Tag Archives: New Evangelization

Sisters of Mary in Season Finale of The American Bible Challenge

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Tonight on the Game Show Network, make sure you watch the Sisters of Mary (Dominicans from Ann Arbor, Michigan) compete for the grand prize of $100,000. The Fan Favorite which could provide another $10,000 for them will be announced on the show as well. I made a big push last week for Catholics to vote for them with the blog post – Hey Catholics…Get Your Vote On.

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!

TomPerna.org Gets A New Look, Part 2

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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.

Pentecost, Playing with Fire, and the New Evangelization

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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 21st 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.

pentecost

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!

TomPerna.Org Gets a New Look

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Well after nearly 16 months with the same blog theme, I chose to change my blog theme today and go with something completely different than before.

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.

Trailer – Catholicism: The New Evangelization

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I don’t know about you, but I am super excited for Fr. Robert Barron’s next project – Catholicism: The New Evangelization. Last night my students and I watched Episode 10 of the Catholicism Series – The Last Things. It’s the the final episode which explains Death, Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. It also wraps up the entire 10 part series. After watching the episode, I spoke briefly about Fr. Robert Barron and his ministry – Word on Fire. Below is the trailer for the New Evangelization Series due to be released this Fall.

During this Year of Faith, we as the Church are being challenged to learn about our faith more so than we know it now. We must no longer be Catholics by accident, but Catholics of conviction. At the beginning of this summer, the Vatican will host a weekend event focused on Pro-Life efforts and the New Evangelization.

If you are in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area on April 25, I will be giving a talk on the New Evangelization and it’s importance for Catholics in the 21st century. I will explain the overall importance of the New Evangelization and discuss quite a few of the propositions developed by the Bishops in the Synod on the New Evangelization from this past October. It will be held at Christ the King Parish in Mesa at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!

“At its heart, the New Evangelization is the re-proposing of the encounter with the Risen Lord, his Gospel, and his Church to those who no longer find the Church’s message engaging.” – Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

“The New Evangelization is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Savior.” – Blessed John Paul II

“Good Catechesis is essential for the New Evangelization. The Synod calls attention to the indispensable service that catechists provide the ecclesial communities and expresses profound gratitude for their dedication. All catechists, who are at the same time evangelizers, need to be well prepared.” – Synod on the New Evangelization, Proposition 29

8th Anniversary of the Death of Blessed John Paul II

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I can’t believe that it’s been 8 years since Blessed John Paul II entered into Eternal Glory. I remember the days leading up to his death as if they were yesterday. I can even tell you where I was when the announcement of his death reached my ears. It was a sad day indeed for many of us who consider ourselves the “JP 2 Generation.” For those of you who follow my blog and read my posts, you know well that Blessed John Paul II is a major figure/subject I write about a lot on here. I would encourage you to read my others posts on him as well today. It will help you understand the man we lovingly refer to as: John Paul the Great.

Beatification Pic of JP II

With that being said, I give to you some great quotes from Blessed John Paul II. Please use these quotes on your Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Media sites to continue to promote the legacy of JP 2, his love for Christ and the Church, and his love for the New Evangelization. It’s on Social Media sites that we must reach out and evangelize (Synod on the New Evangelization).

“Everyone in the Church, precisely because they are members, receives and thereby shares in the common vocation to holiness. In the fullness of this title and on equal par with all other members of the Church, the lay faithful are called to holiness: “All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity”; All of Christ’s followers are invited and bound to pursue holiness and the perfect fulfillment of their own state or life.” – Christifideles Laici (The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People)

“To begin with, it is clear that the Church has always looked on catechesis as a sacred duty and an inalienable right…that the parish community must continue to be the prime move and pre-eminent place for catechesis.” – Catechesi Tradendae (Catechesis In Our Time)

 “The first communion is the one which is established and which develops between husband and wife: by virtue of the covenant of married life, the man and woman “are no longer two but one flesh” and they are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving.”  - Familiaris Consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World)

“Local ordinaries, and parish priests and rectors of churches and shrines, should periodically verify that the greatest possible provision is in fact being made for the faithful to confess their sins. It is particularly recommended that in places of worship confessors be visibly present at the advertised times, that these times be adapted to the real circumstances of penitents, and that confessions be especially available before Masses, and even during Mass if there other priests available, in order to meet the needs of the faithful.” – Misericordia Dei (On Certain Aspects of the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance)

“The formation of future priests, both diocesan and religious, and lifelong assiduous care for their personal sanctification in the ministry and for the constant updating of their pastoral commitment is considered by the Church one of the most demanding and important tasks for the future of the evangelization of humanity.” – Pastores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shepherds)

“In this perspective an expression which I have frequently employed finds its deepest meaning: the Church must breathe with her two lungs! In the first millennium of the history of Christianity, this expression refers primarily to the relationship between Byzantium and Rome. From the time of the Baptism of Rus’ it comes to have an even wider application: evangelization spread to a much vaster area, so that it now includes the entire Church.” – Ut Unum Sint (On Commitment to Ecumenism)

“…we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with the tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each.” – Orientale Lumen (The Light of the East)

“You must also rethink – and very profoundly – the meaning of Baptism and Confirmation.  For in these two sacraments is contained the fundamental deposit of the Christian life and vocation. From these there begins the path towards the Eucharist, which contains the fullness of the sacramental gifts granted to the Christian: all the Church’s spiritual wealth is concentrated in this Sacrament of love.” – Apostolic Letter, To the Youth of the World, March 31, 1985

“Marian devotion, nourished by prayer, will keep families united and prayerful with Mary, like the disciples of Jesus before Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14). – Ecclesia in America (The Church in America)

“The Church in America must incarnate in her pastoral initiatives the solidarity of the universal Church toward the poor and the outcast of every kind. Her attitude needs to be one of assistance, promotion, liberation, and fraternal openness. The goal of the Church is to ensure that no one is marginalized.” – Ecclesia in America (The Church in America)

“We are now on the verge of understanding the ‘sacramental’ character of marriage. According to the teaching of the Church, it has been a sacrament from the beginning, that is to say ever since the creation of the first human couple. The ‘sacrament of nature’ was subsequently reinforced, in the Gospels, by the institution or rather the revelation of the ‘Sacrament of Grace’, which is connected with it.” – Love and Responsibility (Karol Wojtyla)

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (cf. Ex 33:18; Ps 27:8-9; 63:2-3; Jn 14:8; 1 Jn 3:2).” – Fides Et Ratio (On the Relationship between Faith and Reason) 

“BE NOT AFRAID” – From his Homily, Solemn Mass of Inauguration of Pope John Paul II

“The Historical and Transcendent Event”

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“Christ is risen from the dead! Dying, he conquered death; To the dead, he has given life.”                                                        - Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Eater

What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church state about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

CCC 639 - The mystery of Christ’s resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness. In about A.D. 56, St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians: “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve…” Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.” 

CCC 646 – Christ’s Resurrection was not a return to earthly life, as was the case with the raisings from the dead that he had performed before Easter: Jairus’ daughter, the young man of Naim, Lazarus. These actions were miraculous events, but the persons miraculously raised returned by Jesus’ power to ordinary earthly life. At some particular moment they would die again. Christ’s Resurrection is essentially different. In his risen body he passes from the state of death to another life beyond time and space. At Jesus’ Resurrection his body is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit: he shares the divine life in his glorious state, so that St. Paul can say that Christ is “the man of heaven.”

CCC 647 - O truly blessed Night, sings the Exsultet of the Easter Vigil, which alone deserved to know the time and the hour when Christ rose from the realm of the dead! But no one was an eyewitness to Christ’s Resurrection and no evangelist describes it. No one can say how it came about physically. Still less was its innermost essence, his passing over to another life, perceptible to the senses. Although the Resurrection was an historical event that could be verified by the sign of the empty tomb and by the reality of the apostles’ encounters with the risen Christ, still it remains at the very heart of the mystery of faith as something that transcends and surpasses history. This is why the risen Christ does not reveal himself to the world, but to his disciples, “to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.”

CCC 652 -  Christ’s Resurrection is the fulfillment of the promises both of the Old Testament and of Jesus himself during his earthly life. The phrase “in accordance with the Scriptures”  indicates that Christ’s Resurrection fulfilled these predictions.

For more on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, please see paragraphs 638-658. Remember that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is the tool of the New Evangelization (Scott Hahn). It must be read, studied, and passed on to others. If you don’t have a copy of it in  your home, you need to order one as soon as possible. Pope Francis is going to bring the New Evangelization to the Church like no other has before him.

On Good Friday, Fr. John Lankeit, Rector at Sts. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona said that Blessed John Paul II opened up the doors to the New Evangelization, Pope Emeritus Benedict explained the New Evangelization to our minds, and now Pope Francis is going to bring the New Evangelization to our hearts. Heart and Mind or philosophically, Faith and Reason. As Catholics, we know our Faith through both of these avenues. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, these two avenues (or wings – Bl. John Paul II), intersect and synthesize with each other. Let us all come to know our faith with both heart and mind. The saints before us have done the same. It is now our time to do this and proclaim it to the world.

ALLELUIA!

HE HAS RISEN!

PRAISE BE JESUS CHRIST!

“Mondays with Mary” – What the Catechism of the Catholic Church Teaches about Mary

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Being that I have written on the Catechism of the Catholic Church and it’s role in the New Evangelization, today I have chosen some select paragraphs from the Catechism that speak about Mary.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the universal catechism that was promulgated in 1992 by Blessed John Paul II to help teach the faithful the correct and orthodox doctrines (Read CCC 11-12) that the Church has professed for nearly 2,000 years. Recently at a Catechetical Symposium here in Phoenix, Dr. Scott Hahn, said that the Catechism is the tool of the New Evangelization.

If you would like to read the extensive words of the Catechism on the Blessed Mother, I would encourage you to pick it up, flip to the back of the index, and look up the paragraph numbers (not page numbers!) that speak about Mary.  Here are a few of my favorites –

Paragraph #487 – “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”

Paragraph #493 – “The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia) and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.” By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life being.”

Paragraph #502 – “The eyes of faith can discover in the context of the whole of Revelation the mysterious reasons why God in his saving plan wanted his Son to be born of a virgin. These reasons touch both on the person of Christ and his redemptive mission, and the welcome Mary gave that mission on behalf of all men.”

Paragraph #511 – “The Virgin Mary “cooperated through free faith and obedience in human salvation” (LG 56 [mine – Lumen Gentium, Vat. II doc on the Church]). She uttered her yes “in the name of all human nature” (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 30, 1). By her obedience she became the new Eve, mother of the Living.”

Paragraph #971 – “All generations will call me blessed”: “The Church’ devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is intrinsic to Christian worship.” The Church rightly honors “the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient of times the Blessed Virgin Mary has been honored with the title ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs…This very special devotion…differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.”

Paragraph #2679 – “Mary is the perfect Orans (pray-er), a figure of the Church. When we pray to her, we are adhering with her to the plan of the Father, who sends his Son to save all men. Like the beloved disciple we welcome Jesus’ mother into our homes, for she has become the mother of all the living. We can pray with and to her. The prayer of the Church is sustained by the prayer of Mary and united with it in hope.”

Today’s “Mondays with Mary’s” is dedicated to my friends at My Mother Mary. If you have never visited their Facebook page, it’s a great treat with many beautiful pictures, quotes from the saints on the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other items covering the Church. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the New Evangelization

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Yesterday afternoon I had the privilege to attend the 3rd Annual Catechetical Symposium presented by the Diocese of Phoenix Kino Institute. I was pretty fired up to attend since my former academic advisor and professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Scott Hahn, was the keynote speaker. He spoke on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (also referred to as the CCC) and the New Evangelization – two topics that are very close to my heart and one that is the soul of this blog.

Knowing what the Catholic Bishops from the recent Synod in Rome had said about the New Evangelization taking place in Social Media, I brought my Apple MacBook Pro with me so I could tweet about the event and tweet some of the things Scott Hahn would talk about. After it was said and done, I had tweeted 42 times and could have really tweeted 84 times, if I was a faster typist.

To say that he gave us a lot to think about would be the understatement of the week. One of the biggest statements Scott Hahn made was how the Catechism of the Catholic Church would be the tool of the New Evangelization. If we want to re-evangelize the uncatechized or those cradle Catholics who were never catechized in the first place, we have the Catechism to lead the way. Below are some of my tweets from today. There are quite a few good ones I didn’t quote – check them out at @tom_perna on Twitter.

The Tweets below were either direct quotes or me paraphrasing to fit 140 characters -

Vatican II documents mention the term – evangelization – 206 times. ‪#vatican2

‪#NewEvangelization was coined in 1979 by ‪#BLJP2 in his native land of Poland.

‪#BLJP2 blew up the ‪#NewEvangelization in the document – Mission of the Redeemer.

‪#B16 is taking the torch of the ‪#NewEvangelization from ‪#BLJP2. The ‪#NewEvangelization is our marching orders. ‪#Catholic ‪#ScottHahn

We need to evangelize ourselves. Conversion is important for each of us. ‪#Catholic ‪#ScottHahn

The teachings of the Church don’t become ours until we TEACH them to others. ‪#NewEvangelization

We must come to know the term – Evangelical Catholic. ‪#ScottHahn ‪#NewEvangelization

“We are re-evangelizing the uncatechized.” ‪#ScottHahn ‪#NewEvangelization

The NewEvengelization is not a short-term process, but a life long journey. ‪#ScottHahn ‪#NewEvangelization

“The ‪#CCC is the most Scriptural saturated Catechism in the history of the Catholic Church.” ‪#ScottHahn

‪#BLJP2 and ‪#B16 have given us a tool – it’s called the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ‪#ScottHahn ‪#Catholic ‪#NewEvangelization

‪#CCC will unlock doors for the ‪#NewEvangelization. The ‪#CCC is not well understood or appreciated…not yet. ‪#ScottHahn

I would encourage you pick up the Catechism of the Catholic Church and begin reading it as soon as possible so you can appreciate this important document. You can subscribe to Flocknote.com/catechism and they will send you excerpts on a daily basis of the Catechism. The Twitter account @CatechismAPI and their website – Catholic Cross Reference is also another avenue that will assist you with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. @DailyCatechism is yet another Twitter account. The CCC has a Compendium that correlates with it and there is also the YOUCAT – the catechism that is written for the youth of the Catholic Church.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it – Buy a Catechism of the Catholic Church, Read it, and Evangelize others with it. The New Evangelization begins with you!  One more thing…in the words of Jesus Christ and Blessed John Paul II – BE NOT AFRAID!

1 Year Anniversary of TomPerna.org

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Wow! Have 365 days really passed since I began this blog? One year ago, as I was leaving the Catholic Schools Dinner for the Diocese of Austin, I ran into Sabrina and Matthew and said to them that I was going home to begin my blog to help educate and evangelize the Catholic lay faithful in the New Evangelization. I stayed up quite late that night to create and launch the blog, and my first post – The Spirit of Catholicism – followed after sleeping a few hours.

When I began this endeavor 12 months ago today, I was  living in Austin, Texas teaching high school theology at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School and disc jockeying athletic events for football, boys and girls basketball, and baseball. Now I am back in the “Valley of the Sun” – Phoenix, Arizona. It’s good to be home and close to family and friends. Being able to see my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece/Goddaughter on a weekly and sometimes daily basis has been good for the heart.

In regards to writing and the love that I have for it, it has proven to show when I put my heart and mind into something, good fruit can come of it. One hundred and thirty-two posts (including this one) later is quite an accomplishment for a man who hated to write as a boy when he was in high school. Let’s be honest, the only thing I liked in high school was playing the drums. But a lot has changed in 20 years and I have accomplished many things with God’s grace – only with God’s grace! Dr. Regis Martin, one of my professors at Franciscan use to say – “It’s all about Grace.” This theological odyssey that I am on is only just beginning.

There are way too many people I want to thank, but first I give praise and thanksgiving to my savior, Jesus Christ. I want to thank His Blessed Mother, the ever-Virgin, who I write about every Monday with the series “Mondays with Mary.” Blessed Mother, your perfect guidance and maternal meditation leads me closer to Jesus. I would also like to thank all the angels and saints, such as Blessed John Paul II, that watch over me and intercede on my behalf daily.

I want to also thank my family, especially my parents who have always supported me in all that I have done this year and in the past. My sister is a great support to me and often keeps me in line, which is not easy to do.  I thank my all my friends, undergrad and graduate professors, and my current bosses – Fr. Kilian McCaffrey and Fr. Chad King for all the guidance, knowledge, and backing you gave me or are giving currently.

Here is to the beginning of year 2…