Time for a "Resurrection"

I know, Easter is still about 8 weeks away! In this case we're talking resurrection of my blog. I've got some  exciting stuff coming up in the next few weeks and missed sharing some other things in the recent past. 

One of the upcoming events is the 5th annual "Men's Spirituality Conference", aka "Man up Philly", which is being held on Saturday March 3 at Archbishop Ryan High School in northeast Philadelphia. We anticipate well over 1,000 men will attend this year. I did a "pulpit talk" at all the Masses at my parish over the weekend and quite a few men said they would either sign up or consider signing up. Just being there will bring a joy to you that is hard to explain. To see this many men in one place who share a love for God and His Catholic church is both reassuring and invigorating.

Men have a very difficult time talking with other men about personal things. And nothing is more personal than a person's relationship with God. When we finally open the door just a little and begin to talk to other men about our faith we realize that we are not alone in our struggles: struggles to balance home and work-life, family and friends, and sometimes our faith and the rest of our lives. Learning that our faith is not a distinct part of our life but an integral part of every other part of our lives is something I have learned over the years. Learning how other men have started to accomplish this tells me that I can, too! Sitting at home watching TV, reading a book or hanging out with the family is not how I learned this. Stepping out and becoming a part of this conference, in addition to a few other activities in my life did!

All the details for the weekend can be found at www.manupphilly.com. Please consider joining us for what should be the best conference to date!

Feast of the Assumption

On Sunday we celebrated the feat of Mary's Assumption into Heaven. The pastor at my local parish gave an insightful homily about a painting by Annibale Caracci depicting the Assumption. I am including the painting and his homily as I thought it worth sharing.

I. Many paintings of the Assumption by the great Masters like Titian and Rubens show Mary floating upward carried by angels. Her eyes rolled up to heaven, her ties to earth...and us, almost completely severed. Peoplestanding below look up longingly, reaching to touch her robe-but it’s too late. Mary has already left them behind. In these kind of paintings Mary is our mother-but remote; she seems untouched by our pain and need, unaware of our dreams. The paintings are lovely but somehow emotionally unsatisfying; glorious but a little unnerving.

II. There is a less known painting of “the Assumption” by Annibale Caracci which hangs in the church of Santa Maria del populo in Rome-which fittingly means St. Mary of the people. In this painting Mary looks different. Like a brave woman who traveled a unknown wilderness in her life. She has a clear gaze and looks straight ahead into a horizon the viewer cannot see. She has the look of a woman who has studied the map and learned every twist and turn in the emotional and spiritual path of her inner life, yet knows she will arrive safely right on time. The Virgin’s arms are outstretched like wings in flight embracing other people in the picture, carrying them along. A young man enfolded in her robe, I assume St. John, gazes at her face in awe, but her own eyes remain fixed on her destination...and ours.

III. Caracci’s Assumption carries a strong message. This is a woman we can trust; her life is a model for our won. We may never suffer her challenge or loss, but we can meet our own with her strength and courage. God may not ask of us what He asked of Mary, but our “yes” can resonate just as courageously in the face of life’s trials. May is as real as the woman Caracci painted 400 years ago. Her robes are generous enough to enfold us. Her vision is clear enough to guide us; her heart big enough to embrace us.

Never in a Million Years.......

Have you ever had a moment where you just step back and say "WOW! How did I get here?"

I had this happen this week as a direct result of a great weekend in Omaha, Nebraska of all places! Omaha was the site of this year's national convention of the The International Calix Society. Approximately 40 members of the Calix Society gathered at Creighton University in Omaha for a weekend of fellowship and talks about alcoholism, addicition. spirituality and the Catholc faith. The talks and fellowship were top notch.

On Friday evening we made a trip out to Boystown, where Fr. Flanagan began a fantastic ministry for boys in need of a "little" driection. The main thought I came away with is that this was one man's dream and today there are 500 boys and girls living in "family" settings at Boystown and many of them will be successful in life as a direct result of Boystown.

On Saturday afternoon is when the Calix Society has its anual business meeting to review the goings on of the society. Every two years they hold elections for the board of directors, president and vice president. A few months ago I had been nominated for the office of president and since there were no other nominees I have been given the opportunity to serve as president of this great organization.

The WOW moment is this: Almost 19 years ago my life was a wreck. I had reached "the bottom" of my desperate situation that consisted of drinking, lying, resentment, fear, anger, you name it! There was no time for God in my life and I didn't believe that God would ever want anything to do with me again. It was through divine intervention that I managed to find sobriety and through the twelve steps I made my way back to my Catholic faith and through both that I found the Calix Society. It's only three years since some friends and I started the first Calix group in Philadelphia. Since January 2007 we have expanded to 3 groups and are slowly spreading the word about Calix. This past weekend's events served as confirmation that Calix is now alive and well in Philadelphia and we are on our way to helping many Catholic (and non-Catholic) alcoholics and addicts achieve the great spritiual experience that is required to permanently recover from a "seemingly hopeless state of mind and body".

Read more about Calix in Philadelphia at http://www.philly-calix.com/

Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary

A couple weeks ago on Facebook I received, of all things, an invitation to consider making a Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary. Much has been written about St. Louis deMontfort and this consecration so I will not expound on it here. Except to say that on the day I received the invitation I also found the little book with the readings and prayers that are used in preparation for making the consecration. As of today I am on Day 16 of the preparation.

I also told a friend about the consecration. Little did I know that they, too, had previously made the consecration to Mary through the Militia of the Immaculata! I did that consecration back in the mid-90's but am really being drawn to do the deMontfort consecration and God knows I can use all the help I can get.

Merry Christmas to All

Just wanted to wish anyone that drops by here a Merry Christmas!

I went to our children's Christmas event back on the 16th. The event itself was great but there were a couple people in the pew behind me discussing how great it would be to wake up tomorrow and have it be December 26th! It reminded me of that movie "Skipping Christmas". It also made me very grateful to be looking forward to Christmas this year and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

May all of you find peace and joy in knowing that, indeed, our Savior has been born!

The Inexhaustible Cup

I took a few minutes this afternoon to run through a couple of the blogs that I frequent (see the list/links at bottom left). Since today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception many are posting article about Our Mother (Jesus' words, not mine! cf John 19:26-27). Over at "The Way of Our Fathers", Mike Aquilina had posted short piece entitled "Immaculate" to which a poster made a comment, "I’m sure you will find the 'Akathist to the Theotokos' of value, as well.


I tried to use the link but it was a dead-end so I started poking around at Monachos.net and found the right link. Give it a read, I think you'll enjoy it, too.

Then I did a Google search on "Akathist to the Theotokos" to see what else I could learn. I am not real familiar with the icons of the Orthodox Church though I find them beautiful. Our pastor had a beautiful one painted for our parish Church. So I started looking at the Google "hits" and found the beautiful icon above, Theotocos The Inexhaustible Cup. There is a wonderful story of recovery from "drunkenness" associated with the icon you can read here. The link also has the "Akathist", or hymn, associated with the icon which I think you will find equally beautiful.

I have been collecting religious items to eventually adorn the quiet room I intend to construct in my home and this icon will definitely be a part of it. Gotta run over to eBay now and find it!

True Freedom

Have you ever had one of those periods where a particular theme seems to be hammering away at you? I had that happen over the weekend and the theme was Freedom!

A couple of very close recovery friends and I travelled on Saturday to York, PA where we attended the monthly Calix Mass for the York group. We were blessed to have Bishop Kevin Rhoades, formerly of the Harrisburg Diocese and now with the Ft. Wayne/South Bend diocese of Indiana, as our celebrant.

During the two hour car ride the topic of freedom came up. Not the kind of freedom where a person is able "to do their own thing". Rather, the freedom to do what is right! Sobriety and Jesus Christ do exactly that. They give us the freedom to do the next right thing. Though we have the freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want, addictions take away that freedom. When we are able to find the 12 Steps and a spirituality that works, we now have the freedom to do what God intended for us to do from the beginning of time! We must exercise that freedom wisely, praying always "for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out".

As the conversation wrapped up in the car I played a couple songs from Darrell Evan's greatest hits CD, one of which was Freedom! You can give a listen here and the lyrics are short enough that I will post them:

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom
Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom
There is peace there is love there is joy
It is for freedom you’ve set us free
It is for freedom you’ve set us free

CHORUS:
I’m free, I’m free

We will walk in your freedom walk in your liberty
We will walk in your freedom walk in your liberty
We will dance in your freedom dance in your liberty
We will dance in your freedom dance in your liberty

Then we get to St. Patrick's in York to celebrate Mass. The Opening Prayer during the liturgy was:

"God our Father,
you loved the world so much
you gave your only Son to free us
from the ancient power of sin and death.
Help us who wait for his coming
and lead us to true liberty.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. AMEN!"

During Bishop Rhoades' wonderful homily he emphasized the freedom Jesus wants us to have. This freedom is not only gotten through the 12 Steps but, even more importantly, through the sacraments of the Catholic faith, primarily confession and the Eucharist.

I owe a debt of thanks to both the York group and Bishop Rhoades for driving home this theme for me this weekend. My prayer is that you will find His freedom, too!