Blessed John XXIII, the Good Pope

Today we not only celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, but we also remember Blessed Pope John XXIII who announced the Council.

Blessed John XXIII is known by some as the Good Pope. Blessed John Paul II described him with a  "smiling face and two outstretched arms embracing the whole world." I must admit that until recently, I knew very little about this pope. Now he has become one of my go-to intercessors. His prayers have been instrumental in my recent weight loss; he has become my patron saint of weight loss.

Today we celebrate his life because of "his prophetic insight," his vision of a renewed Church. As he announced the beginning of the Council in his address, this is what he said:

This twenty-first Ecumenical Council can draw upon the most effective and valued assistance of experts in every branch of sacred science, in the practical sphere of the apostolate, and in administration. Its intention is to give to the world the whole of that doctrine which, notwithstanding every difficulty and contradiction, has become the common heritage of mankind—to transmit it in all its purity, undiluted, undistorted.

It is a treasure of incalculable worth, not indeed coveted by all, but available to all men of good will.

And ourduty is not just to guard this treasure, as though it were some museum-piece and we the curators, but earnestly and fearlessly to dedicate ourselves to the work that needs to be done in this modern age of ours, pursuing the path which the Church has followed for almost twenty centuries.

Second Act: Gaining by Losing

May 2011

May 2012

[NOTE: Part of Blogathon 2012  includes writing on themes. Today we were asked to write on a "second act" in our lives. I have revised and updated an old post on my recent weight loss for this piece.]
300+ Pounds
Late last April a couple of events converged to motivate me to get off my butt (literally) and do something about my morbid obesity.  I had long left behind the 300 pound mark and I well was on my way to 1/3 of ton. It was getting very expensive buying new clothes at the "big & tall" store. (By the way I've never seen a tall man in those stores.) My knees were killing me and I could barely walk. I was afraid to go to sleep for fear that I would succumb to my apnea and never wake up.

An Awakening
The first event to awaken my sense that it was time to make a change occurred during my attendance at our parish's lenten mission. During the course of one of the evening reflections, Father Thomas McDermott, OP asked us to prayerfully reflect on what the number one thing that was keeping us from growing closer to our Lord. Something stirred within me and immediately, I thought of my weight and how it was making it difficult for me to serve in the ministries I was involved with at the church. For example, I could no longer stand to teach at RCIA or the Joe Catholic gatherings and I couldn't comfortably descend from the altar after lectoring.

Patron Saint of Weight Loss
The second event involved our church deacon. We were having a conversation after Mass and some how we got on the subject of Pope Blessed John XXIII (we have a statue of him in our sanctuary). Deacon Walt explained that Pope John XXIII was a big man, probably as "big as you, Don" and then he patted my stomach. I was a bit shocked at his joke, but I wasn't offended. Instead, for some reason, it got me thinking that I should ask Blessed John XXIII to intercede for me as I contemplated doing something about my weight. I have since learned about a movement to have John XXIII recognized as the patron saint of weight loss.

Weight Watchers
Providentially, Weight Watchers had just stared an online program geared towards men and they had also recently launched an iPhone app. I don't think I would have even considered WW if it weren't for those two things being in place. First, I viewed WW as being for women. Also, I wasn't about to mess with having to carry a booklet and chart with me every where I ate. So Stacey and I decided to join and TOGETHER we would take this journey to lose weight. That was nearly a year ago and I have lost 85 pounds in that time. I have dropped eight pant sizes and I can not only wear my wedding band again, but it is slipping off my finger.  I can buy clothes in regular stores again. Most importantly, I have greater energy and my knees are feeling better. I can now stand while I speak or teach and I don't have trouble going up and down the altar.

The Road Ahead
I still have a long road ahead before I reach my ideal weight. While I attribute my success so far to the simplicity (simple not easy) of WW,  I know a big part of my weight loss has been due to the loving support of Stacey. Additionally, including a spiritual component to my weight loss journey has given it a deeper meaning. I know losing weight will not come without difficulty, but those challenges will be opportunities to offer it up. I have a new patron in Blessed John XXIII to pray for me. One of the great things about being Catholic is learning that offering up something like losing weight can be included in our efforts to answer the call to holiness.

Lose-A-Palooza with a Catholic Twist

In recognition of Weight Watcher's Lose-A-Palooza, today I am writing about my recent weight loss.

Late last April a couple of events merged to create the perfect storm to motivate me to get off my butt (literally) and do something about my morbid obesity. The first was my attendance at our parish's lenten retreat. During the course of one of the evening reflections, Father Thomas McDermott, OP asked us to prayerfully reflect on what the number one thing that was keeping us from growing closer to our Lord. Almost immediately, I thought of my weight and how it was making it difficult for me to serve in the ministries in which I am involved.  I could no longer stand to teach RCIA and I couldn't comfortably descend from the altar after lectoring.

The second event involved our church deacon. We were having a conversation after mass and some how got on the subject of Pope Blessed John XXIII. Deacon Walt explained that Pope John XXIII was a big man, probably as "big as you, Don" and then he patted my stomach. I was a bit shocked at his joke (don't get me wrong, I like Deacon Walt and I think he has a great sense of humor), but I wasn't offended. Instead, it got me thinking that I should ask Blessed John XXIII to intercede for me as I contemplated doing something about my weight.

Stacey and I decided to join Weight Watchers and TOGETHER we would take this journey to lose weight. That was about four and a half months ago and I have lost 45 pounds in that time. I have dropped three pant sizes and I can wear my wedding band again. More importantly, I have greater energy and my knees are feeling better. Recently, I have even lectored without pain.

People have asked me why WW has worked for me. My answer is simple - WW works because it is not complicated. Tracking what I eat has led to me making wiser food choices. I can still eat whatever I want, but now I track everything down to the small dab of butter on my toast. The PointsPlus system is very much like maintaining a budget. You are allotted a certain number of points per day. I have been able to be be consistent because of the iPhone app that let's me log in immediately. If you are interested in reading a few more of my weight loss stories, you can read those at Gonzo's Gab.

For the remainder of this month, Weight Watchers is sponsoring a food drive. Our center (where we have our meetings) is dedicated to giving a pound of food for every pound we lose. Additionally, WW is donating money for every tweet, like or post which mentions their Lose for Good campaign.

I still have a long way to go before I reach my ideal weight, but I am not alone in my fight. I have my loving and supportive wife, Stacey and I have a new patron in Blessed John XXIII to pray for me. One of the great things about being Catholic is learning that offering up something like losing weight can be included in our efforts to answer the call to holiness.