Thoughts on evangelization

 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 10:1–12, 17–20 (or 10:1–9)

Friends, our Gospel shows us what Jesus wants his followers to be doing and how they ought do it. We are a missionary Church. We are sent by the Lord to spread his word and do his work. The Gospel is just not something that we are meant to cling to for our own benefit; it is seed that we are meant to give away. Prayer is not incidental to ministry. It is not decorative. It is the lifeblood of the Church’s efforts. Without it, nothing will succeed; without it, no ministers will come forward. At all times pray, pray, pray. Poverty and simplicity of life are prerequisites to the effective proclamation of the Gospel. Anthony, Benedict, Chrysostom, Francis and Clare, Dominic, Ignatius, Mother Teresa—across the board, the most effective proclaimers of the Gospel are those who rely on the providence of God and strip themselves of worldliness. What is the first thing that the minister should do upon entering a city? “Cure the sick in it.” Christ is Soter, healer of both body and spirit. The second great task of the Church is to proclaim that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” The Church is an announcing, proclaiming, evangelizing organism.  Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on preparation

During my first years as a priest, I worked at one of the Jesuit high schools in St. Louis. One of my responsibilities was the organization of the school’s monthly “all-school Masses.” After about two years of arranging things – from the placement of chairs in the school gymnasium, to the recruitment of presiders, lectors and servers – it finally dawned on me that all these efforts, good as I hoped they were, had very little to do with planning, but lots to do with preparation. Indeed, I came to see that we don’t plan liturgies at all, any more than we plan any of our encounters with God, whether in prayer or in any other aspect of our lives.  Rather, the work is always God’s, not our own – the Spirit moves as it wills.  We don’t make God “happen.”  Instead, we seek to prepare ourselves in such a way that we leave ourselves more open and more available to the growth, the conversion and the discernment which are at the core of what it means to be a Christian.

 

All of us at times find ourselves surprised by life’s developments, by situations and turns-of-events which we have not planned.  Perhaps our best preparation as Christians for the unknown challenges and invitations that come our way is our ongoing commitment to live lives rooted in

faith, hope, and love whatever the current circumstances may be.  Then we will be ready, indeed prepared, for what we do not or cannot anticipate, for whatever the Lord wants to do for, with, and in us in the future.

 

Retreats are one special way in which we “prepare,” for both the known and the unknown, for both the inevitable and the unpredictable, knowing that if we remain rooted in faith, we will be able to recognize God’s presence and support each day of our lives. A.M.D.G.

 

Fr. Frank Reale, SJ

Thoughts on Independence Day

 

A prayer for Independence Day

Loving God,

We greet this Fourth of July with grateful hearts as we call to mind the vision of freedom and justice for all upon which our country was built.

We give thanks for those who imagined this vision.

We are grateful to those who continue advocating for all and pursuing a land of peace, liberty, and equity for all. We realize it is still being created, however, as we witness the divisions, prejudices, and injustices that plague us.

May we hold fast to the dream and vision of unity within our country.

May we dedicate ourselves to living as brothers and sisters respectful of one another's dignity and need for equity.

May we also realize the importance of reverencing our earth which provides for and sustains much of our lives.

We give glory and praise to our God and pray that we may always live in harmony as one family.

Amen

- Notre Dame Sisters

Thoughts on Jesus calming the sea

 

Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 8:23–27

Friends, in this wonderful story of the calming of the storm at sea, we witness some of the spiritual dynamics of fear and trust. The disciples stand symbolically for all of us journeying through life within the narrow confines of the fearful ego. When they confront the storm and the mighty waves, they are immediately filled with terror. Similarly, when the trials and anxieties of life confront the ego, the first reaction is fear, since there is no power beyond itself upon which it can rely. In the midst of this terrible storm, this inner and outer tension, Jesus symbolizes that divine energy that remains unaffected by the fear-storms generated by the grasping ego.  Continuing to read the story at a spiritual level, we see that it is none other than this divine power that successfully calms the waves: He “rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.” This beautiful narrative seems to suggest that if we but awaken to the presence of God within us, if we learn to live and to see at a deeper level, if we live in basic trust rather than fear, then we can withstand even the most frightening storms. Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on Eli

 

Eight years ago, I wrote a blog called The Trouble With Eli (see below).  At that time, I was trying to come to grips with Eli and his girlfriend, Madison (who everyone calls Maddie) who had recently had a baby boy, who they named Luke.  Since that time, Eli and Maddie had another son in 2024, whom they named Levi.  But today, June 28, 2025, Eli and Maddie got married and are now back in church and attending Mass every week.  Not only that, but their son Luke received his First Communion this year and Maddie was Confirmed and joined the Roman Catholic Church on the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil.  Yes, a lot has changed since 2017, but the most important thing now is that Eli and Maddie are married, raising their sons Luke and Levi in the Catholic faith, and are involved and attending Mass every week.  While they were good parents (and still are) and had a good relationship with each other, they recognized that they wanted God and their faith to be a part of their family as well.  

Thanks be to God!

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Originally posted on Sunday, March 12, 2017

The trouble with Eli

Eli is our firstborn son.  The trouble was, we weren't supposed to have a son.  Our doctor told us that we would be having a daughter.  We were going to name her Madeleine.  We painted the nursery pink and had lots of girl clothes ready for the big day.  The trouble was, we had a boy instead.  What a shock!  Luckily we had boy names picked out too, and we named him Eli.  Well from that moment on, our lives were changed.  Everything revolved around Eli.  As the firstborn, everything he did was a first.  We took lots of pictures and videos of special moments in his life as he grew up and got older.  He loved sports, especially baseball and basketball.  We got him involved on church teams.  He moved into select teams in different leagues and venues.  We logged many hours taking him to practice and watching games and tournaments.  The trouble was, we had to help out with concession stand duty and make adjustments to our work and social schedules when conflicts arose for game times.  Eli also got involved with Boy Scouts and church activities.  He was very popular and had lots of friends.  The trouble was, he got invited to lots of birthday parties.  You can't go to a birthday party without a gift.  But we became friends with the parents of his friends and got to know many new people that Eli brought into our life.  Besides sports and extracurricular activities, Eli was also smart in school.  He got good grades and test scores and moved into honor classes over time.  He was also funny and liked to have a good time.  He had parties at our house, went to sleepovers at his friends houses and was always on the go.  The trouble was, he needed a ride.  So the family taxi service became a reality as drop offs and pick ups became more common and frequent.  He continued to play basketball and there were still lots of games and tournaments to go to.  But we loved to watch him and his team play ball and win games.  Once Eli moved into high school, he found out that things were more competitive and he didn't get as much playing time.  The trouble was, he got cut from the JV basketball team his sophomore year, so his basketball career was over.  He tried tennis and seemed to do well with that, but it's not the same as team sports.  Eli was still popular and good looking.  He met a girl that he liked in Spanish class and they quickly hit it off.  Maddie was her name.  She was pretty and had a big smile.  They seemed to be made for each other.  Most kids in high school go through many different relationships, but not Eli and Maddie.  They have dated for over two years now and are both juniors.  Once Eli was old enough to drive, he wanted to get his license.  The trouble was, we had to teach him to drive and endure some scary moments of feeling uneasy with a new driver behind the wheel.  Once he got his license, he wanted to have access to the family car.  The trouble was, he wanted my Ford Mustang and my only other option was to help him buy a used car or come up with a different solution for myself.  I decided to sell my motorcycle and get a new, used car for myself.  That way, he could have the Mustang, which we knew the service and maintenance history was good.  Like all parents, we waited at home nervously while Eli went on dates with his girlfriend, Maddie.  Eli got a part time job to help pay for his new car expenses and insurance.  He was really acting mature for his age.  The trouble was, he was still only 16.  Eli got his first speeding ticket and was involved in a minor car accident.  Luckily, the accident was not his fault, but it was still nerve wracking when we got that text from him saying that he was in an accident.  The trouble was, some time prior to that incident, we got some other news from Eli that parents do not want to hear.  My wife noticed that he had not been eating and was acting strange.  He called her into his room the next day and with tears streaming down his face, he told his mother that he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant.  The trouble was, he was still only 16 and she was only 17.  Teenagers, who were now faced with decisions that they were not prepared to make.  We met with both of them and let them know that their lives were going to be changed forever.  Coming from Christian families with an upbringing in church and a strong faith background, they knew they had made a huge mistake, but they were ready and willing to take responsibility for their actions.  Abortion and giving up the baby for adoption were not an option.  They both wanted to have the baby and make the sacrifices they needed to make to take care of the baby when it arrived.  High school schedules had to be adjusted, college plans had to be reevaluated.  We met with Maddie's parents and were all in agreement that we would support our kids and the new baby the best we could.  We watched as Maddie went through her pregnancy and noticed that she and Eli were true to their word.  They both went to their doctor appointments together, made the necessary adjustments to their work and school schedules and were frankly acting very mature for two teenagers in their position.  The trouble was, they still had to deal with other kids at school who were not so nice about their situation.  So they found out who their true friends were and they prepared to have a baby.  Well the big day came.  The baby boy arrived, a few days early.  After a long day and night of testing and labor, a little baby boy was born at 4:25 in the afternoon.  They named him Luke Joseph, and he was as cute as could be.  Eli and Maddie were proud parents and they smiled broadly as they let their brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents hold the new baby for the first time.  He was going to have lots of aunts and uncles and support from his extended family.  For all the things that have happened in Eli's life, both good and bad, for all the adjustments and sacrifices we made to take care of him and do what we thought was best for him, we realized that he had turned out alright.  He was a good kid, who made a few mistakes along the way, but he was a good kid.  The real trouble with Eli is, we love him very much, and we would do anything for him because we are his parents and we love him unconditionally.  So even though this is not how we envisioned life for Eli to be, we will be there for him and Maddie and now his, son Luke.  We will continue to love them because that's what parents do!

Thoughts on trust

 

Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 8:5–17

Friends, today’s Gospel passage acclaims a centurion’s trust in the Lord Jesus. To trust is to have hope, to turn one’s heart to God. It means to root one’s life, to ground and center one’s concerns, in God. And oppositely, to trust and to turn one’s heart to human beings means to root the whole of one’s life, to ground and center one’s concerns, in the things of this world: in wealth, fame, power, honor, or pleasure. What is the center of gravity of your life? What is your “ultimate concern”? The Bible consistently lays this out as an either/or. Think of the passage in the book of Joshua when Joshua lays it on the line for the people of Israel: “Choose today whom you will serve.” Jesus tells his followers, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” Today’s Gospel reminds us that we each have to answer this question with great honesty and clarity.  Bishop Robert Barron

Thoughts on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

We celebrate today the famous and most holy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Through this devotion, we remember and ponder the infinite love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His very heart for our sake. When we honor the heart of Christ we do so both literally and symbolically.  Of course, the heart signifies the whole person, and in particular, the person’s will and love for another.

At the same time, such was the will and love of the Lord that the Word took on human flesh and Jesus poured out His Blood for our sake when His side was pierced on the Cross.  Yet, there is still more to understand here. When Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, He instructed her that His Sacred Heart should be celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi.  Why?  Well, Friday of course is the day on which the Lord poured out His Blood for us, and it is through the Blessed Sacrament that we truly and substantially receive the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood.  When scientists have studied Eucharistic miracles, such as the miracle of Lanciano, they have consistently found that the Eucharist is human heart tissue!  Christ gives us his heart and by His love, we are saved! As awesome as the gift of Christ’s Sacred Heart is, we so often undervalue, disrespect, or completely ignore this solemn blessing due to the hardness of our hearts.  This is why the Lord told St. Margaret Mary to reflect on His Passion.  He promised, “The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Heart shall be their assured refuge at the last hour.” This is also why Our Lady of Fatima called us to repent, to stop wounding the heart of Her beloved Son, and to pray the Rosary.  For as we meditate upon the mysteries of Christ’s life we more readily see the love and mercy of His heart which burns and bleeds for our sake.  Then, before seeing such profound and true love, who cannot but love in return? In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Christopher P. Wendt International Director Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima