The Year of the Faith is Here!

So what are you doing for The Year of the Faith?  What is your plan to grow closer to Jesus? I want to slow down and love more.

I keep hearing that the second fastest growing religion is falling away Catholics. 75% of us Catholics do not go to Church. This makes me very sad. I want to try harder to reverse this.

I have signed up for Read The Catechism in a Year. We are on Day 7 but it is not too late to join us.

There will be many graces this year of the faith which runs from October 11th, 2012 to November 24th, 2013. That's more than a year. I don't know about you but when it is Advent or Lent it always gets to the end and I am always wondering what did I really accomplish.

So in this Year of the Faith I hope it will be different. I will try to let you know each day what I have got done.

Let me know what your plans are.

Parents Will Save the World

We get so worried these days about the state of the modern family and wonder how the concept of the Catholic Family is going to survive with all the threats in our society against it. We need to remember our past and learn from our history it will survive as long as parents do their part.

In the 1540's St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuits were missionaries in Nagasaki Japan and were responsible for over 100,000 converts. But by 1587 Christianity was repressed in Japan as a threat to national unity and ceased to exist publicy and had to go underground.

By 1610, 1 out of 6 Japanese were Catholic. But in 1611 and 1613 the priests were expelled and thousands of Catholics were put to death. When the priests left Japan though they told the people to keep the faith and pass it on to your children, and eventually they would return.

After 250 years, 10 generations, when Japan was open up to the west again, the priests did return. The priests would walk through the streets, dressed very conspicuously with the hope of finding some remaining Catholics. Eventually a group of the faithful approached the priests and asked them some questions their parents had taught them on how to know a priest. They had to figure out if they were celibate, if they loved the mother of God and if they loved the Holy Man in Rome.

The priests soon discovered that there were 30,000 Catholics remaining in Japan after the 250 years. With only 2 sacraments, Baptism and Marriage, and in spite of great persecution, the parents had been able to pass on the faith to their children and keep the Church alive in Japan. The Church survived because of the parents.

Family life is the primary training ground for Catholics. With the concept of family rapidly changing in our society (redefinition of marriage in law, same sex marriage, cohabitation, casual sex, easy no-fault divorce), along with individualism, secularism, materialism, agnosticism, hedonism, rationalism and relativism, parents have their work cut out for them. Abortion, reproductive technologies and manipulation, euthanasia, destruction of human life for scientific advancement, rampant pornography and gratuitous violence, all make it seem like we have lost the battle to raise our children Catholic.

Sure if we focus on these destructive influences we could lose hope. So instead we have to stand firm and not be afraid of these influences or the people who have fallen for them and remember we have the truth on our side. We have to study our faith and know it well and lead by our example.

Healthy Christian marriages are the foundation of healthy families; and healthy families are the foundation of society. It is up to us to help restore this understanding by how we live our family life.

To begin with we must be clear that the family; mother, father, and any children(or no children for those who cannot have children) is the basic cell of any society. We must be very clear as to what a family is and what it is meant to be. We have to be able to explain what is the family’s full purpose and we need a profound understanding of God’s plan for the family.

The family is the only true natural institution. It is made by God and ordered to the care of the children. Through living out family life an individual develops and grows towards maturity.

If we look at the purpose of an acorn we can see that an acorn already contains all of the information necessary to form itself into an oak tree. All it needs is for certain conditions to be met, such as the absorption of water, sunlight, and nutrients. In essence, then, an acorn is an oak tree in a state of underdevelopment. The "Oak-tree-ness" is already written within the genetic code of the acorn. The acorn already is an oak tree, and that is how it is able to manifest itself as an oak tree when its conditions (for water, sunlight, and nutrients) are met.

It is the same with the family. The husband and wife are already a family but they have to be developed. The parents need to form the virtues in themselves and in any children they have, so like the acorn their family can reach its full potential.

Our job as parents is not to keep our children busy and amused, nor just to keep them out of trouble and make them behave. The real job of family life is to lead children by example, directed practice, and explanation, so that they grow up to be competent, responsible, considerate men and women who are committed to live by Catholic principles all their lives.

To this end it is imperative that all parents should have a copy of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio(On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) from Pope John Paul II on their bedside and be reading and reflecting on it regularly. It is mandatory reading for all couples. This document opens the mind and heart to what God wants for the family.

It is no accident that Jesus grew up in a family. His public ministry did not arise out of the blue. It was in the hidden and uncelebrated years of family life, growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary, that the foundations of his ministry were laid. We see from the Holy Family’s great example that family love can change the world. We have to have confidence in the love which lies hidden in our own families and its bearing on the future of the world.

All married couples have to have a strong understanding of what the family is and be able to articulate it to their children, their grandchildren and all those around them. Weak thought will lead to weak families. We have to be able to give a rational explanation for our understanding of the family if we expect the family to survive in this age of technology and an overabundance of information. We must know the problems, know the enemy, know the tactics and know the answers.

Our Catholic Faith is one of faith and reason. We must truly understand the dignity of the person, the problems with modern materialism, relativism, new ageism, hedonism etc and be able to explain this simply enough for a child to understand.

If we do not really understand what the role of the family is and what God intended for it, then we float or are blown around by almost every and any cultural breeze that arises. We must be grounded in the truth, be able to explain to our children the rational reasons for the importance of why marriage as permanent, that God is everlasting, and His truths are everlasting. We must show our children how truth cannot change.

Sure it seems like the boat is bouncing on the waves but as long as Jesus is on the boat we do not have to be afraid. But when we take out eyes off Jesus we will sink. We must grow in the faith that all battles have been won. We must continue to pray. We must continue to study our faith and know it well and know the reasons for the truth.

Only the Church stands solidly against these inhumane trends that attack the dignity of the human person and the family. But keep in mind that Jesus is not an “against” type of person. He is a person, he is the incarnate truth, he is incarnate love, he is the way. We must know and revere what the Church teaches so we can live those teachings and share them with others.

Raising a family is an adventure and God designed it to live that way. We cannot lose heart in the strength of the family for then we lose heart in the truth. We have to pray for an ever increasing amount of the virtue of prudence. The Cardinal virtue of Prudence is the virtue that requires us to see things the way God sees them, in reality, and then to act in a manner coherent with that reality. We have to be grounded in reality. If we do not attempt to act in accordance with the truth, we are at risk to be swept away by every modern distortion of the truth.

God is counting on all parents to pass on the faith to our children like the people of Japan did in spite of persecutions. God is counting on all parents to save the world through our hard work and efforts in teaching our children the truth. We cannot let life get us down and give up. We have to just keep getting up and starting again.

 

Materialism and Children

Our children have so much money that everyone wants to get it. We need to teach our children about the value of possessions by letting them pay for them themselves. With paper routes, snow shoveling, babysitting, grass cutting, and grandmothers, there is hardly a reason to give our children an allowance these days. Many are wasting it so why give them more.

Start right when they cry “I want that!" at a store by saying "That costs five dollars. Do you have enough money to pay for it?" Institute spending rules when they are young so they know from the start that, for example that one third of their money should go into savings, one third is theirs to spend as they choose and one third goes to charity.

Do not give in to every request. Children who get everything they ask for do not learn to handle disappointment, and they don't learn to work or even just wait for things they desire. Do yourself and your child a favor by saying no to unending requests, even if that provokes tantrums in the toy store. Enlist the aid of friends and grandparents who often delight in "spoiling" your child by suggesting they buy only one gift at birthdays or holidays, instead of half a dozen.

Children should also understand that expenditures such as groceries, rent or mortgage payments are necessities, while others such as game system cassettes are optional. When they whine that they need some new toy you can respond sympathetically, "I understand that you want it," but then explain why he doesn't truly need it Teach them that there are logical reasons behind purchasing decisions and help them to delay gratification. Show them how to give to others. Take him with you to bring dinner to a sick neighbour or to volunteer in a soup kitchen or visit a nursing home. That kind of activity can foster an attitude that will help counter materialism more powerfully than almost anything else. Spend time rather than money on your kids. It's not easy in our hectic lives to give children the time and attention they crave. If their parents are too busy for family life, then the kids will retreat to their toys, TV and game systems. Things are no substitute for spending time with family. Make an effort spending time together doing things that do not cost anything. Go to the park to play soccer or baseball, visit the library, take nature walks and bike rides, play a game of charades or a board game. No matter what your child says, he wants and needs a secure sense of family more than a roomful of possessions.
  

My Letter in The National Post

Last week I downloaded Robert Bellarmine's "The Art of Dying Well" on my e-reader for 99 cents. Bellarmine, a Jesuit from the 1600s, writes this book from God’s perspective. Bellarmine makes it simple. He explains sixteen things you can do to put your life in order now, so that you’ll start living better today and be prepared for death whenever it comes.

Bellermine shows that the art of dying is not a matter of privacy between a physician and a patient, not a contract or living will between a patient and the extended family, and not a matter of self-determination on the part of the terminally ill. He shows how the art of dying is the most intimate of relationships between a us and God.

While advocates of assisted suicide seek to relieve the physical suffering of patients, the act of providing a choice can actually create some pressure to make a particular choice. Some choose physician-assisted suicide to avoid inflicting a burden on loved ones. But when assisted suicide becomes a routine medical practice, it ends up corrupting the entire network of human relationships. Physician-assisted suicide takes away the duty to bear one another’s burdens and perform spiritual works of mercy.

We need to look deeper into past traditions that offer more truth on the reality of dying than all the contemporary arguments that attempt to remove the sting of death or rationalizes the necessity for physician-assisted suicide. The easy way is not always the best way.

Dianne Wood

Listening

St. Francis was known for telling his friars not to preach unless they had received the proper permission to do so. He would say “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.” From this rule of his sprang the catchy phrase “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” We can all learn a lot from this wise phrase. Or as it says in Proverbs “He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame.” (Proverbs 18:13)

We can help others come closer to God and come to a better understanding of the truth by the way we communicate with them. Good listening and good communication skills benefit all of the people in our life. No one has ever experienced a negative side effect from saying less while listening more. If we want to be wise stewards of our words, we need to use them sparingly and speak strategically. We need to pray for a gift of tongues in order to be understood by those around us. But there is a reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth.

With all those we communicate with during the day we need to allow Jesus to speak through us. Jesus is someone who always listens with an open heart. On the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13‐35) Jesus actively listened to those in need. Only after listening to their concerns did he explain the scripture to them. “Were not our hearts burning while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” Listening is a master skill, it is a fine art.

By developing a prayer life and listening to Jesus we can learn to love like God wants us to love. Jesus taught us that the most important commandment is to love. Through listening carefully we show the other that they are loved. We must think carefully before speaking, writing, tweeting, blogging, etc. We’re not called to attack others. God says they’ll know we are Christians by our love. We need to speak the truth in love. Attacking an individual is never speaking the truth in love. Only through listening carefully to understand the other can we truly love. As Paul said “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Cor. 13:1)

Everybody has a story and there is always a story behind their story. People need a chance to talk out what has happened to them in life in order for them to come to a better understanding of God and His mercy. Making the choice to actually listen to people, to know them, gives us much more insight into how better to show them the love of Christ and best present His truth. Our snap judgements do a world of harm to those thirsting for the living water of hope that is Christ. In our efforts to present the truth, people will be more willing to listen to us if they can trust us and by truly listening to them we can develop that trust.

Listening makes others feel worthy, appreciated, interesting, and respected. Ordinary conversations emerge on a deeper level, as do our relationships, when we listen. When we listen, we foster the skill in others by acting as a model for positive and effective communication.

In our relationships, greater communication brings greater intimacy. Parents listening to their children helps build their self-esteem. Listening saves time and money in the business world, by preventing misunderstandings. We always learn more when we listen than when we talk. Listening skills fuel our social, emotional and professional success.

Listening is a precious gift. The gift of time is something we all miss out on these days. Nearly every aspect of human life could be improved by better listening. It helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and improve accuracy. At home, it helps develop resourceful, self-reliant kids who can solve their own problems. Listening builds friendships and listening builds marriages.

In order to listen we must remember to pray for an increase in the gift of Understanding, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Understanding allows us to get to the very core of revealed truths. The best way to gain someone’s trust is to listen. In order to truly listen we need to trust in the inner workings of God.





Of course the technology of today has erected new barriers to listening. Face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations are being replaced by email and social media. Listening is a skill to be acquired, and a gift to be shared. We need to listen lovingly in order to build relationship and enhance intimacy. Listening creates an environment where the speaker feels heard and understood, and can find greater clarity and understanding.

Listening skills need to be developed and that takes time and effort. To start off we need to put the focus of your attention totally on the speaker. In order to do this we need to set aside our own agendas. We need to focus on looking at them and making eye contact. We need to mentally screen out distractions and not be distracted by your own thoughts, feelings, or biases. A quality conversation is one in which the other person is the centre of attention. When we are listening we must never interrupt or impose our own solutions. We must wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions and to ensure understanding of something that has been said. But we must be careful to avoid questions that disrupt the speaker's train of thought.

The best type of questions when we are trying to listen are open-ended questions such as “How did that make you feel? What did you like about it? How important is this to you? Tell me what you mean by that?” This allows the person to continue talking but also shows we are interested.

When dealing with difficult people if we spend more time listening than speaking the person will become less difficult. When in doubt about whether to listen or speak it is always best to just keep listening. A big mistake is to get into a competition with the other. It is important to avoid dropping the “Story-Topping” bomb. Just be patient and listen in order to develop the relationship and take it to a higher level. But of course we have to be willing to sacrifice our own needs in order to do that.

It takes a lot of prayer, love for the other person, self-forgetfulness, concentration and determination to be an active listener and good communicator . We need to become comfortable with silence if we want to help others through our listening. We need to be deliberate with our listening and remind ourselves frequently that our goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Through listening we can learn a lot about the other person's attitudes and we can give the other person enjoyment.

As James said “ Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James1:19). In times of trouble a sympathetic ear is more valuable to most people than anything that can be said to them. Thank you for listening to me today.

Parents Will Save The World

We get so worried these days about the state of the modern family and wonder how the concept of the Catholic Family is going to survive with all the threats in our society against it. We need to remember our past and learn from our history it will survive as long as parents do their part.

In the 1540's St. Francis Xavier and the Jesuits were missionaries in Nagasaki Japan and were responsible for over 100,000 converts. But by 1587 Christianity was repressed in Japan as a threat to national unity and ceased to exist publicy and had to go underground.

By 1610, 1 out of 6 Japanese were Catholic. But in 1611 and 1613 the priests were expelled and thousands of Catholics were put to death. When the priests left Japan though they told the people to keep the faith and pass it on to your children, and eventually they would return.

After 250 years, 10 generations, when Japan was open up to the west again, the priests did return. The priests would walk through the streets, dressed very conspicuously with the hope of finding some remaining Catholics. Eventually a group of the faithful approached the priests and asked them some questions their parents had taught them on how to know a priest. They had to figure out if they were celibate, if they loved the mother of God and if they loved the Holy Man in Rome.

The priests soon discovered that there were 30,000 Catholics remaining in Japan after the 250 years. With only 2 sacraments, Baptism and Marriage, and in spite of great persecution, the parents had been able to pass on the faith to their children and keep the Church alive in Japan. The Church survived because of the parents.

Family life is the primary training ground for Catholics. With the concept of family rapidly changing in our society (redefinition of marriage in law, same sex marriage, cohabitation, casual sex, easy no-fault divorce), along with individualism, secularism, materialism, agnosticism, hedonism, rationalism and relativism, parents have their work cut out for them. Abortion, reproductive technologies and manipulation, euthanasia, destruction of human life for scientific advancement, rampant pornography and gratuitous violence, all make it seem like we have lost the battle to raise our children Catholic.

Sure if we focus on these destructive influences we could lose hope. So instead we have to stand firm and not be afraid of these influences or the people who have fallen for them and remember we have the truth on our side. We have to study our faith and know it well and lead by our example.

Healthy Christian marriages are the foundation of healthy families; and healthy families are the foundation of society. It is up to us to help restore this understanding by how we live our family life.

To begin with we must be clear that the family; mother, father, and any children(or no children for those who cannot have children) is the basic cell of any society. We must be very clear as to what a family is and what it is meant to be. We have to be able to explain what is the family’s full purpose and we need a profound understanding of God’s plan for the family.

The family is the only true natural institution. It is made by God and ordered to the care of the children. Through living out family life an individual develops and grows towards maturity.

If we look at the purpose of an acorn we can see that an acorn already contains all of the information necessary to form itself into an oak tree. All it needs is for certain conditions to be met, such as the absorption of water, sunlight, and nutrients. In essence, then, an acorn is an oak tree in a state of underdevelopment. The "Oak-tree-ness" is already written within the genetic code of the acorn. The acorn already is an oak tree, and that is how it is able to manifest itself as an oak tree when its conditions (for water, sunlight, and nutrients) are met.

It is the same with the family. The husband and wife are already a family but they have to be developed. The parents need to form the virtues in themselves and in any children they have, so like the acorn their family can reach its full potential.

Our job as parents is not to keep our children busy and amused, nor just to keep them out of trouble and make them behave. The real job of family life is to lead children by example, directed practice, and explanation, so that they grow up to be competent, responsible, considerate men and women who are committed to live by Catholic principles all their lives.

To this end it is imperative that all parents should have a copy of the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio(On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) from Pope John Paul II on their bedside and be reading and reflecting on it regularly. It is mandatory reading for all couples. This document opens the mind and heart to what God wants for the family.

It is no accident that Jesus grew up in a family. His public ministry did not arise out of the blue. It was in the hidden and uncelebrated years of family life, growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary, that the foundations of his ministry were laid. We see from the Holy Family’s great example that family love can change the world. We have to have confidence in the love which lies hidden in our own families and its bearing on the future of the world.

All married couples have to have a strong understanding of what the family is and be able to articulate it to their children, their grandchildren and all those around them. Weak thought will lead to weak families. We have to be able to give a rational explanation for our understanding of the family if we expect the family to survive in this age of technology and an overabundance of information. We must know the problems, know the enemy, know the tactics and know the answers.

Our Catholic Faith is one of faith and reason. We must truly understand the dignity of the person, the problems with modern materialism, relativism, new ageism, hedonism etc and be able to explain this simply enough for a child to understand.

If we do not really understand what the role of the family is and what God intended for it, then we float or are blown around by almost every and any cultural breeze that arises. We must be grounded in the truth, be able to explain to our children the rational reasons for the importance of why marriage as permanent, that God is everlasting, and His truths are everlasting. We must show our children how truth cannot change.

Sure it seems like the boat is bouncing on the waves but as long as Jesus is on the boat we do not have to be afraid. But when we take out eyes off Jesus we will sink. We must grow in the faith that all battles have been won. We must continue to pray. We must continue to study our faith and know it well and know the reasons for the truth.

Only the Church stands solidly against these inhumane trends that attack the dignity of the human person and the family. But keep in mind that Jesus is not an “against” type of person. He is a person, he is the incarnate truth, he is incarnate love, he is the way. We must know and revere what the Church teaches so we can live those teachings and share them with others.

Raising a family is an adventure and God designed it to live that way. We cannot lose heart in the strength of the family for then we lose heart in the truth. We have to pray for an ever increasing amount of the virtue of prudence. The Cardinal virtue of Prudence is the virtue that requires us to see things the way God sees them, in reality, and then to act in a manner coherent with that reality. We have to be grounded in reality. If we do not attempt to act in accordance with the truth, we are at risk to be swept away by every modern distortion of the truth.

God is counting on all parents to pass on the faith to our children like the people of Japan did in spite of persecutions. God is counting on all parents to save the world through our hard work and efforts in teaching our children the truth. We cannot let life get us down and give up. We have to just keep getting up and starting again.

Large Family's: God's Blessing

By today's standards, a family with three children is considered to be a large family. A century ago my great grandmother had 24 children, 16 survived into adulthood. Today we are afraid of having children, society tells us it is too expensive and not possible. My husband and I have seven children and we still plan to have many more God willing. It says in 2373 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church "Sacred Scripture and the Church's traditional practice see in large families a sign of God's blessing and the parent's generosity.

Many of our friends have more children than us. One family we know has 8 children, another has 9 children, two have 10 children, two have 11 children, one has 13 children, one has 15 children, and one has 17 children. We all live in the Toronto area, and of these 10 families we have one hundred and eleven children between us as of today. The numbers will change again soon though for we all want more. Believe me, it is one heck of a party when we all get together!

The mothers of these children have all chosen to take on motherhood as their profession and we do it in a very professional way. We do not wish to return to work outside the home for a paycheck so we can escape the boredom of domestic life as recent studies have suggested, and it is quite obvious that our marital bliss has not disappeared with children as other studies have shown. We have been lucky enough to discover many secrets about life and love, which many will unfortunately miss out on.

How do we do it?

First we have to be willing to develop a good prayer life. Parents of large families cannot just be Sunday Catholics. A deep spirituality, daily mass, weekly confession, regular spiritual direction, and the family Rosary daily are some of the ways we get those extra graces we need in order to be able to do it. A great trust in God, and a devotion to the Holy Family makes it all possible.

Then you must remember that most children do not come more than one at a time, occasionally there are twins, but higher is rare. With each child, you begin to develop muscles, and habits, that helps makes you a bit more organized, a bit more patient, a bit more able to take on one more, as long as you keep on trying. Of course if you roll over and play dead at any point along the way and don't keep on top of things, this will seem worse than it really is, but the secret is organization.

The mother needs to be continually working on her organizational skills as the family grows. The mothers actual role is that of "Professional Household Manager." She has to be willing to delegate responsibilities, even to the two year old. She needs to carry a daytimer in her diaper bag and have a clear mission statement for herself and all the family, so that everyone knows their roles and goals. She must have a high standard of principles and have clear and defined rules for the whole family and she must be willing to live simply so that the rest of the family can follow her example. The major tool for her job must be her good example in all areas of life, since example is the best teacher for the children. She must always be continuously learning new skills to improve her work environment.

Books such as "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families" give good examples of how this can be done. It is a lot simpler than it sounds and the parents are developing many virtues in the process so it is good for our character. The effort that the mother must put into her job is no different than any other person puts into their job but hers can be more satisfying for she gets to work with those she loves. With the help of the sacrament of Reconciliation and spiritual direction she can develop the skills she needs.

Raising a large family is not as expensive as one is led to believe. One of my friends who raised 11 children always reminds me that each one is born with a loaf of bread in their back pocket. I have found this to be true. There are so many ways in our society where we can alall learn to live simpler. We can get good clothing at thrift shops, we can shop in bulk and take advantage of sales. It is better for the children to share a bedroom and learn to get along so the house need not be big. We can cut down on Christmas expenses and cut out cable TV, all which are better for the family. We are led to believe it is expensive to live in our society, but we have been misled. We all need to re-examine out spending habits in the sight of God.

Every day can be exciting with a large family, as practically every month has a birthday or an anniversary, some sort of reason to party. My friends with 17 children, most who are married now, said they have so many birthday parties and feast day parties at their home for their children and grandchildren that they are practically always celebrating something. Recently when new neighbours moved in across the street from them, they really wondered about them because of all the partying.

Believe me, it is possible, even in today's society to take such a chance, and to really succeed in raising a large family if one is only willing to try. The lifestyle that we are providing for these one-hundred and eleven children is a lifestyle that will prepare them for today's world. They are learning how to share, how to care, how to work, how to play, how to be responsible, how to be patient, how to get along with others, all very important for the working world they are going to be entering only too soon. The large family is a school within itself.

Having many children is not the curse society has led us to believe it is. It is a challenge, it forces us to grow up and mature, and it teaches us to set priorities and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

I am also willing to bet that none of my friends who are parents of large families will end up in nursing homes. Odds are at least one of the children will be willing to take us in, if living alone becomes impossible, or we can go visit each one of them for a month or two at a time and they will hardly even notice us. Do not let the old theory that it takes about $100,000 to raise a child in our society scare you off. Rather think of it as having 10 children makes one a millionaire. Sure we are not all called to raise large families, but for those who are, do not let society scare you off.

Beautiful Notecards for sale

7 Important Sundays

In Opus Dei we keep the tradition of the Seven Sundays of St. Joseph. This may help you out.

Devotion to St. Joseph

******
Contents
• The Seven Sundays of St. Joseph

1. The doubt of St. Joseph. (Matt. 1:19) - The message of the Angel. (Matt. 1:20).
2. The poverty of Jesus' birth. (Luke 2:7) - The Birth of the Saviour. (Luke 2:10-11).
3. The Circumcision. (Luke 2:21) - The Holy Name of Jesus. (Matt. 1:25).
4. The prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34) - The Effects of the Redemption. (Luke 2:38).
5. The flight into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14) - The overthrow of the idols of Egypt. (Is. 19:1).
6. The return from Egypt. (Matt. 2:22) - Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth. (Luke 2:39).
7. The loss of the Child Jesus. (Luke 2:45) - The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:46).

• Litany of St. Joseph

    ******
The Seven Sundays of St. Joseph

The Seven Sundays of St. Joseph is a devotion to the patron of the universal Church. On the seven
Sundays preceding his feast, March 19, the faithful have traditionally contemplated a series of circumstances—
seven sorrows and joys—in his life so that they might confront the joys and sorrows of their
own lives as he did.

First Sunday

1. St. JOSEPH, Chaste Spouse of the Holy Mother of God, by the SORROW with which thy heart was pierced at the thought of a cruel separation from Mary, and by the deep JOY that thou didst feel when the angel revealed to thee the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation, obtain for us from Jesus and Mary, the grace of surmounting all anxiety. Win for us from the Adorable Heart of Jesus the unspeakable peace of which He is the Eternal Source.

Now the birth of Jesus took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to
Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. But Joseph
her husband, being a just man and not wishing to expose her to reproach, resolved to
send her away privately.

But while he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
saying: “Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take Mary your wife. For that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus;
for he will save his people from their sins.”

Now all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin
shall conceive and bring forth a son; and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means
“God with us”).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his
wife.
Until the angel appeared, Joseph suffered immensely. His sorrow was as great as his love for the virgin
Mary.

The Fathers of the Church comment on this scene in different ways. The interpretation that St. Thomas
Aquinas gives to Joseph's perplexity corresponds to the reality of the situation. He explains: "Joseph
wanted to leave Mary not because he was suspicious but because, out of humility, he was afraid
to live beside such great sanctity. That is why the angel told him, `Do not be afraid'"
Joseph felt that he was nothing compared to the incomprehensible mystery that surrounded Mary. To
his great sorrow, he determined to withdraw discretely. But he received from the angel confirmation
that what had happened to her was God's work and that, besides, he too had a part, a mission, in the
mystery: “You shall call his name Jesus.” In Biblical language this expression meant that he was going
to be Jesus' father according to the law. Knowing this, St. Joseph was filled with the joy of his vocation.
Prayer: O chaste spouse of most holy Mary, glorious St. Joseph: the trouble and anguish in
your heart were great when you were perplexed over sending away your immaculate spouse;
yet your joy was immense when the mystery of the Incarnation was revealed to you by the angel.
By this sorrow and this joy we ask you to comfort our souls, now and in the sorrows of our final
hour, with the joy of a good life and a holy death like your own in the company of Jesus and
Mary.

Second Sunday

2. St. JOSEPH, Foster-Father of Jesus, by the bitter SORROW which thy heart experienced in seeing the Child Jesus lying in a manger, and by the JOY which thou didst feel in seeing the Wise men recognize and adore Him as their God, obtain by thy prayers that our heart, purified by thy protection, may become a living crib, where the Savior of the world may receive and bless our homage.


In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census of the whole world should
be taken.... And Joseph also went from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judaea to the
town of David, which is called Bethlehem—because he was of the house and lineage of David—
to register, with Mary his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time
came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The mystery of the Incarnation is veiled in this humble scene. Joseph loves Jesus and suffers seeing
him who he knows is the Word, the King of the universe, lying in a manger. He would give him anything
and everything, yet he has nothing to give. The difference between what he would like to do and
his poverty places his soul in great distress.
But then he grows calm. His sorrow recedes. He renews his dedication to God and carries out the divine
command to love him with his whole heart, with his whole soul, and with his whole strength. He
gives himself completely to God who lies in his arms.

St. Josemarίa has written:

There is great simplicity about his birth. Our Lord comes without fanfare. No one knows about
him. On Earth only Mary and Joseph share in the divine adventure. And then the shepherds
who received the message from the angels. And later on, the wise men from the East. They
were the only witnesses of this transcendental event which unites Heaven and Earth, God and
man... The greatness of this Child who is God! His Father is the God who made Heaven and
Earth; and there he is, in a manger, “because there was no room at the inn”—there was nowhere
else for the Lord of all creation.
Our father and lord St. Joseph...apparently has a very minor role in the Epiphany—as usual. I
can imagine him recollected in prayer, lovingly protecting the Son of God made man who has
been entrusted to his paternal care. With the marvelous refinement of one who does not live for
himself, the holy patriarch spends himself in silent prayer and effective service.... If you want
my advice, which I have never tired of repeating these many years, ite ad Joseph: “Go to Joseph.”
He will show us definite ways, both human and divine, to approach Jesus. And soon you
will dare, as he did, “to take up in his arms, kiss, clothe and look after” this child God who has
been born to us. As a homage of their veneration, the Magi offered gold, frankincense and
myrrh to Jesus. But Joseph gave his whole youthful and loving heart.
Prayer: Blessed patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, chosen to serve as father of the Word made
flesh, the sorrow which you felt when you saw the infant Jesus born into poverty was turned
into heavenly joy when you heard the song of the angels and when you saw the glory of that resplendent
night.
By this sorrow and this joy, we ask you to obtain for us that, after he course of this life, we hear
angelic songs of praise and rejoice in the splendors of heavenly glory.

Third Sunday

3. St. JOSEPH, by the SORROW with which thy heart was pierced at the sight of the Blood which flowed from the Infant Jesus in the Circumcision, and by the JOY that inundated thy soul at thy privilege of imposing the sacred and mysterious Name of Jesus, obtain for us that the merits of this Precious Blood may be applied to our souls, and that the Divine Name of Jesus may be engraved forever in our hearts.

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he name was called Jesus, the name given by
the angel before he was conceived in the womb."
Joseph teaches us to deal confidently with the Word made flesh. St. Teresa of Avila reveals her great
love for the patriarch. She tells us her personal experience:
I took for my advocate and lord the glorious St. Joseph and commended myself earnestly to
him; and I found that this father and lord delivered me both from this trouble and also from
other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me
greater blessings than I could ask from him. I do not remember even now that I have ever
asked anything from him which he has failed to grant. I am astonished at the great favors
which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint... I beg for the love of God that anyone
who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what
great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion
to him. Those who practice prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do
not know how anyone can think of the queen of the angels, during the time that she suffered so
much with the child Jesus, without giving thanks to St. Joseph for the way he helped them. If
anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his
master, and he will not go astray.

Prayer: Obedient follower of the law of God, glorious St. Joseph, the precious blood which
flowed at the circumcision of the infant Jesus caused your heart to be pierced, but the name of
Jesus gave new life and filled you with peace.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that by struggling against the slavery of sin we die in
joy with the most holy name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.

Fourth Sunday

4. St. JOSEPH, by the SORROW when the Lord declared that the soul of Mary would be pierced with a sword of sorrow, and by thy JOY when holy Simeon added that the Divine Infant was to be the resurrection of many, obtain for us the grace to have compassion on the sorrows of Mary, and share in the salvation which Jesus brought to the earth.

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up
to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that
opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is
said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.”
And there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout,
looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed
to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of
the Lord. And he came into the temple by inspiration of the Spirit. And when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in
his arms and blessed God, saying: “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to
your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all
peoples: a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them,
and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold: this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And a sword shall pierce your own soul also that
thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Simeon tells them that Jesus will be a sign of contradiction, a standard which people will either follow
or oppose. And he adds that the Son's sufferings will be intimately connected with his Mother's sorrows.
The sorrows of Jesus and Mary are made known. This revelation enables St. Joseph to glimpse more
clearly the mystery of the Son's cross. It is impossible to guess the depth of his suffering. He always
wanted to protect the child whom he loved with the greatest of fatherly love, for, as St. Pius X says, he
is "the virgin father of Jesus." Now he understands with new insight all the Old Testament prophecies
related to Christ's passion.
St. Joseph's mind and heart have been marked by the cross. As Mary offered her Son on the cross, so
did St. Joseph. This offering constitutes the holy patriarch's greatest act of generosity. "It took all the
generosity of his love to offer Jesus and Mary to God. It was his supreme sacrifice since he loved them
immeasurably more than his own life."
Prayer: O glorious St. Joseph, model of faithful fulfillment of God's plans, the prophecy of
Simeon about the future sufferings of Jesus and Mary brought mortal fear to you but at the
same time filled you with blessed joy for the salvation and glorious resurrection which he
prophesied would follow for numberless souls.
By this sorrow and this by obtain for us that we may be among those who through the merits of
Jesus and the intercession of the Virgin Mother are to rise in glory.

Fifth Sunday

5. St. JOSEPH, by thy SORROW when told to fly into Egypt, and by thy JOY in seeing the idols overthrown at the arrival of the living God, grant that no idol of earthly affection may any longer occupy our hearts, but being like thee entirely devoted to the service of Jesus and Mary, we may live and happily die for them alone.

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: “Rise, and take the child
and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you. For Herod will search for
the child to destroy him.”
So he rose, and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained
there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be
fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

St. John Chrysostom comments on this scene:
On hearing this, Joseph was not shocked, nor did he say: “This is strange. You yourself made it
known not long ago that he would save his people, and now you are incapable even of saving
him—we have to flee, to set out on a long journey and spend a long while in a strange place;
that contradicts your promise.”
Joseph does not think in this way, for he is a man who trusts God. Nor does he ask when he will
return, ever, though the angel left that time vague: “Stay there until I tell you to return.” Joseph
does not object; he obeys and believes and joyfully accepts all the trials.
St. Joseph faithfully fulfills God's will.

St. Josemarίa adds:
The Gospels give us a picture of St. Joseph as a remarkably sound man who was in no way
frightened or scared of life. On the contrary, he faced up to problems, dealt with difficult situations
and showed responsibility and initiative in whatever he was asked to do.
I don't agree with the traditional picture of St. Joseph as an old man, even though it may have
been prompted by a desire to emphasize the perpetual virginity of Mary. I see him as a strong
young man, perhaps a few years older than our Lady, but in the prime of his life and work.
You don't have to wait to be old or lifeless to practice the virtue of chastity. Purity comes from
love; and the strength and gaiety of youth are no obstacle for noble love. Joseph had a young
heart and a young body when he married Mary, when he learned of the mystery of her divine
motherhood, when he lived in her company, respecting the integrity God wished to give the
world.

Prayer: Watchful guardian of the incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, you gave your toil
in supporting and serving the Son of the Most High, especially when you were forced to flee
into Egypt; yet you felt great joy having God himself always with you and seeing the idols of
Egypt fall to the ground.
By this sorrow and this joy obtain for us that we keep the infernal tyrant far away from us, especially
by flight from occasions of sin, and that every idol of earthly affection fall from our
hearts; and being wholly employed in the service of Jesus and Mary let us live and happily die
for them alone.

Sixth Sunday


6. St. JOSEPH, by the SORROW of thy heart caused by the fear of the tyrant Archelaus and by the JOY in sharing the company of Jesus and Mary at Nazareth, obtain for us, that disengaged from all fear, we may enjoy the peace of a good conscience and may live in security, in union with Jesus and Mary, experiencing the effect of thy salutary assistance at the hour of our death.


But when Herod died, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, “Rise, and take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel. For those who
sought the child's life are dead.”
So he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But hearing that
Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and
being warned in a dream, he withdrew into Galilee. And he went and settled in a town called
Nazareth.
After the sorrow of not being allowed to go to Judea, St. Joseph experiences the joy of returning to
Nazareth. His joy increases as the days of Christ's hidden life go by. The home life of Jesus, Mary, and
Joseph resembled that of their neighbors. Time was spent in family life. Sometimes Joseph would
contemplate the Child "in the most pure arms of Mary, the blessed Mother. She held God veiled in
flesh, and pressed her lips in sweet kisses on the flesh of the One who is true God and true man"
(Paulinus of Aquilea). And St. Joseph, as F. de Eximensis so charmingly says, "showed delight and joy
in providing for the infant Savior's needs, bathing him, reverently handling the small limbs of his precious
body, changing his clothes, and doing other things that little children require."

Contemplating Joseph's life in the company of Jesus and Mary, we can make our own the words of a
prayer composed by Pius XII:
St. Joseph, grant that according to your example we keep our eyes fixed on our Mother Mary,
your most sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your workshop,
with a smile on her lips. Grant that we not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at
your carpenter's bench. Thus may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude
to that eternally happy life which awaits us in Heaven for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer: Glorious St. Joseph, you marveled to have the King of Heaven subject to your commands;
though your consolation in leading him out of Egypt was troubled by fear of Archelaus,
nevertheless, being reassured by the angel, you lived at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts be freed from harmful fears, and that
we have peace of conscience living in security with Jesus and Mary and dying in their company.

Seventh Sunday

7. St. JOSEPH, by the bitter SORROW with which the loss of the Child Jesus crushed thy heart, and by the holy JOY which inundated thy soul in recovering thy Treasure on entering the Temple, we supplicate thee not to permit us to lose our Saviour Jesus by sin. Yet, should this misfortune befall us, grant that we may share thy eagerness in seeking Him, and obtain for us the grace to find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass from this life to enjoy His presence in heaven, there to sing with thee His divine mercies forever.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was
twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to custom. And when the feast was
ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem. His parents did not know
it, but supposing that he was in the caravan, they went a day's journey before it occurred to
them to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. And when they did not find him,
they returned to Jerusalem in search of him.
After three days, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them
and asking them questions. And all who were listening to him were amazed at his understanding
and his answers.
We can easily understand Mary's and Joseph's sorrow on realizing that Jesus had disappeared. They
were filled with apprehension as they searched for their son. Those sorrowful days were a premonition
of the time that would intervene between Calvary and the Resurrection. Suddenly, they hear his
dear voice. There he is! They are greatly comforted, and their pent-up emotions overflow with great
joy.
In this scene, St. Luke uses the word "parents" a number of times to designate the Virgin Mary and St.
Joseph. But this word has its deepest meaning when Mary tells her Son: "Behold, your father and I
have been seeking you in sorrow.”
"Father." That was the word St. Joseph would love to hear most. He would smile and gaze fondly at
Jesus when he called him "Father." As St. Josemarίa wrote: "Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his
son and showed his love by giving him the best he had. Joseph, caring for the child as he had been
commanded, made Jesus a craftsman, transmitting his own professional skill to him. So the neigh-
bors of Nazareth will call Jesus both faber and fabri filius, the craftsman and the son of the craftsman."
Jesus worked in Joseph's workshop and by Joseph's side. Grace must have worked through Joseph,
so that he was able to fulfill this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God!
"For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his
way of speaking. Jesus' realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference
for using everyday situations to give doctrine—all this reflects his childhood and the influence of
Joseph."
Afterwards, the Gospel says that Jesus "went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient
to them; and his mother kept all these things carefully in her heart."

Prayer: Pattern of holiness, glorious St. Joseph, when you lost the Child Jesus through no
fault of your own, with great sorrow you sought him for three days, until you rejoiced exceedingly
in finding him in the temple among the doctors.
By this sorrow and this joy, we earnestly ask you to prevent us from ever losing Jesus by mortal
sin; but if through supreme misfortune we lose him, grant that we seek him with untiring sorrow,
until we find him again and can live in friendship with him. Let us enjoy his presence in
Heaven, and there with you to sing his divine mercies.

******
Litany of St. Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph,
Illustrious son of David,
Splendor of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Watchful defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most courageous,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of all who work,
Glory of family life,
Guardian of virgins,
Mainstay of families,
Consolation of the afflicted,
Terror of demons,
Protector of holy Church,
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, 0 Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, 0 Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Let us pray. 0 God, who in your ineffable providence deigned to choose blessed Joseph as the spouse
of your most holy Mother, grant, we pray, that we have him for our intercessor in Heaven, whom on
Earth we venerate as our protector; Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
******
   

Lent A Time to Start Again

We have just entered Lent. Lent is a time of change. During Lent we can reflect on where we can make changes in our lives so we can become a better person. The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, Or Mardi Gras, or whatever you want to call it. Shrove comes from the word shriven, which means to go to confession. The idea is that on the day before Ash Wednesday it is a day to go to confession, clean our souls, to start again.

I like a clean house. I am certainly not obsessive compulsive when it comes to cleaning, but I do have a schedule of when I dust, vacuum and wash the floors so that things do get done. Once a week whether I like it or not I clean the house so that I can keep on top of the dust that builds up. That way when I have a surprise visitor I am not embarrassed. It is the same with my soul. Once a week whether I think I need it or not, I go to the sacrament of Confession. That way when Jesus makes surprise visit I am ready for Him.

Frequent confession is something that is practiced by the saints and is recommended to us by the Church. A few years ago a child asked Pope Benedict XVI why we should go to confession regularly if we always seem to be confessing the same sins. His very practical answer hit me, “It is true: Our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same; in order to live in cleanliness, in order to start again. Otherwise, the dirt might not be seen, but it builds up. Something similar can be said about the soul. If I never go to confession, my soul is neglected and in the end I am always pleased with myself and no longer understand that I must always work hard to improve, that I must make progress. And this cleansing of the soul that Jesus gives us in the sacrament of confession helps us to make our consciences more alert, more open, and hence, it also helps us to mature spiritually and as human persons. Therefore, two things: Confession is only necessary in the case of a serious sin, but it is very helpful to confess regularly in order to foster the cleanliness and beauty of the soul and to mature day by day in life.”

The famous quote “love means never having to say you’re sorry” from the old movie Love Story is so wrong. If love is to last we always have to say we are sorry whenever we do anything wrong. If we love God it means always having to say you're sorry and we have this beautiful sacrament to help us do it.

The loss of the sense of sin is one of the biggest problems facing our society today. Sin breaks the supernatural bond which unites us to God. We have to constantly remember that Christ suffered His Passion for our sins. We must do all that we can to make our consciences more sensitive, and to guard them from becoming deformed or imperceptive. The sense of sin is clearer for us when our relationship with God is strengthened by our sacramental life and by sincere prayer.

I recently was helping prepare some grade 8’s for Confirmation and got quite a chuckle when one boy told me there were 9 Sacraments. He thought the sacrament of confession; penance and reconciliation were all different sacraments! It certainly is the sacrament of many names. Some call it the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin. It is the sacrament of Penance, since it sanctifies the sinner's personal steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. It is the sacrament of confession, since the confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. It is also our "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward us sinners. It is the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the sinner "pardon and peace." It is the sacrament of Reconciliation, because we reconcile with God when use this sacrament.

This sacrament could be considered the “environmentalists sacrament.” We hear a lot these days about the recycling of garbage. Well the sacrament of confession is the recycling of human “garb age”. Through the graces of the sacrament we are treated and processed and made suitable for reuse. We come out bright and shiny new, in the image of God, ready to be start again. G.K. Chesterton once said: “When a Catholic comes from Confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn of his own beginning…in that brief ritual God has really remade him in His own image. He may be grey and gouty; but he is only five minutes old.”

Through this sacrament we receive special graces to help us to be stronger in our fight against our defects and to help us avoid sin though we must also realize that we will never get rid of sin. Because of Original sin were born to fall. In the Gospels we read that “The just man falls seven times a day”. We need to have sin and confession in order to progress in the spiritual life. The problem is not that we fall, or sin; it is whether we get up and try again or not. In the Stations of the Cross we can see what Jesus did each time He fell.

Penance and repentance are demanded due to sin, because of the virtue of justice. St. Augustine said, “It is not enough to change ones habits and abandon sin. One must make satisfaction to God through the sorrow of penance, the sobs of humility, the sacrifice of contrition and almsgiving. External penance – prayer, mortification and fasting – should always be accompanied by interior penance in order to be effective.” The penance that the priest gives us has an atoning power that our privately performed penance cannot match.

Sorrow for our sins is a very important part of confession. Sorrow is not necessarily a feeling, it is an act of the will which leads us to rectify and improve to love God more and to use the means to do so. Our catechism teaches us that the more sorrow for sin that we have the more the temporal punishment due to sin is taken away. The argument is always that if we just say an act of contrition then our venial sins can be forgiven. From experience we know that we do a much deeper examination of conscience and have a much deeper sorrow for our sins when we go to confession than if we were just to say an act of contrition

Sure our protestant friends think it is sufficient to privately confess to God. Sacramental confession though forces us to acknowledge our sins out loud and to actually hear the absolution by the priest assuring us of forgiveness. The process we have to go through in the sacrament is a lesson in humility which acts as a deterrent to sin. We do not have to rely on subjective "feeling". Also in Confession we obtain sound advice on avoiding sin in the future. It is Jesus himself who speaks to us through the priest.

In order to make a good confession, each day we need to make a good examination of conscience. Many of the saints did a quick examination at midday as they said their Angelus. This practice helps us to keep on top of all that is happening during our day. Then at the end of the day we should spend a few minutes doing a more thorough examination.

A firm purpose of amendment is also necessary to be forgiven. If we do not have any intention of changing the priest will be unable to give us absolution. For example if we say we are sorry for something we have no intention of stopping we will not be forgiven.

When we confess our sins we should follow the example some of the greatest saints taught, the 4 “c’s”. When we confess our sins we need to be clear, concise, concrete, and complete. We must also keep in mind that we are there to confess our sins, not our spouses sins, or what our mother-in-law has done to us or what our children have forced us to do.

Sure we may have heard stories of those who have had a bad experience in Confession. It is important that we choose a confessor who is reliable, pious, learned, and who likes being in the confessional. For each one of us, it is important that we seek out and find a good confessor and learn again, as the Church urges us, to confess our sins with faithful frequency and not let the cobwebs build up. We must also do all we can to help our friends and family understand the importance of this sacrament. We should be constantly involved with the helping bring them to this healing sacrament, through our prayer, our example and our loving words. It is the best thing we can do for those we love.

So Lent has begun. Why not take the time to make a good confession.

Making Time For God

I use to wonder how in the world I could find time to pray. Sure I could spout off some Hail Mary’s on the run but how would I find time to actually sit down and talked to God. Then I remembered my afternoon soap opera.

I grew up in the age of the first generation of TV watchers. I was 5 years old November 22, 1963 when I sat there watching President Kennedy being shot over and over again. I watched the whole funeral and felt I practically knew their children Caroline and John who were close to my age.

My mother would call me in from a hard days play whenever a Shirley Temple movie came on. Shirley was my favourite and I learned many good things from her perils and woes.

We ate dinner on TV trays in front of the television. How better to learn about life then to get it right from the mouth of Andy Griffith, as he played Andy Taylor and Opie did all the silly things we would do. He was a good father and taught us many lessons.

Sunday evenings were the best when we gathered at my grandmother’s house to watch Walt Disney and the Ed Sullivan show. I saw Elvis shake his legs and the Beatles make their British invasion.

I still thrill to the theme song of Bonanza and I was sure I was going to marry little Joe one day. I use to play with my firstborn humming that song.

I sat mesmerized at 5am watching the wedding of Diana and Charles and cried during her funeral. I marveled how in our age we did not have to miss out on anything.

I still feel the thrill of both Papal visits as I watched them live on CBC. I have got up at the wee hours of the morning to watch many canonizations thanks to EWTN and Salt and Light TV. Television has helped form me in life and faith.

But when a friend actually challenged me one day to spend more time in prayer the thought popped into my head that I guessed I could give up Another World, that soap opera I watched each day. Even though I named my first daughter after Rachel and I spoke of the Matthews Family and Bay City as if they were real, I knew if I got rid of them I would have an extra hour each day that I could use to take time for Mental Prayer.

After Another World I ended up giving up Dallas so I could fit in the Rosary each day. Slowly over time I realized that as my children grew I had stopped watching TV altogether so I could spend time with them teaching them my values and faith rather than letting the TV do it for me. Sure Roy Rogers and Bugs Bunny had never hurt me but the Gossip and Gilmore Girls did not quite share my values.

So now I have kicked the TV habit altogether. I have time for reading the spiritual classics, my house is clean and I have time to take walks in the woods. I feel much more at peace and whenever someone asks me to help out with something I would like to do but not sure where I would get the time, I try to see what I could give up and offer to God as a sacrifice so I can do things His way.

I shocked a lady who called my house last week to do a telephone survey on television habits when I told her I did not watch TV. I do not think she really believed me. I let her know that I am glad I gave up the remote so I could get on with life.

What is Love?

Our society is confused as to what love is. There is a sickness in our society. Pope John Paul II's  1994 "Letter to Families" examines this sickness in our society. The sickness consists in the almost total loss of the marks of a "civilization of love," which is how the Pope characterizes a civilization that is truly human. We are living instead, he says, in "a civilization of production and of use, a civilization of 'things' and not of 'persons,' a civilization in which persons are used in the same way as things are used" In society and in man, something is seriously wrong.

This loss of love is what is crippling our society. True human health can only be present in persons who are able to love; and we are forgetting how to love, forgetting perhaps most of all that we have to love. We love God by loving those around us.

We know that the natural way for love to develop is in the family. We know that children raised without love do not develop properly, they even die. This has been seen in experiments done in orphanages and in the example of the Dionne Quintuplets who were taken from their parents at birth, growing up not able to love properly.

God instituted the family to be the first place where love is naturally learned and from which it can spread out to others. God chose to be born into a family, with a mother and a father, a man and a woman, to give us an example.

God sends love into the world through marriage and the family. Whether life turns out to be good or bad, positive or negative, depends on the family. Family quality and family experience are vital if we are to have healthy individuals and a healthy society where, despite the presence of evil, good is even more strongly present. As the Pope's Letter to Families states: "the family is placed at the center of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and all that is opposed to love.

By examining God's plan further, we can say that the family has such strength because it is that special place where no one is unloved, not even the most unlovable. Parents tend to love their children, even the worst. In the family children learn that there is a love which is not conditioned on merit or withdrawn because of defects. Children who have experienced being unconditionally loved, are in a good position to measure up to the challenges of love, inside and outside the family. If children do learn to love, it is because they have experienced it within the natural setting of the family.

But not all families are schools of love. True love is demanding and involves self-sacrifice. Self-seeking is not compatible with true love, which is a call to come out of self: to give, not to seek self. Love therefore is a challenge; it is never an easy option. "Love is demanding," the Pope says, and goes on: "Nowadays people need to rediscover this demanding love, for it is the truly firm foundation of the family" Love and happiness are demanding. Happiness is the consequence of dedication and self-forgetfulness. We must always keep in mind an old saying that there are 4 rings in marriage: the engagement ring, the wedding ring, the suffering, and the enduring.

The quality of love in the family increases in proportion to the degree of self surrender on the parts of the parents. Couples have to decide once and for all that they have to become canonizable saints. Only in families like these will good be stronger than evil in today's society.

Not just hidden saints that nobody knows about but canonizable saints.

Thus we read in the Letter to Families "Love is not a utopia: it is given to mankind as a task to be carried out with the help of divine grace". The Holy Father speaks of "the dangers faced by love," and adds: "Here one thinks first of all of selfishness." How true this is. All of us are made for love; and yet all are dogged by selfishness. Hence comes the constant struggle of life.

Parents must develop patience in listening, understanding and be open to the opinion of others, and learn the gentle way to teach.

1. Be involved in parent support groups, clubs, camps, activities where children meet children of families of same values.

2. Have house rules. Read Jim Stenson's "Lifeline" or Gary Smalley's "Key to your child's heart," or Focus on the families game" House Rules". Have these established from a young age and enforce them. 5 or 6 simple rules that encompass everything

3. Limit Media exposure, watch it with them. Teach them to evaluate programs and music. Good music, Good message. Bad Music Good Message, Good music Bad message, Bad Music Bad Message. Be an example not a hypocrite.

4. Develop a friendship with your adolescent. Tell them all you want them to know by 11 years old and then step back to watch them live it

5. Use tough love. Limit money, Life piles, let them be responsible for their actions. Teach responsibility using natural consequences.

6. Use proper communication techniques, I versus You statements, Don't lecture, Keep Quiet, teach by example.

Marriage is a divine way. For example, if baby cries at 3 AM, if the Mother or Father intends to take care of it as part of God's plan, then this time can be called a holy hour. A religious getting up at the same hour knows he/she can go back to bed in 60 minutes - with baby , it is quite uncertain. We sanctify ourselves through learning to serve others and this is true love.

The greatest enemy of love is pride and selfishness. If pride and selfishness are not fought, they destroy love, unity and happiness, and place the soul in eternal danger. Humility is one of the essential weapons for the fight: the humility of constantly asking pardon of God for one's personal sins; and in married life of asking one's partner for forgiveness- even if one thinks he or she is mainly to blame.

Holiness is the only formula to solve the real crises of this world. We must establish priorities. First God, then family, than community, then self. An interior life, then family life is more important than material goods. Reading the 7 Habits of Effective Lives is a good book to read to help get on a path to setting priorities in our lives so we will have the time to develop a spiritual life. We need a spiritual director and order in our life to truly do God's will in this society.

Growth in one love is not possible without growth in the other. Married people, he repeated, "have been called by God to come to divine love also by means of human love." [14] "Married couples have a grace of state to live all of the human and Christian virtues which must characterize life lived close together: understanding, good humor, patience, the readiness to forgive, tactfulness in mutual dealings. The important thing is not to give up the effort to live those small virtues, not to let nerves or pride or personal manias get the better of them. For that, husband and wife need to grow in interior life, and to learn from the Holy Family to put great care into living the virtues characteristic of a Christian home; doing so out of a human and a supernatural motive at one and the same time." [15] Blessed Josemaria used often to say that "happiness has its roots in the shape of a Cross." [16] It is the rule and apparent paradox of the Gospel: only by "losing" and giving ourselves-the essence of love-can we begin to find ourselves and, even more than ourselves, find the happiness we are made for

It is not in Parliament, nor in Supreme Courts, nor in United Nations Conferences that love can be revived, but only in families. Married couples have to learn to put their own purely personal or individual concerns into the background; and, together, to overcome their mutual differences (or to discover how to live with them), to forgive and to forget, and to love each other, defects and all. If their love is wise and true, they will not want to remain just a couple; they will want to become a family. And then, as parents, they need constantly to raise their minds and hearts-each one individually, and both together-to what God is proposing to them; to what society and the world needs from them; and to what their children, have the right to expect from them. The Holy Father is calling us all to help in the re-Christianization of society and this depends on the effort and sacrifice we make in order to increase the number of truly Christian homes. The society is in need of families as healthy cells to regenerate those who live in darkness.