Fr. Larry Richards Speaks: Be a Man!

Chris Teague, Fr. Larry Richards and Mike Mangrum

Wow! That's the one word to describe Fr. Larry Richard's talk to the Men of St. Joseph yesterday in Mobile, AL. The gifted and captivating speaker wowed the 400 men gathered in Archbishop Lipscomb Hall at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Fr. Larry spoke on the subject of his new book, Be A Man! Becoming the Man God Created You to Be.

You can order a copy of Fr. Larry's book here.

Gettin' holy ain't for sissies

By Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP

There's a bumper sticker popular among America's geriatric citizens: “Gettin' old ain't for sissies!” Aging is a long haul. It's hard work. It take courage, perseverance, and strength. Chances are that those who lack the required virtues for “gettin' old” never make it past retirement age. They falter long before the really tough stuff begins. Catholics, never shy about using what we're given to preach the gospel, should take this bumper sticker and revise it to teach another ancient truth: “Gettin' holy ain't for sissies!” All the virtues required for enduring old age come in quite handy for traveling the way of holiness. Standing up to the rulers of this world, confronting one's own demons, and coming out victorious, requires courage, perseverance, and strength. Despite the dangers of aging, many manage to do well enough without ever receiving all that God has to give them. No such thing is possible in our travels toward holiness. Peter writes, “. . .as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.” 

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A Prayer for the Gulf Coast

Compassionate God, We pray for the preservation of our natural environment, especially the Gulf of Mexico and the lands and waters it touches:  Guide those who labor to contain the oil that endangers the creatures of land and sea; Strengthen those who work to protect them; Have mercy on those whose livelihoods will suffer; Forgive us for our carelessness in using the resources of nature, and give us wisdom and reverence so to manage them in the future, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty.
Amen

The Men of St. Joseph: From Home to the World

By Roy Hoffman, Press-Register, May 15, 2010

Growing up Catholic, Chris Teague went to parochial schools and practiced his religion but now realizes, “I was somewhat robotic in what I did.

“I went to church because I thought I was supposed to go to church,” said Teague, 47, a Mobile businessman, who eventually deepened his faith and became one of the founders of Men of St. Joseph, a locally based Catholic men’s prayer group.

 “I thought I had a good idea of who God was. It was a typical going through the motions.”

 Teague’s religious journey, and that of his fellow Men of St. Joseph, will be the focus of the show “Life on the Rock” on EWTN — Eternal Word Television Network — on Thursday.

EWTN, according to “Life on the Rock” producer Jill Sanders, is the largest religious media network in the world, with “Life on the Rock” transmitted to 150 million homes in 140 countries.

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The House That Herbert Aaron Built

By John Robb, Mobile, Ala. ~ St. Ignatius

The dedication of Hank Aaron’s childhood home April 14th as a museum outside the stadium that bears his name is a defining event for Baseball, Mobile and America. Its also a sorely needed breath of fresh air for fathers everywhere.

Of course, we all know Hammerin’ Hank’s remarkable journey to become Baseball’s all-time home run king – perhaps professional sports’ greatest achievement. The museum’s dedication added the crowning touch because it also celebrated Hank’s father, Herbert Aaron. Just as the old Yankee Stadium was dubbed The House That Ruth Built -- since it was literally paid for by the crowds that paid to see Babe Ruth set the home run record -- the Bay Bears’ new museum is literally The House That Herbert Aaron Built – by hand with his son’s help. Now a visitor to Hank’s childhood home can see that the qualities that empowered him to overcome rampant racism to break Ruth’s record – talent, courage and perseverance -- didn’t just drop out of the sky. They were the Christian family values nurtured within those four tiny wooden walls.                                                        

As a boy growing up in the Bronx, I considered myself blessed to spend many great afternoons at Yankee Stadium watching world champions including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra. Later, as a news reporter I was fortunate to cover the 1977 Yankees featuring “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson. But, I was even luckier Wednesday Night to see Jackson, five other Hall of Famers and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig come to Mobile to honor Aaron. Even the “Say Hey Kid” Willie Mays rode the warning track in a golf cart, tossing baseballs to the younger fans like a Mystic Striper tossing moon pies to a Mardi Gras crowd.

But Mobile’s home grown hero was the reason for the evening and all proceeds from the museum dedication went to one of Aaron’s favorite Mobile charities: the Boys and Girls Club. His message to our children – in both his words and deeds – is as life-changing as it is simple: respect, love and obey your parents, work hard and, with time and the grace of God, you can do amazing things.

The dedication was also a wake up call to America and rightly featured on network radio during our ride home. At a time when I’m not always proud of where America is heading, when the headlines are cluttered with bailouts, big government and secular materialism, its inspiring to see what one Mobile father built with his own hands. The Aaron Home and Museum stands for what is best about Baseball, Mobile and America.

While The House That Ruth Built was demolished to make room for a bigger, version only to make more money, The House That Herbert Aaron Built – by hand – is still standing as a lasting monument to Christian family values, courage and perseverance… and its standing in Mobile, Alabama.

You can come see it for yourself.

New Words: A Deeper Meaning, but the Same Mass

The Roman Missal, Third Edition, the ritual text containing prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass, has been approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.  The complete text of the Roman Missal is still undergoing final editing by Vatican officials. It is expected to be forwarded to Conferences of Bishops later this spring, at which time it will be prepared for publication.

Pope John Paul II announced a revised version of the Missale Romanum during the Jubilee Year 2000. Among other things, the revised edition of the Missale Romanum contains prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses and Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal will also include updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well–known responses and acclamations of the people.


The United States Council of Catholic Bishops has prepared a website to help you prepare for the transition. (For a link, click here, or see the banner in the column to the right.) Here you will find helpful resources for the faithful, for the clergy, and for parish and diocesan leaders, so that all of us will be ready to implement the new text late next year (2011).

The Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11)

By Jimmy Seghers, MoSJ Covington, La. (From Totus Tuus newsletter No. 46, April 2010.)

John’s ostensibly simple narrative of the wedding feast at Cana explodes in layers of meaning when it is examined in faith. This reflection proposes to offer some insights that may deepen your understanding and stimulate your discoveries in this rich passage.

It is no accident that John begins his Gospel with the identical words that open the Bible: “In the beginning” (Gen 1:1). In the first chapter of Genesis the emphasis is on the ascending order of creation culminating in formation of Adam and Eve on the sixth day. In the recapitulation in second chapter of Genesis the emphasis shifts to the covenant God established with his favorite creatures to whom God gave dominion over the earth. This covenantal relationship is depicted in the Bible as a family bond or a marriage.

In the first chapter of John’s Gospel the evangelist lays out a literary new creation week. On the first day the Word who is God is depicted as coming to make a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17). He is both “life” and the “light of men” paralleling the first day of creation in Genesis when God said: “Let there be light” (Jn 1:4; Gen 1:3). The first three days of John’s literary creation week are laid out as follows:

First Day: Jn 1:1-34
Second Day: Jn 1:29-34 beginning with the words: “The next day.”
Third Day: Jn 1:35-42 beginning with the words: “The next day.”
Fourth Day: Jn 1:43-51 beginning with the words: “The next day.”
Seventh Day: Jn 2:1-11 wedding at Cana

Chapter two introduces the marriage at Cana with the words: “On the third day” (Jn 2:1). John uses this cryptic technique to highlight that this wedding also takes place on the seventh day. In this way he captures the resurrection motif with the number three and the covenantal/marriage motif of the number seven.