The Role of the God-Parents

Miracle of Life
I was originally going to write a post about the Superman-Christ comparison that is floating around the blogosphere. I have tabled that idea for a few days. Not because I haven't seen the new movie, but because I have a new Godson. His name is Leighton Owen Romo. He was born at 10:05 A.M. yesterday morning and I got to hold him for the first time today.

There is nothing like holding a newborn baby to appreciate the miracle of life.

No More Debate
One of the reasons I decided to quit coaching debate was all the time it took away from family. I especially want to spend time with my Godchildren: Isabelle, Luke, Alexcia and now Leighton. I want them to grow up knowing that Stacey and I are there for them if they ever need us. In particular, I want them to grow up knowing we pray for them daily and that we take seriously the  role of being Godparents. According to the Catholic Education Center, a "godparent should be a trustworthy witness of the faith who will help the godchild attain salvation." The bottom line is our job is to help their parents get them to heaven. And since we don't have any grandchildren yet, we can spoil them a little bit too.

St. Anthony, Hammer of Heretics

St. Anthony of Padua by El Greco

Popular Saint
St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most beloved and popular saints in Catholic history. Known as the "hammer of the heretics," St. Anthony is often portrayed holding the infant Jesus. This is attributed to a miracle in which baby Jesus appeared to St. Anthony who was praying before the Blessed Sacrament in a small chapel.

Hammer of Heretics
St. Anthony was a tremendous speaker and teacher of the faith. So much so, that in 1946 the Church declared him a Doctor of the Church because of his ability to simplify the teachings of faith for ordinary people. He earned the monicker of Hammer of Heretics by putting these talents to great use in refuting heresy. While he was in Rimini, Italy, Anthony found the hearts of its citizens hardened by heresy; they would not listen to his preaching. Instead, he chose to preach at the banks of the sea to the fish. Schools of fish rose to surface to hear his preaching. The people of Rimini were moved to conversion by this miracle.

Patron of Lost Things
Today, he is often invoked as the patron of lost items. This devotion most likely originated as a result of story that holds that when Anthony was a teacher, he had a book of psalms that contained many of his notes. A novice who had determined to leave the order, stole the book and left. St. Anthony prayed for its return. Later the novice returned the book and re-entered the religious community.  Anthony is also patron of a number of other causes, including faith in the Blessed Sacrament.

Confirmation Names
In years past, many would be encouraged to take a saint name when they were confirmed. From what I can tell from reading some of the Catholic forums not many parishes are encouraging this pious action anymore. I was fortunate that in our little parish of St. Cecelia, when I was growing up, it WAS encouraged. I chose the name Anthony, because it was my Grandfather's name. I didn't know anything else about the St Anthony.

Patron Days

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remind you of a family tradition we started a few years back. We celebrate Baptism Days and we celebrate Patron Saint Days. We don't do anything too extravagant, but, for example, for Stacey's day (St. Martha, July 29th), I took her out to lunch after Mass and then out for some gelato at Paciugo. I recommend you do the same in your family. It's a nice way to bring attention to the liturgy, nurture devotion to the saint and to just have an excuse to celebrate.

Guest Post: Making Room to be Still

Pilgrims

[Editor's Note: As part of the WordCount Blogathon, participants were encouraged to exchange guest posts with other bloggers.]

Walk - Build - Proclaim

Hello Joe Catholic Cyber Community. My name is Tracy and I am the author of Walk.Build.Proclaim. I was inspired by Pope Francis’ words to the Cardinals on March 14th, 2013, when he told them that their job was to Walk, Build and Proclaim. My blog looks at different ways that we as Christians are called to do this as well.

Making Room
I would like to start by saying how grateful I am that I was asked me to be a guest blogger on Joe Catholic. When I was told that this blog was about the universal call to holiness, my mind was racing with a million different ideas. What I finally settled on was writing about how we make room in our lives for God so we can hear and respond to the universal call of holiness. This reflection is based Psalm 4:1and my own experience drawing meaning from it.

Cleaning Tirade
The week of May 6th I was on a cleaning tirade in our house. It all started with the desire to take on one project that has eluded me for years. The major component to that project was, of course, at the bottom of the potential avalanche pile in a closet. That one project led to three days of sorting, washing, donating, walking down memory lane and throwing things out. I was on such a roll that I was able to sort, organize, donate and throw things out from a closet, three drawers, a storage area and three different kitchen cabinets.

Answer Me
It felt really good to do all of this, especially because this wasn't a project that I had started the week wanting to do. The project took on a life of its own. It wasn't until that Saturday, May 11th, that I figured out what had gotten into me. The answer was present in Psalm 4:1: "Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress."

An Opportunity to Make Room
Little did I know that I was being given the opportunity to make room for God in my life. You might think how can someone who spent seventeen years of their life /career working for a church not have enough room for God in their life? My answer is that physical-material things in your life can take up more space in your life than you are aware of. There is so much unseen maintenance that goes with having material things, it can almost be suffocating; not having that room can become a way of life.

Call to Holiness
Next time you're thinking about cleaning the basement, garage or closet, instead of that project being a daunting task on your "to-do" list, re-Read Psalm 4:1. Then, look at the project as a way of making a little bit more room in your life for God, as well as making some room to contemplate how you are going to answer the call to universal holiness.

Feel free to read more of Tracy's posts on Walk.Build.Proclaim. This week she has begun a series on women who are Red-Shoe Worthy. You may also join her on Facebook where they will begin sharing Francis’isms – quotations and reflections from Pope Francis’ daily homilies that inspire us to answer the call to universal holiness.

Cooperators of Opus Dei

From Opus Dei

St. Josemaria
You've probably noticed that I quote the writings of St. Josemaria quite often. This should have been a hint that I have some how been introduced to Opus Dei. For more on my encounter with St. Josemaria, I recommend reading my post entitled, My Life with the Saints. I hope to write a more detailed account on the feast day of St. Josemaria, June 26th.

Cooperators of Opus Dei
Despite those who say that Opus Dei is a secret society, the personal prelature has been very transparent in its use of social media. The main Opus Dei website already offers a great deal of resources about the role of the laity and answering the universal call to holiness. Recently, they added a new section devoted to Cooperators of Opus Dei. These are people, like me, who are not members of Opus Dei, but who participate in their formation activities (Evenings of Recollections, spiritual direction and retreats). We "cooperate" in the sense that we pray daily for the members of Opus Dei and we sometimes assist in various projects. For example, I have helped with a college prep program for high school boys. The new page contains a link to a new brochure explaining in greater detail who cooperators are and what they do. You can download the new brochure HERE.

What is Opus Dei?

The Beatitudes

Compliments
Today's Gospel reading contains the Beatitudes. Years ago one of the lead catechists at RCIA described the Beatitudes as the positive compliments to the 10 Commandments. What he meant was that the Beatitudes expand on the commandments by requiring us to act. This view is consistent with the teaching in the Catechism:

God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us "partakers of the divine nature" and of eternal life. With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ and into the joy of the Trinitarian life (CCC, 1721).

Navarre Commentary
According to the authors of the Navarre Study Bible the Beatitudes have a view for the kingdom of God:

All the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us definitive salvation not in this world, but in the next. But the spirit of the Beatitudes does give us, in this life, peace in the midst of tribulation. The Beatitudes imply a completely new approach, quite at odds with the usual way man evaluates things: they rule out any kind of pharisaical religiosity, which regards earthly hap- piness as a blessing from God and a reward for good behavior, and unhappiness and misfortune as a form of punishment. In all ages the Beatitudes put spiritual goods on a much higher plane than material possessions. The healthy and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor – all are called, independently of their circumstances, to the deep happiness that is experienced by those who live up to the Beatitudes which Jesus teaches.

 Video Commentary

Receiving the Eucharist in an Unworthy Manner

Image from LifeTeen

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Cor 11:27-29, RSV-CE)

Overview
St. Paul instructs the Church in Corinth to discern the body of Christ with respect when they received the body and blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist (1 Cor. 11:29). This passage can rightly be interpreted to mean that we need to be mindful of being properly disposed to receive the Eucharist, but it contains additional meanings. [Note: All of these scenarios, assume the person is a Catholic who has received the sacraments.]

Spiritual Disposition
Prior to receiving the Eucharist, one should be properly disposed. This happens in a couples of ways. First, we should approach the Eucharist in a prayerful and reflective manner. Additionally, we should examine our consciences to insure that we are in a state of grace – that we are free from mortal sin. If we are in a state of mortal sin, we should not receive Communion and immediately seek the sacrament of Reconciliation.  See Can. 916 and Can. 988 for a more extensive discussion of the elements.

The Eucharistic Fast
We are now required to abstain from food and drink one hour before the reception of Communion (Can. 919).  Note that the requirement is one hour before COMMUNION, not the start of Mass. We shouldn't make a habit of this minimalistic approach, but it is good to know if you are in a pinch. The fast does not include water or medication. Chewing gum prior to mass is NOT a violation of the fast (EWTN), but chewing gum during Mass is disrespectful. If you wouldn't (and you can't) chew gum in a court room, why would you do it in the Lord's house?

Discerning the Body of Christ
St. Paul is also teaching us (in 1 Cor. 11:29) to discern Christ in all those who make up his body and to treat them with the dignity they should be accorded. In other words, respect for Christ in the Eucharist has to be coupled with a respect for all mankind. The commentary from The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament supports this claim: 

Probably a word play on the term "body", which refers to the Eucharistic Body of Christ and to the ecclesial Body of Christ made up of believers united to him (10:16-17; 12:12). Recognizing Jesus in the Sacrament is thus coupled with recognizing him in our spiritual brothers and sisters (Mt 25:34-40). (The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament, 302). 

This lesson is supported by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that asserted “by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man” (Gaudim et spes, 22). Christ further teaches us that we are to follow in His footsteps of humility. We too are called to live lives of humility. Christ not only humbled Himself to become human and dying on the cross, but he also humbled Himself by taking on the form of bread. We must open ourselves to union with Christ in the Eucharist, allowing Him to transform us. “Sharing in the body and blood of Christ has no other effect than to accomplish our transformation into that which we receive” (Lumen Gentium, 26). As my mother used to say, “you are what you eat.” 

Eucharistic Prayer
I recall reading the following prayer. It sums up how we should be disposed to receiving our Lord in the Eucharist.

Lord, May I receive you like this is the first time, the last time and the only time I will receive you.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Melissa Breeland

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The feast is celebrated on the Saturday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost.

Origin
The feast grew out of the exisiting devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

After the consecration of the world to the most sweet and motherly Heart of Mary in 1942, many petitions were sent to the Roman Pontiff asking him to extend to the whole Church the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary that already existed in some places. Pius XII agreed in 1945 cenain to find in her most loving Hean ... the safe haven in the midst of the tempest that everywhere assails us. Through the symbol of her heart we venerate in Mary her most pure and perfect love for God and her motherly love for each one of us. In that heart of hers we can find a refuge in the midst of all the and temptations of life, and we ask her to prepare for us the safe way - iter para tutum - the way by which we will soon reach her Son (In Conversation with God, Vol. 6, p. 330)

Sweet & Immaculate Heart
St. Josemaria taught that we should "get accustomed to entrusting your poor heart to the Sweet and Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that she may purify it from so much dross, and lead it to the Most Sacred and Most Merciful Heart of Jesus" (Furrow, 830). This is what our Blessed Mother always does – leads us back to Jesus.


Blessed Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II prayed the following before the :

O Mother of all men and women, and of all peoples, you who know all their sufferings and their hopes, you who have a mother's awareness of all the struggles between good and evil, between light and darkness, which afflict the modern world, accept the cry which we, moved by the Holy Spirit, address directly to your Heart. Embrace with the love of the Mother and Handmaid of the Lord, this human world of ours, which we entrust and consecrate to you, for we are full of concern for the earthly and eternal destiny of individuals and peoples. In a special way we entrust and consecrate to you those individuals and nations which particularly need to be thus entrusted and consecrated. ‘We have recourse to your protection, holy Mother of God!' Despise not our petitions in our necessities.