Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Haley Stewart on New Catholic Adults at Confession

"As we enter Holy Week, I've been thinking about all my friends and readers who are going through RCIA this year to be confirmed this Easter. Are you afraid about making your first Confession? I was. I was terrified. I was so excited to be confirmed, but the anxiety of making that first Confession loomed over me. It felt like an excruciating torture I was going to have to endure before being accepted into the Church.

"I remember so vividly coming to the end of the Penance service during Lent, lining up for the confessional and trembling. Most cradle Catholics I know are surprised to hear how scared I was, but they also haven't ever carried 25 years of unconfessed sin around. It's a tad intimidating.

"One of my anxieties was just the shame of telling someone out loud everything horrible I had done. As I waited for my turn, I realized my perspective was off. Jesus already knew. He already knew everything. And he was the only one that mattered. . . ."

In a recent commentary, writer (and Catholic convert) Haley Stewart reflected on the process of making a first confession as an adult entering the Church.

To access Ms. Stewart's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: I Was a New Catholic, Trembling at Confession (31 MAR 15

Reflection Starter from Thomas à Kempis

"Nothing, how little so ever it be, if it is suffered for God's sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God." - Thomas à Kempis

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings You are offering us throughout this Holy Week.

Steven Jonathan Rummelsburg on Belief in Jesus Christ

“To profess belief in the second person of the Most Holy Trinity carries with it unfathomable implications because full understanding lies rooted inconceivably beyond human reach in our eternal Creator. The Catechism elucidates the incarnation as we read: “we believe and confess that Jesus of Nazareth, born a Jew of a daughter of Israel at Bethlehem at the time of King Herod the Great and the emperor Caesar Augustus, a carpenter by trade, who died crucified in Jerusalem under the procurator Pontius Pilate during the reign of the emperor Tiberius, is the eternal Son of God made man. He ‘came from God’, ‘descended from heaven’, and ‘came in the flesh’ For ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”1 Such profound words constitute a poetic promise by those of us who utter them and compel us by the most strenuous efforts to apprehend (aided by the gifts of the Holy Spirit) who Christ Jesus is and what our belief in Him demands from us.”

In a recent commentary, writer Steven Jonathan Rummelsburg reflected on what it means to believe in Jesus Christ as is the savior of the world and our own personal savior.

To access Mr. Rummelsburg's complete post, please visit:

The Integrated Catholic Life: I Believe in Jesus Christ (27 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Psalm 27

"The LORD is my light and my salvation." - Psalm 27:1

Saint Michael's Singers: "Lift High the Cross"

As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of the Saint Michael's Singers presenting "Lift High the Cross":

Well Done, Joe

Congratulations to son Joe, who recently participated (and did well) in the recent Fight for Air Climb at the Omni Providence Hotel, Providence, RI. Joe finished third in amount raised as an individual, and he finished #72 out of 529 participants.

The climb consisted of 22 floors (44 flights/348 steps) inside the hotel's staircase.

Background information:

American Lung Association: Providence 2015 Fight for Air Climb

Media report:

WABC-TV: ‘Fight for air climb Providence’ held at Omni (28 MAR 15)

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Today the Church celebrates Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. The assigned readings are Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, and Mark 14:1-15:47. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 22 (Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 22 "My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?"

The Gospel reading for the procession with the palms is as follows:

When Jesus and his disciples drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them,"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should say to you,'Why are you doing this?' reply, 'The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.'"

So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it.

So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!"

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Palm Sunday Passion of the Lord (March 29, 2015)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Passion/Palm Sunday (March 29, 2015)

Msgr. Charles Pope: See What the End Shall Be (28 MAR 15)

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Passion Sunday - Palm Sunday

The Deacon's Bench: "We need these palms as a reminder - and a challenge" (28 MAR 15)

Word on Fire: The Passion Narrative of Mark's Gospel (Cycle B * Lent * Palm Sunday)

Dr. Scott Hahn: Darkness at Noon (March 29th 2015 - Passion Sunday)

CWR Blog: Palm Sunday: Glory flows from the obedience of selfless love (28 MAR 15)

Spirituality of the Readings: King? Really? (Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion)

The Word Embodied: Dying (Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion)

Historical Cultural Context: Cultural Insights into the Passion (Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Guerric of Igny (Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion)

Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Palm Sunday (27 MAR 15)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You remind us of what is important in our lives.

Msgr. Pope on the Sabbath Rest

"Some of us who are older remember that Sundays were once quiet in downtown; in shopping areas, parking lots were empty. Most businesses were closed and few people had to work on Sundays. Surely there were exceptions, such as medical personnel, emergency workers, and those who ran essential services like power plants. But for most, Sunday was a day off. And although the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, in a largely Christian nation Sunday was the 'Sabbath' day of rest.

"In those days, Church was in the morning and then it was home to a family brunch or mid-afternoon meal. I remember back in the '60s that after Mass our family returned home and we kids got out of our 'Church  clothes' to go and play - in the yard in warm months and in the basement on cold or inclement days. Mom and Dad announced the 'parent hour,' making the living room off limits to us kids so they could sip coffee, read the paper, and catch up with each other. Dinner was at four or five in the afternoon; often our grandparents would join us or we went to their house. Evening featured Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (a nature show) followed by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color/The Wonderful World of Disney. And then came The Lawrence Welk Show, which we hated but Mom and Dad liked (we went off to play again as soon as Disney was over).

"It was the end of an era. By the mid 1970s many 'Blue laws' or 'Sunday laws,' which prohibited the sale of certain products or the conducting of certain types of business on Sundays were on their way out. To heck with family, we were off the shopping mall!.

"It is a loss. To be fair, most of us who are well off can still observe the Sabbath (Sunday) rest if we choose. However, the poor and younger people just entering the workforce usually have little choice as to whether or not they work on Sundays. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the Sabbath rest and its link to justice.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: On the Lost Justice of the “Sabbath Rest” (26 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"May every Church and Christian community be a place of mercy amid so much indifference."- Pope Francis

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You are gathering Your people (as reflected in Jeremiah 31), whether we are aware of it or not.

Pope Francis Joins Homeless Touring Sistine Chapel

"Pope Francis surprised a group of homeless people yesterday when he joined them on a private tour of the Sistine Chapel.

"The 150 men and women had been given a tour of the Vatican Museum and gardens and were in the chapel painted by Michelangelo when Pope Francis turned up.

"He told them: 'Welcome. This is everyone's house, and your house. The doors are always open for all.'"

To access a Catholic Herald report on this event, please visit:

Catholic Herald: Pope Francis surprises homeless people during tour of Sistine Chapel (27 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Ezekiel

"Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit." - Ezekiel 18:31

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the love with which You encompass us.

Pope Francis on Spiritual Traps to Avoid

"Pope Francis has offered us a lot of advice on how to be better Christians and people. He's also taken a hard look at some practices among the faithful that have long been accepted in different forms, but that are bad for spiritual health."

A recent Catholic TV post offered reflections by Pope Francis on three practices that can inhibit our spiritual growth.

To access the complete post, please visit:

Catholic TV: 3 Spiritual Traps to Avoid (According to Pope Francis) (20 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Robert Frost

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

Maine Teacher Awarded First Global Teacher Prize

Nancie Atwell, founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, ME, recently was awarded the first Global Teacher Prize.

The Global Teacher Prize was established by the Varkey Foundation as an annual one million dollar award to be given to a super-special teacher - an innovative and caring teacher who has made an inspirational impact on their students and their community. Teachers currently teaching children in a compulsory setting or between the ages 5-18 are eligible for the award.

Media reports:

Bangor Daily News: Maine educator Nancie Atwell wins Global Teacher Prize (16 MAR 15)

Kennebec Journal: Global Teacher Prize winner from Maine reflects on win (16 MAR 15)

National Public Radio: Nancie Atwell Of Maine Wins $1 Million Global Teaching Prize (16 MAR 15)

Christian Science Monitor: Why this Maine teacher received the world's first Global Teacher Prize (17 MAR 15)

Background information:

Global Teacher Prize

Varkey Foundation

Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb, ME

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, that each person You create is precious to You, whether we are aware of it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not.

The Chaplains Who Tried to Save Nazi Souls

Trying to save the souls of Nazi leaders and lead them to repent of their sins. That was the focus of my last column, which highlighted my interview with Tim Townsend, author of Mission at Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain and the Trial of the Nazis. Townsend's book primarily tells the story of Henry Gerecke, a Lutheran pastor from St. Louis who was asked to minister to Nazi leaders in Nuremberg prison before they were tried for war crimes and possibly executed. Working alongside Pastor Gerecke was Father Sixtus O'Connor.

Father O’Connor - of whom very little is known - saw the horrors of World War II first hand. Townsend said, "He was a younger guy [who] was part of a fighting unit that marched all the way through Europe. He got a Silver Star for bravery for counseling men on the battlefield for what was then called battle fatigue but what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder. At the end of the war, his unit helped liberate Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, so he buried thousands and thousands of dead and dying concentration camp victims. Two months later in Nuremberg, he was counseling and pastoring Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who was in charge of the entire concentration camp system. So Father O'Connor went from seeing the raw aftermath of the Holocaust [to] ministering to the man who had been responsible for that."

So why were Christian ministers even sent to Nuremberg? Townsend explained that the Allies weren't just following the Geneva Conventions; they were trying to act more civilized than their enemies: "The Nuremberg trials themselves were a total experiment. Nobody had ever done anything like this before, where the victors decided that rather than to point blank shoot enemies that they caught, they would try to give them a fair trial and hearing. That was in and of itself controversial . . .[but] then, to offer these people spiritual comfort as they were on trial for the murder of millions of people . . . When people did find out about it, it caused a lot of consternation."

It required an enormous amount of compassion and mercy for Pastor Gerecke and Father O'Connor to see the Nazis as human beings instead of monsters. Townsend believes it was their deep Christian faith that allowed them to do so: "I could not have even walked into one of those cells. They not only walked in, but knelt on the concrete floor next to these men, prayed with them, and tried to bring them back to some sort of belief in the church and in Jesus. That's an amazing thing to contemplate and it is a testament to their faith as Christians, but also to their abilities as pastors. They knew they had a particular responsibility and a calling that they took very seriously, and this was an extraordinary moment in history."

Mission at Nuremberg grapples with big questions that force us to ponder whether we actually believe every human being is capable of redemption. It also presents us with men of conscience and character whose names may have been lost without Townsend's research. The author's hard work paid off, giving readers a memorable piece of history that is morally challenging yet hopeful.

Townsend concludes, "My real hope is that people read the book and recognize that these two men did this extraordinary thing in the name of both democracy and what the Allies and America fought for - but also for their faith and how remarkable their faith is, that they were willing to share it with the worst people on earth."

(This essay is this week's "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

 

The Christophers

Reflection Starter from Psalm 105

"Seek out the LORD and his might;constantly seek his face. Recall the wondrous deeds he has done,his wonders and words of judgment. . . ." -  Psalm 105: 4-5

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You reach out to us with Your Mercy.

Mission at Nuremberg

If there are a group of people in modern history who are thought of as irredeemable, it's the Nazis. Truth be told, the orchestrators of the genocide of the Jewish people and the murders of millions of others certainly didn't "deserve" any kind of mercy. Yet at the end of World War II, two American Army chaplains - Rev. Henry Gerecke, a Lutheran minister, and Father Sixtus O'Connor, a Catholic priest - made an unprecedented attempt to save the souls of the Nazi leaders held at Nuremberg prison. Their little-known story has now been documented by award-winning journalist Tim Townsend in the book Mission at Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain and the Trial of the Nazis.

During an interview on Christopher Closeup, Townsend admitted that prior to writing this book, he simply knew the "Hollywood" version of the trials and thought of the Nazis as a "stereotype of evil." And while there were those like Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who seemed to revel in cruelty as he oversaw the extermination of the Jews, there were others, like Wilhelm Keitel, who didn't fit so neatly into a preconceived box.

As a young man, Keitel lived an average, innocuous, non-threatening life. He wanted to become a farmer until his father "pushed him into the army." Eventually, he became Hitler's general field marshal, whom Townsend describes as "the Fuhrer’s closest military adviser and most dependable sycophant - an obsequious figure, the archetypal Nazi bootlicker."

As I was reading Mission at Nuremberg, I couldn't help but feel that during the war, Keitel forgot who he really was - that he suppressed the goodness within him because he fell in love with adulation and power. But a sliver of his humanity still remained when he met Pastor Gerecke with whom he developed a bond.

Pastor Gerecke's inherent Christian conviction and humble charisma allowed him to make inroads in some of the Nazis' consciences - though none of them took full public responsibility for their sins. Perhaps moving them toward any sort of penitence at all in a short period of time was a miracle in itself. How was Pastor Gerecke able to accomplish even that much? Almost 50 years old at the time, he was formed by his experiences during the Great Depression. Though stationed at a comfortable Lutheran church in St. Louis with his wife and kids, he left that job and moved his family into a tiny apartment in order to minister to the homeless, as well as prisoners in local jails.

In addition, he practiced interfaith cooperation long before it became popular. Townsend said, "[The Gereckes] lived in the middle of a Catholic parish, and Lutheranism was the number two denomination [in St. Louis]. Pastor Gerecke worked very closely with the Catholic priest of that parish. Interfaith partnership in that neighborhood very much helped him later because chaplains in the Army are chaplains to all, not just for the men and women in their particular denomination . . . That was important to him in an informative way when he began counseling and pastoring to Nazis in the wake of the Holocaust."

Pastor Gerecke further developed his human touch while serving as chaplain at a MASH-like unit in England. Wounded soldiers arrived from the front lines only to be patched up enough to send to "proper hospitals." Not only did Pastor Gerecke counsel the wounded there, he also helped the doctors, nurses, and staff who needed spiritual sustenance of their own.

I'll conclude Pastor Gerecke's and Father O’Connors story in my next column

(This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

 

The Christophers

 

Messianic Good News: Henry Gerecke – Chaplain to Nazi war criminals

Reflection Starter from St. Thomas Aquinas

"All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the truth and beauty contained in the Gospel message.

Pope Francis to Christians: Be Witnesses of the Faith

"Pope Francis says the lives of Christians must be coherent and express faith in action.

"Speaking to the crowds gathered in a rainy St. Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus, the Pope invited all believers to always bear in mind the message of the Gospel, the image of the Crucified Lord, and the need to be witnesses of faith.

"Calling on Christians to express their faith in action, the Pope also turned to those who have yet to experience an encounter with Christ offering the gift of a pocket-sized Gospel in which 'we can meet Jesus, listen to Him, and get to know Him'.

"And commenting on the fact that 50 thousand copies of the Gospel were being distributed in the Square by 300 homeless people, the Pope said 'this is a beautiful gesture' that Jesus approves: 'those who are most needy are the ones who are giving us the Word of God'. . . .

"And repeating the words “We would like to see Jesus”, Pope Francis said that there are many amongst us who would like to see Jesus, who are in search of his life-giving message. To them – he said – 'there are three things we can offer: the Gospel, the crucifix and our witness'."

To access a Vatican Radio report on the Holy Father's message, please visit:

Radio Vatican: Pope calls on Christians to express their faith in action (22 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Pope Benedict XVI

"The Christian faith can never be separated from the soil of sacred events, from the choice made by God, who wanted to speak to us, to become man, to die and rise again, in a particular place and at a particular time." - Pope Benedict XVI

A Brief Look at the Fifties . . .

For those of us of a certain age, I offer this photo gallery (which, I suspect, will touch a few memory chords):

SafeShare: Lost in the Fifties- Another Time, Another Place

Thank you, John STROADE Shay, Sr.!!!

Maranatha Singers: "Create in Me a Clean Heart, Oh God"

As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of Maranatha Singers singing "Create in Me a Clean Heart, Oh God":

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Today the Church celebrates the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings are Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, and John 12:20-33. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 51 (Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 51 A Prayer for Mercy and Forgiveness

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”

The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 22, 2015)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 22, 2015)

Msgr. Charles Pope: The Cross Always Wins – A Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent (21 MAR 15)

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Unless a Grain of Wheat

Word on Fire: United in the Blood of Jesus (Cycle B * Lent * Week 5)

Dr. Scott Hahn: The "Hour" Comes (March 22nd 2015 - Fifth Sunday of Lent)

CWR Blog: Unless we become grains of wheat... (21 MAR 15)

Spirituality of the Readings: Coming to Pieces (5th Sunday of Lent B)

The Word Embodied: Repentance and Eucharist (5th Sunday of Lent B)

Historical Cultural Context: Understanding Honor (5th Sunday of Lent B)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Cyril of Alexandria (5th Sunday of Lent B)

Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Fifth Sunday of Lent (21 MAR 15)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for Your gift of serenity.

Msgr. Pope on Serenity

"During Lent, a gift to seek is greater serenity. The word comes from the Latin serenus, meaning clear or unclouded (skies). By extension it thus means calm, without storm.

"Serenity has become more used in modern times with the advent of many 12-Step programs, which use the Serenity Prayer as an important help to their work.

"Perhaps the closest Greek word to serenity is γαλήνη (galene=calm) and it is used most specifically to describe the incident when Jesus stood in the boat and rebuked the storm, bringing about a great calm, a serenity (cf Matt 8:26). In this sense we can see how true serenity must come as a gift from God. For the storms of life can overwhelm and overpower us. So we need to seek serenity from God and receive it from Him."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on serenity and its role in our lives.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: What Is Serenity and How Can We Grow in It? (19 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"Lent is a time for drawing near to Christ by listening to the word of God and celebrating the sacraments."- Pope Francis

Robert Goulet: "Sunrise, Sunset"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Robert Goulet singing "Sunrise, Sunset":

YouTube: Robert Goulet - Sunrise, Sunset

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the season of spring.

Archbishop Charles Chaput on Religious Freedom

"Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia warned Tuesday that the United States will face increasing pressure to abandon its traditionally broad protections for religious liberty, though he encouraged Christians never to give up hope in God's love.

"Religious liberty, he said, 'means much more than the freedom to believe whatever you like at home, and pray however you like in your church.'

"'It means the right to preach, teach and worship in public and in private,' he said March 17. 'It means a parent's right to protect his or her children from harmful teaching. It means the right to engage the public square with moral debate and works of social ministry. It means the freedom to do all of this without negative interference from the government, direct or indirect, except within the limits of 'just public order'.'"

A recent Catholic News Agency article reported on this presentation by Archbishop Chaput at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The focus of his talk was the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae.

To access the complete Catholic News Agency report, please visit:

The Pilot: For Archbishop Chaput, religious liberty means more than you may think. (19 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Psalm 119

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." - Psalm 119:105

Two-alarm Fire Strikes Warwick, RI, Condominiums

A two-alarm fire heavily damaged one building at the Westgate Condominiums, 754 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI, on Wednesday, 11 March.

Serious water supply issues resulted in the special calling of a number of tankers to assist the on-scene companies.

Media reports:

WPRI-TV: More than 3 dozen units destroyed in condo fire (11 MAR 15)

WJAR-TV: Residents flee burning condo (11 MAR 15)

WPRI-TV: Wind keeps apartment buildings from catching fire (11 MAR 15)

Providence Journal: Fire burning at Warwick condominium complex (12 MAR 15)

Warwick Beacon: Fire rapidly consumes 38 condo units (12 MAR 15)

Providence Journal: Condo heavily damaged by fire did not have sprinklers (12 MAR 15)

WJAR-TV: NBC 10 I-Team follows paper trail in Warwick condo fire (12 MAR 15)

Providence Journal: In Warwick fire's wake, residents search for possessions, investigators may need weeks to find cause (13 MAR 15)

Warwick Beacon: Condos had own pump (17 MAR 15)

WPRI-TV Photo Gallery: Warwick Condo Fire

Background information:

Warwick Fire Department

City of Warwick

Wikipedia: Warwick, Rhode Island

Yahoo Map: 754 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You encourage simplicity in our lives.

Br. Joseph Martin Hagan, O.P., on St. Joeph and Lent

In a recent commentary, Brother Joseph Martin Hagan, O.P., offered five ways in which Saint Joseph can assist us in our Lenten journey, including his being a model of simplicity and of living out the dignity of work.

To access Br. Joseph Martin's complete reflection, please visit:

Dominicana: 5 Ways St. Joseph Can Help Your Lent (19 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from George Sheehan

"There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down - until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living." - Dr. George Sheehan

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Lent Suspended for a Day

"The humble carpenter from Nazareth does not mind that his wife and divine foster child get most of our attention. But we can't forget the man whose solemn feast always occurs during Lent and whose day our new Pope selected as the occasion of his installation! He has too much to teach us about faith, work, and humility."

In a recent commentary, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio invited his readers to celebrate the day by reading some reflections related to St. Joseph.

To access Dr. D'Ambrosio's offerings, please visit:

The Crossroads Initiative: St. Joseph: Foster Father of Jesus (by San Bernardino of Siena, priest)

The Crossroads Initiative: St. Joseph's Claim to Fame

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The assigned readings are 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; and Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 89 (Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29).

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Reflections on this day and on Saint Joseph:

Pope Paul VI: Homily on the Feast of Saint Joseph, 1969

John Paul II: Apostolic Exhortation: Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the good example You give us through Saint Joseph.

Kathy Schiffer on Photographer Priest Capturing the Dignity of the Poor

"The Detroit Free Press has a great story today that I'd like you to see:  It's a video interview with Fr. Bob McCabe, a local pastor who photographs those in the margins of society.

"Father Bob is pastor of St. Pius X parish in the downriver Detroit suburb of Southgate.  He’s been a familiar face around the Archdiocese of Detroit for years, known for his photographic skill and for his pastoral work.  This interview brings front-page attention to an important work of the Church:  helping the under-served, and drawing attention to their plight."

In a recent commentary, writer Kathy Schiffer reflected on Father Bob's initiative.

To access Ms. Schiffer's complete post (including a link to the Detroit Free Press presentation), please visit:

Seasons of Grace: Photographer Priest Captures the Dignity of the Poor on Camera (16 MAR 15)

Background information:

St. Pius X Parish, Southgate, MI

Reflection Starter from Kate Nowak

"Become a hunter of blessings, actively seeking them out in every experience and person you encounter." - Kate Nowak

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “Symphony No.38 in D major"

It’s time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No.38 in D major (the Prague Symphony)”:

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You inspire Your people to reach out to those in need.

Caring for Widows and Orphans

Rusty Staub never stopped being a New York Met. And more than that, Rusty Staub never stopped being a New Yorker, either. The onetime baseball slugger, now 70, has thrown himself entirely behind the families of the city's cops and firefighters, and it's why he's so dedicated to the widows of two policemen recently killed in the line of duty.

"We're waiting till things settle down a bit," Staub told Denis Hamill of the Daily News.

He was speaking of the fatal shooting late last year of NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu as they sat in their patrol car, and of his plan to present their widows with checks for $25,000 each. The funds will come from the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children Benefit Fund, which Staub helped get started in 1984.

The hefty gifts are only the beginning. "Every October for the rest of their lives they'll receive a $4,000 check," he said. "We’ve been doing this for 30 years and in that time we've raised $120 million for fallen heroes of first responders, including EMS workers. Their names go on our Wall of Honor in Battery Park."

Staub, a New York restaurateur for many years after he retired from baseball, got started on this incredible charity when he befriended Pat Burns, then an officer of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

"I'd give him Mets tickets for police families or kids from the PAL," Staub said. "Then in 1984 a cop was killed in the line of duty. He had a lovely wife and three kids under age five. I felt he received too little fanfare. I called Pat Burns, invited him to my restaurant and told him I had some ideas to raise money for this fallen hero's family. He really liked the idea."

The plan took off, and the widows benefit fund was born. It started modestly, with picnics in the bleachers of Shea Stadium, but soon the PBA, the firefighters' union and City Hall gave it their support. The Mets' Foundation joined in. In time it became big, far bigger than Staub dared to hope.

His own family background played a role in the organization too, Staub told reporter Hamill. An uncle who had joined the New Orleans police force was killed in the line of duty and received very little. "I remember how terrible it was for our grieving family," he said.

At the moment, relations are strained between the NYPD and City Hall, a fact that has Staub upset.

"It pains me deeply," he said. "I just hope they can find some common ground because we have two families that are grieving now, hurting badly. I know, I saw it in my own family. And so, it's still personal for me.

"We will be giving each widow a check for $25,000. But a much greater gift would be to see New York City heal and come together in honor of these two fallen heroes."

Maybe it's not all that likely that the New York Mets would hold a contest, one that would determine the name of their most popular alumnus. But the feeling here is that Rusty Staub would win the contest hands down.

(This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Jerry Costello, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

 

Background information:

 

The Christophers

 

Wikipedia: Rusty Staub

Reflection Starter from St. John Cantius

"Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause." - Saint John Cantius

Celtic Woman: "The Voice"

As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of Celtic Woman singing "The Voice":

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Confessions of Saint Patrick

"As we trudge through the austerities of Lent, here comes St. Patrick's Day!  But March 17th is about more than green beer and Erin go Bragh - it's about a spiritual giant who has much to teach us about prayer, sacrifice, and mission."

In a recent commentary, Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio invited his readers to celebrate the day by reading an excerpt from Patrick's Confession.

To access Dr. D'Ambrosio's complete post, please visit:

The Crossroads Initiative: Confessions of Saint Patrick

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities for sacrifice that You offer to us during Lent and throughout the year.

Br. Athanasius Murphy, O.P., on Lent and Sacrifice

"Why sacrifice?

"Imagine yourself on a pilgrimage. Not to Lourdes or Fatima, but wandering in the Sinai desert en route to the promised land of Canaan. You're told by Moses and company that the land you're aiming for is a great land, one flowing with milk, honey, and other delights. Yet as good as the goal sounds, it's hard to think of the end when your stops along the way include desert-fatigue and the sword of Amalek. The question might arise, why put up with this at all? Couldn't God bring me to the promised land without all this hassle?

"Now imagine yourself in the midst of the Lenten season, with an overambitious list of penances and a waning fervor to do them. The question might arise, why do them at all? Isn't there any easier way to sainthood than the hassle of penance and sacrifice?

"I think we have trouble keeping up Lenten penances because we fail to see their meaning and depth. Faulty approaches to penance usually involve refraining from penance altogether, or overdoing it. The first fails to see that sacrifice can really change us, while the second's scatter-shot method leaves us equally scattered and enervated from its misdirected zeal."

In a recent commentary, Brother Athanasius Murphy, O.P., reflected on the role of sacrifice in Lent and on how to give sacrifice and interior depth.

To access Br. Athanasius' complete reflection, please visit:

Dominicana: Heart and Sacrifice (11 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from St. Patrick

"I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favors and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven." - Saint Patrick (in his Confession)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for calling us and encouraging us to open ourselves to the graces of Your sufferings.

Nick Hardesty on Our Response to the Suffering of Christ

"'Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.' (Colossians 1:24-26).

"This passage, tucked away in St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, is perhaps one of the most mysteries passages in the entire New Testament. Nevertheless, I think that if one could take just a little time here to uncover its meaning, he would find a valuable lesson for the season of Lent.

"The nagging question is: What could still be lacking in the suffering of Christ? He suffered to the fullest extent, and for all mankind. When He died and rose from the dead, he defeated sin and death and won for us all the grace we need to be saved. This victory, which we call the 'objective redemption,' has a quality and completeness that is without question.

"But, there is still something lacking. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Nick Hardesty, Director of Religious Education, Blessed Mother Catholic Church, Owensboro, KY, reflected on the importance of our response to the suffering of Christ.

To access Nick's complete post, please visit:

Catholic Stand: To Complete the Suffering of Christ (4 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Samuel Ullman

"Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." - Samuel Ullman

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Today the Church celebrates the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings are 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; and John 3:14-21. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 137 (Psalm 137:1-6).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 137

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 15, 2015)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 15, 2015)

Msgr. Charles Pope: Your Love is Lifting Me Higher – A Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (14 MAR 15)

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: If God so loves the World, How can Hell Exist?

The Deacon's Bench: Turning toward the light: Homily for 4th Sunday of Lent (14 MAR 15)

Word on Fire: Hesed All the Way Through (Cycle B * Lent * Week 4)

Dr. Scott Hahn: Living in the Light (March 15th 2015 - Fourth Sunday of Lent)

CWR Blog: John 3:16 and the Journey from Darkness to Light (14 MAR 15)

Spirituality of the Readings: Listen to the Light (4th Sunday of Lent B)

The Word Embodied: Being Saved by God’s Kind Favor (4th Sunday of Lent B)

Historical Cultural Context: The World’s Darkness (4th Sunday of Lent B)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by John Chrysostom (4th Sunday of Lent B)

Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Fourth Sunday of Lent (13 MAR 15)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of piety and for the many ways in You work in our lives through this virtue.

Msgr. Pope on the Importance of Piety

"In the modern world, the word 'piety' has come to be associated with being religious. And while it does have religious application, its original meaning was far wider and richer. The English word 'piety' comes from the Latin pietas, which spoke of family love and by extension love for one's ancestors, one's country, and surely God. Cicero defined pietas as the virtue 'which admonishes us to do our duty to our country or our parents or other blood relations.'

"For the ancient Romans, piety was one of the highest virtues since it knit families and ultimately all society together in love, loyalty, and shared, reciprocal duty. Piety also roots us in our past and gives proper reverence to our ancestors.

"I hope you can see how essential piety is and why, if we do not recapture it more fully in the modern world, our culture is likely doomed. Piety is like a glue that holds us together. Without its precious effects, we fall apart into factions, our families dissolve, and the 'weave' of our culture tears and gives way to dry rot."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on piety and its role in our lives.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: What is Piety and How Does the Modern Diminishment of it Spell Doom for Us? (9 MAR 15)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"In the roughest moments, remember: God is our Father; God does not abandon his children."- Pope Francis

Kingston Trio: M.T.A.

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of the Kingston Trio presenting "M.T.A." (often known as "The MTA Song" or "Charlie on the MTA"):

Five-alarm Fire Heavily Damages Providence, RI, Industrial Building

A five-alarm fire heavily damaged a vacant industrial building at the corner of Kinsley Avenue and Sims Avenue, Providence, RI. The first alarm was transmitted shortly before midnight on Monday, 9 March.

Media reports:

WJAR-TV: Crew still on scene at Providence mill fire (11 MAR 15)

Providence Journal: Investigation of warehouse fire just getting started (13 MAR 15)

Providence Journal: Fire engulfs Kinsley Avenue building (10 MAR 15)

WPRI-TV: Mill fire aftermath affects nearby businesses (10 MAR 15)

WPRI-TV: Feds begin probe into Providence mill fire (12 MAR 15)

Providence Daily Dose: Sims Avenue Fire - Steel Yard/Brewers Guild/RIPAC (11 MAR 15)

WPRI-TV: Timeline: How Providence mill fire unfolded

Providence Journal: Photo Gallery: Fire burns old Providence Wire building

WPRI-TV Photo Gallery: Five-Alarm Fire in Providence

Background information:

Providence Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 799

Facebook: Providence Fire Fighters

Providence Fire Department

City of Providence, RI

Wikipedia: Providence, Rhode Island

Google Map: Kinsley Avenue @ Sims Avenue, Providence, RI

On the Retirement of a Beloved Nashua, NH, Taxi Driver

"A Nashua taxi driver has hung up her keys after more than 30 years on the job.

"At 91 years old, the driver known as Aunt Dottie is celebrating her retirement."

To access a WMUR-TV report on Aunt Dottie and her retirement, please visit:

WMUR-TV: Beloved Nashua cab driver Aunt Dottie retiring (13 MAR 15)

Related media reports:

WMUR-TV: Cabbie Aunt Dottie driving strong at 89 (13 NOV 13)

Background information:

SK Taxi Inc., Nashua, NH

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord fork the gift of Your Mercy.

Pope Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy

Yesterday, 13 March, in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis declared the celebration of an extraordinary Holy Year. The Jubilee announcement was made during the homily of the penitential celebration with which he opened the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative. This “Jubilee of Mercy” will commence with the opening of the Holy Door in the Vatican Basilica on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December, and will conclude on 20 November 20 2016 with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

The papal Bull will be made public on Divine Mercy Sunday, 12 April, the Feast day instituted by Saint John Paul II and celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.

(from the Vatican Information Service)

Reflection Starter from Hosea

"Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming." - Hosea 6:3

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the various types of creativity You have instilled within Your people.

Most Catholic U.S. State Still RI

"Rhode Island is still the most Catholic state in the U.S., a new study has found.

"A total of 44% of Rhode Islanders identified as Roman Catholic in a survey of nearly 53,000 Americans conducted last year by the Public Religion Research Institute, a five-year-old nonprofit organization based in Washington.

"The results are similar to a 2008 Trinity College survey that showed 46% of Rhode Islanders identified as Catholic, down from 62% in 1990. That study also showed Rhode Island with the most heavily Catholic population in the nation."

A recent report by WPRI-TV reporter Ted Nisi explained the results of this study.

To access the complete WPRITV report, please visit:

WPRI-TV: Study: Rhode Island is still most Catholic US state (11 MAR 15)

Background information:

Public Religion Research Institute

Reflection Starter from Walter Chrysler

"To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle." - Walter Percy Chrysler

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You work through Your Church to minister to those who are ill.

On Catholic Health Care in the United States

"The current U.S. health care system is, in large part, an outgrowth of health care institutions founded by Catholic sisters who emigrated from Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Upon their arrival in the United States, many groups of sisters had only a few dollars and no formal medical training. Still, they visited the sick and set up informal hospitals during deadly epidemics. They even embarked by horse and wagon into the frontiers of the wild west, facing coyotes, violence, heat, and dehydration.

"As their efforts to care for the sick expanded, the sisters invested in the construction of hospitals, where they served as nurses and administrators. They integrated explicit religious practice into clinical care, and their habits were reminders of their Catholicity. In these times, no one questioned what made their institutions Catholic. The Catholic identity engrained and sustained through the presence of the sisters was so obvious that it was not a topic of conversation.

"Today, the Catholic health ministry has grown to include 642 hospitals and 1,600 continuing care facilities in all 50 states. One sixth of the patients in U.S. health care are treated in Catholic systems. With this expansion, the proportion of non-Catholic patients and employees has grown dramatically, and far fewer vowed religious hold leadership positions. . . .

A recent U.S. Catholic article offered an overview of Catholic health care in the United States and at what it means for a health care organization to be identified as Catholic.

To access the complete article, please visit:

U.S. Catholic: What makes a Catholic hospital Catholic? (March 2015)

Background information:

The Catholic Health Association of the United States: Catholic Health Care in the United States (January 2015)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services

Reflection Starter from Henri de Lubac, S.J.

"The best Christians and the most vital are by no means to be found either inevitably or even generally among the wise or the clever, the intelligentsia or the politically-minded, or those of social consequence. And consequently what they say does not make the headlines; what they do does not come to the public eye. Their lives are hidden from the eyes of the world, and if they do come to some degree of notoriety, that is usually late in the day, and exceptional, and always attended by the risk of distortion" - Henri de Lubac, S.J. (in The Splendor of the Church)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the beauty You have instilled in Your creation and for the many ways in which it reflects Your glory.

Msgr. Pope on St. Bernard's Steps of Humility and Pride

"So you think the idea of the 'Twelve Steps' is new? Well, if you think you've got a new idea, go back and see how the Greeks put it, or in this case how the Medieval Latins put it. St. Bernard of Clairvaux identified twelve steps up the mountain of pride in his work Steps of Humility and Pride."

In a recent two-part commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the Twelve Steps of Pride and the Twelve Steps of Humility as offered by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete posts, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: How Does Pride Accumulate in Our Life? A Reflection on a Teaching by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (24 FEB 15)

Msgr. Charles Pope: Out of Pride and Into Humility: A Lenten Meditation on a Teaching by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (25 FEB 15)

Reflection Starter from Pope Benedict XVI

"There exists a certain reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation, cares for us." - Pope Benedict XVI

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Your forgiveness.

‘My Sister's Death Led Me to Faith’

"If you save her life, I promise to dedicate my life to You."

At age 19, Nicole Lataif made that promise to God while riding in the elevator at Boston Children's Hospital where her 12-year-old sister was a few hours away from succumbing to cancer. Then, an instant later, Lataif changed her mind.

Speaking out loud, she said, "Even if You don't save her life, I promise to dedicate my life to You."

In a situation that might have driven some people away from believing in a loving God, Lataif's humility and faith grew stronger. They would grow even more a few hours later when she and her parents sat with her sister on her deathbed, and her heartbroken mother told her child, "It's okay, go be with Jesus."

During an interview on Christopher Closeup, Lataif recalled, "I remember watching that in complete awe. I felt like I was watching the Virgin Mary when she had to sacrifice her son in the same way. . . . That defining moment was when I realized this life is not about me. It never was. And so, [my sister's] death led me to faith."

In the years since, Lataif has found a special way to live out her faith: she writes Catholic books for children, ages four to eight. Her first book, illustrated by Mary Rojas, was Forever You: A Book About Your Soul and Body, and it earned a 2012 Christopher Award for its vital message about "the soul being present in every moment, action and emotion in a child's life."

Lataif's latest book, illustrated by Katy Betz, is I Forgive You: Love We Can Hear, Ask For and Give - and it was inspired by her own shortcomings when she was a child. "I was not a kid who knew how to forgive!" she exclaimed. "I held grudges, especially with my little brother. But yet I never thought I had a problem with forgiveness…until I became an adult. God will stack the bricks on your head if you need to learn something, and that's exactly what happened."

Lataif had no idea how to practice forgiveness until she discovered a book called Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach by Father Scott Hurd, published by the Daughters of St. Paul (who are also now her publishers).  That book, she says, "helped me through the process of forgiveness, processing my feelings, learning the Christ-like way to forgive step-by-step."

One important concept in I Forgive You is summed up in the line, "God loves you. No matter what you do, He never says, 'I'm through with you.'"

That doesn't mean misbehaving doesn't have consequences, but rather that God will forgive us anything if we ask Him. "And if we can recognize how merciful God has been to us," says Lataif, "then we will recognize how much He loves us and we can therefore love others in forgiveness."

Lataif closes the book with a beautiful children's prayer meant to give kids an easy way to review all the steps involved in forgiveness. She concludes, "I wanted kids to bring their hearts and their forgiveness issues right to the hands of God because He's ultimately the only one who can truly help them through this. This book is a tool, adults are a tool, but God is the answer. So, I wanted them to remember that in a concrete way and a detailed fashion, you can speak to God about what you're going through and He will listen."

(This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

JBJ Soul Foundation

The Christophers

Reflection Starter from St. Dominic Savio

"Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him." - attributed to Saint Dominic Savio, whose memory the Church celebrates on 9 March

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for Your kindness.

A Conversion Story

"Tattoo artist Bobby Love had no clue he would some day become a Benedictine monk and an iconographer.

"''Who's this monk that has the tattoos? What's his story?' people ask,' Benedictine Father Odo Recker, Mount Angel Abbey's vocations director, remarked.

"Love made his final profession as a Benedictine monk at Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Ore., last September, after five years of monastic formation. He's now Brother André Love, named after St. André Bessette. 'Hey, I'm just one of the monks here, nothing special,' he says in frustration over being singled out for something skin deep. Riding his BMW motorcycle, the leather-clad Love cut a novel figure in a community of clean-cut monks and seminarians with his pierced ears, dreadlocks and tattoos.

"'He was well on his way by the time he came here. His application to the monastery simply authenticated his desire for God and his ability to enter and live in a monastic context,' Father Recker said."

To read a National Catholic Register profile of Brother André, please visit:

National Catholic Register: From Tattoo Artist to Iconographer (2 MAR 15)

Background information:

Mount Angel Abbey

Reflection Starter from the Gospel of St. John

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life." - John 3:16

Third Sunday of Lent

Today the Church celebrates the Third Sunday of Lent. The assigned readings are Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, and John 2:13-25. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 19 (Psalm 19:8-11).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 19 "God's Glory, Power and Wisdom in the Law"

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said,"Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, "Zeal for your house will consume me.'

At this the Jews answered and said to him,"What sign can you show us for doing this?"

Jesus answered and said to them,"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."

The Jews said,“"his temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?"

But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Third Sunday of Lent (March 8, 2015)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Third Sunday of Lent (March 8, 2015)

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Picture of the Transformed Human Person – A Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (7 MAR 15)

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Time to Clean House!

Word on Fire: The Ten Commandments (Cycle B * Lent * Week 3)

Dr. Scott Hahn: Spiritual Sacrifices (March 8th 2015 - Third Sunday of Lent)

CWR Blog: True Worship and the Cleansing of the Temple: On the Readings for Sunday, March 8, 2015, the Third Sunday of Lent (7 MAR 15)

Spirituality of the Readings: Why So Upset? (3rd Sunday of Lent B)

The Word Embodied: Imperatives of Faith (3rd Sunday of Lent B)

Historical Cultural Context: A New Temple (3rd Sunday of Lent B)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Augustine (3rd Sunday of Lent B)

Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Third Sunday of Lent (6 MAR 15)