Regnum Christi

One of the many blessings I receive by working for a Roman Catholic organization is that I visit Rome occasionally.

I’ve been there more than a dozen times.  I mention this not to suggest I’m important, but to establish my credentials for what follows.

McDonald’s has been in Italy since 1985.  That was more than a decade before my first visit to that beautiful country.  So by the time I arrived, it wasn’t unusual to see the golden arches peeking out from behind a famed architectural treasure or mundane subway station.

As shocking as this may seem to some folks, Italians are buying lots of burgers and fries.  And if they were not, McDonald’s wouldn’t be building restaurants around the Eternal City.  The company is an American, capitalist institution.  (I don’t say that as a criticism.) Continue reading →

“May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.”

(St. Teresa of Ávila)

St. Therese of Lisieux was not a theologian, but she is a doctor of the Church. She knew who God was. And because she knew who God was, she knew who she was. But this knowledge was not a dogmatic knowledge. It was experiential and shaped her whole life.

She was a daughter of God!

We are children of the Father. This is our identity! He is our infinitely loving Father who yearns in every way to draw us to his heart, the father in the Gospel who receives his children home even when they have rejected his love (Lk 15). We are his sons and daughters. We are the beloved of the Lover of the Song of Songs. This is where our identity comes from, not from our status, family or achievements, and it is this identity that guides the loving path our Father has chosen for each of us in our journey home to his arms.

God’s logic is not our logic, nor is his justice is one of pluses and minuses, of checks and balances, as is ours. It is the justice of a loving Father towards his children. “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium)

May we identity firmly with our childhood. May this unshakable and indelible truth shape our existence and give us the deepest peace.

All of us “practicing” Catholics witness the appearance of visitors at Christmas Mass.

Some are visiting family and friends.  Some are semi-practicing Catholics who get into the Christmas spirit and decide to see what is happening.  Perhaps some are people who just came in to escape snow and ice.

We regulars have varied reactions to these strangers. Continue reading →

The first time I heard the popular new carol “Mary, did you know?” sung by Cee Lo Green, I was struck by a sense of reverence at the depth of the mystery the song lays out. It became part of my Advent/Christmas playlist.   CeeLo Green – “Mary Did You Know” [Official Audio]

Recently a friend opined that they found the song offensive to Mary, since she, immaculately conceived and a well-versed daughter of Israel would of course have known all of these things… How rude to assume her ignorance…. Continue reading →

I am confirming a rumor you likely have heard for many years.  You won’t be disappointed.

Young men studying at the Legion’s seminaries, discerning a call to the priesthood, spend a good deal of time in prayer.  If a man is considering the priesthood, he better learn how to converse with God.

Seminarians use many types of prayer.  Sometimes they write prayers.  A few of the men at Cheshire have been composing prayers for vocations:

Continue reading →

Today we present the last three of the nine great stories of Mary’s intercession that men send me. If you like them, check out the first three and the middle three. The last story was the ultimate winner of my contest and got a free manly rosary.

(7) I am a retired soldier. My wife was a teacher for faith formation at our parish. She asked me to find her some audio Rosary CDs so she could help teach the Rosary to the fourth graders. I found some MP3 on-line and made copies of all the mysteries. I tested the copies in my car and began to listen to them every day to and from work. After about 3 months, I felt prompted to stop at our cathedral in St. Cloud. There is confession every Thursday through the weekend and I felt I had to go in. Mary prompted me to make my fist confession in over 20 years. –John Continue reading →

As we saw before, I asked men to tell me the stories of how Mary helped them. I continue today with three stories as the second of three parts.

(4) In February of 2013 I went to Ireland on pilgrimage. I visited the Marian Shrine of Knock, and I decided, since the weather was nice, I would climb nearby Croagh Patrick, a mountain associated with St. Patrick. A priest at Knock told me the total hike should only take two hours. So after visiting an abbey, I make my way to Croagh Patrick and begin my hike at 4 pm expecting to be down again a little before sunset at 6 pm. Continue reading →

Mary is mother to us all. I wished I could find more stories of her helping men as some men I’ve met have had a hard time relating to her. When Crossbound Rosaries offered me a free manly paracord rosary, I decided instead of taking it myself, I’d ask men to submit stories of Mary’s intercession and give it to the best story. I got a bunch of entries and here are the best nine taken from various ages, vocations and locations. I will present three stories in each of three parts over the next few days.

(1) I met the Assistant Chaplain of the Our Lady of Fatima Church in 2000 and he encouraged me to enter the seminary. Initially I did not entertain the idea because that meant leaving my work in the government and defeating financial security for the rest of my life. Continue reading →

It isn’t often that I pry myself from bed at 2:45 a.m.  At that hour, I want to be sleeping, dreaming pleasant dreams of, perhaps, catching a 10-pound bass or the Blackhawks bring home the Stanley Cup (again).

I have been awake at that hour, usually because of the need to travel, or the result of having traveled through many time zones.  But today I rolled out of bed to be part of the live streaming of the ordination of 36 new Legionary priests. Continue reading →