Friday, February 26, 2010

Fathers

By Archbishop Thomas Rodi, archbishop for the Archdiocese of Mobile.


One evening, as I surfed the television channels, I came across one of those comedy series usually referred to as a "sit-com." In this program, the father of the television family was portrayed as clueless, out of touch with everything and everyone around him, foolish, ignorant, and incapable of discussing anything intelligently. Such a character in television comedies is all too well known. It is my understanding that the television industry has a term for this character: "the doofus father."

Unfortunately, the doofus father image has deeply affected our society and convinced many that the father is simply a dispensable member of the family. Our society tends not to honor the father’s importance despite overwhelming statistics showing the powerful impact the father’s presence has in the family.

The love of the mother is vitally important to the welfare of a family. Much can be written about the mother’s love, far beyond the scope of this article. Her caring love has a way of holding a family together. At the same time, the father’s impact in the life of a child can be seen in a variety of measurable ways. Children raised without fathers are more likely to drop out of school, go to prison, smoke, use drugs, own a weapon, assault a teacher, get pregnant as teens, suffer from depression, and commit suicide.

The father’s impact reaches even into church attendance. In 1996 Weern Haug and Phillipe Warner of the Swiss Federal Statistic Office completed a study of church attendance. (The Swiss are about 44% Catholic and 40% Protestant.) The study concluded that, if both parents attend church regularly, 33% of their children will regularly attend church as adults. Only 25% of their adult children will not practice their religion at all.

But note this startling fact: if only the mother is regular in attending church, and the father attends irregularly, then only 3% of their adult children will attend church regularly, and 38% of their adult children will not practice their religion all. If the father never attends church, even if the mother attends church regularly, only 2% of their adult children will attend church and 60% will not attend church at all.

And there is even more: if the father attends church regularly, but the mother attends irregularly, then 38% of their adult children will be regular churchgoers. And amazingly, if the father attends regularly and the mother never attends church, then 44% of their adult children will be regular churchgoers!

This Swiss study concluded that adult children pattern their church-going behavior upon the father and, very noteworthy, the more the mother’s and father’s example differ, the stronger will their adult children follow the example of the father.

As one commentator expressed it: "A mother’s role will always remain primary in terms of intimacy, care and nurture. (The toughest man may well sport a tattoo dedicated to the love of his mother, without the slightest embarrassment or sentimentality.) No father can replace that relationship. But it is equally true that when a child begins to move into that period of differentiation from home and engagement with the world "out there," he (and she) looks increasingly to the father for his role model. Where the father is indifferent, inadequate, or just plain absent, that task of differentiation and engagement is much harder. When children see that the church is a "women and children" thing, they will respond accordingly - by not going to church, or going much less."

I leave to anthropologists and psychologists to explain this, but I had a little insight into a possible explanation some years ago when a teenager was speaking to me about his parents. He told me: "My mom loves me. But she’s my mom; she has to love me. My father loves me too. He’s my dad, he doesn’t have to love me, but he loves me anyway."

Perhaps we tend to look upon the father’s love as being somewhat more earned or conditional than a mother’s love and sons and daughters seek to obtain the father’s love. Regardless of the reasons, studies indicate that the basic values and self image of children, both sons and daughters, seemed to be determined more by their relationship with their father than their mother.

I recall mentioning this to a high school class of girls and one girl blurted out: "That’s a horrible thought!" I told her that, depending upon the type of boy she was dating, it may indeed be a horrible thought. This was all the more reason for her to choose carefully the man that one day she wished to marry.

Our society is good at teaching the importance of the mother, but we need to do a better job of teaching both young men and women the inescapable importance of the role of the father.

This does not mean a single mother cannot raise wonderful kids. Many wonderful mothers are remarkably effective in raising children without a father due to death, a collapsed marriage, or abandonment. But this cannot reverse all the statistics which support the importance of the father. As one columnist observed: "Kids needs two parents, just as they need two eyes and two legs. Is it possible to survive, even thrive, with just one? Of course. But it is infinitely more difficult."

Dads, you are not "the doofus father." Remember how important you are. Fathers have the duty and privilege to be a man and step up to their responsibilities. If some evil person was trying to break into your home, I presume you would do everything in your power not to let that evil man harm your family. There is evil at your family’s door. It is the evil of drugs, teenage pregnancy, ignorance, depression, law breaking, and, yes, the devil himself, who wishes to attack your family. Your family needs your example as a man of principles, values, and faith in order to defend against these evils.

One final note, our archdiocese is blessed to have the Men of St. Joseph. This is a group of men who gather one morning a week for one hour to pray and encourage each other to be men of faith. I encourage men to attend these meetings. If men are looking for a great way to observe Lent, perhaps they should make a commitment to attend a weekly meeting of the Men of St. Joseph throughout the six weeks of Lent.

The Transfiguration


By Andy Chambers, Pensacola, Fla. - St. Paul

This Sunday's Gospel reading (Lk 9:28b-36) is about the Transfiguration of Christ. We've read about a similar event happening once before when Moses went up Mount Sinai. He was gone for 40 days, and he spoke with God...and his face was transfigured. Exodus 34:29 "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him." Moses was radiant because he was a reflection of God's glory, it had changed his physical appearance.

Jesus was transfigured this way too, when he spoke with Moses and Elijah, in the presence of God in the form of a cloud that overshadowed them. Scripture tells us that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about his "departure" or his future where he suffers, dies, and rises from the dead. During this, the disciples fall asleep. Can you believe that during the most incredible moment in their lives, Peter, James and John fall asleep?

Are we awake and ready to witness his glory, or are we asleep spiritually? Satan throws distractions at us every hour of every day, trying to spiritually put us to sleep, and keep us unaware of God's glory all around us. We need to prepare ourselves this Lenten season, to be ready, to be alert.

God descended as a cloud on Jesus and the disciples and said, "This is my Son, my chosen; Listen to Him." We should obey God, by listening to and following Jesus. We need to be a good witness to God's glory through living a life like Christ, by fulfilling God's desire for us to be good fathers, good husbands, and the best spiritual leaders that we can be.

See His Glory in your wife and children's faces. Hear his glory from their loving laughter. Experience His Glory by helping someone in need. Be alert, and share the love of Christ with your family this Lent. Show God that Satan's worldly distractions won't keep you from basking in the glory of the Lord. You will be transfigured this Lent if you let Christ into your heart and soul. Let Jesus, the light of the world, keep you spiritually awake this Easter so that we may all celebrate his resurrection and our salvation.

Monday, February 22, 2010

St. John Vianney on the Eucharist

"Without the Holy Eucharist there would be no happiness in this world; life would be insupportable. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive our joy and our happiness. The good God, wishing to give Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Love, gave us a vast and great desire, which He alone can satisfy. In the presence of this beautiful Sacrament, we are like a person dying of thirst by the side of a river — he would only need to bend his head; like a person still remaining poor, close to a great treasure — he need only stretch out his hand. He who communicates loses himself in God like a drop of water in the ocean. They can no more be separated."

Friday, February 19, 2010

When is Religion Not Religion?

I was taken by the last paragraphs of Fr. Dwight Longenecker's recent blog post, When is Religion Not Religion?


... full blooded Catholic religion engages in an interaction with the other world. Through the celebration of Word and Sacrament we believe that the once for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross is brought into the present moment and applied to the needs of human souls for their eternal salvation. This essentially religious act is the ladder between earth and sky. It is the linkage point between heaven and earth. God comes down as he always does, and transforms the human soul. Through this miracle in the heart of ordinary life the soul is opened to something called 'grace' which is God's own power poured forth. This action of faith and love defeats the powers of darkness, brings Christ's forgiveness and healing into the here and now and plants the seeds of hope that will transform the soul, transform the family, transform the church and transform and redeem the world.
This is real religion. Everything else that is great and good springs from this, and nothing--not even that which is great and good can ever replace it.

Click to read the entire article

Thursday, February 18, 2010

1st Sunday of Lent - Christ in the Desert

By Andy Chambers, St. Paul, Pensacola, Fla.     This week's Gospel from Luke has Jesus being moved to the desert by the Holy Spirit after His baptism in the Jordan. The Holy Spirit tends to move us in strange ways, and not always where we want to go. As we fast and pray this Lent, may we rid our bodies, minds and hearts of sinful ways, and may the Holy Spirit fill us, and transform us to be eager to share our Faith, Hope, and our Love of our God with our neighbors.

In Luke's writings this week, Jesus is tempted by Satan after 40 days of fasting and praying. He is at his physically weakest point, and Satan begins to tempt him by telling him to turn rocks into bread. Jesus answers by saying that man does not live on bread alone. We need the word of God to nourish us too.
Jesus is tempted twice more, and twice more Jesus quotes scripture to Satan, putting him back and denouncing him. Jesus does not fight Satan on his own will, he relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen him. We need to realize that we are weak too, but Satan won't just go away from us. We need to pray to God and ask him to send the Holy Spirit down to us, to fill us in our weakness, during our temptations, to give us strength and courage to fight Satan and avoid sin.

During this Lent, while we fast and feel our physical hunger, let's remind ourselves that Jesus is ready to feed us spiritually. Be ready to share your gift with your family, friends, and neighbors. I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you something you need, but may not be expecting, and I pray that you share it with that somebody special who needs to see God in their lives.

Dear God, please send us the Holy Spirit to help us fight our daily temptations, and to strengthen us to do the right thing. Help us Jesus to do as you, and see the daily opportunities given to us to touch the lives of all your children. Fill us with your love this Lenten season and remind us of your sacrifice for us as we await your resurrection this Easter. Amen.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Ash Wednesday

Lent is an excellent reminder of our need to "plead to the Lord... repent and cover [ourselves] with ashes..." (Cf. Jeremiah 6:26; Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:6; Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13). It is during this season that we are called to remember, we are dust and that very soon we shall return to dust. (Genesis 3:19; James 4:14). So let us turn from our sin and be faithful to the Gospel. (Mark 1:15). We should confess with our mouths that Christ Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9). Then we shall arise from the dead (the ashes) (Ephesians 5:14) and have the gift of God, that is eternal life in Christ Jesus! (Romans 6:15-23).

Thanks, Norwood Morris, for these scriptural remiminders.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Men of St. Joseph Lenten Challenge

We, the Men of St. Joseph, are challenging all male Catholics to give one hour per week during Lent to attend one of our morning meetings. We honestly can't think of a better way to start any day than to read God's word, and then help apply it to our family and place of work. Consider going to a MOSJ meeting during Lent to help make you a better man, husband, father, and the best spiritual leader for your family. We can all use a little push right?

We don't expect you to say anything, or even to read if you don't want to. This meeting are relaxed and non-confrontational. We only want to help you be the best you can be, by opening the word of God and hopefully taking it back to your families.

What we do is simple:
Each meeting we start with prayers from a prayer book. (If you have any special intentions for loved ones who need prayers, please bring it to the MOSJ meeting. The power of prayer is an incredible thing.) Then we study the up-coming Sunday Gospel. Then there is some discussion about what it all means to us in our practical everyday lives. We figure if you can’t apply what we learn in our MOSJ meetings to our every days lives then it all a big waste of time, and we don’t want to waste anyone’s time.

Join us this Lent - visit our web site to find a Men of St. Joseph near you: www.menofstjoseph.com

Friday, February 12, 2010

St. John Lateran in Rome

Before St. Peters of the 13th Century, the home church of the Pope was St. John Lateran in Rome. You can tour this magnificent church on your computer. You can spend as much or as little time as you want on it, keep it permanently if you wish, and explore it at leisure. Don't forget to turn up the volume and remember the close-up tool is your friend (lower left corner).  Also use your cursor to click and drag, and you can move to the ceiling or 360 degrees or take any perspective you wish to take. You can zero in on the smallest feature of a painting.
    
Whether you have visited it or not, you have never seen it this well.  This is amazing.

Enjoy!

http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-en.html

Kudos to Bill Harkins

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Thursday, February 11th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Divine Jesus, you sent the Blessed Mother to Saint Bernadette to show the world that God is real. Just like Mary asked to the girl to dig for a spring of healing water to appear, show me how to be cleansed of my sinful tendencies. Give to me our dear Mother when I need her tender love and holy inspiration. As I go through difficulties, cover me with her prayers. When I have important decisions to make, ask her to intercede for me until I understand and follow the Holy Spirit's guidance. When it's time for me to die, send her to carry me peacefully into the arms of our heavenly Father. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for me. Amen.