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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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 (11.8.09) Gospel 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 9:24-28; Jn. 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.