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Loved Into Existence

27 January 2012 - 1:22pm — joyce

By Jeremy J. Priest

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Psalm 95:8).
 
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”
(Jer. 1:5). Pope Benedict reminds us that “We are not some casual and meaningless product of [chance]. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary…Human beings are not a mistake, but something willed; they are the fruit of love.”
 
Because God has revealed His creative purpose for each of us, the Church has always “affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law” (CCC 2271). 
 
Imagine the Possibilities
 

Angelic Warfare Confraternity!

19 January 2012 - 12:23pm — joyce

By Father Will Prospero, S.J. 

A confraternity is a supernatural organization of Catholics officially recognized by the Church that has a specific spiritual purpose to support members in walking a certain aspect of Christian faith.  The Angelic Warfare Confraternity exists to help members to live a chaste and pure Christian life.
 
In 1225 St. Thomas Aquinas was born to noble parents of wealth. He expressed a desire to become a Dominican priest, but because this involved renouncing all property and wealth his parents opposed him. One day his brothers hired a prostitute and locked him in a room with her in an attempt to ruin Thomas’ commitment to chastity. Thomas took a firebrand and drove her out of the room. A pair of angels immediately descended upon him and girded him with a rope cord to signify his special commitment to purity. Thomas was said to have never experienced another sexual temptation the rest of his life. 
 
Following from this gift of God for “angelic purity,” a confraternity was formed by Dominicans to help Catholics to lead chaste Christian lives.   This Catholic Confraternity ( www.angelicwarfare.org) unites young adult Catholics in a group committed to living purity, to support them in this journey through supernatural help. Patrons of this Confraternity are St. Thomas Acquinas and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Members commit to wearing a simple rope cord or a medal, praying the confraternity prayers, and praying fifteen Hail Mary’s daily for all the members of the Confraternity. Members are promised the intercession of all members on earth and in heaven, which includes all members of the Dominican Order of Preachers. 
 

The Gift of the Priesthood: A Response to Being Loved

13 January 2012 - 12:56pm — joyce

By Jeremy J. Priest

 
Why does a man choose to become a priest? Because he has fallen in love.
 
This call that he felt was a call to love that many have sought and heard: “When Samuel went to sleep...the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him” (1 Sam 3:9-10, 19).
 
This is the same call that the apostles heard from the Lord Jesus. When John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to these men, they followed Him. When “Jesus turned and saw them following...[He] said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’...‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and stayed with Him that day” (Jn 1:38-39).
 
Pope John Paul II answered this question well:
I am often asked, especially by young people, why I became a priest. Maybe some of you would like to ask the same question. Let me try briefly to reply. I must begin by saying that it is impossible to explain entirely. For it remains a mystery, even to myself. How does one explain the ways of God? Yet, I know that, at a certain point in my life, I became convinced that Christ was saying to me what he had said to thousands before me: ‘Come, follow me!’ There was a clear sense that what I heard in my heart was no human voice, nor was it just an idea of my own. Christ was calling me to serve him as a priest.
 

Advent Mother

8 December 2011 - 4:58pm — joyce

By Father Will Prospero, S.J.

 
Gaudate, or “rejoice,” Sunday reminds us of the true purpose of the Incarnation. God came to bring us joy. Joy is an essential mark of Christians. Christian joy is not the result of everything working out the way we want it to. Christian joy cannot be given by the world or even by other human beings. Christian joy comes from God alone, but can be mediated to us by others. Joy comes from the knowledge of salvation. We can know this joy and are called more deeply into it especially in Advent.
 
In her Magnificat Mary says, “my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked with favor upon his lowly servant.” Mary’s rejoicing comes from the knowledge of what God has done for her. He chose her to assist him in fulfilling his plan of salvation. Through our baptism and confirmation God has chosen us to assist him in fulfilling his plan of salvation. This is a cause for joy.
 

What Do You Want for Christmas?

2 December 2011 - 12:36pm — joyce

By Jeremy J. Priest

This questions usually elicits images of kids telling Santa what presents they want for Christmas. That’s not surprising, considering how the commercialization of Christmas has surrounded us and hemmed us in on all sides.
 
Yet, it remains the case that Jesus Christ will bring gifts with Him at His glorious appearing. Consider this passage from Wednesday of the First Week of Advent:
 
Large crowds came to him...bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them.  The crowds were astonished to hear the dumb speaking, to see the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight restored (Mt. 15:30-31). 
 
These people expected the Messiah to bring gifts with Him. “The Liturgy has us consider this passage of the Gospel during Advent because an abundance of good things and limitless mercy will be the signs of the coming of the Messiah" (Fernandez In Conversation With God).  
 

The New Translation of the Roman Missal and Advent

23 November 2011 - 4:00pm — joyce

By Fr. Will Prospero, S.J.

 
Providentially, this weekend’s celebration of the First Sunday of Advent coincides with the first use of the New Translation of the Mass. It is truly the beginning of new things, specifically, new and much better things.
 
In the new translation of Eucharistic Prayer II (there are four options at Mass), the “epiclesis,” which refers to the “calling down” of the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine about to be consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ, states: “…Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In contrast to “like the dewfall,” the old translation simply states: “come upon,” and simply omits “like the dewfall.” The thinking behind the old translation was that since we do not commonly speak of “dewfall” it should be omitted.
 

The Crucifix

18 November 2011 - 12:51pm — joyce

By Fr. Will Prospero, S J

The corpus on our crucifix comes from the original 1959 crucifix at St. Mary’s. Because the shape of its cross, however, we replaced it with a new cross which was hewn for the 2010 renovation. The corpus was stripped of its 1959 stain and finish, and re-painted with natural skin color and blood giving it a more life-like presentation.
 
In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) the Church prescribes a crucifix, that is, a cross with corpus, to be visible at every Mass in close proximity to the altar. Upon the altar the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is made present, and thus a crucifix nearby serves a constant reminder that what took place on the crucifix 2000 years ago, takes place on our altar during Mass. Facing the crucifix at Mass forms our lives outside of Mass. If we are always facing the crucifix, our lives will always have meaning. The cross is the only way to salvation, as Jesus tells us in the Gospels.
 

The New Translation: The “I Confess...”

11 November 2011 - 3:13pm — joyce

By Jeremy J. Priest

 
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
(And, striking their breast, they say) through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault; (Then they continue)
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
 
The new translation adds, “greatly sinned.” Why? Because it’s more faithful to the original Latin text. Moreover, it gets to the reality of the matter: we’re not just sinners, we’re great at sinning (cf. Dr. Brant Pitre, Audio Lecture). 
 
The new translation adds: “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” This is what the Latin text says because it wants to emphasize that sin is “my” responsibility, and not anyone else’s. In the beginning Adam blamed Eve: It was this woman who you gave me, God. This confession sets the record straight: my sin is my responsibility. And this truth makes us free!
 

IHS

3 November 2011 - 11:59am — joyce

 

By Father Will Prospero, S.J.
 
The “IHS” letters inscribed in gold leaf formally on the front of our main altar are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek. This grouping of letters of the name of Jesus as a Catholic devotion comes to us mainly from St. Bernadine of Siena who used this image to promote devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus in Italy in the early 15th century. IHS can be found in many traditional Catholic churches and on catholic objects, including inscriptions on hosts and vestments; it is also the official seal of St. Ignatius Loyola as the founder and the first Father General of the Society of Jesus.
 
St. Ignatius lived in the 16th century and spent many years in Italy. He would have come across many regions whose religious art was influenced by St. Bernardine of Siena. Naming his new religious order the “Society of Jesus” after the name of Jesus, was one such influence. Ignatius also used the IHS in many other ways, including writing it on letters, memos, and other documents.
 

Solemnity of All Saints on November 1

27 October 2011 - 11:00am — joyce

By Fr. Will Prospero, S.J.

This Tuesday the Church throughout the world will celebrate this wonderful feast in honor of all the Saints. We remember those particular individuals who have enfleshed in themselves the sacred teachings of Jesus in a full way, and have shown us how to live a sincere Christian life. 
 
What makes a saint? Every saint loves God and is willing to die for this love. It is that simple. Every Christian is commanded by Christ Himself to “love one another as I have loved you.” Since Jesus loves us by giving up his life for us, we are called to the same sacrificial love. How does one grow into this great love? 
 
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