Chuck's Blog

The Declaration of Independence

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:26:00 GMT

It was a good number of years ago that I was working part-time for a St. Louis radio station. Even as an experienced broadcaster, I was one of the ‘new-kids-on-the-block’ and had no real seniority to avoid working the holiday schedules. So, that particular year I was assigned to fill in for one of the show hosts on July 4^th.

Near the end of one the on-air hours was a segment about ten minutes long. It was usually filled by interviewing a guest. Well, that year it seemed as if we couldn’t find a guest to help fill out the time. Not being what I would consider a good ad-libber, I thought it best to just read something.

With the day being wrapped up in the celebration of the Fourth of July, it seemed appropriate to read the Declaration of Independence. The truth is that I had never read the complete text. But, reading it on the air that day helped me understand more clearly and more deeply not only the significance of the document, but also the power of the words.

I made a promise to myself back then that some day I would record it…all in the hope that it might be a useful resource to help us gain some insight into the foundation of the freedoms only this country knows. Now in this 21^st Century culture and in this country where our Religious Freedoms are being attacked and threatened as never before, it seems appropriate to record and offer the Declaration of Independence to you. This is a humble effort designed to help us all understand…as our Forefathers did more than 200 years ago…what is truly at stake. May God bless America! +++

http://youtu.be/XunvsebnhpY

True Freedom

Wed, 16 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

After returning last week from shooting part of a documentary on the Trappist monks at New Melleray Abbey outside of Dubuque, Iowa, I have been thinking (and meditating) on the notion of freedom and liberation. In the silence and solitude of the monk’s life of prayer and work, it seems they have found and live out what it means to be free – really and truly free!

The truth is that it can be difficult to make sense of how they live and why they live that way. Most of the world (me, too!) often seems to be seeking power and fame, wealth and material possessions. But, for some – a very select few, like the monks at New Melleray Abbey – their quest and their search is all about seeking and finding God.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Matthew to “seek first the Kingdom.” The Trappists are all about that and in their journey of faith are finding all they need and all the want. One young Trappist said to me last week that “this really is a good life.” And, he noted that he is much happier now than he was in the chaotic chase for what the world seemed to offer him when he lived in southern California.

Turning away from any search for fleeting fame and fortune, the Trappists have discovered freedom, liberation, and happiness. In their efforts to “seek first the Kingdom” they have met God face to face and discovered the “better part.” The Trappists know clearly that God is the source of all truth – the truth that lasts and is eternal.

A great lesson and challenge for all of us! Amen +++

The Shroud of Turin

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Is it the true burial cloth of Jesus Christ? Or a fake? A 1st Century cloth...or some piece of linen which dates to the Middle Ages? Only one, single piece of scientific research says it is not the authentic burial shroud of Christ. That was a controversial radiocarbon dating test conducted in 1988 that put into question the actual date of this remarkable "winding sheet."

This is what Mark Antonacci has to say. He is a friend of mine and one of the world's leading experts on the Shroud of Turin.

Scientific research on the Shroud of Turin has unlimited potential. This burial cloth, approximately 14 feet 3 inches long and 3 feet 7 inches wide (4.34m x 1.10m), actually contains unique and sophisticated evidence throughout every location on the linen. All of this evidence is objective and independent coming from numerous branches of the fields of science, medicine and archaeology. This evidence actually began to accumulate at the dawn of the 20th century with the initial application of modern scientific technology to the Shroud. Yet, as scientific technology advanced and was applied to this burial garment, it yielded far greater amounts of evidence that was not just unprecedented, but was unfakable. This evidence has been acquired by some of the finest scientists from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world and continues to accumulate to this day. Thousands of scientific tests and experiments have now been performed on the Shroud and on various samples removed from it that yield a remarkably consistent set of evidence. In fact, only one scientific test result among thousands is inconsistent with the Shroud being the burial garment of the historical Jesus Christ.

Since an erroneous result is misleading, it is much worse than no result at all, especially if this result is perceived as exclusive. For almost the last quarter of a century the Shroud’s medieval radiocarbon dating has caused all of the sophisticated and corroborating evidence indicating the cloth’s authenticity to be ignored by the vast majority of people throughout the world. If this one aberrant result was scientifically refuted it would open thousands of scientific test results, along with hundreds of medical and forensic findings for the world to analyze. The Resurrection of the Shroud Foundation, a tax exempt, non-profit corporation, has been sponsoring scientific tests and experiments that could stunningly bring about such a result. These tests and experiments would not only refute the Shroud’s medieval radiocarbon dating, but would allow scientists to calculate the actual age of the cloth.

If the tests and experiments sponsored by our non-profit corporation only refuted the Shroud’s radiocarbon dating results, they would have enormous historical value. Yet these tests and experiments in combination with all the previous scientific and medical examinations would also indicate that an unprecedented, miraculous event occurred to Jesus’ dead body. Decades of scientific and medical analyses consistently indicates that the Shroud’s frontal and dorsal body images resulted from radiation. Our previously sponsored research demonstrates that one particular form, particle radiation, not only creates C-14 isotopes within the molecular structure of linen, but that this additional C-14 will not be removed by stringent pretreatment cleanings, which routinely occur prior to radiocarbon dating. Nor is it removed by aging or by the application of heat up to temperatures that would discolor the cloth. Moreover, particle radiation would create new isotopes that virtually do not exist in nature. These new isotopes would also be created within the cellular or molecular structure of the Shroud’s linen. These new isotopes can only be created by particle radiation. Their presence above their infinitesimally small natural levels would not only demonstrate the Shroud was irradiated with particle radiation, but that many additional C-14 isotopes were necessarily created and still remain within the linen today. This would necessarily invalidate the Shroud’s radiocarbon dating.

Many other medical and scientific findings from the Shroud clearly demonstrate that it wrapped a tortured, crucified corpse, whose unprecedented frontal and dorsal body images resulted from radiation. This scientific and medical evidence also shows that the source of this radiation was necessarily the length, width and even depth of the dead body wrapped within this burial shroud. The new tests and experiments along with prior scientific, medical and archaeological results would prove that after Jesus incurred all of the wounds of the passion, and was crucified, killed and buried in Jerusalem, his corpse gave off particle radiation while it was wrapped in his burial garment. This event is not only consistent with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it left unfakable evidence of its occurrence throughout the cloth. In addition, by encoding unprecedented and unfakable frontal and dorsal body images that developed over time,

this event also left sophisticated scientific and medical evidence for every element of the passion, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of the historical Jesus Christ throughout the full-length images on the Shroud.

This event could not possibly have occurred naturally or by any human endeavor in any century. Scientists could not begin to duplicate such an event today, nor can they duplicate the Shroud’s body images and blood marks. This sophisticated, unfakable evidence ― discovered only by modern technology ― could not have been imagined by the colonial or medieval mind, let alone the ancient authors of the Gospels. For the first time in history, objective and independent evidence not only exists for the central tenets of a religion, but for the most significant events in all of history. No other religion has any objective or independent evidence for their central tenets. The modern discovery of this evidence not only enables Christianity to claim that objective and independent evidence exists for its central tenets, but that an

extensive amount of such evidence exists. This objective and independent evidence also corroborates the most authentic and reliable sources in all of ancient history. These are the Gospels and New Testament, of course, whose textual accuracy has been corroborated by archaeology, by their consistent rendering in several ancient languages, by the great number of surviving handwritten manuscripts or fragments, and by their closeness to the time of the originals. The actions of the eyewitnesses before and after these critical events also confirm their occurrence. The Shroud already contains an extensive amount of objective and independent evidence indicating that the passion, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred exactly as described in the Gospels and New Testament. The refutation of the Shroud’s aberrant radiocarbon dating ―with the simultaneous proof that particle radiation emanated from the length, width and even depth of Jesus’ dead, tortured and crucified body ― will cause people everywhere to study and understand all of this unfakable evidence.

The realization that Christianity has hundreds of irrefutable items of scientific and medical evidence to confirm the central tenets of Christianity and the most critical events in all of history, which are contained in the most reliable and textually attested sources of antiquity, could have unprecedented consequences throughout the world. No other religion has any objective evidence to confirm the central tenets or critical events of their religion, let alone an exhaustive amount of such evidence. Overwhelming, objective evidence ― along the lines of a 150 – 0 shutout when compared to any contrary or other view ― would impress the listener whether agnostic, atheist or a member of any other religion.

Unfortunately, religion causes, contributes to or is an underlying element in numerous wars and conflicts that are occurring throughout the world. While such wars and conflicts have always occurred throughout history, their numbers are increasing. Furthermore, the means of destruction by the combatants have become alarming. These underlying religious differences and conflicts go back centuries. Wars and conflicts have not and cannot eliminate these differences. Worse yet, they have perpetuated and deepened the differences and hostilities among the combatting religions. Only overwhelming, objective, and independent evidence for one religion, with the lack of any such evidence for other religions, could convince sectarian combatants to cease their wars and conflicts.

If you would like to support the tests and experiments sponsored by the Resurrection of the Shroud Foundation, please contact:

Chuck Neff (314-853-8786) or Mark Antonacci, President of The Resurrection of the Shroud Foundation (636-938-3708).

The Difference

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:46:00 GMT

I got up early one morning
     and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
     that I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me
     and heavier came each task;
“Why doesn’t God help me?’ I wondered.
     He said, “But you didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty but
     the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
     He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence;
     I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
     “My Child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning
     and prayed before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish
     that I had to take time to pray.”

     Author Unknown

I Love You, Papa

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:14:00 GMT

Babysitting is not very high on my list of gifts and talents. But, last weekend I was enlisted to spend the evening with our five-year-old grandson, Michael. And, the truth is we had a blast.

Throughout the evening as we drove in the car, sat down to share a pizza and cheesy bread sticks for dinner, watched a DVD together, and shared a big bowl of popcorn, Michael kept saying…quite often actually...“I love you, Papa.” Of course, I kept saying, “And, I love you, too, Michael.”

As the evening progressed and little Michael kept repeating his I-love-you-Papa reminders, I found myself thinking about whether or not to respond. I mean, part of it was getting a little old!! He was saying it a lot!!

But, something inside of me felt compelled to tell him, too, that I loved him. I realized it was not just an automatic response to his innocent and incredibly genuine display of affection. It was as if I needed to respond…needed to tell him, too, this love for each other was a two-way street of fondness.

As I pondered all of this, it took me to a deeper level and I wondered, when we tell God, Our Father in Heaven, that we love Him, does He, too, in His Great Love and Mercy for us feel compelled to tell us that He loves us. I think He does. But, sometimes I don’t think we know it…or feel it…or understand it.

So, the challenge for me right now is not only to tell God that I love Him, but also to take time to listen for the ways He tells me that, yes, He does love me, too. My prayer is that in any circumstance of our lives…the good times and the not-so-good times…the times of light and the times of darkness…that we may know the love of God. May our eyes see the ways He impacts our lives. May our ears hear the wonders of His love as we journey through the days of our lives. May our hearts know clearly in our love for God that He loves us deeply and more intimately than we shall ever know or begin to understand.

Amen +++

The Black Robes

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:25:00 GMT

I just finished a book called Parish Priest. It tells the story of Fr. Michael McGivney, the priest who founded the Knights of Columbus in 1881. The authors are Douglas Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster. Fr. McGivney was 29-years-old, when he started this Catholic fraternal organization. His call to the priesthood came amidst ongoing persecution against Catholics, many of whom at the time were Irish coming to the United States to escape the dire poverty of their native land. The authors share a story about the character and substance of Catholic priests. I liked it a lot and hope you might, too.

In the1880s, Old Wolf, a Cheyenne chief from Montana, told this story. In the land of the Cheyennes, there is a mountain higher than all the mountains around him. All the Cheyennes know that mountain; even our forefathers knew him. When children, we ran around wheresoever we wanted. We were never afraid to lose our way so long as we could see that mountain, which would show us home again. When grown up, he followed the buffalo and the elk; we cared not where we pursued the running deer, so long as the mountain was in sight; for we knew he was ever a safe guide, and never failed in his duty. When men, we fought the Sioux, the Crows, the white men. We went after the enemy, though the way ran high up, and low down. Our hearts trembled not on account of the road; for as long as we could see the mountain, we felt sure of finding our home again. When far away, our hearts leaped for joy on seeing him, because he told us that our home came nearer.

During the winter, the snow covered all the earth with the mantle of white; we could no longer distinguish him from other mountains except by his height, which told us he was the mountain. Sometimes dark clouds gathered above. They hid his head from our view, and out of them flew fiery darts, boring holes in his sides. The thunder shook him from head to foot; but the storm passed away and the mountain stood forever.

This mountain is the Black-robe. (That is a Native American expression for a Roman Catholic priest.) His heart is firm as a rock. He changes not. He speaks to us the words of truth. We are always sure of our path, but we look to him for guidance. He is the mountain that leads us up to God.

Fr. Dan Farley - Carrying the Cross of ALS

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:06:00 GMT

Fr. Dan Farley has become a good friend through on work on Relevant Radio's The Inner Life, our program on spiritual direction. This good priest has now been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Fr. Dan has asked me for some help on a book he would like to write about his life as a priest. What follows is the beginning of our collective efforts. Let us know what you think!

The Chinook helicopter was still out of sight. But, the wop-wop-wop sound of the prop blades was getting louder. Army pilots had made this run into Restropo and its sandy, arid mountains of Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley hundreds of times. This mission would be no different. Stay low, get in, get out, and do it quickly.

As an Army Major, Catholic priest, and Chaplain, I knew the drill. Full combat gear – helmet, flak jacket, protective goggles to keep the flying dust and sand out of my eyes. My job…run like crazy, jump into the chopper, and get out of there before some sniper a thousand meters away could take aim and fire.

As I strained my eyes to pick up a glimpse of my ride back to our main base in Jallahbad, the massive Chinook peeked briefly above one of the nearby ridges, slipped out of sight down a short ravine, lumbered up and over a small hill and roared into its landing zone. As the aircraft hovered over the uneven ground, I rose up from my crouching position and started moving toward the monstrous aircraft about 35 meters in front of me. The terrain was rocky and uneven. My path to the chopper included a 15 meter sprint across the side of a hill.

Then it happened. And all so unexpectedly. Running with my head low as quickly as I could, I fell. The first time it seemed as if I had rolled my ankle on a small stone. But, when I got up, it happened again. This time as I smacked the ground I seemed to bounce and ricochet around the Afghan rocks like a stray bullet. My foot felt floppy. No stability, some sudden and unexplained weakness.

The helicopter was still hovering, rotor blades whirling mightily. The crew was yelling for me to hurry. I couldn’t hear them over the engine noise, but I knew what they were saying. If I could have seen their eyes through their dark visors, I know they would have looks of desperation in them. This was not the time to alter the plan. But, I couldn’t get up.

The chopper crew knew (and I knew, too) they had to get out of there. In a war zone time misspent was an enemy’s best friend. Even this Catholic priest couldn’t keep the pilot from delaying the mission for more than a few extra and precious seconds. Feeling almost paralyzed, I knew the pilot had no choice. With fear beginning to gain the upper hand, I watched helplessly as the chopper lifted up, twirled around and made a beeline for a nearby ridge. All I could do was lie on the rocky ground, shielding myself from the rotor wash.

Now what? My heart was racing. The sound of my pulse was pounding in my ears. I knew the chopper crew would have radioed its status and help would soon be on the way. But, I was now out in the open, exposed to any enemy combatants in the area. As I scratched and crawled my way behind some larger rocks, I heard the chopper again. The familiar wop-wop-wop of the helicopter steadily grew louder. They were coming back to try again. But, I needed to get there this time. No excuses. As the Chinook swooped in, I crawled from behind the rocks and dragged myself on all fours to the vehicle’s open door. With a bear-like grip, one crew member grabbed the back of my flak jacket and in one continuous motion lifted me up and into the helicopter. The pilot was already swinging the nose around. We were in the air and headed back.

Near breathless in the rear of the giant Chinook, I was thankful we were on our way out of this barren, stark combat zone. But, I wondered! What was going on? Why would my leg and foot suddenly give out? What could this be?

There would be no answers. At least, not today. As it turned out, there would be no answers for many, many months. What I didn’t know then was this would be the first sign of what doctors would eventually diagnose as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Medically it’s known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. More simply it’s called ALS, a fatal illness that impacts the nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. ALS would end the career of baseball Hall of Fame legend and New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig. His high profile battle with the dreaded disease would forever associate his name with the illness.

That day in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan would begin an intense time of encounter not only with my own mortality, but also with the God of the Universe. It would force me to confront my own fears of suffering and death. This diagnosis of ALS would teach me about things like trust. I would also discover an extraordinary peace of mind and heart…knowing always that Jesus Himself in his own suffering and death would lead me and show me how to live…truly live in the midst of my own suffering and pain.

This would begin a journey that I would not wish on anyone, but a journey that I would never ask to change.

So, what do you think? A good story?

Immovable in the Hands of the Sculptor - A Reprise

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:15:00 GMT

I was thinking the other day that it might be time to post one of my favorite quotes again. I think this may become an annual affair – a simple reminder the Creator of the Universe knows exactly what He is doing even when the chaos of our lives might seem to indicate otherwise.

This is from Abandonment to Divine Providence. Its author is a French priest named Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade. What follows comes from page 82 of the translation I have.

“It is true that a canvas simply and blindly offered to the brush feels at each moment only the stroke of the brush. It is the same with a lump of stone. Each blow from the hammering of the sculptor’s chisel makes it feel – if it could – as if it were being destroyed. As blow after blow descends, the stone knows nothing of how the sculptor is shaping it. All it feels is a chisel chopping away at it, cutting it and mutilating it. For example, let’s take a piece of stone destined to be carved into a crucifix or a statue. We might ask it: ‘What do you think is happening to you?’ And, it might answer: ‘Don’t ask me. All I know is that I must stay immovable in the hands of the sculptor, and I must love him and endure all he inflicts on me to produce the figure he has in mind. He knows how to do it. As for me, I have no idea what he is doing, nor do I know what he will make of me. But what I do know is that his work is the best possible. It is perfect. I welcome each blow of his chisel as the best thing that could happen to me, although, if I’m to be truthful, I feel that every one of these blows is ruining me, destroying me and disfiguring me. But, I remain unconcerned. I concentrate on the present moment, think only of my duty, and suffer all that this master sculptor inflicts on me without knowing his purpose or fretting about it.”

The question of the day for all of us – can we quit squirming and trust completely in God’s Divine Providence?

Eatiing and Sleeping with the Lord

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:28:00 GMT

Virtually every morning I am home I begin the day with morning prayer. There is a white leather wingback chair in our living room I use as my prayer chair. It’s sort of what I like to call “camping out with the Lord.”

Every once in a great while, when I take some time for breakfast, I find myself wandering into the living room to eat my bowl of cereal. Well, a few weeks ago, one of our young granddaughters, Mallory, walked in to see what I was doing. At the time our son, his wife and their three daughters were living with us, while they were waiting to move into their new home. Mallory at age seven is the oldest.

When Mallory saw me sitting in the living room eating my breakfast, she proceeded to tell me in a somewhat scolding, I-know-what-I'm-talking-about kind of voice that I was not supposed to be eating my cereal in the living room. Admittedly a bit perturbed at her bold tone of voice, I told her (as calmly as I could) that I don't do this very often. She didn’t miss a beat and went on quickly to tell me again that I should be eating my cereal in the kitchen.

So I began to tell her (again as calmly as I could) that this is where I pray every morning and that sometimes it felt kind of good to be able to come in to the living room, sit in my prayer chair, and eat my cereal.

I said, “You know, Mallory, it’s kind of like eating with the Lord.” That somewhat amazingly seemed to satisfy her. She turned around and walked out.

It was a few days later…Wednesday afternoon, to be exact. As an aside, you need to know that I never really know what Wednesdays are going to bring my way, especially during the afternoon. You see, every Wednesday morning at 2 AM I go up to our local Catholic church and spend an hour in our Adoration Chapel praying before the Blessed Sacrament. If I don't get back to sleep quickly when I get home, sometimes I get a little tired later in the afternoon. (Others might tell you that I get a little cranky in the afternoon!)

So, that particular Wednesday afternoon I was tired and decided I would try to catch a short power nap in the living room. Mallory apparently walked in and saw me on the couch a few feet away from my prayer chair. She quickly turned around, hurried in to our family room and proclaimed in a somewhat loud voice to her mother and my wife, Judy, “Hey, guess what? Papa is sleeping with the Lord.”

I still smile when I think of her wonderful innocence to see sometimes what we can’t see. I suppose if you can pray with the Lord and eat with the Lord, then you can sleep with the Lord, too. Amen +++

Healing the Family Tree

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:48:00 GMT

The other day on our radio program, The Inner Life, Fr. Mark Baron, MIC explored the healing we all need from the wounds created by our family…by those relatives who are alive today and by those ancestors who have died. He offered a prayer we can all say, but especially during the Consecration of Our Lord’s Body and Precious Blood during the Celebration of the Mass.

These are the specific words Fr. Mark said we should pray to break the wounds of our past.

“Go back ten generations. When the priest elevates the Sacred Host, say ‘Lord, plant your Cross in between the past ten generations of my family tree that your Cross may be planted there and break anything of evil that is being passed down.’ Then when the Precious Blood is offered and elevated by the priest, say, ‘Lord, pour your Blood down, in and through the past ten generations of my family tree that it can be cleansed of any pollution of evil that has been passed down.’ And, just keep on doing that with great faith and love.”

A powerful prayer for healing the wounds of our family.

By the way, if you want to hear the entire program, check out the audio archives for The Inner Life from November 17, 2011 at www.relevantradio.com. +++

An Open Letter to Our Children

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:25:00 GMT

            Someone once said that in many ways you, as our children, have really only been loaned to us parents. You are “ours” only for a fleeting instance in this adventure we know as life. As we parents enter and prepare to move through the autumn of our lives, you are starting to enter your springtime…the years of great promise and sure hope. You are now shaping your lives to be what you dreamed they would be. And, all of us pray and hope and dream right beside you that life will be full and that it will treat you well…with the gentleness and the kindness you would hope for yourself and, no doubt, for one another.
            As you probably know, we parents share our lives together in a faith sharing community. We meet one night a week (generally Wednesday, although during the summer our night is Monday). Simply stated, we pray together. We share our lives with one another.
It’s probably something we need, because (to steal a line from “The Road Less Traveled”) life is difficult. The path in front of us is sometimes frightening and steep. The journey often feels treacherous and uncertain. Getting together on a regular basis is probably something we do, because if we didn’t, the loneliness of walking through life by ourselves would be potentially unbearable and only add fuel to our inherent selfishness. We think that having a way to share our lives with one another makes us better people. It gives us courage to know we are not alone in our walk of faith and the struggles of life.
            So, what’s this letter all about anyway? Quite simply, we wanted you to know that we are praying for you. Every day of every week of every year, someone in our small group is praying for all of you. Whether you may still be living at home or residing in another part of the country or even half way around the world, you are still “ours” – part of our family, part of our circle of concern. Even as our adult children…even through our aging eyes…you continue to be precious to us. The treasure that you are to us has never diminished. It remains constant.
            One of our prayers is that you may understand the truth of our being. Pontius Pilate asked the question of Jesus before his crucifixion: what is truth? It’s probably a question we all ask in one way or another…and a question we all ultimately will have to answer in one way or another. The reality is that spirituality is the very core of our being. There is a famous quote that puts a lot of life in context. “We have to remember that we are not human beings having spiritual experiences. Rather we are spiritual beings having human experiences.”
            So, when life for you becomes difficult,
    when you are faced with the steep parts of your own journey,
    when you don’t know what to do with your fears, your insecurity,
    your loneliness, the dark parts of your own life,
    please remember that each and every day of the week
    someone somewhere is praying for you…
    hoping for the best and asking the God who created all of us to be with you, to bless you, to touch your life with love and hope and the peace of Christ.
            We also hope that when life feels good and things are going your way (as they often will) that you will pause for a moment to recognize that the Hand of God has gifted you with yet another one of life’s many blessings. God has a habit of doing that, we’ve discovered. He is a good and gracious God and has great plans for all of your lives. We pray you may trust in Him always.
            We love you…more than you know. May God bless you and keep you always…
and forever.

St. Francis de Sales

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:47:00 GMT

St. Francis de Sales is the Patron Saint of journalists. Being a broadcast journalist, I am finding St. Francis to be a source of great inspiration. One of those Saints these days who seems front and center in my life!

I was reading something he said the other day about his journey of faith. He said all he needs is his rosary, his breviary, and his pen. How simple and what power in the simplicity of that! What do we need on our journey of faith in our respective missions to serve the Lord? Whatever it is, let's all decide to keep is simple. Amen +++

Sunrises

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The middle weeks of July and summer is now firming up its grip on the days before us. Hot, humid, muggy. As I headed out for a four-mile run this morning, a gentle breeze made the morning rather delightful. The sun began its upward climb and the blue sky became bluer - the white clouds, whiter.

I had been thinking about sunrises quite a lot the past few months. There is no way of proving it, but it seems highly probable that from the beginning of time no sunrise anywhere has ever been duplicated exactly the same. Just like the day beginning now, it has never been duplicated. Every tomorrow will also be different, which says to me that each day - this day and all of our tomorrows - are, indeed, gifts. Gifts to be opened with care and then lived to the fullest.

So, the choices we make, the actions we take, the words we speak on this day can either give live...or take life. Let's take the gift of this day and work to give life to everyone we meet and every situation we encounter. It's a day unlike any other - a true gift from God. Thank you, Lord. Amen +++

Faith, Hope and Love

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:45:00 GMT

Faith, hope and love - the three theological virtues. I was reading the other day and for the life of me cannot remember who said it. But, it was a great insight about "only love would remain." Scripture tells us that God is love. On that day we finally meet Him face to face, we will not need faith. Our faith will have been justified. And, we will not need hope, because our hope will have been realized.

That leaves only love. Then love is all we have and all we need. We will see and know and experience Love...God alone, the way God intended from the beginning.

We will have it all - the Truth and Love of God Almighty. Amen+++

"Don't Drink the Holy Water"

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

"Don't Drink the Holy Water" - that's the title of Fr. Joe Kempf's latest book and DVD series with his big furry friend, Big Al. Our production company, the Salt River Production Group, has the great privilege of producing it for Fr. Joe and Liguori Publications. The videography is complete. Editing is underway. The release date is scheduled for early Fall.

We hear so often about the lack of catechesis. But, Fr. Joe and his team of workers at Gospel Values is out to help change that. The program is a series of 20 prayers helping children understand what the Catholic Church teaches about the Mass.

The first prayer is called Sunday is a Special Day. This is an excerpt.

Sunday is a special day
To stop; to love; to pray.
You call us to the Mass, dear God
The best part of our day

For more information, check out Fr. Joe's website: www.welovebigal.com. Also, Liguori Publications is the publisher and distributor for the book and the DVD series. This is the website for Liguori: www.liguori.org.

As Fr. Joe, Big Al, and all the children like to say at the end of each prayer...Amen, Amen, Amen. +++