Gaudium et Spes

We are reading Gaudium et Spes for our next class. My first thought at the beginning of this was that it seems like they want to change because of our culture and times.

My first statement in the V2 Class was "misinformation". And after reading and then re-reading, at least the parts I highlighted in Part 1 of GS, that may be just what happened to my thoughts...misinformed. My initial read and "feel" was that they wanted to change some things and were getting long winded about it. BUT, then as I re-read my highlighted parts, it sounds like they are grounded in the TRUTH that is Jesus Christ.

Here are two Quotes:
"the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel." GS 4

"The Church also maintains that beneath all changes there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, Who is the same yesterday, and today, yes and forever. Hence under the light of Christ, the image of the unseen God, the firstborn of every creature, the council wishes to speak to all men in order to shed light on the mystery of man and to cooperate in finding the solution to the outstanding problems of our times."

The first time reading of the first quote, I felt like the council wanted to interpret traditional things differently, in light of what was happening w/in society...that we needed to "soften" things up and not be so harsh and critical, basically to "dummy down" how we present Catholicism.

In the 2nd quote, I really loved the first sentence (in fact Hebrews 13:8 is one of my favorites) and felt the 2nd, "Hence under the light of Christ..." was a contradiction because they wanted to "find a solution", which we should always know and should always be known, because it NEVER changes.
The answer or solution to all of our questions is JESUS CHRIST!!!

Then this quote showed up:
"It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and to all men, but rather that He inaugurated a religious movement adapted, or to be adapted , to different times and different places." ~ Pope St. Pius X

BINGO...I thought!

I had just my initial reading and feeling of GS and was thinking they were in contradiction, but then went back to read my highlights to confirm, and found that, reading my highlights, it seemed to me that GS is basically stating that what was...is! We just need to find a way of getting this across in our day and age, and that is what the council wanted to do (At least according to Pope Paul VI)!

So after re-reading Part 1, there is Joy & Hope!!!

Pope...Msgr. Charles Pope

Just done with another great weekend with the Brothers!
Connecting the Old Testament with the New Testament, beginning to learn about Vatican 2 and in light of what has happened with the Amazon Synod, this is what is on my heart.

HERE is a good article by Msgr. Charles Pope...it ends with some hope!
It also has a prayer that asks for a miracle, one that will stun the world.
When was the last time you actually ASKED God for a miracle???

Let's have some confidence in Our Lord!!! He does win in the end and we know that ANYTHING we ask for in His Sons name...in the name of Jesus Christ, He cannot refuse!
Have faith dear friends...have faith!

Don't forget to put on your "sackcloth & ashes" daily (fasting, praying and making reparations).
Choose something, sometime and just "offer it to God". Be penitential. Live penitential. Live for GOD!
HE needs to know we Love Him and are consciously choosing Him...not our daily/earthly idols!
Let us all turn our hearts and minds more towards God our Father, Jesus our Brother & Lord, and the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier. Make sure that Our God knows we Love Him above all things! That we need Him and His grace in our lives! That we are trying to live out His commandments!

It ends with a fabulous prayer (below) that you may want to consider praying everyday!

Let us pray: 

Help us, Lord. Save us and have mercy on us, and draw us back from the brink. We acknowledge our sins Lord and that all of us have fallen short of the glory and holiness to which you have summoned us. But now, on the edge of a precipice, we pray for a miracle — indeed, Lord, one that will stun the world. Guide the Holy Father, who now writes an apostolic exhortation, and may his thoughts be directed only to you and the precious faith you have revealed. Lord, we are poor and needy — whom do we have but you, O Lord? To whom else can we turn? In these times of deep confusion and division we ask a miracle, Lord — yes, a miracle.

Mother Mary, intercede for us. Amen.

Lots of Thoughts/Reflections

With the Amazon Synod closing (& praying for Cardinal Burke & Bishop Schneiders intentions for this synod) there are many things that can be distracting and take our focus away from what is important.

Our Holiness and Faithfulness...regardless of what else is going on around us!

Here are some quotes from The Day is Now Far Spent (Cdl. Sarah) that I that I have been reflecting on and thinking about:

"It is impossible to believe alone, just as it is impossible to be born by oneself or to engender oneself...Faith is not just an individual decision that the believer makes interiorly; it is not an isolated relation between the I of the faithful and the divine Thou, between the autonomous subject and God. Some people today would like to reduce faith to a subjective, private experience. Nevertheless, faith always comes about in the community of the Church, because that is where God reveals Himself fully and allows Himself to be encountered as He is in reality."
(The Day is Now Far Spent ~ Cdl. Sarah)

"The chief preoccupation of all the disciples of Jesus must be their sanctification. The first place in their lives must be given to prayer, to silent contemplation, and to the Eucharist, without which all the rest would be vain agitation."

"Go and repair My Church! Go, repair by your faith, by your hop and your charity. Go and repair by your prayer and your fidelity. Thanks to you, My Church will again become My house."
...stated to St. Francis of Assisi (by Christ)

Below is from Instagram (@catholiccrusader):

I will always be Catholic.

Because no sin of man can change the TRUTH.

The truth that the Church is Home.

Home of the Apostles.

Home of the Eucharist.

Home of the Sacraments.

My Home.

And here I will stay to help clean up this House for Christ.

"Rigid" Catholics faithful to Sacred Scripture & Sacred Tradition are here to stay despite the animosity directed towards us by many within the Church today. We are sinners, but do not attempt to modify God's perennial commands to suit our desires. If many of our Clergy in the 21st century are unwilling to speak the whole truth of the Catholic Church to the laity, it falls on us to remind them. It does not require advanced theological degrees to understand the basic moral commands of Jesus Christ. We have Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Catechism, Sacred Tradition, and the inspired wisdom of the Saints to guide us. I can't find any quotes from the Saints who minimize or trivialize the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I can't find anything that says that we can receive the most Holy Eucharist while living in mortal sin. I can't find anything that says sexual immorality is subjective. I can't find anything that says that it is morally acceptable to vote for candidates who support abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, homosexual marriage and other gravely sinful behavior. We are the past, present, and future of the Church founded by Jesus Christ. God Bless!

Ember Days & Couples Retreat

This week is the week of the Fall Ember Days...as well as our Diaconate Couples Retreat Weekend!
You can find out about Ember Days HERE

Shorter version is below:

While it is no longer a world-wide Catholic observance, many places still observe Ember Days...
Ember has nothing to do with Ash Wednesday, or burning coals...
Like other words we use in the Church...it has to do with Latin.

The Ember Days take place on Wednesday, Friday & Saturday in a week of each of the four season of the year. They fall after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after Sept. 14th, and after Dec. 13th.

Wednesday, Friday & Saturday were particular days of devotion in the early Church: Wednesday as recalling the the betrayal of our Lord, Friday in memory of His Passion, Saturday was later added to these days of prayer and penance as a continuation of Friday, and as far back as the 2nd century they were set apart as Stational days, that is, days of special religious service and fasting.
The Ember Days are a reminder of these ancient days of devotion. Their purpose is to thank God for the fruits of the earth and other gifts of nature, to teach moderation in their use, and to assist the needy. From the time of Pope Gelasius in the fifth century it has been allowed to confer the diaconate & priesthood on the Saturdays of Ember Weeks.

Ant. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all He hath done for thee.
V./ Lord, Thou hast been our refuge.
R./ From generation to generation.

Let us Pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that as year by year we devoutly keep thee holy observances, we may be pleasing to Thee both in body and soul. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN
~ Taken from Blessed Be God (Prayer book)

Water...

Here are two analogies for how I was feeling walking out of the PFE session on Saturday night:

I was trying to take a drink from a fire hose...

OR

I was a beginning swimmer getting thrown into the deep end without a life jacket...

Either way...I was drowning!

I went to bed Sat. night not sure what was going on and how I was going to accomplish all that was being thrown at us...Knowing we would have a full day on Sunday about RCIA as well.
Can I even do this?!? Should I even do this?!? Am I "really" being called or is this just a want?!? It has been a great experience so far, maybe I should just be done and call it good?!?

I know the thoughts in my head were coming from the adversary!

I asked my Guardian Angel to take care of that...As I slept, my Holy Guardian Angel must have been working overtime, because I woke up refreshed, hope-filled and peaceful... Morning Prayer and Holy Mass were excellent and charged me up even more...Man, the words to that last song...Powerful!!!

Sunday's session on RCIA was really informative and positive...

My ride home was peaceful and joy-filled! Just a calmness over me as I drove home and then this came to my mind:

"Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you,

He will fit you for the work and give you the strength." 

~ St. Philip Neri ~

which brings me to another little quote/saying:
fortes in fide ~ latin for strong in faith

St. Philip Neri...pray for us!

Pray for Dcn. Hansen

It is with sadness that I write this for a great man and mentor for us all...

Dcn Hansen, whom I just saw, but did not get to visit with, as we received admission into our Candidacy for the diaconate has just passed away. Not only are my thoughts and prayers with him and with his family, but I will be working for him to gain a plenary indulgence from the work & prayers I will do below.

I am going to pray this for Deacon Bob Hansen. Feel free to do it as well!
See the end on what you MUST do to complete this for the indulgence (for Dcn Hansen).
More info on other indulgences HERE

9 Days Indulgenced Prayer for Recently Deceased

First Day:
O God, to Whom it belongs always to have mercy and to spare, we humbly beseech Thee for the soul of Thy servant, N., which Thou hast commanded to depart out of this world: that Thou deliver it not into the hands of the enemy, nor forget it unto the end; but command it to be received by Thy holy angels, and conducted into paradise, its true country; that, as in Thee it hath hoped and believed, it may not suffer the pains of hell, but may take possession of eternal joys. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Second Day:
To Thee, O Lord, do we command the soul of Thy servant, N., that being dead to the world s/he may live unto Thee; and whatsoever sins s/he has committed through the frailty of his/her mortal nature, do Thou, by the pardon of Thy most merciful love, wash away. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Third Day:We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant fellowship with Thy saints and elect to the soul of Thy servant, N., whose departure we commemorate, and mayest Thou pour upon it the everlasting dew of Thy mercy. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Fourth Day:
Incline Thine ear, O Lord, unto the prayers in which we suppliantly entreat Thy mercy; and do Thou establish, in a place of peace and rest, the soul of Thy servant, N., whom Thou hast bidden to pass out of this world, and unite him/her to the fellowship of Thy saints. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Fifth Day:
Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant, N., from every bond of sin, that, being raised in the glory of the Resurrection, s/he may be refreshed among Thy saints and elect. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Sixth Day:
We beseech Thee, O Lord, by Thy loving kindness, to have mercy on the soul of Thy servant, N., and now, that s/he is released from the contagion of this mortal flesh, to give him/her part in Thine eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Seventh Day:
We implore Thee, O Lord, mercifully to grant companionship with the blessed in heaven to the soul of Thy servant, N., whose death we commemorate. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Eighth Day:
Receive, O Lord, our prayers on behalf of the soul of Thy servant, N., that, if it is still soiled by any earthly stains, it may be purified by Thy merciful forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Ninth Day:
Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, this mercy unto Thy servant deceased, that, having in desire kept Thy will, s/he may not suffer in requital of his/her deeds: and as a true faith joined him/her unto the company of Thy faithful here below, so may Thy tender mercy give him/her peace above, among the angel choirs. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her. May s/he rest in peace. AMEN

*A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions at the end of seven or nine days of prayer.
Conditions for Plenary Indulgence:
Do the work while in a state of grace.
Receive sacramental Confession within 20 days of the work (several Plenary Indulgences can be earned per reception)
Receive Eucharistic communion (ONE plenary indulgence per reception)
Pray for the Pope’s intentions (Our Father & Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer)
Have no attachment to sin (make an Act of the will to love God and despise sin)

Sunday Reading / Reflecting

First class of Leader of Prayer is complete...exciting, informative & edifying!

We covered:
History of LoP along with the Revised Norms for Leader of Prayer for the Diocese of LaCrosse
From Bishop Paul to Bishop Burke and continued with His Excellency, Bishop Callahan! 
Elements of Ritual
Sacred Signs, Symbols & Gestures (What we see, do & how we move...It matters!)
Eucharist as the Celebration of the Paschal Mystery
Common & Ordained Priesthood (Similar but different...Priest, Prophet, King)
Liturgy of the Hours (one of my favorite topics)
Devotions (Theology & Particular Devotions)

The Diocese of La Crosse has an excellent model for learning and transforming people into prayer leaders within their local parishes that really enhances their Catholic Faith and allows them and those they may serve to better glorify God, and (hopefully) bring salvation to others!

It has been a good day of reflecting and reading:

HERE is a post from Fr. Z~ At the very end Fr. Z makes a GREAT plea to all Bishops...
"If I were a Bishop..."
There are some REALLY good bishops out there...let's hope some take him up on his offer/suggestion! 
Let's hope Fr. Z sent this out to some Bishops!!!
If they are good Bishops, they will not take offense to suggestions of help (not judgement or "telling them what to do"), if they are not, then nothing suggested will make a difference anyway...


Good read (& reflection) from Peter Kwasniewski at 1P5
Should Traditional Catholics "Move Past" the Liturgy Debates?

Lots to think, reflect and discern here...

PK's take on serving two masters is interesting...
Novus Ordo & TLM are really not two masters(IMO)...they are (currently) both Rites of the One Holy Catholic & Apostolic Church...thus they serve the same master...Jesus Christ!!!
We are really not serving two masters, we are (or should be) Glorifying God with each...

I do like the statement that N. had..."the Novus Ordo in strict conformity to the rubrics and in the spirit of Tradition."
This is what I have seen/experienced in the NO's I have been fortunate enough to be a part of...It is/can be beautiful and glorifying.

All that said...there is no denying that since the institution of the NO has taken place, there has been a dying of sorts, or hemorrhaging of the body of the Church. We are in trouble from the outside and from within...

This quote:
"...when tradition turns into mere custom, it can quickly lose its standing when challenged."

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From that Article...You may find this brief article, "The Law of Liturgical Entropy" very thought provoking...

...and then that led to this article, "Does Tradition preserve us, or we the Tradition?"

Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)

Office of Readings ~ June 22 ~ John Fischer & Thomas More (2nd Reading)
From a letter written in prison to his daughter, Margaret, by St. Thomas More
Final paragraph from the letter (emphasis mine):
"And therefore, my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that should happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be for the best."


I have reflected a lot on these two things lately...with all the goings on in the church, our country and even locally. It is truly important to know that in the end...God prevails.

Now, that being said, we cannot "stick our head in the sand" and just say, well, God willed that to happen, we should still be taking action and going about our day in the way and vocation God has put us in. But when we find things getting frustrating, anxiety creeping in, things not going our way, it is important to realize that God is in control and WE are not. For that is, many times, the frustrating or anxiety ridden part of what we have...the fact that things are not going the way WE expect them to, or the way WE planned...
Well... "His ways are not our ways" (ref Isaiah 55:8-9)
Remain strong in faith...fortis in fide!

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For those that would like to think that the Pope is NOT the Pope...this is commonly called sedevacantism (dangerous territory, I might add).
I would think that this really comes from a place of pride...again...dangerous territory!
Article HERE

This is worth another read as well...
What is Truth?

Good Stuff...

HERE is the pdf of the Document! This is good stuff!!!
Below are some comments/articles about it!

LifeSite ~ Cdl Burke, Bp Schneider issue ‘declaration of truths’ to correct rampant ‘doctrinal confusion’ in Church

Rorate Caeli  For the Record: Declaration of the truths relating to some of the most common errors in the life of the Church of our time.

OnePeterFive ~ Newly Released "Declaration of Truths" Reads like a Neo-Syllabus of Errors

Bishop Strickland...

One of the "good ones" that is out there speaking the Truth!
Tweeting the truth and articles that need to be shared!!!
If you are on Twitter...Follow @Bishopoftyler (Bishop J. Strickland)

What is truth? (Quid est Veritas?)

Question asked by Pilate to Jesus Christ...

The perfect answer...by the perfect man, Jesus Christ:

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)

Quid est Veritas? Article HERE

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Also...this timely and needed article by Msgr. Charles Pope
"True Reform Will Come ~ If You and I Remain Steadfast" ~ HERE

A KEY POINT & TAKE-AWAY from this article that I think is worth noting is this:
Remain Steadfast...
We are such an "instant society" that we can hardly hold our attention for long...
We do not really play the long-game...
Of interesting note...Neither did the Apostles...
As stated in the article:
After Jesus told them all that one would betray Him, they inquired about it and then quickly changed the conversation to which one of them was the greatest.
Classic distraction technique utilized by the evil one!!! We puny humans can hardly hold our attention on one thing for very long...That is satan's goto fault within us! He is playing the long-game (although he will not win) and gaining many souls.

Look around...pay attention, see what the top 3 items/stories people are "worked-up" over today and then check that again in 3-4 weeks... Lucky if one still remains...

We are part of the Body of Christ...the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church! What does she tell us? What is the #1 precept of the Church?

You shall attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation (& hopefully, able to receive the Eucharist)...
...this is what grounds us and brings us back to the focus we should have...our eternal salvation and that of our loved ones and who we are responsible for!

Monthly Confession, The Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours, Daily Prayers (our conversation w/ God), Daily Scripture Reading (God's conversation w/ us), Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Daily Examine, other various devotions, etc.

Think about all the things Holy Mother Church has for us to remain grounded and steadfast, if we would only heed her advice!

Rogation Days...

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week are called Rogation Days.
HERE is something about it from fisheaters.
HERE is something about it from new advent.

Below is taken from my prayer book, Blessed Be God (bold is mine).

Rogation Days
In the 5th century, St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, appointed three days of public prayer and procession for his diocese in consequence of certain great calamities, such as fire, earthquakes, and other scourges which were devastating his country. During these processions, Litanies were recited to appease the anger of God. This custom later became universal, and the three days before Ascension were set aside by the Church as the time for these public prayers. Even before St. Mamertus, it was customary in Rome to have a procession of this kind on St. Mark's day, April 25th, which procession became known as the Greater Litanies. The three days before Ascension are called Rogation Days, or days of intercession. At the present time these are days of special prayer for the coming harvest. The Litany of the Saints is most appropriate for these days.

Ant. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you; for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
V. He heard my voice from His holy temple.
R. And my cry before Him came into His ears.

Let us Pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we, who in our affliction confide in Thy loving kindness, may be ever defended by Thy protection against all adversity. Through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

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Litany of the Saints (Video-Latin / Video-English)
Have a blessed week & use the Rogation Days...PRAY with strong BELIEF and FAITH that what you ask for, you will be granted. These are days of intercession, so interceed!

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This Thursday, May 30th (The "real" Ascension)... USA celebrates it on the following Sunday, but we should acknowledge that it is really on Thursday...

Ascension Day
Ant. God is ascended in jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of trumpet. Alleluia.
V. The Lord is in Sina, in the holy place. Alleluia.
R. Ascending on high, He hath led captivity captive. Alleluia!

Let us Pray
Grand, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into heaven, may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. Through the same Christ our Lord. AMEN

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has written on the Church and the Sex Abuse Crisis...
FULL TEXT of his documents below:
HERE (Nat'l. Catholic Register)
HERE (Catholic News Agency)

As always...thoughtful and holy thoughts...good Shepherd!

A couple of reviews and commentaries on his writing below:
Benedict Speaks (R.R. Reno ~ First Things)
Benedict Addresses Sex Abuse Scandal (CNA)
Initial Reaction (Fr. Z's blog)

Good Shepherds...

Another good article to read & reflect on:
Chaput, Sarah & Schneider Weigh In on Our Troubled Times (Crisis Mag.)

Shepherd that speaks the TRUTH

Read these two articles by the fantastic Cardinal Sarah:
'As a Bishop, it is my duty to warn the West'; An Interview with Cardinal Sarah
&
Cardinal Sarah Sounds the Alarm (American Conservative)

Long but important Read...

Bishop Athanasius Schneider: On the question of a Heretical Pope

HERE from Rorate Caeli

HERE from One Peter Five

I have to admit...if I read too much from these two sites, I become "human" in the sense that I, too, want to fight...to protect...to beat down those who oppose the Church!

I love tradition...I love the Church...I love Jesus Christ our Lord!!!

I, as a man, want to protect it (Him)... BUT...that is not my job...sinful & weak as I am.

My "job" is to know, love and serve the Lord!!!

To have faith that God will handle the situation! 

If he chooses to use me, He will provide me with the necessary wisdom & knowledge to do so...my human emotions are not those he will (likely) utilize!

By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith." ~ CCC 143

To summarize this article in my simplistic terms...

HAVE FAITH!!!

God will provide the answer in HIS time...which is not human time! 

He has a plan! Trust in Him!

This does not mean to do nothing, BUT, at the same time, do not suggest that WE will solve this problem. Do not despair! 

Jesus Christ is the HEAD of the body, of which we are a PART...the solution will come from the TOP...from the HEAD

So...

...PRAY, PRAY & PRAY some more...Fasting and Mortification won't hurt either!

Live your life, be a disciple of Christ...so that others "want" what you have!!!

Great Reads to Reflect On

Chaput: "God doesn't lose'
...Good article that re-affirms just who wins in the end & how we need to "handle" or "check" our emotions...especially anger!

Bishop Schneider's Analysis...Just the Answer we are looking for
Summary of Bishop Scheider's article that is also posted

Discovering Tradition: A Priest's Crisis of Conscience
One that needs some reflection to discern...
But stirs up some questions and emotions that I have had about the Church as it pertains to V2!

Cardinal Sarah: God never abandons His Church

Divine Office...

HERE
Outstanding talk by The Liturgy Guys (HERE) on the Liturgy of the Hours (Brievery) or "rightly" referred to as...The Divine Office!

This is the Prayer of Christ to the Father...The public prayer of the Church...Christ, Our Head Leads us, His body, in prayer to our Father!
Our Brother taught us how to pray and this Office (or work) of prayer is just that...It is our adopted brother, Jesus Christ, praying and continuing to pray, and we are able to join Him in doing so.

They "unpack" Chapter 4 ~ "The Divine Office" of  Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC)
This is the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy solemnly promulgated by Pope Paul VI, Dec. 4, 1963...
And something, as potential deacons, we should learn a thing or two about.

Just their "unpacking" of this first statement (83 SC) is mind-blowing. You could listen to the first part of this and just reflect...and be in awe!
Listen and LEARN... 
We are praying with, in, and through Jesus Christ!!!
WOW!!!
Bold emphasis is mine

Christ Jesus, high priest of the new and eternal covenant, taking human nature, introduced into this earthly exile that hymn which is sung throughout all ages in the halls of heaven. He joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise (SC 83).

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Hence all who render this service are not only fulfilling a duty of the Church, but also are sharing in the greatest honor of Christ's spouse, for by offering these praises to God they are standing before God's throne in the name of the Church their Mother (SC 85).

Reflect on this before you think you HAVE to do Morning/Evening Prayer...Re-read SC 85 and understand just WHO you are in front of when praying this Office!

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Pray the Divine Office, and you will "hear" the voice of our Lord...There is NOT a good reason NOT to pray the office... 

The divine office, because it is the public prayer of the Church, is a source of piety, and nourishment for personal prayer (SC 90).

Your personal prayer life will grow when you pray the Office...

As a beginner, I thought I was praying the office, but in reality, I was reading the office. 
All good prayer takes 2 things:
1) Devotion ~ doing it for the Love of God...
2) Attention ~ this determines how efficacious your prayer will be...
I am by no means an expert or full grown in my prayer life, but I feel that I am now praying more than just reading the office. And there is a noticeable difference within me. Moving from reading to praying takes time, intention and focus. But most of all time...the structure can be frustrating at first, but as you work thru it and take TIME to learn, it becomes easier...be patient...it will bear great fruit!

GREAT READ ~ Spirit of the Liturgy

What Became of the Spirit of the Liturgy

#LENT

This is the "dry season"...The churches penitential season...
A time to reflect, slow down and LISTEN.

Jesus began His ministry with a 40 day fast in the desert...

Fasting (and giving something up for Lent) has been talked about a lot and I have some thoughts on it.
But the simple thought is this...if we can curb our appetite and "give-up" something, we make room for God. When you feel that little hunger pain, say a prayer, reflect on God, have a conversation.

A big more advanced is the thought on the will and the faculties.
By curbing our appetite and lower faculties from sweets, candy, sugar, coffee, tv, etc (whatever you choose to "give-up"), you make room for the upper faculties to progress. It is these upper faculties that need to be engaged to grow in/with Christ and get closer to God.
Get distracted during prayer? That is a lower faculty not letting you stay focused...
Discipline yourself... Discipline yourself in the little things and the big things will start to take care of themselves...

This Lent...maybe the best thing I saw/heard was from our March Formation Weekend Closing remarks (from Fr. Felix, I assume). I had to be at State Powerlifting and really missed being with my fellow brothers, but Paul A. sent me his notes...this is what struck me:
~ Quality vs. Quantity
~ Make your current prayers more quality

Here is my take away...

Prayer has two purposes:
1) To Glorify God
2) To make us better (Save our soul and make us more holy)

Prayer must be done with devotion and attention (focus)!
Devotion of prayer that we do it because we love God and want to be close to Him.Prayer is more efficacious the more attention we pay to it...

I have a post on Prayer HERE

So THIS Lent...I am trying to really focus when I do Morning/Evening Prayer.

HERE is a great devotion for the days of LENT that, while reading, you cannot help but focus on this season...It is call the 30 Days Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary in honor of the Sacred Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Evangelization

We need them to "hunger" for God first!!!

GREAT ARTICLE by Fr. Heilman

What does authentic evangelization look like? 

It may not be what you think 

I hope he writes a book!!!

Spiritual Warfare

Fr. Z ~ Hardest Post He has ever Written

Has some very good points...Things we all need to reflect on going further into the diaconate.

What I was getting out of this today, was the spiritual warfare that is going on...
He states, "that war is horrible, vicious and seriously ugly. Spiritual war is worse than material."
Think about that for a minute...

What does that mean? How can this be?!?!

IMO ~ because spiritual war is for your SOUL! It's wounds last an eternity!!!

There is a whole spiritual realm that "the many" do not even understand. We have guardian angels that watch over us! There is an entire army of Holy Angels that fight all around us, daily.
We have to be conscious of the angels and the spiritual realm every day! Use the spiritual gifts we have been given...the sacramentals, the prayers, the graces that God has given us and fight!

USGF ~ United State Grace Force (by Fr. Heilman)
Is a great place to start...
Fortes in Fide

#TRUTH

"The Truth of the filial adoption in Christ, which is intrinsically supernatural, constitutes the synthesis of the entire Divine Revelation."

Let that sink in...

Then move on to the rest...HERE
This is a great statement/article by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
This one has some highlighted portions by Fr. Altman (St. James the Less)

This is an excellent statement on our Faith as Christians!
It is posted HERE (at One Peter Five) or HERE (at Rorate Caeli) as well.

Relationships

I've been thinking about God's and my relationship!
I like it...
I have one...
A personal one...
BUT, like any relationship, we can still go deeper!
What does having a good relationship take? TIME & EFFORT...
God's effort is never the problem.
He is ALWAYS there. He is perfect! He is omnipotent, omniscient, & omnipresent!
God's time is never an issue, he works "out of time & space".
Me, I get lost in time and space...and it seems that the only one I "tend" to forget in that time is God.

In these past few days (Week IV) of the Divine Office, I have "felt" and "heard" our Lord in my life and my relationship to Him.

Psalm 138 ~ Thanksgiving
Psalm 108 ~ Praise to God & a plea for help
Psalm 146 ~ Those who trust in God know what it is to be happy
Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24 ~ God sees all that is

God is LOVE. Our relationship has to be about LOVE!
Do everything you do for the love of God and His creation!

Here are some quotes that I need to reflect on...
Quotes from Chapter 2 ~ A New Friendship ~ Edward L. Buelt
"Communio, sharing the divine delight, is the very essence of being and the way of all creation."
"The deacon is called to be in and to live this communio, and to lead others, especially sinners and the poor, into their own intimate relationship with God."
"...freed by Christ in baptism, once ordained, a deacon obediently serves God's Word."
"...a deacon makes himself freely "present" and takes up the duties and obligations of Christian service responsibly."
[From the Latin res and pons, meaning reality (or truth) and bridge.]
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus," St Paul taught.

Being vs. Doing...

Thoughts from this weekend ~

Doing all things to serve Christ!

Being the icon of Christ the Suffering Servant
Letting Christ, the suffering servant work through you!

Your life is not about You!

A surrender to God's will, seeking holiness through service to others.

On Prayer

Diaconate Formation ~ Fr. Kiziewski
"If you do not have 30 minutes of mental prayer, you need to change (& add that)!

Some thoughts on Prayer:

Prayer must translate to the HEART!!!

Romans 8:26 ~ "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."

All Prayer has 2 purposes:
#1 ~ Glorify God
#2 ~ Make us better (saves our soul/more holy).

Below is a great video to reflect on:

Ashes & Sackcloth

A great bit of writing:
A Year of Ashes

Some key take-aways (besides a year of contrition & penance, which would be fitting!):

~ Vows are vows and should be recognized as such (for both laity and ordained).

~ SIN is the problem, and the unwillingness to call SIN what it is!

~ We should FEAR GOD more than we fear (earthly) consequences!

BTW ~
I HAVE heard homilies, teaching and preaching on these very subjects. I count myself blessed to have had fantastic priests that speak the TRUTH and who look after their flock and really try to save souls!

Saving souls is no joke!!!

Another quote/thought that I reflected on this week:

Jesus taught and THEN fed. ~ Fr. Altman (Homily HERE)

This was as it relates to the people who would like to say Jesus would accept everyone (no matter their sins, w/o repentance) today! That we should be open to all, no matter their choices.

WRONG...teach them the TRUTH, and then, if they choose to follow (repent), welcome them with open arms!
Let's keep in mind that teaching does not have to be with a hammer (but sometimes it helps), but it can also not ALWAYS be with a feather, either.

ALWAYS show compassion and mercy!
Let's define compassion and mercy...It is NOT acceptance!!!
It IS caring for their ETERNAL SALVATION...teach them if the things they are doing are contrary to the truth. We MUST let them know there is more to life than the temporal, and that they (& we) should be concerned with the "life to come" far more than the immediate satisfaction/pleasures.

All Glory be to God!

Advent 2018

I have begun to fast on the Ember Days
It has been a good thing...getting back to the traditions of the Catholic Church.

Fasting and abstinence on Fridays is an important part of our Faith.
I would encourage you to try this...see what you feel like, where your mind goes, etc.
Reflect on Christ's Passion...
Adding these ember days, contributes to that penitential response even more so...
Remembering that God has given us ALL of creation...this includes nature, the seasons, weather, etc

This is a pic that I found and reflected during this Advent Season (and will continue to this year):

It says volumes...maybe even better to reflect on throughout the entire year, but makes more sense when you read it in light of ADVENT...

HOWEVER... We have been told that "the many" (the "In crowd") are taking the broad path, while "the few" are following the narrow path to heaven 

Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.  ~ Matt 7:13