BIG C CATHOLICS

God sends such purgations to you, directors of consciences, that you may acquire the science of the saints and the art of directing souls. You will suffer also in another way. Love will be your executioner. Let it do its work; it knows how. In this martyrdom we have need of extraordinary grace and strength; but God will bestow it. Without this divine help it would be impossible to bear up. — St. Paul of the Cross _________________________________ Prayer for St. Paul of the Cross' Intercession May your Priest Saint Paul, whose only love was the Cross, obtain for us your grace, O Lord, so that, urged on more strongly by his example and constant intercession, we may each embrace our own cross with unreserved courage and fidelity, so as to emulate our Divine Savior. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.

On October 13, 1973, Our Lady of Akita (Japan) told the visionary Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa that heresy would occur within the Catholic Church: "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their conferees (other priests)... The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord." Our Lady concluded with these hopeful words, echoing her message at Fatima: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved." Holy Mary, pray that the Church remains faithful starting with ourselves. _____________________________________________ Prayer for a Holy Church and Priests O my Jesus, I beg You on

Fr. Vincent F. Kienberger, O.P. [August 4th, is the memorial of St. John Vianney.] During the French Revolution, a small band of Ursuline nuns was imprisoned in the Bastille. To cheer her disconsolate companions, one of the group passed wheaten discs of bread, cut from the loaf of the daily rations, to memorialize the happy days when they were free and could receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. At that time all religious schools and churches were closed, and those who harbored priests were imprisoned. At the Vianney farmhouse near Dardilly, France, fugitive priests were offered a refuge. Here their son was prepared in his tenth year for the reception of Holy Communion by a hunted priest. While tending his father's sheep, John Vianney fashioned a small statue of Our Lady out of clay. He hid it in the hollow of an old tree with this petition: "Dear Lady Mary, I love you very much; you must bring Jesus back to His tabernacles very soon!" On a visit to his aunt at

June 23rd The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. In addition to the sacred liturgical celebration, many devotional exercises are connected with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Of all devotions, devotion to the Sacred Heart was, and remains, one of the most widespread and popular in the Church extending from ancient times to the present. Since the priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus, we especially remember both individual priests and the ministerial priesthood on this occasion. Understood in the light of Scripture, the term "Sacred Heart of Jesus" denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being, and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The "Sacred Heart" is Christ, the Word Incarnate, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an in

The Priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus. — St. John Vianney ______________________________________________ In reflecting upon this profound insight from the  Curé d'Ars , the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI observed, “This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself.” Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may worthily receive our measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts.

On May 4, 2017, it was announced that His Holiness Pope Francis had approved the beatification of Venerable Father Solanus Casey (1870 – 1957), a priest and professed member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order of St. Joseph, who served in Detroit, Michigan. A miracle attributed to Casey’s intercession paved the way for his beatification. Detroit's Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, reflected on the decree : The beatification of Father Solanus Casey is an incomparable grace for the Church in the Archdiocese of Detroit and for the whole community of Southeast Michigan. He is an inspiration to all us Catholics – and to all – of the power of grace to transform one’s life. Venerable Solanus Casey was born, Bernie Francis Casey, in 1870, in Oak Grove Wisconsin. As a Franciscan Capuchin priest, he was known for his great faith, humility and role as spiritual counselor and intercessor. After holding numerous jobs, (the last of which he witnessed a woman’s brutal murder) he answered a call t

The Last Supper, Juan de Juanes, 1562, Museo del Prado, Madrid. April 13, 2017 On Holy Thursday, the Mass of Chrism is celebrated by the diocesan Bishop with his priests as concelebrants. Together they renew their priestly vows, manifesting the communion and unity of faith between the priests and their prelate. Thursday evening, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is offered, which duly celebrates the Last Supper of Jesus and His apostles on the night He was betrayed. At the Mass, the priest washes the feet of twelve individuals, just as Jesus did to give the apostles an example of priestly service. Holy Thursday is indeed an inextricable part of the salvific event of worship that is the Triduum as Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois explains: "Holy Thursday is sometimes lost among the more popular feasts of Good Friday and of course Easter itself. The Sacred Triduum begins with the Mass of Holy Thursday evening. The opening procession, much like any Sunday opening procession, include

The Last Supper , Juan de Juanes, 1562, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, April 13, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois  Ezekiel 12:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 116:1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15  “I have given you a model to follow, so that  as I have done for you,  you should also do.” (John 13:15) As a child growing up at Sacred Heart Parish in Bennington, Vermont, I remember one particular Holy Thursday Mass in which Holy Cross Father Richard Sullivan, former president of Stonehill College and a longtime friend of Sacred Heart Parish, preached that Holy Thursday was the birthday of the Eucharist. There would be no birthday cake or candles; this birth would be celebrated by going back to the roots of Christianity, to the Lord’s Last Supper, to that night in which Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood. Indeed, Holy Thursday is sometimes lost among the more popular feasts of Good Friday and of course Easter itsel

Lord Jesus, as once you called the first disciples and made them fishers of men, continue to let resound today your sweet invitation: "Come, and follow me." Grant to men and women in our day the grace and trust to respond to your voice. Sustain our bishops, priests, and consecrated souls in their apostolic work. Give perseverance to our seminarians and to all those living a life of total consecration to your service. Enkindle in our communities missionary zeal. Send, Lord, workers into your fields to feed and guide your flock as Good Shepherds in imitation of You. Mary, mother of the Church and model of vocations, help us to say "YES" to the Lord who calls each one of us to play our part in His plan of salvation. Amen. — St. John Paul II

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) God asked Abraham to leave his land, take everything and everyone with him and move to a new land. Later God asked Moses to take the Hebrews from Egypt into a promised new land. And Jesus? Well, He too had to leave Joseph and Mary back in Nazareth and begin his mission out on the road. Jesus once remarked: “The foxes have their dens and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” And when He was crucified and died, He didn’t even have a tomb of His own. One of the hardest things I face as a priest is not having my own home, a place I can call my own. My only home is the Church. My only family is all of you… along with all of the other members of Christ’s family throughout the world. Many people today experience homelessness. Lots of people, even young kids, live out in the streets. Many members of gangs belong to gangs because they are looki

Our priests are the busiest people we know. They labor tirelessly in serving the congregations that are entrusted to them and spreading the Good News of Christ. Does your priest deserve a break? Would he enjoy a retreat with Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows? Tell him about our Priests Retreat and Conference. Retreat and Conference Details Living Sacrifice: The Priesthood in Scripture July 10th-13th, 2017 The Old and New Testaments provide more than enough practical information on the office of priesthood. But just as abundant is the spiritual wealth that Scripture contains for the heart of every pastor. Join the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology as Drs. Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, Brant Pitre, and Fr. Pablo Gadenz address the centrality of the Word of God in the life and ministry of the Priest. The conference, for Catholic Priests, will take place on July 10-13, 2017 at the 4 star Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, WV. Registration is $550

Although it has not published in several years, January's blog of note is Roman Catholic Vocations . Prior to the internet, deciding on which religious order to enter, for one called, was decidedly more serendipitous, if not almost entirely providential. While God has always chosen whom he wills, the notion of entering one religious community over another was owed more to immediate experience, personal encounters or geography than inclination, although the later played a role. At least, this was the case among the religious of previous generations. Modern technology allows current day discerners to simply serf for the best fit. Whether you feel called to be a cloistered nun or a mendicant brother, a diocesan priest or to marriage, Roman Catholic Vocations has something to offer. Faithful to the Magisterium, it's content features prayers, reflections, countless men's and women's religious vocation links and videos. From below the website's masthead: "If

January 31st, is the memorial of Saint John Bosco (1815 – 1888), popularly known as Don Bosco, the 19th century Italian priest, founder, educator and writer, who, as the “Apostle of Youth”, reached out to the marginalized young in establishing religious orders, such as the Salesian Congregation. The Salesians are a community of consecrated brothers and priests that evangelize and educate youth, especially those who are poor and at risk. Don Bosco’s instructional methods departed from the standard of his day in stressing love, kindness, persuasion and authentic religiosity, not strictness and corporal punishments. From an early age, John Bosco knew he was called to the priesthood. When he was 9 years old, he received a series of dreams in which he was told, "You will win friends with kindness and gentleness. You must show people that sin is ugly and goodness beautiful." He once dreamt about stopping a fight between two boys. When separating them didn't work, he used h

Emmaus Road Publishing has put together six of their favorite titles which are sure to inspire, encourage, and enlighten our spiritual fathers. Buy the whole bundle, and you’ll receive $40 off . The bundle includes Jesus is the Gift by Regis Flaherty, Joy to the World by Scott Hahn, Reading the Sermons of Thomas Aquinas by Randall B. Smith, and Speaking the Love of God by Jacob W. Wood, plus: The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations : Fr. Thomas Lane’s probing examination of the changed understanding of the priesthood that followed Christ’s death and resurrection. The Sacred Conversation: The Art of Catholic Preaching and the New Evangelization : Fr. Joseph Mele’s engaging guide to the "why" and "how of sound homiletics. Looking for a bigger gift? Consider sponsoring your priest for their week-long priest's conference in July 2017. Check out the details here and ask your priest if he's interested in attending. Select Emmaus Road Publishin

During an in-flight press conference aboard the papal plane, returning to the Vatican from his recent visit to Sweden, His Holiness Pope Francis, was asked a series of questions, among them whether women could ever be ordained to the Catholic priesthood. His answer states that women cannot be ordained; either to the priesthood or the diaconate. Below is said exchange translated by Catholic News Agency : Kristina Kappellin: "Good morning. The Sweden that hosted this important ecumenical encounter has a woman as head of it’s own Church. What do you think: is it realistic to think of women priests also in the Catholic Church in the coming decades? And if not, why are Catholic priests afraid of competition?" Pope Francis: "Reading the history a bit in the area where we were, I saw that there was a queen who was widowed three times. And I said: but, this woman is strong, and they told me: Swedish women are very strong, very good. And because of this some Swedish man looks

Editor's note: Each Tuesday we will feature posts discussing Saint John Paul the Great's Theology of the Body; his reflection on our nature and life as persons made in the image and likeness of God, conjugal love, the meaning of celibacy, and the eternal beatitude to which every human being is called.  ________________________ Men were made to love women just as women were made to love men. We were all made to love as God loves. To love the way God loves is to love completely, holding nothing back. Adam and Eve knew this immediately upon seeing each other for the first time. It is inscribed in our bodies; their very physicality speaks this truth. Sex is sacred. It must be protected and revered as a holy and mysterious union. Women express the unrepeatable feminine incarnations of the human person that they are when they love their husbands. In so doing they honor and love God. Men express the unrepeatable masculine incarnations of the human person that they are when t

September 23rd, is the memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, (1887-1968) better known as Padre Pio, the 20th century Capuchin priest, stigmatic and mystic, who during his lifetime, was a spiritual father to innumerable souls. He is the only priest in the history of the Church to receive the stigma — the divine marks of predilection — from our Lord’s Passion and Death. For much of his priesthood, Padre Pio suffered the spiritual, emotional and physical anguish of Christ’s holy wounds. In addition, he was given the miraculous gifts of bilocation, transverberation, (a divine piercing of the heart indicating union with God) the odor of sanctity, the ability to read souls, the ability to see and communicate with spiritual beings, (i.e. guardian angels, demons, the departed) and the capacity to write and comprehend languages foreign to him. Moreover, his brother Capuchins testified under oath that he levitated, healed by touch, and experienced divine ecstasies while praying, as well as,

Former Vatican exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, has died at the age of 91 . A priest of the diocese of Rome and a member of the Paulist Order, he performed more than 70,000 exorcisms over the past three decades. The outspoken servant of God shared his insights through books, interviews and presentations on the demonic and combating evil — gathered from his time as an exorcist. We have previously featured Fr. Amorth's wisdom in the following posts: Vatican's Chief Exorcist, Fr. Amorth, Reveals Secrets of Hell, Says the Devil is Behind ISIS Don’t Blame Hell on God. It was Satan’s Idea. An Exorcist Tells His Story: Fr. Gabriele Amorth on the Power of Satan Interview with an Exorcist: How the Devil Harms the Living And What We Can Do to Defend Ourselves Exorcism: Separating Fact from Fiction. 3 Exorcists Discuss This Rite of the Church Father Gabriele Amorth, a devoted priest, has passed into eternal life. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light

August 12, 2016 Saint John Vianney dedicated his priesthood to rooting out and defeating sin. He preached of God's mercy and dispensed it in the confessional. He longed for the conversion of all souls to Christ. May we turn our hearts to God with joy, knowing that He loves us completely and desires only what is good for us. Novena Prayer, Day Nine: St. John Vianney, you never let an opportunity to enlighten people and save souls pass you by. Through your efforts, many people have experienced moral and spiritual renewal. Pray that God grant me the same zeal to make His love known to all my neighbors, so that all of us may learn to despise all forms of sin. Let all my actions reveal an awakened love of God by through my interactions with my fellow men. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (here mention your special intention) St. John Vianney, Pr

August 11, 2016 Today let's pray that we may imitate the simplicity of St. John Vianney's life. He focused his whole heart and mind on the Lord. Today, let us pray that we may do the same. Novena Prayer, Day Eight: St. John Vianney, you lived a simple and austere life, preferring to store riches in heaven. You never turned your back to any of the poor people needing your assistance. Pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten me and remain with me always so that I too may learn to forego material possessions to earn God’s grace. May I always value my spiritual health over all the wealth in the world. Believing in the power of your kind intercession, I humbly ask you to pray for me and the special intention I am hoping God will grant me through this novena. (here mention your special intention) St. John Vianney, Priest of Ars, pray for our priests, and pray for us. Amen. Prayer in Honor of St. John Vianney Almighty and merciful God, who made the Priest Saint John Via