Celebrating St. John Vianney, a Priest

St. John Mary Vianney

St. John Mary Vianney was born in Lyons in 1786. He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary calling. Unwilling to yield to God's call because of numerous trials and challenges he was faced with, God persisted to prod him to get him to finally give his fiat. With God's grace he became a priest, and was entrusted with a parish in the town of Ars in the Diocese of Belley. He cared for the people in his parish in many a marvelous way by his preaching, his mortification, prayer, and good works. He became a renowed priest so much so that people from many regions came to Ars seeking his counsels. He died in 1859.

Today we pray to Our Most High Priest Jesus Christ, with the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney, to bless all our priests, especially those in our respective dioceses. May God bless each one of them, fill them with his strength and wisdom that in their times of trials and challenges, they many never give up but be inspired to be the priest God calls them to be. We pray for our seminarians that they will continue to persevere in their studies. We ask this of the Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

A Tribute to Fr. Benedict Groeschel

You must have seen the video below, but it's quite alright. We all need to be reminded of our priests' accomplishments - more than a few imperfections that media has spotlighted. The world will always remember the bad, but almost hardly the good. We who understand and know that many, many deeds have been performed by many, many priests, should echo to the world that goodness abounds - because of what our priests do, or have done.

We praise and thank God for having given us a good priest who has accomplished much that we may know, receive, and understand much.

Thank you, Fr. Benedict Groeschel!

A Chaplain's Quest for Peace

I know a few chaplains whose hearts are filled with the love of God. One of them is Fr. Patrick McCormick. Read his answers to 8 questions posted by Anna Weaver in the Hawai'i Catholic Herald.

Here's a song that takes a chaplain over Bhagdad, in prayer, and perhaps, in search of anyone who might be in need of help.

Let us pray for all chaplains.

Fr. Larry Richards' New Book!

Fr. Larry Richards

Congratulations, Fr. Larry Richards! His book "Be a Man!" challenges all men to rise to be who God has ordained them to be: fully alive called to a higher cause.

Here are excerpts from Catholic Online:

His new book "Be a Man!" goes into great detail on what that means as a challenge to men who live in a culture that is working hard to remove their masculinity.

"Men are created to be protectors, supporters and providers," Fr. Richards remarked. "We are, by definition, givers. So, the way men relate to God, then, is different from a woman, they are action oriented. I challenge men to give themselves to a higher cause."

Whether speaking to a men's conference or in parishes, Fr. Richards' call to men involves living a life of sacrifice, being willing to do God's will not their own. He warns them that it's not easy, it's going to cost them something and it's going to hurt; but it's for a higher purpose.

"When I work with boys I always ask them, 'Are you man enough to be a priest? Are you willing. when others tell you to do what you want, are you willing to die to yourself and give yourself to a higher cause?

Thanks to my good friend, Melissa C., for this info.

Apostleship of Prayer

So I discovered a website that centers on the Christ whom we ought to embrace, know more, and please every second of our life! Apostleship of Prayer is very dedicated to bringing to the world hope and encouragement – what we need in our journeys. We, the body of Christ, should uplift one another in our endeavors so Christ's light may always burn brightly where it is visibly seen, and spread to where it is inconspicuous.

The videos are presented to us by Fr. James Kubicki, S.J., who has been a Jesuit since 1971, a priest since 1983, and the national director of the Apostleship of Prayer since 2003.

Thank you, Fr. Kubicki!

Priest Heroes Who Finished the Race

Who are the true priest heroes of the Catholic Church?

It's not a question of faith, but one that requires "seeing through the heart." Pondering with the heart requires prayer and the exercise of wisdom, not that faith doesn't seek out of any of these. The heart sees differently and approaches things differently. While faith manifests itself through its bold demeanor, pondering through the heart appears to be clothed with a sense of beauty and mysticism. To be able to see, for instance, grace that is found in a soul, one has to know how and be able to discern and "see" grace, not with the mind but with the heart.

So who are the true priest heroes of the Catholic Church? This video shows the many names who finished the race, but in our own church, in our own parishes or dioceses, they are there too. They toil, and they never stop being the representatives of Christ here on earth. The truth is, they need us; they need us to get to the finish line. So let's truly see them, recognize them, these priests of good heart and soul. They will be the better priests of today and tomorrow, if we journey alongside them as they strive to be obedient to God and the magisterium.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

If you are searching for a seminary, be sure to check out Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Thanks to my good friend, Gary!) This place of formation for the priesthood is located in Denton, Nebraska, United States. Lincoln and Omaha are the two largest cities nearby. The seminary itself is located within the territorial boundaries of the Diocese of Lincoln.

Two years are spend in the study of Philosophy, followed by four years of Theology. Philosophy is foundational in the study of Theology -- something that I am learning these days on my pursuit of M.A. in Theology. Philosophy is not an easy subject to deal with, but it stretches the mind and gives it the basics for a sound theological reasoning and learning. I am most certainly learning to appreciate it.

If you are searching, or in discernment, or know of someone who is, please leave your name or a name, and I will pray for you.