A Prayer for the Living

Father Almighty,

My lips were made to praise you,
and my mind was made to contemplate you.
Today, make these organs function as you intended,
through Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 

Psalm 24: An Advent Hymm

Psalm 24's imagary is almost as striking lyrically as it's content meaningful.  The poet writes, " Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter." (Ps. 24:9)  This pslam suggests a fruitful spirtual life requires a continous cleaning of the fog that blocks us from intimacy with God. The gates here are our inward imaturities and self-seeking, worldly goals. A daily fight to open our hearts to Christ's Peace is a necessity, and there is no better time than Advent to recognize this fact. 

Alighty and Merciful God,

May no earthly undertaking hinder those 

who set out in haste to meet your Son. 
But may our learning of Heavenly wisdom

gain us admittance into His company.

Grant this through Christ, Our Lord,

who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

An Important Theological Note

In both the Eastern and Western Christian tradition, the priest or deacon kisses not only the Altar of God as he enters/exists the sanctuary, but kisses also the Word of God after he finishes reading the Gospel. These actions present a truth that God is present in not only in the Sacrements and the Asembly of the Faithful, but also in Sacred Scripture. May more individuals observe this fact and quicken to life in the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Front page of the Douay-Rheims text

A Royal Priesthood: Draw near to me, Paschal actions of God!

A Royal Priesthood: Draw near to me, Paschal actions of God!: Fr. Jean Corbon, OP  ( Order of Preachers, known also as the Dominican Religious Order) taught me a lot. He helped me understand three very...

Religous Freedom in the United States

Many are using the term "Freedom of Worship" in discussing the HHS Mandate forcing religous hospitals, schools, and food pantries to provide  abortion, abortificants, contraceptive, and sterilization health care coverage to their employees. Individuals who have issued the HHS Mandate ( sadly it is already in the federal book of laws) employ the above-mentioned term  "Freedom of Worship."
  Please pause for a few minutes to reflect on the implications of the phrase "freedom of worship." Freedom of worship is the freedom to worship inside the place of worship; the implication, diagnosed by Aristotealian Logic, of this terminology is that worship is  confined to within the walls of that paticular worship building, and that the affects of that worship ( i.e. potential conversion of hearts toward faith, towards hope) can not be expressed outside the walls of the paticular place of worship.

A few days ago Benedict spoke to the entire asssembly of the Swiss Guard. He said, "Let Christ be your reference point." May Christians worldwide embrace his suggestions. More to come on how personal and organizational identity in the Second Person of the Holy Trinty can transform our lives into Lights of the Gospel later.

Watch "Let Christ be your reference" on YouTube

The Official Teaching of the Catholic Church on Immigration

Here is a video produced by Father Daniel Groody, author of The  Theology of Immigration and USSCB employee in 2007. I do not know if he still works for the United States Confrence of Catholic Bishops.
     Please take time to pray about this issue. Please take time to pause the video and think about what  John Paul II and Benedict are saying.

Watch "Welcoming Christ in the Migrant" on YouTube

No human being is ever illegal.