"I had an interesting discussion with Matt Hadro on EWTN's 'Morning Glory' radio show about the rising number of 'nones' in our country. When asked for their religious affiliation, 'nones' do not identify themselves as atheists or agnostics, but rather check the 'none' box. They tend to be dismissive of 'organized' religion and generally believe that it is acceptable to construct a purely personal religious view and understanding of God.
"Indeed, we live in times when many people make light of the fact that others do not believe in God or relegate their faith to a solely personal and largely irrelevant aspect of life. This attitude exists even among many Catholics who, though believers themselves, don't seem to be overly concerned that others are not. What seems to be of greater concern to most believers - Catholics included - is that a person be 'nice.' If a person is determined to be 'nice,' little else seems to matter.
"Frankly, all of us should be concerned by the rise of unbelief in our culture, whether it is atheism, agnosticism, 'none-ism,' indifference, or the rampant secularism that relegates God to the margins. We should be concerned because unbelief on a wide scale (as is the case today) is not only unhealthy for a culture, it is dangerous to it."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish,
Washington, DC) reflected on the critical concerns that this rise of unbelief poses for our society and for the individuals involved.
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Community in Mission: The Critical Danger of Unbelief (29 AUG 16)
04 September 2016
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"God gave us the earth 'to till and to keep' in a balanced and respectful way." - Pope Francis
03 September 2016
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the light of our Faith as we encounter the world around us each day.
Br. Norbert Keliher, O.P., on Faith-Augmented Reality
"Augmented reality is the cutting edge of mobile games and wearable tech, a fancy term for looking at the world through the lens of technology. You've probably heard about the Pokémon Go app by now, the biggest entertainment craze of the summer. Br. Irenaeus wrote about what he saw in Providence, RI, and similar scenes have played themselves out in cities across the country. In New York's Central Park this summer, some of our brothers were taking a walk and heard someone shout, 'Look, a Psyduck just spawned!' A crowd of gamers coalesced and lurched past them across the grass, cellphones extended in hopes of catching the pocket monster.
"What is it that draws us to games like Pokémon Go? On one level, it’s a desire to enter a reality different than what God has created. For another way to satisfy this longing, we can look at Christian art. Close to Central Park is the Frick Collection, a gem of an art museum that has several world-famous paintings. One of them is Bellini's St. Francis in the Desert, which captures a different version of reality, one that has captivated viewers across the centuries. It's reality 'augmented' by Christian faith."
In a recent commentary, Brother Norbert Keliher, O.P., reflected on how our faith "'augments' the world not by adding something to it, but by revealing that everything is part of God's loving plan for us."
To access Br. Norbert's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: Faith-Augmented Reality (2 SEP 16)
"What is it that draws us to games like Pokémon Go? On one level, it’s a desire to enter a reality different than what God has created. For another way to satisfy this longing, we can look at Christian art. Close to Central Park is the Frick Collection, a gem of an art museum that has several world-famous paintings. One of them is Bellini's St. Francis in the Desert, which captures a different version of reality, one that has captivated viewers across the centuries. It's reality 'augmented' by Christian faith."
In a recent commentary, Brother Norbert Keliher, O.P., reflected on how our faith "'augments' the world not by adding something to it, but by revealing that everything is part of God's loving plan for us."
To access Br. Norbert's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: Faith-Augmented Reality (2 SEP 16)
Reflection Starter from Psalm 145
"The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth." - Psalm 145:17-18
02 September 2016
Jamey Brown on G. K. Chesterton
"A great writer changes my life. G.K. Chesterton converted me (through Grace) to the Catholic Faith. Dale Ahlquist's new book Way of Wonder: Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton is a masterful collection of rare quotes and excerpts from this titan of English literature. . . .
"He often writes of the devastation of man when he abandons God. His answer is to return to the Lord and the things of God - reverence, gratitude, wonder, sacrifice, and family. The basic simple, and common, and traditional things."
In a recent commentary, writer Jamey Brown reflected on some words of wisdom offered by G. K. Chesterton.
To access Mr. Brown's complete post, please visit:
Catholic Stand: Take Chesterton's "Way of Wonder" to Jesus (29 AUG 16)
"He often writes of the devastation of man when he abandons God. His answer is to return to the Lord and the things of God - reverence, gratitude, wonder, sacrifice, and family. The basic simple, and common, and traditional things."
In a recent commentary, writer Jamey Brown reflected on some words of wisdom offered by G. K. Chesterton.
To access Mr. Brown's complete post, please visit:
Catholic Stand: Take Chesterton's "Way of Wonder" to Jesus (29 AUG 16)
Reflection Starter from Arthur Ashe
"If I were to say, 'God, why me?' about the bad things, then I should have said, 'God, why me?' about the good things that happened in my life." - Arthur Ashe
01 September 2016
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of laughter and for the many ways in which You work through this gift.
A Priest's Gift of Laughter
Recently-ordained Redemptorist Father Aaron Meszaros has a secret weapon he brings to his priesthood. It's called laughter, and Father Meszaros - who became a priest last April - dispenses it with a suitcase and a stuffed chicken. That's right; a stuffed chicken. The suitcase is for the props he carries wherever he goes; the stuffed chicken - well, read on.
Father Meszaros is assigned to St. Alphonsus parish in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota (the only Redemptorist parish in the archdiocese) and was the subject of a story by Dave Hrbacek in The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
After he works his youthful audiences with an honest-to-goodness chicken dance with the stuffed you-know-what in a lead role - as he did in the spring at St. Alphonsus School - they're usually howling with laughter. Then he gets down to business, taking placards with words written on them from his suitcase and using them to convey important concepts. They're about things like love, forgiveness, kindness, friendship, joy and peace. Despite all the hoopla, the message gets through.
"It's a real gift to be present to the students, to bring a little laughter, to walk with them in their journeys," said Father Meszaros, age 30. And somehow it works both ways. "As much as I want to bring a sense of hope or laughter or a sense of joy to them, they do the same to me. It's mutual."
Actually he had used many of the same words before, in an all-school Mass the day before, and he was anxious to know if they had retained any of the "magic" he had taught them. Indeed they had, and, in Hrabcek's words, they made "short but insightful comments" on the words he had brought to them.
The new priest comes to Brooklyn Center from his home town - Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was ordained and where his parish is also named for the founder of the Redemptorists, St. Alphonsus Liguori. The new parish serves as a spiritual home to many Latinos and Africans, something Father Meszaros finds "beautiful."
"I don't do as much with the Latino population because I don't speak Spanish," he said. "But my encounters with the Spanish-speaking people of the parish have been very, very positive, very fruitful." The gift of laughter that he brings to his ministry undoubtedly has a lot to do with that.
There are eight Redemptorist priests at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center; four serve in the parish and another four are on an evangelization team that reaches out beyond its boundaries. Father Meszaros has not been assigned to one or the other as yet, but he finds himself drawn to the school, with his suitcase and that chicken.
"Working with the students, seeing them grow gives me a sense of hope for the future, a sense of hope for the Church," he said. "These children have such talent and so many gifts. Sometimes, it's just helping them to see that, to see the gifts that they have. That is one of the powerful moments of working with these kids."
And by the way, Father, don't forget the stuffed chicken. You've shown that it comes equipped with a lot of smiles.
This essay is this week's "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:
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R.) (The Redemptorists)
Saint Alphonsus Church, Brooklyn Center, MN
The Christophers
Father Meszaros is assigned to St. Alphonsus parish in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota (the only Redemptorist parish in the archdiocese) and was the subject of a story by Dave Hrbacek in The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
After he works his youthful audiences with an honest-to-goodness chicken dance with the stuffed you-know-what in a lead role - as he did in the spring at St. Alphonsus School - they're usually howling with laughter. Then he gets down to business, taking placards with words written on them from his suitcase and using them to convey important concepts. They're about things like love, forgiveness, kindness, friendship, joy and peace. Despite all the hoopla, the message gets through.
"It's a real gift to be present to the students, to bring a little laughter, to walk with them in their journeys," said Father Meszaros, age 30. And somehow it works both ways. "As much as I want to bring a sense of hope or laughter or a sense of joy to them, they do the same to me. It's mutual."
Actually he had used many of the same words before, in an all-school Mass the day before, and he was anxious to know if they had retained any of the "magic" he had taught them. Indeed they had, and, in Hrabcek's words, they made "short but insightful comments" on the words he had brought to them.
The new priest comes to Brooklyn Center from his home town - Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was ordained and where his parish is also named for the founder of the Redemptorists, St. Alphonsus Liguori. The new parish serves as a spiritual home to many Latinos and Africans, something Father Meszaros finds "beautiful."
"I don't do as much with the Latino population because I don't speak Spanish," he said. "But my encounters with the Spanish-speaking people of the parish have been very, very positive, very fruitful." The gift of laughter that he brings to his ministry undoubtedly has a lot to do with that.
There are eight Redemptorist priests at St. Alphonsus in Brooklyn Center; four serve in the parish and another four are on an evangelization team that reaches out beyond its boundaries. Father Meszaros has not been assigned to one or the other as yet, but he finds himself drawn to the school, with his suitcase and that chicken.
"Working with the students, seeing them grow gives me a sense of hope for the future, a sense of hope for the Church," he said. "These children have such talent and so many gifts. Sometimes, it's just helping them to see that, to see the gifts that they have. That is one of the powerful moments of working with these kids."
And by the way, Father, don't forget the stuffed chicken. You've shown that it comes equipped with a lot of smiles.
This essay is this week's "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:
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R.) (The Redemptorists)
Saint Alphonsus Church, Brooklyn Center, MN
The Christophers
Reflection Starter from St. Josemaría Escrivá
"We live poverty by filling the hours of the day usefully, doing everything as well as we can, and living little details of order, punctuality and good humor." - Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
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