Sometimes we can make our Christian walk complex when it can be very simple beginning with this quote from a book of “Spiritual Direction of St. Claude de la Colombière” who was canonized by St. John Paul II.
“Jesus is in the midst of us in the Blessed Sacrament. What a consolation to live in the same house where He dwells! Yet does it not seem as though we often ignore this happiness? Do we visit Him often? Do we go to Him with our needs and consult Him in our plans? Do we bring Him our little sorrows instead of talking about them by complaining and murmuring to others?”
I will add…as I spend more time with Jesus both in prayer and Eucharistic Adoration, it is so much easier NOT ONLY TO BRING ALL my needs and concerns to Him, but the wisdom to focus on those most important at a given moment. What follows is more peace and less anxiety. Pax—Fr. Vic.
***Also don’t forget the Parish Pilgrimages to Medjugorje, October 2018, and The Holy Land, Spring 2019 with more information to come. ***
We would not have a gadget in our house five minutes without knowing what it was for; yet some live twenty or sixty years without knowing why they are here or where they are going. When life is meaningless, it is dull; the absence of a goal or purpose begets worries, anxieties, psychoses, and neuroses. What is the use of living unless we know the purpose of living?” Fulton J. Sheen from “Life Is Worth Living”
I love this quote from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. We are wired to know our creator and origins, just as a child desires to know their biological parents. The devil wants to create a climate where we become so busy and enamored with the material world that we cease to contemplate the bigger and deeper questions of life—the questions that lead us to God, Happiness, and Fulfillment. Pax-Fr. Vic
***Also don’t forget the Parish Pilgrimages to Medjugorje, October 2018, and The Holy Land, Spring 2019 with more information to come. ***
“A lot of times cradle Catholics are envious of us converts, but I would give anything to have had access to the Sacraments from the time I was born. Baptism, Eucharist—from the time I was a child—I would give anything for that. You’ve received a tremendous blessing as cradle Catholics.” (Tim Staples—Catholic Answers) As your pastor I will add: May we continue to teach each other about the beauty of this ancient Catholic Faith in Jesus Christ. As a convert, cradle Catholics have taught me much about the traditions, the many pious prayers, and of saints who have preceded us. Pax Christi!
***Also remember the Parish Pilgrimages to Medjugorje, October 2018, and The Holy Land, Spring 2019.***
“A sign that our soul may be drawing closer to God is to realize that while we may be more content than ever in our life, we have also become more incapable of permanent satisfaction in anything this life can offer.” (Fr. Donald Haggerty-from Contemplative Provocations) Which reminds me… Each morning as I sit before the Blessed Sacrament or just spend time reflecting upon the love of God, the more He is beginning to instill a deeper joy and steadiness to handle each day’s responsibilities. The more I experience this inner steadiness, happiness, and joy, the more I realize it is not rooted in the material things of this world, but is solely a gift. And this gift allows use to engage the world with a contentment derived from a deeper inner joy of the Spirit.
Also please remember our upcoming church pilgrimages (spiritual retreats) to Medjugorje, the end of October 2018, and the Holy Land, the Spring of 2019.
Below is a quote from Mystic Adrienne von Speyr’s book: “The Cross: Word and Sacrament.” Thus, when you visit the Sacred Heart Confessional you will not additional crucifixes added to help us contemplate the great love and mercy our Lord has for us. “When we look a the Cross in a contrite spirit before making our Confession—in spite of the sadness that afflicts us on account of our sins, in spite of the anxiety about not being able to recognize and recall everything—we know that we can be sure of the Lord’s help; we know that the Son immediately makes this help available in the presence of his Father by interposing himself, his sufferings, for the sake of the penitent. He steps in with the whole weight of his Passion so that the penitent can be encouraged to tread the path of the sacrament full of confidence and can also dare to look up to the Cross, which has for him absolute value. But in this word there is even more: an invitation from the Son to all sinners to participate in his Cross.”
Also please remember our upcoming church pilgrimages (spiritual retreats) to Medjugorje, the end of October 2018, and the Holy Land, the Spring of 2019. Pax—Father Vic
Dr. Scott Hahn—from: “Why a Protestant Pastor became Catholic” For two weeks straight I went to Mass. I can’t begin to tell you what I was experiencing. I was falling head over heels in love with Jesus Christ as though it was the first time. Only in this case, it was the Holy Eucharist, it was the Blessed Sacrament, it was the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And I was watching as the Bible just came to life.
Sometimes I think we take the Holy Mass for granted. We do not realize it is Heaven come down to earth, and that we are immersed in the Sacred Scriptures. At other times we want to make the Mass about us, forgetting that by just being present we are uniting ourselves to the very heart and prayers of Jesus Himself as He intercedes for our intentions and needs. It does not matter how you feel emotionally, or if you are up or down, you are in the very presence of Jesus Himself. I feel sorry for some who decide to leave early, because they miss being Blessed by Jesus Himself through His priest. This blessing allows us strength for the week ahead. Blessings and Peace, Father Vic.
Please remember the church has planned two pilgrimages (Fall 2018— Medjugorje) and (Spring 2019—Holy Land). Two great opportunities for times of communion with fellow travelers and opportunity for silence in a beautiful sacred space.
“Isn’t it a shame that we live in a society that so fears silence. We turn the radios on in our rooms, the TV’s on in our dens, the stereos on in our cars, and when we are not near any of these places, we plug iPods into our ears— anything to avoid silence. Yet silence itself is the language of God! I’ll let you in on something I just recently learned: set aside a few minutes each day to just be silent, and you will find that you instantly become a more peaceful person. Imagine Jesus saying to you (as He said to His disciples), ‘Come with me by yourself to a quiet place.’ (cf. Mk 6:31).”
—Fr. Augustine Wetta
Our Blessed Mother Mary wants her compassion to be known. She is always holding out hands with compassion, suffering with us. She never says, “I have had enough of you. I am tired of this.”
We see her throughout history in most of her apparitions in one of two positions; with folded hands, praying to her Son, or with outstretched hands to hold our hands.
With this said, please think about attending our church pilgrimage to the Marian site of Medjugorje from October 30th through November 6th.
Mary asks us to pray, pray, pray…
If you ever feel down or lost, please remember this truth: When Jesus as High Priest prayed for his new Church in John 17, please remember He prayed specifically for you.
Steve Ray from “The Birth of the Catholic Church”.
“I do not pray for these only but for those who will believe in me through your work.” In other words, that day that Jesus prayed at the Temple, he prayed specifically for you. He said, “I’m not just praying for your disciples, but I’m praying for all those who believe in your word and the word that you teach. I’m praying right now for everyone of them. He knew your name back 2,000 years ago and prayed for you in front of the Jewish Temple on his way to the Cross.” Always have hope.
The more purified, the happier we will be. In purgatory we have perfect charity and we have complete happiness because we’re accepting God’s judgment. We’re not in purgatory complaining, “God why did you do this to me? When is this going to end?” We’re in purgatory submitting joyfully, with total contentment, to God’s will, God’s judgment. And the longer we’re there, the more joy and happiness we will have because we know we’re getting to that point of consummation: total purification and readiness for Heaven.