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3/5/2010

GPS, INTERNET, MAP, TRIPTICK OR GAS STATION?

When I was young and my family was traveling to an unknown destination there were only three ways to get directions: a map, a AAA Triptick, or if you were lost, stopping at a gas station and asking one of the attendants. Today, in addition, to what some readers may think are ancient ways, we have Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for our cars and internet sites like mapquest, google maps, or yahoo maps.

In this month's column I introduced readers to a discussion on the four cardinal virtues. In the Summa Theologica, St Thomas Aquinas ordered prudence as the first of the cardinal virtues. Like a GPS, map, or other kinds of directions, prudence "guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure." (CCC #1806)

So how does prudence guide and give direction, not only to the other virtues, but to us? In the column I said that prudence obliges us in our judgments to define what is right and what is wrong and make our decisions based on that definition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church furthers that definition when it states, "Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment." (CCC #1806)

So, prudence guides and directs us to what is good and we base our actions on that decision. Just like a GPS, map, or triptick guides and directs us to the roads that will get us to our intended destination.

IN THE NEWS: As you are all aware a devastating earthquake struck Chile last Saturday. Let us ask for the intercession of the Patron Saints of Chile in this the country's hour of need: Saints Francis Solano and James the Greater, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Additionally, Catholic Relief Services is providing aid and comfort to the victims of the earthquake and accepting donations in support of the work being done in Chile.

IN THE NEWS, PART II: Many of us were shocked at the violent murder of Jennifer Daugherty, a mentally challenged woman that took place in Greensburg on February 10. All of us can agree that what happened to Jennifer was heinous. But as this case begins to make its way through the Westmoreland County Court system, it is a good time for us to pause and review the Catholic perspective on crime and criminal justice from the U.S. Bishops. Let us remember Jennifer and her family in our prayers.

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2/25/2010

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: SAINTS ANTHONY OF EGYPT AND CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA

St. Anthony of Egypt also known as St. Anthony the Great, was born around the year 251 in Lower Egypt to wealthy parents. At the age of 18, his parents were both dead and he cared for his sister. Christ's words, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me," (Mark 10:21b) had such an impact on him that he quite literally followed these words. He sold some of the family's property and gave other parts of it away to neighbors. The proceeds from the sale, he donated to the poor. He placed his sister with a group of religious sisters and became an ascetic in the Egyptian desert. An ascetic is someone who lives outside of populated areas and dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons. Near the end of his life, at the age of 88, St. Anthony was asked by St. Athanasius to assist him in defending the Church against the Arian heresy, which denied Christ's divinity. St. Anthony died in 356 at the age of 105. His feast day is January 17.

St. Catherine of Alexandria was born in the year 282. She was raised as a pagan, and converted to Christianity in her teen years. After her conversion she visited the Roman Emperor, Maximinus, and attempted to convince him to stop persecuting Christians and convert to the faith. While not succeeding in her attempt with the Emperor, St. Catherine did bring to the faith the Emperor's wife and his philosophers. With that, Maximinus ordered her to be jailed. Those that visited Catherine in prison, she also evangelized to the faith. This infuriated the Emperor, and he had St. Catherine put to death in 305. St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of secretaries.

This concludes our four-week study of Black Saints. This site is very useful for more information on Black Saints or modern Black Christian leaders. Although the site is not Catholic, it is a good lead in to further study of the heroes of our faith.

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2/19/2010

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: SAINTS MARTIN de PORRES AND MAURICE

The season of Lent is upon us. It begins with our call to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," as we are marked with a sign of our sinfulness - ashes. It continues with our practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays and our practice of devotions, such as the Way of the Cross. Lent concludes with our remembrance of Christ's Passion. So through whatever it is you are "giving up," or whatever you are doing to "discipline your will," I pray that it brings you closer to Christ the Lord and gives you a greater understanding of the Paschal Mystery.

St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru on December 9, 1579. He was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave from Panama. St. Martin was raised in poverty, and when his mother could not financially continue to support him, she sent him to a primary school. There St. Martin learned the medical arts and apprenticed with a barber/surgeon. At the tender age of ten, Martin spent many hours in the middle of the night in prayer and making reparation for his own sins and the conversion of pagans and sinners. At the age of fifteen he joined the Dominican Friary in Lima as a lay brother. In the Friary he was given ministries such as barber, farm laborer, and he worked in the infirmary. Martin loved animals and he opened an animal hospital on his sister’s property. He was a close friend of St. Rose of Lima. He died on November 3, 1639. St. Martin was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. His feast day is November 3 and he is recognized by the Church as the patron saint of black people.

St. Maurice (pronounced Maurris) was born in the Third Century in the ancient city of Thebes, Egypt. He was an officer in Emperor Maximian Herculius' Theban Legion. That legion of Herculius' army was made up of Christian men from the Upper Egypt region. This Legion was sent by the Roman Emperor to western Switzerland to put down the rebelling Bagaudaes. To ensure victory Herculius ordered Maurice and his men to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods. They refused and left the army encampment. In response, the Emperor ordered that the entire Legion be put to death. During their martyrdom, the men of his Legion relied on the comfort and encouragement of St. Maurice. St. Maurice's martyrdom occurred in 287. His feast day is September 22.

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2/12/2010

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: SAINTS MONICA AND CHARLES LWANGA

First, let me say that for many of us, it has been one interesting week. As I left the office last Friday night, never would I have imagined that the four counties in our diocese would experience the type of weather we have over the last week. Allegheny Power, based in Greensburg, reports that during the storms this week and their aftermaths over 435,000 customers lost power. My family and I were one of those customers. Thanks to our diocesan Director of Youth Ministry, Christie Smith and her husband Will, who live nearby, we had a warm place to stay on Saturday night. Our diocese also saw Bishop Brandt dispense the faithful of the diocese from the Sunday obligation last weekend. We also saw the Pastoral Center, the offices that serve the people of the diocese, closed on Wednesday and Thursday of this past week. So in our prayers let us remember those still without power, those that are ill or are in need, and those who still suffer inconveniences due to the storms. Let us ask for the intercession of St. Medard, the patron Saint of protection from bad weather.

Continuing now with our celebration of Black History Month with the Saints, we turn to St. Monica. St. Monica was Algerian and the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. Monica's parents raised her in a Christian home, but married her to Patricius, who worked in the government and was a pagan. Patricius was a difficult man to live with. He had a violent temper and was unfaithful to Monica. She also had to deal with a challenging mother-in-law who lived with her and Patricius. Eventually through her prayers Patricius and his mother converted to Christianity. Patricius and Monica had four children, including St. Augustine. Augustine was a successful scholar and teacher. But, St. Monica was very disappointed in her son's lifestyle, heretical religion, and cohabitation with his mistress. At the age of 29 St. Augustine decided to go to Italy to teach rhetoric. Because of St. Monica's determination to go with him, Augustine left in the middle of the night and changed his destination from Rome to Milan. St. Monica pursued Augustine to Milan, and it was there that she introduced him to the Bishop, St. Ambrose. St. Ambrose instructed Augustine in the faith and at Easter in 387 St. Ambrose baptized Augustine. Soon after Augustine’s baptism, Monica decided to return Africa, but she never made it, she died at the age of 56 in Ostia, Italy. Prior to her death, St. Monica said to her son, "Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled." St. Monica's feast day is August 27.

St. Charles Lwanga was born in the kingdom of Buganda in modern day Uganda. Charles was a page in the court of King Mwanga II. The king began to persecute Christians if they did not abandon their faith between 1885 and 1887. This included both Anglicans and Catholics. It is believed that the reason the King had Christians executed was because of their refusal to engage in homosexual acts with him. In 1885, King Mwanga executed a large number of Anglicans. This upset the king's resident Catholic priest in his court. For this he had Father Joseph Mukasa put to death. St. Charles Lwanga then became responsible for the priest's duties. On May 26, 1886, Charles Lwanga and 11 other Catholics participated in the baptism of a large number of catechumens. This upset King Mwanga and he had the 12 executed on June 3, 1886. St. Charles Lwanga and his Companions were Canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 18, 1964. Their feast day is June 3.

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2/5/2010

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: SAINTS MARCELLINUS, FELECITY, AND PERPETUA

In this month's column and blog we are celebrating black history month with the Saints. This week we begin our look on the blog by looking at Saints who are named in the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I. The three Saints profiled this week are Saints Marcellinus, Felicity, and Perpetua.

St. Marcellinus was elected to the Pontificate on June 30, 296. Marcellinus began his papacy when Diocletian was the Emperor of Rome. Diocletian's reign as Emperor began without the persecution of Christians. It was Caesar Galerius who convinced Diocletian in 302 that it was necessary to remove Christianity from Roman society. This happened first by forcing Christian soldiers to leave the Roman army. It continued with the Church's property being confiscated, and later Christian books were destroyed. After two fires took place in the Emperor's palace, which Diocletian blamed on the Christians, he forced them to either deny the faith or face a death sentence. To demonstrate his wicked ways Diocletian forced Marcellinus to offer sacrifice and incense to the Roman idols. Marcellinus later regretted his decision, declared his faith in Christ, and was put to death by the Emperor in 304. His feast day is April 26.

Saints Felicity and Perpetua's story begins with the fact that they were both mothers. Perpetua was a young, beautiful, and well-educated woman of nobility who lived in Carthage. She was the mother of an infant son. Felicity was a slave and expectant mother. They lived during the time in the Third Century when the Emperor Septimius Severus was persecuting Christians and putting them to death if they did not renounce their faith. Despite this threat and the pleading of Perpetua's father the two along with three other companions refused to deny the faith. This so enraged her father that he attacked Perpetua. This attack led to the arrest of the five and the separation of Perpetua from her nursing baby. The prison in which the five were held was hot and they were treated with disdain by the soldiers. The five, including the pregnant Felicity went before the judge to be questioned and judged. Again Perpetua's father encouraged her to deny the faith. She and the four others refused and were sentenced to be executed during the public games in the amphitheater. Felicity gave birth to a girl, two days before the scheduled execution. Perpetua writes in her diary the day before the execution, "Of what was done in the games themselves, let him write who will." Their feast day is March 7.

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1/29/2010

PRIESTS: CO-WORKERS OF THE BISHOP, FULFILLING THE APOSTOLIC MISSION

“After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, 'It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.' They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith." (Acts 14:21-23)

And with that, at the end of their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas appointed religious leaders, presbyters, to lead the community of Christians in places such as Cyprus, Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra. This act is very similar to a Bishop ordaining a priest and assigning him to such places as Brady's Bend, Blairsville, Rostraver, or Farmington.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by virtue of their ordination, "the function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ." (#1562) In addition, priests are representatives of the Bishop to each local parish, "in part they take upon themselves his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge them ... The promise of obedience they make to the bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and obedience" (#1567)

So how are our priests representatives of Christ, fulfilling the Apostolic Mission, and co-workers of the Bishop? Priests do this by fulfilling their sacerdotal (priestly) duties of preaching the Gospel, shepherding the People of God in his care, and most especially through the celebration of the Mass.

As we wrap-up this four week look at the different aspects of a priest's life, let us wrap-up with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Prayer for the Year for Priests:

Dear Lord, we pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry. We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her own words, "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:5).

May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse. May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.May your priests be holy, filled with the fire of your love seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, pray for us.

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1/22/2010

PRIEST AS HEALER

Before getting into the subject of this week's blog I think that it is necessary for us to pause and remember that today is the 37th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion in the United States. I encourage you to take some time today to offer some prayers that our leaders and legislators will realize and make laws that recognize that life begins at conception and ends with natural death. Often times my wife shares with me, the honor she feels, that by the grace of God, the life of our three children grew and developed in her. So with that in mind, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God to intercede for life, for our legislators, and for the people of the Diocese of Greensburg who are participating in the March for Life today.

When many of us think of healers what probably comes to mind are people like Benny Hinn, who come on our TV screens early Sunday mornings. Many people come forward for healings from their sickness and disease and some even speak of what they were healed of and how.

In this month's column I highlighted three passages from Sacred Scripture in which Jesus healed four people. Lost in the details of the healing, is how Jesus healed each of the people in the passages. In the first story, from the Gospel of Mark, Jairus, a synagogue official asks Jesus to lay his hand on the man's dying daughter. Jesus does so, with the prayer, "Little girl, I say to you arise!" Jesus does this, only after he is touched by a woman who was afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years and she is healed, even though no words are exchanged between her and Jesus.

In the second story, from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus raises the widow's son by touching his coffin and praying, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" Finally, in the third story, from the Gospel of John, when the man born blind tells his neighbors how he was healed, he says, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes ..." Thus Jesus' method of healing is through prayer, laying on of hands, and anointing.

The Church calls the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, the Sacraments of Healing. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the reason these Sacraments are known as the Sacraments of Healing is because, "The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members." (#1421)

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, during the prayer of Absolution the priest extends his hand over the penitent and prays, "God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

In the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick the priest begins the Liturgy of Anointing with a Litany and then lays his hands on the head of the sick. He then prays over the oil and then anoints the sick saying the following prayer, "Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit." He then prays, "May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up." Thus the Church's method of healing in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick is for the priest to pray, lay on hands, and anoint.

We continue to see very difficult images of our neighbors in Haiti, as they continue to suffer from the results of the Earthquake. We continue to ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Patron of Haiti. In parishes across the Diocese of Greensburg this weekend the second collection will help the relief work of Catholic Relief Services in Haiti. Please be as generous as possible.

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1/15/2010

PRIEST AS SACRAMENTAL MINISTER

Four years ago my family and I traveled to Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio for the Ordination to the Priesthood of my cousin. During the homily at his First Mass, my cousin's longtime Pastor told the congregation that through the Sacramental Ministry of the priest that my cousin will be present during a family's most joyous and saddest times. He will represent the Church at Baptisms, First Communions, Weddings, and during illness and at Funerals.

It is the mission of the priest to sanctify the people of God in the power of Christ. Through the Sacraments the priest perfects the spiritual sacrifice of God's people by uniting it to Christ's sacrifice.

During the homily of the Ordination of a Priest, the Church instructs the Bishop to address the candidate for Ordination with this sentiment, "When you baptize you will bring men and women into the people of God. In the sacrament of penance, you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church. With holy oil you will relieve and console the sick. You will celebrate the liturgy and offer thanks and praise to God throughout the day, praying not only for the people of God but for the whole world. Remember that you are chosen from among God's people and appointed to act for them in relation to God. Do your part in the work of Christ the priest with genuine joy and love, and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own."

It is through his entire ministry, but most especially through the Sacraments that the priest seeks, "to bring the faithful together into an unified family and to lead them effectively, through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, to God the Father."

Please remember to continue to pray for the people of Haiti and to be as generous as possible during next weekend's second collection to support the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Please see the post below from earlier this week that includes a prayer for the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Patron Saint of Haiti.

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1/13/2010

PRAY FOR HAITI

Like you, I watched TV last night and this morning with great sadness at the news of a 7.0 Earthquake which struck Haiti yesterday. Today reports from a number of news agencies have reported that thousands have died, including Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince and 100 priests and seminarians. In the coming days I'm sure many parishes in the diocese will announce how we in the Diocese of Greensburg can help. Additionally, Catholic News Service has listed a number of Catholic agencies working to bring aid and relief to the people of Haiti.

In the meantime, the best we can do is pray for the people of Haiti. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the Patron Saint of the country. So let us offer this prayer for the people of Haiti

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant me ever to be able to call upon your powerful name, since your name is the help of the living and the salvation of the dying. Ah, Mary most pure, Mary most sweet, grant that your name from this day forth may be to me the very breath of life. Dear Lady, delay not to come to my assistance whenever I call upon you; for in all the temptations that assail me, in all the necessities that befall me, I will never leave off calling upon you, ever repeating: Mary, Mary. What comfort, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness fills my soul at the sound of your name, at the very thought of you! I give thanks to our Lord, who for my sake has given you a name so sweet, so lovable, so mighty. But I am not content merely to speak your name; I would utter it for very love of you; it is my desire that love should ever remind me to name you, Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen.

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1/8/2010

THE PRAYER LIFE OF THE PRIEST

First and foremost this week, I hope all of you are safe as you traverse the roads and walkways on this snowy and cold week in Western Pennsylvania. Also, please take care and listen to your body as you are shoveling the white stuff this weekend.

In this month's column I introduced four aspects of the life of a priest. Over the next four weeks, we will take a more in-depth look at those four aspects. This week we will look at the prayer life of the priest by answering three questions:

Why is it important that the priest have a prayer life?
When he prays, what does the priest pray for?
What is the Liturgy of the Hours?

Why is it important that the priest have a prayer life? Speaking about the importance of prayer in the life of the priest, approximately one month before he was elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said, "The first 'task' a priest has to do is to be a believer and to become one ever anew and ever more. Faith is never simply there automatically; it must be lived. It leads us into conversation with God which involves speaking and listening to the same degree. Faith and prayer belong together; they cannot be separated. The time spent by a priest on prayer and listening to Scripture is never time lost to pastoral care or time withheld from others. People sense whether the work and words of their pastor spring from prayer fabricated at his desk."

When he prays, what does the priest pray for? The principal responsibility in the life of a priest is to pray for the people entrusted to his care and for the whole Church. He does this by praying the Liturgy of the Hours, personal prayer, and the practice of familiar devotions. Prayer roots the priest with the divine origin of his vocation, Jesus Christ.

What is the Liturgy of the Hours? The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings from Sacred Scripture. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the Liturgy of the Hours as integrating, "... the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer..." (#1177) Upon ordination to any of the Holy Orders, the daily recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours becomes a canonical obligation.

Because he serves in the person of Christ and due to his day-to-day responsibilities, it is essential in the life of a priest that he has a regular, consistent, and habitual prayer life. In fact, the Church encourages all of us to make prayer a habit of our lives.

In Luke's Gospel, after teaching His disciples to pray Jesus says to them about prayer, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10)