Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings You bestow through the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

On Encouraging Religious Vocations in Maine

"With just a fifth of the number of nuns in Maine today as there were 50 years ago, the Roman Catholic church is augmenting prayer with social media in the face of declining numbers. Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and more have become a way that some convents are trying to attract new members.

"According to Dave Guthro, spokesman for the Diocese of Portland, there were 1,131 sisters in 1967 in the state and that number shrunk to 226 by 2015, the most recent year for which he had statistics.

"'Various factors have contributed to the decreasing number of sisters,' Sister Rita-Mae Bissonnette, of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and chancellor for the diocese, said. 'Women have greater opportunities for education and careers than they did decades ago. It's also become acceptable to be a single woman without being a sister.'"

A recent article in the Bangor Daily News reported on the Diocese of Portland outreach to encourage awareness of vocations to the consecrated religious life.

To access the complete Bangor Daily News article, please visit:

Bangor Daily News: Catholic church uses everything from prayers to Pinterest to attract women into the convent (31 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from St. Ignatius of Loyola

"He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor." - Saint Ignatius of Loyola, whose memory the Church celebrates today (31 August)

"All Things Work Together For Good"

As our Sunday celebration continues,I offer this version of "All Things Work Together For Good":

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; and Matthew 13:44-52. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 119 (Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130).

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

YouTube: Psalm for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Do you understand all these things?"

They answered, "Yes."

And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 30, 2017)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 30, 2017)

Community in Mission: Give Me Jesus - A Sermon for the 17th Sunday of the Year (29 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: Get Wise!: 17th Sunday in OT (28 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: The Parables of Jesus - Part 3 (The Mass Readings Explained) (24 JUL 17)

Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: We can become pearls: Homily for July 30, 2017, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (29 JUl 17)

Word on Fire: All Things Work Together for Good (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * Week 17)

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Christ is the treasure hidden in the field (29 JUL 17) 

Spirituality of the Readings: Layers of Wisdom (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

In Exile: Searching for the Right Fuel (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Let the Scriptures Speak: First Comes the Finding (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

The Word Embodied: The Higher Wisdom (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Historical Cultural Context: Enemies And Retaliation (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Origen (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You encourage us to trust in You.

Msgr. Pope on What It Means to Trust in God

"We are often told to trust in God, and many of us have counseled others who are anxious or downcast to do so. But what does that mean? 

"In some cases, when people give this counsel they mean this: Don't worry, God will eventually give you what want. God will come around to your way of thinking at some point. Hang in there and wait for God to answer (your way). He’ll take care of things (in a way that pleases you).

"This is not trust.

"To trust is to move to the stable conviction that whatever God decides to do is the right thing. It means being at peace with what He does, what He decides. It is to accept that God often acts in paradoxical ways, in ways that are different from, or even contrary to, our notions of what is best. God often permits evils for some greater good, even if this greater good is hidden from us."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on what it actually means to trust in God.

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

Community in Mission: What Does It Mean to Trust God? Maybe Not What You Think (27 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"We call on all people of faith and good will to take action and oppose modern slavery in all its forms." - Pope Francis

Lulu: "To Sir With Love"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Lulu presenting "To Sir With Love":

Susanna Spencer on Literature That Will Feed One's Soul

"A couple of months ago I explained why fellow mothers in my situation in life (lots of little kids, lots of mundane tasks) should make an effort to exercise their brains through reading books on a regular basis. And while I was targeting moms in that post, all Christians need to take seriously the call to form our minds and seek truth. Yet, most of us do not realize the immense value we can draw from reading good literature in the form of novels and short stories.

"I have always been a lover of novel reading, but as my reading has been largely self-directed I have always had trouble choosing good books to read. I came across a list of novels compiled by John Senior, a great professor of the humanities, which he called 'the Good Books List' in the appendix of his book The Death of Christian Culture, and it is from this list that I have drawn most of my reading choices of late. Through reading these good books I have been slowly discovering how a novel forms one's moral sense by allowing a reader to enter into various scenarios and seeing how characters are affected by those choices. This is helpful because we can learn so much about sin and the human condition through our imaginations to help us form our consciences without muddying our souls."

In a recent commentary in the National Catholic Register, writer Susanna Spencer offered a list of good books that, in her opinion, have "stood the test of time, and help one understand more deeply good, evil, truth, beauty and the human condition."

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

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Susan Spencer: 15 Suggestions for Literature That Will Feed Your Soul (28 JUL 17)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of each new day.

George Kunz and His Catholic Faith

"Playing for Ara Parseghian at the University of Notre Dame from 1966-1969 left George Kunz well prepared for professional football.

"Instilled with a commitment to excellence that was reflected in a 32-6-3 record over four years with the Fighting Irish, Kunz became one of the best offensive linemen of his time while playing for the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Colts. He was named to the Pro Bowl roster in eight of his 11 NFL seasons.

"Even though players are eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after they retire - this was 1985 for Kunz - he has not yet been voted in. His son Matt, who played at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz, is working to get his father recognized by the Hall of Fame. While the elder Kunz would be happy to be voted in, he places emphasis on an individual's commitment to playing well rather than receiving honors for that play.

"George Kunz, who now works as a lawyer in Las Vegas, Nevada, spoke with the Register about football, family and being a loyal son of the Catholic Church, leading up to this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction events Aug. 3-6 in Canton, Ohio."

To access the National Catholic Register's report on this interview, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Eight-Time Pro Bowler Eyes Heavenly 'Hall of Fame' (28 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Charles Dickens

"Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." - Charles Dickens

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many good bishops with which You have blessed Your Church.

Archbishop Chaput on Catholics, America, and a World Made New

"When you spend a couple of years writing a book like Strangers in a Strange Land, your brain ends up as a magnet. It starts collecting all sorts of data like little metal slivers that seem important, but don't quite fit together as a whole.

"Here's an example. A third of American men will sooner or later have an anxiety disorder. So will 40 percent of women. More than 70 percent of American young people are now physically or mentally unfit for military service. At least a third of college seniors, even at our best schools and after years of elite education, can't make a coherent argument. Nearly half of American men have genital infections caused by a sexually transmitted virus. And 16 percent of women in the Navy deployed to shipboard service come back to shore pregnant. That last item may not need a lot of explaining.  Human nature is human nature.

"All these facts are true.  All of them come from the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press.  But they don't necessarily mean anything.  We could just as easily find a bundle of good-news nuggets in exactly the same sources.  So what's my point?

"It's this. Benjamin Disraeli famously said that 'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'  Information can be true without telling the whole truth. We live in what Peter Drucker called the world's first knowledge economy. A Niagara of facts in a 24/7 news cycle. But knowing is not the same as understanding.

"Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom, not knowledge, is the framework of a fully human life; the architecture of interior peace. Scripture is the Word of God, and Ecclesiastes tells us that 'the words of the wise in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.' Wisdom is more powerful than might and better than the weapons of war (Eccles 9:16-18). Wisdom is more precious than jewels, and once we have it, then knowledge becomes pleasant to the soul (Prov 8:11; 2:10)."

In a recent presentation, Archbishop Charles Chaput, of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, reflected on some of the challenges Catholics face as they live in today's American culture.

To access the text of Archbishop Chaput's address, please visit:

Archdiocese of Philadelphia: Archbishop Chaput's Address at the Napa Institute Conference - What's Next: Catholics, America, and a World Made New (27 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from William C. Bryant

"Go forth under the open sky, and list To Nature's teachings." - William C. Bryant

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for blessings disguised as challenges.

‘None of Us Are Beyond Salvation’

Last month, I wrote about screenwriter and director Randall Wallace, who gained fame (and an Academy Award-nomination) over 20 years ago for writing the Mel Gibson film Braveheart, about William Wallace and his long-ago struggle for Scotland's independence. The message of that movie prompted Randall to contemplate the ways that anyone could live with courage, and he recently collected some of the lessons he learned in the memoir Living the Braveheart Life.

Randall had good examples set for him by his father and various mentors. And he needed all those examples when faced with a crisis in his own life. After years of struggling to be a writer in the entertainment industry, he finally achieved success in the TV industry. "I had more money than I needed, and had a young family so I bought a beautiful home for us."

Then, a writer's strike happened and he was out of work for eight months. During an interview with me on Christopher Closeup, Randall recalled facing financial ruin: "I got on my knees and I prayed from the depth of my soul and said to God, 'If what is best for my sons is that they don't grow up in a house with a lot of bedrooms and bathrooms and a swimming pool - and they grow up, as I did, in a two-bedroom house with one bathroom and some economic struggles - if that's what's best for them, then I pray for the strength to bear it. But if I only have one more thing that I can write before I have to find some other way to feed my family, then let me write the kind of movie I want to see on screen. Let me go down with my flag flying, not on my knees to the false idols of Hollywood.'"

That prayer became the turning point in Randall's life and put him on the path to writing Braveheart. It was during a trip to Scotland when he first saw the statues of both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, one of the country's greatest kings, standing side by side. Little was known about William Wallace, but the guard there said "that Robert the Bruce may have been involved in the betrayal of William Wallace to clear the way for himself to be king."

Randall continued, "It was as if I had heard that Judas Iscariot and St. Peter were the same person! I began to ask myself, 'What if there was something in the heroism and nobility and courage of William Wallace - and even in the death that he died - that helped transform Robert the Bruce from a man who would betray a patriot of his own country into a man who could become the greatest king in his country?' And that to me was the ultimate Christian story, the idea that we're all lost, we're all broken and none of us are beyond salvation and transformation. And transformation like that - real deep profound change in who we are - has fascinated me all my life, and is the basis of my faith."

Faith remains a guiding force in Randall's life and work, especially with his last box office hit Heaven is For Real, about a boy named Colton Burpo who died during surgery, visited heaven, and then regained his earthly life. Randall is happy to highlight God in his stories - and even happier that these movies keep resonating with audiences.

This essay is a recent 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 James Russell Miller

"We speak much of the duty of making others happy. No day should pass, we say, on which we do not put a little cheer into some discouraged heart, make the path a little smoother for someone's tired feet, or help some fainting robin unto its nest again. This is right. We cannot put too great emphasis upon the duty of giving happiness and cheer to others. But it is no less a duty that we should be happy and cheerful ourselves." - Rev. James Russell Miller

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You encourage us to proclaim the Good News by the way we live our lives.

Knights of Columbus Supremem Knight Encourages Church Members to Live the Gospel

"Supreme Knight Carl Anderson has a message to deliver to the Church, both around the world and here at home in the United States: It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

"During a day dedicated to 'Work and Mission' at the recently concluded 'Convocation of Catholic Leaders' in Orlando, Florida, the leader of the Knights of Columbus gave a keynote talk emphasizing the necessity for Catholics to reach out locally as well as globally to the world’s spiritual and material peripheries."

The National Catholic Register recently presented an interview with Supreme Knight Anderson on the current work of the Knights of Columbus and on his exhortation to Church members.

To access the complete National Catholic Register report, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Supreme Knight Carl Anderson: 'We Must Live the Gospel' (25 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There's A Wideness in God's Mercy"

As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of "There's A Wideness in God's Mercy":

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; and Matthew 13:24-43. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 86 (Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16).

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

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm Ps 65 Thanksgiving to God's Blessings 

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, 'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.''"

He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: 'I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.'

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 23, 2017)

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 23, 2017)

Community in Mission: Saint or Ain’t? A Homily for the 16th Sunday of the Year (22 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: Hypocrites in the Church: Readings for 16th Sunday of OT (19 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: The Parables of Jesus - Part 2 (The Mass Readings Explained) (17 JUL 17)

Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: Weeds among wheat: Homily for July 23, 2017, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (22 JUl 17)

Word on Fire: Wheat, Seed, and Leaven (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * Week 16)

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Weeds, Seeds, and the Kingdom of Heaven (22 JUL 17) 

Spirituality of the Readings: Weeding (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

In Exile: Thionking Small (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Let the Scriptures Speak: Cracking a Parable (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

The Word Embodied: In Our Weakness (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Historical Cultural Context: Enemies And Retaliation (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Gregory Palamas (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the seed You sow in our lives.

Msgr. Pope on Why God Would Sow Seed He Knows Will Bear Little or No Fruit

"At Sunday Mass [last week] we heard the parable of the sower.  Afterward, someone asked me the following question: 'Since the sower is the Son of Man, Jesus Himself, why would He, who knows everything ahead of time, sow seed He knew would not bear fruit?'

"First, let’s review the text:

"'A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear' (Matt 13:1-9).

"So why would God waste any seed on rocky ground, thin soil, or the path?

"Perhaps we can only propose some possible 'answers.' I use quotes around the word because we are in fact touching on some mysteries and can only speculate. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on some possible reasons for this action of God, including His extravagance ("It is not just seed He scatters liberally; it is everything," including, but not limited to, billions of stars in billions of galaxies, vast numbers of different sorts of insects, mammals, fish, and trees, etc.), His love for and offering of the seed of His Word even to those who will reject Him, and His respect for our freedom.

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

Community in Mission: Why Would God Sow Seed He Knows Will Bear Little or No Fruit? (17 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"When we need help, let us turn to the Father who always looks on us with love and never abandons us." - Pope Francis

Thank You, Lord

Thank You, Lord, For many ways You have blessed and worked through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Continuing Fruit of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

"Matt Karr, 42, wasn't around to see the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1967, but he feels its effects - in his own faith, in the community that’s helping him and his wife, Jen, raise their five children with other Catholic families, and in the college ministry he helps direct that is drawing young people to conversion and life in the Church.

"For the Karrs, of Kansas City, Missouri, 'Catholic covenant communities,' including the one they lead in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as ministries that have developed out of those communities, characterize more than an expressive style of worship. They are seeing fruits of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit through which Catholics are embracing and living their faith in today's culture."

A recent National Catholic Register article reported on ongoing fruits of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

To access the complete National Catholic Register report, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Families, Young People Strong in Faith Are Fruit of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (15 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Matthew

"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." - Matthew 11:28-30

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for calling each of us to be Your presence in this world.

Healing Together in Christ

Dr. Chuck Dietzen was the winner of two awards at our recent Christopher Awards ceremony. One was for his memoir Pint-Sized Prophets, while the other recognized his lifelong dedication to helping children in need. In his remarks at the ceremony, Dr. Dietzen explained that the term Pint-Sized Prophets came from his realization that the children he treats have the capacity to connect others with God in a special way.

Dr. Dietzen grew up in a family that took in 150 foster children over the course of 20 years. As a young man, he pursued a medical career in pediatrics and got involved with physical rehabilitation for disabled children. Then, in 1997, an encounter with Mother Teresa led him to expand his mission to create a network to provide pediatric hospice care in developing countries.

In Pint-Sized Prophets, Dr. Dietzen talks about returning from a trip to India and being asked by people how it went. He would say, "It was very successful. We did 26 surgeries." Then he would add, "We've only got about three million to go." Despite the enormous work that needs to be done in his field, Dr. Dietzen remains hopeful regarding the impact he is making. He writes, "We have to live in the belief that each of those 26 children might reach 26 others, and those 26 might touch 26 more…It's the way that the ripple effect that Mother Teresa always talked about becomes real. The number of people helping others gets higher and higher, and that's how we heal our world."

Dr. Dietzen's perspective is informed by his appreciation for the spirituality of the children he serves. He says, "When you allow yourself to get close enough to these kids, your heart will be broken and, at the same time, healed...They are incredible souls who were sent here to make us better, to make us more compassionate, more kind, more human."

It is amazing to think that our hearts can be "broken and, at the same time, healed" by a single experience. But it is in the process of meeting others in their suffering and allowing ourselves to feel their pain that we open our hearts to the compassion of Christ. And when we experience this compassion, no matter what pain we endure, we find healing for the soul.

Christ becomes present in a profound way when one person reaches out to another in need. In describing the greeting that awaits the faithful servant, Christ says, "Truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me" (Matthew 25: 40). But those who are suffering must also open their hearts to others in order for the dynamic of healing to take place. This is the shared gift that Dr. Dietzen talks about. When his patients open their hearts to his kindness, he experiences a personal interaction with Christ. And when he acts with compassion to help them, they realize Christ's presence more fully in their own lives.

In her mystical poetry, St. Teresa of Avila wrote, "Christ has no body but yours,/ No hands, no feet on earth but yours,/ Yours are the eyes with which he looks/ Compassion on this world…." Christ wants to work through us to reach out to the person in need, and it is in this way that the healer and the sufferer meet and find healing together in Christ.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M, of The Christophers' board of Directors; 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 Mother Angelica

"Everything starts with one person . . . I don't care if you're 5 or 105, God from all eternity chose you to be where you are, at this time in history, to change the world." - Mother Angelica

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of encouraging words.

On the Cause of the La Florida Mission Martyrs

"A small group of Catholic faithful in Florida never imagined that a simple inquiry into a mysterious plot of land in Tallahassee would reinvigorate a dream shared over three centuries by the king of Spain, two popes and U.S. bishops: the canonization of a great treasury of native and missionary martyrs in the U.S.

"More than 1,000 Catholics, priests, religious and lay faithful - both European and Native American - associated with the Spanish mission territory of La Florida shed their blood for the Catholic faith from Florida all the way to Virginia from 1549 to 1763.

"The cause of the La Florida Mission martyrs has passed its own May 31 deadline to gather the historical evidence documenting 43 martyrdom events, which include Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, but also more than 100 Native American laymen, women and children whose final testimony to Jesus Christ is as noble and heroic as the martyrs of the early Church - these known individuals could end up recognized as canonized martyrs."

A recent National Catholic Register article reported on the the canonization process for these and other North American martyrs.

To access the complete National Catholic Register report, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Hundreds of Martyrs Sow the Seeds of Faith in the United States (14 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter

"A good word now is worth ten on a headstone." - New England Proverb

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the wonders of Your creation.

Melissa Overmyer on Soaring on the Breath of God

"What you are about to read is scientifically inexplicable. Try as they may, no one can figure it out.

"The Eastern Migrating Monarch (Danaus Plexippus) is an anomaly in nature. As stated, it goes through several changes to reach the Imago stage of mature adulthood: egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly - each stage of development having the identical DNA as the one before.

"It takes three generations of butterflies to migrate from Mexico to Canada. Each generation lives about four to six weeks, going through the exact same life cycle again and again.

"But here is the mind-boggling part. The fourth generation Monarch butterfly - identical in DNA to the previous three generations - flies all the way from Canada to Mexico by itself, living upward of nine months, traveling up to two miles high and averaging 200 miles per day. The Monarch travels over 1,500 miles, occasionally getting blown off course as far as Bermuda, and yet, still is able to find its way back to the exact same 60-mile-radius fir tree forest that its ancestors inhabited four generations prior."

In a recent commentary, writer Melissa Overmyer reflected on the flight of the Monarch butterflies vis-à-vis us soaring on the breath of God.

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

American Catholic: Blog: On a Wing and a Prayer (17 JUL 17)

Reflection Starter from Fr. James Keller

"Each and every day is given to you by Almighty God to use for His glory, for the service of others, as well as for the benefit of your own immortal soul. What you do with each day rests entirely with you. Remember, it's your day. Make the most of it. Fill every day with prayers, words and deeds which will enrich the lives of others as well as your own, and you will be blessed for time and eternity." - Father James Keller, M.M. (founder of The Christophers)

"For the Beauty of the Earth"

As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of the Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Primary) Choir presenting "For the Beauty of the Earth":

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 8:18-23, and Matthew 13:1-23. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 65 (Psalm 65:10-14).

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

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm Ps 65 Thanksgiving to God's Blessings 

The Gospel reading is as follows:

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because 'they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.' Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Reflections on these readings:

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflections: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 16, 2017)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 16, 2017)

Community in Mission: My Word Shall Not Return to Me Empty - A Homily for the 15th Sunday of the Year (15 JUL 17)
The Sacred Page: The Seed of the Word: 15th Sunday of OT (11 JUL 17)

The Sacred Page: The Parables of Jesus - Part 1 (The Mass Readings Explained) (10 JUL 17)
Aleteia: Deacon Greg Kandra: Gardening with God: Homily for July 16, 2017, 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (15 JUl 17)

Word on Fire: The Fecundity of Your Heart (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * Week 15)

Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Christ’s parables are not secret codes but calls to conversion (15 JUL 17) 

Spirituality of the Readings: Yearning (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

In Exile: To Whom Can We Go? (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Let the Scriptures Speak: Cracking a Parable (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

The Word Embodied: The Problem of Evil (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)

Historical Cultural Context: The "Inside" Story (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A)

Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Gregory the Great (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
)