Monday, June 7, 2010
Bishop-Elect David O'Connell's Commencement Address - Inspirational

On 4 June 2010, the Holy Father appointed Fr. David M. O'Connell, president of the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., U.S.A., as coadjutor of Trenton (area 5,580, population 2,048,000, Catholics 822,000, priests 314, permanent deacons 320, religious 510), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Philadelphia, U.S.A. in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1982. [note: He will be consecrated in the Trenton Cathedral on 6 August at 2 pm.]

On 15 May, Fr./Bishop-elect O'Connell gave the Commencement Address at Catholic University (DC), which is quoted below.

Address by Very Rev. David M. O'Connell, C.M., president

I want to tell you a story about our 16th and, perhaps, greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. His biographers tell us that he was never baptized, never joined a church, and rarely mentioned Jesus. His widow, Mary Todd Lincoln, once remarked after his death, “He was a religious man always but he was not a technical Christian (Daniel Burke, “Lincoln’s Faith Still a Puzzle, Washington Post, Feb. 7, 2009, page B09).” He did go to church services on occasion, not too far from here at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. On one of those occasions, President Lincoln listened intently to the sermon of the pastor. After leaving the church, the president was asked by his Pinkerton secret-service guard, “What did you think of the sermon, Mr. President?” Lincoln paused and said with obvious hesitation, “It was … good.” The guard inquired, “You didn’t like it?” to which Abraham Lincoln responded, “He never asked us to do something great.”

Archbishop Wuerl, members of the Board of Trustees, my university colleagues, dear families and guests of the graduates, and, especially, members of this class of 2010:

Today you will graduate from The Catholic University of America, 1,400 undergraduates, graduates and doctoral students. Today, no doubt, you will reflect on your studies and research, your interactions with faculty, staff and peers, your life and time here at CUA over the past several years. Today you finish one chapter of your life only to commence another, with your bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in hand. As president and the leader of this university community, I want to ask you “to do something great.”

In his immortal Gettysburg Address — a speech for which he was roundly criticized during his lifetime — we hear, again from Abraham Lincoln, words that addressed a completely different situation than the one that brings us together here, but that have significance for us just the same. Lincoln said, “The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here.” Those brave soldiers in blue and gray, drenched with the red of their blood, whose names have been all but forgotten, made the greatest sacrifice for a great cause they believed in. Their greatness came not from being remembered or from any speech given to honor them. No. Their greatness came, as it always does, from what they did because of who they were and what they made of themselves. Their greatness came, as it always does, not from doing what was easy, but, rather from doing something that required sacrifice. Their greatness came, as it always does, not only from what they had been given but, rather, from what they chose to give away. And so it was, and so it is and so it shall be with you.

Your diploma from The Catholic University of America represents years of effort on your part. As you examine that parchment in a few moments, as you read your name underneath CUA’s name and seal, I ask you to see on that page the sacrifices made on your behalf by your parents and those who love you most; the lessons taught by a dedicated faculty; the support and friendship of those who surround you now in long gowns and silly hats; and, finally, your own labors and life here. With all of that as background, see also in your diploma one more important thing: an invitation to do something great.

Shakespeare once wrote, “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon us (Twelfth Night, II, v. 159).” Let’s face it: Most of us are not born great. Still fewer of us have greatness thrust upon us. It is for us, the vast majority, to achieve greatness by sacrifice: putting what we have and who we are at the service of others.

Architects and engineers; philosophers and theologians; nurses and social workers; musicians and actors; librarians and lawyers; teachers, politicians, psychologists, scientists, historians, journalists, linguists, accountants, economists, mathematicians --- these and many others are the disciplines represented here today for which The Catholic University of America will confer degrees that you will take with you. Do something great with what you have learned and experienced. Your efforts will mean precious little if you are content to graduate magna cum mediocrity, willing to ignore all the sacrifices that have brought you to this moment. Do not just “leave” the university today — live what the university has given you, live what your parents have given you, live what God has given you and give it away to a world, to a humanity that needs our unique brand of greatness, your unique brand of greatness, to make it a better place tomorrow than it is today. Make no mistake about it: this is no easy task. A diploma on a wall somewhere is no greater than the frame that holds it. Take the diploma to heart, take it in hand and add to all that diploma represents passion and enthusiasm and conscience and integrity and the desire to serve others. Blend that diploma with a life and profession lived well and you will make a difference, you will do something great. It will take time and effort and sacrifice, for sure. You probably will not become famous — most of us do not — but you will become known for whom and what you are among those to whom you matter most and who matter most to you. The young, naïve idealist may hope to see his or her name in lights one day. The mature, seasoned realist prefers to see light shine from within his or her mind and heart.

The 19th-century English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray said it well when he wrote: “To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forgo even ambition when the end is gained – who can say this is not greatness (The Virginians, 92)?”

The believer acknowledges that he or she is a child of God, created by God in his image and likeness. We acknowledge and profess that here at The Catholic University of America. That truth of faith plants the seed of greatness in our souls. How we nurture and water and grow that seed is up to us, my dear graduates; it is up to you.

Belief in yourself and God’s gifts to you. Gratitude for what you have been given. Courage in your convictions. Willingness to sacrifice for a greater, even inconvenient good. Confidence in the presence and love and grace of God. The wisdom to choose what is right and to stand by it when the prevailing culture says that’s not necessary or advantageous or comfortable or politically correct. “Great things are done when men and mountains meet” (William Blake). Your education here has been an early step. Do not let it be your only, your final step up the mountain. I cannot tell you where the path of life will lead you but as you make your way on life’s journey, set out to do something great. You will not travel alone for the great work to be done is God’s.

I began my remarks today quoting a truly great American president. As you leave The Catholic University of America, let me end by quoting another who spoke in this city almost fifty years ago. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy – the symbol of a new generation of Americans at the time – concluded his inaugural address with these memorable words:

"With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."
Read more >>
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Photo Submission: Corpus Christi

Readers of "A Catholic Life":

Today is the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi, and many processions will be taking place around the world today. A Catholic Life would like to honor as many of these processions as possible. So, please send me any photos from today's processions and I will be sure to honor the parish, diocese, location, etc at which it took place. So, if you have not had your procession yet, please bring a camera!

Emails should be sent to acatholiclife[at]gmail[dot]com.

Image Sources: REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito
Read more >>
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
St. Christopher’s in Radcliff to celebrate Latin Mass

A first since 1969 and Vatican II

By BECCA OWSLEY

An event that hasn’t happened in Hardin County for many years will take place 8 a.m. Saturday at St. Christopher Catholic Church located at 1225 S. Wilson Road in Radcliff.

A Tridentine Latin Mass, or the Extraordinary Form, will kick off the Kentucky Catholic Home School Conference at St. Christopher but it is open to the public and not strictly for conference attendees.

This Mass was celebrated by the Catholic Church for almost 1,500 years, event organizer Julie Siscoe said.

Pope Paul VI introduced a Mass after the Second Vatican Council in 1969 that replaced the Latin Mass. Siscoe said the Tridentine Mass was restricted by many Bishops because they thought it had been banned. In July of 2007 Pope Benedict XVI issued a Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum that declared the Mass had never been banned and lifted the restrictions.

The Mass will be the first public Tridentine Mass celebrated at St. Christopher or in Hardin County since the release of the Summorum Pontificum in 2007, Siscoe said. From her research she concluded that there hasn’t been one celebrated in the county since 1969.

While the Mass at St. Christopher is a one time event, the only regular celebrations of Latin Mass in the diocese are at St. Martin of Tours in Louisville, Our Lady of the Caves in Horse Cave and St. Helen Catholic Church in Glasgow, Siscoe said.

Siscoe and her husband did not grow up in the Catholic faith and were not familiar with the Latin Mass. They now drive about an hour every Sunday and most Mondays to attend Mass at Our Lady of the Caves for that experience. She expects many will drive much farther to celebrate Saturday’s Mass.

Read More....
Read more >>
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Improvements in Blog Loading Speeds

Thank you for all of your patience with the load speeds of the blog. Tonight I was able to make some slight modifications to the display settings and page elements of the blog. As a result, you will should see improvements in the site's loading speeds. Any comments - positive or negative - on the site's loading speeds will be appreciated.

Additionally, at this time I would especially invite you to share your general comments about the blog and general suggestions.  I am looking to continue investing time in this site even as I expand my Catholic apostolate work with other new and exciting projects.  Some of which, I will be promoting in the near future.

Regards,

Matthew
Read more >>
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Whit Embertide

Although Ember Days are no longer considered required in mainstream Roman Catholicism following Vatican II, they can - and should - still be observed by the Faithful. In fact, many Traditional priests encourage the Faithful to observe the days. Ember Days are set aside to pray and/or offer thanksgiving for a good harvest and God's blessings. If you are in good health, please at least fast during these three days and pray the additional prayers. Remember the words from the Gospel: "Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish" (Luke 13:5)

Ember Days this Pentecost: May 26, 28, and 29

From New Advent:

Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross). The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy. The immediate occasion was the practice of the heathens of Rome. The Romans were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged to the same class.

At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December for the seeding; hence their feriae sementivae, feriae messis, and feri vindimiales. The Church, when converting heathen nations, has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be utilized for a good purpose. At first the Church in Rome had fasts in June, September, and December; the exact days were not fixed but were announced by the priests. The "Liber Pontificalis" ascribes to Pope Callistus (217-222) a law ordering: the fast, but probably it is older. Leo the Great (440-461) considers it an Apostolic institution. When the fourth season was added cannot be ascertained, but Gelasius (492-496) speaks of all four. This pope also permitted the conferring of priesthood and deaconship on the Saturdays of ember week--these were formerly given only at Easter.

Before Gelasius the ember days were known only in Rome, but after his time their observance spread. They were brought into England by St. Augustine; into Gaul and Germany by the Carlovingians. Spain adopted them with the Roman Liturgy in the eleventh century. They were introduced by St. Charles Borromeo into Milan. The Eastern Church does not know them. The present Roman Missal, in the formulary for the Ember days, retains in part the old practice of lessons from Scripture in addition to the ordinary two: for the Wednesdays three, for the Saturdays six, and seven for the Saturday in December. Some of these lessons contain promises of a bountiful harvest for those that serve God.

From Catholic Culture:

Since man is both a spiritual and physical being, the Church provides for the needs of man in his everyday life. The Church's liturgy and feasts in many areas reflect the four seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall and winter). The months of August, September, October and November are part of the harvest season, and as Christians we recall God's constant protection over his people and give thanksgiving for the year's harvest.

The September Ember Days were particularly focused on the end of the harvest season and thanksgiving to God for the season. Ember Days were three days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) set aside by the Church for prayer, fasting and almsgiving at the beginning of each of the four seasons of the year. The ember days fell after December 13, the feast of St. Lucy (winter), after the First Sunday of Lent (spring), after Pentecost Sunday (summer), and after September 14 , the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (fall). These weeks are known as the quattor tempora, the "four seasons."

Since the late 5th century, the Ember Days were also the preferred dates for ordination of priests. So during these times the Church had a threefold focus: (1) sanctifying each new season by turning to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving; (2) giving thanks to God for the various harvests of each season; and (3) praying for the newly ordained and for future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Read more >>
Monday, May 24, 2010
Prayers for Philip Gerard Johnson

Please pray for this seminarian who is in great need of our prayers.  Here us a copy of the article that I read.
I’ve written before about Philip Gerard Johnson, a terrific young man who was serving as a US naval officer when – as he records on his blog – he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2008. His response was to enter a seminary, in the hope that he would be allowed the time to fulfil his greatest ambition: celebrating Mass in the traditional form of the Roman Rite that he loves so much.
Philip has completed a year at seminary and was due to start a summer placement – but the latest scan shows that his tumour has grown and so he’ll be spending his time recuperating at a parish in North Carolina after gruelling treatment. As he says in his latest post, he’ll be taking “harsh chemotherapy drugs with very unpleasant side effects, and there are significant risks of internal bleeding and blood clots involved when taking them”.

It’s a sad irony: a seminarian who represents the future of the Church, finds his own future threatened by illness. His blog, In Caritate Non Ficta, abounds with a good humour and spiritual serenity that very, very few of us could muster in his circumstances. Actually, given some of the recent comments that have appeared on this blog (and I have to take my full share of blame for this) it seems that even those of us in perfect health can’t manage even a shred of Philip’s charity.

This latest medical setback makes me wonder whether, given the exceptional circumstances, the Church can’t hurry things on a little. (Maybe it’s a silly comparison, but John Henry Newman had been a Catholic for less than 18 months when he was ordained deacon one day and priest the next.) However, that’s really none of my business. What is my business, I think, is to encourage Christian readers of the blog to pray for Philip; and perhaps he will pray for us, too.
Read more >>
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Book Review: Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life

I was recently given the opportunity to review the newly released book, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life by Karina Lumbert Fabian and her father, Deacon Steven Lumbert.  As state in the opening paragraph of the text, "In their collaboration, Why God Matters, Deacon Steven Lumbert and his daughter, Karina Lumbert Fabian, delineate the Catholic Faith as experienced by a par of average, everyday people like the great majority who make up the 24% of Americans who share this religion.

The text was an extremely quick read as I read the 113 pages in 2 hours.  The book is not an academic work but rather is composed of extremely short (under 10 page) chapters describing the presence of Catholicism in each author's individual life.  Throughout the text are references before each chapter to not only the Catechism of the Catholic Church but also the writings of the saints.

A quick and easy read that is available for sale on Amazon.com.  Please view the item at Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life
Read more >>
Monday, May 17, 2010
ICKSP: May 25th Mass in Honor of the Divine Infant King

Read more >>
Friday, May 14, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates Mass in Gran Plaza de la Avenida dos Aliados (Porto)

Below are several images from today's Mass by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Porto. This is the Holy Father's last Mass in Portugal during this trip.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"It is written in the book of Psalms, … ‘His office let another take’. One of these men, then […] must become a witness with us to his resurrection" (Acts 1:20-22). These were the words of Peter, as he read and interpreted the word of God in the midst of his brethren gathered in the Upper Room following Jesus’ ascension to heaven. The one who was chosen was Matthias, who had been a witness to the public life of Jesus and his victory over death, and had remained faithful to him to the end, despite the fact that many abandoned him. The "disproportion" between the forces on the field, which we find so alarming today, astounded those who saw and heard Christ two thousand years ago. It was only he, from the shore of the Lake of Galilee right up to the squares of Jerusalem, alone or almost alone at the decisive moments: he, in union with the Father; he, in the power of the Spirit. Yet it came about, in the end, that from the same love that created the world, the newness of the Kingdom sprang up like a small seed which rises from the ground, like a ray of light which breaks into the darkness, like the dawn of a unending day: it is Christ Risen. And he appeared to his friends, showing them the need for the Cross in order to attain the resurrection.

On that day Peter was looking for a witness to all this. Two were presented, and heaven chose "Matthias, and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:26). Today we celebrate his glorious memory in this "undefeated city", which festively welcomes the Successor of Peter. I give thanks to God that I have been able come here and meet you around the altar. I offer a cordial greeting to you, my brethren and friends of the city and the Diocese of Oporto, to those who have come from the ecclesiastical province of Northern Portugal and from nearby Spain, and to all those physically or spiritually present at this liturgical assembly. I greet the Bishop of Oporto, Dom Manuel Clemente, who greatly desired this visit of mine, welcomed me with great affection, and voiced your sentiments at the beginning of this Eucharist. I greet his predecessors, his brother Bishops, all the priests, women and men religious, and the lay faithful, and in particular those actively involved in the Diocesan Mission, and, more concretely, in the preparations for my visit. I know that you have been able to count on the practical cooperation of the Mayor of Oporto and the public authorities, many of whom honour me by their presence; I wish to take advantage of this opportunity to greet them and to express to them, and to all whom they represent and serve, my best wishes for the good of all.

"One of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection," said Peter. His Successor now repeats to each of you: My brothers and sisters, you need to become witnesses with me to the resurrection of Jesus. In effect, if you do not become his witnesses in your daily lives, who will do so in your place? Christians are, in the Church and with the Church, missionaries of Christ sent into the world. This is the indispensable mission of every ecclesial community: to receive from God and to offer to the world the Risen Christ, so that every situation of weakness and of death may be transformed, through the Holy Spirit, into an opportunity for growth and life. To this end, in every Eucharistic celebration, we will listen more attentively to the word of Christ and devoutly taste the bread of his presence. This will make us witnesses, and, even more, bearers of the Risen Jesus in the world, bringing him to the various sectors of society and to all those who live and work there, spreading that "life in abundance" (cf. Jn 10:10) which he has won for us by his cross and resurrection, and which satisfies the most authentic yearnings of the human heart.

We impose nothing, yet we propose ceaselessly, as Peter recommends in one of his Letters: "In your hearts, reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you" (1 Pet 3:15). And everyone, in the end, asks this of us, even those who seem not to. From personal and communal experience, we know well that it is Jesus whom everyone awaits. In fact, the most profound expectations of the world and the great certainties of the Gospel meet in the ineluctable mission which is ours, for "without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is. In the face of the enormous problems surrounding the development of peoples, which almost make us yield to discouragement, we find solace in the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who teaches us: ‘Apart from me you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5) and who encourages us: ‘I am with you always, to the close of the age’ (Mt 28:20)" (Caritas in Veritate, 78).

Yet even though this certainty consoles and calms us, it does not exempt us from going forth to others. We must overcome the temptation to restrict ourselves to what we already have, or think we have, safely in our possession: it would be sure death in terms of the Church’s presence in the world; the Church, for that matter, can only be missionary, in the outward movement of the Spirit. From its origins, the Christian people has clearly recognized the importance of communicating the Good News of Jesus to those who did not yet know him. In recent years the anthropological, cultural, social and religious framework of humanity has changed; today the Church is called to face new challenges and is ready to dialogue with different cultures and religions, in the search for ways of building, along with all people of good will, the peaceful coexistence of peoples. The field of the mission ad gentes appears much broader today, and no longer to be defined on the basis of geographic considerations alone; in effect, not only non-Christian peoples and those who are far distant await us, but so do social and cultural milieux, and above all human hearts, which are the real goal of the missionary activity of the People of God.

This is the mandate whose faithful fulfilment "must follow the road Christ himself walked, a way of poverty and obedience, of service and of self-sacrifice even unto death, a death from which he emerged victorious by his resurrection" (Ad Gentes, 5). Yes! We are called to serve the humanity of our own time, trusting in Jesus alone, letting ourselves be enlightened by his word: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide" (Jn 15:16). How much time we have lost, how must work has been set back, on account of our lack of attention to this point! Everything is to be defined starting with Christ, as far as the origins and effectiveness of mission is concerned: we receive mission always from Christ, who has made known to us what he has heard from his Father, and we are appointed to mission through the Spirit, in the Church. Like the Church herself, which is the work of Christ and his Spirit, it is a question of renewing the face of the earth starting from God, God always and alone.

Dear brothers and sisters of Oporto, lift up your eyes to the One whom you have chosen as the patroness of your city, the Immaculate Conception. The angel of the Annunciation greeted Mary as "full of grace", signifying with this expression that her heart and her life were totally open to God and, as such, completely permeated by his grace. May Our Lady help you to make yourselves a free and total "Yes" to the grace of God, so that you can be renewed and thus renew humanity by the light and the joy of the Holy Spirit.

[After the Mass ended, the Pope directed this greeting from the balcony of the Municipal Palace]

Brothers and sisters, my dear friends,

I am happy to be among you and I thank you for the festive and cordial welcome which I have received here in Oporto, the "City of the Virgin." To her motherly protection I entrust you and your families, your communities and institutions serving the common good, including the universities of the city whose students have gathered to show me their gratitude and their attachment to the teaching of the Successor of Peter. Thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. I also thank again those who worked in various ways preparing and realizing my visit, especially the preparations made in prayer. I would have happily prolonged my stay in your city, but it is not possible. So let me take my leave of you, embracing each one of you affectionately in Christ our Hope, as I give you my blessing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

© Copyright 2010 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Image Sources: All images found via Daylife and include AP and Reuters photos
Read more >>
Solemn Ambrosian Rite From the Pantheon





These videos are of a Solemn Ambrosian Rite Mass celebrated on May 2, 2010, in the Pantheon.
Read more >>


Copyright Notice: Unless otherwise stated, all items are copyrighted under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. If you quote from this blog, cite a link to the post on this blog in your article.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links on this blog are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, for instance, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made by those who click on the Amazon affiliate links included on this website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”