Good news for parental notification

Zach Wichmann, the Associate Director of Education for the Catholic Conference of Illinois, sends the following note:

As I am sure most of you are already aware, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals today [Tuesday] dissolved the federal injunction against the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. It seems after fourteen years, this important law will finally go into effect.

For now, it seems safe to say that the work the Catholic Conference of Illinois and all of you put into defeating House Bill 317 three years ago and House Bill 2354 this year, as well as our participation in various legal actions, will really pay off. The implementation of this law will surely result in the preservation of many innocent lives in the years to come.

Congratulations to all! Let's hope the legal maneuvering finally comes to an end.

Oh dear...

Fr. Zuhlsdorf passes on a legend concerning today, St. Swithun and the weather. We could be in trouble.

Most profound

Over at Ubi Petrus, Peter says, "Riddle me this":

If He came to die for you, why can't you just live for Him?

This would be a most moving to begin each day in prayer and to close each day in prayer. Thank you, Peter!

The Lily of the Mohawks

Today Holy Mother Church honors Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the daughter of a warrior Mohawk.


She was born in 1656 in what is now New York and was orphaned as a young girl as the result of an epidemic of smallbox. Before she died, her mother taught her the Christian faith and many prayers, as well. This faith remained with Kateri until her death in 1680 at the age of 24. Her last words: "Jesus, I love you."


Kateri was deeply devoted to the Eucharist and to the Crucified Lord. Her life of simple piety and service won her the title, "Lily of the Mohawks."


As she walked through the woods, she would often fashion small crosses from sticks and twigs and leave them behind her.


I wonder, if others followed the paths upon which we walk each day, what would they find left behind? Do we leave behind markers that point to ourselves, or to Christ? Let us ask Kateri to teach us how to leave behind markers of the cross of our Lord.

The hidden passing of parts of FOCA

Reader Jake sent this in from the Faith and Family Live! Blog: Here Comes FOCA...hidden in small bills.

Pray. Write. Pray.

A Prayer for Parish Priests

I have been working this morning on my talks for this weekend's Great River Teens Encounter Christ retreat #260. In the midst of papers and letters, I found a card given me on the occasion of my ordination to the priesthood that included the following Prayer for Parish Priests by Saint John Vianney:

Pray that God may give to His Church

today many more Priests

after His own Heart.

Pray for all the Priests

under your patronage,

that they may be worthy representatives

of Christ the Good Shepherd.

May they wholeheartedly

devote themselves to prayer and penance;

be examples of humility and poverty;

shining models of holiness;

tireless and powerful preachers

of the Word of God;

zealous dispensers of

God's Grace in the Sacraments.

May their loving devotion

to Jesus in the Eucharist

and to Mary His Mother

be the Twin Foundations of fruitfulness

for their ministry.

Amen.

In honor of the day

Lord,

you filled Saint Henry with your love

and raised him from the cares of an earthly kingdom

to eternal happiness in heaven.

In the midst of the changes of this world,

may his prayers keep us free from sin

and help us on our way toward you.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

How about a little dose of humor early on a Monday morning? King Saint Henry II is the son of the duke of Bavaria, Henry the Quarrelsome. The medievals were nothing if not honest!

Sometimes I wonder if we should bring back such monikers as Edward the Confessor, Louis the Pious, Pepin the Short, Charles the Bald and Philip the Fair.

Of course, the return of such usages could prove risky, depending on your physical stature or personality. I wonder what moniker would be given me.

A enjoyable evening

This evening, as part of our summer concert series, the parish hosted the local quintet St. John's Brass for a concert in the church.

The music was excellent and those who attended very much enjoyed it.

I happily sat in the last pew under the choir loft and began working on one of my three talks that I will give this weekend in Quincy. I will be the Spiritual Director for Great River Teens Encounter Christ 260. Three boys from the parish will be on the retreat. Please keep me - and the rest of the team - in your prayers as I write the talks, and the boys - and other candidates - as well, in these days before the weekend that their hearts and minds will be open.

This will be a busy writing week as I work on those three talks, Sunday's homily and the homily for the following Sunday. After the TEC retreat I will drive to Omaha for the installation of Archbishop Lucas and I find it highly unlikely that I'll have a chance that week to work on a homily.

After the concert this I evening, I caught a glimpse of the sky as I headed out on a walk.

While on my walk, I went to a local ice cream stand for an ice cream cone. I haven't eaten ice cream in a cone in a while and that sounded good tonight, though I didn't expect my ice cream to look at me:

I explored the neighborhood behind the ice cream stand as I ate the cone. It's a nice, quiet neighborhood and one that might see more of me in the coming days as I keep taking my daily walks.

Looking for a good book?

Among the most common ways of honoring the Lord's Day are attending Holy Mass and visiting with family and friends. These days, another good way to keep Sunday is very much under-appreciated: reading spiritual books.

This afternoon I read Mike Aquilina's Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Powers (Cincinnati, Ohio: Servant Books, 2009).

This short book, consisting on an introduction, twelve chapters, and a selection of prayers, hymns and prayers, is an excellent resource both for learning more about angels and for teaching others about them.

Aquilina addresses the creation of the angels, free will in relation to the angels and the role of angels in the lives of men. He also includes chapters on the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. Of particular interest to me was his insightful chapter on the guardian angels. Consider this:

Our angels can be immensely helpful too in everyday life. We can call upon
our own angel as well as the angels of those around us - our family members,
coworkers, neighbors and even our adversaries...

If you're married, for example, it's useful to know that your spouse's angel wants you to succeed in creating a happy home. You can ask for the help of your honey's angel.

If you're a parent, it's helpful to keep in mind that your children have guardian angels, and those angels want you to succeed at parenting. So when you're beginning to lose patience, ask your own guardian angel to help you. If the situation keeps getting worse, call on your kid's guardian angel as well. If face, the system works best if you greet each child's angel (silently, in your heart) each time your the child strolls into your presence.

Saint Josemaria suggested that guardian angels can be a big help in evangelization too. "Win over the guardian angel of the one you want to draw to your apostolate. He is always a great 'acomplice'" (53-54).

I am happy to recommend this book to you. If this is a topic you are especially interested in, don't forget Peter Kreeft's excellent book, Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them? (San Francisco, California: Ignatius Press).

An unexpected tour

Some months back I apparently blew one of the rear speakers in my car. I guess I listen to Libera and Handel a bit too loudly.

I never noticed a speaker was blown, but the high school students did as we traveled to soccer games. Some time ago, one of them offered to replace the speaker and last week we finally got around to ordering one. It arrived this morning so I met him at his family's car wash for him to get to work. (Since it was raining this morning, the car wash was closed.)

It didn't take him very long at all to finish his work; he's very handy at such things.

After he replaced the speaker he gave me a tour of the car wash and demonstrated how the various aspects of it work. It was a bit more complicated than I would have thought. If you ever get the chance to tour a car wash I recommend it.

On another note, I haven't yet written out this weekend's homily. I've been a bit tired yesterday and today waiting for a storm to break overhead. Unfortunately, the storms keep going around Effingham and more clouds keep coming from the west. I'm looking forward to a sunny day soon when my arthritis goes down and my energy returns.

A good laugh

The American Papist has a great photo caption this morning.

Living the Gospel

From time to time there are those who say that if we would but follow Jesus Christ faithfully life would nice, happy and easy. Call it the "Gospel of Prosperity" or the "Gospel of the Rose-Colored Glasses." Call it whatever you like, but in the end be sure to call it false.

Today the Master and Teacher sends out to the Twelve with this warning, "You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Those who wish to follow after Jesus Christ should expect difficulty and persecution.

The Lord never promised that life with him would be pleasant, but that it would lead to eternal life, to the satisfaction of the deepest yearnings of our hearts. He requires, rather, that his disciple "take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

The curious thing is that even after such a warning - and others like it - still the Apostles willing went out proclaiming the Gospel and continuing the ministry of the Redeemer. Though warned that "brother will hand over brother to death," still they went (Matthew 10:21).

When the struggles and difficulties of life come our way, let us, too, with the Apostles, go out to proclaim the Gospel, remembering always the words of the Prince of the Apostles:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed (I Peter 4:12-13).

My weakness

This morning one of our recent graduates met with me to learn how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. As we talked he mentioned he also wanted to purchase a Daily Roman Missal and since both of us were free we took a trip to Springfield to The Marian Center to get one. (They used to have a web site but a Google search didn't seem to bring it up.)

As luck would have it, they were out of the missal we wanted, though more are on the way. Even so, the trip wasn't worthless because books and I have always gotten along rather well. I can't say that I've ever been to a used book store I haven't liked. Or a new book store, for that matter.

Since I am soon to be the pastor of a parish dedicated to the Sacred Heart, I picked up a book on devotions to the Sacred Heart and a book of the letters of St. Margaret Mary. I also picked up a commentary on the Confessions of St. Patrick since I am to be Pastor of a parish dedicated to him. And since this is the Year for Priests under the patronage of St. John Vianney, I picked up a biography of him. I think I picked up another book, too, but I've left them in the car and I don't feel like collecting them at the moment. If you're interested in the titles I'll post them tomorrow.

It was a good trip and - in addition to getting several good books - I was able to meet one of the parishioners from Virden who recognized me. It also gave me and this graduate - whom I'm happy to also call a friend - a good visit before he leaves for college and I leave for my pastorates. Quiet summer days are filled with many blessings.

When we returned to Effingham I went for a quick swim before a wedding rehearsal in Altamont. This evening I finished up a bulletin column and I'll soon be emptying out my e-mail inboxes before calling it a day.

I would also like to ask your prayers for one of our high school students with whom I had a good conversation this evening. I won't give any details but please raise a few prayers to the Lord; he knows who he is. Also, please ask St. John Bosco to intercede for me so that I may the words to speak at the right moment.