If they knew how big they’d become on the music scene, lead singer Ben Gibbard of the band “Death Cab for Cutie” once confessed, they would’ve thought twice about picking that obscure name. In these days of an even deeper obscurity over what gender we identify as, I’d like to reflect on one of my favorite DCFC’s songs “Soul Meets Body.” From their album, Codes and Keys, released in May 2011, “Soul Meets Body” soars as an achingly beautiful…
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY & PRIESTLY VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT: PART 5 Using Pastores Dabo Vobis (PDV) and the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF) as the guideline for this reflection on how St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body would supplement the formation of men who are candidates for the priesthood, I intend to highlight – not exhaust – some areas of particular importance where TOB expounds upon what the Church asks for in the human…
St. Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902. He died on June 26, 1975. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on October 6, 2002. His personal holiness was so well known that many people requested his canonization shortly after his death. He is best known for being the founder of a movement for the laity, called Opus Dei. He is also known for writing a number of books…
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Back in the 1600’s Jesus Christ appeared to Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque in a series of visions. In the apparitions that lasted over a year and half, Jesus Christ revealed His Sacred Heart to Sister Margaret Mary and invited her to help spread the message of the Sacred Heart to the world. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is now one of…
“This is my body, which is given up for you.” How many of us even pay attention when we hear those words, week in and week out? Are we really conscious of what we are hearing proclaimed to us not just by the priest who utters those words but also by Christ himself? Or have we become so desensitized to the meaning of the spoken word that those words—words which evoke the power of life…
My Uncle Sylvester, a priest, gave me a Rosary when I made my First Communion. It came in a black leather pouch with a zipper. The pouch was lined with thick rich red velvet in which I used to love rubbing my thumb when I prayed my Rosary. While I no longer have either the Rosary or the case, I remember them, especially the case. That black case and its rich lining made an impression…
What Death Taught Me About TOB This month, on the Feast of the Visitation, marks the fourth anniversary of my father’s death. After many years of studying St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, experiencing the death of my father gave me a deeper understanding of this beautiful teaching. Pope St. John Paul II was a phenomenologist. He approached theology from a perspective of the direct lived experience of truths. When we learn…
Jesus the Bridegroom Wants to Bring Us Home to Perfect Communion This week’s Gospel comes from John 14. Early on, the passage focuses on an image of Heaven, an eternal house with many dwelling places where the inhabitants enjoy communion with God. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and…
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY & PRIESTLY VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT: PART 4 St. John Paul II had a great relationship with Mary, the Mother of God. It is said that when his earthly mother passed away when he was 9; he went to Our Lady of Czestochowa and proclaimed her to be his mother now. This relationship grew to be one of the most important relationships in John Paul’s life. His papal motto of Totus Tuus (Total…
Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. Let me ask an honest question: Who cares? or perhaps better put, what’s this got to do with you and me? After all, our life is one of bills, sick relatives, and homework, so what does Jesus’ return to the Father have to do with your life and mine? To add to this seemingly irrelevant feast day, many of us think of Catholicism solely in…
