Bishop McGuinness on Vocations

Bishop Eugene McGuinness, third bishop of Oklahoma, is known in Oklahoma Catholic history as a man of vision, particularly regarding vocations. During his 13 year tenure, he raised seminarian numbers from a dismal 11 to an astounding 128, focusing on the need for a native clergy with ties to the dioecese for which they would live and preach. His vision was for a vibrant, viable Catholic population within the Bible Belt of the United States, and he knew that it had to start in the hearts of the Catholics of the local Church.

When speaking to benefactors throughout his diocese he came to be known for this marvelous quote:

"You have given me your money. Now give me your flesh and blood!"

May we all remember this in our daily evangelization. It costs more than the weekly tithe to build the Church. We must give our all. Amen.

A Warning to the Presumptuous...

I thought that today's first reading for Mass was very appropriate for those of us who are of proud heart. (That's EVERYONE, by the way)  This reading underscores the willingness we have of neglecting our responsibilities and obligations to God by saying "Well, I did MOST of what you wanted, Lord.  I even gave you extra!"  That extra might be in an overly-pious posture, a not-so-humble sharing of one's time or treasure, or a complete lack of sympathy for the fellow sinners around us, because we're "better."  As Scripture warns us:

"Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission than the fat of rams.
For a sin like divination is rebellion,
and presumption is the crime of idolatry.

(I Samuel 15:22-23)

The Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Response to "Why I Hate Religion" Video

As a lot of us know, there has been a YouTube video recently that has gone viral.  It's entitled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" and it is getting a lot of praise as well as a lot of well-founded judgement.  One of those critiques come from a priest here in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.  It's in many ways a parody of the other YouTube video, but it makes some good points Catholics need to be reminded of if they want to answer claims made by the "Why I Hate Religion" guy.  So, here you go.


Untitled from John Hollowell on Vimeo.

The Baptism of the Lord

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  During my morning Holy Hour, as I read the Office of Readings for today, a few lines from St. Gregory Nazianzus' sermon on Christ's baptism hit me.  In his sermon he recounted:

"Jesus rises from the water; the world rises with him.  The heavens like Paradise with its flaming sword, closed by Adam for himself and his descendants, are rent open.  The Spirit comes to him as to an equal, bearing witness to his Godhead.  A voice bears witness to him from heaven, his place of origin.  The Spirit descends in bodily form like the dove that so long ago announced the ending of the flood and so gives honor to the body that is one with God."

The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove, as foreshadowed by the dove in the Old Testament, that returned to Noah to announce the end of the rain and the flood.  So too does the Holy Spirit descend to us, so as to announce the end of the reign of the flood of death and destruction, and the return of peace and paradise.  Amen!

Timothy Cardinal Dolan

Congratulations to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York in receiving the honor of the "red hat.". He will join the college of Cardinals on February 18. For more info, you can read more here.