BIG C CATHOLICS

By Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America (Isaiah 25:6-10; Philippians 4:12-20; Matthew 22:1-14) “On this mountain,” proclaims Isaiah, “the Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove.” In telling the story of La Salette, we invariably speak of a mountain, of tears, and reproaches. In tears on that mountain, the Blessed Virgin Mary reproached her people especially for their lack of a living faith. Another image in common between La Salette and this reading from Isaiah, and with the Gospel, is the banquet. It occurs explicitly in Isaiah and Matthew, and implicitly in Our Lady’s message, when she speaks of the Mass. On the Mountain of La Salette she reminds us of the feast that the Lord has provided in the Eucharist. The identification of the Eucharist as a banquet goes back at least as far as St. Augustine, who died in the year 430 AD. He wrote: “You are seated at a great

Memorial - September 30th Anyone who ran afoul of Saint Jerome would not be likely to soon forget it. This formidable Doctor of the Church was as well known for his sarcastic tongue and blunt correspondences as he was for his redoubtable scholarship. The former was aimed at those who taught heresy or who did not uphold the moral standards of the Church. The latter led to his translation of the Bible into Latin, the common language at the time. That translation, the Vulgate, is the Church's official text. Saint Jerome was born Eusebius Hieronymous Sophronius in the year c. 342, in Dalmatia, a region of Croatia. His father, who was a Christian, saw to it that his son was well educated in terms of both faith and academics. Jerome’s instruction began at home, but when he got older, his father sent him to Rome to study with some of the best pagan and Christian scholars of the day. However, as most young men will, Jerome spent at least part of his early youth indulging in life’s

Feast Day - September 14th The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, recalls the retrieval of the Holy Cross, which had been found and preserved by Saint Helena. It commemorates three distinct historical events: the finding of the True Cross, its return in the 7th century, and its ineffable power as the instrument of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and our salvation. Regarding the later, our Savior's crucifixion imbues human suffering with dignity and divine purpose. Here is a reflection by Father René Butler, M.S., from his homily on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) What do Judas, and the leaders of the Sanhedrin, and Pontius Pilate, all have in common with God the Father? You might find the question confusing, even bizarre, if not downright blasphemous, but the idea came to me when reading a comm

(In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) September 10th, is traditionally the feast of Saint Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555), the 16th century Spanish Augustinian friar, theologian and bishop. Given his habits and proclivities, some thought him "eccentric," despite his brilliance and the universal praise of his students and colleagues. Thomas’ intellectual legacy is marked by his insistence that learning be inspired by the desire for God. From his parents, he inherited a special love for the poor and deep compassion. Thomas García was born the son of a miller in Fuenllana, a village near Villanova in Spain. From a young age, he exhibited a great proclivity for personal piety and scholarship. His mother’s example of charity toward the poor inspired in him a lifelong mission to aid the needy. He studied at the University of Alcalá where he received his master’s degree in 1509, and a doctorate shortly thereafter. In 1512, he became a professor of phil

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings. )  I have always thought I would like to be on a jury. There is something fascinating about trying to find the truth amid the conflicting claims. I was called to a jury pool only once, but it was a Friday, and by 1:00 p.m. everyone was sent home. The scenario in today’s Gospel at first seems the same. But in this case I would not be at all interested. What is the difference? A jury is anonymous, unacquainted with the persons involved, and can ideally be objective. In a local Christian community, however, people know each other, have personal opinions on the issues, etc. I am told (but have been unable to verify) that there was a time in French Canada that Catholic families would take their disputes to the pastor for him to adjudicate. Often enough the result was disastrous, not resolving the issue but only creating hostility t

Saint Augustine is numbered among the four great Doctors of the Western Church He was one of the most brilliant minds of ancient Christendom. His influential contribution to theology, especially in clarifying the dogmas of the Trinity, grace, and the Church, have enriched the Faith immensely. Here are his thoughts about loving God belatedly over the false idols and things of the world. Too late came I to love you, O Beauty both so ancient and so new! Too late came I to love you - and behold you were with me all the time... *** You called and shouted and burst my deafness. You flashed, shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors, and I drew in breath and panted for You. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for Your peace. *** The soul is torn apart in a painful condition as long as it prefers the eternal because of its Truth but does not discard the temporal because of familiarity. *** I was in misery, and misery is the state of eve

Memorial – August 28th Augustine Aurelius was born on November 13, 354, in Tagaste, North Africa. His father was a pagan, his mother, Saint Monica, was a devote Christian. Still unbaptized and burning for knowledge, he came under the influence of the Manicheans, which caused his mother intense sorrow. He left Africa for Rome, deceiving his mother, who was ever anxious to be near him. She prayed and wept. A bishop consoled her by observing that a son of so many tears would never be lost. Yet the evil spirit drove him constantly deeper into moral degeneracy, capitalizing on his leaning toward pride and stubbornness. Grace was playing a waiting game; there still was time, and the greater the depths into which the evil spirit plunged its fledgling, the stronger would be the reaction. Augustine recognized this vacuum. He observed how the human heart is created with a great abyss. The earthly satisfactions that can be thrown into it are no more than a handful of stones that hardly c

Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) We don’t often think of it, but the gospels are loaded with questions. Sometimes it seems like there are more questions than there are answers. Questions imply a quest, a search, and a hunger for knowledge. Genuine questions that is, not trick questions. The word “question” contains within it the word “quest.” That’s what Jesus liked… people who are in search for truth, who are questing for God. So we find Jesus in today’s gospel asking: “Who do you say that I am?” And we find Simon Peter answering the question by identifying Jesus as the Son of God. Evidently Peter recognized something deep within Jesus that was divine, someone coming from God. But Peter came to that as a consequence of Jesus asking him a question. Jesus in response sees something deep within Peter that Peter couldn’t see for himself. In a sense Jesus introduced Peter to himself. “Okay,” Jesus said, “you told me who I am. Now let

The prayers of Saint Monica, together with God's grace, turned her wayward son, Saint Augustine, from sinner to saint. St. Monica, model of motherhood, your patience and fervent prayers won for the Church a brilliant mind who himself won many souls. We pray especially for loved ones, and anyone who has left the Faith. Dear Saint Monica, exemplary mother of Saint Augustine. You were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Through your constant prayers and petitions to God, he became a great saint. Inspired by your example, we pray that our loved ones who have gone astray may soon be welcomed home to the Church founded by Christ the Lord, to live and love in imitation of the Savior. Amen. ____________________________________________ Prayer for the Intercession of St. Augustine and St. Monica Almighty God and loving Father, who consoles the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Saint Augustine, grant us

(In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) August 27th, is the memorial of Saint Monica. She is an example of those holy matrons of the ancient Church who proved very influential in their own quiet way. Through prayer and tears she gave the great Saint Augustine to the Church, and thereby won for herself a place of honor in the history of God's kingdom on earth. The Confessions of St. Augustine provide certain biographical details. Born of Christian parents about the year 331 at Tagaste in Africa, Monica was reared under the strict supervision of an elderly nurse who had likewise reared her father. In the course of time she was given in marriage to a pagan named Patricius. Besides other faults, he possessed a very irascible nature; it was in this school of suffering that Monica learned patience. It was her custom to wait until his anger had cooled; only then did she give a kindly remonstrance. Evil-minded servants had prejudiced her mother-in-law against he

August 26, 2017 Saint Monica demonstrated heroic patience during her trials. She suffered greatly, but never lost her abiding faith in God's goodness. Let us pray that we may have the faith of St. Monica and so possess heroic patience in the face of all difficulties. Only then can we be instruments of God's peace and show the joy of discipleship. St. Monica Novena - Day 9 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that

August 25, 2017 O God, who consoles the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. St. Monica Novena - Day 8 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, y

August 24, 2017 Today we pray for all those who feel abandoned by God for whatever reason, for those waiting for answers to prayer, and for those who are suffering and do not yet see the reasons behind what God is working in their lives. May they be granted the grace of unwavering faith through Saint Monica's holy intercession. St. Monica Novena - Day 7 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in suc

August 23, 2017 Today we pray for all those who feel abandoned by God for whatever reason, for those waiting for answers to prayer, and for those who are suffering and do not yet see the reasons behind what God is working in their lives. May they be granted the grace of unwavering faith through Saint Monica's holy intercession. St. Monica Novena - Day 6 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in suc

August 22, 2017 Saint Monica's son, Saint Augustine, rejected the Faith for many years. Monica had such a strong devotion to Christ that she persevered in hope that her son would one day return to God. Her faithfulness was rewarded. Today we pray for those who have fallen away from the Faith. May they return soon to the Church. St. Monica Novena - Day 5 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in suc

August 21, 2017 Saint Monica is the patron saint of alcoholics. She understood from her own life experience that addiction begins with a single temptation. All temptations come from the Devil who is the father of lies and a cruel deceiver of men. Addition is the pursuit of a false idol, promising happiness. Its tragic consequences are despair, hopelessness and enslavement. Today, let us pray for those struggling with addiction, as well as for their loved ones. May they know hope and healing. St. Monica Novena - Day 4 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxietie

August 20, 2017 Saint Monica endured a troubled marriage for many years. Through her suffering and prayer, she eventually converted her husband. Today let us pray for troubled marriages and for spouses who have no faith or have fallen away from the faith. St. Monica Novena - Day 3 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in such a deep faith in God’s goodness and mercy. Above all, dear Saint Monica, pr

August 19, 2017 Saint Monica is the patron of mothers and wives. The vocation of motherhood (and fatherhood) is extremely important for our society and in the eyes of God. St. Monica prayed diligently for her children for years on end. May she intercede especially for the children and grandchildren in our lives. Today, let us pray that all mothers and fathers be good and holy examples of love for their children. St. Monica Novena - Day 2 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain

August 18, 2017 When Saint Monica was praying for her son's conversion, she asked clergy to talk with him. They assured her it was useless after so many years. However, nothing is impossible with God. St. Monica's prayers made a difference, and eventually, her son, St. Augustine, converted, as did her husband and mother-in-law. Today, we pray for peace; peace between nations, between people, and within families. St. Monica Novena - Day 1 Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow

The Saint Monica novena for those who have fallen away from the Church starts August 18th. St. Monica is most known for her intercessory power on behalf of individuals that have abandoned their Faith  She prayed for the conversion of her son, the great Doctor of the Church, Saint Augustine of Hippo, for 15 years. What we know of St. Monica comes almost entirely from the writings of St. Augustine. Their relationship was close, especially in Monica's final years. One episode from her childhood suggests the origin of her fortitude. She was occasionally sent to the cellar to draw wine for the family, and fell into the habit of taking secret drinks. Before long she was consuming large amounts. One day a family slave caught her. So great was her shame, she gave up the habit. A short time later, Monica was baptized. Afterward, she led a life of irreproachable virtue. Click for more on this novena and daily email reminders delivered to your inbox .