Father’s Column – August 19, 2018

Posted on August 19, 2018 View all news

Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!

Last week was certainly a special time for our parishes, as we welcomed retreatants from around the area and country to pray and spiritually learn why their role in choirs and scholas is important. The retreat concluded with two Pontifical Masses by the retired bishop of Tulsa, Bishop Slattery. I want to again thank everyone for their kindness and patience with the many guests we had for the retreat and these Masses. Everyone’s work together helped show those from outside of our parishes the good things happening here.

Now that the busyness of the retreat and last weekend is over, we return to the so often used maxim of St. Philip Neri, amare nesciri. This means that one ought to love to be unknown. The good things that we do should never be done for publicity or fanfare, but solely because we love God. Though there was much pomp and ceremony, this hopefully only inspired and confirmed us in our regular practices. To aid you in your continued holiness, coming of the spiritual consolations that we experienced last week, I recommend the following.

As I have said in the past, it is essential that you are praying every day. Without prayer, it is not possible to be saved, as so many saints tell us. This isn’t just praying for things, but have a conversation with God each day because He is God, and is the source of all we are and have. So please be sure to have times throughout the day to pray, to give God adoration and thanksgiving, and also to ask for forgiveness and to pray for those we ought to.

Secondly, stay close to the Sacraments. Go often to the Sacrament of Penance. Go often as possible to Mass. These are the gifts that God has given to us to reconcile ourselves to Himself, to give us grace, and to give us the pledge of future glory. We can’t take these for granted, because we won’t have the opportunity to make these missed Sacraments up in the life to come. So stay close to the Sacraments.

Thirdly, learn the Faith! We can rattle off stats, facts, and information about the things we love. Should not God be our first love? Why can’t we rattle off these things that He has revealed to us? We must know the Faith. The things we have been given, the Israelites dreamed of knowing. You do not have to be a theologian, but we must know about the one we are called to love above all others. So take opportunities to study the Faith and learn more about it.

Lastly, live the Faith in your home. All the above must be integrated into how we live our life. The greatest scandal today is when the clergy and the faithful do not practice what they preach. Though all will fall short, we must also ensure that we are living in a manner consistent with our calling. Have family prayer, pray before meals, practice the liturgical calendar in your home so that what we do in Church has more significant meaning. Strive not to commit scandal, and to inspire others to virtue. If we do these few things, then the excitement of last weekend will have all the more meaning, and we will live a life pleasing to God. I wish you each a blessed week!