Hope Does Not Disappoint
Hope is a virtue we may not think about too often but one by which we live our lives each day. Hope is much deeper than simply persevering through difficult times. It is, as defined by The Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in God’s promises and relying not on our strength, but on the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
November, A Transitional Month
St. Therese of Lisieux said that she wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth. What she expressed is the sentiment of all the saints. They want to help us with our problems, with which they are so familiar. No one wants more to build up God’s Kingdom here on earth than the saints, who live in the fullness of that kingdom. Above all, they want to hold out to us the hope of our own life in heaven, for which our present lives are intended.
Eyes Raised, Hands Joined, Feet Bare!
As we go through this life, our eyes must be raised to God in heaven in union with all the saints who are there with Him. They must also be raised to the souls, who are in union with the Lord in a special way as they continue to purge themselves of the sins which were part of their lives in this world. To keep our eyes raised is to realize that life goes far beyond what we see each day before us in this world.
40 Years – A Eucharistic People
A very significant event has occurred in the life of our Diocese of Palm Beach. On Oct. 24, we celebrated 40 years from the foundation of our Diocese... We have been a Diocese for 40 years and have grown and experienced much in that time. Forty years may not seem like a long period of time in contrast to the life of the Church for over 2,000 years. However, during our years, we have been part of the life of the Church as if from the very beginning.
Mary, Our Patroness and Queen
Mary has many titles within the life of the Church. Queen of the Apostles is a significant one as it points to her prominent role among the apostles. After the Resurrection, Mary was the unifier among them as she was the one who completely comprehended what had occurred in the mission of her Son. She handed onto the apostles what she had treasured in her heart all during the years of her Son’s ministry.
We All Have One Origin
I want to congratulate all of you here at the cathedral on 40 years of being signs of the temple of God by coming to this temple and supporting each other in faith, receiving the Eucharist as the center of our lives, knowing that we live in communion. I also thank all of you for your commitment to the sanctity of life from the moment of conception in the mother’s womb until natural death.
I Came so that They Might have Life
As we read from the Book of Genesis on this weekend, God created the human person to share in His life and for life to be a reflection of His love. The human person is meant to live in communion with God and with one other in a family of love. Marriage is the union between a man and woman which reflects the life of God, and in so doing brings life into the world.
The Heart of the Priesthood
A priest’s very heart is Eucharistic. When he is ordained, the priest is configured to Christ in a unique manner so that he is able to act in the very Person of Christ, most especially in the Eucharist. Through ordination, a priest relates to Christ and to the Church in a new way, and this relationship alters his very being.
Grant Me, O Lord, a Good Sense of Humor!
If a person lacks a sense of humor, he cannot see through things. A person who has a sense of humor sees the world as like looking through a window. It’s transparent. He looks out into another world. The words he hears, the things he sees, tell him about something else. To see the world as God sees it is to have a true sense of humor.
The Intercession of Christ and the Virgin
As we continue with the month of September and as the year quickly brings many activities to which we must attend, may Mary stand before us as a model of how to live our lives in humility, prayer and hope, fulfilling God’s plan as the model of the perfect human person. Mary’s role in our lives is essential to our relationship with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who called Mary to represent the perfect human in person when Adam and Eve rejected this role. Mary represents the perfection of God’s creation as it represents His inner life of love. As the medieval painting portrays, Mary brings our prayers before God, and God truly listens to her.
Mother Teresa – Yes to Life - No to Amendment 4
Since every person is made in the image and likeness of God, every person is deserving of a home and of the ability to mature as that person. For Mother Teresa, there were no barriers which prevented people from getting the care and nourishment which were their due. Such basic rights were not limited to any group or individuals. She was a strong proponent for the immigrant and when visiting Los Angeles in 1989 spoke of the plight of immigrants.
A Labor of Love
The beginning of September and Labor Day are a good opportunity to reflect upon the dignity of our labor and occupation in life, whatever that may be. From being a parent, a teacher, a lawyer, a farm worker, a nurse, a sales associate, whether our labor be considered "white collar" or "blue collar," our occupation and daily activities in life are part of the building of God's Kingdom and have a significant place in God's plan.
Perseverance
Living a vocation requires daily perseverance by which one bears the struggles, the heat, day in and day out and is willing to stand for a long period of time. Perseverance is a critical part of every vocation. Whether one is married, a priest or a religious, one has to be willing to stand for a long period of time... The Lord had much to say about perseverance and the fundamental call to be one of His followers.
The Assumption – A Feast of Hope
The importance of hope, as lived by Mary, is well summed up in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. ... They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint” (Is 40:31). These words make clear that God gives strength to those who hope and trust in him. Mary is the embodiment of this type of hope.
The Sacrament of Unity
At this time of Eucharist Revival and revival within our nation, it is essential for us to reflect upon the centrality of the Eucharist as followers of Jesus Christ. It is the Eucharist that is able to transform our lives and unite us more to Christ in the joys and sufferings of everyday life. Nothing else has the power of the Eucharist to help us experience the love of God and the meaning of life.
