23, 2013
St. Felix of Cantalice. (1515-1587)

Felix was the first Capuchin Franciscan ever canonized. In fact, when he was born, the Capuchins did not yet exist as a distinct group within the Franciscans.

Born of humble, God-fearing parents in the Rieti Valley, Felix worked as a farmhand and a shepherd until he was 28. He developed the habit of praying while he worked.

In 1543 he joined the Capuchins. When the guardian explained the hardships of that way of life, Felix answered: "Father, the austerity of your Order does not frighten me. I hope, with God’s help, to overcome all the difficulties which will arise from my own weakness."

Three years later Felix was assigned to the friary in Rome as its official beggar. Because he was a model of simplicity and charity, he edified many people during the 42 years he performed that service for his confreres.

As he made his rounds, he worked to convert hardened sinners and to feed the poor–as did his good friend, St. Philip Neri, who founded the Oratory, a community of priests serving the poor of Rome. When Felix wasn’t talking on his rounds, he was praying the rosary. The people named him "Brother Deo Gratias" (thanks be to God) because he was always using that blessing.

When Felix was an old man, his superior had to order him to wear sandals to protect his health. Around the same time a certain cardinal offered to suggest to Felix’s superiors that he be freed of begging so that he could devote more time to prayer. Felix talked the cardinal out of that idea. Felix was canonized in 1712.

Comment:

Grateful people make good beggars. St. Francis told his friars that if they gave the world good example, the world would support them. Felix’s life proves the truth of that advice. In referring all blessings back to their source (God), Felix encouraged people to works of charity for the friars and for others.

Quote:

"And let us refer all good to the most high and supreme lord God, and acknowledge that every good is His, and thank Him for everything, [He] from Whom all good things come. And may He, the Highest and Supreme, Who alone is true God, have and be given and receive every honor and reverence, every praise and blessing, every thanks and glory, for every good is His, He Who alone is good. And when we see or hear an evil [person] speak or act or blaspheme God, let us speak well and act well and praise God (cf. Rm 12:21), Who is blessed forever (Romans 1:25)" (St. Francis, Rule of 1221, Ch. 17).

A Gifted Blind Prodigy Gives Glory to God in Spite of His Shortcoming

2013-05-20T22:56:00.001-05:00

How was your day today? Feel sick? Feel kind of fat?

"This blind musician from Northern Virginia performs in concert halls throughout the world, but says his Catholic faith helps him deliver his music. Read about him here: http://ow.ly/kSM2d "

Often I have lots of excuses not to have a good day. In the attached film we see a young man who goes beyond his infirmities.

http://youtu.be/ozdRzyFeJ4s

In many ways, I guess we're called to be like the young man. He could've spent his life saying I can't because I'm blind; I won't because I'm blind. Instead, he sees the beauty of God through his shortcoming and turns them into ways to praise God.

With my physical challenges I sometimes I find myself saying I can't andI won't, more than I saying thank you to God for the life that I have.

Tomorrow let's all thank God for all the gifts that we have, including the ones that may not look like guess at first blush.

May God bless you and your family.

May God's loving arms around the families of the victims of the Oklahoma City tornado.

And may you know no God more tomorrow than you do today.

Love in Christ,

Deacon Tom

May 20th. St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

2013-05-19T23:21:00.001-05:00

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)

Feast Day: May 20
Patron of advertising, gambling addicts, public relations

Bernardine was one of the most gifted preachers who ever lived. After his ordination he spent 12 years in prayer and contemplation before beginning an explosive ministry in his mid-30s.

Bernardine was often referred to as the “Apostle of Italy,” and Pope Pius II compared him to St. Paul after hearing him preach. Bernardine attracted crowds of up to 30,000 people and had cities competing for a stop on his tour. People were drawn by his spellbinding preaching, but he always directed their gaze toward God. In the words of a contemporary, after Bernardine’s preaching, people would scamper to confession “like ants.”

A front-runner in “branding,” he had a theme that ran like a golden thread through his every message — and an image to go along with it. He preached about the Holy Name of Jesus and popularized the symbol of Jesus’ name: IHS surrounded by rays of light. This image can be seen in churches and on tabernacles to this day. It was displayed whenever Bernardine preached and was set out for veneration afterwards. The image became so popular that Bernardine helped a former gambler make a living by selling copies of it. Demand was so high for this simple piece of sacred art that the man made a small fortune!

The image was also used to strengthen Bernardine’s efforts to bring reconciliation to the many warring factions dividing Italy in the 1400s. He successfully convinced parishes to take down their region’s coat of arms and replace it with the IHS insignia — a sign of Christian unity. Bernardine was effective because he embodied what he preached, had a clear message and had a simple image to help people remember it, rightly earning him a place among the saints.

April 4 - St. Isidore of Seville (560?-636)

2013-04-04T01:02:00.001-05:00

St. Isidore of Seville
(560?-636)

The 76 years of Isidore's life were a time of conflict and growth for the Church in Spain. The Visigoths had invaded the land a century and a half earlier, and shortly before Isidore's birth they set up their own capital. They were Arians—Christians who said Christ was not God. Thus Spain was split in two: One people (Catholic Romans) struggled with another (Arian Goths).
Isidore reunited Spain, making it a center of culture and learning. The country served as a teacher and guide for other European countries whose culture was also threatened by barbarian invaders.

Born in Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling saints (Leander, Fulgentius and Florentina), he was educated (severely) by his elder brother, whom he succeeded as bishop of Seville.

An amazingly learned man, he was sometimes called "The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages" because the encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for nine centuries. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a Rule for religious orders and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Isidore wrote numerous books, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths and a history of the world—beginning with creation! He completed the Mozarabic liturgy, which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. For all these reasons, Isidore has been suggested as patron of the Internet. Several others (including Anthony of Paduia) have also been suggested.

He continued his austerities even as he approached 80. During the last six months of his life, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from morning till night with the poor of the countryside.

Stories:

Once, when Isidore was a boy, he ran away from home and from school. His brother Leander, some twenty years older than he, was his teacher, and a very demanding one. While Isidore sat by himself out in the woods, loafing, he watched some drops of water falling on a rock. Then he noticed that the dripping water had worn a hold in the hard rock! The thought came to him that he could do what the little drops of water did. Little by little, by sticking to it, he could learn all his brother demanded, and maybe even more.
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Source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1343

RCIA @MOQ

2013-04-02T02:10:00.001-05:00

New York's Cardinal Dolan Insight To What is REALLY Happening in Rome

2013-03-10T00:39:00.001-06:00

Cardinal Dolan's blog

Above is a wonderful link to blog of Cardinal Dolan from New York. He gives clear insights to what is really happening with the Cardinals in Rome.

It is a very refreshing relief from what is being reported in the media.

Thank God For Cardinal Dolan may God bless him and all of the Cardinals. For us, let us keep praying!

Graphic Summary of the Conclave

2013-03-03T08:28:00.001-06:00

As the Conclave to elect a new pope draws nearer, much disinformation abounds. Here is a great link that summarizes the process.

http://visual.ly/inside-conclave

Blessings,

Deacon Tom
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Blog: deacontomf.blogspot.com
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Website: www.deacontom.com