Day 9: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

How can we not recognize then the great dignity of work, whatever kind it may be in its concrete expression? How can we not see the fundamental role that it fulfill in the life of the individual, of the family, of society? Unfortunately, greed and egoism have often pushed men to abuse the intellectual and physical talents of their fellow men and to impose upon them working services that are revealed in various ways to be harmful to their personal dignity. Against these deteriorations of labor relations unions justly arise to defend those whose legitimate rights they see trampled.

If this is just and merits approval, an attitude would be incomprehensible that would succeed in questioning work as such, not recognizing its providential role’ indicated in the first Biblical command: “Subdue the earth!” (cf. Gen 1:28). This role Saint Joseph recognized and accepted in his life, transmitting to the young Jesus who was growing at his side the spirit of joyful readiness with which he resumed his daily task every morning. For this too Saint Joseph stands before the Christian people as a shining model of life, to whom every father can and must look in the concrete choices that are imposed upon him by the responsibility of a family.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 8: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

Joseph and his most chaste spouse, the Virgin Mary, did not abdicate the authority that was theirs as parents. It is very significantly said of Jesus in the Gospel: “. . . and he was obedient to them” (Lk 2:51). A “constructive” obedience, which the walls of the home in Nazareth witnessed, since it is also said in the Gospel that thanks to that obedience, the Child “progressed steadily in wisdom, age and grace before God and men” (ibid. 52)

In this human growth Joseph guided and supported the boy Jesus, introducing him to the knowledge of the religious and social customs of the Jewish people and getting him started in the carpenter’s trade, whose every secret he had learned in so many years of practicing it. This is an aspect that I feel compelled to stress today: Saint Joseph taught Jesus human work, in which he was an expert. The Divine Child worked beside him, and by listening to him and observing him, he too learned to manage the carpenter’s tools with the diligence and the dedication that the example of his foster father transmitted to him.

This too is a great lesson, beloved brothers and sisters: if the Son of God was willing to learn a human work from a man, this indicates that there is in work a specific moral value with a precise meaning for man and for his self-fulfillment. In the Encyclical Laborem Exercens, I mentioned precisely that “through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes more a human being” (n. 9)

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 7: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

Today the Church is honoring St. Joseph, the “just man”, who in the humility of the shop in Nazareth by the work of his own hands, provides support for the Holy Family. Today, therefore, is above all the day of men of work. To you, therefore, workers, farmers, artisans, fishermen, to you workers of the land and the sea, who with daily sweat earn what is necessary for your families, I wish to address in a special way my thought and my word in order to point out for your reflection the example of one who, having shared your experience, can understand your problems; take up your anxieties, direct your efforts toward the building of a better future.

Saint Joseph stands before you as a man of faith and prayer. The Liturgy applies to him the word of God in Psalm 89: “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock, my Savior'” (v. 27). O yes: how many times in the course of long days of work would Joseph have raised his mind to God to invoke him, to offer him his toil, to implore light, help, comfort. How many times! Well then, this man, who with his whole life seemed to cry out to God: “You are my father”, receives this most special grace: the Son of God on earth treats him as his father.

Joseph invokes God with all the ardor of his soul as a believer: “my Father”, and Jesus, who worked at his side with the tools of a carpenter, addressed him calling him “father”.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 6: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did in order to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph’s entire life. For Jesus, these were hidden years, the years to which Luke refers after recounting the episode that occurred in the Temple: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them” (Lk 2:51). This “submission” or obedience of Jesus in the house of Nazareth should be understood as a sharing in the work of Joseph. Having learned the work of his presumed father, he was known as “the carpenter’s son.” If the Family of Nazareth is an example and model for human families, in the order of salvation and holiness, so too, by analogy, is Jesus’ work at the side of Joseph the carpenter. In our own day, the Church has emphasized this by instituting the liturgical memorial of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. Human work, and especially manual labor, receive special prominence in the Gospel. Along with the humanity of the Son of God, work too has been taken up in the mystery of the Incarnation, and has also been redeemed in a special way. At the workbench where he plied his trade together with Jesus, Joseph brought human work closer to the mystery of the Redemption.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 5: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

The Lord’s invitation to subdue the earth (cf. Gn 2,28), that we find at the beginning of the history of salvation, holds a definitive and contemporary importance. Creation is a gift that God entrusts to the human being so that by carefully cultivating and safeguarding it, it can supply his needs. From our work comes the “daily bread” that we pray for in the Our Father.

One can say that through his work the human person becomes more human. This is why industriousness is a virtue. For industriousness effectively to permit the person to become more human, it must always be joined with the social disposition of work. Only in this way will we protect the inalienable dignity of the person and the human and social value of the work that is done. To the watchful protection of St Joseph the Worker we entrust those who belong to the great family of work in every place in the world.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 4: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

In speaking with you, dear brothers and sisters, I would like to emphasize a characteristic aspect of work which is usually called “overall quality”. In essence, it involves man’s condition in the productive process: only his active participation in this process can make the business firm a real “community of persons” (cf. Centesimus annus, n. 35). This is a challenge that accompanies the advanced progress of new technologies, which have the merit of reducing, at least in part, the element of human exertion in work. The challenge must be met so that the “indirect employer”, that is, all the “forces” that determine the entire socio-economic system or result from it (cf. ibid., n. 17), can be at the service of man and of society.

Dear employers, financiers, trade unions and all of you who, by your cooperation and enterprise, put yourselves at the service of a development worthy of man, a particularly challenging but very important task lies before you. Without doubt, human liberation with regard to work depends in large part on the direction taken by finance and the economy: these must have an ever better grasp of their distinctive element, that is, the particular “service” they are called to render to development.

The serious phenomenon of unemployment, which affects men, women and young people, and for which a solution is sought in many ways, would certainly have a positive outcome if economics, finance and the national and global organization of work itself were never to lose sight of the good of man as their ultimate goal.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 3: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

Dear workers, our meeting is illumined by the figure of Joseph of Nazareth and by his spiritual and moral stature, as lofty as it is humble and discreet. The promise of the Psalm is fulfilled in him: “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you…. Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord” (127: 1-2, 4). The Guardian of the Redeemer taught Jesus the carpenter’s trade, but above all he set him the most valuable example of what Scripture calls the “fear of God”, the very beginning of wisdom, which consists in religious submission to him and in the deep desire to seek and always carry out his will. This, dear friends, is the true source of blessing for every person, for every family and for every nation.

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 2: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

While the Jubilee year turns our gaze to the mystery of the Incarnation, it invites us to reflect with particular intensity on the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth. It was there that he spent most of his earthly life. With his silent diligence in Joseph’s workshop, Jesus gave the highest proof of the dignity of work. Today’s Gospel mentions how the residents of Nazareth, his fellow villagers, welcomed him with surprise, asking one another: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Mt 13: 54-55).

The Son of God did not disdain being called a “carpenter” and did not want to be spared the normal condition of every human being. “The eloquence of the life of Christ is unequivocal: he belongs to the “working world’, he has appreciation and respect for human work. It can indeed be said that he looks with love upon human work and the different forms that it takes, seeing in each one of these forms a particular facet of man’s likeness with God, the Creator and Father” (Encyclical Laborem exercens, n. 26).

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Day 1: Novena to St Joseph the Worker

Our labors – at home, in the fields, in industries and in offices – could turn into an exhausting busyness ultimately devoid of meaning (cf. Eccl 1: 3). Let us ask the Lord for it to be the fulfillment of his plan, so that our work may recover its original meaning.

And what is the original meaning of work? We have heard it in the first reading from the Book of Genesis. God gave man, created in his image and likeness, a command: “Fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn 1: 28). The Apostle Paul echoes these words when he writes to the Christians of Thessalonica: “When we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat”, and exhorts them “to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living” (2 Thes 3: 10, 12).

In God’s plan, work is therefore seen as a right and duty. Necessary to make the earth’s resources benefit the life of each person and of society, it helps to direct human activity towards God in the fulfillment of his command to “subdue the earth”. In this regard another of the Apostle’s exhortations echoes in our souls: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10: 31).

(from Pope John Paul II)

Novena Prayer to St Joseph the Worker

O glorious patriarch St Joseph, humble and just workman of Nazareth, who has given to all Christians but especially to us, the example of a perfect life of assiduous work and admirable union with Mary and Jesus, help us in our daily tasks, so that we Catholic workmen may also be able to find in them the efficacious means to glorify our Lord, to sanctify ourselves, and to be useful to the society in which we live – all as supreme ideals of our actions.

Obtain for us from our Lord, O beloved Protector, humility and simplicity of heart, love of work, and benevolence toward those who are our companions in it; conformity to the divine will in the inevitable sufferings of this life, and joy in bearing them; a consciousness of our specific social mission and a sense of our responsibility; a spirit of discipline and of prayer; docility and respect toward our superiors; brotherhood toward our equals; charity and indulgence for those who depend on us. Be with us in moments of success, when everything beckons us to taste the honest fruits of our fatigue; but sustain us in our hours of sadness, when heaven seems to be closed against us and the very instruments of labor seem to rebel in our hands.

We raise our hearts to you now, St Joseph, to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining for us from the divine Heart of Jesus these special graces and favors: (……)

 

 Grant that according to your example we may keep our eyes fixed on our mother Mary, your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your modest workshop, with the sweetest smile playing on her lips. Grant that we may not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter’s bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy one which awaits us in heaven forever and ever. Amen.

Esto vir !!!

Catholic men’s movement

Tim Drake offered his assessment of the Catholic men’s movement in this article yesterday on Catholic Pulse.

CTK Men’s Retreat

The talks at the 2014 Men’s Retreat sponsored by Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor were given by Dr Edward Sri.  His talks are available in their audio archive.  I haven’t yet listened to them, but will surely be doing so in the near future.  Here are the links:

Talk #1: Practical Insights from John Paul II — Part 1

Talk #2: Practical Insights from John Paul II — Part 2

Talk #3: Will I Be the Hero of My Life?  Virtue and the Mission

Talk #4: The Primacy of the Interior Life

Is this politically correct?

The Catholic Men’s Bible.  Read about it here.  It’s less expensive here.
I wonder if it contains feminist inclusive language?

Reading material for young athletes

Fr James V. Schall SJ

When the highly esteemed Jesuit scholar and commentator on modern culture, Fr James V. Schall SJ, writes a positive review of a book by a professional athlete, I sit up and pay attention.  Earlier this month, Fr Schall wrote such a review on The Catholic Thing website.  His subject was John Stockton, former point guard for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, an NBA hall-of-famer, and a Gonzaga alumnus.  John recounts his life for us in Assisted: An Autobiography, which was published two months ago.  You can read Fr Schall’s article here.

Support local Catholic radio

Printable flyer here.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast — October 26th

The Guardian of the Redeemer Catholic Men’s Fellowship will sponsor a Men’s Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, October 26th at Our Lady of Sorrows Hall (St Monica’s Parish) in West Wyoming.  Capt. Joseph Mahoney USMC (Ret.) will speak about his ongoing efforts to assist the Catholic Church in Vietnam, which began during his tour of duty in 1968.  The Prayer Breakfast will begin at 8:30 and conclude at 10:00.  Doors will open at 8:00.  There is no specific charge for the breakfast, but donations will be accepted.  All men are most welcome, and are strongly encouraged to register by Thursday, October 24th.  Please see this flyer for registration information.

Capt. Joseph Mahoney USMC (Ret.)

Atheists demonstrate hate

Because no one will attend the events they sponsor, the local vacuumbrains occupy their time by proclaiming falsehood to the world.

Jesus, please reveal to the minds and hearts of your persecutors the intense, burning love of your Sacred Heart in a way that will inspire them to turn to you.  Amen.

Evangelizing youth

Tremendous talk by Mark Hart.  What an awesome speaker!  Great blend of humor with sobriety.  Authentically passionate at times.  Presents some really important points to keep in mind when presenting the faith to the younger segment of our culture.  Money quote from near the end:

Our salvation cost us nothing.
True discipleship will cost us everything.

From the “Defending the Faith” conference this past July at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Advice from a champ

John Calipari, who currently coaches the University of Kentucky basketball team, recently spoke at an athletic banquet at Franciscan University.  After a few minutes of lighthearted banter, Calipari shares some real tidbits of wisdom.

Monks influencing football

Related article here.

Men’s Conference in NJ

On Saturday September 14th, Mary Mother of Mercy Parish will host the Brothers in Christ Catholic Men’s Conference from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 500 Greentree Road, Glassboro NJ.  The event will include celebration of Mass and speakers on spiritual issues facing men today.  The featured speaker is Joe Klecko, former NY Jets defensive lineman and frequent speaker at Catholic events.   Lunch and refreshments will be provided.  The registration fee is $20.  This event is open to all men ages 14 and up and is co-sponsored by St John Neumann and Our Lady Queen of Peace Knights of Columbus Councils.  Register here.

Hieromonk Gabriel

Today’s date always brings with it a slight element of sadness for me.  The note on my calendar reminds me that, three years ago today, Fr Gabriel Bunge OSB converted to the Russian Orthodox Church.  It seems to have been an extremely fulfilling move for him, but I was disappointed that he was not able to find his fulfillment in the Catholic Church.

When I read Fr Bunge’s Earthen Vessels about ten years ago, it changed my personal prayer life radically.  For one thing, it helped me to understand better my affinity for the expressiveness of ‘charismatic prayer.’  The bodily actions and gestures in prayer about which Fr Bunge taught in Earthen Vessels enable me to be more deeply self-giving to the Lord in my personal prayer time.  As Fr Bunge said in Chapter Four:

Like sacramental actions, the methods and gestures in prayer must also be meaningful, that is to say, the body must reproduce visibly what is taking part in the soul.

I first learned to be open to what Eastern Christianity has to offer from my first visit to Mount Saviour Monastery in 1984.  The monks of Mt Saviour have incorporated some Eastern Christian practices and images into their monastic life.   Reading JP2’s Orientale Lumen increased my openness.  Matthew the Poor’s Orthodox Prayer Life was also very helpful (and is among my rotation of nightstand books).  Even now, I’ll periodically stop by the Orthodox Way of Life blog, or occasionally listen to a talk by Fr Thomas Hopko or Metropolitan Jonah, which can be found at the Ancient Faith Radio site.  Orthodoxy has many obscure but admirable practices worthy of emulation, not only in Church life, but also in home and family life.  Here’s one example which Fr Bunge relates in an interview (he was still Catholic priest-monk at this time):

I stayed two months in Greece on Lesbos. There weren’t many tourists then and, therefore, we were lodged among local families. I lived in a family of a priest. And of course, I was going to church every Sunday. The family knew I was a Catholic, but because there wasn’t any Catholic church around, I was going to an Orthodox one. Everyone in the family was kind to me and treated me with much love. On the small entrance, they even brought me the Gospel to kiss as if I was an honorable guest.

Imagine the surprise of my pastor (or any priest) if, upon arriving at our house, we offered him a book of the Gospels to kiss!

If you’re interested, you can read more about Fr Bunge and his conversion here and here.  You can get an indication of what he teaches in Earthen Vessels by reviewing the excerpts available at its Google Books site.

Only 3 more months!

That’s right.  Only three months remaining in the Year of Faith.  This Year of Faith will end on November 24th, the Solemnity of Christ the King.  Remember:  It’s purpose is to help us prepare to be active participants in the New Evangelization.

Has your faith grown during this Holy Year in any way which you could share with us (in the Comments Box)?

I’ve had two primary faith-increase goals for this Holy Year:  a) to deepen my love for the person of Jesus and my personal communion with Him, and b) to implement a twice-a-day Ignatian Examen into my life to foster my ongoing conversion.

Here are some of the efforts I’ve made to attain my first goal:

1. Prepare better to receive Holy Communion at Mass on Sunday (via pre-Communion prayers, Confession if necessary, etc), and to see the moment of receiving Holy Communion as a deeply personal encounter with my Lord (among all the other things that the Mass is)
2. Spend an hour with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration at least once during the week
3. Do a deeper lectio divina on the Sunday Gospel readings (I’ve started taking the time to post these on my personal blog — mainly for my children)
4. Pray and reflect on the primary litanies of Jesus (Sacred Heart, Precious Blood, Holy Name, Holy Face) and on the Titles of Jesus found in Sacred Scripture
5. Engage in colloquies to Jesus several times each day (colloquies (according to St Ignatius of Loyola) are short periods of talking with Jesus as one friend would talk to another)

I’m experiencing about a forty per cent rate of success with my second goal.  Trying to develop a new habit like a two-a-day examen is proving to be a challenge for a geezer like me.

The moderate success that I’ve had with both of my goals is evidenced in my life by a more merciful attitude, and an ability to maintain my joy and trust in the Lord during difficult times.

How about you?

Men’s Evening of Reflection planned

A group of Catholic men will be gathering on Thursday, August 22nd for an evening of prayer, formation, food and fellowship.  The evening will begin at 6:30 at St Monica’s Church in West Wyoming where the men will pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary in honor of the Queenship of Mary.  The Rosary will be followed immediately by Mass.  The men will then travel to Dino’s Italian Bistro in Shavertown.  Pizza and beverages will be served.  A video presentation entitled “The Man Talk” by Matt Fradd of Catholic Answers will be shown.  In the talk, Matt Fradd lays out a vision of authentic Catholic masculinity and how to achieve it.  This will be a great opportunity for fathers and sons to hear the truth together on some sensitive topics like sexual integrity and respect for women.  The evening will end at 10:00.  A free-will offering will be accepted to defray the cost of the refreshments. Expect an awesome night!

Please email your registration (with the number of men attending) so we can plan how much pizza to order (email to Glenn at gmyanik [at] epix [dot] net).

If you’re not sure you should make the effort to attend, perhaps this video will motivate you.

Spiritual Battle homilies

Fr William Casey of the Fathers of Mercy recently preached a retreat in Bloomington, Indiana.  Below are his three homilies.  All three are excellent, but the one on “Christian Bravery” really drove me to prayer.  If I am burdened with fear and anxiety from having passed the 6-month mark of my unemployment, what would I be like in the face of the type of persecution Fr Casey describes?  Lord, help me to attain that perfect love for you that will cast out all fear!