How I learned the Good News – and then some Better News.

Have you ever heard this one?

The Good News is: There’s a Messiah!
The Even Better News is: It’s not you.

I think I need to write this joke on my mirror, because I often feel like everything’s up to me: I’ve gotta write that email! I’ve gotta be involved in that meeting! I can’t get sick or rest, because if I do, everything’s gonna fall apart!!!

Wrong.

Recently, we’ve all gained a hero in this regard. By his abdicating what’s arguably one of the most powerful seats in the world, the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI made everyone stop and think, ‘Hold on…did he really just do that?’ And yes, he did. Taking all the consequences into consideration, he decided to step down from being THE POPE. The leader of over 1 billion people. The Vicar of Christ on earth. Yes, he did it.

That decision took an almost-unbelievable amount of humility, a virtue quite rare in our modern world. Today, people give up their privacy, safety, and health for just minutes of fame on TV. In politics, business, and even schools and churches, we accept cherished leadership positions for which we’re not prepared, qualified, or to which we cannot dedicate our time. Social media, while giving voices to once-voiceless minorities, have also contributed to a culture of vanity, egoism and pride.

Where did we go wrong?

Undoubtedly, you and I have responsibilities; we’ve each been entrusted with a mission from God that no other person can accomplish. He ‘calls us by name’ and sends us forth to accomplish this mission (cf. Isaiah 43:1). However, Jesus teaches us repeatedly in the Gospels that we are stewards. We have a mission, but God provides the mission and the means to accomplish that mission. To make this point, he asks his disciples, “‘When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?’ ‘No, nothing,’ they replied.” (Luke 22:35)

When we begin congratulating ourselves for what God has helped us accomplish, we start nudging God out of the picture. Certainly, we should have joy and ‘take pride’ in skills, talents and abilities that we’ve refined with hard work. But we cannot lose sight of the Source of every good thing in our lives: Our Heavenly Father.

God has taught me this lesson by allowing me to suffer greatly over the past several years, in my body, my mind, and my spirit. The pain often led me to immense frustration with God. Over time and with prayer, however, my pain helped me realize how little, weak, fragile and frail I am. I realized that I couldn’t accomplish anything without God’s help. God had given me my body, my soul, my spirit. He filled me with talents. He provided me with wonderful opportunities, a family, and friends. With every sunrise, He’s brought me a new day of life.

We cannot live the Good News without remembering “the Better News,” as the joke calls it. God lives! And despite how everything may appear to you, He is taking care of everything. So, cultivate your sense of gratefulness. Start your own ‘ritual’ of daily offering; for me, that means getting on my knees every day and saying, “Lord, I love you. I thank you, and I give you everything that you have given me. Help me serve you well today.”

Let God be God. You, be you.

I always knew that the Lord is in the ship, that the ship of the Church is not mine, not ours, but His – and He shall not let her sink. It is He, who steers her: to be sure, he does so also through men of His choosing, for He desired that it be so. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. It is for this reason, that today my heart is filled with gratitude to God, for never did He leave me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.
- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, during his final General Audience

What Are We Supposed to DO During the Year of Faith? Pope Benedict XVI’s Road Map.

If you haven’t already heard, Pope Benedict XVI has announced a Year of Faith for all Catholics, which began October 11 and runs through November 24, 2013. If you have heard, you’ve probably guessed that we’re supposed to grow stronger in our faith this year…but, how?

Our Holy Father didn’t just say, “Year of Faith. Tag…you’re it!” and expect us to go our own way. As a good pastor, he wrote us a letter called The Door of Faith (Porta Fidei). In this letter, he gives us a road map for this special Year.

Here are the basics:

REDISCOVER. Our Holy Father says this Year is a time to rediscover the journey of faith, “rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves” on the Scriptures (as they are given to us by the Church) and on the Eucharist, “rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith,” rediscover God’s love “day by day,” and “rediscover and study the content of the faith.”

Since that’s a lot to swallow, he breaks it all down further into bite-sized chunks.

1. BE RENEWED. We’re called to renew commitment to our Catholic faith, but true renewal only comes by God’s grace. Our transformation and turning towards God is supernatural! We can’t do it on our own; we have to cooperate with God. The Pope reminds us: “To the extent that he freely cooperates [with grace], man’s thoughts and affections, mentality and conduct are slowly purified and transformed” (6). So, we need God’s grace! How do we receive it? As Catholics, we especially receive grace through the sacraments. “Without the liturgy and the sacraments, the profession of faith would lack efficacy because it would lack the grace which supports Christian witness” (11). How will you commit to receiving Confession and Holy Communion more often this Year?

St. Augustine

2. REFLECT. Even when we receive the sacraments, we need to be open to receiving the graces. Are you keeping up walls that have become obstacles to God? This Year, our Holy Father calls us to “reflect on the act of faith” (9). He reminds us that we cannot have any certainty in our lives unless we abandon ourselves into God’s hands (7). We need to reflect: How am I clinging to my wants, fears, and habits? Why am I not trusting God with everything? How can I begin to shed the obstacles that are keeping God out of every area of my life?

3. REPEAT & RECALL. When we allow God in, He can give us the supernatural gift of faith. But we need to cultivate this gift by repeating and recalling the Creed. The Holy Father point us to words by St. Augustine—the former sinner extraordinaire—who tells us that reciting the Creed in church isn’t enough. “In your minds and hearts you must keep it ever present, you must repeat it in your beds, recall it in the public squares and not forget it during meals: even when your body is asleep, you must watch over it with your hearts” (9). And Pope Benedict reminds us, “A Christian may never think of belief as a private act” (10). You might start by discovering ALL that our Church teaches, even one paragraph of the Catechism at a time. Perhaps find a letter by a pope on a subject you find interesting. Then, commit to repeating and recalling our Faith in every area of your life.

4. RETRACE. We learn how to constantly “repeat and recall” our faith from the lives of faithful people who’ve gone before us. The Pope says retracing our Faith’s history “will be of decisive importance in this Year” (13). We can do this in a variety of ways. Here are just a few examples:

• Sign up for a Scripture study about the Old Testament or the Early Church.
• Read the lives of the saints – buy a book, check out some from your local library, or search online.
• Attend a presentation on Church history – ask your parish or diocese for ideas.
• Participate in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or other holy site – we’re organizing several.

5. RECOGNIZE. Inspired by these models of faith, we are called to “recognize the face of the risen Lord in those who ask for our love” (14). This means giving ourselves in service to others. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the Scriptures say, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2), and that Jesus asks us to care for him through “the least” among us (Matthew 25). How will you commit to recognize and serve Christ in others this Year?

6. RELATIONSHIP. Our Holy Father ends with two more pointers. First, that “this Year of Faith make our relationship with Christ the Lord increasingly firm” (15). Interestingly, he writes in this section about the suffering and joyful experiences in our lives. As with anyone, our relationship with Jesus strengthens when we share our joys and our sufferings with Him—and when He’s the cause of our joy and suffering! When you truly live your Faith, you’ll “have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith…is tested by fire” (1 Peter) like gold. So, how will you commit to share your joys and sufferings with Jesus? You might schedule regular prayer time, keep a journal, practice Lectio Divina, drop into a Eucharistic Adoration chapel, or even place a picture of Jesus in a special place at home or work.

7. RECONCILIATION. Finally, every time we fail to do all of the above, God offers us mercy. Pope Benedict reminds us that the Church is “the visible community of (God’s) mercy” (15). We cannot be the Body of Christ all by ourselves; we are each members who are part of the whole Body (1 Corinthians 12)! This Year of Faith, accept God’s gift of mercy by going to Confession frequently, The Sacrament of Reconciliation. Then, commit to being an active member of your local parish—one who offers the peace and forgiveness of Jesus to everyone.

What the world is in particular need of today is the credible witness of people enlightened in mind and heart by the word of the Lord, and capable of opening the hearts and minds of many to the desire for God and for true life, life without end. (Pope Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei 15)

Why do Catholics need a “New Evangelization”?

On October 11, 2012 Catholics began The Year of Faith with an emphasis on the “New Evangelization.” This was also the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council (a.k.a. “Vatican II”), which was primarily an effort to facilitate greater involvement of the laity in the life of the Church.

The mission of the Church is not only to bring men the message and the grace of Christ but also to permeate and improve the whole range of the temporal. The laity, carrying out this mission of the Church, exercise their apostolate therefore in the world as well as in the Church, in the temporal order as well as the spiritual. These orders are distinct; they are nevertheless so closely linked that God’s plan is, in Christ, to take the whole world up again and make it a new creation, in an initial way here on earth, in full realization at the end of time. The layman, at one and the same time a believer and a citizen of the world, has only a single conscience, a Christian conscience; it is by that he must be guided continually in both domains. (Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, 772)

Demonstration for the legalization of abortion. Haarlem, The Netherlands, 1981.

A Pope’s Prophecy Fulfilled

About the same time as the Second Vatican Council, there was a general rebellion by many against any recognized authority; civil and religious. This coincided with the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. It was at that time when Pope Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae (On Human Life) and predicted that if society would accept artificial birth control as a desirable way to eliminate pregnancy, there would be severe consequences. He said artificial birth control seeks to eliminate the possibility of procreation from sexual union; reducing it to an experience of pleasure only. He said the result would be an increase in abortions, divorce, and rape, violence against women, pornography and homosexuality. His predictions have come true.

First of all, adultery and fornication became acceptable and then unfaithfulness in marriage, which has led to a high divorce rate. And presently, there is an all-out effort by many in the entertainment industry, media, educational system and politicians to accept homosexuality as a legitimate alternative lifestyle.

The family has been decimated. In this country, more than half of marriages end in divorce and only one-third of children will live with both biological parents. Even children who live with both parents often have little quality time with them because both parents work. Psychologists tell us that if children do not bond with their parents in their formative years, they will likely develop psychological problems, some very serious. Children need to bond with both their mother and their father. The number-one reason why young girls find themselves in troubling situations is because they never bonded with their father. God has a great plan for families, but He must be part of the plan. When a husband and wife pray together, pray with their children and spend quality time with them, the children have a much better chance of doing well in school and in life.

Are We Free, or Enslaved?

More than two hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”

Because of the moral decline in this country we find that the government is becoming our “master” and our religious freedoms are being taken away. Many who call themselves Christian do not recognize the danger of the direction in which we are headed.

This is why we need a “New Evangelization.” To be evangelized is to become a new creation in Christ so that we can “…know, love and serve God in this life and be happy with Him for all eternity.” It is in a faithful relationship with God that we reach our potential for happiness in this life and for all eternity. When we are evangelized, we will have a desire to form a truly Christian conscience that will be our guide in all matters—secular and spiritual. Only then will we be able to fulfill our task of “making this world a new creation.”

The promises that Jesus gives us in Holy Scripture are true, but we, for our part, must undergo conversion and surrender our lives to Christ. It is in the plan of God that every person goes through this process, so that we can live in His love and mercy.

5 Crucial Lessons for Us All, from Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit to Lebanon

This past weekend, Pope Benedict XVI courageously journeyed to Lebanon—neighboring tumultuous Syria, Israel, Iraq and Iran. Why wasn’t this historic visit covered by major news networks? In journalism, “if it doesn’t bleed, it doesn’t lead.” Personally, I’d rather not let mainstream media tell me which stories are important!

Contrary to the conflict in most news stories, Pope Benedict XVI came as “a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of all the inhabitants of all the countries of the region, whatever their origins and beliefs.” Every human being, and especially us Catholics, should heed five important lessons from his various activities in Lebanon:

Youthful crowd meets Pope Benedict XVI in Lebanon (L’Osservatore Romano)

ONE: The World Must Not Forget Middle Eastern Christians

How often do you pray for the Christians in the Middle East? Westerners visiting that region may ask the native Christians, “When did you convert?” To which most Middle Eastern Christians would proudly respond: “Never! I am a descendant of the first Christians!” In our ignorance, we Westerners often forget that Our Lord chose the Middle East to be his homeland; he chose the Jewish and Arab peoples to be the his first disciples!

In Lebanon, our Holy Father expressed gratitude for their faithful 2,000-year witness: “How can we fail to thank God at every moment for all of you, dear Christians of the Middle East! How can we fail to praise him for your courage and faith? How can we fail to thank him for the flame of his infinite love which you continue to keep alive and burning in these places which were the first to welcome his incarnate  Son? How can we fail to praise and thank him for your efforts to build  ecclesial and fraternal communion, and for the human solidarity which you constantly show to all God’s children?”

We would do the Body of Christ a disservice if we failed to love and pray for Middle Eastern Christians.

TWO: In Times of Discord, Solidarity Has Power

Given all the violence that has recently developed in the Middle East, you’d think that the Holy Father would’ve at least thought about cancelling this trip to Lebanon. But his response? “I never took that idea into consideration, because I know that as the situation becomes more complicated, it is even more necessary to offer a sign of fraternal encouragement and solidarity.”

Normally, our human tendency in conflict is: Fight, or Flight. But Christ asks us to go beyond what is natural, to the supernatural. The Holy Father said: “Experiencing together moments of friendship and joy enables us to resist the onset of division, which must always be rejected! Brotherhood is a foretaste of heaven!”

The Pope and President of Lebanon (Vatican Television Center video)

THREE: Mutual Respect is Not Optional

We’re quick to identify enemies, especially in foreign policy and times of strife. Isn’t it easier to say, “Those people,” instead of “My brothers”?

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged tens of thousands of young Middle Easterners gathered with him to be examples of the mutual respect to which God calls us. “Christ asks you,” he said, “to do as he did: to be completely open to others, even if they belong to a different cultural, religious or national group.” The Pope reminded political leaders in the Middle East, “In God’s plan, each person is unique and irreplaceable,” made in God’s image and likeness. Therefore, we are commanded by Christ to love one another.

FOUR: Strengthening the Family Will Strengthen Society

Lebanon’s President was extremely impressed and moved by the Holy Father’s address to government and religious leaders. President Suleiman said, “All the people and the politicians of the Middle East should hear, read and meditate on this speech of the Pope.”

So, what did the Pope say? Fundamentally, he spoke about how to strengthen global society: “A person comes into this world in a family, which is the first locus of humanization, and above all the first school of peace. To build peace, we need to look to the family, supporting it and facilitating its task, and in this way promoting an overall culture of life.”

FIVE: True Religion Spreads Peace

Nowadays, we Americans are used to being engaged in war somewhere overseas—particularly in the Middle East. But as Catholics first and Americans second, we need to examine each war according to Catholic teaching before expressing our support. Pope Benedict XVI gave a counter-cultural message while in Lebanon: “We must promote all possible actions, including material ones, to support the end of war and violence so that all can contribute to the rebuilding of the country,” he said.

Even en route to the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI asserted, “The basic message of religion must be against violence which is a falsification like fundamentalism,” emphasizing that religion “must be education and the illumination and purification of conscience to promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace.”

Feeling Overwhelmed? – An Expectant Mom’s Reflection

The Holy Family with St. Ann, by Luca Cambiaso (16th century)

Yesterday, my husband and I spent the day in the baby’s room. You see, we are expecting our first child; I’m 7 months pregnant. We were putting away gifts that were given to the baby at a baby shower I just had on Saturday.

It finally dawned on us after looking over the baby’s room that it was no longer going to be just the two of us – but that another person was going to be a part of our life now. This little baby was going to rely on us to take care of her, feed her and love her. I started to think about the huge responsibility that was going to entail.

I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all when I began to think about the Holy Family. What was it like for Mary when she was preparing for Jesus? Did she feel like me? How was Joseph feeling about becoming a father soon? Did they have everything they needed to care for Jesus? I know that they were both people of great faith. I have faith too, but mine doesn’t compare to the faith they had. Even though I pray, I still think of how I will be as a mom. How we will be as parents to this precious baby girl?

I’ve been asking Mary to help me throughout this pregnancy to be that loving mother to my daughter as she was to Jesus. I’ve been praying to Joseph, too, and asking him to help my husband be the father he is supposed to be for our daughter. Even though Joseph and Mary don’t speak to me personally and tell me how they felt or tell me that all will be OK, I do know that they put people in mine and my husband’s lives that will help us. In fact, those people are already helping us by providing us with not only items that will help us care for the baby but also with their love and support.

I truly feel blessed that we are surrounded by the love of family and friends – on earth and in heaven.

Why Catholics do weird things on Good Friday

Someone’s question inspired me yesterday:
“Why do we have the Passion Play? We don’t re-enact every bad event in history.” To that question I would also add, “Why do Catholics fast on Good Friday?”

Do we have some sort of sick fascination with suffering and pain?

I acknowledge how strange it must seem: Someone volunteers to wear a crown of thorns and hardly a loincloth, walk through the street followed by a shouting crowd of people, carrying a heavy piece of wood, perhaps hit with cords or strips of leather, and then put up high where everyone can see…all while onlookers weep or cringe. Add to that the ache of a hungry belly and less energy from fasting. Why do it all?

How the Leaves Looked

Let me tell you a quick story to answer: When I first visited my husband’s hometown, we had been engaged for a few months. As a native Texan, this was my first time in California outside an airport. His mom picked us up and drove us to their home. She and Dan were talking up a storm, but I hardly said a word from the backseat.

Because I was busy. Everything about this place, I wanted to take in. My eyes were like two sponges packed into my head, soaking in the visual information as we sped past buildings, intersections, highway signs, trees, bicyclers, and the Bay.

We took the turn onto the street whose name I’d heard repeated so many times and had seen written on the corners of envelopes. Arriving to their home, I settled into my little guest room. “This used to be Daniel’s room,” his mom told me. I liked that.

As everyone was getting settled downstairs, I stayed in that room and sat on the bed studying the texture of the walls. Out my little window, a breeze caused the tree leaves to sway.

It may seem silly, but watching those leaves dance in the wind is probably one of my favorite memories from the entire trip – especially silly, maybe, considering the fact that we later spent several days in the mountains near a beautiful lake for a big wedding shower in our honor.

'Christ Carrying the Cross' by El Greco

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

But that’s what happens when you love someone; you want to know everything about them. You want to visit their hometown, eat their favorite foods, see their baby pictures, hear them recall their happy and somber memories. You want to experience their experiences as much as you can.

That’s what God did. God became human in the person of Jesus because he wants us to know that he loves us. He wants to show us that he’s experienced getting sand between his toes, enjoying a meal with friends, grieving the death of loved ones, earning an honest living, laughing until his side hurt…

…there was just this one thing: He is God. He can’t sin.

But that didn’t stop Jesus. He wanted to tell us, “I love you so much, that I want you to know I understand what sin feels like for you.”

Because of his love, Jesus did the unthinkable. He took on the effects of every sin that had ever been committed in the past and would ever be committed in the future. Jesus chose to take upon himself all the loneliness, the rejection, the betrayal, the anxiety, the emotional and physical agony which is the result of sin. Even death, and the cruelest method of torture and death in history. His love took him to the very lowest pit of despair – hell – to offer his love to the dead. “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” (1 Peter 4:6)

The Summit – and The Answer

Saint Paul reminded the early Hebrew Christian community that “since God’s children share in blood and flesh, [Jesus] likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life” (Hebrews 2:14-15). In other words, God loves us so much that he wants to free us from sin and its terrible effects; he ‘paid’ the price of sin so that we wouldn’t have to. “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17).

“The Cross of Christ is the summit of love,” as Pope Benedict XVI has said. Why enact the Passion Play? Because it recalls and re-presents the summit of love. Jesus’ Passion gives us a model for our lives – a model of love. He told his followers before his Passion,

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Not only do Passion Plays and meditations on the Passion remind us of Jesus’ love for us; these practices – along with fasting – are our little ways of growing in relationship with Jesus. Because when you love someone, you want to know as much as you can about them and experience what they’ve experienced. These are our little ways of saying, “Jesus, I love you, and your suffering breaks my heart. How can I stand by and watch? I cannot bear to let you suffer alone. Let me feel what you have felt. Let me enter into the depths of your love and learn from you.”

Let’s remember that as we commemorate the Lord’s Passion today.

The Best Part of the Catholic Men’s Conference?

by Mario Perez, Catholic Men’s Conference Steering Committee

Why attend an all-day Catholic conference when there are a million other things to do?

For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Catholic Men’s Conference come together from behind-the-scenes as a steering committee member. After long hours of planning and many months of meetings, seeing everything come together the day of the conference makes it all worth it.

On those two days, I always find joy on hundreds of men’s faces. There are the men who were impacted by something they heard one of the speakers say. Or the man who comes up and says, “Thanks. Because of this conference, I am growing in my relationship with Christ.” Or the man who says, “I had not been to the Sacrament of Reconciliation in years, but I went because I attended the conference.”

The theme of the conference is “Master, I want to see,” taken from the Gospel of Mark. Why do we stick with this theme year after year? Because the fact is that many of us men are blind, searching for something that we are not sure of. This conference helps guide men to what they are searching for, and that is Jesus Christ.

What’s my favorite part of the conference? It’s seeing the participants leave. No, really – I love to see them leave with smiles on their faces, filled with all the knowledge that they gained over the last two days (and filled with the Holy Spirit).

Do you want to be a part of this conference? There’s still time to register here: http://CMCSanAntonio.com Men, what are you waiting for? Join us this March 23-24 for a great event. Ladies, encourage your fathers, husbands, brothers, sons to attend this event.

Many great things have come out of this conference for six years, and I’m sure this year’s conference will be no different.

Rejoice! The Lord has come to save us!

Artwork is from the Chapel of the Angels at Shepherds' Field in Bethlehem, Palestine - in the Holy Land, where we prayed for you this year.

Dear brothers and sisters, ‘The Word became flesh’; he came to dwell among us; he is Emmanuel, the God who became close to us. Together let us contemplate this great mystery of love; let our hearts be filled with the light which shines in the stable of Bethlehem!
- Pope Benedict XVI (Urbi et Orbi)

May the Christ Child of Bethlehem bring you and yours His Love, His Peace, His Joy and His Light!
May the Holy Family guide and bless you in the New Year!
Receive Jesus in your heart!

A Blessed and joy-filled Christmas Season,
The Pilgrim Center of Hope staff
Deacon Tom and Mary Jane Fox, Gloria Chapa-Solano & Angela Santana

You’re invited to our New Year’s Eve event: A New Year’s Eve tradition at the Pilgrim Center of Hope every year is spending the last two hours of the year (10:00 pm-12:00 midnight) in Eucharistic Adoration and having Benediction at midnight. Deacon Tom will lead the Benediction at midnight. Great way to end the year and welcome the new year, at the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist. Feel free to send us your intentions to be offered during this time of prayer.

P.S. Download a free bookmark from the Pilgrim Center of Hope!

Spiritual Pilgrimage to Marian Shrines – Oct. 31 – Departure

Basilica of Fatima

Join us on a Spiritual Pilgrimage through prayer with Father Dennis Aréchiga, pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Antonio; along with fifty-five pilgrims from the San Antonio area, Austin, and Montana. The family and friends of all those traveling on this pilgrimage will be offered in prayer during daily Mass on this Journey with Mary.

Please pray for the pilgrims, as well as your own intentions and those of the Church.

The Pilgrimage which started from Abraham and is extended throughout the centuries is a sign of a vaster and universal movement of humankind—the human person, a traveler thirsty for new horizons, hungry for justice and peace, searching for truth, longing for love, open to the absolute and the infinite. Pilgrimages also lead to the tent of meeting with the Church, “assembly of those who care called together by the Word of God to form the People of God.” –John Paul II (The Pilgrimage in the Great Jubilee)

Holy Mary, Mother of God. …Show us Jesus. Lead us to Him. Teach us to know and love Him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. –Pope Benedict XVI (Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est)

October 31 –November 1: Depart San Antonio to LISBON, Portugal. Excitement, anticipation, joy and wonder accompany the pilgrims in their thoughts and conversation as they travel across the Atlantic Ocean on this wonderous journey with Mary, the Mother of God. Upon arrival in Lisbon Airport, we will take a private motor-coach to Fatima, an approximate one and a half hour drive. We will have our first Mass in the Basilica of Fatima where the tombs of the three seers of Our Lady’s apparition are located. They are Blessed Francisco, Blessed Jacinta and Sister Lucia.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you call us each by name. Thank you! We ask your blessing upon each pilgrim. May they have a safe journey and may their journey of faith bring them closer to your Sacred Heart and to encounter the maternal love of your Mother, Mary. Lord Jesus, hold us in your arms and protect us always. Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and forever. Amen.

I was there with John Paul II! – Feast Day of Padre Pio

On June 13, 2002, 500,000 pilgrims gathered in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to join Pope John Paul II proclaim Padre Pio of Pietrelcina a saint! I was privileged with the honor to organize a pilgrimage from San Antonio for Padre Pio Parish. There were around 30 from San Antonio that journeyed to Rome for this historical event. As we stood for several hours in St. Peter’s Square waiting for John Paul II to begin Mass, I began to think about my experience with Padre Pio.

Tom, my husband, and I had visited San Giovanni Rotondo several years before. This is a small town along the east coast of Italy. It is where Padre Pio lived most of his life as a Capuchin Friar in a monastery, praying, offering daily Mass and hearing Confessions daily for several hours. He died in 1968, so he is considered a modern day Saint!

When visiting his monastery, we were able to see his ‘cell’ (room), personal belongings such as his habit, shoes, prayer book, Bible and rosary. His cell was simple, but it gave witness to Padre Pio’ simple and humble life!

We met one of the Friars, someone who knew Padre Pio and lived with him in the monastery. As we heard him speak about his friend, his love for Padre Pio was very evident. He blessed us using one of Padre Pio’s gloves. You see, Padre Pio was the only and first priest in the history of the Church that was blessed with the Stigmata (the wounds of Christ in his body). Gloves were used to cover the bleeding wounds in Padre Pio’s hands, thus making the gloves a sacramental. It was truly a blessing for us, who knew about Padre Pio’s love for Christ, to have received this ‘holy opportunity.’

I will never forget that pilgrimage to Rome in June 2002. It was well worth standing for hours in the summer heat of June, in the midst of the crowd of thousands. Hearing John Paul II’s words about Padre Pio, united in prayer and with much joy with a ‘spiritual friend’ in Heaven and with so many persons from all over the world who knew this “humble, prayerful servant of God”!

Crowd at St. Pio's Cannonization

Padre Pio said

“Let us do good while we still have time, and we will render glory to our heavenly Father, sanctify ourselves, and give good example to others.”

Take a look at this website of the Shrine of St. Padre Pio in San Antonio, the only Catholic Church in the United States named after the Saint:
www.shrineofpadrepio.com

P.S. Interested in going on pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo, Rome, and Assisi? The pastor of the Shrine of Padre Pio, Msgr. Pat Ragsdale, has asked us to organize a special pilgrimage in Fall of 2012. Contact us if you’re interested, and we’ll stay in touch: (210) 521-3377