Sunday, November 29, 2009

Vigilance for Christ NOT vigilance against fear

Homily by Fr. Philip Neri Powell, PhD. Fr. Powell is a Dominican priest studying in Rome. He is a convert to the Catholic Church, a native of Mississippi, and maintains a blog: Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!


1st Sunday of Advent: Readings
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
SS. Domenico e Sisto, Roma

If you search on Youtube for vids using the terms “wake up prank” you will find some hilarious pranks pulled on poor, sleeping souls. Pranksters use air horns, spiders, plastic lizards, flour, mousetraps, and Halloween masks to scare the living daylights out of their family members and friends. Asleep and soundly dreaming away the night, the victims are secure in their beds. Vulnerable, innocent, easy prey. When the assault comes, their reactions—screams of terror, wild jumping about, colorful (*ahem*) language—all come together perfectly in a flashing instant of surprise, a completely unexpected jolt back to the reality of the waking world. . .and the terrible laughing of their loved ones. After this dose of terror, how do they ever get back to sleep, waiting, as they surely are, for the next bucket of water, or the next fake machine gun blast? Do they know it's coming? Do they wait to be surprised again?

Speaking to the disciples about his return at the end of this age, Jesus says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy. . .and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times. . .” Like the victim of a Youtube wake-up prank, are we to live our lives in vigilant fear of being surprised by the trumpet blast, the roaring waves, the moon and stars shaken from the sky? After all, doesn't Jesus also tell the disciples that “people will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world”? Ours is a vigilance of hope not fear, of thankful anticipation not fret and worry about disaster and cosmic destruction. Yes, the Day is coming, but it is the Day our Lord fulfills His promise to us.

The world has been ending since it started. The Last Day of creation dawned with the First Day's sunrise. Can you count the number of world-ending scenarios you have lived through? For me: Soviet communism, DDT poisoning, acid rain, nuclear winter, HIV/AIDS, the new ice age, global suffocation from deforestation, flu pandemics, “dirty bomb terrorism,” worldwide economic collapse, and global warming—all secular apocalyptic scripts that narrate the reduction of our civilizations to utter ruin. Instinctively, it seems, we understand that as individuals and as a collective whole we will die. There will be an end. I will die. You will die. We might even die together. On a global scale, apocalyptic scenarios represent our individual anxieties about dying. Projected on the world-screen, these End of Days dramas are just one of the ways we humans play out our fear of dying. The trumpets of natural disaster, or nuclear annihilation, or environmental pollution blare from the four corners of the Earth, and we run around screaming, searching for some way—any way—to forestall our end. If the Church can be justly accused of using the bloody prophecies of Armageddon to frighten the vulnerable into submission to her power, then we can just as rightly accuse the secular powers of using scientific prophecy to scare us into a slavery to fear. Does it matter if the prophets of global destruction are dressed in vestments or lab coats? Whether they use cryptic scriptures or equally occult “science”? Neither of these schools of prophecy preach the hope that Christ came give to us. Neither encourages us to wait faithfully in the expectation of the day of promise. Neither points us to the need to live in love with thanksgiving.

Does this mean then that we can become complacent in our vigilance for the coming of the Lord? No, of course not. But if we are not to drown in worry and be surprised on the day of promise, we must understand that ours is a vigilance for the coming of Christ not avigilance against our inevitable demise. As Christians, we have no fear of death. Death is dead. Yes, we will die. But we will not lie dead forever. Jesus is not warning the disciples against the coming end so much as he is telling them to live now as if he he had come again already. When secular apocalyptic scenarios splash across the media, we are told that there are solutions, outs, ways of avoiding the coming disasters. We are harangued and shamed into schemes to save the planet. Jesus says no such thing to the disciples. There are no solutions. He says simply, “I will return. And here is how you will know I am coming. . .” The advent of his coming is always upon us. He has come; his is coming; and he will come again. These are not reasons to fear an end, but reasons to hope for his inevitable rule.

Hope looks beyond anxiety, beyond disaster, beyond the always-already advent of an apocalypse. When we hope as we ought, we are not gambling against cosmic odds, but rather laying claim to the promise made by God to His prophet Jeremiah: “In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” That's not an angry threat but a divine guarantee.

Original blog entry here

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord!

From Norwood Morris, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

This Thanksgiving let us find blessings to be thankful for and dwell on those excellent and praiseworthy things (Philippians 4:8)! Let us praise our Father as we were created to do (Isaiah 43:21). Let us thank our Savior, our Lord Christ Jesus, for this is His will for us (1 Thessalonnians 5:16-18). Let us rejoice always, because we have been given EVERYTHING by our Father (Phil. 4:4; Ephesians 1:3-4). "Praise the LORD, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples! The LORD'S love for us is strong; the LORD is faithful forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" (Psalm 117).

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Iron Bowl

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. -St. Ignatius

I was talking with a friend recently who was getting excited for the upcoming Iron Bowl game between Alabama and Auburn. He talked about the long standing tradition with family and friends- the tailgating- the clothes he wears and finally the awesome seats that they have. I asked if I could buy the tickets, to which he laughed. Seriously, I said "How much for the tickets? And let’s say that you really couldn’t get other tickets- and as part of the package, you promised to not watch the game on T.V. or listen to it on the radio." When he realized I was sincere, he thought a moment and then said, “Not even a million dollars.” I responded, “Wow!” You really want to see this game. Then I said, “If you offered me a million dollars to miss one Mass- a daily Mass, not a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, I would refuse also. My question to you is, “What in your life would you hang on to even if someone offered you a million dollars?” Food for thought… Blessings, Todd

Monday, November 23, 2009

MoSJ at Mobile's Christ the King Celebration

Men of St. Joseph volunteered to usher at Sunday's Christ the King Celebration in Mobile. The "green shirts" were quite visible Below are a few pictures taken by Mike Rogers. More pictures will be uploaded to the MoSJ Facebook Fan Page, soon.




















Consider This ...

From Norwood Morris, Mobile, Ala. -St. Ignatius


Our Father is awesome. He defends us with His mighty hand, gives us strength by the power of His Holy Spirit, He sends angels to protect us, and keeps harm from reaching us (Isaiah 54:17). Daniel 6:22 says: "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Mobile Revives Christ the King Procession


Archbishop Thomas Rodi is reviving the Christ the King Procession in downtown Mobile prior to this Sunday's Christ the King Mass at the Cathedral.

Participants should gather at the cross in Bienville Square, downtown Mobile, by 10:30 a.m. Archbishop Rodi will give an opening prayer and begin the recitation of the Holy Rosary. The procession will continue recitation of the Rosary as it leaves Bienville Square and processes west on Dauphin Street to Cathedral Square. Upon completion of the Rosary, participants will enter the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, where Mass will begin at 11:00 a.m.

The procession route encompasses a little more than three city blocks, so those unable to walk that distance are invited to be seated in the Cathedral.

During Mass, Archbishop Rodi will confer the first-ever Christ the King Medal to honor a volunteer from each parish who has been nominated by their pastor for exemplary service to the parish. Everyone is invited to participate in this marvelous archdiocesan-wide celebration and witness to our faith and heritage.

More info here

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Consider This ...

From Norwood Morris, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

God measures our lives by how we love! (1 Corinthians 13:2-3, 8 & 13). Yet, we can only love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Let us love as our Savior has called us to love (Isaiah 58:6-7; Matthew 25:34, 40) and most importantly let us live with wholehearted love for our Father as He has commanded us (Mt. 22:37-38)! Jesus loves me, but you are His favorite!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Put the family back in the hands of the Father

By Bill Harkins, Mobile, Ala., -St. Ignatius


As Men of St. Joseph, we are familiar with our calling to “Put the family back in the hands of the Father.”

What does this mean? How can we do it on a daily basis? To borrow a few words from one of my heroes, St. Padre Pio, try this: “Pray. Hope. Don’t Worry.”

Pray. When was the last time you got on your knees with your wife and kids and talked to God? What better way to put them in His hands! Turn off the TV for 15 minutes, put the dog outside, place a Crucifix on a table and bring your family in front of it on their knees. Lead them in thanking God for his blessings (be specific, like your health, the dinner you just ate, etc). Then ask for continued gifts from Him. Let everyone take turns and end with a familiar prayer together like the Our Father or Hail Mary.

Hope. Teach your children about our Faith. Discuss the Saints and how we are all called to Heaven. Use the Magnificat, that little magazine many of us pray with at our meetings. It has great little, one page descriptions of many Saints’ lives. Tap into the internet for further ideas (http://www.catholic.org/saints/stindex.php). The Church is based on Hope; pass it along to your kids.

Don’t Worry. Be a living example of stress free living. Easier said than done, I know. This is not a natural inclination for most of us. Think of the example you will be for your family though. Enjoy God’s gift of life, get some exercise with your kids, take them to the beach or a park. It’s not important what you do as much as it is you do something besides hanging out at the house. The exercise will help relieve pressure, give you all a better appreciation for each other – and its fun! Also, when stress pops up, pray (see above). Take some time by yourself and pray for help from God instead of cussing or punching a wall. It is amazing how He can help us when we ask.

Remember, as the Dad, you are critical to the spiritual well being of your family. Practice what Jesus preached. Life is not always easy, but with God’s help, it can be great!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Consider This ...

From Norwood Morris, Mobile, Ala. -St. Ignatius

Our lives are but a vapor of smoke, but a breath, a mist (Psalm 39; James 4:14). Yet we are created by God and created FOR God (Colossians 1:16) to give glory to Him (1 Corinthians 10:31) and to please our LORD while we live (Romans 14:8-9). So let us today pray for the grace to do as we are commanded by our faithful Father (Ps. 117) to rejoice always and to not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:4-6) for our King and Lord is worthy of all praise (Revelation 4:11). Jesus loves me, but you are His favorite!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Special MoSJ Meeting: Dr. Fletcher Armstrong to speak on the Genocide Awareness Project


Fletcher Armstrong, Ph.D., pictured at right, is the Southeast Director of Center for Bioethical Reform. He is a dynamic speaker and full time pro-life advocate. He will be the guest speaker at the Men of St. Joseph meeting, St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mobile, Ala., Marian Center, on Tuesday November 17th at 7:30pm.

Consider these two questions as you consider attending:
  1. Is there anything more important in our society than ending the mass violence against unborn children in America?
  2. Is there any better place to engage this battle than the college campus?
If you answered “no” to both of the above questions, then you want to come hear this talk to learn about the incredible work Fletcher and his organization are doing to end abortion starting on the college campus.

"My first experience with the Center for Bioethical Reform (CBR) was in college just two years ago. I started a pro-life organization at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and invited Fletcher and CBR’s Genocide Awareness Project to my campus.


"It was incredible to see the amount of response we received. Everyone on campus was talking about abortion. It was great! Overall, the results were very positive. We do not know how many lives could have been saved, but we do know we had a major impact on many vulnerable students.


"Most people simply do not know what abortion really is or if they do, they are not fully conscious of its gruesomeness. The Genocide Awareness Project, set up by CBR on college campuses, allows people to become educated. We are pulling back the veil on the abortion industry and showing it to the world!"

-- Bry Shields, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius
Please make every effort to hear Fletcher Armstrong speak about his work at The Marian Center Tuesday Nov. 17th at 7:30pm. I’m confident you will not regret it!






Monday, November 9, 2009

Butterfly Kisses and a Father's Love

By Tommy Fulton, Mobile, Ala., - St. Dominic

Most of us have heard the song, “Butterfly Kisses”, by Bob Carlisle. If you haven’t, I sincerely hope that you take the time to listen to it. It’s the beautiful story of a father watching his daughter grow from a little girl into a woman. As she grows, her father thanks God for rewarding him with a lasting relationship with her. As a father of four girls and a son, I can certainly relate to those many, many cherished times as they grew.

Bob Carlisle wrote another song that I’ve just recently discovered. The title, “Father’s Love”, is so appropriate for the Men of St. Joseph. Although the words are appropriate for both sons and daughters, this song talks about a father’s relationship with his son. It’s pertinent to the Men of St. Joseph and our theme of putting the family back in the hands of The Father.

The main theme of this song moves from a father’s love for his son to our Father’s love for us. Carlisle assures his son that “there is no power on Earth, like your father’s love…so big and so strong, like your father’s love…” He says that it’s a promise that’s “sacred…a promise from heaven above.” To me, it’s at this point that you realize that he’s talking about God, our Father and His love for us.

“No matter where you go, always know you can depend on your Father’s love…” I know that my father gave me that feeling as I grew up, and I certainly hope and pray that my children know they can count on that from me. The father in the song then assures his son that, “even when my life on earth is through, there’s still a part of me in you…’cause some things are forever…”

The Men of St. Joseph are working hard to help instill this theme into all of us. Especially, though, MOSJ encourages us to remember that there is no power on earth, like Our Father’s love. Bob Carlisle does a beautiful job describing those relationships in both “Butterfly Kisses” and “Father’s Love.” I hope you take the time to listen!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Widow's Mite



By F. N. Morris, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius


Everything we have and everything we have done has been accomplished by God.
Isaiah 26:12


 If everything I am is from our Father, if everything I have is our Father’s why is it so hard to give it back to Him?


This Sunday’s (11.8.09Gospel reading from Mark speaks of the poor widow who “put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury” because “she contributed all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Mk. 12:38-44. For the widow, God was more important than anything else, including self. The widow understood that detachment from material possessions and dependence on Christ Jesus leads us to blessedness. See Luke 21:1-4 (and NAB note); Matthew 5:3-12.


God has called us to place Him before everything and everyone (Deuteronomy 5:7) and promises that He will give us our heart’s desires (Psalm 37:4). But, as we see in the reading from Luke 14:15-24 (11.3.09) we have many idols, many distractions and many excuses to refuse Jesus’ call. But, the truth remains that Christ Jesus has chosen us, we have not chosen Him (Jn. 15:16). Jesus has done it all for us. He has washed us clean by His personal sacrifice and given us eternal salvation (Hebrews 9:24-28Jn. 1:29, 35).


The homily today (11.4.09) spoke about taking up our cross and renouncing all our possessions to become Christ Jesus’ disciple (Lk. 14:25-33). We must have a readiness to surrender, to die to self, to take up our cross to reach the end. This is the means to the end we “all want” and desire. It is God we were created for, but it is our idols that prevent us from getting there. So today let us pray for the grace to declare, “the LORD is my shepherd I shall not want or need” (Psalm 23:1). Let us today pray for the grace to receive the grace to live as the widow who wanted nothing but her creator.


Thursday, November 5, 2009

On Being Generous

By Todd Sylvester, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

We all have standards that we live by. We draw lines, either in our heads or literally in our environment. When someone asks me for a “favor”, I always want to know what it is before I commit to it. Especially from some of my friends who have a tendency to push me to the limit of generosity (like the guy who asked if I could pick something up for him using my truck- it just happened to be a piano in Birmingham!) I continue to ask God to stretch me beyond my comfort zone of giving. I ask for greater opportunities to die to myself. I ask for God to show me deeper ways to give. I honestly don’t have much money to give away. I tithe and then give what else I can, but I do have talents that I can give away. I love helping out people in need. I am conscious about where I have drawn the lines in my own life and ask God to help me move them. When I hold back and say, “No, this is as far as I will go!” That’s when God will tenderly invite me to more.


A friend and I were talking one time about what our wives expect of us and what we normally do around the house and he was very critical of me. He told me that I blew it long ago. I asked what he meant and he said I should have drawn the line in the sand when I was first married (like he did) because as soon as you do something once, your wife expects you to do it all the time! To which I responded, “So does God.” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:18 “Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.” I’m not where I need to be yet. I still have lines in my life where I stop giving, but with God’s Grace I’ll get them all erased before I take my last breath- may you do the same. Peace, Todd

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Put it in Park

By Anthony Tobin, Mobile, Ala. - St. Ignatius

The Gospel for All Saints Day led us into some great discussion and the presentation by Ronnie really made me think about what it is we are trying to do here. To refresh our memories the Gospel was Matt 5, also known as the Beatitudes. What Ronnie rightly pointed out is that the Beatitudes are a call to sainthood. Contrary to telling us what not to do, they are telling us how we need to be; meek, poor in spirit, merciful, pure of heart, ect. Ronnie then went on to share an experience from his life in which he was trying to live out the Beatitudes.

The way I see it, what we are doing here every Tuesday, and further more with every Mass and prayer, can be likened to football practice. It is like we are doing doubles with 6:15 Mass and then an hour of prayer and reflection. Just as football practice is physically exhausting, this can be spiritually exhausting. But what we are doing here is more than a practice, it is a training of our bodies/souls. And just as a football player works hard and drives his body so that when the coach calls him, when it is his time to perform, ‘when it matters’, he will not fail. So we, like a football player, train ourselves and drive our bodies so that when we are called upon, when it is our time to “shine”, we are a reflection of Christ.

Just as Ronnie, we will all be called to “put it in park”. We will all be called in little ways and in big ways to be witnesses and examples of God’s unfailing love. Trust me men, you will be called to play in the game. God will call on you and say, “Show them how I love.” And it will be hard, it will be exhausting, it will be a dying to yourself. This is why we need to do as Paul did, “I drive my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Monday, November 2, 2009

All Soul's Day


Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us,
As we renew our faith in your Son, Whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

--Opening Prayer
Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day)