Tag: #Fr. Leo

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Learning from the Holy Family

Merry Christmas, Day 5!  

     Many of you know Deacon Jim Lee and his wife Mireya. Deacon Jim is more or less retired from the deacon biz now, but I always appreciated his homilies. I remember him preaching once on this very Feast of the Holy Family many years ago. He was chatting about his own family and quipped,  “I used to wish that my kid would be more like Jesus. Then I realized that my kid would probably be more like Jesus if I were more like St. Joseph.” 

  As we celebrate the Feast of the Feast Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we can learn a lot from them on how we can each be “holy families.” 

  They faithfully practiced their faith — The scriptures tell us that the Holy Family did all the things a good, pious Jewish family would do…and more. They were faithful to the Law when they dedicated him in the Temple. We see today in Luke how they would go up to Jerusalem each year for the Passover. Something Jesus did well into adulthood all the way up to  the end of his public ministry when he celebrated the Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room at the Last Supper. 

  They were each open to the will of God—Each member had to grapple with what God was asking them and then go forward living their lives accordingly.  Mary was probably envisioning a very different life with Joseph when the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would be the mother of the Savior. Yet, she responded in faith, saying, “Let it be done to me according to your will.”  Joseph also had to change his plans when Gabriel told him that it was by the Holy Spirit that Mary had conceived. Then again, when he was told to flee into Egypt…and again when they returned to Nazareth. Finally, in his agony in the garden, Jesus asked that this cup might pass, but in the end said, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

  They dealt with hardship and kept their faith in God and in each other—The circumstances of his birth in the stable and becoming political refugees fleeing from Herod are just two examples.  I am particularly struck by how the Blessed Mother remained with Jesus all the way through his passion and death on the Cross. Even later, she stayed the course and remained with the disciples in the Upper Room. She was with the disciples in the Upper Room at Pentecost. 

  There are many, many other examples of how the Holy Family can teach us holiness, but let’s go with these three for now.

First, let us practice our faith.

Now, you have heard me say a few times this year that to be Catholic in the United States these days is to be countercultural.

  Sometimes we may think that this is a recent phenomenon, but it has ALWAYS been so.   

  So, how can we live our faith in today’s world?  Pretty simple really.  The Church sanctifies three things: people, places and time. To sanctify someone or something, means to set it aside for God.  Each household, such as it is, should do the same. 

  1. Realize that you have been sanctified by your baptism.  You are a holy people, a holy family, a household of grace, set aside by God for the sanctification of the world.  And if not the whole world, then at least that little part of the world which with come into contact each day.  Be the animators of grace in your neighborhood.
    • This season, or next, put up a manger scene in your yard.  John Thomas Williamson has a really cool one that he came up with made out of plywood and a few lights.  It is really cool. If we are nice to him, maybe he will share with us the plans so we can each have one next year.  Imagine the difference that would make? 
    • Sanctify space: Where does prayer happen in your home every day?  You have a place to eat, a place to sleep, a place to watch TV, hopefully a place for your vehicle.  Where is the space set aside for prayer each day?  Get creative. 
    • Sanctify time: 
      • When does prayer happen each day in the home.  This will change as the life within the home changes.  Prayers that once took place at bedtime may move to right after dinner as the household gathers around the dinner or moves into the family room for a quick decade of the Rosary. 
      • Celebrate the holy seasons and feasts of the Church as part of the life of the home. Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, feast days of the patron saints of members of household. 

2. Living our faith and building that deep relationship with Christ and one another allows us to be open to the will of God for each member of our family.

In doing so, we are able recognize the gifts of others in the household and encourage those gifts to be used in a way that is pleasing to the giver within the family and the Church for the greater glory of Almighty God.

For ten years I was the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese.  Do you know what the greatest biggest obstacle was for those who were discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? 

Parents. Specifically fathers who wanted their family name carried on and mothers who wanted grandchildren.

Now, neither of these are bad things, but if they are not the will of God for your child, you are doing them a great disservice and will find yourself fighting against God himself. Personally, I would not want to be in that position. You want your kid to be happy? Want the same thing that God wants for them. You’ll be glad you did. Celebrate each others gifts and vocation within the family and within the Church…for the world.

3. Finally, if we live our faith, if we are open to the will of God, then we are we may bear hardships that lead us and those around us to salvation.

  I’ve said it many times. 

       Life is messy…and…God is faithful. 

You can count on it.

       Still, I cannot say how I have been inspired and lifted up by those who seem to be going through the worst of times.  Yet through it all, they literally glow with the light of faith.

       It is real and it is undeniable. 

       It was true for the Holy Family, who seemed to know no end of hardship in those early years.

       Why would it not be true for us also? 

The world and everything and everyone in it has limits.

       Sometimes those limits manifest themselves in very tragic and troubling ways.   So what?!

  We have God and one another. 

  I know a woman who has had cancer two times, who has a 6’4” autistic son, who sometimes is more than a handful, and who by many measures of the world has had more than her share of heartbreak and hardship.

  And yet she radiates a joy that is unmistakable. 

       When I asked her about it once, she said, “Well, you just have to realize that you are held.”

And so we return to the Holy Family

  As Jesus was held in the arms of Mary and Joseph so too each of us is held precious in the arms of a loving God.

  So let US be a holy family.

Let us practice our faith with courage and constancy,

  Let us celebrate each other’s gifts for the glory of Almighty God

       So that none of the troubles of this world or of anyone in it can ever separate us the love of God or one another.

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Ask Fr. Leo – What does is mean to say the Jesus “rose again.” / What if a pope becomes incapacitated?

Dear Fr. Leo:
In the Apostle’s Creed there is a phrase “rose again from the dead” and I was wondering about the word “again” in the phrase. Could you shed some light on that for me? – K

Dear K,

This is a puzzling question. As you know, in the Roman Rite, the official text is in Latin and what we are saying in English is a translation. The official translation of the Apostles Creed that you cite which reads, “rose again from the dead” is a traditional one that has been around for quite some time. It’s also the official one used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Paragraph 638.) and in the Roman Missal. The same is true for the official translation of the Nicene Creed.


The puzzling thing is that when we go to the Latin, we see that it simply says: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, “on the third day he rose from the dead.” The word for “again” (iterum) is simply not there.

What about looking at the Apostles Creed in Greek? Does that shed any light on the matter? Unfortunately, no. When we look at it: τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστάντα ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, we see that the verb ἀναστάντα is the present participle. Thus, the phrase translates, “the third day rising from the dead.” No help there.

So, we are left with a conundrum. Neither the Latin, nor the Greek texts have the word, “again” in them and yet, there it is in the official translation. How did it end up in official the English translation? Quite frankly, I haven’t a clue.

Translation is as much an art as a science. Every language is different and often what is readily apparent with a single word in one language will take several words in another to get the richness of the original meaning across. For example, Greek has different words for different kinds of love. Each one of those takes two or three words in English to get the meaning across. Philadelphos is translated “brotherly love.” Eros, can be translated as “erotic love” or “romantic love.” The context in which a particular word is used is also critical to accurate translation.

My best guess is that when our present translation was rendered, those who did so were attempting to convey the fullest meaning of the words in the Latin (and Greek) original. It makes sense in a way. The presence of “again” raises a subtle nuance. It brings to mind that Christ has passed from death to life. He was dead but has come to life again. He is “the Lamb once slain who lives forever.” (Preface III for Easter)

Dear Fr. Leo:
The pope is getting old. How long can he serve as pope? What happens if he is no longer able to perform his duties? On a side note, is there a mandatory retirement age for bishops? – H

Dear H,
To be precise, Pope Francis is 87 years old, and still going strong. We are truly blessed in this regard.

Canonically, the pope holds supreme executive, legislative and judicial authority in the Church. He can serve as long as he wants.

The venerable tradition has been for a pontiff to serve until death. In recent times we saw a beautiful example of this in Pope St. John Paul II who showed us the great dignity of one who serves even in the midst of great infirmity. However, a pope can also resign if he wants. Pope Benedict XVI gave us a great example of humility when, realizing that the Church would be better served by another in that office, graciously resigned in 2013. Although a pope can resign, it is quite rare. The last pope before Benedict to resign was Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415.

But what if a pope becomes incapacitated? While there are canons that speak to succession of a bishop who has become incapacitated because of illness, captivity or exile, it is unclear if or how these can be applied to the Supreme Pontiff. Perhaps the best answer is to remember that the Holy Father is surrounded by the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia who assist him in his ministry. This assistance takes on different forms at different times throughout his pontificate. As we saw with John Paul II, when his own physical faculties were diminishing the College of Cardinals and the Curia stepped up their game so that his ministry could continue to be grace-filled and fruitful right up to the moment of his death.

As for your final question, according to Canon 401. §1 A diocesan Bishop who has completed his seventy-fifth year of age is requested to offer his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who, taking all the circumstances into account, will make provision accordingly. In short, while a bishop is asked to offer his resignation at age 75, that resignation must still be accepted by the Roman Pontiff. More often that not these days, a bishop will serve well beyond his 75th birthday. At present in the United States, there are 22 bishops, including 9 archbishops, who are serving over the age of 75.

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Ask Fr. Leo – Who Gets a Catholic Funeral?

Dear Fr. Leo

My brother’s wife recently died. She was not Catholic, but she sent the kids to Catholic schools and made sure they had all their sacraments. She would even accompany the family to Mass every Sunday.  I’m not sure why, but she never joined the Church. In many ways, she was more Catholic than a lot of Catholics I know. Will she be able to have a funeral Mass in a Catholic church?  – G

Dear G,

I am so very sorry for your loss.  The question does come up from time to time.  Namely, can someone who is not Catholic have a funeral liturgy in a Catholic church? A lot depends on the situation, but it the answer is usually yes. 

There are many ways of being Catholic. Those in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly the RCIA) are usually given a funeral Mass, even though they had not yet been baptized or made an act of full communion.  They are very much a part of the Church, even though they have not yet received full initiation. 

Similar to that, there are those I like to call, “Catholics by association.” Although not formally Catholic, they are very much a part of the life of the parish. By your description, it sounds like your sister-in-law was an active part of the parish community, coming to Mass, instructing the children, coming to parish events.  In such circumstances, it can be possible for her to have a Catholic funeral and be buried in a Catholic cemetery in the family plot. 

If it does not seem prudent or practical to have a full funeral Mass, the Funeral Liturgy Without a Mass is a very good option. I did one of these once for a parishioner of mine who had joined the Church, but whose family were all very devout Lutherans. They were not comfortable with a funeral Mass for a variety of good reasons.  So, the Funeral Liturgy Without a Mass made sense in that situation. These usually happen at the parish church but can also take place at a funeral home.

Sometimes, it does not make sense to have a funeral in the Church. For example, there was a parishioner whose family of origin was Muslim. Not only did they not like the fact he had become a Catholic, but they were very uncomfortable coming into the church building itself.  In that case, simple graveside service made sense.  Later, we had a memorial Mass for him with just his widow, their children, and a few close friends and parishioners.

In sum, there are times when a funeral Mass is allowed for someone who is not Catholic.  There also some circumstances where that does not make sense. In those cases, there are many pastorally sensitive options to bring comfort the grieving family, and to commend our departed brothers or sisters into the arms of their Lord.

Dear Fr. Leo:

What is this “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” that Jesus talks about in Matthew 12:31? – J

Dear J,

Good question. It seems simple enough, but it takes a little bit of thought to get to the heart of the matter. First, we must acknowledge the reality of sin. Next, we must contemplate the even more powerful reality of God’s love. When we understand that the Holy Spirit is this very love of God working powerfully in the world, then we can understand what Jesus means when he says that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Sin is an unfortunate, tragic, and a potentially deadly reality of the human condition. Even though the stain of original sin and all particular sins are washed away in baptism, we humans are still have a tendency to sin. We try our best, but sometimes we get selfish and fall into sin. The alternative is moral relativism which is simply hiding one’s head in the sand by denying the reality of the human condition.

The joy of the gospel lies in knowing that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Rm 8:38).  The Catechism of the Catholic Church confirms this when it says: “There are no limits to the mercy of God…” (CCC, 1864.) The good news is that although none of us is without sin, neither are any of us beyond the love of God.

The Church understands that the Holy Spirit is the love shared between the Father and the Son. It is the power of this love that created the world and then redeemed it. There is no sin that is more powerful than this love. 

Nevertheless, we humans have a little thing called free will. If we have even the smallest iota of faith that God can forgive our sins, that can be enough. However, as the Catechism goes on to say, “but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.” (CCC, 1864). 

Such a deliberate refusal to believe in the power of God’s love to forgive one’s sins constitutes a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. God condemns no one to hell. The sad reality is that everyone in hell has freely chosen to be there.

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Holy Spirit 101

A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget’s Thesaurus crashed yesterday, losing its entire load.  Witnesses were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed.

     Each year the Church commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Mary and the Apostles in the Upper Room. Pentecost is celebrated as the “birthday of the Church. We dress in red vestments to call to mind the tongues as of fire that rested on the heads of the disciples. We chant, “Come, Holy Spirit!” But who is the Holy Spirit and what’s it all about?

       The first thing we see from the sacred text is that the Holy Spirit is POWER, specifically the power of the love of God active in the life of the Church and in every Christian. Theologically, we understand the Holy Spirit as the love between the Father and the Son. By its very nature, love is procreating animating, and recreating. It is procreative in the act of creation itself. God does not need the universe and everyone in it, but God is love and love creates. So here we are, created in love for love.

       The Holy Spirit is also animating, that is it gives the “anima” or soul that enables the universe, the Church, each one of us to become what we are created to be in the first place. It was the power of the Spirit that breathed over the waters and gave life to all things. It was the power of the Spirit by which the Word took flesh of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was the power of the Spirit that breathed life and courage into the disciples in the Upper Room so that they ceased to be frightened and went forth boldly proclaiming the resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.

       The Holy Spirit is also recreating. Most profoundly, this happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Again, love by its nature leads to ever-deepening communion (unity at the very level of being).  However, because the world and everyone in it has limits, those limits will manifest themselves, sometimes in very hurtful and divisive ways.  It is here that the power of the Spirit enables us to seek forgiveness from those whom we have sinned against and to forgive those who have sinned against us. Forgiveness is the power of the Spirit overcoming our limitations and allowing us to transcend the offense and open the way for reconciliation. There is no sin greater than the power of God’s love to forgive. By the same token, because the same spirit dwells in us, there is no sin greater than our power to forgive.

       In sum, the Holy Spirit is the power of God’s love active in the world and the life of the Church. This love is at one procreating, animating and recreating. It is the power of the God’s love that enables us to love as God loves and so help the world become what he has created it to be.  

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Priest, King, Savior – Epiphany, 2023

     Merry Christmas, Day 14! We get 15 days of Christmas this year and I am using them all! I just got my Christmas cards out on Wednesday.

       There’s a meme that says if there were three wise women instead of wise men, they would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts.  There is more, but you get the idea. 

       Let’s talk a little bit about these gifts of the Magi. As the meme points out, they are not  all that practical. Yet, emphasizing them, Matthew is making the point that this little baby Jesus really is the Messiah.

       In the Isaiah 60;1-6 we see the nations coming to worship in Jerusalem, bringing gifts of gold and frankincense. This was for a very good reason. The long-awaited Messiah was to be a great priest-king who would reestablish true worship and the Kingdom of Israel. Gold represents the tribute that would be given a king. Frankincense is the proper gift to a priest who would offer it as a pleasing fragrance to God on the altar of incense.

       Thus, it makes perfect sense that the Magi, representing the nations, would bring gold and frankincense to the new Messiah, as befitted a priest-king.

       But the Magi bring something else—myrrh, an aromatic balm typically used in the preparation of bodies for burial. That seems a bit out of sorts until you realize that the gift of myrrh is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ passion and death. What Matthew is saying is that Jesus is indeed the expected priest-king Messiah, but it is by his passion and death that he will win the victory and establish the Kingdom.

       The gifts are symbolic, not practical. They are also a good reminder to us not to get wrapped in our own expectations of what we expect Jesus to be and pay closer attention to who Jesus really is. Seeing Jesus for who he really is allows us to give a more authentic witness of him to the world. 

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Puppies and Advent

[Here is the post with some bonus shots of the new puppy.]

    As most of you are now aware, three weeks ago I went down to South Carolina to pick up a three-month-old Boykin Spaniel to accompany Joy and to go into the field as a top-notch bird dog. My sisters lobbied hard that since she would be a hunter, she should have a kick-butt warrior princess name.  So, I figured, “Heck, she will be at St. Patrick’s, why not name for the greatest warrior queen in all of Irish lore?”  So, she is Maeve, Warrior Queen of the Northern Skye.

       Puppies are cute, cuddly, and full of energy. In the early stages they require constant vigilance as they learn to regulate their bodily functions.  They also teach their humans the virtue of detachment from material things. Turn your back for a minute and your sock, your shoe, the dishtowel hanging from the dishwasher, your scarf, your hat… any and all of these may be attacked, devoured and obliterated in less time than it takes to say a Hail Mary. 

       These twin virtues of vigilance and detachment are essential to what Advent is all about. Advent is a preparatory season. For the first three weeks, we meditate on and prepare for the second coming of the Lord in glory.  Then on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we shift gears a bit and meditate and prepare to commemorate his first coming in humility. We do not know when the Lord will come again. The temptation is to figure that since he has waited for a couple thousand years, he will probably wait a couple thousand more. Maybe yes, maybe no, but I don’t want to risk it. In the meantime, he comes in all kinds of little ways every day, not to mention how he comes to us in word and in sacrament every time the Eucharist and other sacraments are celebrated. We need to be watchful. We need to be vigilant. We need to pay attention. 

       Likewise, Advent is a time to get our spiritual and our physical houses in order. Part of that process is detachment from those things that get in the way. The first and most obvious spiritually are our sins. Advent is a time to get to confession. But there are other things we need to detach from too, things like attitudes, grudges, ambitions, disordered desire for material things. These clutter up our heart and mind. Get rid of them.

       Advent is also a time to purge all the physical clutter in our lives. Is there a drawer, a closet, a room, a garage, a storage unit that is so cluttered you can’t use it? Get rid of that stuff! If you haven’t used it or worn it in the last two years, you never will.  Get it out of your house and out of your life. 

Here’ s a great way to do that. Every day of Advent, take 20 minutes a day to tidy up a particular space. You’ll be surprised at the progress you make.

       In sum, Advent is about preparation, both spiritual and physical. The virtues of vigilance and detachment help us get there.  Let us pray Our Lord will find us ready when he comes, however he comes.

Okay, here are the puppy pics:  

At the breeder last month, photo by Pam Kadlec.

Maeve and Joy hanging out.

Snow!

A good church dog prays before each meal.
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An Abundant Harvest

Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there.  Thanks to all who have sent me a Father’s Day card.

     I like to give new life to old things. When we first got the parish house, there was an old, dilapidated greenhouse out back. It was made from a lot of those old single-pane windows that the U.S. Army gave away back in 1978 when the renovated the barracks on Ft. Rich. It looked to be about that old. The previous owners had been using it to store wood. Many of the panes were broken and the roof panels had holes. But the guts are good, so I decided to revive it. Why? Because I also like to grow tomatoes, and you can only grow tomatoes in Alaska in a greenhouse. I seem to be fairly good at it. 

       The project is taking longer than I had hoped, mainly because I can’t find a contractor willing to pour the footer and slab I need. Too small a project I guess. Nevertheless, by summer’s end, I am determined that it will be complete. I may have to get creative.

       This may seem like a lot of work just for a few dozen tomatoes, and it is. But to me, it’s worth it. There’s just something special about planting the seeds, watching them grow, and harvesting the fruits in due time.

       I think that is a lot like what is going on in today’s gospel as Jesus gives the Twelve a pep talk before sending them out. They have been with him for a while.  Now it is time to send them on a little mission so they can grow in their faith and confidence as his disciples. Notice he gives them authority and sends them out to do exactly what he has been doing: proclaiming the Kingdom, healing the sick, casting out demons. Cool.

       As a parish family, we are called to do the same thing. Within the believing community, we plant the seeds of faith, we help each other discern the gifts that we have been given, we call those gifts forth, train to give competence, give authority to use those gifts in the various parish ministries that serve the parish and the community around us, and then we have a big party every Sunday and at the end of the year to give thanks to God and to each other for the gifts of time, talent, and treasure that have helped our little part of the Kingdom to bear fruit.

       From time to time, we also call forth young men and women to serve the Church as holy priests, deacons and consecrated religious. It is essential that we do so to fulfill our mission.

       I’d like to concentrate on the way that we call young men to the Holy Priesthood for a moment, because this is the most pressing need at present.

       Where do vocations to the priesthood come from? What are the conditions in which the seeds of a vocation can thrive and grow? 

       1. Prayer. As individuals and as a parish family we need to pray for vocations. 

       They did a study a few years ago on the parishes that seemed to be hotbeds of vocations to see what they had in common.  Their findings were interesting. Demographics did not matter. It did not matter whether the parish was wealthy or poor, culturally or ethnically homogenous or diverse, urban or rural. 

       The only common denominator in parishes that produced lots of vocations to the priesthood was…

       …regular Eucharistic adoration.  

       2.  So, we need to pray for vocations, and we need to encourage vocations…but where?  How?   

       a.  At home – especially fathers

       Mom and Dad, you want your sons to be happy. You want what’s best for them. Dad’s, you have a special role in that. 

       If Christ is calling them to priesthood, what a blessing if you support that.

       Let me tell you what I mean. When I was 24, I had been working as a program manager for Junior Achievement, but in the background I had been discerning a vocation to the priesthood. There was no small amount of inner turmoil and self-doubt.

       One of my main concerns was how to tell my dad.

You want your dad to be proud of you.  I wasn’t sure how he would react.  So I scripted out every argument in my head:

       “If he says, this, I will counter with that. If he says that, I will counter with this.”  Eventually, I had it all worked out in my head.  All I needed was the right opportunity.

       I did not have to wait long.  A week or two later, my dad calls me up and said, “Hey, your mother is out of town this week, why don’t you come on by for dinner.”

       Thank you, Holy Spirit.

       We had a great dinner grilling steaks and eating huge football-sized baked potatoes.

       Then he says, “Hey, why don’t we have some brandy and cigars out in the living room.”

       Hey, cool!  We never got to have cigars in the living room when Mom was home. So, there we sat chatting away with our brandy and cigars, with a big fire going in the fireplace.

       So I said to myself, “Self!  No time like the present.”

       But before I could say anything, my dad looks at me and says, “Leo, you’ve been working that job at JA for some a couple of years now, and we both know that’s not what you are going to be doing forever. So I ask you, what are you thinking of doing with your life?”

       Gee, thank you Holy Spirit.

       I paused for a moment and then said to him, “Well, Dad, to be honest, I think I want to become a priest.”

       He paused for a moment, had a sip of brandy and took a puff off his cigar, looked me right in the eye, and then said,

       “Well…be a good one.”

To this day, that is the best gift I have ever received from my father.

       b. We encourage vocations at home, we also need to encourage vocations as a parish family.

       The early Church did not have a shortage of vocations crisis. Why?  Because it was the parish that called them forth from the congregation. 

       Your vocation was not primarily some inner prompting from the Holy Spirit. It came from the people around you.

       The community gathered, prayed, and then discerned who among them had the gifts necessary and then called them forth for ministry. 

       It’s interesting to note that the premise of John Chrysostom’s great treatise on the Holy Priesthood is that he and his friend Bartholomeus are hiding, because they have been called by the local church to be priests. The tract takes the form of a Greek dialogue where John is convincing his friend that he needs to come out of hiding and embrace his vocation. 

       I makes me wonder…what would happen if we did something similar here…

       We are not at that point, but I will say that if you see a young man in the parish who you think has the gifts, take him aside and say to him, “You know, I see the gifts in you that would make a good priest. Have you thought about it?  Please do. I’m going to be praying for you.

       I guarantee you, if you can see it, they have been thinking about it. 

       And it might not be who you would expect at first glance.

       We all have a role to play. We all have gifts to offer to further the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of souls here in 99504.  As a parish family, one of the best things we do is plant the seeds of faith, water them with our prayers and faith.  It’s up to the Holy Trinity to take it from there.

       We plant the seeds, the Father gives the growth, the Son gives the commission, the Spirit gives power of God’s love. This is how we yield an abundant harvest.