Please support the Sisters of Mary by watching the American Bible Challenge. The show will air at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/8:00 p.m. Central. Let’s show the world that Catholics know the Sacred Scriptures! We should know it the best – we are the Church that compiled the Canon in the 4th century.

This order of Dominicans is very close to my heart because they are educators and I am a teacher by training. Plus, I have taught with them in two different schools – St. Mary’s Catholic High School and St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School. The work they do for the Church and the New Evangelization is simply wonderful. They lead many souls to Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother under her title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Watch the teaser video below and get fired up for the Sisters tonight!

]]> http://tomperna.org/2013/05/23/sisters-of-mary-in-season-finale-of-the-american-bible-challenge/feed/ 0 The American Bible ChallengeSeason 2 Episode #3 VTR #2003 jptheo1978 http://tomperna.org/2013/05/22/tomperna-org-gets-a-new-look-part-2/ http://tomperna.org/2013/05/22/tomperna-org-gets-a-new-look-part-2/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:37 +0000 Tom Perna http://tomperna.org/?p=2966 Continue reading →]]> After speaking with someone who knows me very well (Tara), I decided to change my theme again to Twenty Eleven for the simple fact that I now have a header picture. She reminded me that I am a Papist. I should have a picture that shouts Papacy on my blog. My blog header on the front page is now St. Peter’s Basilica and Square at night. It’s a very cool panoramic picture…and no, I did not take it.

You will notice my name is now bigger and my secondary title which is below my name has changed to The Education and Engagement of the Catholic Faithful in the New Evangelization by the JP2 Generation.

I added some pictures in the menu sections as well as completely redesigned my “Book Tom to Speak” page. Listed are the talks I can speak on currently. In the days ahead, I will give a small explanation of each of the talks. I also hope to add some more Book Reviews in that section.

I have capitalized Pages, Links, and Titles so that they STAND OUT MORE on the blog. The Font is also bigger than before which will be easier to read.

I changed the US Bishop’s Standing Against the HHS Mandate image to this upcoming summer’s – Fortnight for Freedom. If you click on that link, you will be taken to a page explaining the Fortnight for Freedom.

The colors are similar from the first change a couple of weeks ago with some slight variations. I have chosen white, a burgundy/red for the main title, light blue for the links, a grayish/blue background, and black lettering for titles and paragraphs.

Hope you enjoy the changes I have made. Please share the blog with your family and friends.

In his book, Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit, Fr. H.M. Manteau-Bonamy, OP, explains the importance of Mary as the Church. The aforementioned book is a text based on the Marian teachings of the great saint – Maximilian Kolbe. St. Maximilian Kolbe is famous for being martyred in a concentration camp under the Nazi Regime. He is also the founder of the Militia Immaculata.

In Chapter Six – The Immaculata and the Church, Fr. Manteau-Bonamy says, “Mary is already the Church on Pentecost, when after having prayed along with the Apostles, “calling down by her prayers also the gift of the Spirit who, in the Annunciation had already overshadowed her” (Lumen Gentium, n. 59) [Emphasis mine], she became “the Mother of the Shepherds and of the faithful, in a word, Mother of the entire Church” (Paul VI, November 21, 1964). Almost a quarter century before this pronouncement made during Vatican II, Father Kolbe had said:

Whoever does not wish to have Mary Immaculate as his Mother will not have Christ as his Brother either; the Father will not send his Son to him; the Son will not descend into his soul; the Holy Spirit will not make him a member of the mystical body of Christ; for all these mysteries of grace take place in Mary full of grace, and in her alone. No other creature is or will ever be immaculate like her, or full of grace, or capable of being so intimately united to the Lord as was the Immaculate Virgin. And since the first-born Son, the Man-God, was conceived only through the specific consent of the Most Blessed Virgin, the same holds true of all other humans, who must imitate in all things their primary model, Christ. (Sketch, 1940)”

During this week of Pentecost, let us strengthen our relationship with the Blessed Mother so our friendship with Jesus Christ can stand against the sin we encounter each day of our lives. Let us ask for Mary’s intercession to guide us and help us know Jesus better each day. Let us pray that the fire of Pentecost can enkindle our hearts so that we renew the face of the Earth and share the love of Christ and fire of the Holy Spirit with whomever we encounter.

]]> http://tomperna.org/2013/05/20/mondays-with-mary-mary-is-the-church-on-pentecost/feed/ 4 Mary is the Mother of the Church on Pentecost jptheo1978 Mary is the Mother of the Church on Pentecost http://tomperna.org/2013/05/18/pentecost-playing-with-fire-and-the-new-evangelization/ http://tomperna.org/2013/05/18/pentecost-playing-with-fire-and-the-new-evangelization/#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:39 +0000 Tom Perna http://tomperna.org/?p=2911 Continue reading →]]> In the 1991 film, Backdraft, there is a scene when Robert De Niro’s character asks Donald Sutherland’s character (an imprisoned pyromaniac), “what do you want to do to the whole world Ronald”, and he replies “burn it all.” If you have never see the movie, I encourage you to see because it’s a great film, however the reason why I quote this film is because as Catholic Christians living in the world, we should want to do the same thing to the world, but in a Evangelistic way. We should be seeking to light the world on fire with the light of the Holy Spirit.

As Catholics, we should be spiritual fire-starters for Jesus Christ and His Church. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled” (Lk 12:49). Now I am not talking about starting literal fires, but I am speaking about playing with the fire of Pentecost and the fire that we receive in the Sacrament of Confirmation. As Catholic Christians, it is our fundamental duty to evangelize the world by playing with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

At the direction of a good friend of mine, who is also in the trenches fighting for Jesus Christ, I have begun reading George Weigel’s latest book – Evangelical Catholicism.  To say the least – it’s simply fantastic! His understanding of the Catholic Church and the deep reform (not doctrinal reform) that is needed for the Church in the 21^st century is beyond compare. Having read other titles by Mr. Weigel, I can honestly say that he could be the greatest catholic author in the last half century. His arguments are concise, clear, and follow simple common sense. In Chapter 1, there is a section called – Pentecost, Again. He begins this section by stating that through the pontificates of Blessed John XXIII (and the Second Vatican Council) and Blessed John Paul II, a new Pentecost is on the horizon in the Catholic Church. The marching orders that will lead this new Pentecost is the New Evangelization. Now this is no easy task, but if the mission can be met, it means that we who take on this great call will have to play with fire.

Instead of providing a commentary on the readings from this year’s liturgical cycle on Pentecost, I provide you with some dynamic and powerful quotes from Evangelical Catholicism and the section on the new Pentecost -

Quoting Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger –

“the Holy Spirit is fire; whoever does not want to be burned should not come near him.” This fire…”is an “inimitable” part of the “relationship between Christ, Holy Spirit, and Church.””

Fire of the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ –

“The fire of the Holy Spirit purifies, inspires, and fuses men and women together into a new human community, the Church. Through each of its members, and in them as a whole, the Church is the Body of Christ on earth.”

Fire of the Holy Spirit, Cardinal Ratzinger –

“Faith is a tongue of fire that burns us and melts us so that ever more it is true: I am no longer I…When we yield to the burning fire of the Holy Spirit, being Christian becomes comfortable only as first glance…Only when we do not fear the tongue of fire and the storm it brings with it does the Church become the icon of the Holy Spirit. And only then does she open the world to the light of God.”

Evangelical Catholicism is Not Easy –

“The cultural Catholicism of the past was “comfortable” because it fit neatly within the ambient public culture, causing little chafing between one’s life “in the Church” and one’s life “in the world.”…Evangelical Catholicism does not seek to “get along”; it seeks to convert.”

Evangelical Catholicism in the Church –

“…Lukewarm Catholicism has no future: submitting to the transforming fire of the Holy Spirit is not longer optional…Evangelical requires a generosity about time from the laity, who must make time amid the rush of postmodern life for a deeper encounter with Christ than that permitted by an hour’s worth of weekly worship…more attention to sacramental preparation and sacramental discipline…”

Evangelical Catholicism, Community, and Holiness –

“Evangelical Catholicism builds up the community of the faithful not for the sake of the community but for the sake of a common reception of the mysteries of the faith, which in turn become the fonts of grace…The tongues of from which the Church is formed thus become the fire of mission by which the world is set ablaze…Evangelical Catholicism calls the entire Church to holiness for the sake of mission.”

I don’t know about you, but these words from George Weigel get me fired up…pun intended! As Catholics, it is time for us to light the world on fire with the love of Jesus Christ and the Church. Find strength in the Sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Cardinal Timothy Dolan has said, “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the Sacrament of the New Evangelization.”

In the his book, The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam says, “Twelve simple, uneducated fishermen revolutionized the world, and that with no other instrument than their new faith and their readiness to die for that faith.”

If the Apostles could do this, imagine what we can do with 2,000 years of Scripture and Tradition behind us. Catholics – Go! And the set the world on fire!

]]> http://tomperna.org/2013/05/18/pentecost-playing-with-fire-and-the-new-evangelization/feed/ 4 Pentecost - Eastern Icon jptheo1978 pentecost http://tomperna.org/2013/05/16/hey-catholics-get-your-vote-on/ http://tomperna.org/2013/05/16/hey-catholics-get-your-vote-on/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 13:30:06 +0000 Tom Perna http://tomperna.org/?p=2899 Continue reading →]]> There are only 3 days left to Get Your VOTE On for the Dominicans Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Team as the Fan Favorite on the American Bible Challenge. Thirteen days ago, I wrote about the Sisters of Mary being contestants on this Biblical game show and how they made it to the Finals, which will air next week. As Catholics, we need to show our support for this fantastic order of religious sisters that call Ann Arbor, Michigan their home.

Please visit their website – Sisters of Mary – for more information. If you have a Facebook page, please like their Facebook Page. And, please go to gsntv.com, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and Get Your VOTE On for the Dominican Sisters. All votes must be in by Sunday, May 19 at Midnight PST.

Before you go and Get Your VOTE On at the aforementioned link, take the next 3 minutes and 15 seconds to watch this video below on JOY by Sister Veronica Marie. The joy and happiness that she radiates is contagious! In a world where we witness so much despair and darkness, the joy that these Sisters witness to each of us directly comes from Christ himself. I truly miss teaching with them.

Recently, Pope Francis said this about Joy,

“What is this joy?…It is something that does not come from short term economic reasons, from momentary reasons : it is something deeper. It is a gift…Joy cannot be held at heel: it must be let go. Joy is a pilgrim virtue. It is a gift that walks, walks on the path of life, that walks with Jesus: preaching, proclaiming Jesus, proclaiming joy, lengthens and widens that path…It is the gift that brings us to the virtue of magnanimity. The Christian is magnanimous, he or she cannot be timorous: the Christian is magnanimous. And magnanimity is the virtue of breath, the virtue of always going forward, but with a spirit full of the Holy Spirit. Joy is a grace that we ask of the Lord.”

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist don’t hold back the Joy in their hearts, but they walk with that Joy every day. We need to give thanks to Our Lord Jesus Christ for these holy and joyful women who are teaching the young and bringing the New Evangelization to the Catholic Church and the world in the 21st century.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.”So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles (Acts of the Apostles 1:13-26).

Not much is known about Saint Matthias. The first we hear of him in the Scriptures is also the last time we hear of him in the Scriptures. All we know through Sacred Tradition is that he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Palestine region. He was so faithful to the end that he was stoned to death around the year 64 A.D.  Writing briefly on Saint Matthias, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says in his book, The Apostles, “To the greatness of his fidelity was later added the divine call to take the place of Judas, almost compensating for his betrayal.”

What was it like for Saint Matthias to go from disciple to Apostle? The Scriptures speak of “his office” (v. 20) – but what does this mean? The term ‘office’ in the Greek comes from the word – episcopos (episcopacy), which translates to “overseer”, and in English translates to “Bishop.”

So does this mean that Saint Matthias was a Bishop? Yes – he was one of the first Bishops along with the original 11 Apostles. They were the first Bishops of the Catholic Church since they were “overseers” of the Gospel and the churches they developed as they spread from Jerusalem. The primary mission of the 12 “Bishops” was to preach the word of God (see Acts 7:2-6). This mission is still primary in the Church today for our Bishops.

So what was it like for Saint Matthias – the man who replaced the traitor? We can only speculate on the amount of pressure that he felt when he was chosen to replace Judas. Did others think he would betray as Judas betrayed? Would our Lord himself have chosen Matthias before he chose Judas? Is Matthias the right person for this important task?

I don’t think many faithful Christians ponder the importance of this decision by the Apostles when they hear this passage from Acts. It is a passage that is squeezed between two great events in the early church – the Ascension of Our Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. However, I think it’s an important question to ask because some of us have been in this situation before.

Have you ever had to replace a co-worker that did a terrible job, but was well liked by others? Have you ever had to replace a person you did not know, but was the favorite of the students before you arrived? There is no doubt that there is great hardship in situations like these. Although the Apostles knew Judas betrayed Our Lord, were there friends of Judas’ who followed Jesus? Were they misled by Judas and eventually lost their faith in Christ because one of the original Apostles was a traitor. These are speculative questions that we may never know the full answer to, but are worth thinking about in the life of the Church.

The election of Saint Matthias teaches us two things – first, we are all called to preach the Word of God no matter our place in life. As stated above, we know very little about Matthias, but he, like many of the other apostles died a martyr’s death for Jesus Christ because of their faith in him. Second, it also teaches us that there will always be traitors (wolves in sheep’s clothing) that we must endure and protect ourselves from within the Church. These are the people who seem to be in agreement with us, but in reality, have their own agenda in mind, just like Judas. They would sell us for 30 pieces of silver without blinking an eye. We must always be on careful watch of these individuals.

Let us pray that we remain faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ even when traitors among us seek to destroy our relationship, faith, and overall love for Him through temptation and their own Judas like agendas. Let us pray that the Blessed Mother protects us from these wolves with her mantle of motherly protection. And let us pray for the protection of our Bishops against those seek to destroy their credibility and teaching authority. 

The Holy Eucharist is one of the most profound teachings within the Catholic Church. As Catholics, we believe that simple bread and wine through the words of consecration said by a priest truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation proclaims that the nature of the bread and wine is transformed into Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity. While the bread and wine remain in appearance, the natures of the two substances have been transformed into Jesus Christ himself. The sacrifice on the Cross-and the Passover meal Christ presided over at the Last Supper are united to form the New Eucharistic Covenant that He gave to his Apostles and the entire Catholic Church.

In his Encyclical Letter, Ecclesia de Euchrasistia (On the Eucharist In Its Relationship to the Church), Blessed John Paul II states,

“The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself…When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, the memorial of her Lord’s death and resurrection, this central event of salvation becomes really present and “the work of our redemption is carried out”…The Eucharist thus applies to men and women today the reconciliation won once for all by Christ for mankind in every age. “The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice”” (#11-12).

Besides receiving our Lord in the Holy Eucharist during Mass, we have the ability to adore the Holy Eucharist through the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration outside of the Mass. This is where we sit and adore the consecrated host – truly Jesus Christ present in the monstrance. (See picture below). The average Adoration time is to stay with our Lord for one hour (Read Mt 26:40). Many parishes around the world practice Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. This is a practice that many of the saints of the Church practiced on a common basis. Saint Alphonsus Ligouri said, “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest of all after the sacraments…”

So how does Mary play a role in relation to the Blessed Sacrament? For this, we turn to Chapter Six of Ecclesia de Eucharistia – At the School of Mary, “Woman of the Eucharist” -

In order to understand the importance that the Eucharist has in relation to the Church, we must not forget about the role of Mary within the Church. As Mary guides us in our relationship with Christ; so she can help us with our relationship with the Blessed Sacrament. The Gospels don’t say much about Mary in relation to the Passover Meal (Last Supper), but we do know that she would have participated with the Apostles and the early Church when they broke bread. Blessed John Paul II says, “Mary is a “woman of the Eucharist” in her whole life”” (53). From her Fiat at the Annunciation when the Holy Spirit came upon her to the death of Christ on the Cross-, “Mary lived her Eucharistic faith by the very fact that she offered up her virginal womb for the Incarnation of God’s Word. The Eucharist, while commemorating the passion and resurrection, is also in continuity with the incarnation” (55).

Beyond the Incarnation and Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, Mary displays her “Eucharistic faith” by interceding at the Wedding at Cana and going up to the hill country to visit Elizabeth with the Word made flesh in her womb. At Cana, her words of “Do whatever he tells you,” says to us that we must trust Jesus and that he is truly present in the Holy Eucharist (54). In regards to the hill country, Blessed John Paul II says, “…she became in some way a “tabernacle” – the first “tabernacle” in history – in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed himself to be adored by Elizabeth, radiating his light as it were through the eyes and voice of Mary” (55).

While standing at the foot of the Cross-, Mary experienced an “anticipated Eucharist” or a “spiritual communion” that united her with Jesus while he suffered his passion and death. It must have been a great joy for Mary to receive the Eucharist for the first time, because it was the same body that she carried in her womb for nine months, and the same body she watched suffer on Calvary for three hours (56). As she is taken into the home of Saint John, she comes into our homes even more so. After Calvary, Mary is the Mother of the Church and all humanity. Just as she intercedes for our prayers, she also mediates and leads us to Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament. She is truly present at all the Eucharistic celebrations of the Church – both West and East (57) throughout all of time.

It’s through Mary’s Magnificat where we can come to fully understand the relationship between the Eucharist and the Church. “This truth can be understood more deeply by re-reading the Magnificat in a Eucharistic key. The Eucharist, like the Canticle of Mary, is first and foremost praise and thanksgiving”(58). When she praises the Lord and Savior, she is essentially praising Jesus with a “Eucharistic attitude.” As she sings her canticle praising the works of God, Mary teaches us that we need to know the Holy Eucharist in this world and for the world to come (58).

Just as Mary said “yes” at the Annunciation, said “yes” to God’s plan at Calvary, and said “yes” to being the Mother of all humanity, we must take on the Marian disposition and say “yes” to Our Lord in his Most Blessed Sacrament.

As Catholics, we must believe with our hearts and minds, that Christ is truly present  – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We must also say “yes” to Our Lord by sacrificing one hour a week to adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us pray that Mary – Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament – assists us in our love and commitment to the Eucharist.

As an example of great motherhood, we have our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. We honor her during this month for not only being the Mother of our Lord, but we honor her for being our Mother. Jesus gave her to us, through St. John, while he was on the Cross at Calvary. Mary is our Queen Mother. She intercedes for us and brings our petitions to our King – Jesus Christ. Someone who knew the great love of Mary’s love was Blessed John Paul II. When his own mother passed away, he asked the Blessed Mother to be his Mother. Please read – Mary, Motherhood, and Blessed John Paul II. I hope you can read it and share it with others. Also, please watch the video below and share with your family and friends – it’s very touching. It’s a great example of artistic license with the life of Christ.

To my own mother – I say thank you for the continued support even in my adult years. Your love and prayers are felt in the most difficult times. To my sister – watching you with the baby is amazing. You are a great mother and support her upbringing so well. To my girlfriend – you are a fantastic mother! The girls always want to be with you…that should say how much they love you.

You will notice my name is now bigger and my secondary title which is above my name has changed to JP2 Generation & The New Evangelization. Honestly, this is a work in progress, but I do know it will still have the New Evangelization theme to it. Once I finish George Weigel’s – Evangelical Catholicism, I might have a better idea. I have increased the size of my picture to fit the space better as well.

I have capitalized Pages, Links, and Titles so that they STAND OUT MORE on the blog. The Font is also bigger than before which will be easier to read.

I changed the US Bishop’s Standing Against the HHS Mandate image to this upcoming summer’s – Fortnight for Freedom. If you click on that link, you will be taken to a page explaining the Fortnight for Freedom.

The colors are completely different. I have chosen white, a burgundy for the main title, light blue for the links, a gray background, and light black lettering.

I am going to add some more widgets on the right side soon as well as hopefully get my 2 radio interviews with Immaculate Heart Radio on the blog.

If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Just write them in the comment box below.

Thanks for following my blog. Please share it with your friends and family.

(Icon of the Ascension)

The Dismissal for Ascension Day from the Divine Liturgy of Our Father Among the Saints John Chrysostom (Byzantine Catholic):

May Christ our true God, Who, for our salvation, ascended from us to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God and Father, through the prayers of His most holy Mother; of the holy, glorious, and all‐praised Apostles; of our holy father, John Chrysostom; Archbishop of Constantinople; and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind. 

The Early Church Father, Saint Leo, Bishop of Rome, is the theologian who has given us the Sermon (73) on the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Below is an excerpt from his sermon. If you are seeking to read the short sermon, click here and you will be directed to New Advent –

“Since then Christ’s Ascension is our uplifting, and the hope of the Body is raised, whither the glory of the Head has gone before, let us exult, dearly-beloved, with worthy joy and delight in the loyal paying of thanks. For today not only are we confirmed as possessors of paradise, but have also in Christ penetrated the heights of heaven, and have gained still greater things through Christ’s unspeakable grace than we had lost through the devil’s malice.”