Greatest roles of fatherhood - A Report of the Spiritual Director (6/26/2023)

Last night, I had the blessed opportunity to attend the Knights of Columbus, Austin Chapter Meeting at Saint Mary, Our Lady of the Lake in Lago Vista (see picture below the sanctuary). My Spiritual Director Report focuses on the roles of fatherhood that I read from this article titled, “Reflecting on the greatest roles of fatherhood” (Adam Minihan, 6/16/2023). I would invite you all to click on this link and read the article for yourself: 

https://www.oursundayvisitor.com/reflecting-on-the-greatest-roles-of-fatherhood/.

It was election night for the Chapter so I started my report by thanking Chapter President, Leo Saenz, and his officers for allowing me to serve these past two years. [I had served two years under his predecessor, Mike McLaughlin, so 4 years today.] I also thanked the candidates for office for their commitment to the Chapter and, after they were elected, congratulated and thanked them for leading the Chapter in the new fraternal. New Chapter President, Victor Medina, also asked me to continue as Spiritual Director, and I gladly accepted.

As I mentioned, in my Spiritual Director Report, I talked about the roles of fatherhood. Below are the roles that Mr. Minihan identified in his article. My commentaries are in italics.

A provider - “glorious self-martyrdom of our desires”

As fathers, especially early on when our children are infants and toddlers, we provide them with what they need even if we go without ourselves. For example, going without a good night's sleep to tend to the needs of a crying baby.

A teacher - “not just to provide but to create an atmosphere for him to thrive”

• “virtue is formed not by a single good act but by doing the good act habitually”

Fathers are not only providers but, as spiritual leaders of their family (the "domestic church"), along with his wife, a father is the teacher and formator of his children's faith. He also teaches his children life's lessons but also through the lens of faith and fear of the Lord.

An establisher - “job to establish him, making him a disciple of Christ, so that one day he could go out into the world to spread the Good News”

• “Establishing a routine of living a sacramental life is the first focus.”

Fathers are called to lead his children to Christ and be disciples of Christ first and foremost. Therefore, a father needs to instill in his children the necessity of living a sacramental life, of going to Mass, of praying, of visiting our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament - living as followers of Christ.

An intercessor - “He must pray that the child, now a young adult, surrounds themselves with good, holy and virtuous people.”

• “have the foresight to be praying for his child’s friends, community and even their future spouse”

As a godfather to several godchildren, including our niece, I pray and ask for Mother Mary's intercession, protection, and guidance for my goddaughter, niece, and nephews every day after Mass. I also pray for their parents, grandparents, and all those people who touch their lives, that they have a holy, positive impact on them as good and holy role models.

Custodian of tradition - “The fullness of fatherhood is reached when a man becomes a grandfather.”

• “guard and preserve the good things he has established in this life”
• “sit down in front of the fireplace expressing the love he had for us and sharing a little wisdom”
• “remind us of the importance of spending time together, supporting one another, living a life of prayer, and making sure to pass on the Faith to the next generation”

This role of fatherhood reminds of the scene in "The Godfather" when Vito Corleone sits down with this son, Michael, and tells him how everything he did in his life, he did for the well-being of his family. Even though a father is no longer a provider for his adult children, he can still be a teacher, mentor, and intercessor.

The spiritual life - “We must change our daily routines and give up selfish desires for the greatest good, namely, developing a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

• “Spending time with Christ every day will not only change how we view the world but how we view ourselves.”
• “It is in prayer that he will not only teach us how to talk but when to talk.”

At the core of fatherhood is the Father's heart, which is why it is so important for fathers to be men of prayer, to have an internal spiritual life, and daily conversations with the Father in heaven, Saint Joseph, so that he may be the father that his children need him to be. As Knights, we always have a rosary in our pockets; we should remember to pray it daily for our family.

Conclusion - “To be a truly good Christian father, you must be a man of prayer. It is a necessary requisite to the vocation. The goal of a Christian father is to raise saints, and by his grace, one day on your deathbed, your children will express their gratitude that their father’s love gave them a glimpse of the Father’s love.”

Deacon Phúc’s challenges for all Knights for the month of June

PERSONAL & FAMILY: Attend the 14th Annual Men’s Mass on July 22nd, 9:00 A.M., at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Manor, Texas and bring your sons, grandsons, nephews, godchildren, etc. (see flyer below)

COUNCIL: From April’s Challenge: Start men’s small groups for faith sharing with brother Knights in each council.

Complete Homily Series on Charisms 2023

From Saint Albert the Great's web-page on the Charisms Homily Series:

This weekend we are celebrating Pentecost and beginning a new message series on charisms. Charisms, spiritual gifts, are special abilities, a special empowerment, given to a Christian by the Holy Spirit to enable them to be powerful channels of God’s love and redeeming presence in the World. Whether extraordinary or ordinary, charisms are to be used in charity or service to build up the Church (CCC paragraph 2003). A charism is always deeply connected with our faith and is an expression of our relationship with God. In this way it differs from a natural or learned ability. A charism, exercised correctly, draws other people to God. For instance, we can take art courses and learn to paint a picture. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, however, draws people to God. A charism must be exercised in the context of the Christian’s overall discipleship in submission to Jesus Christ and His Church. 25 commonly recognized charisms are: Administration, Celibacy, Craftsmanship, Discernment of Spirits, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Hospitality, Intercessory Prayer, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Missionary, Music, Pastoring, Prophecy, Service, Teaching, Voluntary Poverty, Wisdom, Writing, Public Tongues and the Interpretation of tongues.

It is important to remember that no charism is better than the others. There can be a temptation to want the charism that someone else has and not focus on the charisms God had blessed us with. St. Paul tells us in the Second Reading this weekend that, "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit." The Holy Spirit wants to move through all of us but moves in different ways. Each of us have been given certain spiritual gifts but they come from the same Holy Spirit. St. Paul makes clear that these gifts are intended for service to our Lord Jesus Christ. When we move in our charisms correctly then people are drawn to God and ALL of the Church benefits.

There is a retreat that I love to staff as a spiritual director because of how each of the team members move in their charisms and respect the charisms of the others. There is no jealousy but a mutual respect and acknowledgement of what every team member's charisms are. It is such a powerful retreat because of how each team member goes to the charisms of the others when needed and goes to their own charisms when appropriate. My prayer is that everyday we at St. Albert the Great will move more in our charisms and respect the charisms of others. 

Come Holy Spirit,

Fr. Charlie

Pentecost Sunday

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn 20:19-23

Podcast (Fr. Charlie): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-500-pm-mass-homily-english-1685388506/

Trinity Sunday

Readings: Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18

Podcast (Fr. Charlie): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1686003948/

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Ex 19:2-6a; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36—10:8

Podcast (Fr. Charlie): https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/fr-charlie-garza-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1687207752/

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: Jer 20:10-13; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33

Blog: https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/06/homily-for-twelfth-sunday-in-ordinary.html

Podcast: https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/deacon-phuc-phan-1000-am-mass-homily-english-1687797467/

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A - 6/25/2023)

Good morning. For the past several Sundays since Pentecost, Fr. Charlie has led us through a homily series on charisms. To review, charisms are “special abilities” given to each of us by the Holy Spirit that enable us to be “powerful channels of God’s love and redeeming presence in the world. . . Charisms are used in charity or service to build up the Church” (CCC 2003). Today is the final Sunday of the homily series and the two remaining types of charisms are organizational charisms and creative charisms. Organizational charisms are those charisms that meet the needs of an organization or group, and include the charisms of giving, service, administration, and leadership. Creative charisms are those charisms that enable us to express our faith, bringing glory to God as Creator of Heaven, Earth, and all of humanity, and include the charisms of music, writing, and craftsmanship. I will not say much about creative charisms because, aside from chanting certain parts of the Mass and practicing for 40 days to chant the Exsultet for the first time at the Easter Vigil, let’s just say the Holy Spirit has not granted me these spiritual gifts. However, I think that I know something about giving, service, administration, and leadership to share about organizational charisms.

In his essay, titled “The Servant as Leader”, Robert K. Greenleaf coined the phrase “servant leadership.” Mr. Greenleaf wrote that a “servant leader” is “servant first.” Sound familiar? Jesus “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many“ (Matthew 20:28). Servant leadership, therefore, “begins with the natural feeling that [we] want to serve, to serve first (the charism of service). Then conscious choice brings [us] to aspire to lead (the charism of leadership). This is sharply different from one who is leader first. . . The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served (the charism of giving). The best test. . . is to ask ourselves: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served. . . more likely themselves to become servants?” (the charism of administration).

Perhaps this short tale can help us better understand what it means to be a servant leader: Saint Peter and the Angel Gabriel had a problem. Peter was sorting people at the Pearly Gates letting some in and keeping others out, but Gabriel was finding more people in heaven that Peter was letting in. They were befuddled. Gabriel told Peter to keep working and he would get to the bottom of this. A few hours later he came back and told Peter not to worry; he had figured it out. “It’s Jesus. He’s pulling people in over the wall.” Jesus is pulling people over the wall. In other words, Jesus lifts others up, holds their hands and pulls them with him, leaving no one behind. Christ is a servant leader par excellence because, as the Prophet Jeremiah stated: “. . .the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion. . . to you I have entrusted my cause. . . for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked.” Jesus is the “mighty champion” for the causes of the poor, the downtrodden, and the voiceless because “not one of [the sparrows] falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. . . and [we] are worth more than many sparrows.”

Leading by example, Jesus “summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness” (Matthew 10:1). He commissioned them to go and do what he himself had been doing - to proclaim “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and “[cure] the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons”. Christ prepared them for the coming persecution, warning them: “I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves” and that they “will be hated by all because of my name.” Then, as a servant leader who probed the minds and hearts of the Twelve and understood what they needed, he said to them: “Fear no one. . . do not be afraid.” Jesus speaks these same words of encouragement to each and everyone of us today, saying: “Do not be afraid of persecution, of being sheep in the midst of wolves, of being hated because of my name.” Therefore, in times of trials and tribulations, when faced with difficult and challenging situations, servant leaders are those who do the work, bear the burdens, serve from within and give themselves for the common good. When confronted with fear, servant leaders are “self-possessed (calm, confident, and. . . composed) in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work [needed]; and fulfill [their] ministry. . . they “finish the race” because they “have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:5, 7). 

Saint John Paul II, a servant leader, once said, “Do not accept anything as truth that lacks love and do not accept anything as love that lacks truth. One without the other is a destructive lie.” I think sometimes our greatest fear is to love others as God loves them because we are afraid we might lose them. We stand by as they continue to do what they are doing and live the lifestyle they want to live. The reality is, because we do not have the courage to love others as God loves them and speak Truth to them with love, even if we occasionally have to say: “Get behind me, Satan! [. . .] You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23), we continue to inflict wounds on the Sacred Heart of Jesus by our sin, unfaithfulness and neglect. When we fear loving others as God loves them, we ourselves become indifferent and lukewarm in our faith, and God vomits out those who are lukewarm (Revelations 3:16). In the end, we get a millstone around our neck (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:1-2) and our loved ones are not any closer in their relationship with God because as Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel: “[whoever] who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” 

We fear losing the love, affection, respect, and friendship of people we care about. Yet, there is one fear that we have lost as a people and as a society. . . and that is fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is not “‘servile’ fear, whereby we fear punishment” but a gift of the Holy Spirit “whereby we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him” above all else (Summa Theologiae). We are “one Nation under God” but we are not servant leaders of God’s first (Saint Thomas More). How are we revering God when people or groups openly mock our Lord and our God? How are we avoiding separating ourselves from God when we think that we have the “right” to end the life of a human person? How are we revering God when we think it is okay to shun and mutilate the “image and likeness” that God lovingly created and breathed His Spirit into us? How are we avoiding separating ourselves from God when we prioritize our other activities over coming to Mass? How are we revering God when 60% or more of us Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? Jesus asks us, “what profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26).

Everything I have just mentioned are opportunities for us to become servant leaders of Jesus Christ for our family, our Church, and our society. For me personally, a servant leader is one who encourages another. One of my charisms is encouragement. My patron saint is Saint Andrew the Apostle, the fisher of men, because I feel called by God to encourage others to grow in their Catholic faith and to come and follow Christ. My wife and I work with couples to prepare them for the Sacrament of Marriage. If any of the couples, or anyone for that matter, tell me that they stopped going to Mass because they disagreed with Church teachings, then I would encourage them to wrestle with their doubts and seek answers to their questions rather than stop coming Mass, deny their Catholic faith, or, worst, turn their back on God who loves them. I would invite them to attend O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) and even offer to attend the classes with them. I extend the same offer to you all. For the men, I invite you to join my Weary Travelers faith-sharing small group for men. For couples who desire to get married in the Catholic Church, I offer to accompany you on your journey toward a sacramental marriage. 

My sisters and brothers in Christ, each of us has the capacity to become a servant leader in our own unique way, using our charisms to speak Truth to others with love, starting with our family, the domestic church, and to carry out the mission of the Church that Christ has commissioned us at our Baptism. As our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tells us: "What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops." Therefore, let us go forth from Mass and do not be afraid but be bold, be Catholics, be the servant leaders God called us to be and we will set the world on fire for the love of God. 🙏🕊❤️ 

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 42 - 47

On June 14th, our Weary Travelers men's small group met for the last time for our book study on "Gus Busbi," a novel by Catholic author Jim Sano. It is the second book in the Fr. Tom Fritzpatrick series. Even though only 3 of us were able to meet, because the others had various other things going on - out of the country, ministry meeting, assisting at hospice care, and illness, we had wonderful discussion nevertheless to wrap up the book study. As the title of this blog suggests, we discussed the last 6 chapters of the novel.

In Chapter 42, we get the background story of William "Willie" Bennett and his relationship with Celia and Jamiel, as well as what happened to Danny and Anthony. What struck me in this chapter is how Leonard "Cool" once again demands absolute "respect" and "loyalty", and an "you are either with us or you are against us" mentality.

In Chapter 43, I realized that while Fr. Tom does not appear much in the story, when he does, he brings much wisdom. Fr. Tom: "Gus was a man of strong faith. Love and forgiveness are at the center of that faith, and he cannot bring himself to do either. . . We are asked to love and forgive even those that hate us and wish to do us harm. . . I think Gus believes it will dishonor Danny to forgive someone who isn't sorry for what they did." Those are but a few of the "nuggets" from Fr. Tom.

In Chapters 44 - 46, Fr. Tom reminds Jamiel that he is there for him "anywhere. anytime. any reason." Moreover, Gus realizes that it is time he starts living again, telling Jamil: ". . .spending a life hating him will only rob you of your life. . . [do] not let the anger and resentment eat you up like it has me." Yet, Busbi is still not ready to forgive the man who killed Danny because he does not want to "cheapen Danny's memory. . ." Jamiel also comes to his own realization that "it wasn't the car that he loved, but the time he had spent with Gus working together on it, the talks they had, and friendship they forged, and the man it helped him to start becoming."

The novel wraps up with Chapter 47; however, I will not give away the ending except to say that Gus Busbi is at peace and Jamiel's yearning for a father in his life comes to fruition.

We all enjoyed "Gus Busbi" and had lots of great discussions over the course of the book study. One of the lessons that the novel taught us is that, like Gus Busbi, Fr. Tom, Mike, and Reverend Rich, we men must not only be positive male role models for the young men and boys in our lives (our sons, grandsons, nephews, etc.) but also for the fatherless in our communities - just like how Saint Joseph stepped up and answered God's call to be a father to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many thanks to Jim Sano for another great novel for our men's small group book study. We look forward to our next book study on the 3rd novel in the Fr. Tom series - "Stolen Blessing," which will start in the late-October / early November timeframe.

. . .

Invitation to "Gus Busbi" Book Study - https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/01/invitation-to-gus-busbi-book-study.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 1 - 5 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-1-5.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 6 - 19 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-6-19.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 20 - 26 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/04/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-20.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 27 - 33 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/04/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-27.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 34 - 41 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/06/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-34.html

Prayer for Father's Day (6/18/2023)

My prayer for all fathers. . . 🙏🕊❤️

Good and gracious Father in heaven, you gave us Saint Joseph as the model of fatherhood. In Saint Joseph, dads learn what is means to be patient with their family, to love their spouse and children unconditionally and not ask for anything in return, to have courage to do the right thing and be the protector their family needs them to be and, most of all, to be humble and obedient to You. We ask for your blessings on all fathers. Fill their hearts with your love and, in times of weakness, give them the courage and humility to turn to you for strength and guidance. We entrust the care of all dads to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer. Amen. 🙏🕊❤️

Reflecting on the Sacred Heart of Jesus (6/16/2023)

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the readings are so beautiful and help us reflect on the love that God has for each and every one of us, and the love that He calls us to love each other through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, his Son, and in the Holy Spirit.

Before the 6:30 Mass this morning, at Saint Mary Cathedral, I had the blessed opportunity to lead the congregation in praying the Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (image below) and the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that the U.S. Bishops have asked all faithful Catholics to pray today in reparation for the harm inflicted on the Sacred Heart of Jesus (https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/catholics-invited-pray-act-reparation-solemnity-sacred-heart).

As I prayed the Act of Reparation, these words convicted by heart: "have mercy on all who wound your Sacred Heart by sin, unfaithfulness and neglect"; "broken by our ingratitude, pierced by our sins, yet loving us still"; and "draw me ever nearer to your Sacred Heart. . . teach me, Jesus, your blessed way to eternal life." As the first reading, from the Book of Deuteronomy, states, we are "a people sacred to the Lord, your God." Yet, we have lost sight of the divine and transcendent, choosing to look inward in ourselves and dependent on our own will rather than look to God and trust in Him and His love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Then, the second reading, from the First Letter of Saint John, states that "[whoever] acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he is God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us." Yet, so many people in today's society reject Jesus, even go as far as mock him, his Passion, death, and Resurrection for our salvation. They reject the love of God, a love so great that "God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins."

Saint John tells us, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. . . God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us." We all know that the Great Commandment is to love God and love our neighbor; however, love of neighbor must be rooted in love of God. Therefore, we must love God first and foremost (God tells us this in the First Commandment) so that we know how to love others in the way that He loves them. We love like God loves when we will the good of the other (our neighbor) and there is no greater good than to help them stay on the path that leads to heaven, to eternal life in the presence of our loving Father in heaven.

We often think that loving God is hard because we fear what God might ask of us; whether we can do what He asks of us or what we might lose or have to let go of or give up to love as God loves. Yet, Jesus tells us: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." His yoke is easy and his burden is light, whereas the yoke of this world is difficult and the burden of this world heavy on our hearts but, most of all, wounds the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Therefore, rather than yoke ourselves to the lifestyle, bad habits, vices, and pleasures of this world are are fleeting and never, ever satisfy, let us yoke ourselves to Jesus and help others to do the same. If our love for another means letting them do what they want to do or live the lifestyle they wish to live, then are we truly willing their good, the ultimate good of which is to avoid a life of sin that wounds the Sacred Heart of by "sin, unfaithfulness and neglect" and separates us from the love of God? When we love God above all in our lives, then the Sacred Heart of Jesus will help us to love others as God created them to be and not as how we want to love them or think they should be loved. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Reflecting on Eucharistic Procession for Corpus Christi (6/11/2023)

Saint Vincent de Paul said, "Once you understand the Eucharist, you can never leave the Church. Not because the Church won't let you, but because your heart won't let you."

I reflected on these words of the great saint as I prepared myself spiritually, mentally, and physically for the two Eucharistic Processions that I presided over after the 10:00 and 12:00 Masses on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In the week leading up to the great feast, I spoke with several fallen away Catholics who no longer practice their Catholic faith but either attend a non-denominational Christian service or not at all. It was heart-breaking for me to hear Catholic who say that they no longer go to Mass because they did not get "fed" by the preaching or that the Mass was "repetitive." While I understand where they are coming from, I am heart-broken for them because they do not realize and believe in their hearts that the Eucharist - the Word made Flesh, the Living Bread come down from heaven, the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation - is the "source and summit" of not only our Christian faith, but our lives as Christians. So, I prayed for these fallen away Catholics and Catholics who do not believe in the words of consecration and the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as I walked and held our Lord close to my heart.

Fr. Michael O'Connor gave a beautiful homily during Mass that I think pierced and convicted the hearts of many of the faithful in the pews because so make parishioners did not leave but stayed for the Eucharistic Procession and Benediction afterwards. He asked those in the pews, "if we are not transformed after we receive our Lord in the Eucharist," then there is something wrong with us. He shared that his mother (God rest her soul) once asked him, "How do people live without faith? How do people go without the Eucharist?" For me personally, I would be devastated if I could not go to Sunday Mass, which is why, when we travel, the first I do after I booked our hotel is I find the nearest Catholic Church for Mass. Fr. Michael also asked several evocative questions: "What if you leave Mass today and you did not know when you will be able to come back to Mass again? If you had to walk several days to be able to attend Mass, would you do it? What is you were not allowed to receive the Eucharist?" We experienced this during the COVID-19 pandemic and, for me, my heart was yearning for our Lord. I was blessed that, Fr. Charlie made sure that his deacons where able to receive Holy Communion even when we are limited to 6 people in one area during the early part of the pandemic.

After the Prayer after Communion and announcements, I encouraged our parishioners to please join us for the Eucharistic Procession or, if they cannot walk with us, then stay in the sanctuary and pray until we return for Benediction. My heart was filled with join when I did the Benediction at the four altars and saw so many faithful Catholics walk with our Lord in prayer. And, even though it was getting hot outside, I felt the Holy Spirit in the breeze throughout the Eucharistic Procession and it encouraged and strengthened us to keep going - for God, for the Church. [I also cannot thank enough my brother Knights of Columbus and the men who helped carry the canopy. It provided much reprieve of the hot son on my head.] I was truly blessed to walk with our Lord, not only during the Eucharistic Procession, but every day as a deacon for his Church and the faithful people of God. Our society has lost our sense of the divine, for the transcendent. We look inward too much and not upward to our Creator nearly enough. However, our Lord is kind, gentle, forgiving, merciful and loving, and He patiently waits for us to return to Him so that we may have life and have it abundantly when we receive Him in the Eucharist.

. . .

I would invite you all to listen to Fr. Michael O'Connor's powerful homily on the Eucharist. https://saintalbert.podbean.com/e/frmichael-o-connor-1000-am-mass-homily-english/

. . .

Invitation to "Stolen Blessing" Book Study

As I wrap up with the current book study on Jim Sano's novel, "Gus Busbi", I am discerning the book study for this fall/winter.

The book study will be on Jim Sano's novel, "Stolen Blessing," the 3rd book in the "Fr. Tom" series. Here is a link to the book on the author's web-site: https://www.jimsano.com/stolen-blessing.

I have 10 copies of "Stolen Blessing", which is also available for purchase on Amazon.

As I mentioned to the guys during last night's book study meeting, I am discerning when to start the fall book study. I have trial settings in September and October so I am thinking about starting the book study in November. I will keep you posted on my discernment.

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 34 - 41

On June 7th, our Weary Travelers men's small group continued our book study on "Gus Busbi," a novel by Catholic author Jim Sano. It is the second book in the Fr. Tom Fritzpatrick series. We had evocative discussions about the various themes that are covered in Chapters 37-41*.

In Chapter 37, we felt grateful that Jamiel is able to confide in Gus as Gus slowly becomes that father-figure that Jamiel has been yearning for all his life. Gus talks to Jamiel about what its means to be a man with "honor, integrity, courage, honesty, and love", called by Christ to stand apart rather then try to fit in. They share a profound discussion on indifference and lukewarmness (and we know that God does to people who are lukewarm - He spits them out). We notice that growth and maturity of Jamiel shrine worth at the end of the chapter - "Jamiel though about what king of man he was going to be. It wasn't going to just happen. He was going to have to decide." (Freewill. Love is a choice.) We see this maturity in the decision that Jamiel had to make in Chapter 38.

In Chapter 39, Gus tells Jamiel that God believes in him, that he believes in him. It was then that Jamiel realizes how much Gus cares about him, thinking back on the time that Gus was in the hospital with him after he was shot. Gus continues to mentor Jamiel, this time with regards to girls and relationship, sharing with Jamiel Saint John Paul II's quote: "The dignity of every woman is the duty of every man." In particular, I love these three questions that Gus poses to Jamiel.

1. What is the moral thing to do?
2. What is the responsible thing for a man to do?
3. What is the most loving thing to do?

For me, to answer the first question, we rely on our experiences in life and lessons we picked up from parents, teachers, friends, mentors, etc. along the way. To answer the second question requires maturity in our understanding of our experiences in life and lessons learned to do the right and responsible thing. Finally, to answer the third question (and all three questions for that matter) requires discernment and discernment cannot be done without God. One of the profound things that one of my fellow Weary Travelers shared is, Jamiel's first discernment is God's will and purpose for him. Jamiel's second discernment is the people he should surround himself - do that help him on his path toward God or are they an obstacle. This is the same discernment that we all go through in life. It is not easy but, with God, it is possible.

In Chapters 40 & 41, we continue to see the relationship and trust between Jamiel and Gus grow and mature. We see Jamiel having the courage to go see Gus in his apartment when he realized that something as off with him. We see Gus opening himself up to a future filled with love, friendship, and family rather than being by himself. I shared with my Weary Travelers about the book - "What Happened to You?", particularly how the community helps individuals within the community cope with loss and grief well before counseling became a profession and drugs are used.

We had a great meeting, even though we were missing several of our members. Next Wednesday (June 14th), we will wrap up the book study.

* Chapters 34-36 were covered in a previous meeting that I, unfortunately, was not able to attend because of work. However, I read those chapters and will comment on them. In Chapter 34, I cannot help but wonder what would happen to Tookie and his dream of being a basketball player had it not been ended by his life of crime. In Chapter 35, Gus recognizes that he is getting "too sensitive" about things and so he goes to see Fr. Tom. Fr. Tom shared with Gus profound truths about grieving the lost of loved ones, saying we hold on to the pain because we feel that the ones we love are found in the pain so we stay in the pain. He also talks with Gus about forgiveness and what unforgiveness does to him. Then, in Chapter 36, Gus returns to Mass for the first time in many years. Fr. Tom tells him that "real love isn't easy, but it leads us to the life God has planned for us," and uses the analogy of Marines on the battlefield, something that Gus can relate to since he is a former Marine.

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Invitation to "Gus Busbi" Book Study - https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/01/invitation-to-gus-busbi-book-study.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 1 - 5 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-1-5.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 6 - 19 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/03/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-6-19.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 20 - 26 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/04/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-20.html

"Gus Busbi" Book Study Recap: Chapters 27 - 33 https://dcnphuc2019.blogspot.com/2023/04/gus-busbi-book-study-recap-chapters-27.html