Thank You for Our Gift

During the week I homeschool a fourteen year old girl and today, my homeschooler is doing her California State Testing for mathematics. She is a bright girl who can understand most of the concepts, but "big numbers" in word problems throw her off. So I am constantly telling her to re-create the problem using the same situation, but with smaller numbers. Instead of saying that Suzie ate 13,452 pieces of candy in 782 days, I would have her work out something like "If Suzie ate 120 pieces of candy in 20 day, about how many pieces of candy did she eat each day?"
Then she gets it! She now knows that all she has to do is divide, when before, her mind was paralyzed with confusion!

I guess those numbers were just so overwhelming, that she forgot how simple of a concept it really was. I think that a lot of times we do the same thing with our Blessed Mother. Many can not understand the love and the honor that we Catholics give to Our Lady. So to better understand our veneration, I propose that you simply "make the numbers smaller."

Our Mexican-Catholic brothers and sisters have a beautiful devotion to Our Lady of Guadelupe, as do many other cultures, and rightfully so. But because Our Lady appeared in their native land, their love for her is especially great. Here, then, is where I choose to set up my "word problem." If you do not know the complete story of Our Lady of Guadelupe...please look it up. For the sake of brevity, I will say only that Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego with a mission. The Church has approved this apparition (declared it valid and true) and as a result of her visit, 6 to 8 Million people were converted to Christianity!!

Now, lets pull out the essential information: We have a Gift, a giver, and a recipiant. Mary brought the saving love of Jesus to the Native people. Indeed, Mary's "yes" brought Jesus to the whole world! Remember, she didn't have to say "yes." But this is still too big to grasp, so let us simplify this problem so we can understand the concept.

Imagine Chrismas morning, Grandma comes to visit her twin 8 year old grandsons. She brings them each a gift. The first boy opens up a bright red sweater with a big yellow bird stitched right on the front. The second boy opens up the newest gaming station: wiiX3. Can you imagine their respective reactions? The first boy may manage to give his grandma a tight lipped smile and a quiet "thank you," while the second boy, on the other hand would barely be able to contain himself. He would be jumping all over the place, kissing his grandma on the cheek, repeatedly throwing out shouts of gratitude all the while keeping his eyes fixed on his new gift.

We can see here so clearly that their reactions were indicative of how much (or little) they valued their gifts. Can we not use this simple reasoning then, and apply it to the gift given to us by our Blessed Mother? I want to jump up and down and kiss my Mother Mary on the cheek and sing beautiful songs of gratitude to her! For truly, I have never been given such a Gift as this! Thank You Jesus for coming to us! And thank you Mary for letting it be!

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima!

Happy Mother's Day

I have to say that Motherhood is Love. Watching my wife deal with our four boys is truly amazing. She goes from counselor to tutor to chef to cuddler all in a matter of seconds. These kids don't know how good they have it. Heck, I don't know how good I have it. But what truly amazes me is watching my wife deal with a pregnancy. She changes. I get to see first hand what it means to empty oneself out for another. I know she is uncomfortable. But she never complains. She may ask me to run an errand or two...but she never complains. There is a peace about her that I can't explain. Almost as if she knows something that the rest of us don't. She may not realize it but it is there. I love her for it.

Happy Mother's Day

Balance

I remember in college there was a joke that was sent around that went something like this:

Steps to writing a term paper:

Step 1: Turn on computer.
Step 2: Check email.
Step 3: Open New Document.
Step 4: Begin rough draft.
Step 5: Check email.
Step 6: Spell check first paragraph.
Step 7: Make a snack.
Step 8: Check email.

I think you get the point. Why is it that we have such a difficult time putting first things first? Why do we fill our days with things that don't matter, then complain that we don't have enough time to do the things that do matter. I don't know that I have the answers. It seems like all I can provide is more questions.

One thing that I do know is that I cannot do it on my own. I have recently found that when I pray, "Lord, give me the strength to...", what I really mean is , "Lord, remind me of the things that I am supposed to do for you so that I can go out and do them."

I guess that means that I still have a ways to go with this whole humility thing. I want to rejoice in my weakness for it is in my weakness, that Christ makes up what I lack. It isn't me. It is Him. I have nothing to offer that will add to Christ. Yet he wants me nonetheless.

Our Young Adult Ministry Starts This Friday at 7pm!

Our St. Annes Youth Ministries would like to welcome all Young Adults to be a part of an active community dedicated to strengthening our faith and devotion to God. Our young adult ministry will Kick Off on Friday, April 24th 2009 at the St. Annes Youth Plaza.
Our ministry understands that there are many good and sincere, though misguided, people out there who are spiritually hungry, thirsty for the truth, who feel like a stranger to the Church Christ Established, or for a variety of reasons, are not as active in our Church as they might want to be. This is where we can lend a hand. We're here to help all our friends and family discover (or rediscover) the saving truths of the Catholic Church.

-Do you have a thirst for learning and understanding more about the Catholic Faith?

-Are you having trouble living out your Catholic Faith among friends, peers, or co-workers?

-Would you like to know where our Catholic Faith is found in the Bible?

If you answered 'YES' to any of these questions, we encourage you to join us on Friday, April 24th, at 7 p.m, at the St. Annes Youth Plaza at St. Annes Church. These gatherings provide insights, understanding and perhaps a deeper awareness of the Catholic tradition. In some sessions, we present a brief overview of what it means to be Catholic as an adult, and open the floor for questions from participants.

Our Young Adult group desires to help others grow in their Faith and come to the fullness of the truth! We understand that at times we are weak, and we may stumble on our faith journey. None of us our perfect. Only God is perfect. Catholic Author Peter Kreeft is fond of saying, ". . that the Catholic Church is not a museum for Saints, but a hospital for Sinners." But we are Family! No other institution on Earth has its core more structured as a Family than the Catholic Church. We welcome all young adults, not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are a “Curious Catholic” young adult yourself, please join us! There will be a number of people who have come on their own, looking to learn more about our Catholic faith. If you are a young adult who can invite a young adult friend, neighbor or co-worker to come as your guest, we would be sincerely grateful. Thank You, and God Bless!

-When? Friday, April 24th

-Where? St. Annes Youth Plaza

- Time? 7:00-8:30pm

Celebrate

About two years ago I was invited to attend a women's retreat with a Methodist Church. There were over two hundred women who attended this reatreat, and as I accepted the invitation, I was numbered among them. On the second day of the retreat we were broken into "small groups" so as to provide a more intimate atmosphere for sharing and relfection. I don't even remember the prompt at this point, but my contribution involved (as it often does) a story about St. Therese and how she loved Jesus.

As I was talking, one woman especially stood out to me. I wish I could say it was because my keen sense of spiritual awareness told me there was something special about her. Truthfully though, it was because she was wearing a volleyball sweatshirt and I wanted to arrange a pick-up game after lunch. So I waited afterwards to talk with her.

To my dissapointment, she told me that the sweater belonged to her daughter and she was no volleyball player. But she did ask me if I was Catholic, and my disapointment disapeared! She asked me how long I had been Catholic, then finally added that she herself had been received into the Church that last Easter Vigil! She went on to explain that she is a teacher, and two years ago got a job at a Catholic School teaching the 2nd grade.

The parents of the second graders were upset, to say the least, that a non-Catholic would be preparing their children to receive their First Holy Communion. Their pastor however thought that perhaps she was placed with them for a reason. She told me she had assured them all that she had "no intention of becoming Catholic," but God had other plans. What changed her heart? A classroom full of 2nd graders celebrating their faith. Every day, she witnessed their joyful anticipation and their pure desire to receive Christ, their Savior; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

So as we enter into this time of great celebration, It is my prayer that I will live out my gratitude to God and also to Art and David for inviting me to participate in this blog. May it be evident that our duty to defend our beliefs has become our joy to celebrate them. And I praise God for placing the only other Catholic at a Protestant retreat in my Bible study. I praise Him for her journey Home. And I praise Him for the testimony and example of that second grade class that taught me how true converts are won: through the celebration of our faith!
To the Glory of God the Father, Jesus Christ is Lord!

Easter Dawn

Mark 16:1-7
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; --it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. 7* But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."

The highlight of the Church's liturgical year is the celebration of Easter. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, "The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ." (CCC 638) This mystery is too awesome to be appreciated in a few days. That's why Easter is an eight-day feast. Liturgically, each of these days is treated as a Sunday. And why not? The Church does its best to absorb the profound mystery that is our Salvation! St. Athanasius on Easter, . . " Therefore, Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the "Feast of feasts," the "Solemnity of solemnities," just as the Eucharist is the "Sacrament of sacraments" (the Great Sacrament). . Easter is 'The Great Sunday."

Let's all remind ourselves this week of how important Easter is to ALL our lives and encourage one another to a deeper spiritual effort. "All who celebrate the Easter Feasts will by the Lord's grace experience their effort in their daily lives." (Given at Rome, at the Offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship, January 16, 1988.)

Humility

"Humility lies in peaceful acceptance of one's own radical proverty, which leads people to place all their trust in God. Humble people, for whom God is everything, are happy to accept the fact that they are nothing. They don't carry on about their wretchedness: they consider it a stroke of luck, since it gives God the chance to show how merciful He is."

Jaques Phillippe, Time for God


My oldest son, Dawson, loves to serve on the altar. Absolutely loves it. A couple of Sundays ago, he didn't have a particular job. He just took his place behind the tabernacle and didn't even have one of the seats on the altar. He didn't hold a patent during communion or help during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. He just sat in the back and knelt during the times of prayer. I wondered to myself if he was upset because he had no "special" responsibility during mass. During our walk home, Dawson looks at me and says, "Dad, did you notice that I didn't have a job on the altar."
I said, "Yeah, I noticed. Why was that?"
He says, "Because I want to learn humility."

If that were me, I would have said, "Because I am so humble I can't even stand it! Look at how humble I am. Oh, man, I am humble."

Why don't I get it? Why is it that when I am prideful, I repent. And then when I repent, I feel prideful for how "spiritual" I am being? I guess it is time to read Screwtape again!

They're Watching

This one really hits home.

The Annunciation of the Lord

Tomorrow (March 25th) we celebrate the Annunciation of our Lord. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains to us that, The Annunciation to Mary inaugurates "the fullness oftime," the time of the fulfillment of God's promises and preparations. Mary was invited to conceive him in whom the "whole fullness of deity" would dwell "bodily." The divine response to her question, "How can this be, since I know not man?" was given by the power of the Spirit: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." (CCC 484)

In the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel announced God's plan for Mary to become the Mother of God. Mary questioned the Archangel, "How can this be since I do not know Man?" Then the Archangel responded by saying that the conception of Jesus would be of divine origin; in other words, the Holy Spirit would overshadow her. Mary responded, "Yes, Thy will be done." (By pronouncing her "fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body. [CCC 973])


This simple response is a powerful testimony to the perfection of Mary's spiritual life. Indeed, God endowed Mary with many special privileges, graces, and attributes because she was to be the mother of God; however, it was her humility and obedience to the Father that is the hallmark testimony of her faith. Disobedience of Adam and Eve brought sin into this world, and it was the obedience of the new Eve (Mary) and the new Adam (Jesus) that brought about redemption and salvation. This perfection of Mary is an example for any faithful follower of her Son to practice, "Not my will, but Thy will be done."



[1] The New Rosary in Scripture. Edward Sri. Servant
[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church

{The mystery of Christ begins with the Annunciation to Mary on March 25th, and nine months from that date brings us to December 25th!}

Mary: Mother of God and Our Mother

Catholics honor Mary because God has honored her. God has given Mary the highest honor that is possible for a human person. Are we speaking of the honor that God bestowed on her when he took human nature from her flesh and dwelt in her womb? Actually, no. There's another reason why Catholics honor Mary. Do you remember in the Gospel of Luke , when a woman cried out to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!" Jesus replied - "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:27-28)

We honor Mary above all because of her faith and total submission to God's will and plan. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she was to be the mother of "the Son of the Most High," who would inherit the throne of King David and rule forever, Mary did not doubt, even though she was a virgin. She replied, "I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). For this response of total faith, the Holy Spirit inspired her cousin Elizabeth to tell Mary, "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45). The Lord honors Mary because she, above all people, heard the Word of God and kept it.

After her cousin Elizabeth had praised her, Mary in turn directed all the praise and glory to God: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, . . . for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name" (Luke 1:46-49). This great hymn of praise to God, Mary's Magnificat, expresses perfectly her heart and her attitude.

Catholics see Mary as one of God's greatest gifts to the Church. Mary is a model for all Christians. Mary lived her whole life in perfect obedience to God, by faith in God, wholeheartedly responding to God's grace and call. She is a model of discipleship (following Jesus), a model of faith and a model of the Church, expressing all that God calls the Church to be and to do.

[1] Catholic and Christian for Young Adults. Alan Schreck, PH.D. pg 137-138.

Catherine's Baptism

And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children...” (Acts 2:38-39)

Melissa and I would like all of you to join us for Mass on Sunday, February 22, 2009 and celebrate the Baptism of our daughter Catherine Siena Guillen. Her baptism is set for 10:00am at Holy Cross Church.

We're both excited for Catherine as she enters into the Sacrament of Baptism. "By baptism we are reborn spiritually." Those are the very words of the Council of Florence. By baptism we enter God's family. It gives us a new birth and makes us children of God. Only by baptism can we enjoy the fullness of life of God's household: the sharing of His table, His healing, His fatherly forgiveness and care (Hahn, Swear to God). Infant Baptism fits the nature of God's love: God loves us before we love him. Also, by baptism all sins and all personal sins are forgiven. As well as original sin inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve. Sin and its consequences disappear when God comes into the soul, just as darkness disappears when the light is turned on. Similarly, when we are baptized we enter into possession of our inheritance immediately. The point to be emphasized, and never to be forgotten, is that we are potentially in heaven the moment we are baptized (Trese, The Faith Explained).

Congratulations Monsignor Daugherty!

Congratulations to Father Scott for receiving the honorary title of Monsignor! It was a special day at St. Mary's Church in Visalia to witness Father Scott along with five other priests from around the valley receive the papal honor of Monsignor, Chaplain to His Holiness. The title of “Monsignor” is a title of distinction given by the Pope to certain priests in the Roman Catholic Church as part of a papal honor recognizing the priest’s service to the Church.

Father Scott was nominated by Bishop John, who then submitted his name to the Holy See. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI then conferred the honor onto Father Scott as well as the other wonderful priests in our valley. Congratulations Monsignor Daugherty, and Thank You for your faithful service, self-sacrifice, and devotion. God Bless You!

**Priests who are given papal honors and thus named monsignors are considered to be members of the papal household and thus are listed in the Annuario Pontificio (the papal yearbook).

Holiness

"You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." - Leviticus 19:2

God expects all of us to strive for holiness, because He is perfect holiness. It is our prime objective in life. Scripture speaks clearly about duties and responsibilities. Throughout the Old and the New Testament we find practical instructions for living in ways that are pleasing to God. These commands may seem harsh and foreign to those who live in a culture preoccupied with rights, privileges, and pleasure, but they are necessary. We must remain obedient to them if we want to grow in holiness. It is in obedience to God's commands that one finds true joy.

Keep the joy of loving god in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially your family. Be holy.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (August 26, 1910 - September 5, 1997

St. John Chrysostom on Faith Alone - A.D. 391

"He that believes in the Son has everlasting life" . . "Is it enough, then to believe in the Son," someone will say, "in order to have everlasting life?" By no means! Listen to Christ declare this Himself when He says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven", and the blasphemy against the Spirit is alone sufficient to cast him into hell. But why should I speak of a part of our teaching? For if a man believe rightly in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, but does not live rightly, his faith will avail him nothing toward salvation.

[1] St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel of John {ca. A.D. 391}. The Faith of the Early Fathers. Volume II. Pg 108. William A. Jurgens