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Supernatural Truth

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Friday, April 19, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Jesus Christ is the fullness of the revelation of supernatural truth which guides humanity to our eternal destiny. He is the cornerstone on which our lives must be built because, as He reveals supernatural truth to us fully and completely, He reveals who we are and that for which we were created. Jesus commissioned His Apostles to share His supernatural truth with the world, and this is also our mission. If we recognize and embrace this mission, bringing this truth to humanity, then we must acknowledge that, after nearly two thousand years, we have only just begun. When Christ prayed “that all may be one,” He prayed that all humanity might be unified in Him, thus bringing them also into unity with His Father and His Holy Spirit – one God in ThreePersons.

The entire Judeo-Christian story (which begins with the supernatural truth revealed and recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament) is the story of God revealing supernatural truth to those created in His image and likeness. These earliest books of the Bible offer numerous theophanies, manifestations of God’s supernatural presence, but Jesus Christ is beyond a theophany. He IS God among us, Emmanuel. It is critical that we note how Jesus came to us – He came in profound humility. The humility of Jesus Christ is not only a profound manifestation of His goodness; His humility is the blueprint for how we who are created by God should embrace the supernatural truth He has revealed to us. Jesus tells us that we must “become like children” if we wish to follow Him and to live the supernatural truth He manifests.

In order to incorporate the supernatural truth that is Jesus Christ into our human reality, He knew that we needed a vehicle, a vessel, that would guide us. Thus, Christ established His Church which is made manifest in the world as the Catholic Church. Throughout Christian history, many have attempted to return to Christ in a pure and original way, but if in this laudable desire for purification we leave His Church, then we have truly lost our way.

The ultimate purpose of the Church which Jesus Christ established is the salvation of souls. This fulfills the divine mandate with which this letter begins – that it is our mission to bring Jesus Christ, Truth Incarnate, to humanity as the revelation of supernatural truth. We see also that His Church is essential as the instrument that Christ has ordained to guide humanity in the supernatural truth that He reveals.

It is of the utmost importance that humanity embraces Jesus Christ and His Church. However, the tremendous challenge of this is seen clearly in these times as His chosen vessel, the Church, which is plagued with human weakness and sinfulness, struggles against the One who has brought her into being – God’s Divine Son. The Church is holy, yet composed of sinful human beings, and although guided by supernatural truth, she often gets bogged down in and even corrupted by things of this natural world. The image of the statue in the Book of Daniel comes to mind; the statue with feet partly of clay and partly of iron is an apt image of the Church. She has the iron of supernatural truth, but she also has the fragile pottery of the world, which often falls to dust. In our time, it appears that the overwhelming presence of fragile clay in the Church threatens to obliterate the supernatural truth that is her heart and soul. Christ has promised us that the Church will not be obliterated by the powers of Hell, but we must make it our daily choice to live the supernatural truth that is Jesus Christ.

It is imperative that we also acknowledge that this tendency for the Church to be dominated by the fragile clay of this world – to the detriment of her true mission to build supernatural faith – has been gaining momentum for more than a century. More than one papacy is seriously implicated in the lack of supernatural faith necessary in order to push back against the tidal wave of apostasy. The Oath against Modernism promulgated by Pope St. Pius X in 1910 was the best (and perhaps the last) papal attempt to oppose the dominance of “fragile clay,” and since his death, support for this has weakened, until it has now been all but discarded like so many other aspects of this intentionthat did not promote a cozier relationship with the world.

As devastating as all of this is to the mission of the Bride of Christ – the salvation of souls – we face an even greater challenge to this mission in our time. Too many prelates not only exhibit a lack of supernatural faith on their part, but they are also “hell-bent” on eliminating every vestige of supernatural faith from the Church. This has been building momentum over many decades, but we must open our eyes to the crescendo of apostasy that we are now witnessing. Whether in liturgy, doctrine, or simple everyday piety of Catholics, too many prelates and powerful forces in the Vatican are doing their best to dismantle every vestige of supernatural faith, as well as any understanding of the supernatural truth that Jesus Christ has revealed to us.

One indication of the blitzkrieg against supernatural faith that has beenevident in this time is that when purportedly supernatural manifestations of God’s presence appear among us, they are ignored or immediately declared false without any real investigation by the shepherds. The Church in the past has acted as a safeguard, as is her sacred responsibility, against any alleged supernatural manifestationswhich parade as truth but which may instead be the work of Satan and his minions. However, we now find ourselves in a situation where some (if not many) of the shepherds in the Church, upon the occurrence of a possible supernatural work in their diocese, would attempt to immediately shut it down or proclaim it as false with no investigation, in the fear that it might shine a light into the darkness, especially when they themselves are “bottom-dwellers” and, therefore, dwellers in this darkness.

In these times, God has not left us alone. Throughout the history of the Church, He has manifested Himself through supernatural works outside the boundaries of this physical world to remind us that He is present among us, and these supernatural works have not ceased. Furthermore, in the darkness that has now infiltrated His Church, Hecontinues to send, as He did of old, warnings and admonitions through the mouths of “modern-day prophets and saints” to call His peopleback to Himself.

We must, however – with due diligence and supernatural faith – pray, discern, and be ever on guard against that which parades as good but is indeed an evil deception. We of course have looked, and still look, to the Church and her shepherds to keep us safe from evil deceptions and to point us to what is good, but what do we do in this time when many of the shepherds who are charged with guarding the flock are now in league with the wolves? In a time such as this, it is of the utmost importance that we walk close to Christ, that we abide in His Sacred Heart, and that we sit often with Him, so that we might come to know Him well. Of course, what is most important of all is that we worthily partake of Him as often as possible – Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity – in the Holy Eucharist. Belief in the real, supernatural presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the heart and soul of our faith.

May the greatest manifestation of supernatural truth, the Holy Eucharist, provide us the strength we need for the continuing journey of Christ’s disciples in the twenty-first century. Let us be invigorated by our Eucharistic faith so that supernatural truth is really present among us, and may His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity nourish us and guide us deeper and deeper into His Sacred Heart – the Heart of supernatural truth.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop Emeritus of Tyler

A Letter to the Baptized

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am inspired to write to all who share life in Jesus Christ through baptism. The Judeo-Christian story encompasses a story which is both human and divine, and which transcends space and time.

At this time, humanity is in great turmoil, and many are casting about seeking answers to age-old questions. As people of faith, it is important for us to be strong in the truth that God has revealed to us, and it is important that we are firmly founded on the answers to the age-old questions that God has revealed to us through His Son who is truth incarnate.

I turn to this passage from Exodus 33:18-23: “Then Moses said, ‘Please let me see your glory!’ The Lord answered: ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim my name,

Lord, before you, I who show favor to whom I will, I who grant mercy to whom I will. But you cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.’ ‘Here,’ continued the Lord, ‘is a place near me where you shall station yourself on the rock. When my glory passes I will set you in the cleft of the rock and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand, so that you may see my back, but my face may not be seen.’”

This passage reminds us that there is a deep longing planted indelibly into each of our hearts to see the Glory of God. Moses’ request to see God’s Glory expresses this longing for each of us and reminds us that humanity has been on this quest since time immemorial. Seen through this lens, one can note that longing to see God’s Glory has driven individuals and nations since the dawn of time. However, when arrogance displaces the humility that is essential to this quest, the chaos in which humanity has been too often embroiled then ensues.

At this moment in human history, it is especially important that we recognize that the turmoil in the human family often boils down to trying to fulfill this longing by our own endeavors rather than humbly acknowledging the Lord’s instruction, “my face you cannot see, for no man sees me and still lives.” We are, therefore, driven to see the face of God by coming to know more deeply the One in whose image and likeness we exist.

It is essential we recognize that where we come to know Jesus Christ most fully is

in His Church. In the Catholic Church, He is truly present on the altar at every Mass. Jesus commissioned His Apostles as leaders of His Church to go out and “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” which is, in this context of which we speak, “baptizing them into the Glory of God.”

God, in His profound love for all humanity, has done the impossible. He has shown us His Glory in the face of Jesus Christ, His Son. God knows us more profoundly than we can ever fathom in this life. He knows our longing to see His Glory, which Moses expressed, and God, in His immense love, has satisfied this longing through His Son.

Jesus says very clearly that, “when you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Thus, the longing that Moses expresses is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

In this present moment, it is essential that we return to and vigorously proclaim this Good News with clarity and with the audacity of the first Apostles. Humanity has progressed in significant ways in these twenty centuries since God showed us His Glory through His Son. To the degree that this progress has fed our arrogance, it has obscured the Glory of God and supplanted it with the glory of man which ultimately falls to dust. Man will never be the source of true glory because man is not the author of his own existence.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, let us return to the revelation of God’s Glory that is the Gospel, the Good News, which tells us that Jesus has shown us the Father, and has thus fed the deepest longing of all humanity which is to know God’s Glory. Let us live and share this Good News with the world!

In Christ’s Name,

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland,

Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Tyler

A Letter to Bishops

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

February 29,2024

My Dear Brother Bishops,

I am compelled to speak to all of my brother bishops around the world, including Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome. In many ways,I am the least among you, but I share with you the anointing as a successor of the apostles and the call to guard the Deposit of Faith, and I speak to you in this spirit.

I beseech you, let us return to Christ and His Way, and let us be bold like our predecessors from the first, second, and third centuries, many of whom followed the Lord to death, bearing heavy crosses in His name. Let us stand with our brothers, who in the 20th century, were strong enough to speak against despotic rulers even though they were a minority voice in their time. Let us, in the 21st century, be vigorous in knowing and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and the Lord of Truth. Let us proclaim with deep conviction the fullness of the message of Jesus Christ, and resist any temptation to share only the portion of His Truth that the world accepts in order to avoid the ire of a world that still hates Him.

Let us speak with full-throated support the inerrancy of Sacred Scripture and proclaim that it is truly God’s word, revealed to us and imparted to us as a sacred treasure, that leads us from darkness into light. Let us share the gloriously Good News that Jesus Christ is the Sacred Word incarnate, and that reverence for His Word is reverence for His real and sacred Presence among us, just as He promised. Let us call for a worldwide Eucharistic Revival that proclaims with tidings of great joy that Jesus Christ is truly present— Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity—in the Holy Eucharist at every Mass, in every tabernacle and at every altar of Eucharistic Adoration. Let us teach our flocks that all the sacraments are Jesus Christ, present and working among us, calling us to repentance, healing, and peace, and strengthening us with sanctifying grace so that we may reach out to the poor, the marginalized, and the despised to share His Good News. Let us boldly adhere to our ancient faith that Jesus Christ is the only Way, Truth, and Life, sent to us by our Heavenly Father. Let us call the world to the one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism which guides us through His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to eternal life with God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Brothers, let us be strong and clear regarding all the teachings of our Catholic faith which speak of the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. The Bride of Christ proclaims the truth that God has created us male and female. The Church, the mystical Body of Christ, proclaims the truth that marriage is a sacred bond between one man and one woman, committed for life and open to children, and that this model ordained by God will guide humanity until the end of time. Let us pledge never to leave those caught in sexual sin of any kind to wander in the darkness of a sinful lifestyle. Let us be the Church that welcomes all, but never abandons any to sin and the dark ways of the world. Let us open wide the doors of Christ’s Church and welcome all to the sacred path of grace and life, teaching that the sacrificial love that Christ models for us is the only real love.

My brothers, may our calling to shepherd and feed the Lord’s flock never fall prey to compromise with a world which attempts to diminish the force and vigor of the Gospel, and to render our Faith irrelevant and empty. Christ has called us to be in the world but not of the world. Let us resist the currents of our time which seek to create a world in “our” image and to eliminate God from His place at the center of creation. Let us resist the voices that too often come even from within the Church herself,calling us to abandon the truth that Jesus Christ proclaimed, and instead seek to twist, alter, and update this truth until it is unrecognizable and no longer rooted in reality.

We must recognize that we stand at a precipice of devastation,the likes of which the world has never seen. Let us open our eyes to the evil forces that bring division and darkness, even as they claim to offer a new way for humanity. Let us have the audacity to say “no” to these trends that seek to erase God and to annihilate our God-given right to choose right from wrong in personal freedom and autonomy. Let us simply say “no” to the voices that whisper for the dethronement of God and seek to install a global state in His place.

My brothers, all things are possible with God, and His Mercy is always focused on granting us new opportunities to turn from darkness to light. It is not too late, but the time is short for us to do our job. Let us together take up the mantle we received at our episcopal consecration and proclaim Jesus Christ anew!

Let us be shepherds.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland,

Emeritus of the Diocese of Tyler

An Important Statement of Clarification

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

In these troubled times it is necessary that we express ourselves very clearly. Let us seek to build bridges in the Truth and love that is Jesus Christ rather than allow false messages to constantly divide us.

I have agreed to serve as spiritual director for a pilgrimage that Patrick Coffin is putting together, even though I disagree with Patrick on a couple of points. However, I believe that I was called to lead this pilgrimage and, therefore, I have agreed to do so.

It recently came to my attention, however, that a speaker was invited to Patrick Coffin's course, "Hope is the Fuel," whose words I would describe as antiSemitic, although he himself would object to this title. This speaker is E. Michael Jones. Because I feel strongly about this topic, and because I feel a follower of Christ cannot follow an ideology such as this that I believe is based in hatred, I spoke to Patrick about this, and we have recorded a video in which I have expressed my opinion and my great concern about this issue.

I want to make this statement today that there is never, ever a place for antiSemitism, and it is a great tragedy that there has ever been a tolerance for it within the Church. Also, it is absolutely despicable that anyone would make comments about the Holocaust that attempt to downplay the suffering, pain and degradation of humanity that occurred there. Also, to attempt in some manner to place the blame on the Jews for their own suffering, as a supposed punishment for denying and crucifying Our Lord, is a denial of the fact that we are all to blame, and indeed we all have His blood on our hands.

I want to state clearly that I reject the tenets of Jones and any others who attempt to spread this ideology of hate. At this time when there is so much division and discord, let us look to Christ and realize that the catalyst that moves us towards Him is love.

May we always model the love and mercy of Our Lord to all people.

Letter to Priests- January 22

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

My Dear Brother Priests,

I am compelled to speak to you with clarity and the force of the Gospel as we approach the Roe v. Wade anniversary once again. The date January 22nd marks a day when the United States ushered in its cultural acceptance of the slaughter of unborn children. The decision of the United States Supreme Court to support a so-called right to abortion has had devastating consequences for the whole world. We must never cease speaking against this diabolical decision while constantly proclaiming the sanctity of life.

After reading the above, many will protest with these words:“On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court struck down the Roe v.Wade decision.” This is true, but this recent reversal should not cause us to relax; instead, we should redouble our efforts to proclaim the Gospel of Life. The extreme and destructive consequences of the United States leading the world to deny the sanctity of life and to deny God as the author of life are still unfolding in gravely harmful ways. How many nations have moved away from laws guarding the life of the unborn in the past fifty years? How many repercussions of embracing evil continue to plague our world? How much erosion have we seen in the strong stance of the Catholic Church regarding human sexuality and the importance of moral virtue?

Some would say that the above is overstated, and they would argue that there are many other issues that need our focus. I believe, however, that as priests of Jesus Christ - priests who bring forth Our Lord in the Eucharist each time they celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; priests who offer each of the other life-giving holy sacraments on a daily basis; priests whoproclaim the immutable truth of Sacred Scripture; and priests who join in the charge of every bishop to guard the Deposit of Faith, we must be men who proclaim the sanctity and dignity of every human life, and most especially, the most vulnerable among us - the lives of the unborn - as the preeminent issue of our time.

I have urged us all to be strongly Marian and strongly Eucharistic. From the hearts of men who know that the Lord of Life is with us in the Eucharist, there should flow a clear and unwavering conviction regarding the sanctity of life and the importance of strong moral virtue. Our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary spurs us on in our critical work of guarding the sanctity of life, and we must shun any attempts, even by high-ranking prelates of the Church, to downplay the importance of sexual morality.

I can understand that many would dismiss these statements as extreme, but I urge all of us who cherish our priestly call and who literally hold the Lord of Life in our hands at Mass to recognize the grave responsibility we share to denounce all the threats to life in our modern world. We find ourselves on the brink of disaster in many areas of life. Divisions in the Church grow more grave, and threats to peace, along with rumors of war, become a cacophony of evil that threatens to overwhelm us.

The voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary from scripture and from her numerous apparitions constantly echoes the same motherly theme, “Do what He tells you,” but we rebel against the voice of Christ, and we attempt to re-write God’s Word. Many voices in the world and in the Church today urge us to “abandon outdated norms and cast off a rigid morality of the past.” However, if we heed these voices, then we ignore our Blessed Mother’s urging by claiming that we have found a better path.

Brothers, we must acknowledge that the decay we are facing is rooted in the movement away from faith in God, and amovement towards a self-declaration that “we are the masters of all.” We must open our eyes to the insidious and false path of destruction that these attitudes promote.

The Roe v. Wade decision remains a watershed moment, as it was a mark of the evil that was to come. As men who are blessed to stand at the altar of Jesus Christ, and to speak His words that transubstantiate mere bread and wine into His Body and Blood, we must also be His voice in the world proclaiming the sanctity of life.

We must joyfully, vigorously, and unwaveringly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He is the Lord of Life.

May Almighty God bless you and strengthen you as you serve Our Lord and His Church.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

January 4th Letter to Priests

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

January 4, 2024

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Memorial

My Dear Brother Priests,

As we begin 2024, let us pray that we enter this new year with great priestly fervor and with the Blessed Virgin Mary by our side.

My previous letters have focused on us, as priests, becoming more and more deeply Marian. Now, I want to focus on what it means to be Eucharistic priests. First, I am compelled to emphasize the grave responsibility each of us carries to the altar of Jesus Christ when we celebrate Mass. Sadly, we have seen how devastating it is to the Bride of Christ when her priestly sons willfully live abusive and sinful lives. Priests who fail to authentically live Christ’s call to the priesthood and who lose their sense of repentance bring desecration to the sacred altar of Jesus Christ and wreak havoc on the Church. If we fail to respond to Christ’s call to holiness and to forsake any sin in our lives, the consequences for us and the people we serve are dire; therefore, we must double down on our efforts and use this time of crisis in the Church as an opportunity to grow even closer to Christ in the Eucharist and to experience a more profound conversion of heart. I believe the only truly effective way for us to respond to our human inclination toward sin is to seek a deeper Eucharistic piety.

Using the phrase “Eucharistic piety” may feel off-putting and overly spiritualized, but I believe our challenge as priests of the 21st Century demands that we seek holiness, real holiness. Although simplistic, I recommend striving to know Jesus Christ and His Sacred Heart more intimately. I am reminded of the eleven faithful Apostles in contrast to the unfaithful one, Judas Iscariot. The Gospels do not share the details of how each of the eleven came to truly know Christ in a profound way, but they do tell us about the time they spent with Him. The few times Judas is mentioned, it seems clear that he is preoccupied with the purse and not with learning at the feet of the Master. I suspect that if we had the chance to speak with apostles Peter, James, John, Andrew or any of the others, they would share wonderful, never-recorded stories about their quality time with Jesus. As His 21st Century priests, we are called to continually deepen our relationship with Him and, as with any relationship, it will require effort and selflessly spending quality time in His Presence in Eucharistic Adoration.

Ultimately, we must be men of self-sacrifice to become truly Eucharistic priests. We must be men of real, day-to-day, draining and exhausting sacrifice. We must be willing to confront false messages no matter their origin - whether from the secular world or the Church. Most importantly, we must be willing to place our lives on His altar and to join Him in the most profound sacrifice of love the world has ever known.

In closing, I believe we can agree that, as priests, we have made the commitment to love, honor, and cherish the Church. This is a difficult task, and we often fail, but I can think of no better person to emulate than the beloved disciple, St. John. He was at the Last Supper where wine becomes Christ’s Precious Blood, and with Eucharistic piety, John remained with Christ at the foot of the Cross where he was spattered with Christ’s Precious Blood as He died. Like John, this is also where we must be, intimately sharing in Our Lord’s Precious Blood as we offer His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity to the world.

Brothers, let us pray for each other that we may always authentically and humbly approach Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration and at His altar each time we celebrate Holy Mass.

St. John the Evangelist, pray for us.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Letter to Priests- December 21, 2023

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

December 21, 2023

Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church

My Dear Brother Priests,

I pray that the last few remaining days of Advent are full of blessings as you transition from the joyful season of Advent to the glorious season of Christmas. Having been a pastor for many years, I know all too well the challenges you and the faithful will experience as you make the quick change from Advent to Christmas in the space of a few hours. It can be dizzying, but I always found it uplifting to see the same faithful souls return for another liturgy, and I enjoyed laughing with them as we all wondered, “now, which liturgical celebration are we here for this time?” Although the 4th week of Advent 2023 will be very short, let us pray that we are still prepared for the Nativity of the Lord.

In my previous letter, I made a plea to all priests to become Marian priests, but I suspect we each have different ideas about how to become a Marian priest, and many probably wonder what this means for our priestly journey. First, I believe it means that we must intentionally invite and include Mary in our daily journey so that we can eventually come to fully understand our role as priests. Our Lord understood the importance of His Mother’s constant presence in His life, and He shares the gift of her presence with us. Scripture makes this very clear. As Jesus spoke from His Cross to Mary and the beloved disciple, John, He speaks to us, His ordained priests. We are to dedicate our lives to serving others with His Mother by our side. Her role in our priestly lives opens a rich dimension of what it means to be a priest of Jesus Christ.

Additionally, a Marian priest must be aware of Mary’s presence at the altar when offering the sacrifice of the Mass. She was present when He breathed His last breath as He died on the cross,and she is with us every time the Mass is celebrated. Our Marian focus, as priests, helps us to stay connected to the supernatural truth we celebrate at the sacrificial altar of Jesus Christ. With her help, we can overcome the challenge of losing the sense of the sacred and the supernatural.

Lastly, priests who have a Marian focus are drawn closer to Christ, and as priests, the closer the better, for it is Christ who teaches us the true meaning of our priesthood. Priests sacrifice themselves and cling to the Church in service to God’s people, much like spouses sacrifice themselves and cling to each other for the good of the other. Our work is directed towards the salvation of souls. I must admit my focus, over the years, has not always been clear, but as my personal devotion to Mary has developed, the greatest blessings have been a heightened awareness of her presence at the altar and a more profound humility in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I believe seeking to be Marian priests is simply entering more deeply into what our priesthood truly means.

My dear brothers, as we go forward, may we rest in Our Mother who is the advocate of priests. She will hold us close, and she will adopt us as her sons, as she did St. John. She will draw usinto the radiance of her Son and there, by the intercession of Our Mother’s Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, we will be a consoler of Christ’s Sacred Heart. As we His priests, in His presence, offer adoration and reparation for His Bride, the Church, there will be a renewal of holiness within our own lives and within His Church.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, your priestly sons.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

An Iimportant article that clearly addresses Fiducia Supplicans

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

From the article by Father Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap.

"Third, while couples in irregular marriages and same-sex couples can be blessed, what cannot be blessed, and so validated, is the sin in which they are engaged. It is impossible to bless an immoral act, and to attempt to do so is blasphemy, for one is asking the all-holy God to do something that is contrary to his nature – the sanctioning of sin."

You can access the entire article here...

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2023/12/19/gods-blessings-and-magisterial-teaching/

Statement from the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

I pray that many dioceses will follow this path...

Statement of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

regarding the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans”, published by the

Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith and approved by Pope Francis on December 18, 2023

The manifest purpose of the Declaration of the Holy See, Fiducia supplicans, is to allow “the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples.” (Presentation). At the same time, the document insists that such blessings are performed “without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.”

The fact that the document does not give permission for the “marriage” of same-sex couples should not blind pastors and faithful to the great deception and the evil that resides in the very permission to bless couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples. Such a blessing directly and seriously contradicts Divine Revelation and the uninterrupted, bimillennial doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church. To bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples is a serious abuse of the most Holy Name of God, since this name is invoked upon an objectively sinful union of adultery or of homosexual activity.

Therefore, none, not even the most beautiful, of the statements contained in this Declaration of the Holy See, can minimize the far-reaching and destructive consequences resulting from this effort to legitimize such blessings. With such blessings, the Catholic Church becomes, if not in theory, then in practice, a propagandist of the globalist and ungodly “gender ideology.”

As successors of the Apostles, and faithful to our solemn oath on the occasion of our episcopal consecration “to preserve the deposit of faith in purity and integrity, according to the tradition always and everywhere observed in the Church since the time of the Apostles”, we exhort and prohibit priests and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Santa Maria in Astana from accepting or performing any form of blessing whatsoever of couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples. It goes without saying that every sincerely repentant sinner with the firm intention to no longer sin and to put an end to his public sinful situation (such as, e.g., cohabitation outside of a canonically valid marriage, union between people of the same sex) can receive a blessing.

With sincere brotherly love, and with due respect, we address Pope Francis, who — by allowing the blessing of couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples – “does not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel” (see Gal. 2:14), to borrow words with which Saint Paul the Apostle publicly admonished the first Pope in Antioch. Therefore, in the spirit of episcopal collegiality, we ask Pope Francis to revoke the permission to bless couples in an irregular situation and same-sex couples, so that the Catholic Church may shine clearly as the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15) for all those who sincerely seek to know the will of God and, by fulfilling it, to attain eternal life.

Astana, 19 December 2023

+ Tomash Peta, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

+ Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

A Letter to my Brother Priests

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

December 8, 2023

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

My Dear Priestly Brothers,

As we begin a new liturgical year, I am compelled to reach out to as many of you as possible with a simple but profound request - to join me in an important renewal of our priestly lives. I urge you to share this letter with every brother priest you can, even if it means translating it into another language. My hope is that Catholic priests around the world have an opportunity to join me in this renewal.

You may ask, “Who are you to send such an audacious message along with the claim that it should be embraced by every priest in the Catholic Church?” I am simply a priest and bishop who is devoted to our Blessed Mother and her Son, Jesus Christ, and it is through this devotion that I implore you to develop an ever-deepening life in Our Mother and Our Lord. Allow our Mother Mary, who gives us the grace to come unto Him, to lead you to her Son in adoration. There, you will be showered by the light of His Eucharistic Face which will lead you straight to His Eucharistic Heart and, there too, you will be accompanied by His Mother and her Immaculate Heart.

I believe it is time that we become deeply Eucharistic and Marian priests, and that we set aside all the squabbles, confusion and temptations to shape Christ’s Bride according to the world’s will rather than the Will of God. I am reminded of the dream of St. John Bosco in which he sees the Barque of St. Peter in desperate condition with her only hope being a strong tether to the pillar of our Eucharistic Lord, and an equally strong tether to the pillar of His Mother and Our Mother, the Immaculate Virgin Mary. I encourage you to read St. John Bosco’s vision of the two pillars; it speaks of our time.

Brothers, my message is not about another program or some sweeping reform; it is about every priestly heart coming to know the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a transformative way, and the best way to His Sacred Heart is through His Mother’s Immaculate Heart.

While the call to renewal is not complicated nor sophisticated, it will require each of us to lay down our lives for our Lord, who laid down His life for us. Should a priestly brother balk at the call – pray for him, nudge him, implore him to become a Eucharistic and Marian priest.

I hope my heart will speak to your hearts so that we might move, together, ever closer to His Heart, the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is there we find Truth.

Let us fall to our knees and pray, asking the Lord to guide us to a renewal of His Bride through His priests.

Bishop Emeritus Joseph E. Strickland

Letter to the Faithful November 27,2023

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

An Open Letter to the Faithful from Bishop Joseph E. Strickland:

As I am sure you have heard by now, I have been removed as Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. I was asked to meet with the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and in that meeting I was read a list of the reasons I was being removed. I would make these reasons available to you if possible; however, I was not given a copy of this list at that time, and I have not been able as of yet to obtain a copy despite my requests.

In the reasons that were read to me, no mention was made of administrative problems or mismanagement of the diocese as the reasons for my removal. The reasons given seemed to be related, for the most part, to my speaking the Truth of our Catholic faith, and to my warnings against anything that threatened that Truth (including things that were being brought up at the Synod on Synodality). Also, mention was made of my not walking alongside my brother bishops as I defended the Church and her unchangeable teachings, and of my not implementing the motu propoio Traditionis custodes, which were I to have implemented, would have required me to leave part of my flock unfed and untended. As a shepherd and protector of my Diocese, I could not take actions which I knew with certainty would injure part of my flock and deprive them of the spiritual goods which Christ entrusted to His Church. I stand by my actions as they were necessary to protect my flock and to defend the Sacred Deposit of Faith.

This is the time for everything now covered to be uncovered, and everything now hidden to be made clear. In fact, it was in a time when things were being hidden regarding disgraced now-former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the Church sex abuse scandal that it seems I first entered the Vatican’s radar. My main crime, then as now, seems to always have been about bringing to light that which others wanted to remain hidden. Sadly, it now seems that it is Truth Himself, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that many desire to be hidden.

Although I am now without a diocese, I am still a bishop of the Church and therefore a successor of the apostles, and I must continue to speak Truth even if it requires my very life. I want to say this to all of you today – DO NOT ever, ever leave the Church! She is the Bride of Christ! She is now undergoing her Passion, and you must resolve to stand resolutely at the cross! It is important to attend Mass every Sunday and as often as possible, to spend time in adoration, to pray the Rosary daily, to go to confession regularly, and to call always upon the saints for assistance! I urge you to persevere that you might say in the end, “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.”

May Almighty God bless you, and may our Holy and Blessed Mother intercede for you and point you always to her Divine Son Jesus as we enter this Advent season.

I remain your humble father and servant,

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Spanish Translation of October 17th Letter

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Gracias por su paciencia!

Oct. 17 Spanish Pastoral ltr.pdf

Pastoral Letters from October 3 and October 10 in Spanish

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Gracias por su paciencia en recibiendo estas cartas.

Spanish Oct. 3 letter.pdf

Spanish Oct 10 letter.pdf

Lift High the Cross- Letter #7 issued October 17

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Let us embrace the cross of Jesus Christ, a sign of contradiction that brings us the saving power of His sacrifice and Resurrection.

Pastoral letter Oct. 17, 2023.pdf

A Timely and Important Message from St. Vincent of Lerins

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

St. Vincent of Lerins was a 5th Century Gallic Monk who wrote on orthodox Christian practice, this is an excerpt from his writing which is included in the Office of Reading on Friday of the 27th week of Ordinary Time. He offers timely guidance on the issue of the development of doctrine in the Catholic faith.

From the first instruction by Saint Vincent of Lerins, priest

(Cap. 23: PL 50, 667-668)

The development of doctrine

Is there to be no development of religion in the Church of Christ? Certainly, there is to be development and on the largest scale.

Who can be so grudging to men, so full of hate for God, as to try to prevent it? But it must truly be development of the faith, not alteration of the faith. Development means that each thing expands to be itself, while alteration means that a thing is changed from one thing into another.

The understanding, knowledge and wisdom of one and all, of individuals as well as of the whole Church, ought then to make great and vigorous progress with the passing of the ages and the centuries, but only along its own line of development, that is, with the same doctrine, the same meaning and the same import.

The religion of souls should follow the law of development of bodies. Though bodies develop and unfold their component parts with the passing of the years, they always remain what they were. There is a great difference between the flower of childhood and the maturity of age, but those who become old are the very same people who were once young. Though the condition and appearance of one and the same individual may change, it is one and the same nature, one and the same person.

The tiny members of unweaned children and the grown members of young men are still the same members. Men have the same number of limbs as children. Whatever develops at a later age was already present in seminal form; there is nothing new in old age that was not already latent in childhood.

There is no doubt, then, that the legitimate and correct rule of development, the established and wonderful order of growth, is this: in older people the fullness of years always brings to completion those members and forms that the wisdom of the Creator fashioned beforehand in their earlier years.

If, however, the human form were to turn into some shape that did not belong to its own nature, or even if something were added to the sum of its members or subtracted from it, the whole body would necessarily perish or become grotesque or at least be enfeebled. In the same way, the doctrine of the Christian religion should properly follow these laws of development, that is, by becoming firmer over the years, more ample in the course of time, more exalted as it advances in age.

In ancient times our ancestors sowed the good seed in the harvest field of the Church. It would be very wrong and unfitting if we, their descendants, were to reap, not the genuine wheat of truth but the intrusive growth of error.

On the contrary, what is right and fitting is this: there should be no inconsistency between first and last, but we should reap true doctrine from the growth of true teaching, so that when, in the course of time, those first sowings yield an increase it may flourish and be tended in our day also.

ReplyForward

Pastoral Letter #6 regarding the error of universalism

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

This letter reminds us that Jesus Christ is our only Lord and Savior and that we must repent of our sins and seek to follow Him more closely each day. Let us take this message to heart with great joy and do our best to grow closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day.

Pastoral letter Oct. 10, 2023.pdf

A Special Prayer for October

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Let us pray this beautiful prayer during the Synod.

Prayer for the 2023 ‘Synod on Synodality’, + Athanasius Schneider.pdf

Spanish translation of letter issued September 26, 2023

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

La carta de 26 de Septiembre, 2023

Final_Release_v3_September_26_2023_SPANISH.docx

Letter #5 on Human Love in the Divine Plan

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

This letter is especially important in light of the statements we are seeing from Rome that speak of undermining "Human Love in the Divine Plan". Let us be clear that this truth cannot be changed. As Cardinal Ladaria said in March of 2021, the Church cannot bless sin. Let us instead embrace the beauty of the plan God Our Father has layed out for us, if we will only listen.

Pastoral letter Oct 3, 2023.pdf

Letter on Our Humanity, Rooted in God

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I'm pleased to share another letter following on my Pastoral Letter published August 22, 2023. Let us rejoice that we are "wonderfully made" in the image and likeness of God.

Pastoral letter Sept 26, 2023.pdf

A brief update from Bishop Strickland

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

September 20, 2023

Dear Flock of the Diocese of Tyler,

I realize you may have heard information about me that is concerning and possibly confusing.

I thought it would be good for you to hear directly from me, hopefully I can alleviate some concerns and clarify any confusion. As you probably know there was an Apostolic Visitation of the diocese conducted the week of June 19-24. Bishop Kicanas, retired from Tuscan, Arizona and Bishop Sullivan, from Camden, New Jersey spent the week interviewing various people about the condition of the diocese and concluded by interviewing me.

I have not heard from any Church official from Rome since the visitation concluded on June 24. I was not given a reason for the visitation, and I have not received any report since.

Last week an article was published on a website called, “The Pillar”, and the article alleged that a meeting was held with Pope Francis where some of the members of the Congregation for Bishops recommended that I be encouraged to resign as Bishop of Tyler. Let me be clear that I have received no communication from Rome regarding this. At this point it is simply and article discussing supposed leaked information from the Vatican.

I have said publicly that I cannot resign as Bishop of Tyler because that would be me abandoning the flock that I was given charge of by Pope Benedict XVI. I have also said that I will respect the authority of Pope Francis if he removes me from office as Bishop of Tyler. I love Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church which He established. My only desire is to speak His Truth and live God’s Will to the best of my ability.

In closing let me share my profound gratitude for the support and prayers that so many of you have expressed to me. I continue to love serving as your shepherd and thankfully during all of this I have been able to visit many of your parishes and celebrate our Catholic faith with you.

I am blessed in my personal prayer in which I feel very close to the Lord and supported by the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints. Your prayers are a tremendous support as well. I am at peace with whatever the Lord’s call for me is, let us continue to pray for Pope Francis, the Church, and the Diocese of Tyler that we call home.

God bless you and all who are dear to you.

Sincerely in Christ’s Name,

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

Letter on Matrimony and Holy Orders

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I am pleased to offer another letter for your reflection. This letter addresses the beauty of the Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders. They are both Sacraments of Vocation and essential to the life of the Church.

Pastoral letter Sept 19, 2023 .pdf

Spanish Translation of September 12, Pastoral Letter

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Carta Pastoral en Espanol:

Pastoral Letter Sep 12. - spanish.pdf

Letter on the Eucharist

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Please find a new letter attached which explains more fully the beauty of the Eucharist which I spoke of in my letter issued on August 22, 2023. Let us all seek a deeper relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ in His Eucharistic Face.

Pastoral Letter 3 Sept. 12.pdf

Letter on the Nature of the Church- in Spanish

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Please find here the Letter dated September 5, on the nature of the Church, translated into Spanish.

Sept 5th Letter Spanish .pdf

Pastoral Letter in Spanish- Carta en Espanol

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Gracias por su paciencia en recibiendo esta carta en espanol.

Pastoral_Letter_v2_final__22_Aug_2023_SPANISH.docx

Letter on the nature of the Church

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I offer this letter as a more in depth consideration of point number one as expressed in the Pastoral Letter I issued on August 22.

Let us rejoice to know the Church that Jesus Christ established and do our best to live as holy members of the Bride of Christ.

Sept 5, 2023 Pastoral Ltr 2.pdf

Six Essential Statements of our Catholic Faith

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Six Essential Statements of our Catholic Faith

The Catholic Church is guided by truth that God has revealed to humanity through His Son Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Church protects us from natural errors that arise in human culture. Allowing these errors to go unchecked has devastating consequences for Christian life.
Modernism is the term that captures the spectrum of these errors in our present world. Pope Saint Pius X addressed these errors in the early 20^th Century in his encyclical Lamentabili sane in 1907.
The constant vigilance of the Church from her beginnings in the 1^st Century and the rigorous conservation of the truth revealed to us by God constitute her fundamental duty to defend and transmit the doctrine of the faith without compromise or any diminishing of their force.
The absolute duty of the Church to guard Orthodoxy is expressed in 1 Timothy 6:20 and 2 Timothy 1:14 “Guard the deposit entrusted to you”. St. Paul gives this unequivocal significance in Galatians 1:9 “If anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed”. To fail to fulfill this duty is an absolute betrayal of Christ and His Church.
The teachings of the Catholic faith were not invented by the Church, they are a gift divinely revealed and ultimately completed by Jesus Christ Truth Incarnate. The Church receives the treasured truth of the faith and has the grave responsibility of guarding it, witnessing to it, mediating it, and deepening her understanding of it.
The joyful responsibility of the Church, the Bride of Christ, is stubbornly, uncompromisingly, and vigorously to conserve the Truth she has received and transmit this Truth, ever ancient, ever new, to every generation. The world has and will label this as intransigent and outdated, but when the world urges an easier, more relevant approach She must respond with Apostolic fervor, we cannot. Acts 4:20 “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard”.

54 Day Rosary Novena: Praying for the Synod Delegates

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I invite everyone to join in a 54 Day Rosary Novena beginning on August 27, the Memorial of St Monica and ending on October 19, the Memorial of Martyrs, St John de Brebeuf & companions. Pray that the hearts of all Synod delegates will be drawn closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Whatever our concerns for the Bride of Christ and the upcoming Synod let us constantly be reminded that our greatest power is prayer. I was inspired to encourage this 54 Day Rosary Novena so that all of us could pray fervently for all involved in the Synod on Synodality being held in Rome during October of this year. Starting the Novena on the Memorial of Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine reminds us of the power of prayer in a beautiful way. Saint Monica prayed fervently and faithfully for the conversion of her son Augustine and her prayer was so effective he not only converted but became a saint.

I definitely need to be reminded to pray for all who are involved in the Synod and for all of us who are part of the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. Rather than becoming angry and lashing out at those who seem to be pushing an effort to change the beautiful truths of our faith, let us pray for them to instead embrace that truth more and more deeply.

Ending the Novena on October 19, the Memorial of the Martyrs, Saint John de Brebeuf and Companions, is a reminder of the sacrifices that so many have made through the ages in order for the Deposit of Faith to be passed on to us. Let us pray that the blood of the martyrs may become the seeds of deeper faith for all the delegates at the Synod.

August 22 Letter to the Flock of Tyler

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Please access this link to find a Pastoral Letter I have issued as we celebrate the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us. We face challenging times but Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us and the Queen of Heaven and all the saints are interceding for us.

Pastoral letter Aug. 22, 2023.pdf

St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

St. Lawrence the Deacon and the Vocation of Catholic Deacons

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

I often write or speak about the challenges we face in this time of crisis engulfing both the Church and the Nation. Western culture is corroding from within, precisely because we have forgotten God. When any culture forgets God, it inevitably loses its humanity. When we turn away from our source, we lose ourselves. That is because we are created in the Image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ so that the Image can be restored. Then, we are called to grow in His likeness, by cooperating with grace.

I find myself regularly reminding my fellow Catholics and other Christians that the times in which we live are not the only difficult times which the Church has faced in over two millennia. I tire of hearing, reading, and being told we are living in a "post-Christian" age. I long ago ceased using such language. I find it to be a counsel of despair.

I prefer to view this time in which we live as Pre-Christian. In doing so I want to emphasize once again that as Christians we are the leaven, life, light, and seed which the Lord wants to use to transform this age from within. We should not waste time wringing our hands. Those hands need to be put to the plow, not looking back, but tilling the ground and sowing the seeds of authentic, Spirit led, renewal and restoration. (See, Luke 9:62)

We were born - and born again through the waters of Baptism – for this time. And, as Catholic Deacons, we were ordained for these times, called to be Heralds of the Gospel - called to receive it, believe it, teach it and live it - as we promised at our ordination.

The hostility toward the Christian faith and the Church is real. And it is accelerating. Personally, I think it will get worse - before it gets better. That is why we need inspiring role models to help us through these times. We can imitate their example and we are assisted by their prayers.

On August 10th in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar we commemorate the Deacon of the undivided early Christian Church named Lawrence. The situation we face in a declining western culture is not unlike the situation Lawrence and his companions faced.

In some respects, we live in a New Rome, beset with remarkably similar signs of moral decay which those early Christians faced. They did not wring their hands; they fell to their knees asking the Lord for grace, then they rose to their feet to do something about it!

I have served as an ordained Catholic Deacon for twenty seven years and continue to draw great encouragement from his heroic witness in the First Millennium. It inspires me as I seek to be faithful to my own vocation as a Deacon in the Third Millennium.

Catholic Deacons are called to be an icon of Jesus Christ the Servant. In both word and witness they are to proclaim that Jesus Christ is alive, raised from the dead, and continuing His ministry through His Mystical Body, the Church. They live their lives in what is sometimes called the “real world”, but it is to be a life that is not of "this world" but rather a seed of the world to come. (See, e.g. Romans 12:2, 1 John 2: 15 - 17)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes this order of Clergy, the diaconate in Christ, in this way:

"At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who receive the imposition of hands 'not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry."' At an ordination to the diaconate only the bishop lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special attachment to the bishop in the tasks of his "diakonia."

"Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint ("character") which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the "deacon" or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity.

"Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate "as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy," while the Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the Church's mission. Indeed, it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in its social and charitable works, should "be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs 1569-1571)

When I am asked about the service of a Catholic Deacon, I often say that we go from the altar and the ambo (pulpit) into the world - in order to bring the world into the "new world" of the Church.

Deacons are invited to live as leaven in the loaf of human culture, elevating it from within by lives lived in the heart of the Church for the sake of the world.

Deacons are called to be witnesses. The word “martyr” means witness. For most of us, being a witness will not mean the shedding of our blood. But, if it does, we have great examples. The deacon martyrs, including Stephen and Lawrence and so many others. Their lives of sacrificial love continue to inspire the whole church as a perpetual homily! But they have a special role for deacons.

Deacon Lawrence’s' heroic life and death commend him to all who choose to see the Third Christian Millennium as a new missionary age. However, the witness of Lawrence is of particular importance for contemporary Catholic Deacons. The Catholic Church is facing growing hostility from those who hate our insistence upon a respect for all human life, from conception to natural death, our defense of true marriage as solely between one n and one woman, open to life, intended for life, and formative of family.

They seek to silence us and engage in a soft persecution, at least so far in the West. They especially focus their animosity on those in the Catholic Church who still “guard the deposit of faith” and embrace the full teaching of the Scriptures, the Catechism, and the authentic Magisterium. Those who will not compromise the truth. It is in just such times that we need for the Lord to raise up Deacons like Lawrence to stand strong in their uncompromising fidelity to the ancient yet ever new Catholic Christian faith in this new missionary age.

The same God Deacon Lawrence loved and served is pouring out his Holy Spirit in this hour upon His Church. History will record the story of when this Rome of the West returned to Jesus Christ! We are called to hasten that change. Let me share with you the story of the Deacon Martyr Lawrence, through whom all of Rome became Christian.

The year was 258. It was a difficult beginning for what would become the First Christian Millennium. Hostility against these early followers of Jesus Christ was growing. The barbarism and severity of pagan Rome had begun to reach a fever pitch. It would soon lead to a blood lust. The newborn Christian Church, faithful to the One who had given Himself for the life of the world, continued the work of His redemption.

Roman authorities charged Christians of that era with "odium humani generis" [hatred of the human race]. The Romans claimed to be citizens of a great empire, yet they practiced primitive forms of abortion as well as "exposure", the killing of unwanted newborns.

First and Second century Rome was a challenging mission field for these early Christians. Rome proclaimed itself the shining example to the world of its age while it violated the Natural Moral Law and embraced debauchery. Sound familiar?

The day that Deacon Lawrence experienced his birth from death to life was an ominous and frightful day in ancient Rome. Four days earlier, the great Bishop of Rome, Sixtus, was arrested by soldiers of the emperor Valerian, along with his beloved deacons, and beheaded.

Valerian had issued an edict to the Roman Senate that all the Christian clergy-bishops, priests and deacons-were to be arrested and executed. There were so many holy people among the martyrs of early Rome. That makes it even more remarkable that the life and death of this one humble Deacon-Lawrence-is attributed with all of Rome becoming Christian.

Sentenced to death in the Emperor Valerian's sweeping condemnation of all Christian clergy, Lawrence offended the Emperor - and endeared himself to all Christians since then - by assembling before Valerian the real gold and silver of the Church, the poor.

According to the tradition, Deacon Lawrence, knowing that the fervor of Valerians' hatred was extending to all Christians who owned property, began to give it all away. He distributed the money and treasures of the Church to the city's poor. He knew the clear admonition of the Savior that they were blessed and especially loved by Him.

Valerian heard the news and wanted the treasure to satisfy his unbridled lust for worldly power. So, he offered Deacon Lawrence a way out of sure death. If he would show him where the Church's great gold and silver were located, he would issue an order of clemency, sparing his life so that he could continue his work.

Valerian was delighted when the deacon asked for three days to gather all the gold and silver of the Church together in one central place! His pride and greed filled blinded him from seeing the truth.

For three days, Deacon Lawrence went throughout the city and invited all the beloved poor, handicapped, and misfortunate to come together. They were being supported by a thriving early Christian community who understood the Gospel imperative to recognize Jesus in the poor.

When Valerian arrived, Deacon Lawrence presented him with the true gold and silver of the Church, the poor! The emperor was filled with rage! Beheading was not enough for this Christian Deacon. He ordered Deacon Lawrence to be burned alive, in public, on a griddle. Witnesses recorded the public martyrdom. The deacon cheerfully offered himself to the Lord Jesus and even joked with his executioners!

The Christian tradition records massive conversions to the Christian faith as a result of the holy life and death of one Deacon who understood the true heart of his vocation. He was poured out, like his Master, Jesus Christ the Servant, in redemptive love, on behalf of others. It is still said to this day that all of Rome became Christian as a result of the faithful life, and the death, of this one humble deacon. He was buried in a cemetery on the Via Tiburtina. On that spot, Constantine would later build a Basilica.

A special devotion to Lawrence, deacon and martyr, spread throughout the entire Christian community. Early Christians had no doubt that those who had gone to be with the Lord continued to pray for those who still struggled in this earthly life. They saw in Lawrence a great example of how to live, and how to die, faithful to the Gospel. Years later,

St Augustine reflected on the heroism of this great deacon in a sermon preached on his feast day, emphasizing that his life and death were an example for all Christians to emulate: "I tell you again and again my brethren, that in the Lord's garden are to be found not only the roses of His martyrs. In it there are also the lilies of the virgins, the ivy of wedded couples, and the violets of widows. On no account may any class of people despair, thinking that God has not called them."

The life and death of Deacon Lawrence speaks the timeless message of the Gospel to all who will listen. Whether we are ever called to shed our blood in what has traditionally been called red martyrdom or simply called to offer our sacrifices daily in a continuous life of poured-out love, traditionally called white martyrdom, we continue the redemptive work of the Lord.

The Deacon and martyr Lawrence offered himself fully to Jesus Christ, for the sake of the world. His heroic life and death witness is a challenge and an invitation to all Catholic Deacons in a new missionary age. May the Lord give all Catholic Deacons the courage needed to respond.

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

Dean of Catholic Identity

Bishop Gorman Catholic School

The Joy of a Shepherd

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The Joy of a Shepherd

I’m sure the flock sometimes wonders what the shepherd is up to as we all endure the heat of summer. I’m also sure that it is probably just a fleeting thought since I know we all have busy lives and believe it or not school will be starting up very soon. Since I had a moment, I thought I would share with you a sample of my calendar for the week as an illustration of what keeps me busy and joyful to be the Bishop of Tyler.

On Monday evening I had dinner with a couple of the priests just as a chance to catch up and welcome one of them back from studies. On Tuesday I was off to St. Michael’s in Mt. Pleasant for the Confirmation of 64 candidates. It is always a special joy to visit St. Michael’s because I was pastor there 30+ years ago. Some of the people I served are still there, serving in the community. Wednesday I will spend in Tyler with a lunch meeting of the CHRISTUS Foundation Board and recording sessions in the evening. Thursday, I am off to Grand Saline for another Confirmation at St. Celestine, Fr. Michael Ledesma is doing a great job there and in Emory. On Friday, it is Confirmation in Pittsburg. It is a joy to visit Holy Cross also because it began as a Glenmary Mission while I was pastor in Mt. Pleasant.

Of course, there are a lot of meetings during the day and other administrative tasks at the Chancery but the above describes the joy of traveling around the diocese and celebrating Confirmations or other important events for our parishes and missions.

I know that we are all aware of the questions that have arisen since the Apostolic Visitation which ended on June 24. I honestly don’t have answers to these questions but regardless I do know that the Lord is with us, and the mission of His Church in Northeast Texas continues with a blessed vibrancy. The piney woods are a great place to serve the Lord and His flock. It gets exhausting at times, and people from beyond the piney woods are often in touch thanking me for speaking the beautiful truth of our Catholic faith. I’m glad for others to listen in as they seek the Good News of Jesus Christ, but I always assure them that my greatest joy is to serve the flock right here in the thirty-three counties of Northeast Texas. As a kid from these piney woods, I feel greatly blessed to serve the people here as a shepherd and successor of the apostles.

Let us continue to pray for the Church, the Bride of Christ and for all of her shepherds and flock.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Celebrating Saint Benedict

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Honoring St Benedict and the Role of Monks in the Church

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

I spent 21 months in a Benedictine monastery shortly after coming home to the Church as a young man. There, I began what has become a lifelong journey of prayer and found my hunger for theology. I also studied the early fathers of the Church. I was taught by a wonderful monk. He was the first of several monks who have graced my life with their gift of holy presence, making Christ so palpable by their interior life - one which overflows in a genuine transfigured humanity.

Permission to Reprint, with attribution, granted

On July 11 the Catholic Church commemorates the great life and legacy of St. Benedict of Nursia. He was born around the year 480 in Umbria, Italy. He is a called father of Western Monasticism and co-patron of Europe (along with Saints Cyril and Methodius). The monk named Benedict was chosen as a Patron due to his extraordinary influence on establishing Christianity in Europe and thus securing the Christian foundations of European civilization and the entirety of Western culture.

As a young man, Benedict of Nursia fled a decadent and declining Rome for further studies and deep prayer and reflection. He gave his life entirely to God as a son of the Catholic Church. He traveled to Subiaco; the cave which became his dwelling, the place where he communed deeply with God is now a shrine called "Sacro Speco" (The Holy Cave).

Right before his election to the Chair of Peter, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger traveled to the holy cave for a period of protracted prayer. In a General Audience on April 29, 2008, he spoke at length of Benedict whom he called the "Patron of His Pontificate". Then he lived as a monk on the grounds of the Vatican, praying for that renewal to continue under the leadership of his successor, Francis.

St. Benedict of Nursia lived a life of prayer and solitude for three years and studied under a monk named Romanus. His holiness drew other men and women and soon, twelve small monasteries were founded. He later traveled to Monte Cassino, where he completed his Rule for Monks. From those Benedictine monasteries, an entire movement was birthed which led to the evangelization of Europe and the emergence of an authentically Christian culture. It can happen once again in the Third Christian Millennium.

The ecclesial movement which we call western monasticism led to the birth and flourishing of the academy, the arts and the emergence of what later became known as Christendom. From its earliest appearance, the monastic movement was a lay movement. From the midst of the community men were chosen for ordination in order to serve the members and the broader mission as it participated in the overall mission of the Church.

In this sense, the early monastic movement bears similarities to the ecclesial movements of this millennium which John Paul, Benedict and now Francis promote with enthusiasm. Increasingly the members of these lay movements, and the clergy which have grown up in their midst to serve the mission, are becoming one of the key resources the Holy Spirit is using for the new missionary age of the Church.

Saint John Paul II gave an address in 1980, during the fifteenth centennial commemoration of the birth of St. Benedict, in which he affirmed the extraordinary contributions of the great father of western monasticism. He recalled St. Benedict's age as a time when "the Church, civil society and Christian culture itself were in great danger."

He noted of the saint that "Through his sanctity and singular accomplishments, St. Benedict gave testimony of the perennial youth of the Church. He and his followers drew the barbarians from paganism toward a civilized and truly enhanced way of life. The Benedictines guided them in building a peaceful, virtuous and productive society."

The contemporary West has rejected its Christian roots and embraced a new paganism. What Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI called the "Dictatorship of Relativism" is the bad fruit of a rejection of the very existence of any objective truth. Given the current state of moral decline, we need to view the West as mission territory. Over the years of Pope Emeritus Benedict's service, he regularly spoke of monks and their essential contribution to the Church. In an address given in 2007, he zeroed in on the monastic life as a gift needed for the whole church.

I am what is often called a 'revert' to the Church in Catholic circles. I returned to the practice of the Catholic Christian faith after wandering away as a very young man, I spent 21 months in a Benedictine monastery shortly after "coming home" to the Church. There, I began what has become a lifelong journey of prayer and found my hunger for theology.

I also studied the early fathers of the Church. I was taught by a wonderful monk. He was the first of several monks who have graced my life with their gift of holy presence, making Christ so palpable by their interior life - one which overflows in a genuine transfigured humanity.

From my encounters with monks, living immersed as they do in their unique and vital vocation in and with the Lord, I learned that no matter how much formal theological study they have, it is their depth of prayer which makes them the best of theologians. So it should be with all theologians - one cannot give away what one does not truly have.

It is out of the storehouse of grace that monks and theologians are able to help the faithful in their pursuit of the longing of every human heart, communion and intimacy with the God who has revealed Himself. We find, in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the "human face of God" in Jesus Christ. What is necessary is to encounter Him, contemplate that beauty and be transformed by the encounter.

A part of monastic life and spirituality is also labor, immersed in prayer. Monks support themselves through hard work, dedicated to God and caught up in the ongoing redemptive work of Jesus Christ in and through His Church. They follow a "Rule", a Way of Life. Yet, even in that, they peel back the deeper mystery and remind us that all work done in the Lord participates in His ongoing work of redemption. Too often, people mistakenly believe that the monk retreats from the world because of its "corruption".

In fact, the monk retreats (in differing ways in accordance with their particular monastic response) precisely in order to transform the world by his prophetic witness and powerful prayer. The dedicated monk is an essential part of the Lord's plan for the Church. The Church is what the early Fathers called the New World, being recreated in Christ. We who have been baptized never again leave the Church. We actually live in the Church and go into the world to bring all men and women home.

Monasticism in the first millennium gave us the fountain of theological wisdom which still inspires the Church. Those who went into the desert became the great teachers, fathers, confessors and prophets. Their prayer and witness kept the Church in the Divine embrace so that she could effectively continue the redemptive mission of the Lord.

In the second millennium, their work and witness continued. Sadly, the Church had been torn in two with the first split, East and West. In the East, the Monks continued to be a resource for the kind of theology which brings heaven to earth and earth to heaven. From their ranks the great Bishops of the Church were chosen and the Church was continually renewed.

In the West, the great Monasteries of Europe became the beating heart of the emergence of Christendom. The extraordinary intellect exhibited in the emerging theological tradition birthed in the monasteries enabled the Church to contend with daunting challenges, welcome them without fear, contend for the faith and offer the claims of Truth Incarnate.

Monks are a seed of the great renewals of the Church. That is because Monks are prophetic seeds of the kingdom of God. They always seem to be around right when we need them the most. We need Monks for the authentic renewal of the Church in this hour. Lord, send your Holy Spirit, send us monks for the renewal of your Church.

A Reflection on Saint Maria Goretti

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

A Reflection on Saint Maria Goretti

Most of us are probably familiar with Saint Maria Goretti. She was hardly more than a girl when she died for chastity rather than giving in to her attacker. She modeled Christ on her death bed as she forgave the troubled man who attacked her and ultimately took her life. Although this poor man took her life in this world, no one could take her everlasting life in Jesus Christ, and as a woman of faith she gives great example for our troubled times.

It is sad that faith seems to be so weak for so many in these times. We are probably all tempted to ask, “Are there young women (and men) like Maria in the world today”? Let us be assured that there are and let us never forget to support them. At the same time, we have to face the reality that too many young people, and truly people of every age are caught up in foolishness and focused only on this world in ways that ultimately brings great devastation.

Let us pray that the confusion that so many, young, and old, are experiencing may be diminished by the clarity and faith of Saint Maria. Her faith and her commitment to Jesus Christ as her Lord was so strong and clear that she was able to defend her chastity to the death. May she inspire those who have too easily relinquished their chastity to trust in God’s abundant mercy. If only they will repent of their sins against chastity the Lord will welcome them into His loving embrace and allow their iniquities to be washed in His Precious Blood. Saint Maria is a powerful reminder that mercy without heartfelt repentance is meaningless. She died in a spirit of humble repentance for the sins of her attacker and ultimately gave her life because she was not willing to allow her body to be defiled sinfully.

Saint Maria Goretti, pray for us!

St. Thomas the Apostle and the 4th of July.

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate Saint Thomas the Apostle on this day before the 4th of July let us rejoice in the gift of faith. In so many ways faith shaped this nation and we must pray that we return to these roots. Freedom of Religion has become Freedom from Religion for too many. If we abandon faith in God we are lost and in peril. We still have much evangelization to do in order to bring faith in Jesus Christ as Savior of the World to all peoples but we can never tire of this mission.

Let us pray for our nation to once again truly be One Nation Under God.

A blessed 4th to all.

As we celebrate St. Thomas More and approach the 4th of July

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

St Thomas More and the Crisis we Face.

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil.

The United States of America is in a spiraling crisis. Some insist we are only in an economic and international crisis. In doing so, knowingly or unknowingly, they separate out the moral and social from the economic and international issues. However, the economic and international problems we are facing are simply a part of the bad fruit resulting from the loss of our National Moral Compass.

Just as we cannot separate body and soul in a human person, we cannot separate the moral or social issues from economic or international issues in the body politic. There is a moral basis to a truly free society. We have forgotten that to our detriment as a Nation. We were founded on an authentic understanding of liberty. But, we have become drunk on the wine of a false libertine counterfeit.

In the Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar, June 22d is the day we remember a Saint whose witness is DESPERATELY needed during this present national crisis, Thomas More.

So, allow me to share my admiration of this great man of God and tell his story to you my readers. The heroic witness of Thomas More is a prophetic witness for all Christians in the United States, right now. It calls us to consider our civic responsibility, our social participation, including our responsibility in the political arena.

On Oct 31, 2000, Saint John Paul II, responded to petitions from the faithful across the world and issued an apostolic letter, on his own authority. In it he proclaimed Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians.

The letter was addressed to "the Bishops of the Catholic Church and, in a particular way, to Catholic politicians and all lay members of the faithful called to participate in the political life of democratic societies."

On the Feast of Christ, the King in 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church issued an instruction entitled a "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life".

Sadly, I doubt many Catholics in political life or public service have ever read this tremendous teaching document. Even more regrettably, it is rarely if ever used by Bishops, priests or deacons in their teaching and preaching, to confront the utter lack of moral coherence demonstrated by too many Catholics in public service and help to catechize them.

The instruction in the Doctrinal Note is reflected in the teaching of the "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church" sections pertaining to the political participation of Catholics. (See, e.g. #565-574) Here is an excerpt:

"The social doctrine of the Church is not an intrusion into the government of individual countries. It is a question of the lay Catholic's duty to be morally coherent, found within one's conscience, which is one and indivisible.

'There cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called 'spiritual life', with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called 'secular' life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social responsibilities, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity."

Saint John Paul II held Thomas More up as a model, "Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person.

"Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal, the service of the human person."

The England of the sixteenth century was in a crisis of politics, culture, and faith, much like the times in which we now live in the United States of America. In 1534, all citizens who were of age were required to take an oath called "The Act of Succession".

It acknowledged that King Henry VIII was married to Anne Boleyn, even though he was not married to Anne Boleyn. His desire to divorce Catherine was not sufficient to make that marriage null and his attempt to use his political power to change the objective truth of that fact proved unsuccessful.

So, the King used the power of his office to promulgate an unjust civil Law by which he simply proclaimed, in a sense by his version of our modern "executive order" that he and Anne were lawfully married. He also declared himself to be the Supreme Head of the Church in England, thus abrogating to himself the authority to determine that his lawful marital bond was dissolved. In doing so he denied the authority of the Bible, the Christian Tradition, the Natural Law and the correct position taken by the successor of the Apostle Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

The Pope refused to succumb to Henry's demand to grant him an annulment from his lawful marriage so that he could pursue a different woman as his wife. He would not affirm Henry's decision to place his disordered sexual desires for a woman who was not his wife, over the objective truth of the indissolubility of the marriage bond.

Thomas More knew the order of truth. He applied a hierarchy of values in both his personal life and his public life. He lived as a faithful Catholic Christian, demonstrating a unity of life by his moral coherence. He stayed faithful to the Truth and did not separate out his call to live as a Christian from any sphere of his daily life.

In 1532, knowing that he could not enforce the declaration of his temporal King to usurp the authority of the Church which had been granted to it by the King of Kings, he resigned his political position. He tried to do so with the kind of integrity that had characterized his entire life. He withdrew from public life and bore the ridicule and taunts of those who once praised him.

He offered the suffering to the Lord by joining it to the Cross of the Savior. He then tried to continue to care for his beloved family, the domestic church of the home, by teaching them how to live lives of virtue and simplicity. He had lost his prestige and his considerable financial resources, but he gained the peace which always comes through fidelity to the Lord.

His hopes for a life with his family, lived in simplicity and fidelity to the Church, were short lived. The King, by now drunk on his own power, insisted that Thomas take the oath under the Act of Succession, thereby acknowledging the legitimacy of his marriage to Anne and his authority over the Church.

Thomas would not do so because he refused to violate his truly informed conscience. So, the King had his former counselor imprisoned in the Tower of London. There he underwent intense tortures of both body and soul. These came not only from the henchmen of the State but even from some within his own family and circle of friends who failed to understand his actions because their minds had been dulled by compromise.

At the time, few would have even noticed if Thomas had succumbed to the Royal request. He could have even tried to justify the action through using his well-honed rhetorical and logical skills and calling it a merely perfunctory action, deluding many.

He could have thereby restored his political position, some would have argued, in order to try to influence the King for the good over the long haul. He could have had his substantial properties restored if he had just sworn that oath, others would say, in order to provide material safety for his beloved family.

Instead, this man who loved life, loved his family, loved his career and properly loved the created world and all of its true goods, loved the Lord first and would not compromise the Truth. It is that courage which cries out to us from his grave.

He was an ordinary Christian who shows the rest of us ordinary Christians the way to living a unity of life in the midst of the creeping darkness and distractions of our own age. He held in harmony his vocation as the father of a family with his profession as a lawyer and his service in the highest of Political offices.

He knew that there is a hierarchy of values which bring with them a hierarchy of duties and loyalties. His witness in life and in death challenges us to examine whether we do. How did he do it? Quite simply, he prayed. He lived in a communion with the Risen Lord as a faithful son of the Church which is His Body.

He was truly in love with the Lord and chose to live in the Heart of the Church - for the sake of the world. He teaches us, that the Christian vocation requires our constant response to the Lord's invitation to follow him and that we cannot get by on yesterdays' decisions.

During that brief time which he had with his family, after attempting to quietly resign rather than violate his formed conscience and before he was imprisoned, when his wife or children complained about their lack he would tell them that they could not expect to "go to heaven in featherbeds".

He taught them regularly to reflect upon the privation and sufferings of Jesus on our behalf and he prayed with them for the grace to join their own to Him on the Cross. He would not compromise the truth.

Thomas More was a morally coherent Christian. That is the lesson of his life - and of his Martyrs death. He beckons millions, across the expanse of time unto today, to follow his example as he followed the example of the Lord.

This champion of heroic courage, living amid a State which had lost its soul, never wavered in his fidelity to the Truth. He would not betray the truth. He would not compromise it on the altar of public opinion or for political opportunism. He knew that to do so would not only have dishonored God and led his family and so many others astray, but that it would have given tacit assent to the emerging despotism of his age.

He was brought to trial for his fidelity to the Truth. As is always the case with persecution against Christians, it was framed as a charge against the positive or civil law. Even though that law was unjust and contradicted the Natural Moral Law. There, this outstanding lawyer defended the Truth for which he would later give his life.

Thomas used the occasion of the Courtroom, where he had practiced his trade, to defend the Truth and its obligations in the temporal order. In the eloquent words of Saint John Paul II, who proclaimed him not only the Patron of all lawyers but the Patron of all politicians, "he made an impassioned defense of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State."

He was found guilty, even though he was a guardian of true innocence. That unjust verdict brings shame upon every unjust tribunal and misuse of governmental power. Thomas More was martyred for his moral coherence, his fidelity to the Christian faith.

He was beheaded by the minions of a temporal leader who had abused his office and wielded the awful sword, the power of the State (which has as its very source God Himself) to inflict evil against those who refused to bow down in idolatrous worship of the State

Thomas faced his executioners with the very same dignity he had shown in life, speaking with humor and affection to them even before they beheaded him. After his death it was found that he had left these words in the margin of his Book of the Liturgy of Hours which he prayed every day:

"Give me your grace, good Lord, to set the world at naught...to have my mind well united to you; to not depend on the changing opinions of others...so that I may think joyfully of the things of God and tenderly implore his help. So that I may lean on God's strength and make an effort to love him... So as to thank Him ceaselessly for his benefits; so as to redeem the time I have wasted..."

We need to reflect on how we are living our own Christian faith in the midst of an increasingly hostile age.

We face a similar challenge to that which faced St. Thomas More. In our day. The attacks on true marriage are increasing in their severity. We are being compelled by the police power of the State to compromise for our own convenience and tempted to accept the rulings of Judicial Oligarchs and Alchemists who think that they can change the nature of this institution by the stroke of a pen. Their collaborators in political office, some of whom are apostate Christians, are now beginning to wield the figurative sword of temporal power against us.

The truths taught by the Church, based in the Bible, confirmed in the sacred tradition and revealed within the common patrimony of the Natural Moral Law, are being rejected in an age struggling under what was called by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a "Dictatorship of Relativism."

The most egregious example is the rejection of the truth concerning the dignity and inviolability of ever human life. This fundamental Right to Life is taught by the Natural Law and confirmed by medical science. Yet it is denied by those in control of the power of the State, and the blood of the innocent flows.

Thomas More is called a Man for all Seasons. As we approach the next Presidential election in the United States, and the significant number of other elective offices which will be a part of the upcoming congressional election, he is a man for this season.

He calls us to a unity of life, to moral coherence and integrity in our exercise of our civic duty. The Life, death and eternal witness of St. Thomas More is a model for us. Let us reflect on this patron assigned to a special role in political affairs, and ask for his intercession.

Let us choose those candidates who will hold back the collapse, defend religious freedom, restore to the civil law the Natural Law recognition of the Right to Life, and allow the Christian community, in all its confessional diversity, truly free - to do what she alone can do, bring authentic conversion to the Nation.
Elections have consequences. We are experiencing the truth of that all around us. It is contributing to the continuing moral collapse of our culture.

Let us turn to the Lord whom Thomas More followed with heroic virtue and choose, with the help of God’s grace, to become the men and women the Lord can use in this hour. These may be difficult times but they are our times. We were born, and born again, for these times.

Let’s get to work!

Wisdom from Msgr. Pope

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I encourage all of us to read and reflect on this important article. You can access it through the Tweet stream you see on the right of your screen or go to National Catholic Register...

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/8-modern-errors-every-catholic-should-know-and-avoid

June, the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Wed, 31 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

June is Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I'm glad to share this reflection by Deacon Keith Fournier as we begin the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

+Joseph

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS,MPhil

The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic Church. On the Friday after the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ we even celebrate a Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Church, as mother and teacher, invites the faithful to spend the whole month reflecting on what it means to live our lives in such a way that we reveal the Loving Heart of a Merciful God to the whole world.

The Catholic Church marks time by the great events of the life of Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith. In so doing, she invites Christians to enter more fully into the mysteries of that faith and live differently. She also keeps the truths of the faith ever present before a world which needs to be set free from sin and death.

The early Christians referred to the Church as the world reconciled. They believed that the Church is meant to become the home of the whole human race. She is a seed of the coming Kingdom, making it present even now. Do we believe this?

On May 31, 1992 in Rome, Pope St. John Paul II canonized the Jesuit Priest Saint Claude de la Colombiere, the Spiritual Director of Saint Margaret Mary of Alocoque. She was the religious sister to whom the Lord gave a special revelation of His Sacred Heart, filled with redemptive and merciful love for the world.

The priest shared Margaret Mary's devotion to the Heart of Jesus and helped to spread that devotion. This occurred at a critical time when the culture of Europe was steeped in darkness - and the Church staggered from corruption within - a time very much like our own.

At the Mass of canonization, the late Pope proclaimed: "For evangelization today, the Heart of Christ must be recognized as the heart of the Church: It is He who calls us to conversion, to reconciliation. It is He who leads pure hearts and those hungering for justice along the way of the Beatitudes. It is He who achieves the warm communion of the members of the one Body. It is He who enables us to adhere to the Good News and to accept the promise of eternal life. It is He who sends us out on mission. The heart-to-heart with Jesus broadens the human heart on a global scale."

The heart is the center of a person, the place from which he/she makes the choices which will affect the world within them and around them. The Catholic Catechism summarizes this truth in these words,” The heart is the seat of moral personality.” (CCC# 2517) Devotion to the Heart of Jesus reminds us that it is in the Sacred Humanity of Jesus that we find the pattern for becoming fully human ourselves. In His Incarnation, saving life, death, and Resurrection, we receive both the pattern - and the means - to become more like Him.

The leaders of the Second Vatican Council in their beautifully written Pastoral Constitution on the Mission of the Church in the Modern World wrote, "The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear." (GS #22)

Two years before he became Pope, Karol Cardinal Wotyla (Pope St John Paul II) spoke to the Catholic Bishops of the United States. His frank observation was republished in the Wall Street Journal on November 9, 1978:

"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel and the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies within the plans of divine providence. It is a trial which the whole Church must take up."

We are living under what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once called a "Dictatorship of Relativism" Relativism denies the existence of any objective truths which can be known through the exercise of reason and should govern our life together as a society. Divorced from norms to guide the exercise of human choice and govern our behavior, we are rapidly declining as a culture.

When there is nothing objectively true which can be known by all and form the basis of our common life then there is no basis for authentic freedom. Instead, we teeter on the brink of anarchy. Marriage is the newest target in the advance of the tyranny of the social and cultural engineers.

We are living in a new Christian missionary age. These very different visions of the human person, human love and the dignity of human sexuality, human flourishing, marriage and the family - and the society founded upon them - are contending for the heart, soul and future of the West. One will lead to true human progress, happiness, flourishing and freedom, the other to continuing human degradation, moral and cultural collapse.

Let us choose to spend the month of June in Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, lifting our Nation, indeed the whole world, to the One in whom we place all of our trust. He will not disappoint; His Heart still beats with Mercy and Love for the whole world. "Sacred Heart of Jesus, We Place our Trust in Thee."

Celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

I wanted to share some further information regarding how to get the most benefit from Divine Mercy Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, on April 16, 2023.

Divine Mercy Sunday Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. As revealed to St. Faustina by Jesus.

2:30PM—Holy Hour 3:00PM—Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Benediction

Conditions to obtain the full benefits of Divine Mercy on this Feast day: 1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter; 2. Sincerely repent of all your sins; 3. Place complete trust in Jesus; 4. Go to Confession* preferably before that Sunday; 5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast; 6. Venerate the Image of Divine Mercy; 7. Be merciful to others, through your actions, words and prayers on their behalf. *Confession may take place 20 days before or after the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Bishop Strickland Statement Regarding German Bishops

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

The German Bishops Error and the
True Understanding of the Development of Doctrine

"The time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then they will shut their ears to the truth…" 2 Tim. 3:4,5

The Apostle Paul issued that warning to his disciple, Timothy, in the second letter he wrote to him. Certainly, this “time” has come on other occasions throughout the history of the Church. But there is no doubt this warning speaks loudly to the age in which we now live.

In the beginning of the Letter of Jude the Apostle uses a phrase which is of great importance. The letter was written to deal with a similar smoke of confusion in the early Church as we see in the German Church and are increasingly experiencing in the whole Church today. The fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith were being challenged, and in some cases, rejected and replaced by error. Jude writes: “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

This “once for all” still stands -- and it must be defended against some who seek to change the unchangeable. We must “contend for that faith.” Even some in ordained leadership are telling the faithful, amidst all the smoke of our current theological confusion, that certain errant teachings and practices are a “development of doctrine.” But this concept of development is being improperly used as a cover for attempts to change what is unchangeable.

On November 28, 2012, His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo ordained me as the Fourth Catholic Bishop of Tyler, Texas in a small auditorium just down the street from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and its parish elementary school, St. Gregory.

The auditorium was very familiar to me because on several occasions I had joined the students in their annual musicals in the same auditorium. But, on this day, the children joined me on what is likely the most important day of my life.

It was on that stage in front of 1,800 people that His Eminence, during the Rite of Ordination, asked me several questions, two of which are vital to my mission as a bishop. First, “Are you resolved to be faithful and constant in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ?” and second, “Are you resolved to maintain the deposit of faith, entire and incorrupt, as handed down by the apostles and professed by the Church everywhere and at all times?” My response to both questions was a resounding “I am!”

It was at this point that the deeper meaning of the phrase “deposit of faith” came alive for me. I also began to understand my role in magisterial teaching and my serious call, as a successor of the Apostles, to the ongoing task of “Guarding the Deposit of Faith” given by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to the Apostles and handed down since then. These two powerful questions, and my response to them, continue to guide me in my role as the chief teacher and shepherd of the flock of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

As baptized Christians, there is a way in which we have all been given that deposit of faith from the Lord himself, handed down to the Apostles, along with the charge to guard. It is a deposit which we cannot and must not seek to change. The deposit of faith is the truth, given to us from the one who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). It must be handed on without alteration.

Jesus made it clear in his charge to the first Apostles to teach the nations “everything I have commanded you.” He promised “know that I am with you always, until the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20). And, He is still with us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in his Church. He is the head of his Church. We are members of his mystical body. We must teach what the head has given us to teach.

Yet, sadly, there are increasing efforts among some to deny the very existence of such a deposit of faith. And, even by some in ordained ministry, to change the unchangeable. Perhaps the most blatant and obvious example of this error recently occurred in Germany. I affirm and support a statement issued by my brother bishop, His Excellency Donald J. Hying, on March 21, 2023. The entire statement can be read here, in the Diocese of Madison’s Catholic Herald.

The bishop wrote: “For three years, the leaders of the Catholic Church in Germany have been involved in their “Synodal Way,” a process of conversation and decisions among the bishops and laity, regarding Church doctrine and practice, which culminated recently in three days of voting on particular issues. The majority sanctioned the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of women, and transgendered people, a fundamental change in the governing authority of bishops, and a radical rewrite of Catholic sexual morality.”

He adds, toward the end of his statement, “…No one has the authority to change Church teaching, as if the truth given is malleable and adaptive to changing cultural norms. Such a path would lead to both error and irrelevance. When people express their dismay to me about the turbulence in the Church and the many conflicting opinions about doctrine and morality, I simply reaffirm that the Faith does not change. We have the Scriptures, the Tradition, and the Catechism.”

I join my brother bishop in this reaffirmation that the faith does not change. Furthermore, I thank him for the clarity and charity which was reflected in his March 21^st statement. In this letter I wish to address the effort to use a false notion of the concept of the “development of doctrine” to change unchangeable doctrine.

The concept of the “development of doctrine” is not itself a doctrine. It is a theory by which we explain how our understanding of doctrine deepens and grows, - and how our expression of the unchangeable doctrine can also develop. In the wake of the welcomed canonization of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, there appears to be a concerted effort among some to misuse his teaching on the development of doctrine as a vehicle to push false teaching forward. It is a betrayal of this Saint’s teaching.

St. John Henry Cardinal Newman drew his inspiration for his 1845 Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine from the fifth-century monk and theologian, St. Vincent of Lerins. That Saint’s writings on the proper understanding of the development of doctrine are found in what is called the Commonitorium. In an for First Things entitled “Four Ideas About Development,” Michael Pakaluk, a Professor of Ethics at the Catholic University of America, explained:

“If you actually read the treatise Commonitorium by St. Vincent of Lerins -- often cited as the origin of the theory of development -- you’ll see that his main preoccupation is to show that the faith never changes. Pope John Paul II’s motto for the turn of the millennium was ‘Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow’.”

Pope St. John Paul II was quoting the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 13:8): The misuse of the theory of the development of doctrine to attempt to change what is unchangeable is more of the bad fruit arising from a growing, dangerous doctrinal relativism within the Catholic Church which, at times, even seems to deny the very existence of objective truth.

On April 18, 2005, on the eve of the convocation where he would be chosen to serve as the Successor of Peter and take the name Benedict XVI, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave a homily wherein he warned of the spreading dangers of this kind of relativism in the teaching of the Church which he loved and served with such fidelity. Here are his words, which eerily seem even more important in this current hour:

“…How many winds of doctrine we have known in recent decades, how many ideological currents, how many ways of thinking….The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves -- thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth.

“Every day new sects are created and what Saint Paul says about human trickery comes true, with cunning which tries to draw those into error (cf. Eph. 4, 14). Having a clear faith, based on the Creed of the Church, is often labeled today as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism -- which is letting oneself be tossed and ‘swept along by every wind of teaching’ -- looks like the only attitude which is acceptable in today’s standards. We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.”

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, soon to become Pope Benedict XVI, continued in this homily, by calling the Church to an “adult faith”:

“However, we have a different goal: the Son of God, true man. He is the measure of true humanism. Being an ‘Adult’ means having a faith which does not follow the waves of today’s fashions or the latest novelties. A faith which is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ is adult and mature. It is this friendship which opens us up to all that is good and gives us the knowledge to judge true from false, and deceit from truth.”

“We must become mature in this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith. And it is this faith -- only faith -- which creates unity and takes form in love. On this theme, Saint Paul offers us some beautiful words -- in contrast to the continual ups and downs of those who were are like infants, tossed about by the waves: (he says) make truth in love, as the basic formula of Christian existence. In Christ, truth and love coincide. To the extent that we draw near to Christ, in our own life, truth and love merge. Love without truth would be blind; truth without love would be like ‘a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal’ (1 Cor. 13,1).”

Bishops, indeed, all clergy, religious, consecrated and lay faithful of the Church, should prayerfully reflect on this beautiful deposit of faith continually. We should strive to know it, understand it, love it, teach it faithfully, and live it. It is the true measuring stick of that mature faith to which the late Pope Benedict called all of us to in the homily quoted above.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can, and we should, seek ever fresh ways of presenting and applying the deposit of faith. That is the proper understanding of the development of doctrine. But we have no right to change the doctrine and no authority to alter it.

All bishops must follow the solemn promise, the one we made at the time of our episcopal ordination, to “maintain the deposit of faith, entire and incorrupt, as handed down by the apostles and professed by the Church everywhere and at all times.” This is a sacred duty.

It is also binding on all clergy, indeed, on all members of the Church. For bishops, if we fail in our duty, not only will we cause the faithful to suffer, but we will offend God -- and face serious consequences for failing to live out the charge we were given at our episcopal ordination.

To conclude: although the Church’s understanding of this body of teaching, this sacred deposit, can and does properly develop in how it is expressed, and deepen in how it is understood, it can never be changed in substance.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes: “The apostles entrusted the sacred deposit of the faith [the depositum fidei; see 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:12-14] contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church. By adhering to (this heritage) the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread [the Eucharist] and the prayers. So, in maintaining, practicing and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful’” (CCC, n. 84).

God is our Hope

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

God is our Hope

As your shepherd I wanted to offer a few words of hope and encouragement in the midst of the frustrating news we are hearing. Whether issues of gender confusion, or the recent vote of German bishops to deny some basic teachings of our Catholic faith, or economic concerns, there is certainly a long list of things to be worried about. Let us remember what Jesus Christ says in the Gospel and many Pope’s have said through the ages including Pope Saint John Paul II. BE NOT AFRAID. This is in no way a denial of the tribulations that are real and the troubles many families even here in East Texas are facing. Instead of a denial it is about putting these truly bad realities in perspective. Jesus Christ is Our Lord and Savior, and as the Son of God He is with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit continuing to love us, and guide creation. The Church has weathered storms in the past, and she continues because she is guided by the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for our nation, our world and our Church but let us do so with great faith, and trust in the love of the Lord. Let us seek God’s Divine Will in all things, and join any suffering that we encounter to the Cross of Jesus Christ.

God bless you and let us continue to pray for each other.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

A Week Celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The photograph is of Ryan and Mary Rose Verrett. The offer a marriage ministry called Witness to Love.

Catechism Corner

National Marriage Week Feb 7-14^th calls us to Live the Truth about Marriage

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

Dean of Catholic Identity

“The observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 12) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family” - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

“The family founded on marriage is truly the sanctuary of life, “the place in which life — the gift of God — can be properly welcomed and protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed and can develop in accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth”. Its role in promoting and building the culture of life against “the possibility of a destructive ‘anti-civilization', as so many present trends and situations confirm”, is decisive and irreplaceable.” - Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, # 231

The position of the Catholic Church on the nature of marriage is crystal clear. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church explained it well in 2003.

"The Church's teaching on marriage and on the complementarity of the sexes reiterates a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by all the major cultures of the world. Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose."

"No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives."

Heterosexual marriage, openness to children, procreation, and the nurturing of children form the foundation for the family, and the family forms the foundation of civil society. Civil government does not create marriage. Neither can civil government manufacture some new “right” to marry for those who are incapable of fulfilling the ends of marriage.

Civil government has long regulated marriage for the real common good. For example, the ban on polygamy and age requirements were enforced to ensure that there was a mature decision at the basis of the Marriage contract.

The struggle we are facing in a rapidly declining western culture reveals an underlying clash of worldviews, both personal and corporate, and competing definitions of human freedom, human dignity, and human flourishing. Particularly in the western world, we are involved in a contest over the foundations of true freedom and what constitutes a truly human and just social order.

The Catholic Church insists that marriage is between one man and one woman, intended for life and open to children - and that the family and the social order founded upon it - has been inscribed by the Divine Architect into the order of the universe. It is revealed in the Natural Moral Law. This is true. Truth does not change; people and cultures do; sometimes for good and sometimes for evil.

Marriage is the first society into which children are meant to be born, learn to be fully human, grow in virtue, flourish, and then take their role in families and communities. We must not be afraid to make the claim that children have a right to a mother and a father. They do. Of course, we must care about the single parent family and the many broken homes which characterize this age. However, their existence does not change the norm necessary for building a stable and healthy society.

Intact marriages and families are the glue of a healthy and happy social order. For those called to Christian marriage, we need to be a visible, palpable reflection of this truth about marriage and family in our own lives. To live a faithful marriage today is increasingly countercultural in contemporary western culture.

Our convictions and claims concerning marriage and family are not outdated notions of a past era but provide the path to a healthy and happy future. Nor is our position defending marriage as between one man and one woman simply a “religious position”, though the teaching of the Church, for over two thousand years, has not and cannot change this truth.

We affirm that there is a Natural Moral Law which can be known by all men and women through the exercise of reason. This Natural Moral Law is the ground upon which civilization has been built. It has been the source for every great and authentic human and civil rights movement. The Natural Law gives us the moral norms we need to build societies and govern ourselves. It should inform our positive or civil law, or we will become lawless and devolve into anarchy.

There is a growing intolerance spreading against the rights of faithful Catholics, other Christians, and other people of good will to free expression, association, and political participation. This is reflected in a growing effort to censor any speech which points out and questions the cultural slide into the abyss of relativism which is occurring in Western Culture.

Efforts to prevent our vocal and public defense of the objective truth about marriage and the family are multiplying. In the face of this growing hostility, we need to fully embrace and defend the truth about marriage. For those who are called to it, we should also live it with joy.

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

Dean of Catholic Identity

Bishop Gorman Catholic School

A Pastoral Reflection

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

A Pastoral Reflection from Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

As we continue this time of Eucharistic Revival, I have been considering the best ways I can promote reverent reception of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. As your shepherd, I know that the worthy and reverent reception of the Eucharist is essential. I want to focus specifically on the question of receiving both species of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. I believe this is tied directly to our need for a fuller understanding of the great mystery of the Eucharist and a deeper reverence for His Real Presence.

I want to reflect with you on the wondrous truth that every time we receive Holy Communion, we are receiving the saving Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. It is my hope that this reflection will help us to encounter the Lord more profoundly each time we receive Him.

Centuries ago, Holy Mother Church clarified for the clergy and faithful that when we receive one species of our Eucharistic Lord, either under the form of consecrated bread or consecrated wine, we are receiving the fullness of the wondrous gift of His sacrificial love in the Blessed Sacrament. This is critical for our ongoing faith journey as we regularly receive Holy Communion, we must remember that we are fully receiving Him and all that He has accomplished for us.

Let us focus first on the reality that we are truly receiving His Body and Blood when we regularly receive the consecrated host with love and reverence either on the tongue or in the hand. We must receive the Lord in profound reverence. Profound reverence toward the Blessed Sacrament is essential because the One who is present in the consecrated host and in the precious blood is truly Jesus Christ. The consecrated host is not an “it” but a “WHO.” Being in His presence, passing before His presence, and praying in His presence, all should be done with the awareness that the person of Jesus Christ is there. Profound reverence is required.

Receiving the Real Presence of Jesus Christ gives the people of God the grace to go out and live His presence in the world, nurtured, strengthened, and empowered with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The word eucharist is derived from a Greek word which means thanksgiving. At every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we give thanks for the entirety of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the kerygmatic event that is Good News for humanity for all time. And we receive the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

In an apostolic letter issued in 2004 entitled “Stay with us Lord” (Mane Nobiscum Domine) St John Paul II wrote:

There is a particular need to cultivate a lively awareness of Christ's real presence, both in the celebration of Mass and in the worship of the Eucharist outside Mass. Care should be taken to show that awareness through tone of voice, gestures, posture and bearing. In this regard, liturgical law recalls - and I myself have recently reaffirmed - the importance of moments of silence both in the celebration of Mass and in Eucharistic adoration. The way that the ministers and the faithful treat the Eucharist should be marked by profound respect. The presence of Jesus in the tabernacle must be a kind of magnetic pole attracting an ever-greater number of souls enamored of him, ready to wait patiently to hear his voice and, as it were, to sense the beating of his heart. “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps 34:8). (18)

The mystery of the Eucharist is tied up with the great mystery of the incarnation of God’s eternal Son and the fact that He truly took on flesh in a human body and all that this entails. Christ’s true body is offered to us, thus when we receive a morsel of Him, we receive His Body and the Blood contained within it. Just as no portion of our human bodies is bloodless the same is true for Our Lord and His human body.

We reflect on His entire incarnate journey from His conception, through His gestation, and in the thirty-three years of His saving mission. Let us consider some moments when His Precious Blood is evident. Shortly after His birth, Mary, and Joseph ever faithful to the law of Moses, present Jesus to the Lord and He is circumcised. (Luke 2:21) We can note this is the first time the Precious Blood of Our Lord is spilled, as He undergoes the ritual that every Jewish boy experienced.

Most of the next phase of Jesus’s life is shrouded in mystery with no mention of any detail in the gospels, but we can surmise that there were the scraped knees and elbows of any little boy. As He grew into manhood, we presume He assisted in the carpenter’s trade of His adoptive father, Joseph. And what carpenter hasn’t experienced a few cuts along the way? Thus, we can presume that Jesus’s Precious Blood was spilled in the normal course of His life as a man.

We return to the biblical evidence of the spilling of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ as we read of His agony in the garden when He sweats blood (Luke 22:44), the scourging at the pillar (Luke 23:22) and as He receives the crown of thorns. (Matthew 27:29) It is my hope that calling to mind these moments of the spilling of the Precious Blood of the Lord will deepen our reverence and awe as we receive His Body and Blood at Mass. The pouring out of His Blood is not an abstract image but a real flesh and blood sacrifice. We receive the full power of His loving gift in the unbloody sacrifice at the Eucharistic altar and it is incumbent on us to seek ever deeper awareness of this wonder.

We continue with Our Lord carrying His cross and shedding blood along the path of His passion. Finally, He arrives at calvary and is crucified with the nails piercing His hands and feet, causing His Precious Blood to be spilled once again. (Mark 15:24) Finally, after He has died, commending His Spirit into the hands of His Father, the soldier’s lance pierces His side causing blood and water to gush forth, thus spilling His Precious Blood one final time after He has died. (John 20:34)

It is essential that we return to these images again and again as we participate in the Mass as bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity. Reflecting on the true Body and Blood sacrifice of Our Lord enhances our faith, deepens our devotion, and amplifies the meaning of His glorious resurrection. I urge all of us to be more deeply aware that each and every time we receive Him in Holy Communion we are nurtured by the fullness of this mystery and the true sacrifice that the Son of God has offered to save mankind.

It is in this context, as your bishop, I continue to pray and reflect on the question of receiving both the consecrated bread and the consecrated wine at Mass. This has rightly been described as a “fuller experience” of the wonder of the Eucharist, but I believe we must be very careful and intentional when it comes to our practice moving forward. It is my hope that we can adopt a practice in the diocese which highlights and deepens the reality that we always receive the wondrous power of His Body and Blood. I believe it can be a beautiful opportunity at key moments and in special circumstances to delve even more deeply into the wondrous mystery of Our Eucharistic Lord.

Please allow me to conclude with a note of caution for us all. Let us seek to eliminate any tone of casualness that so easily encroaches on our human experience of the mystery of encountering the divine that the Mass is. The Mass is always an opportunity to know God and His wondrous love and mercy more deeply, we gather, always focused on God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Let us resolve to be especially careful with our language. Language is important and it is our means of speaking of the reality of what we believe. Let us strive to be intentional with our language and instead of referring to “the wine” or “the bread” when speaking of the consecrated species, let us speak of the Body of Christ and of His Precious Blood. Though veiled in the appearance of bread and wine let us always speak after the consecration of the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, by our words we will honor Him, give witness to this great gift, and deepen our faith.

Thoughts on Halloween

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

I thought this was a timely article for our consideration...

OPINION: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Deacon Keith Fournier, JD, MTS, MPhil

For years, one of my favorite online magazines Has been Crisis. In 2013 they offered an insightful article on Halloween by Sean Fitzpatrick entitled All Hallows Eve or Halloween? Like many, I have been all over the place on this matter. I respect the various ways in which Catholics and other Christians choose to approach it. However, I think it is helpful to consider the context.

The term Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve, the Christian Vigil of the celebration of the Christian Feast of All Saints. The beautiful readings at Holy Mass point us toward the perfection of the Saints in heaven and encourage us to become saints in our own journey here on earth, through living the words of Jesus in the beatitudes.

Like many Catholics and other Christians I am aware that the contemporary celebration of Halloween, with its undue influence on goblins, ghosts and the demonic, reflects the waning influence of the Christian worldview in the West. However, it also presents an opportunity for Catholic Christians to do what we have always done, live like missionaries in our own culture. Particularly during this Year of Faith I suggest we consider how the Church has transformed cultures throughout her history- and then do the same.

The Church has always recognized that some cultural practices can be mixed, containing those aspects which elevate the human person and those which do not. Halloween falls in that category. However, I suggest that members of the Catholic Church are invited to transform cultural practices from within through a proper participation. That has been our missionary model for over two millennia. Many of the dates on the calendar which were Christianized and now host Christian Holy-Days were originally utilized for Pre-Christian (Pagan) celebrations. This process reflects the wisdom of the Church and her faith based missionary approach. She baptized them, recognizing the seeds of what was good and true within them.

By immersing them in the beauty of the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate - who is the fullness of truth and the source of all goodness - she turns them into vehicles for transforming culture by infusing them with the values of the Kingdom which Jesus inaugurated. The Church is the Body of Christ. She is meant to become the home of the whole human race. As the early fathers were fond of proclaiming, the Church is the world reconciled - the world in the process of transfiguration. We who live our lives now in the Church do so for the sake of the world.

We should not be afraid of human culture. We are called to continue the redemptive mission of our Lord by transforming it from within as leaven in a loaf. Even the emphasis on the dead which often accompanies Halloween offers an opportunity to address this great existential issue. Whereas many secularists and contemporary pagans fear death, we do not. The early Christians always honored the dead and had a special devotion and affection for the martyrs. We have wonderful accounts like the Martyrdom of Polycarp from the middle of the second century which set forth the practices:

“Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.”

The Liturgy was often celebrated over the bones of the holy ones, the martyrs, who gave their lives in love for Love Himself; Jesus Christ the Savior. This is one of the origins of our practice of embedding relics in the altar to this day. Christians do not fear death. We view it with the eyes of faith as a change of habitation. The dates of commemorating those who witnessed to the faith by their heroic lives and deaths varied as local communities honored local saints and martyrs. Over time, those Feast days became more universally accepted as the rhythm of the Church Year became more uniform.

The first account we have of honoring all the saints is from the Deacon, St Ephrem the Syrian (d. AD 373). The great Bishop of Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom (d. AD 407), set aside the first Sunday after Pentecost for this commemoration. The Church of the East still celebrates the Feast on that day. In the Western Church the date may have originally been on that date but was moved to May 13th. There is some evidence that the move to November 1 came with Pope Gregory III (d. AD 741), and was likely first observed on November 1st in Germany.

The Feast of All saints is our family Feast Day - when we honor all those who have died, marked with the sign of faith, and gone on before us to be with the Lord. They now beckon all of us into the fullness of the communion of love. The vigil of the Feast (the eve) came, in the English speaking world, to be known as All Hallows Eve or Halloween.

While some consider the current approach to Halloween to be mostly pagan in its practices, it is the eve of this great Christian Feast of All Saints. It is time to restore customs which communicate the Christian confidence in our triumph over death in Christ and our bold rejection of the claim that evil has any more power over us.

In a special way on All Saints Day we commemorate all who have been honored by canonization, the process wherein the Church has acknowledged their extraordinary lives of holiness and holds them up as models and intercessors. This wonderful celebration is grounded in the most ancient of Church teaching concerning the Communion of Saints.

The Church proclaims that death does not separate us any longer because it was defeated by Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:28) We affirm and celebrate our eternal communion in Him - and with one another - through the Holy Spirit. We honor all of our brothers and sisters, known and unknown, who are a part of that great cloud of witnesses to which the author of the Letter to the Hebrews attests. (Heb. 12:1).

Just as we pray for one another, so those who have gone on before us pray for us and are joined to us forever in that communion of love. This ancient and firm belief is attested to in the earliest writings of the Christian tradition.

For example, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 350) wrote: "We mention those who have fallen asleep: first the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition... (Catechetical Lecture 23:9).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this communion in these words: "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness...They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped....as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself: We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples (CCC # 956, # 957)

So, on the evening when kids throughout our neighborhood and adjoining neighborhoods walk from door to door, collecting candy, we will leave our light on. I know that some Catholics and other Christians will make a different decision. I respect that decision as well. Over the years that my wife and I were raising our children, and our grandchildren, we have tried both approaches. As you can tell, one won the day, at least for me.

As for the growing pagan practices around us, we need to continually look through the lens of living faith. We are a missionary Church. That is why I use the term Pre-Christian to describe the state of the West - not Post Christian. This is a new missionary age and there is a lot of work to be done. I say, let's embrace what is good in our culture - and transform what is not. Halloween is just one more invitation to engage in Christian missionary activity.

Awake from Your Slumber

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Pope Saint John Paul II on a trip

to America during the American Bicentennial,

made the following comments:

"We are now standing in the face of the

greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that

wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community

realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church

and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies

within the plans of divine Providence; it is a trial which the whole Church… must take up. It is a trial of not only… the Church,but, in a sense, a test of 2,000 years of culture and Christian civilization with all

of its consequences for human dignity, individual rights, human rights, and the rights of nations."

We must awaken to the reality that these prophetic words of Pope Saint John Paul II spoken in 1976 are unfolding before our eyes. We must proclaim Jesus Christ more vigorously than ever before.

Let us be strengthened by the words of Jesus that Saint John Paul repeated so often…BE NOT AFRAID

July 26, Saints Joachim and Anne

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Saints Joachim and Anne- may they speak God’s Truth to our sinful world

As we celebrate Saints Joachim and Anne whose Memorial is July 26, I believe it is critical that we beg their intercession at this time in our nation and in our world. We acknowledge that their names are not mentioned in Sacred Scripture but the earliest traditions of the Church include them as the parents of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Regardless of whether their names are accurate, obviously Mary had parents and it can be presumed that they were faithful and Godly people. The fruit of their marriage as they sought to live the will of God was to bring forth the Mother of God, the Immaculate Virgin Mary. They remind us of the sanctity of the Sacrament of Marriage according to God’s Will. Put simply marriage is between one man and one woman, it is a commitment for life and it is open to children. Our society and our nation, in reality our entire world, must return to this sacred understanding of Marriage.

Sadly, as we celebrate this beautiful Memorial, our Congress is well on the way to making a human law of the land that denies God’s Law. All people of faith will agree that this is a perilous plan and can only bring more heartache. Of course living in a compassionate manner toward all of our brothers and sisters is an essential element of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ but we must remember Christ’s definition of compassion which is expressed in the Great Commandments He quotes. We are to Love God with every fiber of our being and to Love our neighbor as we Love ourselves. Jesus says if we love Him we must keep His Commandments, thus it is simply logical that denying God’s Commandments expresses that we do not Love God whether that is our intention or not.

Let us pray that our national leaders in Congress will not codify a law that is in direct opposition to the Law of God. To continue down this path is destructive to the human community now and puts our eternal salvation in jeopardy. Pray that Congress will act with the compassion of God’s Truth.

July and the Precious Blood of Jesus

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

As we continue the month of July and honor the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, I wanted to share this beautiful chaplet from the book, “In Sinu Jesu”. Let us pray for all ordained priests to be washed and fortified in the Precious Blood of Our Savior Jesus Christ. The saints and martyrs remind us of the power of the Precious Blood and as we face the great challenges of the world today we must all seek strength in the Precious Blood poured out for us all.

May all priests pray for each other and may all of us pray as God’s priestly people.

THE CHAPLET OF REPARATION

or, Offering of the Precious Blood for Priests

This chaplet of reparation and intercession is meant to be prayed on an

ordinary five decade rosary.

Incline (‡) unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world

without end. Amen.

Alleluia.

On the Our Father beads;

Eternal Father, I offer Thee

the Precious Blood of Thy Beloved Son,

our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Lamb without blemish or spot,

in reparation for my sins

and for the sins of all Thy priests.

On the Hail Mary beads:

By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus,

purify and sanctify Thy priests.

In place of the Glory be to the Father:

O Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth

is named,

have mercy on all Thy priests, and wash them in the Blood of

the Lamb.

Amen

A Prayer for the Sanctity of LIfe

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

As we begin July, I ask all of us to offer this beautiful prayer at least on Sundays and daily if possible. It was given to me with the request that we offer this prayer from now through the month of October. It reminds us that God is the author of life and as His children we must honor all human life as a gift from our creator. The culture of death has the world in a stranglehold but let us never despair. Jesus Christ is the Lord of Life and He inspires us in His Spirit to always seek the Will of His Father. VIVA CRISTO REY!

“Oh God, Giver of Life,

From the moment of conception

Protect this life

And help us to recognize and guard its sanctity.

From conception, Oh God, we acknowledge

That this life belongs to You

And that to tamper with this life

Is to tamper with Your Holy Plan.

We step back, Oh God, in awe of Your Majesty

And recognize that this life is not ours.

We acknowledge Your Divine Plan for this life

And we remove our hands from Your creation.”

St. Justin Martyr- A Saint for Our Time

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Justin the Martyr is a Model for Our Mission

Deacon Keith Fournier

One has only to open social media or any other source of news to discover the obvious. Our Society is in a serious moral decline. Many refer to it as a new pagan age. I prefer to say we are living in a Pre-Christian age. I long ago stopped participating in the ongoing debate about whether this is a post-Christian or post-modernist age.

Our task is to do what the early Christians did, proclaim in word and deed the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and transform it from within. For now, at least in much of the West, including the USA, the persecution we face is a soft one, involving the loss of our rights, our reputations, and our comforts. It might rise to the level of calling for the shedding of our blood. If it does, God will give us the grace. Our brethren in other parts of the world are indeed shedding their blood. Pray for them and draw strength from their witness.

Today, in the Liturgical Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, we remember a great hero, a saint of the Second Century who has much to teach us about how we are called to live in the 21^st century. A great defender of the faith named Justin. We always hear or read his name as Justin Martyr. We are used to surnames or family names. So, we may think that Martyr was his family name and, in a sense, we would be correct. The Greek word from which we derive the word Martyr means witness.

It was the bold, courageous and loving witness of fidelity to Jesus Christ which characterized both his life and death. He became a martyr, and shed his blood for the One who poured out His Blood on Calvary for all of us.

However, that capacity to face the kind of death he dies flowed from a life lived in faithful witness to Jesus Christ. Let me explain.

Justin was born of pagan parents in Samaria at the beginning of the second century. Like many young men, he spent his early years searching for the meaning of life.

He turned to the Greek philosophers of the age, studying Plato and Socrates. He became a student in the schools of the philosophers, seeking truth in their systems of thought. However, his hunger for truth was not satisfied and his search for truth continued, leading him to Jesus Christ and His Church.

One of the stories told of his conversion has the young Justin walking by the sea and meeting an old man who asked him what he was looking for. Justin replied "The meaning of life".

The old man was a Christian. As the story goes, he introduced Justin to the claims of the Gospel. Whether an accurate account or not, it points to the uniqueness of Justin's contribution to the early spread of Christianity.

Even as a pagan he was impressed with the way of life of the Christians. Their fearlessness in the face of opposition from an increasingly hostile Roman empire inspired him to examine the source of their courage.

He soon became one of the greatest examples of that courage when he joined their number as a member of the Church.

While some Christians in Justin's day were hesitant about engaging the philosophers in debate or even speaking of the Christian Faith within a philosophical framework, Justin became one of the first "apologists" of the Church.

The word apologist does not mean to apologize, in the contemporary sense of the English usage. It means to defend the faith. In his first letter, the Apostle Peter instructed the Christians dispersed because of persecution:

“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:15)

Justin was just such a defender of the Faith. He openly addressed the emperor, the Senate, and the influential teachers of the philosophical schools of the day, explaining the truths of the faith. He is the patron saint of philosophers and apologists for that very reason.

He even continued to wear his philosopher's gown after his Baptism as a sign that he viewed himself as a teacher of the only true philosophy, Christianity. His writings demonstrate how we are called to engage our own age with the truth revealed in its fullness in Jesus Christ and His Church.

We need not fear the systems of thought which have captivated the modern pagans of our age or the threats of the contemporary dictatorship of relativism.

Justin opened a school in Rome where public debates were regularly held. Soon, his persuasive teaching and growing appeal to the seekers of that day began to disturb the authorities. It also raised the ire of the Cynics, one of those philosophical schools whose own claims were threatened.

It may have been his debate with a Cynic philosopher which sealed his fate and helped to secure him the name "Martyr". Justin won the debate and angered his interlocutors. He was soon denounced for being a Christian and arrested by the authorities, along with several of his companions.

The Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours on this Feast contains the following historic account of his Martyrdom:

*****

I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians: From the Acts of the martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints

The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgment seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: "Above all, have faith in the gods and obey the emperors." Justin said: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

Rusticus said: "What system of teaching do you profess?" Justin said: "I have tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?" Justin said: "Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching."

The prefect Rusticus said: "What sort of teaching is that?" Justin said: "Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples.

"For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men."

Rusticus said: "You are a Christian, then?" Justin said: "Yes, I am a Christian."

The prefect said to Justin: "You are called a learned man and think that you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?" Justin said: "I hope that I shall enter God's house if I suffer that way. For I know that God's favor is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?" Justin said: "It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Now let us come to the point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods." Justin said: "No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship."

The prefect Rusticus said: "If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy." Justin said: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgment-seat of our Lord and Savior."

In the same way the other martyrs also said: "Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols."

The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: "Let those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws." Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Savior."

*****

We live in an age much like the one into which Justin, the Martyr was sent by the Lord who called him into the mission of the Church.

Like Justin, we are called to go into the center of our modern Rome and set up the "schools" from which we will engage this age with the fullness of the truth. What is needed today are new apologists, defenders of the faith, for the new evangelization.

On May 30, 2011, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI addressed the members of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. He reminded them:

"The Gospel is the ever new proclamation of the salvation wrought by Christ to render humanity a participant in the mystery of God and in his life of love and to open it to a future of sure and strong hope. To underscore that at this moment in the history of the Church she is called to carry out a New Evangelization, means intensifying missionary action to correspond fully with the Lord's mandate.

"To proclaim Jesus Christ the only Savior of the world seems more complex today than in the past; but our task remains the same as at the dawn of our history. The mission has not changed, just as the enthusiasm and the courage that moved the Apostles and the first disciples must not change. The Holy Spirit who pushed them to open the doors of the Cenacle, making them into evangelizers (cf. Acts 2:1-4), is the same Spirit that moves the Church today in a renewed proclamation of hope to the men of our time."

As we reflect on the meaning of the Memorial Feast of Justin, Martyr, we need to implore the Lord to raise up new apologists, defenders of the faith, who are unafraid to contend in the marketplace of ideas for the heart and soul of the people of our age. We need to be ready to become the answer to our own prayer and prepare ourselves accordingly.

We live in a new missionary age. These may be difficult days, but they are the days into which we were born and born again. It cries out for men and women who are willing, as Justin was, to say YES to the Lord.

The Third Millennium of the Christian Church calls each one of us, in the midst of a Western Culture which resembles a new Rome, to defend the faith like Justin did. May the Holy Spirit inspire men and women who, like Justin and his companions, possess the heroic courage that this mission will require.

A Great Reminder of Who We Are

Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

From a letter to Diognetus
(Nn. 5-6; Funk, 397-401)

The Christian in the world

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.

Christians love all men, but all men persecute them. Condemned because they are not understood, they are put to death, but raised to life again. They live in poverty, but enrich many; they are totally destitute, but possess an abundance of everything. They suffer dishonor, but that is their glory. They are defamed, but vindicated. A blessing is their answer to abuse, deference their response to insult. For the good they do they receive the punishment of malefactors, but even then they rejoice, as though receiving the gift of life. They are attacked by the Jews as aliens, they are persecuted by the Greeks, yet no one can explain the reason for this hatred.

To speak in general terms, we may say that the Christian is to the world what the soul is to the body. As the soul is present in every part of the body, while remaining distinct from it, so Christians are found in all the cities of the world, but cannot be identified with the world. As the visible body contains the invisible soul, so Christians are seen living in the world, but their religious life remains unseen. The body hates the soul and wars against it, not because of any injury the soul has done it, but because of the restriction the soul places on its pleasures. Similarly, the world hates the Christians, not because they have done it any wrong, but because they are opposed to its enjoyments.

Christians love those who hate them just as the soul loves the body and all its members despite the body’s hatred. It is by the soul, enclosed within the body, that the body is held together, and similarly, it is by the Christians, detained in the world as in a prison, that the world is held together. The soul, though immortal, has a mortal dwelling place; and Christians also live for a time amidst perishable things, while awaiting the freedom from change and decay that will be theirs in heaven. As the soul benefits from the deprivation of food and drink, so Christians flourish under persecution. Such is the Christian’s lofty and divinely appointed function, from which he is not permitted to excuse himself.

A Great Mother's Day Reflection by Deacon Keith Fournier

Fri, 06 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Mother’s Day and the Gift of Mary as Mother

Deacon Keith Fournier

Mother’s Day is on Sunday May 8, 2022. On this day, our hearts and minds rightly turn to the woman who gave us life and showed us the beauty of steadfast love throughout our entire lives. On Tuesday, March 4, 2013, my beloved mother Ellen died in her sleep. She had struggled for months as her aging body ran out of steam and cancer and heart problems drained the life from her. She never fully recovered from the loss of the love of her life, her husband and my father, Duval who died in 2001. She died the day after his birthday.

I remember her last question to me the day before when we spoke over the phone, "Keith, when can I go home?" She barely had the strength to speak. Her body was unable to support her on legs which simply seemed unwilling to cooperate any longer. It was so hard to hear her ask me when she could go home. I knew she meant that the little cinder block house where she and my dad lived. The home where they raised Derek, my youngest brother who was born the year I left home. I also knew that was not the home to which she would go to when Love finally called her.

On the day before she died I told her on the phone that Laurine - my wife whom she loved as her own daughter - and I would be coming to visit with her again on Easter weekend. She took comfort in the thought. Sadly, I knew her short term memory was not working well. I hoped she would remember. I was able to pray with her over the phone. I will forever remember that precious experience. I looked forward to the opportunity to hug her again, kiss her, and pray with her in person as I had done at Christmas.

Over Christmas, knowing she was nearing that final chapter of life, my whole extended family drove, from all over the country, to be with Ma, or Nana as the children and grandchildren called her. I did not know how physically depleted she had become in her last illness before that last visit. After all, she always had that reassuring and happy voice, accompanied by that wonderful breathy laugh, whenever we spoke on the phone.

When we commended her to the Lord and placed her next to my father in final repose, the grief I felt was only slightly relieved by the sure and certain faith I have in the triumph of Love and the final Resurrection. Yet, when I received the first of several well intended E mails this morning from friends encouraging me that she was in the presence of the Lord - which I believe with my whole heart- I discovered that the emotions surrounding her loss are still just below the surface, only too eager to erupt again.

Grief and love are companions. I often tell others in my work as a Deacon of the Catholic Church, that the depth of the grief is a sign of the depth of the love; another face of love. Today, I am speaking those words to myself. However, they do not take away the pain. They only help to soften the ground within which they must be planted in order to bear the fruit which all love bears. Jesus said it so simply, "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. " (John 12:24) It will take much more time and care from the Lord to give this loss the growth. I am profoundly sad today and I know the sting of death.

A priest friend captured the mystery and beauty of motherhood so well for me in the days after Ma's death when he wrote "Dear Deacon, she will be remembered today, and I will offer a Holy Mass for her soon. I know the sting; it is unique with mother, our life bearer." Mothers are life-bearers. I will give my beloved wife of 46 years, Laurine, a Mother’s Day card on Mother’s Day. She is such a good mother and grandmother. As we grow old together, her face of love becomes more wondrous to me. I love to watch her smile when she speaks with our children on the phone or watches them on videos. But, even more so when she embraces our five grown children and eight grandchildren. She gives expression to that love which Mother's alone can bring to each of us. It is irreplaceable.

Motherhood is a unique gift from the Lord. Jesus had a mother. It is our mother who gave us life. It is the Mother of the Lord who continues to give us the gift of the One who is Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life. Each year as we express the gratitude we feel for our earthly mother, I am increasingly drawn to reflect on one of the last gifts the Lord gave to us before his total gift of Himself on the Cross, the gift of His mother to be our own. May is the month dedicated to Mary, the Mother of the Lord. This is no coincidence.

Jesus called her Mother. As one of his last and greatest gifts to his beloved disciple and to the entire Church, he entrusted her with these tender words recorded in the Gospel of John: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son. Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26, 27)

Mary was there at the Incarnation, Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of God Incarnate. She was there throughout the often called hidden years in Nazareth. In the life of the Redeemer, every word and every act was redemptive, revealing the very life of God, the mystery of heaven touching earth, and the deeper purpose of our own lives. She was there in those moments whose impact is timeless. They are still as filled with the invitation of grace today as they were when they first occurred.

She was there on the great day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, which we will soon celebrate. She was there as the first evangelizer and disciple who gave the first Christian testimony to her cousin, Elizabeth, and won the first convert in utero in the person of John the Baptist. This event, traditionally called The Visitation, is recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke (Luke l: 39-45).

This encounter immediately followed the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:6-38) and is one of the fruits of her humble obedient response. That response was not a onetime reaction. It was the fruit of a life of surrendered love and stretched forward to characterize her whole life on this earth and her participation in the eternal communion of Saints. Her Fiat ( Latin, let it be done) in response to the visitation from the messenger of heaven, the angel, provides a way to live for each one of us.

Mary said Yes to the invitation to love and she humbled herself. She confronted her own fears and she entered into a way of living. All of this in continued response to an original invitation of love, a gift, initiated by a loving God. Through this response, she assumed a lifestyle of receiving and giving, she became a fruitful woman, a God-bearer or Mother of God (which in Greek is Theo-tokos). She brought forth the Incarnate Word of God! Her Yes, her humble surrender, reflects a trajectory of love and is a prototype of the vocation of every Christian to bear the fruit of surrendered love in their lives as well.

There is a way of life and love that all men and women are invited into - not just once, but daily. It is the path to authentic peace and the portal to the very mystery of life itself. It is what Christian Scripture calls the more excellent way, the way of love. Mary understood and walked this way with extraordinary humility. (1 Cor. 12:31) Mary, the mother of the Lord shows us the pattern of human love surrendered to God's Love and finding its fulfillment. She also shows us the love of a mother made perfect in Jesus Christ.

Is it any wonder that the early Christians painted her image in the catacombs during their moments of fear, persecution, and doubt? They found great inspiration from this woman of great faith. In her yes, they came to understand that ordinary people can change human history. They were inspired to add their own yes, their own fiat to hers.

Justin Martyr and other early Christian apologists found in her obedient yes to the angel, the undoing of the no - I will not serve - which had been given by the first woman Eve. They gave Mary such titles as The Second Eve, the mother of a new creation. In her womb she carried the One whom Scripture calls the New Adam. He was born from her as the first born of a new race of men and women who would find a new birth through His Life, Death and Resurrection. In Him we are all made capable of giving our Yes to God. Through Grace we find the fullness of freedom that brings.

On this Mother's Day I still mourn the loss of my earthly mother Ellen and draw strength and hope in reflecting on Mary, the Mother of the Lord, my heavenly mother. I believe that hat the motherly love which my mother revealed so beautifully to me has now found its fulfillment. I know she is in the communion of love with the Mother of Jesus. I will offer a crown of roses to that dear mother by praying the prayer my mother taught me as soon as I could speak, the prayer we call the Rosary. Somehow, I know it will help to ease the sorrow and point me in the right direction, the triumph of love.

Happy Mother's Day.

A Special Novena for May

Wed, 04 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

NOVENA – To Be Prayed May 5^th – May 13^th

FIRST DAY – May 5th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your servant, St. Louis de Montfort, said, “She is not the Sun, which by the brightness of its rays blinds us because of our weakness, but she is fair and gentle as the moon, which receives the light of the Sun, and tempers it to make it more suitable to our capacity.” May we walk hand-in-hand with her into Your arms.

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, who comes again and again to her children to turn their hearts to her Son. Pray for us! Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady Mystical Rose, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pray the Rosary

SECOND DAY – May 6^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

Oh God, my Savior, Your mercy surrounds me.

Your loving kindness envelops me.

I cannot step out of Your presence.

It encompasses me.

I find my hope in You.

I exalt You, Oh Lord.

Your compassion is proclaimed by Your holy angels,

And spoken of even by those who wish to set a snare for me,

And hide Your face from me.

But they cannot hide You from me,

For my soul yearns for You,

And flees to Your arms,

And dwells in Your embrace.

You alone are my resting place.

Help me, Oh God, to show Your goodness and love to the world,

To see no path but Yours,

To sing the love song that you have put in my heart,

And to honor You throughout my life.

I rejoice in You. I exalt You.

I give myself to You.

I bow in humility and awe before You,

Oh Lord, my God.

The Lord is mighty. He reigns forever.

His words will be on every lip,

And His love in every heart.

Praise His name.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your servant, St. Bernard of Clairvaux said, “In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall

reach the goal.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us! We beseech thee, come to our aid at this time when the darkness of error has entered your Son’s Holy Church. Lead us by the hand into holiness that we might rest in His everlasting peace.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

THIRD DAY – May 7^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. Again and again, You have sent Your Mother to warn us and to guide us. As your servant, St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “The conflict with hell cannot be maintained by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us! Help us to honor the sanctity of life and to put not our hands on what God has created.

Oh God, giver of life,

From the moment of conception,

Protect this life,

And help us to recognize and guard its sanctity.

From conception, Oh God, we acknowledge that this life belongs to You,

And that to tamper with this life

Is to tamper with Your holy plan.

We step back, Oh God, in awe of Your majesty,

And recognize that this life is not ours.

We acknowledge Your Divine Plan for this life,

And we remove our hands from Your creation.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

FOURTH DAY – May 8th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your servant, St John Vianney said, “Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us! Our Lady of Fatima, Mystical Rose, pray for us! Pray for us to honor each and every life as sacred.

Loving God, Our Creator,

Help us to be the voice of those who cannot speak,

The ears of those who cannot hear,

And the eyes of those who cannot see.

Help us to recognize the wholeness rather than the brokenness

Of those with special needs.

We acknowledge the dignity and sanctity of each life.

Please take away our indifference and give us new hearts.

Teach us, Oh God, who are made in Your image

To act and to love in Your image.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

FIFTH DAY – May 9^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee!

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your servant, St. Francis de Sales, said, “Let us run to Mary, and as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us! Help us to sing the love song you have taught us, and to align our hearts with your heart and the heart of your Son. Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady Mystical Rose, pray for us!

LEADER: Wherever life is counted as naught, wherever man attempts to tamper with the laws of God, help us to place a spiritual barrier around that place with this prayer that you have taught us:

ALL: I humbly implore you, St. Michael the archangel,

And all the angels of God,

To erect a spiritual barrier around this place

So that this place may become a place

Where life is protected, not destroyed;

Loved, not hated; supported, not impeded.

Oh loving angels, we pray that you will uphold this barrier

And not allow any man to remove it.

We ask that you will protect this place and each life therein

From Satan and all the evil spirits by the power of God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

SIXTH DAY – May 10^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee!

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your servant, St. Jerome, said: “Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no one ever suffered so much for their own pains as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us that we might repent and turn back to your Son. Our Lady Mystical Rose, pray for us!

LEADER: You said to St. Juan Diego, “I am truly your merciful mother, yours and all the people who live united in this land and of all the other people of different ancestries, my lovers, who love me, those who seek me, those who trust in me. Here I will hear their weeping, their complaints and heal all their sorrows, hardships and suffering.”

You said to St. Catherine Leboure at Rue du Bac: “The whole world will be turned upside-down by misfortunes of all kinds. But come to the foot of this altar – There graces will be poured out on all those, small or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour.”

You said to the children of LaSalette: “If my people do not obey, I will be compelled to loose my Son’s arm. It is so heavy I can no longer restrain it. How long have I suffered for you?”

ALL: Oh Mary, Mother of Hope! Intercede for us, your children!

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

SEVENTH DAY – May 11^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do

not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee!

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your mother. May we honor her as You

honor her. As your daughter, St. Therese of Lisieux, said, “The most beautiful

masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.” “It is true that Our

Lady is Queen of Heaven and earth, but at the same time she is more Mother

than Queen.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us that we might repent

and turn back to your Son. Our Lady Mystical Rose, pray for us!

LEADER: You said to St. Bernadette, “Pray for sinners. Penance! Penance! Penance!”

You said to the children at Fatima, “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say

many times, especially when you make some sacrifice, ‘O Jesus, it is for love of

You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed

against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’”

You said to Sister Mary Ephrem, “My beloved daughter, what I am about to tell

you concerns in a particular way my children in America. Unless they do

penance by mortification and self-denial and thus reform their lives, God will

visit them with punishments hitherto unknown to them.”

ALL: Oh Mary, Mother of Hope. Intercede for us your children.

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

EIGHTH DAY – May 12^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not Love Thee.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of Your Mother. May we honor her as You honor her. As your daughter, St. Faustina, said: “To give worthy praise to the Lord’s mercy, we unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother for then our hymn will be more pleasing to You, because she is chosen from among men and angels. Through her, as through a pure crystal, your mercy was passed on to us. Through her, man became pleasing to God. Through her, streams of grace flowed down upon us.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray for us that we might repent and turn back to your Son, and that we might stand firm against error and protect the Deposit of Faith. Our Lady Mystical Rose, pray for us!

LEADER: As the angels told us in this circle, “In the coming months, this battle will shake the very foundations of the Church, and the world will tremble, and many will fall. But oh look here beyond you, what now do you see? A lovely lady who you have mistaken for the housekeeper. But oh you have not seen her heart, for it is Immaculate, and it beats with the strength of a warrior. And she will keep house by casting out all who soil the house, and His Church will be cleansed.”

ALL: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

NINTH DAY – May 13^th

ALL: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.

LEADER: Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of your Mother. May we honor her as you honor her.

As the angels told us, “At Fatima, much was made clear, but perhaps it was the stating of the obvious that caused so many to miss it. Because it is not expected for the fallen to show their hands and, therefore, as men looked under tables and around corners for the deceivers, they walked in the front door, and no one protested.

“They have been given this time because it was set in place by the Father for the testing of His Church, that the wolves might be separated from the shepherds, and that the faith of the sheep might be challenged. For untested faith could not stand in the face of the coming storm.

“But one hundred years after Fatima, the Lord called for an accounting, and indeed the shepherds had not stood firm against the wolves, and the wolves sat in all the places where doctrine is safeguarded. And each day they chiseled against the blocks set in stone by the Father with tiny but deadly hammers.

“Be aware that now is the time that the fallen move in and prepare to claim their victory, but oh the fallen cannot count, and their days are nearing an end. The Blessed Mother holds a calendar, and she counts with authority the number of days, and the fallen are given notice.

“In the coming months, the battle will shake the very foundations of the Church, and the world will tremble, and many will fall. But oh look here beyond you. What now do you see? A lovely lady who you have mistaken for the housekeeper. But oh you have not seen her heart, for it is Immaculate, and it beats with the strength of a warrior, and she will keep house by casting out all who soil the house, and His Church will be cleansed.

“The demons walk to and fro around this circle tonight. They had hoped to gain admittance, but it was a fool’s game, for they can walk not past the circle of the Queen. But still they smile for they think you are timid warriors who will fold these words away. And they will sing calming songs to the sheep, and the sheep will be lulled to sleep.

“But we three angels who stand here tonight call out to you with the authority of heaven and proclaim, ‘Now is the time for courage! His Church is being attacked! The angels have been told to give no quarter. And to you I say give no silence. For the Blessed Mother has come again to her children, and she holds a calendar, and it is time.’

“Proclaim the words that you have been given. Perhaps you have also lost the ability to count. But soon you will be able to count with clarity. For the last days of the deceivers will be written across the sky. And there will be none in that day who cannot count.”

ALL: Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God. Pray for us!

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

Now and at the hour of our death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAY THE ROSARY

A Beautiful Prayer

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

I encourage all of us to join in this prayer composed by Bishop Athansius Schneider. We turn in humility to the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. May her Immaculate Heart pray for our world and for all humanity in these troubled times. Jesus, her Son, is the Light of the World and through his life, suffering, death and resurrection He has conquered all the darkness we face.

Prayer for the Hastening of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Holy Mother of God, and our tender Mother, look upon the distress in which the whole of mankind is living due to the spread of materialism, godlessness, and the persecution of the Catholic Faith.

In our own day, the Mystical Body of Christ is bleeding from so many wounds caused within the Church by the unpunished spread of heresies, the justification of sins against the Sixth Commandment, the seeking of the kingdom of earth rather than that of heaven, the horrendous sacrileges against the Most Holy Eucharist, especially through the practice of Communion in the hand, and the Protestant shaping of the celebration of the Holy Mass.

Amidst these trials appeared the light of the consecration of Russia to thine Immaculate Heart by the Pope, in union with the world’s bishops. In Fatima thou didst request the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays of the month. Implore thy Divine Son to grant a special grace to the Pope, that he might approve the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.

May Almighty God hasten the time when Russia will convert to Catholic unity, mankind will be given a time of peace, and the Church will be granted an authentic renewal in the purity of the Catholic Faith, the sacredness of divine worship, and the holiness of Christian life. O Mediatrix of all graces, O Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and our sweet Mother, turn thine eyes of mercy towards us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen.

+ Athanasius Schneider

Palm Sunday 33 Consecration Concluding Prayers

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Conclusion of the 33 Day Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Virgin Mary

All who are participating in the 33 Day Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Virgin Mary which we began on March 9, are invited to our concluding Prayers of Consecration on April 10^th Palm Sunday. After the 1:30 PM Latin Mass (which will conclude between 3:00 and 3:30) at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, we will pray the Rosary and the Consecration Prayer authored by St. Louis de Montfort. I hope you can join me at the Cathedral to conclude this beautiful 33 Day journey to live more deeply in the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary who always directs us closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.

Novena in Preparation for March 25

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

I encourage everyone to pray this simple Novena prayer in preparation for March 25. Let us pray for peace in the world. If we begin today March 17, the Feast of St. Patrick then we can conclude on the morning of March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

Preparatory Novena prayer for the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Holy Mother of God and our most tender Mother. Look down upon the distress in which the Church and all humanity finds itself due to the spread of godlessness, materialism and the persecution of the Catholic Faith, errors of which you warned in Fatima.

You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Obtain for us the grace that all the bishops of the world, in union with the Pope, may consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Your Immaculate Heart on March 25, 2022. By this consecration we hope – as you told us in Fatima – that, at a time appointed by God, Russia will be converted, and mankind will be granted an era of peace. We hope that by this consecration, the triumph of Your Immaculate Heart will soon draw near and the Church will be authentically renewed in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, the sacredness of the liturgy and the holiness of the Christian life.

O Queen of the Holy Rosary and our most tender Mother, turn Your merciful eyes toward the Pope, the bishops and each of us, and graciously hear our fervent and trusting prayer. Amen.

Thoughts on Saint Patrick

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

St Patrick Calls ALL Christians to be the Missionaries of this Age

Deacon Keith Fournier

I am a Catholic Christian who grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, with an Irish lineage. I have always loved St. Patrick’s Day. The celebrations and the revelry seemed to provide a break from the intensity of our age and an opportunity to celebrate.

On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish. The celebration is an example of the presence of a Christian memory in the West. But, that very fact is a call to action. As we tumble toward the abyss in what many call a post-Christian culture, the real message of the Apostle to Ireland has almost been lost.

We need to ask, "Who is this Saint Named Patrick whose Feast we celebrate during Lent and why does it matter?" Because, just like Patrick, we are called to be missionaries in our own age. Only, the mission field to which we are called is right outside our windows and front doors.

Christians living in the United States of America need to assess our own calling. Let me explain.

When Patrick landed in Ireland in 432, he had been tasked by the Holy Spirit with evangelizing a pagan people. He drew from a deep, living, personal, dynamic faith in Jesus Christ, lived in the heart of the Church. He understood well the challenge he faced. He had been held captive as a prisoner in that land. He was not afraid because he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

He knew the culture, the Druids who ruled it, and the realities he faced in that hostile culture. He had been kidnapped and held a prisoner in Ireland as a young man, only to be liberated and return to his home. Yet, in a dream, he heard the “voice of the Irish”, calling him to return to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Driven by the Holy Spirit, he sought the permission of Church authorities and he set out as a Missionary of Jesus Christ.

He was not going be a victim of the hostility he faced. He responded to his vocation with a passion borne out of his vibrant faith. He knew the Lord Jesus Christ whom he served and was unafraid of the opposition he would face for living as a Christian in such a hostile culture.

Patrick had a deliberate missionary strategy and it bore extraordinary fruit. We need to follow his example as we set about the missionary task entrusted to us in this hour. We need a new missionary strategy for America.

I reject the use of the term Post-Christian as it relates to the loss of faith in the United States and the West. I prefer the term, Pre-Christian. This is our moment. Whether we are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Free Church… or whatever other brand of Christianity we profess in this age of Hyphenated Christianity, we are the missionaries.

Patrick did not fear the Druids who occupied Ireland. They fostered a culture hostile to Christianity. He knew the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We face our own Druids in the secularist “progressives” of this age. However, we have the same Holy Spirit and Word of God. The only difference is our response to the call.

We have been sent by the Head of the Church, Jesus the Lord, to bring the message of true freedom to this age enslaved by counterfeits. We are not victims in a hostile culture, we are Victors of the Kingdom of God which has broken into human history in and through Jesus Christ. We the freedom fighters of this missionary moment.

The Apostle to Ireland, loved by us all, cries out to every Christian with marching orders. Those orders were not intended to lead to parades filled with revelers, but rather to inspire missionary brigades of Christians ready to free the captives of this confused culture.

In his confessions, Patrick explained his burden for the Irish people in these words:

“… I came to the Irish peoples to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others.

… If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for his name. I want to spend myself in that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. I am deeply in his debt, for he gave me the great grace that through me many peoples should be reborn in God…

It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world.”

When he entered a district, he would first preach the Gospel to the Chieftains and, following their custom, offer them a gift to honor them. Only a few were converted, but Patrick knew exactly what he was doing. He would ask for two favors, for a plot of land upon which to build a church and permission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ - as fully revealed in the Catholic Church - to the people. Both would be granted.

Then he went the sons and daughter of the rulers. He wrote pf the results in his Book, the Confession: Wherefore, then in Ireland, they who never had the knowledge of God, but until now only worshiped idols and abominations - now there has lately been prepared a people of the Lord, and they are called children of God. The sons and daughters of the Irish chieftains are seen to become monks and virgins of Christ."

We need to learn from this great missionary. He saw what was good in the culture and "baptized" what could be redeemed. He respected the civil order, but never compromised the faith. Then, he won the next generation by preaching the Gospel without compromise and letting the Holy Spirit work in and through him.

Because of his holy boldness, all of Ireland became Christian! The Gospel took root in the Celtic culture, transforming it from within as leaven in a loaf. Ireland came to be known as the "island of saints and scholars".

The same God Patrick served is pouring out His Spirit today, calling Christians to mission in the Third Christian Millennium. Without apology, I proclaim that the greatest thing which could happen to Western culture is a rebirth of Christianity and Christian influence. The task now falls to those who bear the name Christian in this New Missionary Age.

Mass praying for the Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

All are invited to a Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler at 6:00 PM on March 25th. This beautiful Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord is a great opportunity to join Pope Francis in praying for the Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us heed the call of the Blessed Virgin Mary to repent of our sins and pray for peace. Praying for the consecration of these nations, or our own nation and of every nation in the world is one way we can pursue peace seeking the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Our hearts are heavy with the violence we see unfolding in Eastern Europe and in too many other places in the world but our greatest strength is to live in the Light of Jesus Christ. The Immaculate Virgin Mary guides each of us with her motherly care toward the Light of Her Son. Let us humbly seek His Light and trust that true and lasting peace in our hearts and in our world flows from His Light.

The Treasure of Fasting

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

“Fasting gives birth to prophets and strengthens the powerful; fasting makes lawgivers wise. Fasting is a good safeguard for the soul, a steadfast companion for the body, a weapon for the valiant, and a gymnasium for athletes. Fasting repels temptations, anoints unto piety; it is the comrade of watchfulness and the artificer of chastity. In war it fights bravely, in peace it teaches stillness."

– St. Basil the Great

A Martyr's Prayer

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Please pray this prayer for me and for all the bishops in the world today. We must be strong in Christ.

ST. JOHN FISHER'S PRAYER FOR BISHOPS

Lord, according to Thy promise that the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, raise up men fit for such work.

The Apostles were but soft and yielding clay till they were baked hard by the fire of the Holy Ghost. So, good Lord, do now in like manner again with Thy Church militant; change and make the soft and slippery earth into hard stone; set in Thy Church strong and mighty pillars that may suffer and endure great labours, watching, poverty; thirst, hunger, cold and heat; which also shall not fear the threatening of princes, persecution, neither death but always persuade and think with themselves to suffer with a good will, slanders, shame, and all kinds of torments, for the glory and laud of Thy Holy Name. By this manner, good Lord, the truth of Thy Gospel shall be preached throughout all the world. Therefore, merciful Lord, exercise Thy mercy, show it indeed upon Thy Church.

AMEN

A Very Important Message

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

A Call to Receive Communion Worthily

An excerpt from a book that I refer to often called, Mystery of the Altar, by Kenneth J. Howell and Joseph Crownwood. This passage is from the writings of the mystic and saint Margaret of Cortona who lived from 1247 to 1297. She offers this message as words she heard from Christ.

“My daughter, I am dead in most men of this age as far as their interior lives are concerned; for few are those in whom I dwell by grace. Their offenses are so great that if sorrow could enter me, their God, I would cry out, bursting into tears at the sight of their horrible vices when they communicate. They crucify me again by receiving me unworthily, giving me a drink more bitter than that given me by (My persecutors)…as a rule, I am grievously offended in communion by persons in the world and by their lives. Woe to the souls that sin unceasingly and dare to receive me without correcting their faults. There will be a strict account for them at a future day.”

Although this is private revelation, the message it brings must be heeded in our time.

Especially as we will soon begin another Lenten journey let us resolve to do all we can to repent of our sins, confess them worthily and thus be better prepared to receive Our Lord in Communion. Let us pray for all who ignore sin and even teach others that they can ignore their sins and still receive Communion.

Lenten Devotions for the Diocese of Tyler 2022

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Lenten Devotions in the Diocese of Tyler

Saturday Rosary and Adoration- Each Saturday of Lent the Rosary will be prayed processing around the Cathedral block beginning at 3:00 PM and this will be followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception from after the Rosary until 5:00 PM.

A 33 Day Consecration to Jesus through Mary will begin on March 9 and continue through April 10, Palm Sunday. You can go to this website to access a guide for this beautiful consecration and renewal of faith.

Laetare Week- Beginning Laetare Sunday, March 27^th with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 5:30 to 6:30 AM followed by Holy Mass and continuing through the week with Adoration from 6:00 to 7:00 AM followed by Holy Mass. Adoration will be held from 6:00 to 7:00 AM Monday, March 28^th through Friday, April 1. All are invited to make a Lenten Pilgrimage to the Cathedral on at least one day of Laetare Week.

Eucharistic Congress coming to the Diocese of Tyler in June

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Important Truth

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Please ponder this with me.

Blaise Pascal:

“It is as much a crime to disturb the peace when the truth prevails as it is a crime to keep the peace when the truth is violated. There is therefore a time in which peace is justified and another time when it is not justifiable. For it is written that there is a time for peace and a time for war and it is the law of truth that distinguishes the two. But at no time is there a time for truth and a time for error, for it is written that God’s truth shall abide forever. That is why Christ has said that He has come to bring peace and at the same time that He has come to bring the sword. But He does not say that He has come to bring both the truth and the falsehood.”

This quote speaks of essential truths that we must hold clearly in our hearts and minds. I often reflect on and pray for prudence. Pascal's words remind me that it can be imprudent to speak but it can also be imprudent not to speak. Discerning when to speak and when to remain silent is a challenge for all of us but we must acknowledge that silence can be imprudent just as speaking out can be imprudent.

Ultimately we must turn to Truth Incarnate, Jesus Christ. When His Truth is denied we must speak up, to remain silent in the face of falsehood is a betrayal of the Son of God, His Father and their Spirit.

+Joseph

Faith and Family for February

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Faith and Family Resources for February

The month of February brings some special days that every family can celebrate. Please take a look at this information and consider how you individually or as a family can highlight these days. This year Lent begins on March 2, so all of February is “Ordinary Time”. As you may know the Church speaks of Ordinary Time in liturgical terms in a rather unique way. This description of the days between major liturgical seasons comes from the word “ordinal” and is used to describe where the days fall in relation to the liturgical calendar, for example, “tomorrow is Saturday of the 2^nd week in Ordinary Time". As you can see Ordinary Time is really far from ordinary, instead it is about counting the days until the next feast or season.

I encourage you to pay special attention to the following dates……..

Wednesday, February 2- this is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we reflect on this passage from the Gospel as we pray the 4^th Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. It is a day to celebrate Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and traditionally it is a time to bless candles. Consider having candles blessed for your home and using them through the year as prayer candles. You can also check with your local parish to see if they plan something special for this important day.

Thursday, February 3- the Memorial of Saint Blase bishop and martyr is a traditional day for blessings of the throat. Your parish may offer this on the following Sunday. Due to the illness that so many are dealing with it could be especially meaningful this year.

Thursday, February 10- the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, sister of Saint Benedict.

Friday, February 11- the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes offers a very important opportunity to pray for healing and strength for all those who are Ill. I will celebrate the 7:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, Texas on that day. The Mass will be preceded by Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction beginning at 6:00 AM. The Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes will be prayed after the Mass, this is a brief Litany that will take five minutes to pray. I share it here it at the end of this post, courtesy of EWTN.

Saturday, February 12 - We observe World Marriage Day with a Mass to honor married couples in the Diocese of Tyler who are celebrating their 5th, 15th, 25th, 40th, or 50th+ anniversaries in the year 2022. Today we can pray for these and all married couples.

Monday, February 14- Saint Valentine’s Day, the liturgical Memorial is Saints Cyril and Methodius, they are great saints but of course our culture is all about Valentine’s Day. Let’s make sure it is Saint Valentine’s Day and that more than candy and flowers it is about God’s sacrificial love as He gives us His Son Jesus Christ. A great day to attend Mass and offer your prayers for your sweetheart.

Tuesday, February 22- Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter- a great day to celebrate our 1^st Pope and the Keys of the Kingdom that Christ gave him to empower him to lead the Church. Let us pray in a special way for Pope Francis and the heavy burdens he carries in the world today. May the Light and Truth of Jesus Christ be his strength.

Wednesday, February 23- Memorial of Saint Polycarp, bishop and martyr

Resource for February 11, 2022- find the Litany below.

Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes

Author: NA

LITANY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy; Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.

Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven; Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world; Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God; Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary; Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God; Pray for us.
Mother of Christ; Pray for us.
Mother of our Savior; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Help of Christians; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Source of love; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the poor; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the handicapped; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of orphans; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of all children; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of all nations; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of the Church; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Friend of the lonely; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Comforter of those who mourn; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Shelter of the homeless; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Guide of travelers; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Strength of the weak; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Refuge of sinners; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Comforter of the suffering; Pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Help of the dying; Pray for us.
Queen of heaven; Pray for us.
Queen of peace; Pray for us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us.

Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us.

Let us pray: Grant us, your servants, we pray you, Lord God, to enjoy perpetual health
of mind and body. By the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, may we
be delivered from present sorrows, and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.

Festival Week of the Immaculate Virgin Mary- December 5-12

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Festival Week of the Immaculate Virgin Mary

December 5- December 12, 2021

As bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, I invite the faithful of the diocese to enter into a Festival Week of the Immaculate Virgin Mary celebrating the 2^nd Sunday of Advent, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the 3^rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday. I encourage all to enter into this special week of prayer and fasting with the intentions of unity in the Holy Catholic Church, the Body of Christ and Peace in our nation and in our world.

I will be present at the Cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Mass from Monday through Friday of this week. Adoration will begin at 6:00 AM each day and continue until Holy Mass at 7:00 AM. All are invited to come to the Cathedral for one of these opportunities of prayer. Certainly, if traveling to the Cathedral is not possible, I encourage everyone around the diocese to join us in spiritual communion.

In addition, I ask everyone to fast for at least one of these days or multiple days if you discern that it is feasible for you to do so. The fasting I recommend is the customary Lenten Fast on Ash Wednesday which consists of eating only one full meal for the day. If this is not possible, I urge all to enter into some form of fasting during this Festival Week.

During this festival week, I remind you that the Church grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions of complete detachment from all sin, sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff, to the faithful who visit the Blessed Sacrament for adoration lasting at least a half hour (Conc. 7, §1, 1°). Also, a partial indulgence, under the usual conditions, is granted to the faithful who fast or otherwise voluntarily abstain from something that is licit for and pleasing to them (Gen. Conc. III).

I pray that participating in this way will make this Advent’s Gaudete Sunday especially joyful.

Let us repent of our sins this Advent and rejoice in Emmanuel as we prepare ourselves for the Nativity of the Lord at Christmas.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Diocese of Tyler

November Letter to the Flock

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Dear Faithful Catholics

As we approach the meeting of the bishops of the United States next week, I wanted to share some thoughts.

You can access my letter at this link. Please read and consider.

+Joseph

Nov12-21 - Letter.pdf

Calling All Ham Radio Operators

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

As another winter approaches I am encouraging an effort to establish a Ham Radio connection in the Diocese of Tyler. I pray that we don't have another experience like the Deep Freeze of February 2021 but it is good to be prepared. I honestly know little about Ham Radio but I do understand that it is a good communication tool when the usual communications that we have become accustomed to are not available. It seems wise to network those who are already involved in Ham Radio and encourage others to become involved if they are so inclined. My goal is to have at least one Ham Radio operator available in each of our 33 counties in case of an emergency. Catholic parishioners who are involved in Ham Radio are asked to call our diocesan offices at 903 534 1077 and share there information so that we can establish a database of Ham Radio users in the diocese.

Thank you for your attention to this effort.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

An important prayer for our time

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The attached image is called "Amazing Lights", it seems especially appropriate as we celebrate the 104th Anniversary of the appearance of Our Lady at Fatima in 1917. Interestingly these amazing lights are especially active as we celebrate this important date.

In 1910 only a few years before the Miracles at Fatima, which also carried dire warnings for humanity, Pope St. Pius X issued the "Oath Against Modernism" printed here.

“I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely.”

At the time Pope St. Pius X issued it he directed that all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries must swear this Oath. This directive is no longer in force but as Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler I urge all clergy, religious and laity to embrace it as a statement of faith. Sacred scripture, magisterial statements, hymns and prayers have echoed this basic faith through the ages. The Letter to the Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" gives us a clear statement of the Word of God which echoes the meaning of the Oath Against Modernism. Let us cling vigorously to this faith which no power on earth can destroy.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Eucharist and Confession Go Hand in Hand

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate the great Cure of Ars, Saint John Vianney it is worth noting that he offers us a wonderful model of priestly ministry. He is known for spending much of his time hearing confessions and he is also known for his great devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. He is very much a saint for our time because we are in need of a clear and joyful focus on both of these sacraments.

We have all heard much controversy about the Eucharist and what it means for us as Catholics. I hope we can step away from the controversy and simply return to the wonderful truth of our Catholic faith proclaimed since the very beginning of the Church. In the earliest days of the Church the faithful were already recognizing that our greatest prayer is the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass. This is because the beautiful ritual of the Mass is not simply that, a beautiful ritual, but it literally takes us to an encounter with Him, Jesus Christ the Son of God. He promised that He would be with us until the "end of the age" and His Eucharistic presence is one of the most profound ways that He is with us. This in no way discounts the great reality that Christ is present in all the sacraments, instead His Real Presence in the Eucharist highlights the reality of His presence in all of the other sacraments.

In addition to a Eucharistic focus, as Catholics we also need to rekindle our love for another beautiful yet different encounter with Jesus Christ in the sacrament of Confession. The beautiful encounter with our Lord in His merciful love which occurs in the sacrament of Confession has been neglected for too many years. Thankfully there is a revival in our understanding of the importance of frequent Confession and the beautiful gift that it is. I suppose that it is easy to understand why we tend to be lest zealous about Confession. We live in an age that encourages us to behave as if sin isn't real and if sin isn't real then there is certainly no need for Confession. Although the popular message is that sin isn't real we all experience its reality every day. The more we can acknowledge our sins and the sins of the world the more we can be hopeful of growing past those temptations and tendencies that bring real harm into our lives. Although we can deny that sin has any real power in our lives nevertheless its affects bring hurt and brokenness into every aspect of our journey.

As we honor this great and saintly priest let us resolve to treasure the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives as he did. Let us humbly approach the confessional and thus be cleansed and renewed in His mercy. Then we will be more prepared and ready to receive Him and be nurtured by His body and blood, soul and divinity. Let us be healed of our broken sinful lives and fed the bread from heaven that allows us to share in the very life of God.

Welcome to the Diocese of Tyler

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Newcomers to the Diocese of Tyler,

I want to welcome you wholeheartedly to East Texas and the Diocese of Tyler. Let us pray that your move to the piney woods is filled with blessings and new opportunities.

I’m sure that as you get settled it will be very evident that you haven’t found heaven on earth, but I’m also confident that you are coming to appreciate the community here. As a cradle Catholic who grew up in East Texas, I know that we Catholics can feel the reality that we are very much in the minority at times. But another aspect of the reality here is that we are surrounded by fellow Christians who take their commitment to Jesus Christ very seriously. The 34 years of the diocese have been a time for the Catholic community to gain significant influence even as we remain a minority.

I’m sure there is a long list of reasons that you have chosen to make this move and I pray that your embrace of your new home will continue to grow. We can all agree that there is much turmoil in our world, our nation and in our beloved Catholic Church. As your shepherd I want to be very clear that I am united with you in knowing that Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the answers to the turmoil that we face. It is disheartening that too many of our fellow Catholics seem to have lost their way but I am with you in proclaiming unabashedly that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

I have had the chance to meet some of you and I look forward to meeting more of you as you settle into the diocese. Since we may not have had the chance to meet, I wanted to share some basic points of our Catholic faith that I am constantly working to emphasize. We believe that the bread and wine at Holy Mass truly become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. We believe that human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and that we must work for the sanctity of the life of the unborn. We believe that the sanctity of life extends to every facet of the human journey and that we are called to care for the poor, the immigrant and the marginalized. We believe that God has created us male and female. The confusions we see regarding this basic truth is not of God. We believe in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman in a lifetime commitment open to children. We believe in the moral teachings of our Catholic faith regarding the gift of human sexuality. We believe in the call to repent of our sins and seek greater fidelity to the Truth Jesus Christ has revealed to us.

Of course, these are only a few of our basic beliefs but I mention them because even within the Church there is too much ambiguity regarding these tenets. As a diocese we are working to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ and call humanity back into His Light. I am confident that you are here to join us in this powerful mission. Some resources I encourage you to acquaint yourself with include the following.

1. The Saint Philip Institute stphilipinstitute.org

2. The East Texas Catholic Foundation easttexascatholicfoundation.org

3. Our diocesan website dioceseoftyler.org

4. My personal website bishopstrickland.org

5. Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic School (Tyler, Texas) bishopgorman.net

6. St. Gregory Cathedral School (Tyler, Texas) stregreory.info

7. St. Mary Catholic School (Longview, Texas) stmaryslgv.com

8. St. Patrick Catholic School (Lufkin, Texas) stpatricklufkin.com/

9. Tyler Catholic School Foundation tcsf.net

I hope these resources will help you to get to know the Catholic community that you now call home.

Sincerely in Christ’s Name,

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

My Comments at the June Bishop's Meeting

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

As we approach Father’s Day and continue to emerge from the pandemic I want to emphasize that our flocks are bruised and traumatized on many fronts. The recent controversy about whether persisting in denial of basic Catholic teaching disqualifies a person from receiving Our Lord in Communion has devastated many faithful Catholics. I realize that discussion of this has been postponed but as spiritual fathers and shepherds I urge us to do all we can in each of our dioceses to emphasize the clear connection between repentance, confession of sins, firm purpose of amendment and worthy reception of Our Lord really present in consecrated bread and wine.

I speak in support of the drafting of a formal statement on the meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. I urge that this document must make the clear connection between the sacrament of Confession and receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We must all strive to repent of our sins and grow in virtue in order to rightly receive Our Lord. I further urge that we work to develop a culture of Eucharistic Revival immediately, we can’t wait for a document. Refocusing on this greatest gift of our Catholic faith is essential to renewal of every aspect of the Church. We must focus on Our Lord who is truly present in every tabernacle and at every Holy Mass.

Jesus Christ suffered and died for us destroying the power of sin and death in our lives. We must be willing to suffer as well, take up the cross of our sinfulness and make a firm purpose of amendment of our sinful ways before we approach the Eucharistic altar. This is true for every person who receives Our Lord at Mass. Prominent persons can’t be held to a different standard. As serious as this is, ultimately these high profile individuals are only a few souls. The bigger issue is what we are teaching our children and the entire flock of the faithful. Many are confused and missing any connection between repenting of sin and receiving Our Lord. The Immaculate Virgin Mary is constantly urging us to repent of our sins and seek to live the Gospel more virtuously. In this year of Saint Joseph let us remind our flocks that Mary and Joseph were the first custodians of the Body of Christ. We must be spiritual fathers who echo this beautiful model of Our Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph as they urge us to seek an ever deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus says in the Gospel according to John “if you love me you will keep my commandments”.

My letter to the Flock of Tyler regarding the Holy Communion Controversy

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Flock of Tyler,

As we move through these post-Pentecost days of Ordinary Time, let us continue to seek the peace and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As your bishop, I want to address the controversy that the Church is facing at this time regarding our national leaders who profess the Catholic faith. My main purpose, as always, is to teach the Catholic faith clearly and give us all the knowledge we need to address the many controversies that arise. Therefore, rather than address the situation of President Biden or any other leaders specifically, my approach is to remind all of us of basic Catholic teachings.

Our faith clearly teaches that life is sacred from conception to natural death and that direct abortion is an immoral violation of the sanctity of life. Our faith also teaches that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass truly become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, God’s Divine Son. In order to rightly receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, we all have the serious obligation of ensuring that we are in the state of grace and that we are doing our best to live the truth that God has revealed to us.

As your shepherd, I pray that this controversy will primarily serve to prompt all of us to a serious examination of conscience. I am not the president’s bishop, but I am yours. I grow daily in awareness of my own unworthiness as we all should, and this allows us to be more deeply in awe of God’s love and mercy. Every man and woman of faith has an obligation to repent of our sins and live the Gospel as fully as possible. When we are aware of serious sin in our lives, we must go to Confession and seek a true conversion of heart. Then we can approach Communion assured that the Lord will strengthen us to go forth on our mission.

Let us pray lovingly for all of our leaders and for deeper unity in our own lives with the Lord and his bride, the Catholic Church.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ Joseph E. Strickland Bishop of Tyler

A Call to Pray to Saint Michael the Archangel

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

I know that many of us pray the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel on a daily basis and I encourage us to continue to seek his protection against the evils we see in the world. I encourage everyone to pray this Novena to Saint Michael the Archangel and make June 15, 2021 a Day of Prayer for the special intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel. We see much evidence of "evil spirits prowling about the world seeking the ruin of souls" in our world today. We always remember that Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death by means of His loving sacrifice of His Body and Blood but the power of evil can still plague us if we allow it to. Many today foolishly treat evil and demonic realities as if they were playthings. The truth is that evil forces are very real and as the St. Michael prayer says they are always looking for opportunities to harm us.

Let us be joyful and strong in the Lord but also wary of the reality of satan and his minions.

I chose the attached image of a sunrise to accompany this post because it evokes the image of light pervading our world. Jesus Christ is Light from Light and true God from True God. Although the evidence of darkness and evil is all around us the Light of Christ is still the true power of God's Love and Goodness. Let us be strong in Him.

praymorenovenas.com/st-michael-archangel-novena

Eucharistic Faith from 1000 Years Ago

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Eucharistic Faith from 1000 years ago

I mentioned this passage during my homily at the Priestly Ordination of Father Nick Napier, Father David Bailey, Father Albert Jerome Mott and Father Michael Ledesma on Saturday, May 29, 2021. I also want to share it with all of you. I encouraged these fine new priests, along with all of their new priestly brothers at the ordination, to make the Eucharistic Altar of Jesus Christ the heart of their priesthood. Let us pray for these men that from this heart will flow all of their good works, ministry, and care for the Body of Christ which is the Church they serve.

This passage is striking because it predates the more developed theology of St. Thomas Aquinas but it speaks of the same wondrous truth of the real presence of Jesus Christ, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity present in the Eucharist.

Blessed Lanfranc (1005-1089)

“We believe that the earthly substances on the altar of the Lord, placed there for divine consecration by the priestly ministry, are ineffably, incomprehensibly, and wonderfully overturned by a heavenly power, and converted into the essence of the Body of the Lord, preserving the appearance and qualities of the species so as not to be perceived in a crude or bloody manner, which might terrify. One, rather, recognizes an increase in the reward of faith for him who believes: This is the very Body of the Lord who resides in heaven at the right hand of the Father, immortal, inviolate, entire, impeccable, and impassible. Thus, it may truly be said that we receive the very same Body, born of the Virgin, and yet it is not the same: It is indeed the same in essence, nature, and virtue. It is not in the sense that one sees the species of bread and wine while recognizing the higher gift (the Body and Blood). This is the faith that was held in ancient times and is now held by the Church, and has spread throughout the entire world by those of the Catholic name.”

It is remarkable that Blessed Lanfranc speaks of “the faith that was held in ancient times” as he writes near the year 1000. We find ourselves almost 1000 years further down the path of history and can say this faith is even more ancient. We must rekindle this kind of faith still “held by the Church” but rejected by too many as incomprehensible or somehow overstated. I believe the Eucharistic controversies that swirl in our time are rooted in a lack of deep faith in the real presence. If we truly believe that the Lord of the Universe, Jesus Christ the Divine Son of God becomes our food and drink in the Eucharist, then no politician, no businessman, no leader of any sort will dare to deny basic teachings of the Catholic faith and at the same time approach the Eucharistic altar at Communion.

Let us turn to St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church and his spouse the Immaculate Virgin Mary to intercede for us powerfully that people of faith may return once again return to deep faith in the Real Presence of the Son of God whom they nurtured in this world.

Men's March in Washington, D.C. on June 12

Tue, 25 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Catholic Men of the Diocese of Tyler (and the women who love them)

I encourage our faithful men to engage in this important March for Life in every way you can. If you are able to travel to Washington, D.C. and attend the March that would be great. If you aren't able to attend in person I encourage you to join with your brothers in prayerful support.

I've asked the Knights of Columbus throughtout the Diocese of Tyler to partner with their local priests and promote Rosary Rallies that can occur throughout the diocese while the March is happening in Washington. Let us take up this opportunity to stand for the sanctity of the life of the unborn.

You can find more information at themensmarch.com

God bless you,

Bishop Joseph Strickland

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jim Havens, Co-organizer of The

Men’s March, host of The Simple Truth

Phone: 585-690-9998

Email: jimh@thestationofthecross.com

CATHOLIC MEN TO CONFRONT JOE BIDEN ON ABORTION

First National Men’s March to End Abortion on June 12th

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18 — The first ever National Men’s March to End Abortion will

take place on Saturday, June 12th in Washington, D.C. as men are set to gather outside of the

Washington Surgi-Clinic Abortion Center (2112 F Street NW, 20037) at 11am. The men will then

proceed to march to the White House in the non-violent protest manner of MLK.

Outside the White House, the event will conclude with a rally to call men on to greater

responsibility, including self-professed “devout Catholic” Joe Biden who currently holds the

nation’s highest office while pushing tax payer funded abortion on demand.

Jim Havens, co-organizer and host of The Simple Truth explains, “There is a man connected to

every abortion and men are a big part of the problem. It’s time for all men to take greater

responsibility in becoming a big part of the solution, beginning with those who claim to be men

of faith.”

Fr. Stephen Imbarrato, co-organizer of The Men’s March and co-host of the Friday edition of The

Simple Truth, is calling for June 12th to be just the beginning of a wider men’s movement to end

abortion: “Joe Biden, apostate Catholic, thinks it’s okay to kill babies up to the day of birth.

Men, I want you to go to themensmarch.com and sign up, even if you don’t think you can come,

so we can start a contact list right now and start a wave going.”

The Simple Truth is a production of The Station of the Cross and airs M-F at 4pm(ET).

###

For more information, call Jim Havens at 585-690-9998, or email jimh@thestationofthecross.com.

Interviews available with Jim and/or Fr. Imbarrato upon request.

St. Catherine of Sienna

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

I'm pleased to offer this reflection by Deacon Keith Fournier for your consideration.

For a New Missionary Age: We Need Saints Like Catherine of Siena

Deacon Keith Fournier

In an age collapsing under the weight of sin and wandering aimlessly without a moral compass, we need holy women and men to be raised up to shake the church and bring conversion to a world waiting to be born again. We need saints.

Saints put legs on the Christian faith. Our age is an age with no real heroes. Saints are heroes of the faith and they need to be held up high once again! They inspire us, no matter what our state in life or vocation. They need to be imitated, as they imitated Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 4:16)

Saints are a gift for the whole Church. They remind us that the Risen Jesus Christ still walks in our midst, making ordinary men and women extraordinary. And, he can do the same with each one of us. That is why their stories are recounted in our common family history. This is called hagiography.

The stories of these great heroes of the Faith help us to aspire to follow the Lord in our own lives. They are a part of that that great cloud of witnesses which the author of the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews speaks of in this verse:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Today, in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar, we commemorate one of the greatest women saints of Christian history, Catherine of Siena. While praying at Peter's tomb, she experienced the great weight of the Church fall on her shoulders.

So conformed to the Savior, she joined herself to His ongoing redemptive mission. She offered herself- and her suffering - as a "victim" for the renewal of the whole Church, which is His Body.

On April 29 of that year, around midday, God called her to Himself in the passing of death.

Days before her death, she wrote, "If I die, let it be known that I die ... of passion for the Church." Her deathbed prayer is a model of intimate love for the Lord. She was completely poured out in love for the Lord, and given over to His work.

She is an outstanding example for all who follow Jesus Christ - and desire the healing and unity of the Church - in our own day. More than anything else, we need Saints in this urgent hour.

These beautiful words are found in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours on this Feast. They came from the pen of this strong woman of God who found her strength in a deep communion with God:

"Eternal Trinity, Godhead, mystery deep as the sea, you could give me no greater gift than the gift of yourself. For you are a fire ever burning and never consume, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being." (St. Catherine of Sienna)

Yet, like all the saints, this extraordinary woman, came from an ordinary background. That is why knowing her story helps us to understand that the power of the Holy Spirit can transform all who surrender themselves completely to the Lord in this day. We are all called to holiness; all called to make the Risen Savior real by our words and deeds. We are all called to be saints.

Let us consider her life, and choose to learn the Way of the Lord Jesus from her example.

Born in 1347, Catherine Benincasa was the twenty-fifth child born to Giacomo and Lapa Benincasa. Her father Giacomo was a wealthy businessman. Her mother, as one can imagine, had her days-and nights-filled with caring for twenty-five children!

At the age of six, young Catherine was walking home when she saw Jesus seated in glory. Accompanying Him were members of the heavenly family, the Church triumphant - Peter, Paul, and John.

It was on that day that young Catherine decided to surrender her whole life to the Lord in prayer and service to the Church, the Body of Jesus Christ.

Catherine's parents wanted her to marry. Like most parents, they wanted their daughter to have the best life that they could provide. They presumed that meant marriage and motherhood.

At first, they resisted young Catherine's desire to surrender the joys of marriage for her greatest desire, the life of remaining celibate out of love.

Catherine wanted to give her whole life in a prophetic witness of the life to come. She desired to forsake marriage to one man for marriage to Christ and His Church. A life wholly surrendered and consecrated to God and His Church, she found her fulfillment in a life consecrated to the bridegroom of the whole Church, Jesus the Lord.

But, over time, like many parents of saints and heroes of the faith, they began to see the finger of God working in their daughter's life. They could not stand in the way. In fact, they began to pave the way in prayer.

At the age of sixteen, Catherine chose the way of another hero of the faith, Dominic, in responding to the grace of her vocation. He had left a way of life for all who sought to live what the church has called the "evangelical counsels", the Dominican Order.

Catherine became a tertiary (lay follower) of the Dominican rule. She embraced a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

She lived this response to the Gospel while still living with her family. Catherine understood that the mission field is often found in our own backyard!

She first reached out and cared for those whom others avoided in the hospital located in Sienna, her own hometown. She, like so many other saints and heroes throughout the history of the Church, believed that Jesus hid Himself in the face and the wounds of the poor.

She preferred the lepers and the cancer patients, loving them with the love of the Crucified One whom she loved. Then the Lord gave her sisters-women who recognized that Catherine was a servant of the Servant, Jesus Christ. They began to walk the way of the Lord with her.

When the plague broke out in Sienna, one of her friends wrote: She was always with the plague-stricken. She prepared them for death; she buried them with her own hands. I myself witnessed the joy with which she nursed them and how effective her words were.

Catherine regularly frequented the prisons and loved to work with those preparing for execution. One of the many stories told of her concerns one prisoner, whom she led to faith and baptism.

Having heard he was afraid to die, she wanted him to experience the love of Jesus so much that she stayed with him, holding his head even as he was executed, so that he would die encountering the love of God, manifested in a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ!

Catherine's reputation for holiness spread throughout Italy. Her wisdom and ability to bring true reconciliation and authentic peace to hostile parties led to her being sought out by families and political leaders who were at odds with one another.

That same gift was offered, as were all of her gifts, to the Church. Rome, the center of Western Christianity, had fallen into decay. The pope was in Avignon in the South of France.

Though the Church in her hour was struggling, Catherine remained loyal. She referred to the pope as the "sweet Christ on earth", recognizing that the Church, even in her human imperfections was - and still is - the loving plan of the Lord, making Him present in every age.

Having heard from the Lord in prayer that the pope must return to Rome in order to begin the needed reforms of the Church, she courageously advised Pope Gregory (and sought the support of every cardinal who would receive her letters) that he must return to Rome!

In 1377, Gregory did return. When he died the next year, Urban VI was elected in Rome and a rival, Clement VII, installed in Avignon. A time of great upheaval, division, and suffering - what came to be called the Great Schism - swept the Church.

Catherine's heart broke over the divisions in the body of Christ. She persevered in prayer and continued her counsel to all who would listen: pope, cardinals, kings, princes and bishops.

In January of 1380, while praying at Peter's tomb, she experienced the great weight of the Church fall on her own shoulders, and she offered herself and her suffering as a "victim" for the renewal of the Church.

On April 29 of that same year, around midday, God called her to Himself. Days before her death, she wrote, "If I die, let it be known that I die ... of passion for the Church." Her deathbed prayer is a model of love poured out for all who follow Jesus Christ and desire the healing and unity of the Church in our day:

"Oh eternal God, receive the sacrifice of my own life on behalf of the mystical Body of Holy Church. I have nothing else to give except what You have given me."

Catherine was a prolific letter writer. At least 400 of her letters have survived. Leaders of church and state regularly sought out her wisdom, even though she was never formally educated and only learned to read and write as an adult.

She wrote only one book, Dialogue, which is an ongoing account of her intimate conversational relationship with the Lord whom she loved so intimately. She considered herself espoused to Him.

It was at the age of thirty-three, the same age at which Jesus offered Himself on the altar of the Cross, that Catherine was called home to the Father.

Companions of Catherine regularly noted how she maintained her joy, even in suffering, and her femininity, even in her dogged and courageous contending with Church leaders!

Her witness of life and her extraordinary letters became a great influence on another woman hero of the faith, Teresa of Avila. Teresa of Avila credited her own call to spiritual progress (in addition to the influence of the Lord Himself) to the prayers and example of Catherine.

Pius II canonized Catherine. Pius IX declared her, along with Francis of Assisi, the second patron of Italy. In 1970, Pope Paul VI proclaimed Giacomo and Lapa Benincasa's twenty-fifth child, never formally educated, to be a "Doctor of the Church."

That title speaks to us of a profound truth. It is intimacy with the Lord which makes men and women theologians, not necessarily formal academic study. Though it is desirable, it is prayer and communion with the Lord which is most important.

Father, raise up women like Catherine of Siena for this new missionary age of your Church. Women who are so in love with you, and so conformed to the Image of your Son, they can do for your Church in this hour, what she did in her own.

----

Deacon Keith Fournier is an ordained minister in the Church, a Catholic Deacon, with an outreach to the broader Christian community. He and his wife Laurine have been married for forty-four years. They have five grown children and seven grandchildren.

Answering Pilate

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

As we continue the Octave of Easter and approach Divine Mercy Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, I plan to focus on answering Pilate's question to Jesus in John 18:38 "What is truth?"

The ignorance and arrogance of Pilate is on full display as he faces Jesus Christ who is truth incarnate and asks "What is truth?" Clearly, Pilate just doesn't understand but before we go too far down the road of wagging our heads at his lack of understanding we need to look at our times as well. We are too easily pulled into today's culture that in many ways has answered Pilate's question by claiming there is no real and objective truth. As believers and simply as rational beings who live out our daily lives in a real world we know that truth does exist. We know the truth of the natural world just by opening our eyes and acknowledging the truths we are surrounded by. As believers we are also given the truth of Divine Revelation that always corresponds to the truth we can come to by using reason and deepens as we come to know Divine Truth.

As we approach Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit let us all pray that we can come to know truth and thus Incarnate Truth in Jesus Christ more deeply. The more we are steeped in the truth that God has revealed to us most fully in His own Son the more we can share this Good News with a world so desperately in need ot the good news of truth.

Focus on the Family & Domestic Church this Easter

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

A Blessed Triduum to all in East Texas,

I will be joining all of our priests throughot the diocese by offering the liturgies of the Easter Triduum and praying for every domestic church, every household in the Diocese of Tyler.

I encourage individuals and families to consider how they can make the Holy Days special in their own home. If you can attend all or some of the Triduum liturgies in your parish or mission that is wonderful. Praying at Holy Thursday Mass, at the Good Friday Liturgy and at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is a blessing for the individual and the whole family of God's people in the diocese. If you can't attend then I encourage you to make holy these sanctified days in your own home.

A few suggestions........

1. Read the Passion Gospel from one of the four Gospels. If reading the whole Passion is too long then break it up among the three days of the Triduum.

2. Ensure that all in your household have gone to Confession in these days at least before Divine Mercy Sunday on April 11.

3. Pray a Rosary together in thanksgiving for the Lord's loving sacrifice and in reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.

4. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and give thanks to God for the gift of His Son and His abundant mercy that always calls us to repent of our sins and live the truth of the Gospel more fully.

5. Watch a movie like Resurrection or The Passion of the Christ together.

6. Go to the stphilipinstitute.org website and watch the newly released short film This is the Night.

7. Go for a walk, sit in the yard and enjoy the beautiful day or just spend time with the family.

Have a Blessed Triduum and Octave of Easter.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

Confession and Divine Mercy Sunday

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord this Easter I make a special call for all of us to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession sometime prior to Divine Mercy Sunday on April 11. The human family is very much in need of the abundant mercy that our loving God offers us through His Son. Let us celebrate this mercy by means of the Sacrament of Mercy which Confession is.

Saintly Insights for Holy Week

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Saint John Henry Newman wrote these words about 170 years ago regarding the feeling of a great Cathedral. Although I consider our Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to be a gem, some of what Saint John Henry evokes is not our reality. As we enter into Holy Week it is our reality that the purposes of God's House are always to call us into the glorious supernatural truth of our faith. Especially as we are blessed to return to a much more incarnate and robust celebration of Holy Week this year, I believe the great saints words can truly inspire us to recognize our blessings more deeply.

"as I have said for months past that I never knew what worship was, as an objective fact, till I entered the Catholic Church, and was partaker in its offices of devotion, so now I say the same on the view of its cathedral assemblages. I have expressed myself so badly that I doubt if you will understand me, but a Catholic Cathedral is a sort of world, every one going about his own business, but that business a religious one; groups of worshippers, and solitary ones – kneeling, standing – some at shrines, some at altars – hearing Mass and communicating, currents of worshippers intercepting and passing by each other – altar after altar lit up for worship, like stars in the firmament – or the bell giving notice of what is going on in parts you do not see, and all the while the canons in the choir going through matins and lauds, and at the end of it the incense rolling up from the high altar, and all this in one of the most wonderful buildings in the world and every day – lastly, all of this without any show or effort – but what everyone is used to – everyone at his own work, and leaving everyone else to his." (Letter, September 24, 1846)

Let us rejoice more profoundly than ever in all that our Catholic faith, the Bride of Christ, offers us.

Inspiration from St. Louis de Montfort

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

St. Louis de Montfort lived in the 17th and early 18th century and he was known as a holy confessor and preacher. This quote from his time speaks to our time also. Let us live in the Spirit he suggests "the holy names of Jesus and Mary" on our hearts.

The image speaks of these values for our Church and for our nation.

“They will be like thunder-clouds flying through the air at the slightest breath of the Holy Spirit. Attached to nothing, surprised at nothing, troubled at nothing, they will shower down the rain of God's word and of eternal life. They will thunder against sin, they will storm against the world, they will strike down the devil and his followers and for life and for death, they will pierce through and through with the two-edged sword of God's word all those against whom they are sent by Almighty God.”

“They will point out the narrow way to God in pure truth according to the holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world. Their hearts will not be troubled, nor will they show favour to anyone; they will not spare or heed or fear any man, however powerful he may be. They will have the two-edged sword of the word of God in their mouths and the blood-stained standard of the Cross on their shoulders. They will carry the crucifix in their right hand and the rosary in their left, and the holy names of Jesus and Mary on their heart. The simplicity and self-sacrifice of Jesus will be reflected in their whole behaviour.”

A Gathering of Domestic Churches- families of faith

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

You may have read about the initiative called Veritatis Splendor and I wanted to share some information about what it is.

Veritatis Splendor is an inspiration of several Catholic families who are moving to East Texas. They desire to establish a community of Catholics & anyone who is committed to Jesus Christ. It is an ambitious effort that will face a lot of challenges but the families involved are deeply committed to Jesus Christ and their faith is their strength. It is not part of or financially connected to the Diocese of Tyler but is located in the territory of the diocese near Winona, Texas. Understandably there are many details yet to be worked out but the families are consulting attorneys and canonists in order to ensure that they are beginning on a sound foundation.

This initiative is in its beginning stages and I have supported it as an inspiration of lay Catholics seeking a community where their families can flourish in Jesus Christ. They are homeschool families who want to support each other in community as they nurture and educate their children. They welcome all who desire to live their faith in Jesus Christ in a deeper way. I’m impressed by their commitment to Jesus Christ and their willingness to make great sacrifices for their faith and family.

You can go to https://www.ncregister.com/news/massive-catholic-center-planned-for-east-texas for more information about the vision of these families and my spiritual support of their efforts.

I know that a bold new initiative like this is exciting but also raises many questions and concerns. I support this effort by lay Catholics but as bishop I want to emphasize that is a lay initiative. These families desire to address our challenging times by living their faith in Jesus Christ more deeply. They are taking on the financial burdens and organizational challenges that an effort like this entails. I want to support them as they seek to establish this community in East Texas while maintaining their independence from the diocese financially and organizationally.

I know that the generous people of East Texas will welcome these faithful families and some may wish to join them. Let us pray for the success of their efforts.

Urgent Call for Prayer and Action

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus,

I hope you are aware of the Equality Act that Congress is presently considering and the destructive elements of this legislation. The bishops of the United States have composed a statement calling for the faithful to speak clearly against this Act. I echo their call for prayer and for citizens to contact their elected representatives urging them to vote against this legislation.

Let us continue to pray for our nation and beg the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

God bless you,

Bishop Joseph Strickland

Wonderful Images of St. Joseph and Jesus

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Just to share another beautiful image of St. Joseph as we continue our journey through this year in his honor.

As we encounter these beautiful paintings depicting the relationship between a father and son let us pray for all fathers and sons in our world. Too often this is a relationship fraught with hurt and anger. May St. Joseph inspire fathers and sons to understand their mutual love and to celebrate the gifts they share with each other.

Flip Flopping Right and Wrong

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

This is a quote from a book that I am currently reading. It has not yet been published but the author speaks the truth in meaniful and significant ways. I look forward to encouraging that others read this book when it is published.

This quote highlights a dangerous trend that we must be aware of and encourage our family and friends to reject the idea that we can alter the truth.

"As the world becomes desensitized to these sins, many in our society are not just advocating acceptance of sin – but also flipflopping right and wrong – stating that anyone who advocates a virtuous life in alignment with God’s commandments is intolerant, bigoted, closed-minded, and even evil."

Especially during these Lenten days let us be strong in repenting of sin and seeking virtue.

A change of language

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

A friend sent this beautiful sunset (or sunrise) image recently and I thought it would be a good image to accompany the thoughts I share here. When a child is conceived in the womb of his/her mother God is saying yes to life, yes to a brand new person beginning to rise into the human journey. In God's plan that child grows in wondrous ways through nine months in the womb and then is born into the world. Sometimes that life does not continue to live for various natural reasons but thankfully all of us who are presently in the world made it through those first days of our rising to life.

That hidden moment of conception is the beginning of a persons life and they have a God-given right to live until in the natural course of things they take their last breath. We must acknowledge that too often the "natural course of things" is interrupted through disease, accident or the intervention of another person. We call this intervention by another person murder.

I have long been an advocate for our society to recognize that the intervention of abortion is murder, the murder of an unborn person. It occurs to me that it may be helpful for us to change how we use the language. If abortion and murder are synonymous (and I believe they are) then maybe we should evoke the idea of an aborted life more often.

When a child is murdered in the womb before they can be born...... their life is aborted.

When a 10 year old is shot in a school shooting tragedy......their life is aborted.

When a 16 year old is a victim of human trafficking they are abused and too often......their life is aborted.

When an innocent bystander is gunned down in gang violence in an inner city.......their life is aborted.

When a poor person is neglected, malnourished and abused & they die young......their life is aborted.

When an elderly or handicapped person is euthanised....their life is aborted.

Maybe this change of language will help us all to be more aware that when an innocent life is taken directly by another persons intervention from the moment of conception until natural death........their life is aborted.

Let us pray that our society will move to a deepers respect for all life and stop aborting lives anywhere along the journey.

Back to the beautiful sunset/sunrise. May it remind us of God's wondrous and loving plan for every person and deepen our resolve to hold life sacred as He does.

+Joseph

Word of God to Live By

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

2 Corinthians 12:9b-10

I willingly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I am content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then I am strong.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

This beautiful image underscores the tremendous humility of Jesus Christ the Son of God and our human tendency to be arrogant. As I look at the candle in the center of the image it seems to say to the man "instructing" Jesus Christ. "You can't hold a candle to The Light of the World". May this image remind us to examine our hearts and seek humility in all circumstances.

St. Thomas More- A Man for this Season

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

St Thomas More: A Man for This Season

Deacon Keith Fournier

On Oct 31, 2000, Saint John Paul II, responded to petitions from the faithful across the world and issued an apostolic letter, on his own authority. In it he proclaimed Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians.

The letter was addressed to "the Bishops of the Catholic Church and, in a particular way, to Catholic politicians and all lay members of the faithful called to participate in the political life of democratic societies."

On the Feast of Christ, the King in 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church issued an instruction entitled a "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life".

Sadly, I doubt many Catholics in political life or public service have ever read this tremendous teaching document. Even more regrettably, it is rarely if ever used by Bishops, priests or deacons in their teaching and preaching, to confront the utter lack of moral coherence demonstrated by too many Catholics in public service and help to catechize them.

The instruction in the Doctrinal Note is reflected in the teaching of the "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church" sections pertaining to the political participation of Catholics. (See, e.g. #565-574) Here is an excerpt:

"The social doctrine of the Church is not an intrusion into the government of individual countries. It is a question of the lay Catholic's duty to be morally coherent, found within one's conscience, which is one and indivisible.

'There cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called 'spiritual life', with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called 'secular' life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social responsibilities, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity."

Saint John Paul II held Thomas More up as a model, "Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person.

"Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal, the service of the human person."

The England of the sixteenth century was in a serious crisis of politics, culture and faith, much like the times in which we now live in the United States of America. In 1534, all citizens who were of age were required to take an oath called "The Act of Succession".

It acknowledged that King Henry VIII was married to Anne Boleyn, even though he was not married to Anne Boleyn. His desire to divorce Catherine was not sufficient to make that marriage null and his attempt to use his political power to change the objective truth of that fact proved unsuccessful.

So, the King used the power of his office to promulgate an unjust civil Law by which he simply proclaimed, in a sense by his version of our modern "executive order" that he and Anne were lawfully married. He also declared himself to be the Supreme Head of the Church in England, thus abrogating to himself the authority to determine that his lawful marital bond was dissolved. In doing so he denied the authority of the Bible, the Christian Tradition, the Natural Law, and the correct position taken by the successor of the Apostle Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

The Pope refused to succumb to Henry's demand to grant him an annulment from his lawful marriage so that he could pursue a different woman as his wife. He would not affirm Henry's decision to place his disordered sexual desires for a woman who was not his wife, over the objective truth of the indissolubility of the marriage bond.

Thomas More knew the order of truth. He applied a hierarchy of values in both his personal life and his public life. He lived as a faithful Catholic Christian, demonstrating a unity of life by his moral coherence. He stayed faithful to the Truth and did not separate out his call to live as a Christian from any sphere of his daily life.

In 1532, knowing that he could not enforce the declaration of his temporal King to usurp the authority of the Church which had been granted to it by the King of Kings, he resigned his political position. He tried to do so with the kind of integrity that had characterized his entire life. He withdrew from public life and bore the ridicule and taunts of those who once praised him.

He offered the suffering to the Lord by joining it to the Cross of the Savior. He then tried to continue to care for his beloved family, the domestic church of the home, by teaching them how to live lives of virtue and simplicity. He had lost his prestige and his considerable financial resources, but he gained the peace which always comes through fidelity to the Lord.

His hopes for a life with his family, lived in simplicity and fidelity to the Church, were short lived. The King, by now drunk on his own power, insisted that Thomas take the oath under the Act of Succession, thereby acknowledging the legitimacy of his marriage to Anne and his authority over the Church.

Thomas would not do so because he refused to violate his truly informed conscience. So, the King had his former counselor imprisoned in the Tower of London. There he underwent intense tortures of both body and soul. These came not only from the henchmen of the State but even from some within his own family and circle of friends who failed to understand his actions because their minds had been dulled by compromise.

At the time, few would have even noticed if Thomas had succumbed to the Royal request. He could have even tried to justify the action through using his well-honed rhetorical and logical skills and calling it a merely perfunctory action, deluding many.

He could have thereby restored his political position, some would have argued, in order to try to influence the King for the good over the long haul. He could have had his substantial properties restored if he had just sworn that oath, others would say, in order to provide material safety for his beloved family.

Instead, this man who loved life, loved his family, loved his career, and properly loved the created world and all of its true goods, loved the Lord first and would not compromise the Truth. It is that courage which cries out to us from his grave.

He was an ordinary Christian who shows the rest of us ordinary Christians the way to living a unity of life in the midst of the creeping darkness and distractions of our own age. He held in harmony his vocation as the father of a family with his profession as a lawyer and his service in the highest of Political offices.

He knew that there is a hierarchy of values which bring with them a hierarchy of duties and loyalties. His witness in life and in death challenges us to examine whether we do. How did he do it? Quite simply, he prayed. He lived in a communion with the Risen Lord as a faithful son of the Church which is His Body.

He was truly in love with the Lord and chose to live in the Heart of the Church - for the sake of the world. He teaches us, that the Christian vocation requires our constant response to the Lord's invitation to follow him and that we cannot get by on yesterdays' decisions.

During that brief time which he had with his family, after attempting to quietly resign rather than violate his formed conscience and before he was imprisoned, when his wife or children complained about their lack he would tell them that they could not expect to "go to heaven in featherbeds".

He taught them regularly to reflect upon the privation and sufferings of Jesus on our behalf and he prayed with them for the grace to join their own to Him on the Cross. He would not compromise the truth.

Thomas More was a morally coherent Christian. That is the lesson of his life - and of his Martyrs death. He beckons millions, across the expanse of time unto today, to follow his example as he followed the example of the Lord.

This champion of heroic courage, living in the midst of a State which had lost its soul, never wavered in his fidelity to the Truth. He would not betray the truth. He would not compromise it on the altar of public opinion or for political opportunism. He knew that to do so would not only have dishonored God and led his family and so many others astray, but that it would have given tacit assent to the emerging despotism of his age.

He was brought to trial for his fidelity to the Truth. As is always the case with persecution against Christians, it was framed as a charge against the positive or civil law. Even though that law was unjust and contradicted the Natural Moral Law. There, this outstanding lawyer defended the Truth for which he would later give his life.

Thomas used the occasion of the Courtroom, where he had practiced his trade, to defend the Truth and its obligations in the temporal order. In the eloquent words of Saint John Paul II, who proclaimed him not only the Patron of all lawyers but the Patron of all politicians, "he made an impassioned defense of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State."

He was found guilty, even though he was a guardian of true innocence. That unjust verdict brings shame upon every unjust tribunal and misuse of governmental power. Thomas More was martyred for his moral coherence, his fidelity to the Christian faith.

He was beheaded by the minions of a temporal leader who had abused his office and wielded the awful sword, the power of the State (which has as its very source God Himself) to inflict evil against those who refused to bow down in idolatrous worship of the State

Thomas faced his executioners with the very same dignity he had shown in life, speaking with humor and affection to them even before they beheaded him. After his death it was found that he had left these words in the margin of his Book of the Liturgy of Hours which he prayed every day:

"Give me your grace, good Lord, to set the world at naught...to have my mind well united to you; to not depend on the changing opinions of others...so that I may think joyfully of the things of God and tenderly implore his help. So that I may lean on God's strength and make an effort to love him... So as to thank Him ceaselessly for his benefits; so as to redeem the time I have wasted..."

We need to reflect on how we are living our own Christian faith in the midst of an increasingly hostile age.

We face a similar challenge to that which faced St. Thomas More. In our day. The attacks on true marriage are increasing in their severity. We are being compelled by the police power of the State to compromise for our own convenience and tempted to accept the rulings of Judicial Oligarchs and Alchemists who think that they can change the nature of this institution by the stroke of a pen. Their collaborators in political office, some of whom are apostate Christians, are now beginning to wield the figurative sword of temporal power against us.

The truths taught by the Church, based in the Bible, confirmed in the sacred tradition, and revealed within the common patrimony of the Natural Moral Law, are being rejected in an age struggling under what was called by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI a "Dictatorship of Relativism."

The most egregious example is the rejection of the truth concerning the dignity and inviolability of ever human life, from conception to natural death. This fundamental Right to Life is taught by the Natural Law and confirmed by medical science. Yet it is denied by those in control of the power of the State, and the blood of the innocent flows.

Thomas More is called a Man for all Seasons. He is certainly a man for this season.

He calls us to a unity of life, to moral coherence and integrity in our exercise of our civic duty. The Life, death, and eternal witness of St. Thomas More is a model for us. Let us reflect on this patron assigned to a special role in political affairs and ask for his intercession.

Let us light the light and dispel the darkness. Let us hold high the hope which this current age so desperately needs. Let us hold back the collapse, defend religious freedom, restore to the civil law the Natural Law recognition of the Right to Life, and allow the Christian community, in all of its confessional diversity, truly free - to do what she alone can do, bring authentic conversion to the Nation.

Let us turn to the Lord whom Thomas More followed with heroic virtue and choose, with the help of God’s grace, to become the men and women the Lord can use in this hour. These may be difficult times, but they are our times. We were born, and born again, for these times.

Let us fall to our knees in prayer and adoration and then rise and get to work!

A beautiful image as we continue the Octave of Christmas

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr, the Holy Innocents and today St. Thomas Becket we are reminded of the world's rejection of their King through the ages. Many have suffered to the point ot death for His Name and His Truth. May we willingly embrace whatever suffering we must in ordered to be counted among His faithful disciples. All Hail King Jesus!

A Very Special Christmas Blessing

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

My Dear Flock,

I'm sure for many this may seem like a very strange Christmas blessing but it is my prayer that it will enhance our celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As St. Faustina speaks of her vision of hell she reminds us that this is a destiny we can avoid because "God so loved the world that He gave us His only Begotten Son". Let us listen to Him, repent of our sins, seek reparation for our sins and embrace the fullness of His Mercy!

May our celebration of Christmas this year be enhanced by a sober realization of what Jesus Christ God's Divine Son has saved us from!

I pray that you and all who are dear to you are greatly blessed this Christmas.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

An excerpt from St. Faustina’s “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul”

Today, I was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw; the first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of conscience; the third is that one’s condition will never change; the fourth is the fire that will penetrated the soul without destroying it—a terrible suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God’s anger; the fifth torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company of Satan; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin.

I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so no one can say what it is like.

I, sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell.

Silent Night

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

I don't know the origin or title of this beautiful painting but I would call it Silent Night. It is a beautiful image of the Holy Family just after the birth of the Savior of the World. The artist captures the humanity and the divinity of this simple little family in beautiful ways. As we celebrate the Year of Saint Joseph I especially focus on the man Joseph, a tired husband and brand new foster father. His exhausted wife, the Blessed Virgin Mary, leans on him and they both ponder the wonder before them. We join them, drained and spent in our own ways, as we await the Light of the World once again. Come let us adore Him!

We are God's Children

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The following was written by St. John Henry Newman. It appeared in the popular periodical Magnificat recently. I encourage all of us to ponder the saints words and take them to heart.

Who are you?

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow, I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an archangel in His – if, indeed I fail, God can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.

Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness or perplexity or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end which is quite beyond us.

He does nothing in vain. He may prolong my life; He may shorten it. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about. O Adonai, O Ruler of Israel, You who guide Joseph like a flock, O Emmanuel, O Sapientia, I give myself to You.

I trust You wholly. You are wiser than I – more loving to me than I am to myself. Deign to fulfill Your high purposes in me – whatever they may be – work in and through me. I am born to serve You, to be Yours, to be Your instrument. Let me be Your blind instrument. I ask not to see. I ask not to know. I ask simply to be used.

Saint John Henry Newman

From Magnificat Dec. 13, 2020

Message to the Flock #!

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

1. One Nation Under God

Embrace the expression “one nation under God” found in the Pledge of Allegiance to our country’s flag. We are truly “one nation under God”. I speak directly to mothers and fathers, civic and religious leaders and all who find themselves responsible for guiding others through life and making important decisions for our society. Do all that you do in a manner which demonstrates the fact that you are, indeed, “under God”. As a pastor, I believe that neglecting to live our lives “under God” is at the root of the ills that we are experiencing in our society. I implore you to recommit personally and communally to living out your daily lives as children of God.

Wisdom from the Saints

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

St. Robert Bellarmine from his treatise “On the Ascent of the Mind to God”

“If you are wise, then, know that you have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation. This is your goal: this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart. If you reach this goal you will find happiness. If you fail to reach it, you will find misery. May you consider truly good whatever leads you to your goal and truly evil whatever makes you fall away from it. Prosperity and adversity, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, honors and humiliations, life and death, in the mind of the wise man, are not to be sought for their own sake, nor avoided for their own sake. But if they contribute to the glory of God and your eternal happiness, then they are good and should be sought. If they detract from this, they are evil and must be avoided.”

The Church's Clear Teaching

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Our beautiful Catholic faith always shows respect for every person and calls them from the darkness of sin into the light of faith. Although the opinion expressed recently by Pope Francis is confusing let us simply turn to the Church's clear teaching on the question of legal recognition of homosexual unions. We absolutely embrace every person with compassion but let us never forget that the greatest compassion is to draw the children of God closer to Jesus Christ and the truth He suffered, died and rose to share with humanity.

You can access the entire statement from June 3, 2003 at https://t.co/7u16iPpu8G

Paragraph #11 below succinctly states the teaching.

11. The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself.

The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, in the Audience of March 28, 2003, approved the present Considerations, adopted in the Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered their publication.

Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 3, 2003, Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs.

The Face of Jesus

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This is my favorite image of Jesus Christ. It is a painting by an 8 year old girl named Akiane Kramarik. Her remarkable story is that this painting captures the face of Jesus as she saw him in a vision. May it remind us of the Lord's Real Presence among us and call us to Joy in Him.

Join us in praying the Rosary on August 15

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland, Bishop of Tyler, is assisting Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jefferson, Texas with the development of a Marian Center of Eucharistic Devotion. As we approach August 15^th, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Immaculate Conception Parish announces a special Rosary to be prayed at the Church at 11:00 AM.

The Rosary will be prayed in Latin (booklets will be provided) in order to welcome people of all languages to join together in this beautiful prayer. The public is invited to join us as part of our prayer celebration of the Feast of the Assumption. All are encouraged to watch for other opportunities to join us, again, in prayer in the coming months.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located at 201 North Vale Street, Jefferson, Texas. The church email address is icccjefferson@sbcglobal.net for further information.

St. John Fisher

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

St. John Fisher was a Catholic bishop in England during the time of Henry VIII. He defended his flock against the heresies of the day and ultimatedly was martyred due to his resistance to the corruption of Henry VIII.

We live in a time of corruption and loss of faith that in many ways echoes England in the time of Henry VIII. Too many are more concerned about being aligned with the ways of the world than living the Truth of Jesus Christ. It often occurs to me that those who have been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ did not give up their lives in an unfocused haphazard way. They did not die for a cause that was unfocused and vague. They did not die for some nebulous idea of global unity. They did not die for some impersonal cause that had no roots in history or the basic moral teachings of Godly people. They died for JESUS CHRIST and ultimately for the same reasons that He died.

May bishops, priests, deacons, religious and all the baptized be inspired to live for the truth of Jesus Christ and even be willing to die for that truth.

St. John Fisher, Pray for Us!

Soul of the Apostolate Conference July 24-26

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

I encourage you to participate in this Conference if possible. God bless.

Soul of the Apostolate Conference and Formation Resource

Souls of the Christian Apostolate “SOCA” is excited to announce its National Grand Opening with an online conference with many faithful Bishops from July 24th-26th.

In answer to the crisis we face in the Church and the world, leaders provide a universal solution “The one thing necessary”, the interior life. This formation repository will provide practical lifelong training.

There will be over 30 presentations including 5 Bishops, such as Ab Cordileone, Ab Gullickson, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Dom Alcuin Reid, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Sam Guzman (The Catholic Gentleman), Sensus Fidelium’s Steve Cunningham, Parishioner Daniel Campbell, Gregory DiPippo (New Liturgical Movement).

Registration is free, and the Premium Pass will include a 25% discount for parishioners and members of our diocese. Go to souloftheapostolate.com for more information. The coupon code is TEXAS.

The Gift of Life (double click here to view the flyer)

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Spiritual Communion

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

From Saint Francis de Sales

"When you cannot enjoy the benefit of communicating at Holy Mass, communicate at least in your heart and spirit, uniting yourself by an ardent desire to receive this life-giving flesh of our Savior... Your intention should be to advance, to strengthen and to console yourself in the love of God. You must receive through love what love alone has given you."

The wisdom of St. Francis and so many other saints reminds us of the ways we can walk with the Lord always. Especially in these challenging times I urge us all to "communicate" deeply with the Lord on a daily basis. Certainly if you are able to actually able to attend Holy Mass and receive the Lord in the form of consecrated bread at Communion this affords you the optimum grace of Communion with the Lord but if attending Holy Mass and receiving Communion is not possible Spiritual Communion is a great gift of intimate sharing with the Lord.

Finally, I encourage all of us to reflect deeply on the gift of Spiritual Communion which should always be a part of our awefilled reception of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Put simply we should always make a Spiritual Communion when we receive the Lord at Mass, if we cannot actually receive Him in Communion we can still receive Him in Spiritual Communion.

May our Communion with the Lord deepen our awe and reverence at the wondrous gift that He is in our daily life and thus increase our awe and reverence as we attend Holy Mass and receive His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

An Urgent Plea to Pray the Rosary

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 05:00:00 +0000

PRAY THE ROSARY

As Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler I ask all who read this to pray at least one Rosary daily for the last 21 days of July. This is a plea for the LIGHT OF CHRIST to shine brightly in these dark days of the 21st Century. Through the Rosary we implore the Immaculate Virgin Mary to bring her powerful prayers of intercession to the throne of God the Almighty Father.

Through prayer and study I have come to a greater understanding of just how powerful the prayers of the IMMACULATE VIRGIN MARY are. This is because God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit have ordained that she might be a woman and a virgin mother who interceeds for all of God's children.

Please PRAY THE ROSARY and urge all you are in contact with to join us. We need to STORM THE HEAVENS with the Rosary reflecting on the Mysteries of the Life of Jesus Christ and repeating HAIL MARY, AVE MARIA.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYING AT LEAST ONE ROSARY DAILY FOR THE REST OF JULY.

Hope and Light in the Darkness

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say REJOICE"

As we all face uncertainties and concerns about so many things I wanted to take a moment to share these familiar words from St. Paul to the Philippians. I can speak for myself that it is at times hard to hang onto the Joy and I can imagine that this is true for many of us. As a kid growing up in East Texas I would never have imagined the situation of the world, the Church and our nation in which we find ourselves. There is so much destruction around us but the Lord calls us to build up the Body of His Son Jesus Christ. In order to protect our families and our communities we must be aware of evil forces and alert to their destructive actions but we ultimately turn to the Lord for strength and wisdom. Jesus promised us that He will be with us until the end of the age. We believe Him and turn especially to His Eucharistic presence for strength. May His Mother the Immaculate Virgin Mary intercede for us her children more powerfully than ever and may she place her protective mantle over us. Please be assured of my constant prayers as your shepherd.

God bless you and all those who are dear to you.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

A Remarkable Story

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

On December 8, 1854, Pius IX solemnly promulgated in the Basilica of St. Peter the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Already advanced in years and of delicate health, he was in the presbytery and was speaking in a weak voice. At that time microphones, loudspeakers, and sound amplifiers had not yet been invented. But in the moment when he read the formula of the dogmatic definition, his voice became sonorous and strong while at the same time a ray of sun, piercing the clouds, passed through a stained-glass window of the Basilica of St. Peter’s, enveloping his person.

Those external events, that everyone noticed, were interpreted as a sign of God’s pleasure and also that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Pope said, “That which I experienced, that which I felt defining the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, was such a thing that I would not know how to express it in human language. While God pronounced the words of the Dogma through the mouth of his Vicar, he made such a clear and intense light about the incomparable purity of the Most Pure Virgin enter into my spirit that, sinking into the abyss of this knowledge, my soul felt inundated with unutterable delights, of delights that are not earthly and which one cannot experience but in heaven.”

A biographer of Pius IX writes, “I am not afraid to affirm that the Pope received a special grace not to die of sweetness under the impression of the knowledge and of the feeling of incomparable beauty of the Immaculate Mary.” The words with which the Pope defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that were accompanied by that profound mystical experience, were these:

“With the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and with our own, we declare, pronounce and define: The doctrine that maintains that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary at the first moment of her Conception, by a singular grace and privilege of God Almighty, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from every stain of original sin, is revealed by God and therefore should be believed firmly and inviolably by all the faithful” (Pius IX, Bull Ineffabilis Deus) as quoted in the book, The Virgin Mary and the Devil in Exorcisms by Father Francesco Bamonte

A Note to the Flock

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

A Note to the Flock

June 12, 2020

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

As the repercussions of Mr. George Floyd’s tragic and unjust death begin to subside I wanted to take a moment to reflect more deeply with you. My hope is that we can all ask ourselves how our Catholic faith, our life with Jesus Christ as our Lord, calls us to respond.

Our first response to any situation we encounter should be prayer. I know that as you read this many of you may groan inwardly and even may experience some anger. Just pray? Of course we don’t “just pray” but as believers we should always “first pray”. As men and women who know and love God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit this should be our immediate instinct when we encounter any major challenge in our lives. We should always take it to prayer.

Specifically as Catholics we should take the turmoil surrounding Mr. Floyd’s death to prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to His Blessed Mother by praying the rosary. If these practices are already part of your daily prayer life please simply make Mr. Floyd and your proper response to his unjust death your prayer intention. Pray your holy hour, offer your daily rosary, attend Mass or have a Mass prayed by your pastor for this intention.

Take action regarding the inspirations that come from your prayers to guard the sanctity of life and promote greater justice for all.

The second major response I would encourage with regard to this present turmoil is to learn from it. Our broken society tends to react emotionally and irresponsibly rather than in a measured and constructive manner. We are all swept up in this emotion in countless ways and we can all forget to respond as those who know that God is with us. Instead let us learn the lessons we should from the unjust taking of Mr. Floyd’s life.

There are multiple lessons that we have learned that can’t all be mentioned here but I mention a few for illustration. We learn once again that life is sacred and when it is taken unjustly that evil act has serious repercussions beyond the tragedy of the death of a child of God. We learn that the media often distorts these situations and causes more harm than good. We learn that leaders of Church and state get caught up in these moments and often speak and act in ways that create further injustice and assign blame irresponsibly. One of the major reasons we should make prayer our first response is that it pulls us away from heated emotion and guides us to God’s will.

Finally, we should all ask ourselves what our personal response should be to Mr. Floyd’s death. What should I do? This involves a good examination of conscience for each of us. The actions we may be inspired to take will likely be numerous and we must discern what will be most effective. Here we need to focus on how we need to change our lives in order to move our world away from these injustices. What should I change in my life?

The taking of the life of Mr. George Floyd before his natural death will not be the last injustice we encounter in this nation. Let us continue to pray for him, his family, and for all who have been harmed. Let us learn the lessons this tragic situation teaches us. Finally, let us change what needs to change in our lives. These basic steps will help us today and in the future to live more fully as disciples of Jesus, as Catholics, and as children of God.

God bless you,

+Joseph

5th Post in the Series...Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Vote for Candidates who Support Parental Choice in Education

One of the experiences which accompanied the COVID 19 Shelter at Home Orders was that all parents became “home school” parents. But, in a sense, all parents already WERE "home school parents". Some simply choose to share that educational mission with others outside of the home as their children mature. I say that because parents are the “first teachers” of their children. That very phrase is a part of the Baptismal Rite.

The teaching of the Catholic Church on the primacy of parents in the educational mission is clear After all, the primacy of marriage - and the family founded upon it - as the first cell of society, the first church, first government, first school, first hospital, first economy, and the first mediating institution of the broader society - is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching.

In his apostolic exhortation on the family entitled "The Role of the Christian family in the Modern World" (Familiaris Consortio) Pope St. John Paul II affirmed the social and political role of the family and called for the development of a "family politics". Catholics should embrace such a "family politics". A just and efficient philosophy of civil government should recognize the family is the first government and that all other government must first be at its service.

Parents are the first teachers of their children and all education begins in the home. We need to acknowledge in our positive or civil law the right of parents to choose for their own children where they go to school. That choice should include the full array of options, public, private, parochial, charter and home schools, no matter what their economic status. This can be done in constitutionally sound ways. And, the last obstacle, the so-called “Blaine Amendments” are being struck down throughout the country as unconstitutional. And, rightly so.

Education outside of the home is an extension of the parental role and government should recognize and defer to the parent’s primary role in the educational mission. These children are not, in the words of the US Supreme Courts' Wisconsin v Yoder decision ".... mere creatures of the State." The family is the first government and the first schoolhouse. We have forgotten that objective truth as a nation and we are reaping the consequences.

It was the polestar of educational law for many years that teachers act in loco parentis - a Latin phrase meaning in the place of, or on behalf of the parents. Sadly, we have lost our way. In addition, the very origins of what became the "public" school system began with families pooling resources in small community schools. What happened? We need to reconsider our history in order to chart our future.

Some who oppose "school choice" or, more properly "parental choice", are entrenched in the current federalized educational bureaucracy and the culture which fuels it. However, increasingly people of every walk of life will admit the obvious, our current educational system is broken.

The current overly federalized approach to education in the United States is failing. Statistics and experience confirm the obvious. It is time for a change and parental (school) choice is the change that is needed. It means affirming again, as a matter of public policy and legislation, that Parents are the ones who should be able to make the choice of how to best extend their own teaching mission outside of the home. They should be able to choose where to send their children to school from among the full array of options.

The proper role of Federal, State or Local Government is to support, NOT USURP, the first government in the home. Rather than focus on the word "School" - which is then used to arouse a "public" school vs. "private" school debate - we should use the phrase "Parental Choice". After all, it is Parents who are the first teachers of their children and the family is the first school. This is where the policy debate should focus.

Those of us who support this approach must watch our language. We are not against government. We simply maintain that government begins in the family. Good governance recognizes the first government of the family and follows the social ordering and good governance principle of subsidiarity by deferring to the smallest governing unit; not usurping but empowering and helping families. The current overly federalized approach to education in the United States is failing.

Here is an insight taken from the Apostolic Exhortation "Familiaris Consortio":

"The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others..."

In his "Letter to Families" the late Pope wrote

"Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents. They share their educational mission with other individuals or institutions, such as the Church and the State. But the mission of education must always be carried out in accordance with a proper application of the Principle of Subsidiarity."

"This implies the legitimacy and indeed the need of giving assistance to the parents but finds its intrinsic and absolute limit in their prevailing right and actual capabilities. The principle of subsidiarity is thus at the service of parental love, meeting the good of the family unit. For parents by themselves are not capable of satisfying every requirement of the whole process of raising children; especially in matters concerning their schooling and the entire gamut of socialization.

"Subsidiarity thus complements paternal and maternal love and confirms its fundamental nature, inasmuch as all other participants in the process of education are only able to carry out their responsibilities in the name of the parents, with their consent and, to a certain degree, with their authorization."

Parental (School) Choice is a matter of genuine social justice, not what is masquerading as social justice in some circles these days. Parental choice in education is right for our children, right for our parents and right for our Nation. As we approach the exercise of our vote in the upcoming elections, we should choose those candidates who support parental (school) choice in education.

4th Post in the Series...Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Vote for Candidates who Respect and Protect Marriage and the Family

In our consideration of morally coherent Catholic citizenship we have considered the fundamental Right to Life and the Right to Religious Freedom. Now, we turn to the urgent challenge of defending the first and most vital cell of society, marriage, and the family and social order founded upon it.

In a 2016 interview, Cardinal Carlo Caffarra disclosed a letter he had received years earlier from Sr. Lucia, then the last surviving visionary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima. Sr Lucia wrote: “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family.’ Do not be afraid, she added, because whoever works for the sanctity of Marriage and the Family will always be fought against and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. Then she concluded: ‘nevertheless, Our Lady has already crushed his head’.”

Pope St John Paul II, the Pope of the Family, wrote and spoke repeatedly about the attacks on Marriage and the Family. He also affirmed their essential and unchangeable nature. Those attacks on marriage and the family have now reached a fever pitch. This is evident particularly in the West, where marriage has been redefined to a point where it is no longer even discernible. And, those who stand in defense of marriage and the family are increasingly being disparaged and confronted with soft persecution.

The Attack on Marriage and the Family

The attack on Marriage and the Family rages all around us. And, it is intensifying. It is a part of a broader cultural struggle, a clash of worldviews, personal and corporate, and competing definitions of human freedom, human dignity, and the path to true happiness and human flourishing. We are involved in a contest over the foundations of what constitutes a truly human and just social order.

As Catholic Christians, we must insist that marriage between one man and one woman, intended for life, and the family founded upon it, has been inscribed by the Divine Architect into the order of the universe. That is because they have. Truth does not change; people and cultures do; sometimes for good and sometimes for bad.

As for the position of the Catholic Church on marriage, it is crystal clear. Marriage between one man and one woman, indissoluble, unitive, and always open to procreation forms the foundation for the family, and the family forms the foundation of both the Church and the civil society. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church explained it well in 2003.

Marriage and Family as God’s Loving Plan

Faithful Catholics and other Christians should only support men and women for public office who will respect and protect marriage and the family. For the Jewish and Christian believer, from the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis (which means beginning) we discover the loving plan of God for marriage revealed in the context of the creation account. God fashioned man in His own image saying, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26)

The early Fathers of the Christian Church noted that the plural language in the creation account points to the Trinitarian nature of God. Though God is One, the Christian faith proclaims that God is a loving Trinity of persons in the perfect unity of perfect love. The Father, Son and Spirit are a gift to one another. The Oneness of God is not solitary, but rather the perfection of Divine Love, being given away to the other, in the reciprocity of the Trinitarian communion.

In the second chapter of Genesis we read, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). The two, male and female, coming together in marriage to become one, reflects this unity in communion. We are, by both nature and grace, social. The mutual expression of love, as gift to the other, lived within marriage, opens the married couple to participation in God’s loving plan. If marriage is embraced as a Christian vocation, it also leads them to holiness, includes them in the gift of creation through procreation, and draws them into a partnership of love which births a family.

Marriage is intended to be a lifelong, indissoluble union of the spouses, male and female, always open to life and formative of family. Family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is not only the first and most vital cell of society, it is the first school, first church, first hospital, first economy, first government and first mediating institution.

Marriage is the Future

Our convictions and claims concerning the nature and ends of marriage are not outdated notions of a past era but provide the path to building a strong future for society. Nor is our position defending marriage as solely possible between one man and one woman simply a religious position. There is a Natural Moral Law which can be known by all men and women through the exercise of reason.

Marriage is not unique to Christianity; it is revealed by that Natural Moral Law as a good for all of humanity. It has been so recognized across cultures for millennia. That Natural Moral Law is the ground upon which every great civilization has been built. It is the source for every great and authentic human and civil rights movement. The Natural Law gives us the moral norms we need to build truly human and just societies and govern ourselves. It should inform our positive or civil law, or we will become lawless and devolve into anarchy.

Civil institutions do not create marriage. Neither can they create some new “right to marry” for those whose relationships are incapable of achieving the ends of marriage. Government has long regulated marriage for the common good. For example, the ban on polygamy. And, age requirements were enforced to ensure that there was a mature decision as the basis of the Marriage contract.

Marriage is the first society into which children are to be born, learn to be fully human, grow in virtue, flourish, and take their proper role in families and communities. We must not be afraid to make the claim that children have a right to a mother and a father. They do. Of course, we should also care about the single parent family and the many broken homes which characterize this age.

However, their existence does not change the norm necessary for building a stable and healthy society - two parent, marriage bound families. Intact marriages and families are the glue of a healthy and happy social order. Faithful Catholics and other Christians must become a visible, palpable reflection of this truth about marriage and family in our own lives. To live a faithful marriage is now countercultural.

Male and Female

In the creation account found in the First Chapter of the Book of Genesis we also read these vitally important words, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Our sexual difference as male and female is a gift - and a given. To reject the gift is to reject the Giver.

We do not choose to be male or female. We receive it as a gift, or we reject it. The notion that we can choose our sexual identification as male or female is but one more manifestation of the rebellion that started in the garden with Adam and Eve when they turned away from God’s loving plan.

When our first parents succumbed to the lie that they could determine for themselves what is good and what is evil, the separation from God began. In theological terms, we call that sin. It is both an offense against God’s loving plan and a wrong exercise of human freedom. Only a Savior could bridge that separation. Thank God that He sent One. His name is Jesus the Christ.

In His defense of marriage, Jesus referred to this Genesis account in insisting on the indissolubility of marriage: “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and … the two shall become one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man put asunder” (Mk 10:5-9; cf. Mt 19:4-9; Lk 16:18).

To reject sexual difference is to reject God’s gift. Difference is not inequality of worth. Rather, it enables the gift of self to the other and a reciprocity, an exchange, which elevates us all. To strike against true marriage is to strike against God’s loving plan and design, built into creation from the very beginning, revealed by the Natural Law, and elevated by Jesus Christ to a Sacrament.

A New Missionary Age

The early Christians, with joy and integrity, spoke and lived a different way in a culture which did not accept their message. As a result, they sometimes stirred up hostility. Some of them were martyred in the red martyrdom of shed blood. Countless more joined the train of what use to be called "white martyrdom", by living lives of sacrificial witness and service in their culture, working hard and staying faithful to the end of a long life spent in missionary toil.

Slowly, not only were people converted and baptized, but eventually their leaders and entire Nations followed suit. Resultantly, the Christian worldview began to influence the social order. The cultural climate changed significantly. It was the Christian faith, the lifestyle and the practices of these Christians which began to win the hearts of men and women. As a result, cultures once enshrined to pagan practices, such as plural marriage, homosexuality, infant exposure, and abortion began to change dramatically, and this dynamic continued for centuries.

It was Christianity that taught such novel concepts as the dignity of every person and their equality before the One God. Christians proclaimed the dignity of women, the dignity of chaste marriage and the sanctity of the family. Christianity introduced the understanding of freedom not simply as a freedom from, but as a freedom for, living responsibly and with integrity.

Christians insisted that freedom must be exercised with reference to a moral code, a law higher than the emperor, or the shifting sands of public opinion. Christians understood that choice, rightly exercised, meant always choosing what was right and that the freedom to exercise that choice brought with it an obligation and concern for the other.

The Christian faith presented a coherent and compelling answer to the existential questions that plagued the ancients - such as why we existed and how we got here? What was the purpose of life? Questions like how evil came into the world? And why we could not always make right choices? What force seemed to move us toward evil? And how we could be set free from its power?

Christian philosophy began to flourish, and the arts also flourished under the Christian worldview. Philosophies of government and economic theory began to be influenced by the principles derived from a Christian worldview. This can happen again. We are called to transform our own American and Western culture from within.

We are living in a new missionary age. We must remain faithful as Catholics to the unchangeable truths. The truth about marriage and the family is one of those truths. And, we live our obligations as Catholic citizens in a morally coherent manner. We should Vote for Candidates who Respect and Protect Marriage and the Family.

A Statement on the Tragic Death of Mr. George Floyd

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler,

As your bishop I find it necessary to speak to you regarding the death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis. Once again the consciousness of our nation has been overwhelmed by the tragic death of a man. While I do not claim to know any details of what actually occurred on the streets of Minneapolis it is clear that an african american man died violently and all indications are that his death could easily have been prevented. Adding to the tragedy is the racial element which has sadly been repeated too many times in our society. As a Catholic pastor I urge all of us to protest this with every nonviolent means at our disposal. Let us look to the Lord of Life, the creator of us all and remember that we are all precious in His sight. Let us work and pray for a society where every human being is treated with the respect befitting one created in the image of God. Let us pray for Mr. Floyd, for his family and for all who have once again been harmed by this senseless disregard for the sanctity of life.

Sincerely in Christ's Name,

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

3rd Post in the Series...Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

Tue, 26 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

The Right to Religious Freedom Should Inform our Voting

In his World Peace Day message for 1988, Pope St John Paul II said: “Religious freedom, an essential requirement of the dignity of every person, is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights, and for this reason an irreplaceable factor in the good of individuals and of the whole of society, as well as of the personal fulfillment of each individual. It follows that the freedom of individuals and communities to profess and practice their religion is an essential element for peaceful human coexistence. […] The civil and social right to religious freedom, inasmuch as it touches the most intimate sphere of the spirit, is a point of reference for the other fundamental rights and in some way becomes a measure of them”

This emphasis on religious freedom ran throughout the late Popes teaching magisterium. It was demonstrated early in his service to the Church. For example, then Bishop Karol Wojtyla’s actions at the Second Vatican Council. He made five interventions during the discussions which helped to formulate the final Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humane) which was promulgated by Pope St Paul VI on December 7, 1965.

This is all in keeping with his rich understanding of the essential connection between truth and freedom as discussed throughout “The Splendor of Truth” (Veritatis Splendor) where John Paul warns of the “death of true freedom” (Par 40) . It is also addressed repeatedly in “The Gospel of Life” (Evangelium Vitae) where he writes of freedom’s “…essential link with truth” and “…inherently relational dimension.”(Par. 19)

In his encyclical letter on “Faith and Reason”, Fides et ratio, he wrote: "It is not just that freedom is part of the act of faith: it is absolutely required. Indeed, it is faith that allows individuals to give consummate expression to their own freedom. Put differently, freedom is not realized in decisions made against God. For how could it be an exercise of true freedom to refuse to be open to the very reality which enables our self-realization? Men and women can accomplish no more important act in their lives than the act of faith; it is here that freedom reaches the certainty of truth and chooses to live in that truth."(Par. 13)

As the Second Vatican Council affirmed: “This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits. “The council further declares that the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right.” (DH Par. 2)

As we approach the upcoming elections in the United States, the candidates stand on religious freedom must be paramount in our choices in the ballot box. The soft persecution of faithful Christians, across the confessional spectrum, is obvious to anyone who cares about religious freedom. The growing hostility toward the symbols of our religious heritage, the mocking of the values informed by religious faith and the overt and open hostility toward people of faith and religious institutions is increasing.

Religious freedom is called the first freedom in the American polity for good reason. It ensures that the leavening role of revealed truth helps us to form our conscience and shape the choices we make as individuals, families and, as a society.

The American founders fled coercive approaches to religion which compelled adherence to a particular sect. An incorrect interpretation of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights has arisen in our day which promotes a notion of a Church/State separation that is hostile to religious institutions, discriminates against people of faith and seeks to censor religious speech and expression in the public square.

Religious faith should be encouraged and accommodated by the federal and/or state government, not treated with hostility. Rightly understood and applied, religious freedom means a freedom for religious expression, not a removal of such expression in the public square. Religious faith, religious institutions and religious speech are protected by the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights.

The Birth Certificate of our Nation, the Declaration of Independence, affirmed the existence of inalienable rights and self-evident truths. The Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness were understood to be endowed by our Creator and not conferred by a Federal or State Government. Implicit within the classical understanding of happiness is the pursuit of virtue - and virtue requires religion.

The First Amendment prohibition against the establishment of a National Religion was never meant to be used to justify governmental hostility toward religious faith, religious persons, or religious institutions. It was intended to protect against the establishment of a National Church and a forced adherence to its doctrine. It was more aptly understood as an Anti-Establishment Clause.

The Right to Religious Freedom protects people of all faiths to participate in the public square and to be a part of the daily social interactions that constitute the very tapestry of our social life. Religious faith is a human and social good.

The drafters of the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights used the phrase "Free exercise of religion" for a good reason. The protection which it guarantees to American citizens goes beyond the freedom to worship within the four walls of our church buildings. Exercise involves action. The First Amendment protects our fundamental right to bring the values informed by our faith into the social, economic, and political arena as good and faithful citizens.

The Free Exercise Clause has been turned on its head. An errant interpretation is increasingly being used to silence the Church and the religious speaker and actor. There is a dangerous trend of labeling anyone who supports the value of the undeniable Jewish and Christian roots of the West as backward, bigoted or, worse yet, trying to impose a theocracy and undermine freedom. The fact is, the Church was and is the guarantor of authentic freedom. Hostility toward the role of faith in our life together and efforts to censor the vital role it has played in our history and founding, is corrosive to true freedom.

The free exercise of religion is not only a constitutional right in the American polity, it is a fundamental human right in Catholic teaching. And, it should inform our choice of who we elect from among the candidates in the upcoming election.

2nd Post in the Series...Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

Thu, 21 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

The Pre-eminent Moral Mandate: The Right to Life

The most important foundational teaching and principle of Catholic Social Teaching is that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death, because every man and woman is created in the Image of God. Further, there is a fundamental Right to Life, which is confirmed in the Natural Moral Law, the Sacred Scripture, and the unbroken Tradition of the Catholic Church. Every Civil Law must respect that fundamental Human Right to Life, or such a law is an unjust law.

Every human person is created in the Image of God. Because of that, they have an inherent dignity - at every age and stage of their lives. This truth is what informs our respect for every human life whether that life is found in the first home of the womb, a wheelchair, a jail cell, a hospital room, a hospice, a senior center, a soup kitchen or on a refugee boat. And, in future installments, we will touch on many of these matters.

However, the Right to Life position is, in one sense, not about an “issue” at all. Nor are those who hold it “single issue voters”. It is the Preeminent moral mandate. The Pro-Life position is also worldview, a lens through which we should view every political, cultural, social, and economic issue. It should inform every aspect of our participation in society, especially the exercise of our citizenship.

As we approach this election season, it therefore must inform the way we vote. The Right to Life is the foundation for every human right. The language often used in the political discussion surrounding legal abortion reveals an Orwellian newspeak which is polluting our public discourse. We should never use phrases such as "Abortion rights". Abortions do not have rights; only human persons have rights. The first Right is the Right to Life.

Every procured abortion is the taking of innocent human life and is always and everywhere intrinsically immoral. Without the Right to Life there are no other rights and the infrastructure of rights is thrown into jeopardy. Human rights are goods of human persons. When there is no human person to exercise them, all the rhetoric extolling them is nothing but empty air and sloganeering.

Every procured abortion is intrinsically immoral - always and everywhere wrong. Thus, our absolute opposition to legalized abortion must be the first of the pre-eminent issues we consider in voting. Any candidate or political party which promotes abortion is precluded from any further consideration for a Catholic voter.

That individual or party may embrace other policies that seem supportive of other related issues arising out of our respect for the sanctity of life, but if their stance is that abortion is ever acceptable and should be promoted, any other positive life values become moot. If one promotes the idea that an unborn person has no Right to Life, then what other right is of any consequence? That person’s life has been terminated.

I urge the faithful in this diocese to realize that anyone who directly promotes abortion is not acceptable for leadership in our society. I realize that eliminates a vast number of potential leaders from our consideration as faithful Catholics, but we must hold firm and do all we can to only support political leaders who respect and protect the fundamental Right to life of the unborn. And, they must listen to our voice.

Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

Tue, 19 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Morally Coherent Catholic Citizenship

As your bishop, I plan to offer a series of brief articles that I pray will be helpful to all of us as we approach the 2020 national, state, and local elections in November. Let me be clear, I have no intention of publicly endorsing any specific party or any candidate.

Rather, I intend to focus on the foundational teachings and principles of our Catholic faith and the importance of moral coherence in our personal exercise of faithful citizenship. That will entail a special emphasis on Authentic Catholic Social Teaching. It is a real tragedy that even the principles of Catholic Social Teaching are often being corrupted and coopted by some whose attitudes and approaches are not Catholic or Christian at all.

Catholics, in their exercise of their citizenship, too often succumb to what the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council warned of in the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” (“Gaudium et Spes”). They wrote: “This split between the faith which many profess, and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age” (Par. 43)

In short, faith and Life must come together for Catholics. The full Deposit of Faith must be guarded - and it must inform every area of our life, including our social and civic participation. That includes our voting. This overriding insight was elaborated upon in 2002 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in its excellent teaching on the Participations of Catholics in Political Life:

“The social doctrine of the Church is not an intrusion into the government of individual countries. It is a question of the lay Catholic’s duty to be morally coherent, found within one’s conscience, which is one and indivisible. There cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called ‘spiritual life’, with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called ‘secular’ life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social responsibilities, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine, which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity.”

We need to fully participate in the election process, as Catholic citizens, in a manner which is morally coherent.

St. Joseph the Worker

Fri, 01 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

I love this image of St. Joseph and his foster Son. May St. Joseph the Worker intercede for the Church in powerful ways during these challenging times.

Right the Wrong

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

I encourage everyone in the Diocese of Tyler to participate in our Right the Wrong Mission. You can find it on the stphilipinstitute.org website and follow the instructions to add your voice to many, many others who know that the life of every unborn child is a precious gift that must not be exploited. It is time to speak for the Sanctity of Life vigourously and make it clear to all that life is a sacred gift from Almighty God from conception to natural death. In addition to participating yourself I encourage you to share the Right the Wrong Mission with everyone you know in the Diocese of Tyler and beyond. This is not just a Catholic issue, it is not just a Christian issue, it is an issue that touches all humanity and we must speak up. Thank you for adding your voice and urging others to do so. May God bless the Diocese of Tyler, the State of Texas, the United States and the world; may God's children speak up for the precious lives of unborn children and demand that these lives be held sacred by the state, the scientific community and by all of society.

Holy Week- The Week of Weeks

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler,

I pray that you feel the wonder of God’s Love, incarnate in His Son Jesus Christ, as we approach our holiest days.

The Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday

Easter Sunday

I encourage every household to embrace the following themes for each of these days and to consider the suggestions for your domestic church celebrations. I invite you to be creative and to engage the children and teens in your family as you seek ways to experience the Holy Days of the Triduum and Easter Sunday.

Holy Thursday - Jesus Institutes the Eucharist giving us His Body and Blood to be real food for us. Jesus feeds us with His Love Incarnate by giving us His own Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity - the Real Presence.

Suggested Activities:

1) Bake your favorite loaf of bread and make it the center piece of your Holy Thursday family meal.

2) Commit the entire family to prayer, together, for an hour. Jesus asked His disciples if they could spend one hour with Him. As 21^st century disciples let’s say, “YES WE CAN!”

Good Friday - Jesus suffers for all of us. He carries His Cross, is nailed to His Cross and then dies on His Cross to save us all.

Suggested Activities:

1) Pray the Stations of the Cross as a family. Ask the kids to set up markers in the yard or in your home for each station.

2) Make a simple cross in your yard with pieces of wood or stones. Let the kids be creative.

Holy Saturday - Jesus lies in the tomb. God’s Son has died and His body is in repose. The world is silent and dark as the Incarnate Word and the Light of the World has died.

Suggested Activities:

1) Designate some time for silence for the whole family. Total silence for as much time as you can manage. As adults let us remember the meaning of silence and help the kids understand.

2) Saturday evening, light your own new fire and gather the family to pray around it. Keep it safe!!!

3) Place a Light in your front yard or window as we wait for the Light of the World to Rise.

Easter Sunday - He is Risen! Light has returned to a Dark World, Sin and Death have been conquered. We celebrate this day as God’s Alleluia people.

Suggested Activities:

Get up Sunday morning and watch the sunrise together.
Dress in your Sunday best and participate in a livestreamed or recorded video available at

stphilipinstitute.org

3) Have a family Easter Feast and get everyone involved in the preparations.

4) Go to the Facebook page for the stphilipinstitute.org and join Bishop Strickland on a Virtual Eucharistic Pilgrimage from 3:00 to 5:00 on Easter Sunday afternoon.

CELEBRATE JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD THE ENTIRE EASTER SEASON

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 12 - PENTECOST SUNDAY, MAY 31

HE IS LORD! HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

Fr. Brandon Bernhard, now Benedictine Father Martin in Norcia

Sat, 04 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Father Brandon Bernhard was ordained for the Diocese of Tyler but later discerned a call to be a Benedictine Monk in Norcia, Italy. His religious name is Fr. Martin and he prays faithfully for all of us in the Diocese of Tyler. Please say a prayer for Fr. Martin and his brothers, for their health and safety, for their strength in the Lord and for their prayers for all of us.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/monks-of-norcia-counter-pandemic-with-processions-traditional-prayers-against-pestilence

April 1st Update Regarding Mitigation of the Coronavirus in the Diocese of Tyler

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Update on Measures to Keep the Diocese of Tyler Safe
April 1, 2020

On March 17, 2020, I issued a decree suspending the public celebration of Mass and enacting other measures in support of the effort to keep our communities safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. I also noted that I would provide a brief, general update to the diocese on April 1.

Because we must continue to remain isolated and do our part to slow the spread of this terrible disease, and following the guidelines and orders from our local, state, and national leaders, the measures taken in the March 17 remain in effect until further notice.

All of our priests feel a great sorrow that our communities cannot be together for our public worship, especially for the special celebrations of the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection during Holy Week. Yet, we know that on Easter morning, in our homes, we will celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death and that this our source of joy even now.

Please continue to be comforted knowing that priests here in the diocese are praying for you and celebrating Mass for the praise and glory of God’s name, for our good, and the good of all his holy Church.

Let us remain united in the love of Jesus, praying for the sick, the lonely, and for those who are working to keep our communities safe, particularly the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

Finally, I once again strongly encourage everyone in the Diocese of Tyler to listen to and follow the directions of our state and local authorities. Our president has told us that tough days are ahead. It is our behaviors that will change the course of this pandemic. Whether you are sick or not, please stay in your homes except for essential needs. In doing this, combined with our prayers, we will be helping to bring this crisis to an end so that we can once again come together.

Announcement after Holy Mass for the 5th Sunday of Lent

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Announcement

As Bishop of Tyler, I am asking all of us to use the website of the St. Philip Institute (stphilipinstitute.org), as our Virtual Diocesan Family Room.

Let us be strong in the power of prayer, penance, fasting and almsgiving. Every day pray the rosary and pray with the Bible, make an Act of Contrition, offer up your sufferings and make sacrifices, refrain from one of your favorite foods or activities, and share what you have with the church and with those in need.

Please go to the St. Philip Institute (stphilipinstitute.org) website for Holy Masses, prayers, teachings on the Catholic Faith, and ideas on navigating this present reality as a family of Faith for every season of life.

I ask every priest to send information about their parish or mission to strasancos@stphilipinstitute.org so that it can be posted on our Virtual Bulletin Board that is part of our Virtual Diocesan Family Room.

My Tweets are accessible on the St. Philip Institute (stphilipinstitute.org) website; just scroll down to the area that has a picture of me you’ll see Letters from the Bishop and below that "Tweets by @bishopoftyler" -- please visit there often.

Even as we remain physically separated let us be more spiritually united than ever before. I hope that four basic principles can guide us as a Diocesan Catholic Family. 1) Let us use all the electronic means we have available to stay spiritually connected as a diocesan family. 2) Let us use the principle of subsidiarity with all of our efforts at this time. This means decisions need to be made at the most basic level the family, then the church community, then the Deanery and then the Diocese. 3) Let us use our hunger for the Body of Christ, the Real Presence of Jesus as motivation to enhance our reverence for Him. Let us use this extended Penitential Rite to prepare our hearts to receive Him joyfully as soon as we can return to the normal reverent celebration of the Holy Mass in our parish and mission churches. 4) Let us follow the guidance of our local civil authorities to keep social distance and to stay at home as much as possible.

This announcement will be posted on St. Philip Institute (stphilipinstitute.org) website in the Letters from the Bishop section mentioned above so that you can refer to it as needed.

God bless you and May our consecration to the Sacred Heart of Christ, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Chaste Heart of Joseph strengthen us all.

More Excellent Support from Fr. Gus and his Wellspring Community

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Wellspring
Fransalian Center for Spirituality

March 22. 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we are going through difficult and challenging times due to COVID - 19, let us be together in spirit and prayer and place our unshakable trust in the Lord. Churches around the world have been closed for public worship this Sunday, calling the people of God to nourish their spiritual life with listening to the word of God, prayer and spiritual communion at home. I know that we have all missed being together in Church in prayer and worship. I hope that you have found grace in being together in prayer and worship at home.

I have prepared the following for your daily devotion at home alone or with family. I have given you references to the Scripture readings of the Mass of the day and a simple thought for your reflection and prayer and a prayer for spiritual communion. I hope that it helps you be strong in faith and continue to nurture your spirit as we live through difficult and troublesome days.

On Thursday, I will send you similar prayer and reflections for the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

God bless you and your family.

Fr. Gus

Fourth Week of Lent

March 23 – Monday Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalm 30; John 4:43-54

Isaiah (first reading) shares his hope that God will renew his people and recreate a new heaven and a new earth. He says, the things of the past will not be remembered, but God’s people will be blessed with great rejoicing.

Be still! Share the hope of Isaiah. Be men and women of Hope! Our Hope is our power in our powerlessness.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

***************************************

March 24 - Tuesday Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; Psalm 46; John 5:1-16

Ezekiel (first reading) had a beautiful vision of a temple-centered land with life-giving waters flowing from beneath the threshold of the temple. He envisions a temple-centered people fed by life-giving waters from the threshold of the temple and becoming fruitful. Temple was the symbol of “God’s Presence” among his people. His vision translates into a vision of a God-centered people.

Be still! Share the vision of Ezekiel, the vision of a “God-centered” people, nourished by life-giving water, living godly lives and becoming fruitful in God’s way.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

**********************************

March 25 - Annunciation of the Lord

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 10:4-10;
Luke 1:26-38

Ahaz (first reading), a weak and worldly king, during a time of great turmoil, is promised a sign from God: “the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel, meaning, “God is with us”.

Be still! Renew your faith in Emmanuel, God-With-Us! Our God goes with us as we live through these difficult and troublesome days.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

****************************************

March 26 - Thursday Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture Readings: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 106; John 5:31-47

The Hebrews have been liberated from their slavery in Egypt. However, they continued to remain slaves to their own gods, to their idols. Choosing false gods have been part of their continuing journey of life. We are not that different from the Hebrews. We have our own idols while we claim to have deeper knowledge, sound theology, great spiritual traditions, etc. Each of us needs to reflect on the kind of idols that control our lives.

Be still! Reflect on idols in your own life and the need to be free from them. Reflect on the need to re-center your life on God and God’s ways.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

******************************************

March 27 - Friday Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture Readings: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22; Psalm 34; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

This is a call to uphold goodness, virtue and fidelity to God’s law. Search for the “hidden counsels” of God - that is, the wisdom of God, which alone can help us rise above ways of “wickedness” into ways of “holiness”.

Be still! Keep searching for the wisdom of God to make good, right and wise choices.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

**************************************

March 28 - Saturday Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 7; John 7:40-53

Jeremiah says that he was aware of a plot against him, but he didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of the problem. So, he moved with great confidence in God, to fulfill his mission. Now as he has come to realize, more fully, the extent of the plot against him, he says, “Lord, to you, I entrust my cause”.

Be still! Cast your cares into the hands of God! We don’t fully understand what is happening with us. We just surrender our cares into the hands of our God.

Take a few moments to pray from your heart…….

For all leaders of our Church, our country and our world

For those suffering from Corona Virus and those who are caring for them

For those who are searching for a cure for Corona Virus

Our Father...

Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I

place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to

receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your

truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst.

Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen

Spend a few moments in silent prayer

May the Lord bless us, keep us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Let us praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Fr. Gus Tharappel, msfs

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION- WISE WORDS FROM FR. GUS THARAPPEL

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

We are going through a very difficult time as the coronavirus spreads. Many activities and events, including liturgical services are cancelled in Churches around the country. Our Bishop, Most Reverend Joseph Strickland, has advised those who are uncomfortable in groups because of the threat of corona virus to stay home. He has also dispensed them from their Sunday obligations.

Bishop Strickland also suggested that “those who do not attend mass should, if possible, devote some time to prayer and make a spiritual communion” (Bishop’s message dated March 10, 2020). I have often been asked what a spiritual communion was and how one could make a spiritual communion. I hope the following information helps in understanding and appreciating the devotional practice of “Spiritual Communion”.

The Catholic Church has always encouraged the faithful to receive Holy Communion frequently, if not daily. Today, the normal opportunity to receive communion comes at daily Mass. In the past, communion was given before and after Mass for those who couldn’t attend the whole Mass and taken to those who were unable to come to Church.

When we cannot make it to daily Mass, however, we can still make a spiritual communion, in which we express our faith in Christ and in His Presence in the Eucharist, and we ask Him for real communion with him, to unite Himself with us. Spiritual communion gives us a greater awareness of God’s presence in our lives and increases our faith in the Real Presence. So, the more we spiritually communicate, the more united we become with Christ.

You may use the following text as a form (a sample) of spiritual communion. You can memorize it or use it as a guide to offering your own act of spiritual communion in your own words.

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You have already come and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen. (St. Alphonsus Liguori in the 18th century)

St. Thomas Aquinas once defined a Spiritual Communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament [in Communion at Mass] and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.”

You can make a Spiritual Communion such as the one below during Mass, or before the Blessed Sacrament, or at home or anywhere else where the Spirit moves you.

Oh Jesus, I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You are present, hidden in the sacred host for love of me. I love you, O my God. I cannot receive you in Holy Communion today. Please come, Lord and visit me with Your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Make it like Your own. Amen.

Lord, I am not worthy that Thou should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. (Unknown source)

Remember that you can “turn toward the holy tabernacle” and receive Jesus in your heart from anywhere you might happen to be, at any time, day or night!

You may also use the following prayer.

Lord Jesus, I believe in your real presence in the Eucharist, the Sacrament of the Altar. I place myself in your presence and adore you, worship you and glorify you. I am unable to receive you in Holy Communion at Mass today. I hunger and thirst for your way, your truth and your life. Come into my heart Lord and satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst. Bless me that I may give witness to your presence in my life. Amen. (Fr. Gus)

St. Jean-Marie Vianney, a French priest, famous for converting countless souls to Christ in his parish of Ars in the 19th century, once said “When we feel the love of God growing cold, let us instantly make a Spiritual Communion. When we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle; no wall can shut us out from the good God.” We can indeed be grateful for that!

Fr. Gus Tharappel, msfs

Blessed Virgin Mary and the US Flag

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Thanks to the Knights of Columbus in Tyler for this image. A beautiful reminder that our nation should turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary during this challenging time. She will always help us return to her Son, Jesus Christ.

Eucharistic Procession

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

The Eucharistic Procession after the 7:00 AM mass this morning at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, Texas was a great blessing and a moment of grace. The crowd for morning mass was a bit larger than usual but people were careful to keep their safe distance in light of the concerns about the Coronavirus. It was a blessing to collectively turn to the Real Presence of the Lord and ask Him to help us and protect us. We processed inside the Cathedral, pausing to the East, West, North and South to pray and ask the Lord of Lords to offer His grace and protection. Then the Procession continued outside the Cathedral and did the same around the Cathedral block and pausing at the four directions of the compass to ask Our Lord to protect the City of Tyler, the Diocese, the Nation and all of God's people around the world. One thing to note is that rain was forecast for Friday morning in Tyler. Last night I said a prayer that if the Procession was the Lord's will the rain would hold off. It literally began to rain as I was leaving the Cathedral after the Procession. Many would discount this as just the quirky weather of East Texas but I encourage all people of faith to deepen our "faith instinct" and believe that as Christ promises, when we ask in prayer the Lord hears us. May this great challenge of the Coronavirus make our Lenten journey one that leads us to deeper faith and more profound trust that the Lord is Really Present in our world and listens to our prayers.

Eucharistic Procession for the Coronavirus and Other Challenges

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Brothers and Sons in the Diocese of Tyler,

As we continue to deal with the many issues which impact our families, parishes and missions in the Diocese of Tyler and as we continue this journey of the Year of the Eucharist I am directing every priest to conduct a Eucharistic Procession in the communities that they serve sometime before the Solemnity of St. Joseph Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 19, 2020. The intentions of this Eucharistic Procession including asking Our Lord's protection from the Coronavirus and healing for those who have already been infected; mercy and eternal rest for those who have died. Also petitioning Our Lord for strength for our families and the fortitude to be guided by the truths of the Deposit of Faith and the ethical and moral truths they represent. May the model of faith that St. Joseph provides as Patron of the Church inspire these efforts.

I ask that priests plan a simple procession using the following basic guidelines.

1. After a Sunday or weekday Holy Mass invite a small group to participate in a simple procession with the Blessed Sacrament lead by the priests, assisted by deacons if available, and servers.

2. The path of the procession should be on the property of the Church with no civil permits being necessary.

3. Proper reverence for the Blessed Sacrament is paramount but the procession does not need to be elaborate, the priest in alb and cope with two servers is all that would be required. If a Deacon is involved, an alb and stole. If a parish is able to have a more elaborate procession that is acceptable but not necessary.

4. Safety for all involved is essential thus the numbers should be limited to a representative group of the parish. Other faithful who want to participate should be encouraged to remain in the Church and pray as the procession leaves the Church, remaining there to welcome the return of Our Lord after the procession.

The primary purpose of this procession is prayer and raising our awareness that the Lord is truly with us. Let us turn to Him as Lord of Lords and as always ask His Blessed Mother to join us in prayer interceding on our behalf at the throne of Our Heavenly Father.

God bless you and God bless the Diocese of Tyler.

In Christ's Name,

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Prayer to St. Joseph

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000

One of our priests shared this prayer and I wanted to pass it along.

O glorious Saint Joseph, I present to thee this day the priests of the Diocese of Tyler, priests of your Son Jesus Christ, and beg thee to be our advocate and defender, counselor and friend. Open thy heart to us as thou didst open Thy home to the Virgin Mother in her hour of need. Protect our holy priesthood as thou didst protect the life of the Infant Christ threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring us light; in weakness, strength; and in fear the peace that passeth understanding. For the sake of the tender love that bound thee to the Virgin Mary and to the Infant Christ, be thou for us, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of our weaknesses and sins, our priesthood may bring glory to Christ and serve to increase the beauty of holiness in His bride the Church. Amen

Interested in Moving to Tyler?

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

The Diocese of Tyler is looking for an Administrative Assistant for our Planned Giving and Foundation Director. If you are planning to move to the Tyler area or have any interest in doing so please check out this link which offers the basic information. https://www.catholicjobs.com/job/6889140389

The Diocese of Tyler is a dynamic local Church in the universal Roman Catholic Church. We are striving to teach and live the fullness of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ with all of its challenges and blessings. The diocese covers 33 counties in far northeast Texas in an area often called the Piney Woods. The diocese is somewhere between 5 and 8% Catholic with the majority of the population being evangelical protestant and deeply committed to Jesus Christ. As Roman Catholics seeking to live our ancient faith in joyful orthodoxy avoiding the confusion and compromise that plagues so much of the Church today we find ourselves at home in many ways with our evangelical bothers and sisters. The issues of the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, sexual morality as guided by the Churches ancient moral teachings and the importance of marriage between one man and one woman open to the conception of children are only a few of the ways we find ourselves on common ground with fellow Christians in East Texas.

If this description interests you and you have a background in Development in a Catholic Diocese I invite you to visit the link.

God Bless You, +Joseph

Consecration to St. Joseph

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

I'm encouraging everyone in the Diocese of Tyler to consider participating in the Consecration to St. Joseph which will begin on February 16, 2020.

A book dedicated to this effort titled, Consecration to St. Joseph by Donald H. Calloway is available on Amazon and is a helpful guide to assist you with this consecration. The book guides you from Day 1, February 16 to Day 33, March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph Husband of Mary with brief spiritual reflections on St. Joseph as a model of manly, chaste discipleship. We often speak of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the 1st disciple because it was her Yes to God's will and the conception of God's Son in Her womb by the Holy Spirit that ushered in the Christian Era of human history, the Age of the Son. Thus we can speak of St. Joseph as the 2nd disciple because he accepted the message of the angel and said yes to God's plan for him to be the husband of Mary and the foster father of God's own Son, Jesus Christ.

St. Joseph is a beautiful example of the Godly man that we need so much in the world today. Society too often diminishes the role of men and attempts to erase the beautiful differences between men and women that are embedded in God's loving plan for all humanity. Let us turn to St. Joseph for his strength, his fidelity and his model of commitment to his family and to God's will. May St. Joseph inspire all boys and men to know the special gifts they bring to their families and communities and may he help them to be strong in standing for the truth and seeking virtue in all things.

St. Joseph Husband of Mary, Pray for Us

Two Sons of the Diocese of Tyler

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Fr. Martin Bernhard and Bishop Eduardo Nevares visiting in Norcia, Italy at the Benedictine Monastery where Fr. Martin is now a Monk. You may remember Fr. Martin as Fr. Brandon Bernhard who was ordained for the Diocese of Tyler and then discerned a call to the monastic life. He prays for the Diocese of Tyler and all of his brother priests here every day. Bishop Nevares was also a priest of the Diocese of Tyler and is now Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Phoenix.

A beautiful aspect of our Catholic faith is that we remain connected to each other in the Body of Christ and in the family of the Church wherever we find ourselves. Let us remember these fine men in our daily prayers as we are assured that they remember us in theirs.

+Joseph

The Year of the Eucharist: Fostering Reverence for the Real Presence

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

After his baptism in the River Jordan, Jesus entered into his public teaching mission using wondrous parables, miraculous healings, and unfathomable compassion, mercy and forgiveness in an effort to convince the people of Israel that God loves them and wants them to live with him in eternity. His most challenging teaching is found in John 6; “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you,” to which many of the disciples responded, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” . . . As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Sadly, I realize that many Catholics “no longer accompany Him.” They no longer pay Him homage nor adore Him, even though He is truly present in every tabernacle and at every Holy Mass. As your Shepherd, I want you to understand why we believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and why we should be in awe of His presence at each and every Mass.

Scripture

Old Testament scripture prefigures the Eucharist in Ex 12:1-20, 16:2-16, and New Testament scripture gives witness to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in Lk 24:13-35, Jn 6:22-71(referenced above), and 1 Cor 11:23-29. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, himself, offers His body to the Twelve at the Last Supper, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” . . . And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Lk 22:14-20). This is our first glimpse of the words of Consecration.

Tradition

Before New Testament scripture existed, the Apostles, as verbally instructed by Jesus Christ, offered the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass in small house-churches and said the same words, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” . . . And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.” Bishops, as successors of the Apostles, continue following Jesus’ instruction, even, today.

Magisterium

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a 4th century Bishop and an early demonstration of the Magisterium unambiguously stated the following referring to the Real Presence, “Since Christ Himself said in reference to the bread: ‘This is My Body,’ who will dare remain hesitant? And since with equal clarity He asserted: ‘This is My Blood,’ who will dare entertain any doubt and say that this is not His Blood?”

Much later in the Church’s history, in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Council of Trent agreed and promulgated laws regarding the Church’s belief in the Real Presence of Jesu s Christ in the Eucharist saying, “in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are contained truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ” and “that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation” (Council of Trent, Session XIII, canons 1 & 2).

So, how does the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Jesus Christ?

Our RCIA text, The Way of Christ, teaches, “. . . we use the term transubstantiation, from “trans,” meaning “changed,” and “substance.” Jesus works through the bishop or priest to change the substance of bread and wine into His Body and Blood. This occurs when the bishop or priest says the words of consecration, which are “This is my Body. . . This is the chalice of my Blood” (The Way of Christ, 27).

It is through the Deposit of Faith, comprised of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium, that we come to understand the teachings of the Church regarding the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, but it is by faith that we come to believe that we are in His presence, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, at each Mass and as we pass or kneel in front of the tabernacle.

I encourage you to view The Veil Removed; a short 7-minute YouTube film that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by scripture and in the catechism of the Catholic Church. It is a moving depiction of the consecration and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Year of the Eucharist

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:00:00 +0000

As we reach the mid-point of January 2020 I'm encouraging everyone in the Diocese of Tyler to focus on coming closer to Jesus Christ in His Eucharistic presence.

Some things to consider..........

1. Do you plan to receive the Body of Christ at Holy Mass this Sunday, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time? If you do plan to receive pause for a moment to consider whether you are deeply aware of who you will be receiving. Are there ways you can receive Him more reverently with a greater focus on the wondrous gift He is in your life?

2. If you don't plan to receive the Body of Christ at Holy Mass this Sunday, why not? Do you need to go to confession? Are you in a relationship that makes it inappropriate for you to receive the Body of Christ? Do you need to address some other obstacle that is preventing you from receiving Communion? I encourage you to take whatever steps you need to in order to be properly disposed to receive the Body of Christ at Holy Mass.

If as you read this you are thinking "I'm not worthy to receive the Body of Christ", I have to say you are right. I'm not worthy either, none of us are worthy. At every mass immediately before receiving Communion we all acknowledge publically that we are not worthy with these words, "Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed". Let us really listen to what we are saying and humbly approach the Lord to receive His Body and Blood. It is true that if we are in a state of mortal sin we should not receive the Body of Christ but Christ invites us to remedy this situation by going to confession and making a firm purpose of ammendment of our lives so that we may be nurtured by His loving presence in the Eucharist. If you are living in a lifestyle that is contrary to Gospel virtue and makes you prone to commit serious sins then in order to receive as worthily as possible you should change the pattern of your life. The door to Christ and His love is always open to us, He longs for us to receive Him but He calls us to live more and more as members of His Body so that we can fully benefit from the spiritual nourishment His Body and Blood offers us.

Let us pray for each other.

Bishop Joseph Strickland

Diocesan Year of the Eucharist

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000

As Bishop of Tyler, I decree the liturgical year beginning the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2019, and ending on the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 22, 2020, will be observed as the "Year of the Eucharist: Fostering Reverence for the Real Presence" in the Diocese of Tyler.

As we journey through this year, it is my hope that we may seek ways to deepen our personal faith and understanding of the tremendous gift of the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. This will be a time for us to remember that the Lord, out of his great love for us, established the saving memorial of his Passion and Resurrection, the Eucharist, to spiritually nourish and transform us with his Body and Blood so that, participating in the life of the Trinity, we might go out into the world and glorify the Lord by our lives (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1330; Order of the Mass, 114).

I intend to begin a personal Eucharistic Adoration Pilgrimage at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the First Sunday of Advent, and continue this pilgrimage throughout the year with the goal of praying in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at each tabernacle throughout the diocese.

Throughout the year, the St. Philip Institute and our Catholic schools will be offering opportunities for growth in our appreciation of the Eucharist. I ask all of the faithful of the diocese to enter into this Year of the Eucharist through study of the Word of God and the teachings of our Catholic faith. Let us all grow in understanding of the Eucharist - a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity - as we grow in our relationship with Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament (Constitution on the Liturgy, 47).

May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us as we seek to reverence the Eucharistic Face of her Son more powerfully in our journey of faith.

On the Blessed Virgin Mary: A Letter from the Bishop of Tyler

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000

The following letter will appear in the Tyler Paper print edition on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019.

Dear Fellow Christians,

I write to you as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler.

Let me say from the outset that I write with great respect for every baptized Christian who seeks to follow Jesus Christ. In fact, I am your brother in the One Lord, Jesus Christ. Although there are questions and some doubts, at least among some Christians, whether or not Catholics are Christians, I can assure you, Catholics are Christians. As a Catholic bishop, I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God as my Lord and Savior who lived, died and rose for all humanity. I believe my work as bishop is to call all the baptized closer to Jesus Christ. And, to call all men and women to repent and turn to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.

Today, on the occasion of the 102^nd anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of Fatima and in light of my profound responsibility as a bishop, I want to address one aspect of Catholicism that often causes our fellow Christians to reject us as true brothers and sisters. This issue has to do with our Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let me begin by emphatically stating that, as Catholics, we do not worship Mary. She is not divine and we believe she would be the first to correct any disciple who begins to treat her as divine. Mary, the Mother of God is not God and Catholics believe, along with all Christians, that worship of Mary or any other man or woman is blasphemy.

Having attempted to clarify this long-standing misconception regarding Mary, the mother of Jesus the Lord, I want to explain why Catholics hold Mary in such great esteem. Catholic devotion to Mary as the greatest woman who ever lived is based on what the Bible teaches us about her. All four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles speak of Mary in significant ways (see Mt. 1:18-25; Mk. 3:31-35; Lk. 1:26-38; Jn. 2:1-11; Acts 1:13-14).

As Catholics, we can summarize the message of these bible verses in this way: Mary is the first and greatest disciple of Jesus Christ. She exemplifies her discipleship upon the angel Gabriel's announcement of God’s plan for her to be the mother of His Son when she responds, "let it be done to me according to your word." Catholics are devoted to Mary, first and foremost, because she models our Christian call as disciples. We answer to this call each time we dare to pray the Lord’s Prayer saying, "thy will be done." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

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. "God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary" (487-488).

I hope you will accept this humble invitation to understand our Catholic devotion to Mary more clearly and consider how she can be a companion on your journey to deeper life in Jesus Christ. All the faithful Catholics of the Diocese of Tyler join me in extending a hand of fellowship and esteem for all of our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. May we seek Him, together.

+ Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler

Pray the Rosary with Bishop Strickland: Oct. 13

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

To celebrate October, the month dedicated to the Rosary, and in honor of the anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, you are invited to join Bishop Strickland to pray the Rosary on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. at the Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul in Tyler.

If you are not able to come to Tyler, you are invited to gather with your friends, family, and community to pray the Rosary in your church or home at 3 p.m.

The prayer will also be live-streamed on the Diocese of Tyler Facebook page at http://facebook.com/dioceseoftyler

This effort to have as many people as possible pray the Rosary on Oct. 13 is being jointly sponsored by the Diocese of Shreveport.

How to Pray the Rosary: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler,

In anticipation of the last weeks of 2019, I feel compelled to share words of hope in Jesus Christ and to give witness to my firm faith in our beloved Catholic Church; the Church established by God’s Divine Son. I am inspired by these words from in 1 Peter 5, “God’s flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd’s care. Watch over it willingly, as God would have you do, not under constraint, and not for shameful profit, either, but generously.” Although these words have guided me throughout my episcopacy, I know that at times I have failed and I ask your forgiveness.

The last year has been one of tremendous turmoil and upheaval in the world and in the Church. We have reason to heed St. Paul’s words to the Colossians which are as relevant today as they were in the early Church: “See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.” (Col 2:8) As your Bishop, I want to give you the best shepherd’s care and guidance possible to help you strengthen your faith and to fortify your prayer life. I say this not to frighten you but to call you to vigilance. We must be vigilant and rely on the power of prayer to combat the evils that surround the Church.

I ask every disciple in the Diocese of Tyler to pray in union with me and all the faithful in the diocese, a Novena to the Holy Spirit beginning on September 27, the memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, and ending on October 5, the eve of the Synod on the Amazon.

I have enclosed an optional Novena for you and your family to pray; however, you may choose one of your own. This prayer, along with videos, will be posted in the “News” section of the Diocesan website and on Facebook.

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to renew our faith in Jesus Christ and his Church entrusted to his Apostles on Pentecost, to guide the Church away from any false doctrine and infuse Her with the strength to embrace the ancient deposit of faith with new fervor

May God bless us in His Grace and Mercy and may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth intercede for us.

Sincerely in Christ’s Name,

Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

USCCB Meeting Message

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 05:00:00 +0000

This weekend, we will conclude the Easter season by joyfully celebrating together the great solemnity of Pentecost, when the loving God fully revealed himself as the Holy Trinity, and through the Spirit gave birth to the Church and opened the kingdom to all who believe in Christ.

Sadly, too many people have lost faith in Jesus Christ and his Church and I believe the crisis the Church has experienced over the past several months is a direct result. This loss of faith impacts every aspect of the life of the Church. At the same time, the faith of many in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church grows stronger each day, including my own as I shepherd my flock through these confusing and difficult times.

Once, again, I will join with my brother bishops of the United States in Baltimore for our biannual meetings beginning June 10. We will focus on norms for the protection of the faithful from abuse by clerics and protection from any attempt made by the hierarchy to cover up such abuse. These norms are critical and essential to the health and life of the Church. Prior to my departure for Baltimore, I want to renew my pledge to the Lord, first and foremost, and to you, my flock:

I pledge to govern and adhere to these norms with strength and clarity. Moreover, I restate my call for any victim of any sort of abuse to come forward so that we can seek Christ’s justice and mercy.

I pledge to refocus my efforts in living up to the promise I made when I was ordained as your shepherd on November 28, 2012; to “guard the Deposit of Faith, entire and incorrupt.”

I pledge to fervently study, teach, and follow the Catholic Church’s teachings contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, handed on in the Church from the time of the Apostles, from which the Magisterium, of which I am a member, draws all that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed.

I pledge to always joyfully and lovingly promote these teachings as the truth; the Gospel - the good news; because it is within these teachings the Church finds her guidance in fulfilling her purpose: to win souls for Jesus Christ and to build up the kingdom of God.

Please pray for me, the Holy Father, and all the bishops of the Church. May fidelity to Jesus Christ always be the source of our unity as shepherds.

Sincerely in the love of Christ,
+Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

Glorious Chastity - One Bishop's Reflection

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 06:00:00 +0000

In the year 2019, we live in a world that’s off kilter. One of the deepest roots of the present chaos is the lack of willingness to embrace Glorious Chastity. I specifically use the word “glorious” because I believe it is God’s plan that obedience to His will with regard to this virtue is a key that will unlock God’s wondrous plan for every individual person and for all of humanity. Rather than Glorious Chastity, the prevailing reality in today’s world is Devastating Sex. Once again, I specifically use a word as strong as “devastating” because it describes what has happened to this very human faculty which has been dehumanized in so many ways. Rather than living Glorious Chastity according to God’s Divine Will for His children, the vast majority of the human family is caught up in Devastating Sex, which constantly wreaks havoc in the lives of the children of God.

God’s plan is for Glorious Chastity to always guide sexual desires along a path of accompaniment with His Divine Plan and the wondrous gift of participating in His creation. He has created us in His image. In His awesome love, He has opened the door for a man and woman to channel their natural attractions through His will to cooperate with Him in continuing His creative love in the world. The glorious beauty of God’s plan allows a man and woman, committed to each other in the marital bond, to be open to God’s creativity and to the possibility of begetting children as they express their love in profound intimacy. We need to step away from today’s casual familiarity with what a sexual relationship involves and be in awe of God’s grand design which allows us to truly live as His children. Glorious Chastity means that every legitimate sexual act is directed toward God’s creative plan. Even for the spousal love of a man and woman committed in marriage, they must always seek to live chastely. They are challenged to ensure that every natural urge and desire is channeled toward their one true love and blessed before God.

Sadly, the prevailing tendencies in our time veer much more toward Devastating Sex than Glorious Chastity. Devastating Sex can be defined as any sexual expression, whether alone or with another person, that does not follow the narrow path laid out by God. Devastating Sex happens when a person focuses only on arousal and sexual pleasure which is often accompanied by the plague of pornography. Pornography not only promotes Devastating Sex, but it erodes the dignity of the human person in varying degrees and multiple ways. Devastating Sex happens when a married couple interferes with the fertility of their love through contraception. Unfortunately, such a couple approaches the threshold of Glorious Chastity and God’s will for their sexual lives, but through contraception they close the door and say no to God. Devastating Sex happens when a man and a woman engage in sexual activity outside the bond of marriage. Moreover, it happens when persons of the same sex engage in sexual activity. This type of activity does not cooperate with God’s creative plan for life which is only possible when a man and a woman share in loving, sexual intimacy. All these aberrations go to the heart of why God has created us male and female. He created us with real physical differences that complement each other when they are lived in the commitment of marriage. We may not like the reality, but when people enter into sexual expression outside God’s plan it becomes Devastating. Let us seek a world where sex no longer brings devastation, pain, and hurt, but instead opens lives to God’s plan of Love.

Statement on Archbishop Vigano Letter

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Dear Flock of Tyler,

Once again Archbishop Vigano has made a public plea and I add my voice to his as your bishop. He urges Archbishop McCarrick to repent for his sake, for the sake of his victims, and for the sake of the Church. This is an expression of basic Catholic faith that has been sorely lacking during these months of horror.

I ask you to join me in praying that Archbishop McCarrick and all the abusers he represents may heed this heartfelt plea. Immense healing could flow from an admission of guilt and expression of repentance from McCarrick, the other abusers and all who covered up their crimes.

Let us pray a rosary today for a tremendous wave of repentance and healing to wash over the Church in the wake of a heartfelt admission by Archbishop McCarrick, his repentance and pledge of reparation for his sins.

In Christ’s Name,

Bishop Joseph Strickland

Reflection on Recent USCCB Retreat

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Dear Flock of Tyler,

I know many of you were praying for me during the Bishop’s Retreat this past week at Mundelein in Illinois. I can’t express how grateful I am for your prayers and for the profound blessing this retreat has been for me. I am thankful to our Holy Father Pope Francis who personally sent Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household, to direct this retreat. Father Cantalamessa is truly a holy man and he offered some profound and beautiful reflections.

I return from this retreat renewed in my faith and refreshed in the joy of serving as your shepherd. Father Cantalamessa reminded me and my brother bishops that fidelity to Jesus Christ is the sure answer to our present crisis. I am committed to renewing my focus on the Joyful Good News that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose to conquer sin and death. In this, he has vanquished evil once and for all and this allows us to place all of our trust in Him!

As I continue to serve you, I pledge to do my best to overcome my own weakness and focus always on Jesus Christ and bringing the light of His Truth to East Texas.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord

- Romans 8:38-39

Again, corruption and evil will not prevail: Christ has already conquered them. May this beautiful truth guide us through 2019 and beyond.

With assurances of my prayers for all the faithful of the Diocese of Tyler, and seeking the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary as we strive to conform our lives to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, I am

Faithfully yours,

Bishop Joseph Strickland

Letter in Advance of USCCB Meeting

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 06:00:00 +0000

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

From November 12-15, I will be in Baltimore attending the Fall General Assembly of the Catholic Bishops of the United States. After beginning with a full day of spiritual discernment and prayer, the bishops will discuss and vote on a series of concrete measures to respond to the abuse crisis. There has certainly been righteous anger directed toward the bishops for the sinful behavior of some, as well as our failure to properly handle allegations of abuse, but with God’s grace, I am hopeful in our ability to implement the necessary reforms.

I want to take this opportunity to share with you my “agenda” for this meeting and for our diocese, so that each of you will know where I stand on the issues faced by the Church today.

Accountability. Accountability, for how bishops govern the Church and themselves, must be addressed to help ensure that our focus remains on being spiritual and moral leaders whose primary work is to promote the faith for the salvation of souls. Our faith calls us to uphold divinely revealed truth which guides us to our God given destiny in heaven. This is my commitment, as your bishop, and I ask the assistance of all priests, deacons, religious and all the faithful in helping me to live this focus.

Church Teaching. As shepherds of Christ's flock, bishops must emphasize that the entire deposit of faith of the Catholic Church is Good News. Living the Gospel virtues, as we seek eternal salvation, is what our lives must be built upon. Basic moral teachings are immutable and living a moral life is the only foundation from which we can hope to promote Gospel inspired social justice. As your bishop, I am committed to sharing this rich deposit of faith and promoting a virtuous life in Jesus Christ for all in the diocese. This will give us the strength to change our world and address injustice in all its forms.

Family. Support for every family is essential, beginning with promoting the model that is divinely revealed to us - one man and one woman who are committed to a lifelong marriage and are open to the conception of children. Marriage between a man and a woman is the only moral place for sexual intimacy and I intend to continue to teach this with clarity and fervor. While the Church rejects no individual or family who struggles and, at times, fails to live up to this ideal, it must be maintained as the model for human society. We must cling to the divinely revealed truth of our faith as we seek to assist those who have wandered from the truth that sets God’s people free.

Immoral Behavior. Immoral behavior of any kind among the hierarchy and clergy must be investigated and corrected. Sexual misconduct, especially abuse of minors and homosexual predation, must be eradicated. Duplicity regarding power or finances must be eliminated. A clear commitment to lives of Gospel virtues must guide every bishop and, as your bishop, I am committed to calling all of us away from sin and corruption and echoing the words of our Lord, "Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more".

Seminarians. My brother bishops and I are obligated to ensure that our seminarians are well formed and that their seminaries are places where Gospel virtues are taught and lived. Any threat of immoral behavior or abuse of men in formation for the priesthood must be eliminated. These good men deserve guidance in holiness and education in the riches of our Catholic faith so that they can joyfully serve in the light of Christ for the future of the diocese. The focus of their formation must be for the salvation of their own souls and the souls of the faithful they will serve.

Considering the challenges we face, I ask for your continued prayers in three areas: for the healing and support of all victims of clergy sexual abuse; for the conversion and just punishment of the perpetrators and concealers of sexual abuse; and for the strength of the bishops to be holy shepherds in protecting and leading our sheep from all harm.

May God bless you with every good and strength and may our Blessed Mother always intercede for you.

With assurances of my prayers for all of you, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

November 9, 2018
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Novena of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As your shepherd, I want to personally embrace a Novena of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and mortification in reparation for the sins of shepherds against the flock, Christ's bride the Church.

This special week of prayer will begin on Saturday, September 29, the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the Archangels, and will conclude on Sunday, October 7, the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time and the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of Victory.

During this time, I will be praying for my own personal growth in holiness and for the holiness of all in the Church. I will offer prayer and penance in reparation for the sins of commission and omission committed by bishops, including my own failings.
I am not asking you to enter into this prayer of penance and reparation,that is my responsibility as your shepherd. I do ask you to consider making this a special time to ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints for the Church, with the special intention of praying for the priests of the Diocese of Tyler who will be gathering for our annual convocation in a few weeks. Our special prayer during this time is simply this:

St. Michael the Archangel, our defender in battle, by the power of God rally the bishops and priests to protect Christ's flock and combat evil with the Truth and Love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, as you helped strengthen the Apostles before Pentecost, pray that their successors be filled with courage and joy as true witnesses of your Son and pastors to his people. Amen.

Please be assured of my deep gratitude for your ongoing prayers for me, and the local and universal Church. I'm confident that you will continue to be people of deep faith and prayer.

Invoking God's blessing on you through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Archangels, I am

Sincerely in Christ's Name,

Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

Praying the Ember Days

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the Church seeks to make reparation for the grievous sins that have been committed by some of her members, many bishops have proposed that their dioceses take up the Church’s tradition of observing the Ember Days. I join with these bishops and encourage the priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Tyler to consider observing these special times.

The Ember Days are four sets of three days at the beginning of each season which are set aside by the Church for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The times provide an opportunity for us to reflect on God’s abundant gifts and blessings, to teach us to make wise use of them and to remind us to help the poor and marginalized. In these practices, the Ember Days offer a time of spiritual renewal as we seek to be continually converted to Christ.

The traditional celebrations of Ember Days loosely correspond to the four seasons of the year, which is where the name “ember” comes from – a corruption of the Latin phrase quatour tempora, meaning “four times.” They occur on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following certain liturgical feasts. The upcoming Ember Days are:

After Feast of the Holy Cross (September 14): September 19, 21, 22, 2018
After Feast of St. Lucy (December 13): December 19, 21, 22, 2018
After First Sunday of Lent: March 13, 15, 16, 2019
After Pentecost: June 12, 14, 15, 2019

On these days, I particularly invite the faithful to attend daily Mass in their parishes and missions and pray for the progress of the Christian faith, peace and unity in the world, and the conversion of sinners.

Faithfully yours in Christ Jesus,

+ Bishop Joseph Strickland

54-Day Rosary Novena for Teaching the Catholic Faith

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I recently outlined in my Constitution for Teaching the Catholic Faith a bold new vision for catechesis and evangelization in the Diocese of Tyler. My earnest hope is that we as a Diocese more boldly and effectively proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ and in the teachings of his Church. But for our efforts to bear fruit we must begin with prayer. Therefore, I invite all the people of the diocese to join me in praying a 54-Day Rosary Novena, beginning on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, and ending on October 7, the Feast of the Holy Rosary, asking our Lady’s intercession for the Diocese of Tyler to become an outstanding teaching diocese in the service of the Lord.

Even if you’ve never prayed a Novena, even if you’ve never prayed the Rosary or don’t even own one, don’t worry. On the facing page are instructions and a printed Rosary you can use to get started. On the back page is a calendar to follow. As a family, we can do this!

The term “novena” comes from the Latin word for nine (novem) and consists of set prayers offered every day for nine consecutive days for a specific intention. Praying a novena is a devotional practice with a long history in the Church. Many believe that it is patterned after the nine days of sustained prayer made by the apostles, Mary, and the holy women in the upper room in Jerusalem, before experiencing on the tenth day the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:14). Christ himself praises persistent prayer because it is a sign of our faith in the goodness of God who provides for all our needs: And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Luke 11:9).

While most novenas last nine days, the 54-Day Rosary Novena consists of praying three novenas of the daily Rosary in petition for the first 27 days, followed immediately by praying three novenas of the daily Rosary in thanksgiving during the second 27 days, for a grand total of six Rosary novenas over the course of 54 days. The 54-Day Rosary Novena is sometimes called “miraculous” because so often God rewards the faithfulness of its devotees with remarkable results. The 54-Day Rosary Novena originates in 1884 with a young Italian girl named Fortuna Agrelli who suffered an incurable disease that her doctors said was a hopeless case. Fortuna and her family in their desperation began to pray a novena of Rosaries to Our Lady of Pompeii for her healing. Our Lady appeared to Fortuna, told her she was the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and asked her to pray three Rosary novenas of petition and three Rosary novenas in thanksgiving for her healing. Fortuna and her family followed our Lady’s instructions, and she was miraculously cured. From there the devotion of praying the 54-Day Rosary Novena for an outpouring of special graces spread throughout the world. We need those kinds of graces here in the Diocese of Tyler!

I am filled with gratitude for all your prayers, support, and good works in our wonderful Diocese. I also thank you for making a commitment to join me in praying this 54-Day Rosary Novena for an outpouring of grace upon our Diocese to become an outstanding teaching diocese in service to the Lord. I cannot wait to see the tremendous graces God will surely pour out upon our Diocese through Our Lady’s intercession!

May the Blessed, Ever-Virgin Mother of God, the patroness of this Diocese under her title of Immaculate Conception, support us with her maternal strength and protection as we pray this 54-Day Rosary Novena, and may God bless the Diocese of Tyler as we bring the Light of Jesus Christ to all.

Remembering the victims of abuse during the month of the Sacred Heart

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000

This week, I will gather with my fellow Bishops from across the United States for our Spring General Assembly. As part of this meeting, the Bishops will offer a Mass of Prayer and Penance for survivors of sexual abuse within the Church. The Mass is being held in response to a call from Pope Francis for all episcopal conferences across the world to have a Day of Prayer and Penance for victims of sexual abuse within the Church. The Mass will be held June 14, 2017, at 5 p.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis.

In this month of the Sacred Heart, we remember that abuse of minors is not only a crime, it is a grave sin that deeply wounds the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I ask you to join the Bishops in prayer and penance for the many people who have suffered from abuse within the Church. While all abuse is wrong, we must acknowledge that abuse within the Church family is an evil that we must recognize and strive to prevent from happening in the future.

I also ask that each parish and mission make part of their honoring of the Sacred Heart remembering the individuals and families in our country and around the world scarred by clerical sexual abuse of minors. I also request that parishioners be asked to include this intention in their personal prayers on this Feast.

I would like to thank all those that have made the Diocese of Tyler a much safer place for minors and indeed for all people. Our efforts since 2002 have been fruitful, and we must continue these efforts to foster an even safer environment in the Church and in our society.

Our Ethics and Integrity program remains an essential effort in the mission of protecting the sacred dignity of every human person. Please remember that the Church remains committed to helping in a special way all those abused by clergy or other Church personnel. Anyone who has been abused by clergy, religious or lay people ministering in the name of the Church is asked to please contact the Promoter of Justice, promoter@dioceseoftyler.org or 903.266.2159.

Finally, I realize that many people who have been abused did not suffer the abuse from Church personnel. On Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. at the Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul in Tyler, I will be offering a special Mass for all victims of abuse.

Yours in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

+ + +

Mis queridos sacerdotes, diáconos, religiosos y fieles laicos de la diócesis de Tyler,

Esta semana, me reuniré con mis compañeros obispos de Estados Unidos para la Asamblea General de primavera. Como parte de esta reunión, los obispos ofrecerán una Misa de oración y penitencia para sobrevivientes de abuso sexual dentro de la iglesia. La Misa se celebra en respuesta a una llamada del Papa Francisco para todas las conferencias episcopales en todo el mundo para tener un día de oración y penitencia para las víctimas de abuso sexual dentro de la iglesia. La Misa se celebrará 14 de junio del 2017, a las 5:00 pm en la Catedral de los Santos St. Pedro y St. Paulo en Indianápolis.

En este mes del sagrado corazón, recordamos que el abuso de menores no es solamente un crimen; sino que es un pecado gravísimo que hiere profundamente el corazón sagrado de Jesús. Les pido a todos que se unan con los obispos en la oración y penitencia para las muchas personas que han sufrido de abuso dentro de la iglesia.

Mientras que todo abuso es malo, hay que reconocer que el abuso dentro de la familia de la iglesia es un mal que debemos reconocer y luchar evitar que suceda en el futuro.

También pido que cada parroquia y misión, honre al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús recordando a las personas y familias en nuestro país y del mundo marcada por el abuso sexual clerical de los menores.
También solicito que los feligreses incluyan esta intención en sus oraciones personales en esta fiesta.

Me gustaría agradecer a todos los que han hecho de la diócesis de Tyler un lugar mucho más seguro para los menores de edad y para todas las personas. Nuestros esfuerzos desde el año 2002 han sido fructíferos, y debemos continuar los esfuerzos para fomentar un ambiente más seguro incluso en la iglesia y en nuestra sociedad.

Nuestro programa de ética e integridad sigue siendo un esfuerzo fundamental en la misión de proteger la dignidad sagrada de cada persona humana. Por favor recuerde que la Iglesia mantiene su compromiso de ayudar de una manera especial todos aquellos abusados por clérigos u otro personal de la iglesia. Cualquier persona que ha sido abusado por el clero, religiosas o laicas personas haciendo ministerios en el nombre de la iglesia se le pide por favor, ponerse en contacto con el promotor de justicia, promoter@dioceseoftyler.org o 903.266.2159.

Por último, me doy cuenta de que muchas personas que han sido abusadas por otros individuos que no son ni han sido parte del personal de la iglesia. El sábado 16 de septiembre a las 10 de la mañana en la Chapel of Sts. Peter & Paul en Tyler, voy a ofrecer una misa especial para todas las víctimas de abuso.

Suyo en el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

Reverendísimo Joseph E. Strickland
Obispo de Tyler

Constitution on Teaching

Mon, 15 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

We live in a difficult age which, in many ways, harkens back to the dark world into which Christ was born - a world where humanity is lost in a darkness which is often of its own making. This darkness is generated by the human heart which ignores God, is totally focused on the self, and has embraced sin as not only acceptable, but as the established norm. We see this darkness here in East Texas, in our beloved nation, and around the world. We curse this darkness and reject it, but we must do much more than light one candle. We must allow the Light of Christ to shine forth in its radiant brilliance so that it might overpower the darkness!

Some time ago, I asked a Confirmation candidate, “What happens to the bread and wine at the consecration during Mass?” The candidate’s response was, "How should I know?" I'm sure that young man’s family and parish had worked hard to teach him, but his response underscores the need for what I am proposing in the attached document. You will note the words of the Ethiopian in Acts 8 quoted in Section 1 of this document, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” In an amazing way, they evoke the words of the young man I encountered at that Confirmation Many have made valiant efforts to teach throughout the history of this Diocese, and we must begin by thanking God for these dedicated souls, many of whom still have their hand to the plow.

It would be impossible to attempt the bold vision which is outlined in the following Constitution without the strong foundation that these brave souls have provided. The darkness has spread at such a rapid pace that it has simply overwhelmed the methods we have used heretofore. Now, we must seek new and creative ways to teach and share the wonder of our Catholic Faith. Not only the Church, but all humanity depends on it.

The tragic state of affairs mentioned above must not lead us to despair. The helpful voice of history reminds us that many generations have had to rise to the challenges of their day and have done so with heroic virtue. We are strengthened by the promise of Our Lord, the example of Our Lady and the Saints through history, and our own faith which always leads us to hope. Christ is our hope and with Him in our hearts no one can prevail against us. The admonition of Saint John Paul II, "Be Not Afraid!" expresses the strength that flows to us from Christ as we face these daunting challenges.

We have all heard the call of Blessed Pope Paul VI for a new evangelization, and his successors to the chair of Peter have echoed it for fifty years. Many have endeavored to answer the question of what this new evangelization actually is. While I certainly can't claim to have found the answer, I do believe the Institute and new approach to catechesis and evangelization that I propose in this Constitution is an important step. As with challenges the Church has faced before, the success of these new initiatives will be something we accomplish only through God's grace, arduous devotion, and great sacrifice on the part of all.

Please read this Constitution in a spirit of love for the Lord and His Church, pray and reflect on the role you can play, and join me in embracing the challenge of our day to go out to the world bearing the Light of Christ.

Link to Constitution on Teaching>>>

Consecration of the Diocese of Tyler to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

On Saturday, May 13, 2017, the world will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three young children in Fatima, Portugal. Our Lady told the three children, “My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge, and the way that will lead you to God.”

I am pleased to inform you that on this day, at a Mass celebrated at 4:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul to conclude our Diocesan Marian Conference, I will entrust the Diocese of Tyler to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I invite you to join me at the conference and the Mass.

I have decided to make this consecration so that we, as individuals, families, and parishes, can grow in holiness and fruitfulness under the special protection of the Mother of God, who continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of the body of Christ. In this way, we look to Mary’s Immaculate Heart as a remedy against the evil and darkness that seem to be growing each day.

We make consecrations like this, which are self-offerings that have God as the object, because, as St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Monfort says, our Lord Jesus came into the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary and He wishes the world to come to Him through her as well. “Seen in the light of Christ’s words (cf. John 19:25-27), the act of consecration is a conscious recognition of the singular role of Mary in the Mystery of Christ and of the Church, of the universal and exemplary importance of her witness to the Gospel, of trust in her intercession, and of the efficacy of her patronage, of the many maternal functions she has, since she is a true mother in the order of grace to each and every one of her children.” The act of consecration is made to the Father, through Christ in the Holy Spirit, imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we entrust ourselves completely, so as to keep our baptismal commitments and live as her children.^{^[1]} Our consecration is merely a willing, loving act of devotion which recognizes this filial relationship we have with our Heavenly Mother.

It is important that we have a proper understanding of consecration to Mary. We can see clearly that the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the image of discipleship; her heart is completely conformed to the Sacred Heart of her Son, on fire with the love of God. It is a model for the kind of heart which we ought to have, the living heart which replaces our hearts of stone (cf. Ezekiel 36:26). Mary is a sure and certain path toward union with the will of God and union with her Son. Consecration to Mary deepens and strengthens our commitment to Christ. For this reason, consecration to Mary must explicitly state that our ultimate end and goal is God and His will. We entrust and commend ourselves to her Immaculate Heart, for she leads us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus without fail.

Mary is not God; She is not the fourth person of the Holy Trinity. Her role is in no way a rival to her Son, but is always meant to magnify the Lord for the marvels He has worked through her. Nevertheless, it was God’s will that Mary play a significant part in our Christian lives and, in particular, with our sanctification. Mary is perfectly honored when we associate ourselves with her heart and embrace her words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

I also take this occasion to strongly encourage each of us individually, and our families together, to take up those specific acts commended to us by Our Lady at Fatima: wearing the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel, performing acts of reparation and sacrifice, practicing the devotion of the Five First Saturdays, and, most especially, praying the Holy Rosary daily.

It is my prayer that this act of devotion will be an opportunity of grace for all and that it will be pleasing to the loving Son of the Virgin Mary, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and honor forever.

Prayer of Consecration

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you chose the Blessed Virgin Mary as the fairest of your daughters, as your own Mother and as your holy spouse. In union with Mary, we magnify you and worship your complete dominion over all things. Almighty God, we ask that you hear our prayers that we present to you through the hands of our Blessed Lady, as we consecrate ourselves freely to her Immaculate Heart.

Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, ever mindful of the great love which you have for all of the souls redeemed by the Precious Blood of your divine Son, to you do we come, before you we offer ourselves, all the Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler.

Gather under the protection of your mantle the Bishop and all the priests and deacons who serve in union with him in the Diocese of Tyler. Under your special care, we place all the consecrated religious and all the lay Faithful of Christ. We ask that you stir the hearts of all so that more will answer the call to offer themselves in service in Christ’s holy priesthood and the consecrated life. We place before you all of our families. We especially beg your maternal care for all unrepentant sinners, the sick, the poor, the tempted and all who are in particular need of your intercession.

Draw us, O Immaculate Virgin, more intimately into the Eucharistic Heart of your Son, offered for us in sacrifice on Calvary and now waiting for us in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. May the love of the Heart of Jesus, which enflames your Immaculate Heart enflame, too, our tepid souls so that we may truly proclaim by our words and by our lives the Kingdom of Heaven, the Reign of the Sacred Heart of your divine Son.

May we always remain faithful to your motherly care for us. We confidently hope in your love and in the power of your intercession, now and at the hour of our deaths.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

+++

El sábado 13 de mayo de 2017, el mundo celebrará el centenario aniversario de la primera aparición de la Virgen María a tres niños pequeños en Fátima, Portugal. Nuestra Señora dijo a los tres niños: "Mi Inmaculado Corazón será su refugio y el camino que los llevará a Dios".

Quiero informarles que en este día, en la Misa celebrada a las 4:30 p.m., en la Capilla de los Santos Pedro y Pablo, y para concluir nuestra Asamblea Diocesana Mariana, confiaré la Diócesis de Tyler al Inmaculado Corazón de María. Los invito a que me acompañen en la asamblea y en la misa.

He decidido hacer esta consagración para que nosotros, como individuos, familias y parroquias, podamos crecer en santidad y fecundidad bajo la protección especial de la Madre de Dios, que continúa en el cielo ejerciendo su función maternal en nombre de los miembros del cuerpo de Cristo. De esta manera, miraremos al Corazón Inmaculado de María como un remedio contra el mal y la oscuridad que parecen estar creciendo cada día

Hacemos consagraciones como esta, que son ofrendas que tienen a Dios como el objetivo, porque, como dice San Luis María de Monfort, nuestro Señor Jesús vino al mundo por medio de la Santísima Virgen María y desea que el mundo venga a Él a través de ella también. "Visto en la luz de las palabras de Cristo (cf. Juan 19: 25-27), el acto de consagración es un reconocimiento consciente del papel singular de María en el Misterio de Cristo y de la Iglesia, de la importancia universal y ejemplar de su testimonio del Evangelio, de la confianza en su intercesión y la eficacia de su patrocinio, de las múltiples funciones maternas que tiene, ya que ella es una verdadera madre en orden de gracia para todos y cada uno de sus hijos". El acto de consagración se hace al Padre, por medio de Cristo en el Espíritu Santo, implorando la intercesión de la Santísima Virgen María, a quien nos encomendamos completamente para mantener nuestros compromisos bautismales y vivir como sus hijos. Nuestra consagración es simplemente un acto voluntario y amoroso de devoción que reconoce esta relación filial que tenemos con nuestra Madre Celestial.

Es importante que tengamos una comprensión propia de la consagración a María. Podemos ver claramente que el Corazón Inmaculado de María es la imagen del discipulado; Su corazón está completamente conformado al Sagrado Corazón de su Hijo, ardiendo con el amor de Dios. Es un modelo para el tipo de corazón que debemos tener, el corazón vivo que reemplaza nuestros corazones de piedra (cf. Ezequiel 36:26). María es un camino seguro y cierto hacia la unión con la voluntad de Dios y la unión con su Hijo. La consagración a María profundiza y fortalece nuestro compromiso con Cristo. Por esta razón, la consagración a María debe declarar explícitamente que nuestro último fin y meta es Dios y Su voluntad. Nos confiamos y encomendamos a su Inmaculado Corazón, pues ella nos lleva al Corazón de Jesus sin falla.

María no es Dios; Ella no es la cuarta persona de la Santísima Trinidad. Su papel no es rival al de su Hijo, sino que siempre está destinado a magnificar al Señor por las maravillas que Él ha trabajado a través de ella. Sin embargo, fue la voluntad de Dios que María desempeñara un papel importante en nuestra vida cristiana y, en particular, con nuestra santificación. María es perfectamente honrada cuando nos asociamos con su corazón y abrazamos sus palabras: "He aquí, la sierva del Señor. Que se haga conmigo conforme a tu palabra"(Lucas 1:38).

Aprovecho también esta ocasión para animar fuertemente a cada uno de nosotros, y a nuestras familias, a que adoptemos los actos específicos que nos ha recomendado Nuestra Señora de Fátima: ponernos el escapulario del Monte Carmelo, realizar actos de reparación y sacrificio, ser devotos a los cinco primeros sábados y, sobre todo, orar diariamente el Santo Rosario.

Es mi oración que este acto de devoción sea una oportunidad de gracia para todos y que sea agradable al Hijo amoroso de la Virgen María, nuestro Señor Jesucristo, a quien sea la gloria y el honor para siempre.

Chrism Mass 2017

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000

A Reflection on the Office of Bishop

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate thirty years as a local Church among the global gathering of communities that make up the Roman Catholic Church, I revert to one of my favorite frames of reference regarding this great mystery that we know as the Body of Christ. I often think of the Church and her mission in terms of one individual disciple, so to speak; the Church is the disciple writ large. Thus our thirty year old diocese is well beyond her infancy, stepping into the community of disciples as a young adult, firmly set on her “career path,” with the world and its future before her. Our thirtieth anniversary speaks to our community of faith beyond her teens or twenties: a young adult ready to take on her mission.

Four shepherds have guided this local Church as she has faced the challenges of birth and infancy, youthful adolescence and the challenges of maturing into early adulthood. As a priest, I have been blessed to be a part of the whole journey of the Diocese of Tyler, and I have embraced the challenging call of being her fourth shepherd as she navigated her late twenties. I know that many join me in expressing our profound gratitude to the three bishops who guided this new local Church for her first twenty-five years. Their hard work and collaboration with priests, deacons, religious and the lay faithful, who came from three dioceses to form one local Church, has placed us on a solid footing which allows us to face the future with great hope and strength.

Continuing with this framework of the progress of the diocese sharing similarities with the progress of an individual disciple, I turn to some basic guiding principles for me as a shepherd and for all of us as disciples of Jesus Christ as we seek to fulfill our mission. We have all been baptized into the saving life of Jesus Christ, and from that moment we share His anointed mission as priest, prophet and king. The beautiful sacrament of baptism is richly celebrated in our Roman Catholic tradition as we are anointed with sacred chrism and from that moment called to take on this threefold mission of the Son of God. We are literally united with the anointed one, and being anointed ourselves, we take on His life, death and resurrection and are incorporated into His body the Church.

The ancient tradition of our Catholic faith guides all of us from the Bishop of Rome, to the bishop of a local diocese, to the most recently baptized member, to always address the life of the Church with these three goals in mind. We the baptized are to live kingly, priestly and prophetic lives in the world and thus transform the human family. We can say this another way: we the baptized, we the Church, the Body of Christ, are to govern, sanctify, and teach the world the wondrous message that the Son of God has revealed to us. As I mentioned above, we have been blessed with shepherds in the first quarter century of our life as a diocese who have done an outstanding job of embracing these three aspects of our mission.

Certainly, the missionary challenge of our Catholic faith is to always seek to be moving forward in all three areas, and in the life of the Diocese of Tyler, we have made great progress in all three areas. Acknowledging that this three-fold challenge is always necessarily present, I wish to offer, from my perspective, some thoughts regarding the specific ways my predecessors have brought strength and blessings to the life of the diocese.

As a young priest, I worked with our first bishop, Charles E. Herzig, and I would frame his too short time with us in terms of the mission of governing. By necessity, he was faced with countless decisions of governance as he sought to unify three regions of East Texas and bring to birth a new local Church. I can only imagine the daunting task he faced as virtually every aspect of this new ecclesial entity, called the Diocese of Tyler, had to be decided. Of course, as he made basic decisions of governance, he had to make many decisions regarding the teaching and sanctifying offices of the Church as well, but as I reflect on the legacy of Bishop Herzig I focus primarily on his gifts of governance.

As I continue to consider the progress of the diocese with our second and third shepherds, I can see the numerous ways they each contributed to the three-fold mission of the Church. Bishop Edmond Carmody came to the diocese as our second bishop in May of 1992. Many of us remember the tremendous growth he inspired and fostered, and I have to say as a priest who was working at his side—it was hard to keep up! In terms of these reflections on our thirtieth anniversary, I would also characterize Bishop Carmody’s eight years with us as a time of significant decisions of governance. Bishop Herzig had laid the basic foundations of the diocese with his critical decisions regarding how the diocese would be established. Bishop Carmody faced the challenge of deciding how, when and where the Church would grow in these thirty-three counties that were becoming the Diocese of Tyler. As you read this, many of you are living your faith in parishes and missions that didn’t exist when the diocese was first formed. We should all say a prayer of gratitude to the Holy Spirit in thanksgiving for our first two shepherds who cooperated with God’s grace and helped us to become a Church founded firmly on rock.

In January 2001, Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio was installed as the third bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, and thus began more than ten years of growth and development. Under the faithful shepherding of Bishop Corrada, the diocese continued to grow and move forward with her mission. The foundations and new communities established by Bishops Herzig and Carmody continued to flourish and gain strength. As with his predecessors, Bishop Corrada continued to make important decisions about the life of the diocese. He embraced the call to teach with great strength, but I would characterize the years of Bishop Corrada with us as bearing a primary focus on the sanctifying office of the Church and the bishop. Due to his own personal love of the liturgy and developments in the universal church like the new edition of the Roman Missal, Bishop Corrada made great strides in forming the priests, deacons, religious and laity in a love for Christ in His liturgy. As with the entire mission of Jesus Christ in His Church, we can never say that we have completed the task of sanctifying the world in His name. We continue to seek to be more deeply sanctified in the Eucharist, all of the sacraments and all of the means of grace that the Lord in His mercy offers to His body the Church.

These reflections on the thirty year journey of the Diocese of Tyler bring us to our present reality and the joyful challenges of the next thirty years and beyond. As disciples baptized into the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and confirmed in the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are all called to live out this triple challenge of our lives. In many ways the greatest hope for this local Church is that, as individual disciples, we all embrace the mission with great energy, strength and joy. We are all called to govern our own lives and make Gospel-based decisions. We are all called to seek a greater sanctity in our own personal lives and develop an ever closer relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. How are we called as disciples to move forward with the mission of the Church facing the challenges of today? How is the Lord challenging me as your shepherd to lead you into a bright future, imbued with the Light of the Gospel that our world so desperately needs? I believe the answer lies in the prophetic teaching office that we all share and that serves as one of the pillars of my work as bishop.

As we look to the next thirty years and beyond, I believe we must embrace the call to teach the truth in new and profound ways. It is impossible for us to make the wise decisions of Gospel-guided governance or to seek authentic and life sustaining holiness and thus be sanctified, if we do not know the truth that sets us free. Many circumstances from past and present converge in our present day and demand that we humbly acknowledge that there is much of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been ignored or rejected. I often use the colloquial expression that we in the diocese, and really throughout much of the Church, are in need of “meat and potatoes Catholicism.” I believe this rather quaint image brings home the truth of what our focus needs to be for our future. There is much of the beautiful wonder that is our Catholic faith that remains unknown and unexperienced by the people of God today. It is my firm belief that we can make great progress in addressing the ills of our day if we are able to know and share the basic truth that has inspired disciples to lives of holiness through the ages.

Taking the call to teach a step further, I would propose that the journey develops into two paths that constantly intersect, intertwine and invigorate each other. The teaching office we share as disciples involves a path of catechesis, of learning clearly and deeply what it is that we believe as followers of Jesus Christ in our Catholic tradition. It also involves a second, equally important path of evangelization, of learning why we believe as we do as Catholics, and why it makes a difference for the human person. I am confident that, after only a few moments of reflection on these two paths of the teaching mission of the Church, we will all recognize that we face a daunting task for the next years of our journey of faith. There are many false voices that will try to shout us down. There is much apathy and ignorance that can derail our efforts before we can even begin. But let us be inspired by the glorious early days of the Church when she was just taking shape, when many of the solid truths that guide us now were only beginning to be discovered.

Let us be teaching disciples that are constantly seeking to learn more deeply ourselves.

Let us joyfully and clearly catechize with the basic message of what we believe and set God’s people free in the wonder of His truth.

Let us evangelize young and old, rich and poor, weak and strong, thus sharing the dynamic why of our faith.

Let us be on our way in Christ.

30th Anniversary Mass: Teaching Jesus Christ

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000

World Marriage Day Mass 2017

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Christmas Message 2016

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Pastoral Exhortation: God's Mercy through the Ministry of the Church

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 06:00:00 +0000

To conclude the Year of Mercy, I have written a pastoral exhortation to the faithful of the Diocese of Tyler on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. The complete text of the exhortation is below in and it can also be printed in English and Spanish from this PDF.

JOSEPH EDWARD STRICKLAND
BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE APOSTOLIC SEE
BISHOP OF TYLER

TO THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF TYLER,
HEALTH AND BENEDICTION

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: God’s Mercy through the Ministry of the Church

As we bring the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy called by Pope Francis to a close, a year in which we have contemplated the Lord Jesus as the face of the Father who is rich in mercy, my hope is that the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Tyler have come to better understand that the mystery of God’s mercy is truly a wellspring of joy, serenity and peace.[1]

During this Year of Mercy, we have continually been reminded that God’s mercy is infinitely greater than even the most heinous sin we might commit, and that God’s unfathomable love for us is made tangible and visible through acts of mercy. This tangibility and visibility means that God’s mercy is not an abstract theological concept or an act that is hidden, but rather something we can feel, hear and touch as human beings. This is how God has interacted with his people throughout history, and it is why Christ instituted the sacraments and entrusted them to his Church – so that down through the ages we might personally experience through our senses the visible reality of the invisible grace that is being given to us.

With this in mind, I write to you at this time to focus our attention more deeply on the sacrament most directly associated with mercy – the sacrament of reconciliation, also called penance, confession and forgiveness. My experience as a priest has often led me to reflect on the personal encounter with Jesus Christ that occurs in this outward and visible sign of his mercy. Our faith as Catholics is firmly founded on the beautiful gift of the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the fundamental mystery of our faith that the consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Many converts are drawn to the Catholic faith because they come to understand that they are experiencing a true and deep encounter with the Son of God when they receive the Eucharist. With regard to the to the sacrament of reconciliation, I believe we need to nurture a similar statement of faith and remind ourselves that this sacrament is also an intimate personal encounter with the living presence of Jesus Christ. No one can come to the Father except through the person Jesus, and in the sacrament, Jesus himself has given us the method for doing this.[2]

Through the centuries, saints and scholars have written volumes about the great beauty of this sacrament and the richness of the Divine Mercy, and I will not endeavor to add to that here or to try give a complete overview of all the various aspects of reconciliation. Rather, the purpose of this letter is to help us, in some small way, better understand the “why” of this encounter with the Lord and to answer a question that we have probably been asked before and that we may have even had ourselves: why do we confess our sins to a priest? This question can take many different forms, but a clear understanding of why the Lord wants us to experience his mercy in this very personal way can allow us to enter more deeply into our relationship with him.

As Christians, we understand that pardon for our sins comes from Christ’s work on Calvary, the offering of himself as the perfect and once-for-all sacrifice to the Father. However, this does not immediately have its full effect “since Christ, after redeeming the world at the lavish cost of His own blood, still must come into complete possession of the souls of men.”[3] Each of us must individually choose to participate in the Lord’s work, so, in his great love, he provided a path for us to receive his pardon and experience the effects of his forgiveness. Sacred Scripture tells us that he established two means by which our sins can be taken away: the sacraments of baptism and reconciliation.

Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ’s grace, washes away all sin, both original sin transmitted to us from Adam and any personal sins committed before receiving the sacrament. Through baptism, we are united to Christ, transformed by grace and saved, but the consequences of the first sin still impact all humanity and we are left with a human nature that is weak and inclined to evil. Consequently, in this earthly life Christians are in the midst of a spiritual struggle, striving daily for holiness and to avoid sin with the help of grace.[4] Because of his infinite mercy, God never abandons us, even if we turn away from him. Deeply aware of our human frailty and our tendency to sin, the Lord instituted the means to provide forgiveness of sins and to restore us to grace and communion with God and one another after our baptism. On the evening of his Resurrection, Jesus breathed on his Apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23). Jesus, who had the authority on earth to forgive sins, now unconditionally entrusted this same authority to the Church he had established.[5]

Knowing that he would soon ascend to heaven, Christ told his Apostles that they were now to take on his mission and act in his place and with his authority, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). Just as the Apostles were to carry Christ’s message to the whole world, they were also instructed to carry his forgiveness, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).

This authority Christ gave the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, was twofold: to forgive sins or to hold them bound, or unforgiven. Several things logically follow from this. First, Christ does not give gifts needlessly – in handing this power to the Church, he intended for it to be used. Next, in order to know what sins to forgive or retain, the Apostles must be told the sins – which is the act of confession. This is further established later in the New Testament when the early Christians are enjoined to “confess your sins to one another” (James 5:16). Further, the Apostles were not merely to preach of God’s forgiveness, but they were told to go exercise the same power that Christ possessed. Christ’s ministers understood that this power was not their own, but was coming from God, “And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). St. Paul expressed this reality clearly, “So we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20).

The bishop and his priests, the ambassadors for Christ, act as the instruments of the Lord’s forgiveness. The power of binding and loosing which Christ gave to the Apostles calls the priests to an important and necessary role in discerning who is eligible to receive the Lord’s forgiveness, but it is always and only God who forgives.[6] Christ is always freely offering his forgiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit seeking to reconcile us to the Father, but the priest’s crucial role makes this forgiveness visible and tangible, and ensures that the penitent is truly sorry for their sins and has a sincere desire to amend their lives.

The answer to our question, “why do we confess our sins to a priest?” is clear: we confess to a priest because it is the way that Christ Jesus established and intended for us to have a personal relationship with him in faith and objectively experience his forgiveness. We do not confess our sins to a priest “instead of God,” no, we make our sins known through a priest because God the Father encounters men in Christ the Son, and Christ encounters us in his body the Church.

This is a great gift! The sacrament of reconciliation is a visible and external sign of Christ’s mercy available to us 2,000 years after his Ascension. When the priest, acting for the Church and in the person of Christ, pronounces the beautiful formula of absolution, we are able hear God’s forgiveness with our own ears and know with absolute and unconditional certainty that he has forgiven us. Moreover, we are strengthened in our efforts to resist sin and we grow in humility before God.

Pope Francis, like his predecessors, has emphasized again and again that the true heart of our Catholic faith is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. An authentic and theologically sound celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation is a beautiful example of what that intimate relationship is truly about. There are few experiences more deeply personal than an honest, soul-searching confession in which we bare our souls before God and encounter Jesus Christ in the mystery of his mercy through the person of the priest. As I write these words, I am reminded, as I have been many times, of the awesome responsibility this sacrament places on the shoulders of the priest. It is the responsibility of the priest to make present the true forgiving mercy of the Savior of the World, and this is only possible when the priest is deeply rooted in the reality that he too is a sinner in desperate need of the Lord’s mercy. When the priest approaches his role in the sacrament of penance in this way, he allows the Lord’s mercy to flow through him and he is always humbly aware of the great mystery he is celebrating.

This is what the Church celebrates in this beautiful sacrament: the reality that the healing love of Jesus Christ the Forgiver is really present in the world today, longing to allow His Mercy to flow over us and forgive our sins. When we examine our conscience, have sorrow for our sins, firmly resolve to amend our lives, make a good confession, and receive the penance and absolution, we hear Christ’s words in the Gospel echo through the world as words of great mercy for every sinner today, “Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more.”

Given at the Diocesan Chancery on November 1, 2016, the Solemnity of All Saints.

+Joseph Edward Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

[1] Papal Bull Misericordiae Vultus, 2

[2] John 14:6

[3] Encyclical Letter Mediator Dei 77

[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 405, 1426

[5] Matthew 9:6; CCC 1461

[6] CCC 1441

Coming Together as Faithful Citizens for the Common Good

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 06:00:00 +0000

I am pleased to join the statement of Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and I encourage all Americans to come together following Tuesday’s election.

I would also add: With this historic election concluded, I encourage all to pray for President-Elect Trump and our reelected or newly-elected officials from both parties, that they might work together to unify and strengthen our great nation. Most importantly, let us recommit ourselves to joyfully living and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inviting all to join with us in promoting the common good and the sanctity of all human life – the unborn, the poor, the immigrants, the forgotten, and the marginalized.

Below is the statement of Archbishop Kurtz:

The American people have made their decision on the next President of the United States, members of Congress as well as state and local officials. I congratulate Mr. Trump and everyone elected yesterday. Now is the moment to move toward the responsibility of governing for the common good of all citizens. Let us not see each other in the divisive light of Democrat or Republican or any other political party, but rather, let us see the face of Christ in our neighbors, especially the suffering or those with whom we may disagree.

We, as citizens and our elected representatives, would do well to remember the words of Pope Francis when he addressed the United States Congress last year, “all political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity.” Yesterday, millions of Americans who are struggling to find economic opportunity for their families voted to be heard. Our response should be simple: we hear you. The responsibility to help strengthen families belongs to each of us.

The Bishops Conference looks forward to working with President-elect Trump to protect human life from its most vulnerable beginning to its natural end. We will advocate for policies that offer opportunity to all people, of all faiths, in all walks of life. We are firm in our resolve that our brothers and sisters who are migrants and refugees can be humanely welcomed without sacrificing our security. We will call attention to the violent persecution threatening our fellow Christians and people of other faiths around the world, especially in the Middle East. And we will look for the new administration’s commitment to domestic religious liberty, ensuring people of faith remain free to proclaim and shape our lives around the truth about man and woman, and the unique bond of marriage that they can form.

Every election brings a new beginning. Some may wonder whether the country can reconcile, work together and fulfill the promise of a more perfect union. Through the hope Christ offers, I believe God will give us the strength to heal and unite.

Let us pray for leaders in public life that they may rise to the responsibilities entrusted to them with grace and courage. And may all of us as Catholics help each other be faithful and joyful witnesses to the healing love of Jesus.

We Dare to Say: Election 2016

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 05:00:00 +0000

As we prepare for the election in November, I think it was important that I address the critically significant issues that we face. I agree with the statement that I have often heard that the choice of a leader for a society is primarily a reflection of where a society already is rather than an indicator of where that society is going. As we ponder these words, I’m sure that the vast majority of us would agree that this is not a comforting realization. Too many indicators in our world today signal an outright rejection of God, morality and revealed truth. Even if hopeful hearts lead us to shy from the word “rejection,” we must acknowledge, at the very least, a profound confusion regarding all that the Gospel of Jesus Christ holds as of the highest value. Thus as we consider our choice in November, it is essential that we acknowledge that no single person, even the president, can reverse these trends singlehandedly.

Our Catholic tradition, in regard to the election process, is that we do not endorse candidates. Instead, we urge citizens to choose the candidate who most fully embraces the deposit of faith expressed in the ancient teachings of our Catholic faith. I must say very candidly that especially in this election year this approach is a great relief for me. I find myself unable to endorse any presidential candidate in good conscience. Certainly it would be naïve if, as Catholics, we were only willing to embrace the perfect candidate, but this election cycle presents us with candidates who are all severely flawed. This does not focus primarily on the personal failings of these candidates but rather on their ability or desire to guide our society according to the truth that God has revealed to us.

What are we to do?...

Given this state of affairs, many have asked me, “Bishop what are we to do?” I suppose all of this brings me to what my primary role is as your bishop, and to my mind it is truly to give, “A Shepherd’s Care.” Thus, all of the above comes down to my responsibility to help you be faithful Catholics who are engaged citizens who can use your own well-formed conscience to choose between the seriously flawed candidates that our electoral process will likely present to us. At the same time, I am well aware of the limitations of my knowledge of the complex issues that we face as a society. Many of you have greater knowledge in various aspects of the issues, and I am grateful for your wisdom in these areas.

A Shepherd’s Care sounds nice. I can imagine many of you thinking, “Bishop, we need much more than nice,” and I wholeheartedly agree. A Shepherd’s Care does sound nice, but viewed through a realistic lens of the devastating threats we face as a nation and as the Body of Christ, it should evoke strength, clarity and tenacious care for the flock. The best images flow directly from the Gospel. We as the sheep of His flock face vicious wolves at every side. The Shepherd’s Care I am challenged to offer should be imbued with the strength of the Gospel and the power of the truth the Lord has revealed to us.

As I ponder the grave responsibility that is mine, I turn to the Mass for words that frame the answer I offer to the question, “Bishop what are we to do?” The Roman Missal prescribes specific words to be used by every priest to introduce the Our Father, the Lord’s Prayer. These words are very familiar to us: “At the Savior’s command, and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say...” I propose the three phrases in this simple introduction as the framework of my advice.

At the Savior's Command...

“At the Savior’s command” reminds us that this model prayer which Church Fathers, Popes and Saints have reflected on throughout the history of the Church truly is a command regarding how we approach God and the life He has given us. Embedded in these simple words is a reminder that we must take seriously the call that we share to live as the baptized. In the context of our present reflection, it is a reminder that we must engage with our society; we must speak the truth; we must seek to share the light of the Gospel in whatever darkness we encounter. The command of the Lord impels us to know God as Father and to seek His will. This is the imperative of all humanity, and we ignore it at our peril.

Although significant forces in society have always sought to deny that the Savior has commanded anything, and although these forces seem to be seriously on the rise in our time, as people of faith, we know in the depths of our being that these forces spread a lie. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and as our Savior he has revealed to us the commands of God Our Father. He has promised that no matter how powerful evil becomes it will not triumph, but He has commanded us to engage in the world and to fight against evil in our hearts and in every aspect of society.

Because of this, because of our faith in God’s ultimate victory, we must never despair over the present situation. Even when everything seems to be going wrong in politics, and we feel we have no good choices, we must not give up. We must not give in to that despair, for that is what Satan wants each and every Christian to do: to give up. One thing we can know for sure, the outcomes of elections in our country will not be better if Christians stay home and give up on our political process. At the Savior’s command, we must do what we can.

Formed by Divine Teaching...

The second phrase in the introduction, “and formed by divine teaching,” moves us into the realm of revelation and the truth that we know because God has chosen to open His heart to us. Especially in the context of our questions regarding the coming election, it is essential that we acknowledge that there are divine teachings and that we seek to be formed by them. Our modern media promotes the idea that there is no objective truth. One could easily get the impression that virtually anything is acceptable if it has a strong enough opinion poll to back it up. Even beyond the public media, the interactions between individuals on social media support the idea that there is no such thing as objective truth: that all is relative and a matter of opinion. The introduction of the Lord’s Prayer makes it clear that a well formed conscience is essential to living the way of the Father. In order to choose the best candidates, not only for president, but for any public office, a well formed conscience is essential.

Recently, I had the opportunity to re-visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. Whenever I travel to such a place, and think of the unspeakable evil which occurred there, I am struck by the fact that the guards who ran the camp, and everyone else who participated in these atrocities, were average people, just like us. They were seduced by the ideas of Nazism and turned into villains. This is an extreme example of a lack of formation of conscience.

What the Church asks of us, what Christ asks of us, is to learn and live the teachings of His Church, even the difficult ones. Our sense of right and wrong, that judgement we make before committing to a course of action (like voting for a particular candidate) must use the teachings of Jesus as its standard. By knowing what Jesus wants of us, we can act with a formed conscience to choose the good, even in difficult situations. This doesn’t mean our choices will be easy, but it does mean we can know that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. We can avoid being seduced by platforms and rhetoric that may sound good to our human ears, but are contrary to the principles of Christianity.

When we are faced with any moral choices, including those posed by our participation in the political process, we must make a habit of asking, “What does the Church teach us about this matter?” If we are unsure of the answer, we should consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the basic guide to Catholic teaching. The Catechism is a great gift to us, and is a resource we should all use. I encourage all Catholics to own a copy, and it is also available on the internet free from various Catholic websites. In many previous ages of the Church, it was sometimes difficult for individual Catholics to know the details of the Church’s teaching, but we live in an age of information. Let us use this advantage to better understand the teachings of the Church.

Once we have learned the teachings of the Church and informed ourselves, then it is necessary to spend time in prayer over these principles, to let God help us accept them fully. Everyone will find at least one teaching of the Church difficult to bear, and the Apostles themselves said to Jesus on more than one occasion, “This teaching is hard.”

Finally, once we know and have worked to accept the teachings of the Church, we must apply them wisely to the choices we are faced with. The Church teaches us, clearly, that certain moral principles are foundational and we must place emphasis upon them in making our decisions about voting.

In the pages of the Catholic East Texas over the past year, I have a few times written on human dignity and the value of the human person. In an election year, each individual Catholic has the opportunity to put these Catholic teachings to good use.

As the Church teaches us in the Catechism and bishops and popes re-iterate to us, we must never support the taking of innocent human life. The right to life is foundational to all other rights, and our own Declaration of Independence famously reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We as Catholics believe very strongly that God has in fact endowed everyone with the right to life, and in choosing to vote for a particular candidate, we must first take into account their position on human life.

What we as Catholics should desire are candidates who share our respect for all human life and who pledge to work in every situation to protect life. When the political parties do not offer us candidates who have even a consistent respect for human life, we should work to change this sad state of affairs.

We Dare to Say...

The final phrase in the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer, “we dare to say,” is possibly the most important for our present discussion. We must be bold. We must dare to live the Gospel values when they are becoming more and more unpopular. We must be willing to speak and live the truth that God has revealed to us, even when that truth falls on deaf ears. We must dare to pray when the world around us warns that someone may be offended. Many would say, “How dare you speak of Jesus Christ?” and the response this introduction should evoke is, “How dare we not speak of Him?”

It is in this arena that the Church confirms to us that religion is not private. There is a public and social dimension to Catholicism which we must not ignore. Jesus Christ called us “The light of the world,” and that light must shine in the public square, to call all people to help build a holy society. We dare to say what Jesus taught us, sometimes very boldly, even when it is tremendously unpopular.

As your bishop, I certainly urge you to pray, pray fervently for our nation and our world, pray for all of the candidates seeking office, and pray for whomever is elected at whatever level of government. We must accompany our prayer with our actions, with the way we live our daily lives.

I suppose the best response I can give to the question, “What are we to do?” is ultimately both quite simple and profoundly difficult to accomplish. We must know that At the Savior’s Command, we are to recognize our resposibilities to our nation and to each other. We must live the life of the Baptized, working to bring about God’s will on Earth without despair. We must never give up, even in dark times.

We must live our lives Formed by Divine Teaching, no matter how the world threatens us for doing so. We must form our conscience as fully as possible and understand how divine teaching guides us through all the complex challenges of our world.

And, we must Dare to Say. We must set a good example for our families, our neighbors and our co-workers. We must seek daily to live according to the will of the Father and not our own. We must be the light of the world.

As we dare to live God’s truth, we pray that our society may begin to change, to return to God, to re-establish Gospel values, to turn from every form of immorality and decadence. Then our society will demand a leader who embraces the values of divine teaching and seeks to join us in seeking the kingdom of God.

ONLINE: Read Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Bishops’ teaching document on Catholics and politics.

The Absurdity of Catholics for Choice

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000

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A full page ad placed in the San Antonio Express-News, the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News on Monday, September 12, by so-called "Catholics for Choice" attempted to mis-lead the public by claiming that they are a legitimate voice of the Catholic Church. I applaud my brother bishops in those dioceses who quickly and clearly disavowed this group and made it crystal clear that they do not speak for Catholics in any legitimate way.

Although I am thankful that this group did not deem the Tyler market to be one that was worth their effort, I still felt I should speak out.

The teaching of the Catholic Church regarding the sanctity of life in the womb is ancient and clear. Certainly not every Catholic embraces this truth as fully as I would hope. But it is truly absurd and diabolical for a group which embraces the pro-choice, pro-death agenda, and denies life to countless human beings simply because they haven't yet been born, to attempt to co-opt the term Catholic. As a Catholic Bishop, I often find myself ranting at the television in response to the latest statement of a politician, actor or other public figure, but I must remind myself that ranting at the television does no good.

As the November election approaches, let us all reflect deeply on the ills of our society and how we can find our way back to the truth. I believe we must start with the basics. When we choose a candidate for whatever level of public office, we MUST inquire as to their stand with regard to the life of the unborn. Of course it is not the only question, but the questions don't get more basic than that. Our vote is very often the only voice we have and we MUST VOTE NO to abortion, to the selling of the body parts of aborted children, to the further erosion of the moral teachings that flow from the Gospel and to all the threats to the Sanctity of Life that our society faces.

I am well aware that very often we are unable to find a candidate who upholds the Sanctity of Life in all of its dimensions, but I believe we must begin with the most basic issues. If a candidate for whatever office callously demands the slaughter of unborn children as a so-called right and vigorously supports organizations that profit from the multi-billion dollar abortion industry, then how can any other human right they may champion be truly meaningful?

Our beautiful Catholic faith, guided by the Holy Spirit teaches the world that human life begins at conception. In order to re-build our fractured human family, we must return to that precious beginning and stand tall for the Sanctity of Life. Let us pray that we may re-learn the beautiful truth that the conception of a child through the sexual union of a man and woman in Holy Matrimony is our most wondrous human act and that the child conceived is God's most precious gift to the world.

Read the statement of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (Galveston-Houston), Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S (San Antonio), Bishop Steven J. Lopes (Personal Ordinatriate of the Chair of St. Peter), and Bishop Kevin J. Farrell (Dallas).

Sunday: The Lord's Day and Our Day

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:00:00 +0000

JOSEPH EDWARD STRICKLAND
BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE APOSTOLIC SEE
BISHOP OF TYLER

TO THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS & CATHOLIC FAITHFUL
OF THE DIOCESE OF TYLER,
HEALTH AND BENEDICTION

Sunday, The Lord’s Day and Our Day

As we continue in the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, a large portion of which falls during the summer months, it is appropriate for us to briefly reflect on our participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sundays, and the Christian duty that each of us has to offer praise to God on this day.

Having instituted the Sabbath Day at the creation of the world, the Lord commanded the people of the Old Covenant to keep the day holy by resting from labor.[1] The chosen people rested in him, on his day – the Lord’s day – as a sign of the covenant he had made with them. This was a day to remember and praise the Lord for the many blessings he had given to the Israelites, from creation through the exodus from slavery in Egypt.

When Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah and God incarnate, dwelling among us, rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples on Easter Sunday, the day after the Sabbath and the first day of the week, this became the day for his followers to mark the new beginning, the New Covenant formed by Christ’s victory over sin, darkness and death. Christ fulfilled the promises of the Old Covenant, thus Jesus became the true place of rest, the true Sabbath.[2] In time, and by the authority of the Church, the followers of Christ began to celebrate the day of the Resurrection as the preeminent day while continuing to honor the moral and spiritual command of the Sabbath.[3]

Sunday distinguishes Christians from the world around us and is an indispensable element of our Christian identity.[4] In the words of St. Jerome, “Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, it is the day of Christians, it is our day.”[5] It is “our day” because it is when we participate in Jesus’ saving action, by celebrating and living his passion, resurrection and ascension.[6]

How then do we participate in this work of Christ and offer God worship in the manner most pleasing to him? We do so by following the command of our Lord who, on the night before he died, divinely instituted the Holy Eucharist as a living memorial of his sacrifice and instructed those present to “do this in memory of me” (Lk. 22:19). When the priest, acting as Christ by virtue of his ordination, does as the Lord commanded, the once-for-all sacrifice on Calvary is made present; through our participation in it, we are filled with “every grace and heavenly blessing.”[7]This re-presentation, which we call the Mass, is the true and perfect means of worship established by Christ, given to the Apostles and handed down to us today through their successors, the bishops, so that we can abide in Christ, and him in us (Jn 6:56). The Mass is the only worship a Christian can offer that is truly worthy of God, because it is a participation in the Son’s worship of the Father, in the Holy Spirit. All other worship flows from this.

Out of justice for all that he has given us, we have the privilege and responsibility to worship our Creator. Because there is no other way to adequately give thanks and praise to the Father than by joining our worship to Christ’s, and because the Sacraments, most especially the Eucharist, are the source of the grace we need for our salvation[8], the Church obliges us in conscience to participate in the Eucharistic Sacrifice on Sundays and other holy days.[9] The obligation is fulfilled by assisting at (attending) Mass offered any time after 4 p.m. on the preceding evening, or anytime on the Sunday or holy day.[10] This also necessitates that we avoid any activities that would prevent the worship that is due to God or the rest of mind and body that is proper to Sunday.

While attending Mass should always be seen as a great privilege, the Church knows that in our human weakness, we may be tempted to put other things before God. In light of this, the Church has established that Catholics who willfully miss Mass on a Sunday or holy day without being excused for a serious reason (like illness, the care of infants or the sick, or obligatory work to support one’s family) commit a grave sin.[11] By divine law, anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not receive the Body of the Lord without having previously been to sacramental confession.[12] It should be noted that even though an individual may be in a situation which prevents them from worthily receiving the Eucharist, the obligation to attend Mass remains.

Despite the pressures which can make our Sunday obligation difficult, none of us should be “deprived of the rich outpouring of grace with the celebration of the Lord’s Day brings.”[13] It is important for us to understand that Sunday worship is not merely a matter of discipline, but an expression of our relationship with God which is inscribed on the human heart (Ex 20:8).[14] While this relationship calls us to praise and thanksgiving at all times, it demands of us a special time of renewal and detachment when our prayers become explicit. [15]

Many who profess faith in Jesus reject the idea that formal, communal worship of God is necessary. They would offer that the Sunday can be honored and God can be worshiped in nature, or in private prayer or by reading Scripture from the comfort of one’s home. In part, this is true: God can and should be given worship at all times and from all places.

But we worship “in spirit and truth” most perfectly in the way that Christ handed on to us through the Apostles. Further, we do not worship alone because we are not saved alone, but as members of the body of Christ – the Church. We are one in Christ and we share at the one table (Gal 3:28), so that we can strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I will conclude this reflection with two requests of great significance. To the pastors and priest-administrators of the Diocese of Tyler, I exhort you to ensure that the faithful, reverent and beautiful celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is and remains the central and most important activity of your parishes and missions! Never must the Mass be treated casually or as anything less than the moment when heaven and earth meet. Every liturgy we celebrate must be given the very best we have to offer. Everything in the life of your parish or mission must be ordered to it, and all of your other important works should flow from it. In the liturgy, God’s grace is poured on us so that he can be glorified and we can be made holy.[16] As an alter Christus, may the Holy Mass also be your source of strength and constant renewal as you bring God’s loving mercy to his holy people.

To the mothers and fathers, commitment to weekly participation at Holy Mass, especially in our world today, is the most important thing you can do for your family. You must teach your children to understand and participate in the Sunday Mass. By your example, Mass should not be presented as a burden or something to be done before the fun can begin, but rather as a true source of joy and unity for your family. Further, flowing from your encounter with Christ as a family at Holy Mass, I encourage you to use Sundays as an opportunity for true recreation to build up your family relationships; perhaps this can be done by taking the opportunity to practice the Works of Mercy as a family.

For all of us, may Sunday – the Lord’s Day and Our Day – always be a time when we celebrate the work of the Creator, remember our baptism, enter into the rest of God, renew our relationship with him, profess our faith, and offer back in sacrifice what God has given to us by celebrating the Paschal Mystery of Christ and receiving him in the Eucharist that feeds us.

Given at the Diocesan Chancery on June 29, 2016, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

+Joseph Edward Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

[1] Exodus 20:8-11
[2] Apostolic Letter Dies Domini, 18
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 2175
[4] Ibid., 30
[5] In Die Dominica Paschae II, 52: CCL 78, 550
[6] Dies Domini, 19
[7] Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer 1: The Roman Cannon
[8] CCC, 1129
[9] Code of Canon Law (CIC), 1247
[10] Ibid., 1248
[11] CCC, 2181
[12] CIC, 916
[13]Dies Domini, 30
[14] Ibid., 13
[15] Ibid., 15
[16] Apostolic Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10

JOSEPH EDWARD STRICKLAND
POR LA GRACIA DE DIOS Y LA SEDE APOSTÓLICA
OBISPO DE TYLER

A TODO EL CLERO, RELIGIOSOS & FIELES CATÓLICOS
DE LA DIÓCESIS DE TYLER,
SALUD Y BENDICIÓN

Domingo, Día del Señor y Día Nuestro

Mientras continuamos en la estación litúrgica del Tiempo Ordinario, gran parte de la cual transcurre durante los meses de verano, es apropiado que reflexionemos brevemente acerca de nuestra participación en el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa los Domingos, y el deber cristiano que cada uno de nosotros tiene de ofrecer alabanza a Dios en este día.

Habiendo instituido el día sábado (sabbat judío) en la creación del mundo, el Señor ordenó al pueblo del Antiguo Pacto guardar el día santo reposando de sus labores . El pueblo escogido descansó en él, en su día—el día del Señor—como signo del pacto que hizo con ellos. Este era un día para recordar y alabar al Señor por las muchas bendiciones que les había dado a los israelitas, desde la creación hasta el éxodo de la esclavitud en Egipto.

Cuando Jesucristo, el mesías esperado y Dios encarnado, habitando en medio nuestro, resucitó de los muertos y se apareció a sus discípulos el domingo de Pascua, el día después del sábado y el primer día de la semana, este se convirtió en el día en que sus seguidores marcaron un nuevo comienzo, el Nuevo Pacto llevado a cabo por la victoria de Cristo sobre el pecado, la oscuridad y la muerte. Cristo cumplió las promesas del Antiguo Pacto, convirtiéndose así en el verdadero lugar de reposo, el verdadero sábado. Con el tiempo, y por la autoridad de la Iglesia, los seguidores de Cristo comenzaron a celebrar el día de la resurrección como el día preeminente, mientras continuaban honrando el mandamiento moral y espiritual del sábado .

El domingo distingue a los cristianos del mundo a nuestro alrededor y es un elemento de nuestra identidad cristiana . Como dijo San Jerónimo, “el domingo es el día de la resurrección, es el día de los cristianos, es nuestro día.” Es “nuestro día” porque es cuando participamos en la acción salvadora de Jesús al celebrar y vivir su Pasión, Resurrección y Ascensión .

¿Cómo, entonces, participamos en esta obra de Cristo y le ofrecemos a Dios adoracion en la manera que más le complazca? Lo hacemos siguiendo el mandamiento del Señor quien, la noche antes de morir, instituyó divinamente la Santa Eucaristía como el memorial viviente de su sacrificio e instruyó a los presentes diciéndoles “hagan esto en conmemoración mía” (Lucas 22:19). Cuando el sacerdote, actuando como Cristo en virtud de su ordenación, hace lo que el Señor ordenó, el sacrificio ofrecido una vez por siempre en el Calvario se hace presente; por nuestra participación en él, somos “colmados de gracia y bendición” . Esta re-presentación, que llamamos la Misa, es el medio verdadero y perfecto de adoración establecido por Cristo, dado a los Apóstoles y transmitido a nosotros hoy por sus sucesores, los obispos, para que permanezcamos en Cristo y él en nosotros (Juan 6:56). La misa es la única adoración que un cristiano puede ofrecer que es verdaderamente digna de Dios, porque es una participación en la adoración del Hijo al Padre, en el Espíritu Santo. Toda otra adoración fluye de esto.

Tenemos el privilegio y la responsabilidad de adorar a Dios nuestro Creador, como un acto de justicia por todo lo que nos ha dado. Ya que no hay otro modo de dar alabanza y acción de gracias al Padre adecuadamente, y porque los sacramentos, especialmente la Eucaristía, son las fuentes de gracia que necesitamos para nuestra salvación , la Iglesia requiere en consciencia participar en el sacrificio eucarístico los domingos y otros días santos. Se cumple con la obligación asistiendo a misa ofrecida en cualquier momento después de las 4 PM en la tarde del día anterior, o en cualquier momento durante el domingo o el día de fiesta de precepto. Esto también nos impone la necesidad de evitar cualquier tipo de actividades que impidan la adoración que se le debe a Dios o el reposo de mente y cuerpo que es propio del domingo.

Aunque asistir a la misa siempre debe ser visto como un gran privilegio, la Iglesia sabe que en nuestra debilidad humana podemos estar tentados a colocar otras cosas antes que Dios. A la luz de esta realidad, la Iglesia ha establecido que los católicos que voluntariamente no van a la misa en domingo o en días de fiestas de precepto sin haber sido excusados por una razón seria (como enfermedad, el cuidado de infantes o de los enfermos, o la obligación de trabajar para sostener la familia) cometen un pecado grave. Por ley divina, cualquiera que esté consciente de pecado grave no puede recibir el Cuerpo del Señor sin previamente haber ido a confesión sacramental. Tenemos que tener en cuenta que aunque una persona pueda estar en una situación que le impida recibir dignamente la Eucaristía, la obligación de asistir a la misa permanece.

A pesar de las presiones que puedan hacer dificultosas cumplir nuestra obligación dominical, ninguno de nosotros debe estar “privado del flujo abundante de gracia que lleva consigo la celebración del día del Señor.” Es importante que entendamos que la adoración dominical no es meramente una disciplina, sino una expresión de nuestra relación con Dios que está inscrita en el corazón humano (Éxodo 20:8). Aunque esta relación nos llama a alabar y a dar gracias en todo momento, también nos exige un tiempo especial de renovación y desprendimiento cuando nuestras oraciones se hacen explícitas.

Muchos que profesan fe en Jesús rechazan la idea que la adoracion a Dios formal y en comunidad sea necesaria. Ellos argumentan que el domingo puede ser honrado y Dios adorado en la naturaleza, o en la oración privada o leyendo la Escritura en la comodidad de su casa. En parte, esto es verdad: Dios puede y debe ser adorado en todo tiempo y en todo lugar.

Pero adoramos “en espíritu y verdad” más perfectamente cuando lo hacemos en la manera que Cristo nos lo transmitió a través de los apóstoles. Más aun, no adoramos solos porque no somos salvados solos, sino como miembros del Cuerpo de Cristo—la Iglesia. Somos uno en Cristo y compartimos la misma mesa (Gálatas 3:28), para poder fortalecernos unos a otros bajo la guía del Espíritu Santo.

Concluiré esta reflexión con dos peticiones de gran significado. A los pastores y sacerdotes administradores de la Diócesis de Tyler, les exhorto a que se aseguren que la celebración fiel, reverente y hermosa de la Eucaristía Dominical es y permanezca siendo la actividad central y más importante de sus parroquias y misiones. La misa nunca deber ser tratada casualmente o como algo menos que el momento en que el cielo y la tierra se encuentra. A cada liturgia que celebramos se le debe dar lo mejor que podemos ofrecer. Todo en la vida de su parroquia o misión debe estar subordinado a ello, y todo el resto de su importante trabajo debe fluir de ello. En la liturgia, la gracia de Dios es derramada sobre nosotros de tal modo que él sea glorificado y nosotros seamos hechos santos. Como alter Christus, que la Santa Misa sea su fuente de fortaleza y renovación constante mientras le llevan la misericordia amorosa de Dios a todo su pueblo santo.

A las madres y padres, la cosa más importante que ustedes pueden hacer por sus familias, especialmente en el mundo de hoy, es el compromiso a la participación semanal en la Santa Misa. Ustedes tienen que enseñarle a sus hijos a entender y a participar en la misa dominical. A través de su ejemplo, la misa no debe ser presentada como una carga o como algo que tiene que hacerse antes de que comienze el entretenimiento, más bien debe presentarse como una verdadera fuente de gozo y unidad para sus familias. Más aun, fluyendo de su encuentro con Cristo en la Santa Misa como familia, los animo a que usen los domingos como una oportunidad de verdadera recreación para edificar sus relaciones familiares; quizás esto pueda hacerse aprovechando la oportunidad para practicar las Obras de Misericordia como familia.

Para todos nosotros, que el domingo—el Día del Señor y Nuestro Día—sea siempre un tiempo cuando celebramos la obra del Creador, recordemos nuestro bautismo, entremos en el reposo de Dios, renovemos nuestra relación con él, profesemos nuestra fe, y le ofrezcamos de vuelta en sacrificio lo que Dios nos ha dado celebrando el Misterio Pascual de Cristo y recibiéndolo en la Eucaristía que nos alimenta.

Dado en la cancillería diocesana el 29 de junio de 2016, la Solemnidad de los Santos Pedro y Pablo.

+Joseph Edward Strickland
Obispo de Tyler

1. Éxodo 20:8-11
2. Carta Apostólica Dies Domini, 18
3. Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica (CIC), 2175
4. Ibid, 30
5. In Die Dominica Paschae II, 52: CCL 78, 550
6. Dies Domini, 19
7. Misal Romano, Oración Eucarística 1: El Canon Romano
8. CIC, 1129
9. Código de Derecho Canónico (CDC), 1247
10. Ibid., 1248
11. CIC, 2181
12. CDC, 916
13. Dies Domini, 30
14. Ibid., 13
15. Ibid., 15
16. Constitución Apostólica Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10

Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

On Wednesday, we left the joyful atmosphere of World Youth Day and entered one of the darkest places on Earth. It was a very emotional, but powerful experience for all of us, and our young people left knowing that the light of Christ Jesus can never be extinguished.

World Youth Day 2016 #wydtyler

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

We are having an incredible adventure in Poland for World Youth Day 2016 as we grow in faith and fraternity with our group of 55 from the Diocese of Tyler, as well as with millions of others from the Church universal who have gathered with Pope Francis to learn about and experience the Father's mercy. Please check our special web site to follow our pilgrimage: https://wydtyler2016.tumblr.com/. You can also follow us on the Diocese of Tyler Facebook page.

Photos of Father Jonathon Frels' Ordination and the Seminarian Softball Classic

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

If you haven't checked out the photos recently posted to my Photo Gallery I encourage you to take a look. Great slices of the life of the diocese.

St. Maria Goretti

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000

July 6th we celebrated St. Maria Goretti and the liturgy brought back pleasant memories of the visit of her relics to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception last November.

The readings of the liturgy were especially appropriate for the wonderful witness that this young girl continues to give to the faithful. 1 Corinthians says "glorify the Lord with your body" and this is exactly what Maria did. Even as a young woman, hardly more than a child, she had the great wisdom to understand that her body was a sacred temple which was meant to glorify the Lord.

Her example is nothing short of critical for our society today because the vast majority of us have forgotten the essential truth expressed in those simple words, "glorify the Lord with your body". Sadly, instead it is the body that is glorified and exalted. The modern glorification of the body is a direct rejection of the truth that God has revealed to us.

All of us are effected by the messages of our culture and we face the daily challenge of filtering all of these influences through the lense of Christ. We should be conscious of our physical appearance, our health and the condition of our bodies but we must also be careful to do so according to the Christian message. When a healthy and attractive body becomes our ultimate goal then it becomes an empty shell. When we remember that the body is a vessel of the Holy Spirit then we seek physical health with the proper balance.

May St. Maria Goretti remind us to always seek this proper balance and to trust in the Lord's mercy when we fail.

When Being Judgmental is a Good Thing

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000

In recent weeks I have read several articles dealing with the issue of being judgmental in today’s society. It seems that the whole concept has become a four letter word, and I believe that in a rather whimsical way this gets to the heart of the matter. Judgmental is literally not a four letter word, it is actually a ten letter word and these extra letters remind us that everything cannot be reduced to sweeping generalizations as is the tendency today. The human journey is ultimately quite complex, beautifully complex, and if we are to fulfill our destiny sorting through those complexities is essential.

In order to truly be human it is necessary that we make judgments on a daily basis, actually constantly throughout each day of our lives. God has created us in His image and one of the most basic ways in which this is manifest is in our ability to make judgements. The human person is alone in creation as the only species that truly has the capacity to choose the good. Many animals have amazing abilities built on their instincts, but none of them can truly make a judgment in the manner of a human person. When we abdicate our capacity to make judgments, in reality we abdicate that which makes us human.

At the root of our modern proclamation that we must avoid being judgmental at all costs is the choice to ignore these basic realities of our humanity. It seems certain that those who tend to label any moral choice as being judgmental have not stopped to reflect more deeply on what they are really saying. I do not believe that they intend to shun the basic human faculty of making choices. More properly they seem to be acknowledging that we of course make choices but at the same time they advocate a world where there is no right or wrong choice. This stance ultimately negates a moral code and leaves us with a world where all choices are of equal value. If all choices are of equal value, is there any real basis for making choices at all?

Certainly the negative connotation which being judgmental can have is a real aspect of our human reality which should be avoided, but the popular generalization that all judgment is bad must be avoided as well. In the context of this issue of the CET regarding matters of conversion and faith it is truly impossible to even contemplate significant changes in the direction of our lives if we never make judgements regarding the world we encounter. The idea that all judgement is bad is truly nonsensical if one begins to reflect more deeply on the connotations of such a stance. In order to live as those created in the image of God one of the basic elements of our lives is that we make judgments regarding our surroundings.

One of the fundamental elements of today’s demand that we should be non-judgmental in all things is the idea that there is no right or wrong, good or bad, true or false in any aspect of our lives. If we take this to its logical conclusions the whole construct begins to collapse. Rather than giving in to the concept that making a judgment must necessarily equate with being intolerant, we as Christians are called to make judgments about our lives in light of the truth that God has revealed to us. At the root of this is the belief that goodness, beauty and truth are real and that we who are created in God’s image are charged with the life long quest of seeking these eternal truths. In this context to be judgmental is ultimately to be discerning about our own lives and the lives of others. It is a profound act of love to be willing to speak the truth and guide another person to their ultimate destiny. May we embrace this very human challenge with great strength and remind the world that judging is really an essential element of loving each other.

// This reflection by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland appeared in the May 2016 issue of the Catholic East Texas magazine. //

Why be Catholic? The Catholic Conception of Mankind

Mon, 23 May 2016 05:00:00 +0000

When I consider the question, “Why be Catholic?” I know that most people expect an answer involving a specific Bible verse or a specific logical principle, but in reality the answer is so much bigger. Catholicism built the good parts of the culture we live in, and Catholicism continues to try to fix the bad parts, and to be Catholic is to be on the side of goodness and mercy in the world.

We live at a time when many claim to have no belief in God. If we take this atheistic worldview to its logical conclusion, then the human person has no ultimate destiny and is merely an intriguing cosmic accident. I do not believe that there are many true atheists even in today’s secularized world. Although many claim to be atheists and seem to wear this as a proud badge of independence from any system of belief, I simply can’t believe that many human beings have taken their atheism to its logical conclusion. It is simply not natural for human beings to reject the supernatural. Ancient nature religions testify to the innate sense of the supernatural that seems to be embedded in the human psyche. This common thread runs through every human culture, and it seems to testify clearly that even if God had never chosen to reveal Himself, human beings would still be seeking Him, even if blindly.

It is popular, in this current age, to blame many of the world’s problems on the Church and on religion in general. We’ve all seen bumper stickers that say that religion is the cause of all wars, and we know that on campuses around the world, it’s taken for granted that the Catholic Church is a stumbling block to human progress. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Catholic Church brought a radical new conception of humanity into the world, one which gave birth to human rights, universal education, and the conception of morality which everyone today uses without thinking about it.

Indeed, those who most proudly proclaim their atheism are often genuinely concerned about the state of their fellow man and try to reason and act according to the shared morality which we all inherit from the Catholic Church. They don’t realize it, but they are speaking the Catholic language of human dignity.

The world the Church was born into was a brutal and unmerciful place. The Roman emperors and their legions regularly killed thousands of people to show force and keep the Roman peace, the Pax Romana. At the fringes of the empire, warlord chieftains presided over violent societies. Everywhere, kings and rulers were declared to be gods whose word was absolute law, and might made right. Infanticide and torture and slavery were just facts of life.

In ancient religion, while man universally believed in and sought the divine through the expression of many religions, the gods they worshipped were typically unconcerned about humans or the human condition. The ancient pagan gods were often portrayed as narcissistic, concerned with their own conquests and jealousies, and were not usually interested in teaching mankind morality.

Into this world came the humblest group of people, a dozen Jews who were not royalty or warlords, not scholars or philosophers. They had a radical message: God has become man, and died for everyone’s sins, and thus every single human being has a destiny with God.

This understanding of humanity, this Christian anthropology, has created the world around us. It is the only true and complete understanding of mankind, and it is the key to the eternal happiness of every single person.

The very early Church, the Apostles and the followers of Christ who knew that He is risen, immediately began to act differently than the people around them. As just one example, historians inform us of the poor treatment of children in the ancient world, from outright child-sacrifice by many cultures to Roman and Greek practices of drowning unwanted children, or selling them into slavery, or exposure – placing unwanted children outside of the city walls at night to be killed by animals or weather. Strabo, a Greek author who lived at the time of Christ, wrote about the peculiar practice of the Egyptians who did not kill any of their children. It was literally “something to write home about” in the ancient world. These ancient pagans did not recognize value in the life of children who were not useful. The value of human life for them was not intrinsic, but was based upon usefulness. The Church, by contrast, knew from its beginning that the value of a human being comes from God.

The Church immediately began to teach this new anthropology, its understanding of the nature of humanity, which was in opposition to almost the entire world. In the Didache, a training manual for converts written in the first century, the Church teaches “thou shalt not procure abortion, nor commit infanticide.” The Roman world didn’t pay much attention, since Christianity was a disrespected and sometimes outlawed religion.

The Church acted to save infants when possible, and in some places, it was the special mission of deacons to rescue children exposed to the elements, and deliver them to Christian families for care. These children are sometimes referenced as “orphans” in early Christian writing.

Widows, orphans, the sick and disabled, these were the people who had no “value” in much of the ancient world. From its first days, the Church held a new understanding of human beings: all people have dignity and value given to them by God which cannot be taken away. Because of this understanding, the Church cared for the outcasts as important people, beloved of God.

This principle is beautifully demonstrated by St. Lawrence, Archdeacon of Rome in the year 258 AD. Ordered by the persecuting emperor Valerian to hand over all of the “treasure of the Church,” Lawrence brought the poor, the sick, the blind and the lame to the emperor and said, “Here are the treasures of the Church.” St. Lawrence was martyred soon after, and his act of holy defiance speaks to us of the real difference between the early Christians and the societies they lived within. Lawrence knew that every sick and disabled person, dismissed by Roman society as useless, had an eternal destiny with God; a value and dignity which nothing on Earth could take away.

Since Pentecost, the Catholic Church has had this mission, to boldly proclaim the real nature of mankind, and the Church has never ceased doing it. We continue this mission in our charitable works and social activities all over the world. Anywhere people are not valued for their intrinsic, God-given dignity, the Church is there, to care for those cast aside by the world.

Societies of the ancient world, using a conception of man based only in the present, often did not understand the moral teachings of the Church. Christians, recognizing their eternal destiny, made choices oriented toward eternal happiness with God. The ancient world marveled at the joy of Christian martyrs led to their death, and could not understand.

Modern Catholic moral teaching maintains the very same understanding, and its principles reflect the application of our Christian anthropology. Catholics, when faced with difficult moral decisions, are called to consider the eternal destiny of everyone involved, and not to reason merely from the present, earthly situation.

This makes many of our moral teachings unpopular in the world today. We desire that everyone make choices that will bring them to eternal happiness with God and the fulfillment of their destiny, even if it means their life on Earth is more challenging. So many issues come to mind such as abortion, contraception, marriage and divorce, and many others. In each of these cases, the world demands that the Church get on the side of people’s immediate happiness. Instead, the Church is always on the side of humanity’s eternal happiness.

The secret of the Catholic moral life, however, is that it is not merely the postponement of happiness until the afterlife. No, because it is rooted in a genuine anthropology, a true understanding of humanity, it often brings a special kind of happiness to our earthly lives as well. Our eternal happiness can begin here and now, if we orient ourselves to this particular kind of life.

What our Christian anthropology tells us is that we are made for our eternal destiny with God; it is what is natural for us. In doing what we are made for, we can experience real joy, even in hardship and suffering, and it is a kind of joy that comes from no other source.

This is the relationship God offers each person: surrender yourself to Me, the One who knows you best, and I will show you true happiness that surpasses anything the world can offer. One cannot help but be reminded of Christ being tempted by Satan, who showed him all the riches and pleasures of the world, and see that in fact this is exactly how we are all tempted as well. The only right choice is the one rooted in our nature, which points us to our eternal destiny.

And so this idea, that mankind has an eternal destiny which is all-important, has shaped the world around the Church. The Church, which at first rescued exposed infants by dark of night and took food to the hungry in secret, eventually came to be the conscience of the entire western world, and built the culture we live in.

Medicine, as a separate practice from religion, began in the Catholic Church. Hospitals began to be built in Europe and the Middle East after the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, and by the turn of the first millennium there were hospitals attached to most churches and monasteries. This Catholic dedication to the sick and suffering has never wavered, and today the Catholic Church remains the largest non-government provider of health care in the world, with around 40,000 separate facilities dedicated to health, including hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. It was the Catholic Church which invented the concept of medical care as a natural right for all people, specifically because of our belief that all people possess the same God-given dignity.

The Church invented the concept of education for all people, where previously education had been a matter of status for wealthy elites. Monasteries through Christendom became centers of learning, and in particular Ireland became known as the “Island of Saints and Scholars,” thanks to the educational efforts of monks there. Church councils in the Middle Ages decreed the existence of Cathedral schools and ordered the appointment of teachers for children who could not afford typical tuition. This was the beginning of what would become our modern concept of universal education. Modern government school systems are patterned after the Catholic educational system, and despite challenges brought in the last few centuries, the Catholic Church continues to operate the largest non-government school system in the world. The need to teach every child, everywhere, comes from our Catholic anthropology which tells us that every single child on earth is equal in dignity and destiny.

There are so many more examples in Catholic culture. Our art and music form a beautiful, universal meditation on our destiny and the incarnation of Christ by which we understand it. The concept of legal rights was born within the Church as a logical consequence of our conception of humanity. International law had its beginnings in the brave protests of Friar Antonio de Montesinos, Father Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolomé de las Casas against poor treatment of native Americans by Spanish conquistadors. It is only Christian anthropology which drove Catholics to see conquered peoples as humans equal in dignity to themselves. This was a radical shift in outlook, brought about by Catholic meditation on the destiny of all mankind.

In sum, the societal structures and moral conventions we have today which are good - our nearly universal respect for human rights, our condemnation of oppression and genocide, our willingness to defend the innocent against the unjust - and which so many people take for granted as “the way things ought to be,” was a hard-fought development in human culture brought about by the Catholic Church’s patient application of the fundamental truth of mankind over centuries. These developments did not come quickly or easily, but thanks to the Church they did come.

The Church which sent its first deacons out by night to rescue innocent children from a cold and merciless world has matured by the grace of God into the conscience of the entire planet. We are everywhere, caring for the sick and hungry, the oppressed and marginalized, the same as we have always done. We believe in human education and progress, in the arts and sciences, and in the equality of all people in their dignity. We do all of these things because we hold the true Christian anthropology, the only way to truly understand humanity.

We live in a world which often does not remember where these good things have come from, and too often thinks the Catholic Church is in some way a barrier to human progress. Let us all work together to help the world remember how these things came to be, and to help humanity see itself as it truly is:

One human family, with a God-given dignity and an eternal destiny.

And so, my answer to the question “Why be Catholic?” is: The Catholic Church best understands mankind, and can best show mankind the way to reach our destiny with God.

// This article by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland appeared in the May 2016 issue of the Catholic East Texas magazine. //

Article undergoing update

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Photos from the Paschal Triduum

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Across the Diocese, thousands upon thousands of you celebrated the most holy days of our faith and offered praise and thanksgiving to God with joy, reverence and love. May the entire 50 days of Easter be a time that you are drawn into the hope that comes from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Celebrating the Sacred Triduum

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000

The most sacred time of the year is upon us. In this time, we walk with our Lord as we commemorate the Paschal Mystery – the passion, death and resurrection of Christ through which he set us free.

Chrism Mass 2016

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Our annual Chrism Mass was a beautiful celebration with my brother priests of the Diocese of Tyler. We are renewed in our resolve and commitment to more closely conform ourselves to Christ and to faithfully carry out our mission of teaching, governing and sanctifying. See all the photos from the Mass here>>>

Diocesan Marriage Anniversary Mass

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Please take a look at the photo gallery of beautiful pictures from the anniversary mass on Saturday, February 13. Congratulations and prayerful thanksgiving for the couples who filled the Cathedral. They celebrated their marriages from 5 years to 70 years.

Diocesan Scouting Mass

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 06:00:00 +0000

We celebrated a great mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, February 13. The mass honored scouts from around the diocese who had earned religious awards.

You can go to the gallery and scroll down past the Marriage Anniversary pictures to find some great pictures from the Mass for Scouts.

Jan. 22: Sanctity of Life Announcement

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Using the occasion of the U.S. Bishop’s National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, I am announcing that I will place the Diocese of Tyler’s efforts to promote the sacredness of human life under the new title of “Sanctity of Life” and will be expanding the ministry to include a wider range of groups in the diocese.

I will be bringing together several apostolates that are already established to each be a piece in a mosaic more consciously witnessing to the sanctity of life. This effort will include groups and ministries like Catholic Charities, our prison ministry, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Gabriel Project, the permanent diaconate, and all of our pro-life efforts.

At the first East Texas Sanctity of Life Banquet last October, I reflected on the sacredness of human life in all stages and circumstances. This event brought attention to the many threats against the sacred dignity of the individual person’s life and conscience and I called on the Church in East Texas must do more to witness the Gospel of Life.

In changing the name of the diocesan efforts from “Respect Life” to “Sanctity of Life,” I hope to promote closer collaboration between those involved in Church apostolates that specifically encourage the goodness and inviolability of every human life.

As we remember the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s tragic Roe vs. Wade decision, I am even more convinced that recognizing the concept of Sanctity of Life is fundamental for our great nation. Our Founding Fathers believed it was self-evident that our Creator endowed each person with unalienable rights. If there was any doubt in 1972 that an unborn child was human person, scientific study of DNA and ultrasound imaging show clearly each child is a unique human being. We join with many believers and unbelievers alike who recognize this right given to the unborn by the Creator. We pray that the fundamental right to life will be recognized by our society and protected in law and in fact.

There was a point in our nation’s history where slavery was judged by the Supreme Court to be a protected right. Please join me in prayer that we will soon reach a point that abortion, like slavery, will be recognized as an evil that is fundamentally wrong.

January CET: The Family

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 06:00:00 +0000

I am pleased to be able to share some personal reflections in regard to marriage and family as part of the January 2016 edition of the Catholic East Texas. As I ponder these central elements of our human journey, my thoughts move from my own personal experience of family to some of the beautiful teachings that our Catholic tradition offers us.

Although we must acknowledge that the institutions of marriage and family are threatened in our modern era, it is my hope that as believers we can truly celebrate marriage and family and all the goodness they bring to our world. As our bodies are composed of a myriad of cells with diverse functions and purposes, the Body of Christ is composed of a similarly diverse community of “cells” which are the family. To take the analogy a step further, every marriage between a man and a woman committed to each other for life is the nucleus of a “cell” that is the family.

It is essential that we hold on to this ideal image of family. The basic model of family is the union of a man and a woman for life surrounded by children. Because the variations on this model are countless, we are often tempted to ignore the fact that this basic definition of family is the model that God our creator offers us. Too often in modern society when we hold up this model of family we are accused of being judgmental, uncaring or bigoted. It is essential that we embrace every individual and whatever family they are a part of with great compassion. It is a great challenge for us to keep all of this in balance because there are so many complex elements that enter into how an individual family is composed. There are many variations from the above model of family that create great challenges and are not by anyone’s choice, but we must also acknowledge that many times our personal choices impact our family in significant ways. Often in numerous ways every family fails to be a model of the ideal. This should not cause us to ignore the ideal but guide us to compassionately embrace every family, however fragmented.

During his recent visit to the United States, Pope Francis spoke of the family as “God’s masterpiece.” I encourage us all to embrace this image and glean from it the joy and hope that our loving God wants to share with every family. Just as in the world of art there are many variations on how a masterpiece is expressed, the same is true for the family. Seeing the family as God’s masterpiece reminds us that God is an essential member of each family. Every member of every family is a sinner and in need of God’s masterful work of mercy in their lives. God, the master artisan, is at work on each of us offering His mercy, His love and His life.

The ideal of family is God’s masterpiece, but we acknowledge that each of our individual families is an unfinished masterpiece. The call of our Catholic faith is individually and within our families to cooperate with the master artisan as He transforms us in His image. The Year of Mercy is an ideal time for each of us to reflect on how we can be models of mercy in our own family and the wider family of God’s people. Ultimately the family itself is a beautiful expression of God’s love, mercy and compassion for every human person. He knows that we need family as a place to grow and develop and become more and more fully His children. May we continue to journey in the Lord as we seek to gather one day at the family table that is His heavenly banquet.

Thanks to All

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 06:00:00 +0000

I want to thank Fr. Hank Lanik and all the individuals involved in preparations for the opening of the Holy Door at the Cathedral as we officially began the Year of Mercy. The liturgy was a beautiful opportunity to celebrate the Father's Mercy in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and the model of discipleship the Father offers us in the Virgin Mary.

I encourage you to visit the Media Gallery on this page. There are some beautiful pictures of the mass.

+Joseph

Anniversary Reflection: The Holy Hearts of Jesus & Mary

Sat, 28 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

On the occasion of the third anniversary of his elevation to the episcopate, which occurred on November 28, 2012, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland has offered this reflection.

As I celebrate my third anniversary as Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, I continue to be in awe of the call I have been given. It goes without saying that I will never be worthy to be your apostle but I do take this call to heart in a powerful way. I am deeply grateful for the wonderful support of the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of the diocese. I believe we have taken some significant steps in regard to the mission of Our Lord among us, but of course there is always much more to be done.

As I speak of taking this daunting call to heart, my reflection moves to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart. My earliest memories include images of the Sacred Heart and you may remember that I dedicated my episcopacy to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart if Mary. I deeply believe that this dedication was inspired by the Holy Spirit and any good I have done in these three years has been inspired and guided by these Holy Hearts.

There are numerous writings regarding these Hearts, from St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to several popes including Pope Leo XIII who consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart. These writings and mystical reflections are beautiful and valuable for deepening our faith. I tend to go back to the image of Mary at the foot of the cross of her divine Son. This scene depicts the Divine Heart of Christ and the sinless human heart of Mary engaged in the saving mystery of salvation that continues to reverberate through the world. It is the scene of love, the greatest power in the world, offering hope to humanity for all time.

On a personal note, I want to share with you some simple prayers that have become part of the rhythm of my life: “O Sacred Heart of Jesus I place my trust in thee.” “O Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on me a sinner.” “Immaculate Heart of Mary I ask you pray for me” I offer these simple prayers in the car, in the office, on a plane and on a run, basically anywhere I am. I share them with you with the hope they might become a blessing for you as they have been for me.

Let us pray that these Holy Hearts will guide me as your bishop and guide the mission of the diocese for many years to come.

– Bishop Strickland

Jesus Christ, True Mercy

Thu, 26 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Joseph Edward Strickland
By the Grace of God and the Apostolic See
Bishop of Tyler

TO THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS & CATHOLIC FAITHFUL OF THE DIOCESE OF TYLER,
HEALTH AND BENEDICTION

Jesus Christ, True Mercy

This Sunday we begin the holy season of Advent and with it our solemn preparations for Christmas when we welcome our Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnation and true face of the Father’s mercy. We also make ourselves ready to enter the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, a time in the life of the Church declared by Pope Francis to encourage us to contemplate the mystery of mercy as a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. The Holy Year will begin on December 8, 2015 and conclude on November 20, 2016. Bearing in mind these two events, I would like to take a moment to share this reflection on mercy and how it is incorporated into our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ, and specifically as Catholics.

We live in the Age of Mercy because we live in the world after the saving work, the Paschal Mystery, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In this context I believe we can say that the Catholic Church, founded by Christ Himself, exists as an instrument of mercy, a house of mercy, and a place from which the mercy of God should always flow. We see the foundation of mercy in the oft quoted and beautiful Gospel verse of John 3:16: the Father’s preeminent act of mercy was to share with humanity His only begotten Son. Embedded in this profoundly loving act of the Father is an acknowledgment that humanity was broken and deeply in need of a savior, deeply in need of mercy. The mercy which Jesus Christ offers to the world through His Church is hard-won, not only through his passion, death and resurrection, but truly through every moment of his time on earth as the God-Man. I believe placing mercy in this context is essential if we desire to pursue true mercy in the way we live.

True mercy always flows from God’s love and directs us toward God’s will for us - that we share His gift of everlasting life. This focus regarding mercy is essential because we are so easily tempted to move toward a superficial understanding and application of mercy that is actually not mercy at all.

In our modern culture, mercy is too often equated with “being nice” or “being soft.” Rather, if we return to the foundation of true mercy mentioned above, the mercy rooted in God’s will, which is love and mercy itself, we find that mercy is actually anything but soft. Real mercy is strong and powerful because it does not shy away from our broken existence, but instead it stands face to face with the ugly and the broken and calls us to turn away from those things by bringing the healing balm of truth and genuine freedom to bear. True mercy is transformational! Ultimately mercy is bound up with facing the truth and being challenged to move from brokenness to wholeness. The denial of this is possibly at the very heart of our modern dilemma. Too often mercy is interpreted as removing the challenge, being tolerant of the transgression and passing over the consequences of our broken reality, rather than facing it head on and being freed by that very confrontation.

Once again I cannot resist returning to the model of mercy that is the life of Jesus Christ. In the ultimate act of mercy, He embraces the cross in order to open the floodgates of mercy. In the same way, any authentic mercy demands that we hold the cross close as well. If we ignore the only authentic model of mercy we are at risk of promoting a false mercy which leads us away from life and ultimately abandons us to death. The mercy that Christ shows the world through every act of His life here on earth, and especially in His crucifixion, is a mercy that faces down the power of sin by allowing the power of love to overcome the darkness. In this way, the grace of God not only covers our sins, but it transforms us in Christ's image.

Through the intercession of the Mother of Mercy, I pray that this Jubilee Year may have a profound effect on the human family by allowing us to live more deeply in the Gospel message of the author and face of mercy, Jesus Christ.

Given at the Diocesan Chancery on November 21, 2015,
the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

-------

Joseph Edward Strickland
Por la Gracia de Dios y la Sede Apostólica
Obispo de Tyler

AL CLERO, RELIGIOSOS Y FIELES CATOLICOS DE LA DIÓCESIS DE TYLER,
SALUD Y BENDICIÓN

Jesucristo, Verdadera Misericordia

Este domingo comenzamos con el santo tiempo de Adviento y con él, nuestras preparaciones solemnes para la Navidad cuando le damos la bienvenida a nuestro Señor Jesucristo, la encarnación y el verdadero rostro de la misericordia del Padre. También nos disponemos a entrar al Jubileo Extraordinario de la Misericordia, un tiempo en la vida de la Iglesia decretado por el Papa Francisco para animarnos a contemplar el misterio de la misericordia como también el manantial de gozo, serenidad y paz. El Año Santo comenzará el 8 de diciembre de 2015 y concluirá el 20 de noviembre de 2016. Teniendo en cuenta estos dos eventos, me gustaría tomar un momento para compartir esta reflexión acerca de la misericordia y como es incorporada en nuestras vidas como discípulos de Jesucristo y específicamente como católicos.

Vivimos en la Era de la Misericordia porque vivimos en el mundo después de la obra salvadora—el Misterio Pascual—de Jesucristo, el Hijo de Dios. En este contexto creo que podemos decir que la Iglesia Católica, fundada por Cristo mismo, existe como un instrumento de misericordia, una casa de misericordia, y un lugar desde el cual la misericordia de Dios siempre debe fluir. Vemos el fundamento de la misericordia en el hermoso y frecuentemente citado versículo del Evangelio de Juan 3:16: el acto preeminente de la misericordia del Padre fue compartir con la humanidad su Hijo unigénito. Incrustado en este profundo acto de amor del Padre, está el reconocimiento de que la humanidad estaba quebrantada y en profunda necesidad de un salvador, en profunda necesidad de misericordia. La misericordia que Jesucristo ofrece al mundo a través de su Iglesia fue ganada a duras penas, no solo por su Pasión, Muerte y Resurrección, pero verdaderamente a través de cada momento de su tiempo en la tierra como el Dios-Hombre. Creo que colocar la misericordia en este contexto es esencial si deseamos seguir la senda de la verdadera misericordia en el modo en que vivimos.

La verdadera misericordia siempre fluye del amor de Dios y nos dirige hacia la voluntad de Dios para nosotros—que compartamos su regalo de vida eterna. Este enfoque acerca de la misericordia es esencial porque somos muy fácilmente tentados a aceptar un entendimiento y aplicación superficial de la misericordia que en verdad no es misericordia en absoluto.

En nuestra cultura moderna, la misericordia muy frecuentemente se iguala a ser amable (“nice”) o a ser blando. Pero si retornamos al fundamento de la verdadera misericordia mencionada arriba, la misericordia que está enraizada en la voluntad de Dios, que es amor y misericordia misma, nos damos cuenta que la misericordia es todo menos blanda. La verdadera misericordia es fuerte y poderosa porque no se acobarda de nuestra existencia quebrantada, más bien se para cara a cara con lo feo y lo quebrantado y nos llama a rechazar esas cosas trayendo el bálsamo sanador de la verdad y llevando la libertad genuina. ¡La verdadera misericordia es transformativa! A la larga, la misericordia no puede hacer otra cosa sino enfrentar la verdad y uno es desafiado a moverse del quebranto a la integridad. Posiblemente, la negación de esto posiblemente se encuentra en el corazón de nuestro dilema moderno. Con demasiada frecuencia la misericordia es interpretada como quitar los retos, ser tolerante de la transgresión e ignorar las consecuencias de nuestra realidad quebrantada, en vez de enfrentarla claramente y ser liberados por esa misma confrontación.

Nuevamente, no puedo evitar regresar al modelo de misericordia que es la vida misma de Jesucristo. En su último acto de misericordia, él abrazó la cruz con el propósito de abrir las compuertas de la misericordia. De igual modo, cualquier autentica misericordia exige que nos abracemos a la cruz también. Si ignoramos el único modelo auténtico de misericordia nos arriesgamos a promover una misericordia falsa que nos conduce lejos de la vida y al final nos abandona a la muerte. La misericordia que Cristo le muestra al mundo a través de cada acto de su vida aquí en la tierra, y especialmente su Crucifixión, es una misericordia que confronta el poder del pecado haciendo que el poder del amor venza la oscuridad. De este modo, la gracia de Dios no solo cubre nuestros pecados, sino que nos transforma a la imagen de Cristo.

Por la intercesión de la Madre de la Misericordia, ruego que este Año Jubilar tenga un profundo efecto en la familia humana permitiéndonos vivir más profundamente en el mensaje evangélico del autor y rostro de la misericordia, Jesucristo.

Dado en la Cancillería Diocesana el 21 de noviembre de 2015,
Memoria de la Presentación de la Bendita Virgen María.

Photos from the Christ the King celebration

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Check out the great photos from the Christ the King celebration at Christ the King Parish in Kilgore.

Congratulations to the Christ the King community on the occasion of the groundbreaking for their new churuch. Numerous priests, deacons, religious and laity have worked long and hard to make this day possible. It was a blessing to be able to celebrate with them and I look forward to the dedication of the church when it is completed.

Christ the King Parish is just one of many examples of growth and development in the diocese. We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.

+Joseph

Photos from visit of Relics of St. Maria Goretti

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 06:00:00 +0000

I encourage you to check out the beautiful photos recently posted from the visit of the relics of St. Maria Goretti to the Cathedral in Tyler on November 2. 2015.

Just click on Media Gallery above.

+Joseph Strickland

To the Editor...

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Below is a letter about Pope Francis' recent visit that I sent to the editors of many of our newspapers in East Texas. It appeared in a number of newspapers this past Sunday.

September 30, 2015

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the good people of East Texas for their openness to the message of Pope Francis during his historic visit to our nation last week.

The main reason Pope Francis came to the United States was to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, and he carried this theme of the family to a Joint Meeting of Congress in Washington and the United Nations in New York.

With emotion, elegance and enthusiasm, Pope Francis reminded our political leaders of the importance of the family: “How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”

Pope Francis addressed many topics during his visit, some of which require significant thought and unpacking. But on the most important topic, he was very clear: Christians and all people of good will must do all we can to support and build up families, which include the poor, the sick, the homeless, the immigrant, the elderly, and the unborn.

I also heard his clear call that we must steadfastly proclaim the model of family as a man and a woman committed for life in marriage and bearing the fruit of their children. Although many find themselves in circumstances that diverge from the model family, it remains the template for living God’s plan for humanity. As we minister to those who experience family as fragmented in some way, may we cherish every person as a member of the family of God.

May Pope Francis’ visit and the words he spoke challenge all of us to recognize Jesus in our midst, and that our care for one another is care for Christ himself.

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

Bishop Strickland is the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, which includes the 33 counties of Northeast Texas.

Where Did the Bible Come From?

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000

In the September 2015 issue of the Catholic East Texas, Fr. Joshua Neu writes about the history of Sacred Scripture. Here's my reflection on his great article.

The New Catholic East Texas

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000

I am excited as we launch this new format for the Catholic East Texas. I believe it will provide great new possibilities for the diocese. The Catholic East Texas has been an award winning publication since its inception in 1987 as part of the vision of our first bishop the Most Reverend Charles E. Herzig. I believe you will agree that this new format captures the wonderful spirit of the Diocese of Tyler which has always held the people of God at the very center.

As I spoke to Peyton Low, Diocesan Director of the Office of Communications and Ben Fisher, Managing Editor for the Catholic East Texas several months ago we agreed that we wanted the CET to highlight our greatest gift, people of faith. The stories of cradle Catholics and converts to the faith resonate with wonderful experiences of a simple faith lived out in profound ways. The emphasis I spoke to Peyton and Ben about was that I envisioned the CET always serving a catechetical purpose. This focus probably seems to be self-evident at first but I believe it is an important one for the Catholics of East Texas.

Through the years some of my favorite stories in the CET were the profiles of faith often found on the last page. I suppose this “last word” that has been part of the newspaper edition of the CET for many years was a significant part of my inspiration for our approach to this new format. Our assistant editor, Susan De Matteo has profiled many diverse people of faith in these articles for many years. The focus on individual journeys of faith harkens back to the stories of saints that all of us have grown up with. It is my hope that this focus for the CET will help us all reflect more deeply on the call to sanctity we share.

Another focus of the CET as a magazine is that it lends itself to great photography. We are blessed with some talented photographers whether on the staff or as contributors from the diocese and they do a marvelous job of utilizing the tools available to photography today. I’ve enjoyed watching this first edition develop and the photography is truly outstanding. Since the diocese began almost thirty years ago we have all become accustomed to pictures as an important element of whatever story we may be reading. This is due in large part to the video format of computers, tablets and smart phones and the beautiful photographs in the CET fit seamlessly into our modern frame of reference. I can imagine many of these photographs framed and proudly displayed in homes across the diocese. There is probably no higher compliment.

I believe the photographs and the stories they accompany work together to emphasize the idea that the CET is all about people of faith just like us. People’s stories shared in words and pictures help to illuminate our individual faith journeys and remind us that we truly are on this journey together.

The piney woods of East Texas are a picturesque setting where the ancient Catholic faith is lived out every day by people who are seeking to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope that this focus of the CET will help us all to see more clearly that our ever ancient ever new faith is real and present right here where we live. All too often in modern society the richness and depth that faith brings to our lives is ignored. The CET can be a tool that reminds us that whether it’s the story of a newly ordained priest or a married couple celebrating fifty years of marriage, our beautiful ancient faith is being lived out by real people who live just down the road.

August

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 05:00:00 +0000

I'm sorry for the lack of posts recently. Busy summer days and still trying to develop a good rythym of staying in touch with all of you.

I hope it has been a good summer for you. Our Catholic schools here in Tyler begin classes August 12 and that always seems to mark the official end of summer in our community. Let us pray that it is a school year blessed with the guiding light of Jesus Christ.

Please be careful with the heat.

July 4th

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 05:00:00 +0000

As we recently celebrated the July 4th holiday I am sure that many of us reflected on the state or our nation. Although too many basic values have eroded in popular culture I still believe our nation includes millions of people who believe in God and the truth He has revealed to us. God is our loving creator and we are His creatures, nothing can change that fundamental truth. Although many choose to believe they can create themselves, as believers we know this is simply foolishness.

I have said to many recently that we must remember the oft spoken words of St. John Paul II, "Be not afraid". Let us move forward not in fear but in joy and hope in the truth that God has revealed to us.

+Joseph

My June Reflection

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 05:00:00 +0000

As we have just celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, we mark the completion of another Easter journey in the liturgical life of our Catholic faith. In our busy world it is easy to allow these great feasts to slip past us without much acknowledgment, but especially because we are so busy and easily distracted it is all the more important that we reflect on the significance of these celebrations of faith.

There is such wisdom in the rhythm that the Church offers us guiding us through the entire liturgical year. It is designed to remind us that every day is part of a season of faith steeped in the word of God and the power of the sacraments. Recently I’ve been reading a wonderful book on the Fathers of the Church, and on virtually every page is a reminder that the sacraments, feast days and other elements of the Church didn’t just happen but were the result of great people of faith pondering the mysteries and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I would recommend to all who are reading this reflection to make an effort to explore the Fathers of the Church. There are a multitude of volumes on this topic, and although they can be challenging to comprehend in our time, many authors have made them truly accessible.

I am confident that a study of the Fathers of the Church will bear good fruit whether you are a relatively new convert to the Catholic faith or you have a doctorate in some theological discipline. The wisdom of these early Christians, the challenges they faced and the depth of their commitment to the person of Jesus Christ, is a great inspiration to anyone seeking to live their own personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

My reflection on the Fathers focuses especially on the sacraments of initiation because these sacraments remain a part of the rhythm of our Catholic faith which is virtually the same as it was for the early church. I have said before that I believe it is essential that we as Catholics in the Diocese of Tyler seek to gain a deeper understanding of Sacred Scripture and how the Bible actually came into existence. If you have begun to seek this deeper understanding of the Bible it is virtually guaranteed that you are becoming acquainted with the writings of the Fathers. I would recommend a study of the origins of especially the New Testament and a study of the earliest Fathers of the Church as two foundational elements of deepening your appreciation of the Catholic faith. You will find that the study in many places actually becomes one path because the writings of the Fathers are so woven into the Church’s discernment of what is ultimately the inspired word of God.

As I write this reflection it occurs to me that I have used the word study several times. This touches on a very important reality for all of us who seek to deepen our life in Jesus Christ and to live our beautiful Catholic faith more richly. We live in an age of texts and soundbites which are in many ways antithetical to the work of all the baptized. We are all called to ponder and learn more about the mysteries of faith. I know that this idea of deep and sustained study is not necessarily very attractive to many of us, and even if it is in principle attractive many of us will say “where can I find the time?” This is a reality for all of us whether Pope or neophyte in the faith. Our lives are over scheduled and densely packed with obligations on many different levels. My suggestion would be to approach growing in your Catholic faith from the perspective of coming to know a beloved friend more deeply. Ultimately the Fathers, the Bible and all the wonderful teachings of our Catholic faith are simply about coming to know Jesus Christ more deeply. As we learn more about the inexhaustible mystery that is Jesus Christ we learn more about ourselves and the meaning of life itself.

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Fri, 08 May 2015 05:00:00 +0000

I recently tweeted the following from @bishopoftyler: "I encourage you to make the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel part of your personal prayer....we must invoke God's grace as we face evil." This is beautiful and powerful prayer that was written by Pope Leo XIII in 1884 after seeing a frightening vision: evil spirits, trying to fulfill Satan’s boast to destroy our Lord’s Church within a century, were engaging in fierce attacks against it.

St. Michael makes a great general in this fight between Christ and Satan for our souls! After all, we read in Revelation (12:7-9) that “there was a great battle in heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon...and that great dragon...who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world...was cast unto the earth, and his angels [the demons] were thrown down with him.”

St. Michael’s very name (in Hebrew, Micha’el meaning “Who is like to God?”) denotes the war cry uttered in that battle. Note that when we talk about Satan or the devil here we are also referring to his “army” of fallen angels, the evil spirits referred to in the Saint Michael prayer.

As a special patron and protector of the Church, St. Michael has been assigned to fight against Satan; to protect faithful souls from him, especially at their death; to champion God’s people; and, further along this line, to escort them to their judgment.

Pope Leo XIII saw to it that the Saint Michael prayer was recited after every low Mass throughout the world. This prayer is not said at Mass today, but in 1994 Pope John Paul II urged the faithful keep to reciting it.

Although we tend to downplay the notion of the devil as being too quaint or outmoded today, he does indeed exist and not just as a symbol of evil, or as character in a fairytale to frighten us.

We obviously can’t excuse all our sins and failures by saying, as the comedian Flip Wilson did in a line he made famous, “The devil made me do it!” After all, God allows us to be tempted but gives us the grace and the free will to choose Him and not the devil.

Still, we shouldn’t assume the devil is just some cartoon figure. Priests such as Father Malachi Martin and Father Gabriele Amorth have written extensively of their struggles with demons during exorcisms.

One of Satan’s greatest assets is his camouflage, the belief that he doesn’t exist, as Father Martin once noted in his acclaimed book Hostage to the Devil. Father Martin felt strongly that disbelief in Satan and the forces of evil leaves us unable to resist them.

On the subject of resistance, keep in mind that we can and should say
the Saint Michael prayer at church or just on our own during the day for spiritual protection for ourselves and for others as well!

Satan was unable to destroy the Catholic Church in the 20th century, but certainly our faith withstood terrible onslaughts just from Hitler and Stalinalone. We are still engaged in that war that has gone for all of human history, in one form or another, between God and the devil.

Each of us has had our own battles against the dark side trying to turn us away from eternal life with our Creator. Satan’s idea for our eternal life is one spent with him in hatred and misery and he’s after as many souls as he can get!

As St. Peter once noted “be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). “The evil spirits who roam about the world seeking the ruin of souls” mentioned in the Saint Michael prayer have surely been busy, but in asking for help we can fight back against them every day.

Prayer and the sacraments are an essential part of what St. Paul called the “armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians. The Saint Michael
prayer can help us indeed “stand against the deceits of the devil" (Eph 6:11) by “taking the shield of faith” (Eph 6:16). Remember, God permits us to be tempted by the devil but gives us the grace to resist him through prayer in our daily lives.

Let us not be afraid to ask for St. Michael’s help in this prayer and others like it. We need to remember that each time we pray we work to defeat our real enemies, not each other, but rather the devil and his evil spirits.

As St. Paul put it, we fight “not against flesh and blood but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness” (Eph 6:12). With God’s help in prayer they can all be overcome.

The above commentary is from http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/the-saint-michael-prayer.html

On the Road: Good Shepherd Sunday

Mon, 04 May 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Here are my thoughts on Good Shepherd Sunday and the role of our pastors as shepherds of their parishes.

Chrism Mass: A Model for Diocesan Liturgies

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:00:00 +0000

As we continue the Easter Season I want to repeat my encouragement for all of us to focus on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary during these days which lead to Pentecost. The Resurrection of the Lord, the Ascension of the Lord, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption of Mary and the Crowning of Mary all touch on very basic elements of our Catholic faith that are celebrated in some way in every Mass.

At the Chrism Mass on Tuesday of Holy Week I spoke of a “transcendent celebration” and I thought it would be helpful to all who read these reflections to join with me in pondering what that phrase means. The directives of the Roman Missal for the Chrism Mass call for a renewal of priestly commitment for all the priests of the diocese, and I experienced the beauty of that at our Mass on March 31. I believe this renewal on the part of the priests enhances the gift of Holy Orders for bishops, priests, deacons and all the royal priestly people of God. As the liturgy focuses on priests it reminds all of us, ordained, vowed religious and baptized, of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ and His resplendent beauty.

As I mentioned in my homily that evening, part of the transcendence that I experienced was in the music of the liturgy. I have always loved singing our hymns of faith and the various elements of the Mass and hearing the entire community raising their voices in English, Spanish and Latin was truly transcendent for me. This annual liturgy warrants a greater solemnity than a daily Mass or even a Sunday Mass in ordinary time, and I experienced it as offering a good balance. I know that throughout the diocese we encounter a significant diversity in regard to priestly styles, musical capacity, community make up and available resources. I hope we can continue down a path of greater devotion and solemnity in our liturgies while respecting this rich diversity. I encourage all of our priests to be loving fathers and gentle shepherds, especially when it comes to celebrating the Mass, and I ask them to help me seek the same tone as I guide them. The Mass should always be our greatest point of unity as we seek to pray the sacred rites that Christ offers us through His Church.

I can also say that part of the transcendent nature of the Chrism Mass as I experienced it was the number of priests, deacons, religious and faithful gathered. When the liturgy is celebrated in a full church it seems that the Holy Spirit is powerfully present. Certainly at one level this is simply a feeling because whenever “two or three are gathered” in His Name the Lord is present, but there is a special blessing when so many are present and actively engaged in the prayer of the Church. Although you could say that the Chrism Mass is focused on the ordained priesthood, the presence of so many expresses the Church’s love for her priests and their role in the mystical body.

Finally, I believe that my description of the Chrism Mass as transcendent touches on the reality that it can be a model for all of our liturgies throughout the diocese. This points more to the tone of the gathering than any specific language, style or musical setting. We gathered for this liturgy in a spirit of love for the Lord and His Church and a desire to pray the liturgy the way the Church calls us to. I suppose this desire to be faithful to the liturgy which is outlined in the documents of the Church is at the core of what made it transcendent for me. When we humbly seek to follow the Lord’s command and “do this in memory” of Him, setting aside personal preferences in service to the Church and her people, then we open the door to the transcendent and allow the grace of God to powerfully touch our lives.

This reflection from Bishop Strickland appears in the May 2015 issue of the Catholic East Texas.

On the Road: Holy Week

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 05:00:00 +0000

As we enter the most sacred time of the year, here are my thoughts about the liturgies and prayers that will draw us closer to our Lord in his passion, death and resurrection.

Chrism Mass Photos

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 05:00:00 +0000

Here are some beautiful pictures from Tuesday night's Chrism Mass at the Cathedral. To view all the images taken by Ben Fisher of the Catholic East Texas, go to http://cetmag.org/chrism2015

On the Road: Diocesan Pilgrimage Thoughts

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 05:00:00 +0000

As you are no doubt aware, from March 2-19, I hit the road and visited almost every parish and mission in the Diocese of Tyler as part of what I called my "Lenten Pilgrimage." This was an incredible opportunity to visit with the clergy and people of the Diocese. We prayer together and talked about the good things in our diocese and parishes. We also talked about some challenges that our communities face and how we can tackle those together. In this "On the Road" I talk about some of what I heard and experienced. May you continue to have a blessed Lent, and pray for me as I pray for you each day!

On the Road: Generosity & Stewardship

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 06:00:00 +0000

This past weekend, we kicked off the 2015 appeal for the ministries of the Diocese of Tyler. Over the years, your support of our appeal has been nothing short of remarkable. I'd like to share some of my thoughts with you about being good stewards of the funds that you are so generous with.

On the Road: Youth and Truth

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Thanks to your commitment to supporting our diocesan ministries, especially sharing the truth of our Catholic faith with the youth of the Diocese of Tyler, we've been able to hire a full-time youth minister. Mark Knox started at the Chancery this week. It is eternally important to me and all of us that we share the treasure of our ancient faith, the faith of the Church that Jesus Christ founded, with our younger generations. In my latest edition of "On the Road" where I share my thoughts with you as I travel around the diocese, I talk about this vital ministry and what it means for the Church.

On the Road: Celebrating Funerals

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Already in 2015, I've celebrated the Church's funeral rites for a number of people in the Diocese, including one of our deacons. While it may sound strange to use the word "celebrate" in conjunction with a funeral, the liturgy and rites for the dead focus us on exactly that - our celebration of Christ's victory over death and our share in everlasting life. I have some thoughts on this in my latest "On the Road"...

Communicating Jesus Christ: My Thoughts on the CET

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000

I wanted to share my reflection for the January issue of the Catholic East Texas with my blog readers. I reference a survey which is underway about communications in the Diocese of Tyler. Please consider taking about 60-seconds to complete that survey online. Your responses will be of tremendous benefit for us...

dioceseoftyler.org/survey

Bishop Strickland's Reflection
Catholic East Texas - January 2015

As I offer my reflections for the last edition of the Catholic East Texas for which Jim D’Avignon will serve as editor I thought it would be appropriate to share my thoughts on the Catholic East Texas, past and future. I’ve always believed that one of the wisest decisions of Bishop Charles Herzig, the first bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, was to establish our diocesan newspaper. I was a young priest in the diocese at that time and this was one of the many decisions of Bishop Herzig and his advisors that I have benefited from along with the entire diocese. One of the first assignments that Bishop Herzig gave me was to serve as the first Vocation Director of the diocese and the Catholic East Texas was immediately a tool that provided great assistance.

The diocese will celebrate its 28^th Anniversary on February 24, 2015 and many of us remember that exciting day at what Bishop Herzig dubbed, “the Holy Oil Palace” when the diocese began. The Catholic East Texas (commonly referred to by so many of us as the CET) was right there and has been there reporting on virtually every milestone in the diocese since that cold February day in 1987. The issues of the CET have become a tremendous archives of the history of the diocese, highlighting important moment s in the life of the universal Church, the diocese and local parishes and missions. I’m sure that many of you who are reading this have more than a few of your own past issues tucked away in a scrapbook or stashed a box overflowing with other memorabilia.

The CET truly does have a great legacy that I hope will continue to grow and develop in parallel with the diocese as it continues to build up the Catholic community of East Texas and proclaim Jesus Christ to every corner of our thirty-three counties. Jim D’Avignon and all of the past editors have brought their own flavor and focus that has become a part of the history of the diocese as well.

I know that we are all aware of the great changes that have taken place in our society and in the life of the Church during the twenty-eight year history of the diocese. Some of the most dramatic changes have been in the area of media and communications. The internet, cell phones, Facebook, Twitter etc. etc. were the stuff of science fiction in 1987 but now they are commonplace. These developments have led some to predict the complete demise of print media. We have witnessed our local newspapers shrinking in size and many have disappeared. The CET has been effected by these changes, a few years ago we moved to a monthly publication and just last year the CET staff began to publish an online version. Although the CET is likely to change in format and focus in the years to come I believe it will remain an important tool for quite some time.

I encourage you to complete the survey that you will find included in this edition of the CET. Your input will help us to optimize the effectiveness of the CET in concert with the other media that we are using in the diocese to promote communication. I would also encourage you to continue to give us feedback regarding all elements of communication in the diocese. Ultimately the whole purpose of communicating is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in our Catholic Tradition. We need to use every opportunity to get the word out that Jesus Christ brings His light to every person and every corner of the diocese. The Catholic Church has proclaimed this truth for two millennia and this proclamation will continue to be our mission until the end of time. Please help us to use the CET and every other means of communication to continually return to this most basic mission. The truth sets us free and Jesus Christ is the truth Incarnate at the heart of our Catholic faith.

The Silence of Christmas plus My Favorite Gift!

Wed, 24 Dec 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Please read my Christmas Message below, but first, can you guess what my favorite toy was as a kid?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Newborn Christ,

Merry Christmas to all of you in Northeast Texas and beyond! In the Diocese of Tyler, 2014 has been a blessed year. Because of your prayers, support and generosity, we have been able to spread the good news of Jesus Christ with more people, strengthen the ministries to our Catholic community, support our seminarians and priests, and increase our charitable works to those in need.

The prophet Habakkuk wrote, “But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth!” (Hab 2:20). This is the basis for the ancient Christian hymn, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, which has been sung by the Church since at least 275 AD.

As we celebrate this holy season with great joy and exultation, I also ask each one of you to heed the words of this ancient text and become silent before the Lord - even for just a moment.

In that brief silence, “ponder nothing earthly minded” as the hymn says, but reflect on the true wonder and glory of God himself becoming man and walking the earth with us. This great mystery, the Incarnation, is at the heart of our Catholic faith – the King of kings and the Lord of lords took on flesh and blood and became man.

In our mortal state, we can never fully appreciate the magnitude of this great event upon which all of human history hinges. But we can offer praise and gratitude to the Lord for the gift of Himself - that gift which came in a manger, a trough for feeding animals, and which is the very same gift on which we, the faithful, feed as the heavenly food we receive at Holy Mass.

In this same moment of silence, join with the Angles who looking at that baby with holy fear and trembling cried out, “Alleluia, Lord Most High!”

I impart my blessing to each of you and your families during this Christmas season and I wish you peace, happiness and holiness in 2015.

+ Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop of Tyler

On the Road: Priesthood & Christmas

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Yesterday as I headed to the annual Christmas Party for the priests of the Diocese, I had some thoughts I wanted to share with you about my priesthood and the great joy of the Christmas season when we celebrate the coming of the Lord. Please keep me and all of our priests in your prayers during this special time of year.

On the Road: My New Video Series

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 06:00:00 +0000

I am excited to announce and present a new feature for my personal blog. It's a video series that we're calling "On the Road with Bishop Strickland."

With over 90 Catholic parishes, missions and institutions spread across 23,000 square miles in our 33 coutines of northeast Texas, it's not hard to imagine that I'm on the road a lot!

These videos will give me an opportunity to use my time in the car to let you know my thoughts about things going on in the Church universal and local. So, join me on the road by watching and sharing these videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8DY-XVMBlI

Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 06:00:00 +0000

In 1910 Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared Patroness of Latin America, and in 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Her to be the Empress of all the Americas. She appeared to an Indian convert named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless, and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalup - See more at: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-12-12#sthash.s5qnHlAW.dpuf

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Mystical Rose,
make intercession for holy Church,
protect the sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke you in their necessities,
and since you are the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from your most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
of sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life
of burning charity, and the precious gift
of final perseverance.

Amen.

Advent is Here!

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:00:00 +0000

A voice is heard, crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the path of our God!"

This is our call during Advent as we prepare for the Solemnity of the Lord's Nativitywhen we recall his first coming, and as we use this time to prepare our hearts and minds for his second coming.

10 Things You Need to Know About Advent

Reclaiming Advent for Your Family

CatholicCulture.org Advent Workshop for Families

Congratulations St. Gregory Cathedral School!

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Sorry that it's been a while since I've posted here. The last few months have been very busy with multiple trips to Rome, the USCCB Fall Meetings and lots of great things going on in the Diocese! We've got some plans for my web site that I think you'll enjoy.

Today in Tyler, I joined the St. Gregory Cathedral School community in celebrating their U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Award. Incredibly, this is the THIRD time St. Gregory has won this award - something that less than 1% of schools in the country have accomplished! Congratulations to principal Kathy Shields Harry and all those who made it possible for St. Gregory to be recognized again for their exemplary high performance.

We are so blessed with wonderful Catholic schools in the Diocese of Tyler. Let us continue to support them with our prayers, our gifts and our talents.

To see more pictures from today, check out the Cathedral's Facebook page.

News

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Our new Director of Communications is doing a great job. Check out the website dioceseoftyler.org

August

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:00:00 +0000

A good friend was teasing me about updating my website since July 4 was rather a long time ago!!!

I thought it was quite appropriate that my update should include information that will hopefully make my website and all communication in the diocese look a lot different and be much more up to date.

As of September 2, 2014 the Diocese of Tyler will welcome Mr. Peyton Low as our Director of Communication. I baptized Peyton and he is a lifelong member of the Tyler Catholic community and attended St. Gregory Catholic School and Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School. He brings a wealth of experience in internet media and I believe he will be a tremendous asset in coordinating all aspects of communication in the diocese.

One of the wisest steps our first bishop, the Most Reverend Charles E. Herzig, took was to establish the Catholic East Texas, our award winning diocesan newspaper. I look forward to Peyton working the the CET staff and all other media to help us communicate even more effectively the message of Jesus Christ in our Catholic Tradition here in Northeast Texas.

I know you will be able to look utilize our diocesan website, my personal website and many other media instruments to enhance your life as a Catholic in the diocese and support your daily journey with Jesus Christ.

Welcome Peyton!

A Blessed 4th of July

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 05:00:00 +0000

I'm sure we are all concerned at times for the future of this great nation. Let us pray and trust in the Lord. Our currency still says "In God We Trust" and for so many of us that is not an outdated slogan but truly words to live by. We must be "sober and alert" to the reality that too many in our nation are not guided by trust in God but hopefully this reality simply strengthens our resolve and places us in close solidarity with the throngs through the ages who have sacrificed so much for the faith.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 05:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ I wanted to share a brief reflection that I read this morning.

Speaking of the fear of the Lord this author says, "True fear of the Lord is when we are not afraid but are in fear of and jaw-dropping amazement at how much God loves us." I really liked this concept as an approach to the myster of the fear of the Lord. It captures the idea that it is based on awe at just how much God loves us and wants us to share His life. He loves us to the point that He gives His Son to us and His Son takes on a heart of flesh that He ultimately pours out entirely for us. If that doesn't make us quake in our boots what does? The quaking is probably based in the fear in our heart of what it truly is that our all loving God expects of us.

Have a blessed Feast of the Sacred Heart and tomorrow the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

+Joseph

Priestly Anniversaries

Thu, 29 May 2014 05:00:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my Tweet this morning during May and June we celebrate the ordination anniversaries of a lot of our priests. Like wedding anniversaries these milestones for our priests are a time to reflect on the joys and the challenges of living the priestly commitment.

I tend to have a habit that a lot of us have. I often tell people how blessed I am as the Bishop of Tyler to have a presbyterate (another name for the group of brother priests in a diocese) that is full of men who are dedicated to the Lord and to the Catholic community that He established. I should tell the priests more often individually and as a group of brothers that I do appreciate their dedication

I specifically highlight the qualities I mentioned above because as Catholic priests our commitment to the Lord goes hand in hand with our commitment to His Church. Through the ages the Church has honored the early disciples who were committed to the Lord, many of them to the point of being martyred and literally giving their lives for the Lord and His Church. Clearly the commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation stone of our priestly lives and a deep relationship with Him in a very personal way is essential to living a joyful and effective priestly life. Our commitment to His Church is always in the context of our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and as we listen to His words and follow His teachings we are always challenged to purify and strengthen His Church.

I have always had a great admiration for St. Francis because he was as much a reformer of the Church as Martin Luther was but his reform flowed from his deep commitment to Jesus Christ and to "rebuilding His Church". We have to be careful that the mistakes of one like Luther do not dampen our desire for constant reform of the Church. Certainly through history and today this spirit of reform has called for great strength as it does for Pope Francis. Pope Francis constantly reminds us that we must seek to reform our own lives and the life of the Church not in order to make it Holy but because the Church is Holy as the Lord has promised the Church will be until the end of time.

I suppose I would frame all of this in terms of our own individual journeys of faith. As priests and faithful we are daily called to "turn from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," as we seek this reform in our personal lives it naturally flows into seeking to help the Church be more and more the bride of Christ that She is called to be.

"Ad multos anos" to my brothers celebrating anniversaries during these weeks.

A different St. Augustine

Tue, 27 May 2014 05:00:00 +0000

I tweeted this morning a brief note about Augustine of Canterbury. The optional memorial to celebrate this "other" St. Augustine is on the calendar for May 27. As I read briefly about this St. Augustine it occurred to me that we have such a great blessing in the communion of saints through the ages and very often I have to admit I know very little about a lot of them. St. Augustine of Canterbury lived approximately two hundred years after his much more famous namesake. As the more famous Augustine was bishop of Hippo, this St. Augustine was bishop of Canterbury and he died around 604 AD.

Although in terms of the world and in terms of Church history one of these Augustine's had much more of an impact than the other, in terms of the Kingdom of God both served as faithful disciples. It is a reminder to all of us that recognition by the world and even by the Church is not our goal. Instead the goal of all the baptized is that we seek the kingdom in this life and that we share in the life of the kingdom in life everlasting. Hopefully St. Augustine of Canterbury can remind us all that none of us are insignificant when it comes to living and sharing the message fo Jesus Christ.

Constitution on the Liturgy- Chapter III

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 05:00:00 +0000

~~CHAPTER III

THE OTHER SACRAMENTS AND THE SACRAMENTALS

59. The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the body of
Christ, and, finally, to give worship to God; because they are signs they also
instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also
nourish, strengthen, and express it; that is why they are called "sacraments of
faith." They do indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of
celebrating them most effectively disposes the faithful to receive this grace in
a fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and to practice charity.

It is therefore of the highest importance that the faithful should easily
understand the sacramental signs, and should frequent with great eagerness those
sacraments which were instituted to nourish the Christian life.

60. Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred
signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments: they signify effects,
particularly of a spiritual kind, which are obtained through the Church's
intercession. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the
sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.

61. Thus, for well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the
sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event in their lives; they
are given access to the stream of divine grace which flows from the paschal
mystery of the passion, death, the resurrection of Christ, the font from which
all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is hardly any proper use
of material things which cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of
men and the praise of God.

62. With the passage of time, however, there have crept into the rites of the
sacraments and sacramentals certain features which have rendered their nature
and purpose far from clear to the people of today; hence some changes have
become necessary to adapt them to the needs of our own times. For this reason
the sacred Council decrees as follows concerning their revision.

63. Because of the use of the mother tongue in the administration of the
sacraments and sacramentals can often be of considerable help to the people,
this use is to be extended according to the following norms:

a) The vernacular language may be used in administering the sacraments and
sacramentals, according to the norm of Art. 36.

b) In harmony with the new edition of the Roman Ritual, particular rituals shall
be prepared without delay by the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority
mentioned in Art. 22, 2, of this Constitution. These rituals, which are to be
adapted, also as regards the language employed, to the needs of the different
regions, are to be reviewed by the Apostolic See and then introduced into the
regions for which they have been prepared. But in drawing up these rituals or
particular collections of rites, the instructions prefixed to the individual
rites the Roman Ritual, whether they be pastoral and rubrical or whether they
have special social import, shall not be omitted.

64. The catechumenate for adults, comprising several distinct steps, is to be
restored and to be taken into use at the discretion of the local ordinary. By
this, means the time of the catechumenate, which is intended as a period of
suitable instruction, may be sanctified by sacred rites to be celebrated at
successive intervals of time.

65. In mission lands it is found that some of the peoples already make use of
initiation rites. Elements from these, when capable of being adapted to
Christian ritual, may be admitted along with those already found in Christian
tradition, according to the norm laid down in Art. 37-40, of this Constitution.

66. Both the rites for the baptism of adults are to be revised: not only the
simpler rite, but also the more solemn one, which must take into account the
restored catechumenate. A special Mass "for the conferring of baptism" is to be
inserted into the Roman Missal.

67. The rite for the baptism of infants is to be revised, and it should be
adapted to the circumstance that those to be baptized are, in fact, infants. The
roles of parents and godparents, and also their duties, should be brought out
more clearly in the rite itself.

68. The baptismal rite should contain variants, to be used at the discretion of
the local ordinary, for occasions when a very large number are to be baptized
together. Moreover, a shorter rite is to be drawn up, especially for mission
lands, to be used by catechists, but also by the faithful in general when there
is danger of death, and neither priest nor deacon is available.

69. In place of the rite called the "Order of supplying what was omitted in the
baptism of an infant," a new rite is to be drawn up. This should manifest more
fittingly and clearly that the infant, baptized by the short rite, has already
been received into the Church.

And a new rite is to be drawn up for converts who have already been validly
baptized; it should indicate that they are now admitted to communion with the
Church.

70. Except during Eastertide, baptismal water may be blessed within the rite of
baptism itself by an approved shorter formula.

71. The rite of confirmation is to be revised and the intimate connection which
this sacrament has with the whole of Christian initiation is to be more clearly
set forth; for this reason it is fitting for candidates to renew their baptismal
promises just before they are confirmed.

Confirmation may be given within the Mass when convenient; when it is given
outside the Mass, the rite that is used should be introduced by a formula to be
drawn up for this purpose.

72. The rite and formulas for the sacrament of penance are to be revised so that
they more clearly express both the nature and effect of the sacrament.

73. "Extreme unction," which may also and more fittingly be called "anointing of
the sick," is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death.
Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from
sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has
certainly already arrived.

74. In addition to the separate rites for anointing of the sick and for
viaticum, a continuous rite shall be prepared according to which the sick man is
anointed after he has made his confession and before he receives viaticum.

75. The number of the anointings is to be adapted to the occasion, and the
prayers which belong to the rite of anointing are to be revised so as to
correspond with the varying conditions of the sick who receive the sacrament.

76. Both the ceremonies and texts of the ordination rites are to be revised. The
address given by the bishop at the beginning of each ordination or consecration
may be in the mother tongue.

When a bishop is consecrated, the laying of hands may be done by all the bishops
present.

77. The marriage rite now found in the Roman Ritual is to be revised and
enriched in such a way that the grace of the sacrament is more clearly signified
and the duties of the spouses are taught.

"If any regions are wont to use other praiseworthy customs and ceremonies when
celebrating the sacrament of matrimony, the sacred Synod earnestly desires that
these by all means be retained" [41].

Moreover the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art.
22, 52, of this Constitution is free to draw up its own rite suited to the
usages of place and people, according to the provision of Art. 63. But the rite
must always conform to the law that the priest assisting at the marriage must
ask for and obtain the consent of the contracting parties.

78. Matrimony is normally to be celebrated within the Mass, after the reading of
the gospel and the homily, and before "the prayer of the faithful." The prayer
for the bride, duly amended to remind both spouses of their equal obligation to
remain faithful to each other, may be said in the mother tongue.

But if the sacrament of matrimony is celebrated apart from Mass, the epistle and
gospel from the nuptial Mass are to be read at the beginning of the rite, and
the blessing should always be given to the spouses.

79. The sacramentals are to undergo a revision which takes into account the
primary principle of enabling the faithful to participate intelligently,
actively, and easily; the circumstances of our own days must also be considered.
When rituals are revised, as laid down in Art. 63, new sacramentals may also be
added as the need for these becomes apparent.

Reserved blessings shall be very few; reservations shall be in favor of bishops
or ordinaries.

Let provision be made that some sacramentals, at least in special circumstances
and at the discretion of the ordinary, may be administered by qualified lay
persons.

80. The rite for the consecration of virgins at present found in the Roman
Pontifical is to be revised.

Moreover, a rite of religious profession and renewal of vows shall be drawn up
in order to achieve greater unity, sobriety, and dignity. Apart from exceptions
in particular law, this rite should be adopted by those who make their
profession or renewal of vows within the Mass.

Religious profession should preferably be made within the Mass.

81. The rite for the burial of the dead should express more clearly the paschal
character of Christian death, and should correspond more closely to the
circumstances and traditions found in various regions. This holds good also for
the liturgical color to be used.

82. The rite for the burial of infants is to be revised, and a special Mass for
the occasion should be provided.

REFLECTIONS

This section begins by stating once again the significance of the sacraments for
every person. They serve to sanctify us and draw us more deeply into the life
of The Lord. The Constitution emphasizes that the "how" of the celebration goes
hand in hand in importance with the "what" of the sacraments.

Paragraph 62 speaks of the importance of updating the sacramentals so they are
more clearly understood. In subsequent paragraphs the document emphasizes the
appropriate use of the vernacular for sacramentals as it has emphasized the use
of the vernacular for sacramental rites.

A very significant emphasis of the Constitution is addressed in paragraphs 64 to
69. What has been commonly called the RCIA finds it's seminal form in these
paragraphs. This renewed way of welcoming adults into the Roman Catholic Church
has had a significant impact on the life of the Church in East Texas. Much has
been written through the years on the topic of Christian Initiation of adults
but it is always instructive to return to the basic message contained here.

The Constitution continues by calling for the renewal of all the sacraments.
Notably "extreme unction" becomes "anointing of the sick" and is emphasized as a
sacrament
not only for those at the point of death but any "in danger of death". At
times the bounds of this case ament have been stretched and it is helpful to
return to the Constitution as we seek to clarify what "danger of death" means in
the pastoral setting.

The final paragraphs of this section emphasize that sacramentals should be
accessible to the people and the appropriateness of celebrating the marriage and
religious profession within mass. Many of these elements have been incorporated
into our basic understanding of the sacraments and sacramentals but it is always
helpful to refresh ourselves with new reflection on these basic texts.

Further Reflections on the Constitution on the Liturgy

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 05:00:00 +0000

~~CHAPTER II

THE MOST SACRED MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST

47. At the Last Supper, on the night when He was betrayed, our Saviour
instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood. He did this in order
to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until He
should come again, and so to entrust to His beloved spouse, the Church, a
memorial of His death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a
bond of charity [36], a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is
filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us [37].

48. The Church, therefore, earnestly desires that Christ's faithful, when
present at this mystery of faith, should not be there as strangers or silent
spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and
prayers they should take part in the sacred action conscious of what they are
doing, with devotion and full collaboration. They should be instructed by God's
word and be nourished at the table of the Lord's body; they should give thanks
to God; by offering the Immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the
priest, but also with him, they should learn also to offer themselves; through
Christ the Mediator [38], they should be drawn day by day into ever more perfect
union with God and with each other, so that finally God may be all in all.

49. For this reason the sacred Council, having in mind those Masses which are
celebrated with the assistance of the faithful, especially on Sundays and feasts
of obligation, has made the following decrees in order that the sacrifice of the
Mass, even in the ritual forms of its celebration, may become pastorally
efficacious to the fullest degree.

50. The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic
nature and purpose of its several parts, as also the connection between them,
may be more clearly manifested, and that devout and active participation by the
faithful may be more easily achieved.

For this purpose the rites are to be simplified, due care being taken to
preserve their substance; elements which, with the passage of time, came to be
duplicated, or were added with but little advantage, are now to be discarded;
other elements which have suffered injury through accidents of history are now
to be restored to the vigor which they had in the days of the holy Fathers, as
may seem useful or necessary.

51. The treasures of the bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer
fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a
more representative portion of the holy scriptures will be read to the people in
the course of a prescribed number of years.

52. By means of the homily the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles
of the Christian life are expounded from the sacred text, during the course of
the liturgical year; the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of
the liturgy itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the
assistance of the people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be
omitted except for a serious reason.

53. Especially on Sundays and feasts of obligation there is to be restored,
after the Gospel and the homily, "the common prayer" or "the prayer of the
faithful." By this prayer, in which the people are to take part, intercession
will be made for holy Church, for the civil authorities, for those oppressed by
various needs, for all mankind, and for the salvation of the entire world [39].

54. In Masses which are celebrated with the people, a suitable place may be
allotted to their mother tongue. This is to apply in the first place to the
readings and "the common prayer," but also, as local conditions may warrant, to
those parts which pertain to the people, according to the norm laid down in Art.
36 of this Constitution.

Nevertheless steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say
or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which
pertain to them.

And wherever a more extended use of the mother tongue within the Mass appears
desirable, the regulation laid down in Art. 40 of this Constitution is to be
observed.

55. That more perfect form of participation in the Mass whereby the faithful,
after the priest's communion, receive the Lord's body from the same sacrifice,
is strongly commended.

The dogmatic principles which were laid down by the Council of Trent remaining
intact [40], communion under both kinds may be granted when the bishops think
fit, not only to clerics and religious, but also to the laity, in cases to be
determined by the Apostolic See, as, for instance, to the newly ordained in the
Mass of their sacred ordination, to the newly professed in the Mass of their
religious profession, and to the newly baptized in the Mass which follows their
baptism.

56. The two parts which, in a certain sense, go to make up the Mass, namely, the
liturgy of the word and the eucharistic liturgy, are so closely connected with
each other that they form but one single act of worship. Accordingly this sacred
Synod strongly urges pastors of souls that, when instructing the faithful, they
insistently teach them to take their part in the entire Mass, especially on
Sundays and feasts of obligation.

57. 1. Concelebration, whereby the unity of the priesthood is appropriately
manifested, has remained in use to this day in the Church both in the east and
in the west. For this reason it has seemed good to the Council to extend
permission for concelebration to the following cases:

a) on the Thursday of the Lord's Supper, not only at the Mass of the Chrism, but
also at the evening Mass.

b) at Masses during councils, bishops' conferences, and synods;

c) at the Mass for the blessing of an abbot.

2. Also, with permission of the ordinary, to whom it belongs to decide whether
concelebration is opportune:

a) at conventual Mass, and at the principle Mass in churches when the needs of
the faithful do not require that all priests available should celebrate
individually;

1. The regulation, however, of the discipline of con-celebration in the diocese
pertains to the bishop.

2. Nevertheless, each priest shall always retain his right to celebrate Mass
individually, though not at the same time in the same church as a concelebrated
Mass, nor on Thursday of the Lord's Supper.

58. A new rite for concelebration is to be drawn up and inserted into the
Pontifical and into the Roman Missal.

REFLECTIONS

This section begins by restating the most basic understanding of the purpose of
the mass in our Catholic faith. It exists to "perpetuate the sacrifice of the
cross through the centuries" this simple description reminds us of the very
heart of the meaning of the mass. We are awestruck to realize that on any given
day, in any given year, in any given century, in whatever place the faithful
gather the mass has been celebrated and the wondrous power of the cross has once
again been made available to the people of God.

The document goes on to describe more in depth what the focus of the mass should
be and calls for revisions that simplify the rite. We have witnessed this
process of simplification through the years since the Council. At times it has
gone awry and our experience tells us how important it is to return to the
cautions contained in this text. The Constitution urges these revisions to
preserve what is ancient and true to the liturgy and remove anything extraneous.
We have all lived through the debates these revisions have prompted. It seems
especially worthwhile to return to the mandate this text proclaims in order to
constantly purify our efforts to understand more clearly where the liturgy is
today.

We can see that subsequent documents through the years have seen fit to repeat
the admonitions contained here. A clear reminder that we are on a journey which
continues and it is easy to slip off the path which these words lay out for us.

These paragraphs touch on the significance of the Word of God in the mass, the
homily, the prayers of the faithful, communion under the species of bread and
wine and concelebration. It is worthwhile to return to this seminal text as we
seek to clarify these elements which can easily be taken for granted.

Constitution Chapter I Section III

Sat, 29 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000

~~III. The Reform of the Sacred Liturgy

21. In order that the Christian people may more certainly derive an abundance of
graces from the sacred liturgy, holy Mother Church desires to undertake with
great care a general restoration of the liturgy itself. For the liturgy is made
up of immutable elements divinely instituted, and of elements subject to change.
These not only may but ought to be changed with the passage of time if they have
suffered from the intrusion of anything out of harmony with the inner nature of
the liturgy or have become unsuited to it.

In this restoration, both texts and rites should be drawn up so that they
express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the Christian people,
so far as possible, should be enabled to understand them with ease and to take
part in them fully, actively, and as befits a community.

Wherefore the sacred Council establishes the following general norms:

A) General norms

22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the
Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within
certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial
bodies of bishops legitimately established.

3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change
anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

23. That sound tradition may be retained, and yet the way remain open to
legitimate progress careful investigation is always to be made into each part of
the liturgy which is to be revised. This investigation should be theological,
historical, and pastoral. Also the general laws governing the structure and
meaning of the liturgy must be studied in conjunction with the experience
derived from recent liturgical reforms and from the indults conceded to various
places. Finally, there must be no innovations unless the good of the Church
genuinely and certainly requires them; and care must be taken that any new forms
adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing.

As far as possible, notable differences between the rites used in adjacent
regions must be carefully avoided.

24. Sacred scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the
liturgy. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the
homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are
scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures
that actions and signs derive their meaning. Thus to achieve the restoration,
progress, and adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that
warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both
eastern and western rites gives testimony.

25. The liturgical books are to be revised as soon as possible; experts are to
be employed on the task, and bishops are to be consulted, from various parts of
the world.

B) Norms drawn from the hierarchic and communal nature of the Liturgy

26. Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations of the
Church, which is the "sacrament of unity," namely, the holy people united and
ordered under their bishops [33]

Therefore liturgical services pertain to the whole body of the Church; they
manifest it and have effects upon it; but they concern the individual members of
the Church in different ways, according to their differing rank, office, and
actual participation.

27. It is to be stressed that whenever rites, according to their specific
nature, make provision for communal celebration involving the presence and
active participation of the faithful, this way of celebrating them is to be
preferred, so far as possible, to a celebration that is individual and
quasi-private.

This applies with especial force to the celebration of Mass and the
administration of the sacraments, even though every Mass has of itself a public
and social nature.

28. In liturgical celebrations each person, minister or layman, who has an
office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to his
office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.

29. Servers, lectors commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a
genuine liturgical function. They ought, therefore, to discharge their office
with the sincere piety and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly
expected of them by God's people.

Consequently they must all be deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy, each
in his own measure, and they must be trained to perform their functions in a
correct and orderly manner.

30. To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take
part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as
well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all
should observe a reverent silence.

31. The revision of the liturgical books must carefully attend to the provision
of rubrics also for the people's parts.

32. The liturgy makes distinctions between persons according to their liturgical
function and sacred Orders, and there are liturgical laws providing for due
honors to be given to civil authorities. Apart from these instances, no special
honors are to be paid in the liturgy to any private persons or classes of
persons, whether in the ceremonies or by external display.

C) Norms based upon the didactic and pastoral nature of the Liturgy

33. Although the sacred liturgy is above all things the worship of the divine
Majesty, it likewise contains much instruction for the faithful [34]. For in the
liturgy God speaks to His people and Christ is still proclaiming His gospel. And
the people reply to God both by song and prayer.

Moreover, the prayers addressed to God by the priest who presides over the
assembly in the person of Christ are said in the name of the entire holy people
and of all present. And the visible signs used by the liturgy to signify
invisible divine things have been chosen by Christ or the Church. Thus not only
when things are read "which were written for our instruction" (Rom. 15:4), but
also when the Church prays or sings or acts, the faith of those taking part is
nourished and their minds are raised to God, so that they may offer Him their
rational service and more abundantly receive His grace.

Wherefore, in the revision of the liturgy, the following general norms should be
observed:

34. The rites should be distinguished by a noble simplicity; they should be
short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions; they should be within the
people's powers of comprehension, and normally should not require much
explanation.

35. That the intimate connection between words and rites may be apparent in the
liturgy:

1) In sacred celebrations there is to be more reading from holy scripture, and
it is to be more varied and suitable.

2) Because the sermon is part of the liturgical service, the best place for it
is to be indicated even in the rubrics, as far as the nature of the rite will
allow; the ministry of preaching is to be fulfilled with exactitude and
fidelity. The sermon, moreover, should draw its content mainly from scriptural
and liturgical sources, and its character should be that of a proclamation of
God's wonderful works in the history of salvation, the mystery of Christ, ever
made present and active within us, especially in the celebration of the liturgy.

3) Instruction which is more explicitly liturgical should also be given in a
variety of ways; if necessary, short directives to be spoken by the priest or
proper minister should be provided within the rites themselves. But they should
occur only at the more suitable moments, and be in prescribed or similar words.

4) Bible services should be encouraged, especially on the vigils of the more
solemn feasts, on some weekdays in Advent and Lent, and on Sundays and feast
days. They are particularly to be commended in places where no priest is
available; when this is so, a deacon or some other person authorized by the
bishop should preside over the celebration.

36. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be
preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the
administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may
be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be
extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and
to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter
to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters.

3. These norms being observed, it is for the competent territorial
ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2, to decide whether, and to what
extent, the vernacular language is to be used; their decrees are to be approved,
that is, confirmed, by the Apostolic See. And, whenever it seems to be called
for, this authority is to consult with bishops of neighboring regions which have
the same language.

4. Translations from the Latin text into the mother tongue intended for use in
the liturgy must be approved by the competent territorial ecclesiastical
authority mentioned above.

D) Norms for adapting the Liturgy to the culture and traditions of peoples

37. Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in
matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community;
rather does she respect and foster the genius and talents of the various races
and peoples. Anything in these peoples' way of life which is not indissolubly
bound up with superstition and error she studies with sympathy and, if possible,
preserves intact. Sometimes in fact she admits such things into the liturgy
itself, so long as they harmonize with its true and authentic spirit.

38. Provisions shall also be made, when revising the liturgical books, for
legitimate variations and adaptations to different groups, regions, and peoples,
especially in mission lands, provided that the substantial unity of the Roman
rite is preserved; and this should be borne in mind when drawing up the rites
and devising rubrics.

39. Within the limits set by the typical editions of the liturgical books, it
shall be for the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in
Art. 22, 2, to specify adaptations, especially in the case of the administration
of the sacraments, the sacramentals, processions, liturgical language, sacred
music, and the arts, but according to the fundamental norms laid down in this
Constitution.

40. In some places and circumstances, however, an even more radical adaptation
of the liturgy is needed, and this entails greater difficulties. Wherefore:

1) The competent territorial ecclesiastical authority mentioned in Art. 22, 2,
must, in this matter, carefully and prudently consider which elements from the
traditions and culture of individual peoples might appropriately be admitted
into divine worship. Adaptations which are judged to be useful or necessary
should then be submitted to the Apostolic See, by whose consent they may be
introduced.

2) To ensure that adaptations may be made with all the circumspection which they
demand, the Apostolic See will grant power to this same territorial
ecclesiastical authority to permit and to direct, as the case requires, the
necessary preliminary experiments over a determined period of time among certain
groups suited for the purpose.

3) Because liturgical laws often involve special difficulties with respect to
adaptation, particularly in mission lands, men who are experts in these matters
must be employed to formulate them.

E) Promotion of Liturgical Life in Diocese and Parish

41. The bishop is to be considered as the high priest of his flock, from whom
the life in Christ of his faithful is in some way derived and dependent.

Therefore all should hold in great esteem the liturgical life of the diocese
centered around the bishop, especially in his cathedral church; they must be
convinced that the pre-eminent manifestation of the Church consists in the full
active participation of all God's holy people in these liturgical celebrations,
especially in the same eucharist, in a single prayer, at one altar, at which
there presides the bishop surrounded by his college of priests and by his
ministers [35].

42. But because it is impossible for the bishop always and everywhere to preside
over the whole flock in his Church, he cannot do other than establish lesser
groupings of the faithful. Among these the parishes, set up locally under a
pastor who takes the place of the bishop, are the most important: for in some
manner they represent the visible Church constituted throughout the world.

And therefore the liturgical life of the parish and its relationship to the
bishop must be fostered theoretically and practically among the faithful and
clergy; efforts also must be made to encourage a sense of community within the
parish, above all in the common celebration of the Sunday Mass.

F) The Promotion of Pastoral-Liturgical Action

43. Zeal for the promotion and restoration of the liturgy is rightly held to be
a sign of the providential dispositions of God in our time, as a movement of the
Holy Spirit in His Church. It is today a distinguishing mark of the Church's
life, indeed of the whole tenor of contemporary religious thought and action.

So that this pastoral-liturgical action may become even more vigorous in the
Church, the sacred Council decrees:

44. It is desirable that the competent territorial ecclesiastical authority
mentioned in Art. 22, 2, set up a liturgical commission, to be assisted by
experts in liturgical science, sacred music, art and pastoral practice. So far
as possible the commission should be aided by some kind of Institute for
Pastoral Liturgy, consisting of persons who are eminent in these matters, and
including laymen as circumstances suggest. Under the direction of the
above-mentioned territorial ecclesiastical authority the commission is to
regulate pastoral-liturgical action throughout the territory, and to promote
studies and necessary experiments whenever there is question of adaptations to
be proposed to the Apostolic See.

45. For the same reason every diocese is to have a commission on the sacred
liturgy under the direction of the bishop, for promoting the liturgical
apostolate.

Sometimes it may be expedient that several dioceses should form between them one
single commission which will be able to promote the liturgy by common
consultation.

46. Besides the commission on the sacred liturgy, every diocese, as far as
possible, should have commissions for sacred music and sacred art.

These three commissions must work in closest collaboration; indeed it will often
be best to fuse the three of them into one single commission.

REFLECTIONS

This final section of Chapter I touches on some critical issues which have been
the source of significant discussion and controversy in the years since the
Council. I will highlight elements mentioned in sections 22, 25, 28, 30, 34,
35, 36, 41 and 45 as only a few examples of concepts that we need to revisit in
the life of the diocese today.

Paragraph 22 reminds us that regulation of the liturgy is in the hands of the
Pope and the bishops as a body and individually in limited ways. No individual
priest has the authority to change the mass. Reflecting on the past fifty years
we must admit that this paragraph is on which should have been revisited more
often. Abuses have occurred which were rooted in a failure to follow this
important guide. We have learned a lot and hopefully we can keep this principle
firmly in mind.

Paragraph 25 mentions the revision of liturgical books. The Roman Missal 3rd
Typical Edition is the latest iteration of this revision and it sets the
structure of the Ordinary Form mass for today

Paragraph 28 states that the roles of each liturgical ministry must be properly
respected. Whether bishop, priest,deacon or lay minister in a specific role
each has their place and should be respected. Through the years much confusion
has sprung from forgetting this basic principle.

Paragraph 30 gives us food for thought regarding active participation and
reminds us that at times silence is active participation.

Paragraph 34 uses the often repeated image of noble simplicity. We continue to
explore what this really means in concrete terms. It is a matter of balance and
through the years we have witnessed many instances of going to one extreme or
the other. Hopefully we can begin to strike a better balance between these
seemingly disparate terms.

Paragraph 35 focuses on the liturgy of the word and the Councils call for it to
be expanded and given greater emphasis. This is an area that has seen much
development since the Council but we still have much to do.

Paragraph 36 addresses the use of Latin and the vernacular in the liturgy. The
document makes it clear that it is not a question of either or but is rather
both and. This is possibly the greatest area of controversy in the years since
the Council and it remains a question that sparks great controversy and
resentment on both sides. Once again it is a matter of balance. It is one of
those specific areas where we are challenged not to simply do what is most
comfortable for us but instead continually ask, "What is the Church asking us to
do". Hopefully we can make progress in finding a healthy balance regarding
Latin and the vernacular.

Paragraph 41 reminds us of our basic Catholic theology that the bishop is the
primary celebrant of the liturgy for a given diocese. The mindset of the Church
is that the bishop would preside at every mass if it were possible. This leads
some to see the individual priests as merely substitutes for the bishop.
Instead it should remind us that the mass is ultimately Christ celebrating with
His Church. It is the role of the bishop and the priests to make Christ
present. When we forget this we lose touch with the wondrous mystery that the
liturgy is.

Paragraph 45 outlines the role of the Liturgical Commission and it's function in
the diocese. It is a reminder of the significance of this body and an
acknowledgement that the liturgy is a living ritual and question will always
arise that this body can address.

This section gives us much food for thought and important guidance as we seek to
celebrate the liturgy of the mass with greater joy and reverence.

Constitution Reflections Continued

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000

~~II. The Promotion of Liturgical Instruction and Active Participation

14. Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that
fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is
demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian
people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people
(1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active
participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for
it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive
the true Christian spirit; and therefore pastors of souls must zealously strive
to achieve it, by means of the necessary instruction, in all their pastoral
work.

Yet it would be futile to entertain any hopes of realizing this unless the
pastors themselves, in the first place, become thoroughly imbued with the spirit
and power of the liturgy, and undertake to give instruction about it. A prime
need, therefore, is that attention be directed, first of all, to the liturgical
instruction of the clergy. Wherefore the sacred Council has decided to enact as
follows:

15. Professors who are appointed to teach liturgy in seminaries, religious
houses of study, and theological faculties must be properly trained for their
work in institutes which specialize in this subject.

16. The study of sacred liturgy is to be ranked among the compulsory and major
courses in seminaries and religious houses of studies; in theological faculties
it is to rank among the principal courses. It is to be taught under its
theological, historical, spiritual, pastoral, and juridical aspects. Moreover,
other professors, while striving to expound the mystery of Christ and the
history of salvation from the angle proper to each of their own subjects, must
nevertheless do so in a way which will clearly bring out the connection between
their subjects and the liturgy, as also the unity which underlies all priestly
training. This consideration is especially important for professors of dogmatic,
spiritual, and pastoral theology and for those of holy scripture.

17. In seminaries and houses of religious, clerics shall be given a liturgical
formation in their spiritual life. For this they will need proper direction, so
that they may be able to understand the sacred rites and take part in them
wholeheartedly; and they will also need personally to celebrate the sacred
mysteries, as well as popular devotions which are imbued with the spirit of the
liturgy. In addition they must learn how to observe the liturgical laws, so that
life in seminaries and houses of religious may be thoroughly influenced by the
spirit of the liturgy.

18. Priests, both secular and religious, who are already working in the Lord's
vineyard are to be helped by every suitable means to understand ever more fully
what it is that they are doing when they perform sacred rites; they are to be
aided to live the liturgical life and to share it with the faithful entrusted to
their care.

19. With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical
instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy
both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition,
their way of life, and standard of religious culture. By so doing, pastors will
be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries
of God; and in this matter they must lead their flock not only in word but also
by example.

20. Transmissions of the sacred rites by radio and television shall be done with
discretion and dignity, under the leadership and direction of a suitable person
appointed for this office by the bishops. This is especially important when the
service to be broadcast is the Mass.

REFLECTIONS

Paragraph 14 is yet another example of the often quoted aspects of this
Constitution. The reality that we still struggle with understanding what "full
and active participation" really means fifty years after we first received this
document is a reminder of the mystery we encounter in the liturgy. We have
learned much in these fifty years but we can never say we have exhausted the
mystery. Many attempts to implement this fully participation have ultimately
left us empty. At times we may be tempted to "throw up our hands" in
frustration. In my personal experience we seem to have learned more about what
this full and active participation is not rather than what it is. I pray that
we can continue to return to these challenging and inspiring words, making every
attempt to make them real in the Church today.

This section continues by going into some detail regarding how priests should be
formed in the liturgical arts. Probably the most important point the document
makes is that the priests of the Church must be the first to live and promote
this full and active participation. I think we can all agree that if the priest
is not engaged at this level then extending this approach to the entire faithful
will always come up short. Underlying the message of this section is the call
for all priests to fall ever more deeply in love with Christ and His Church. As
this happens we open the door for the Holy Spirit to accomplish what we cannot.

Reflections on the Constitution on the Liturgy

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000

The following is the introduction and first section of Chapter I of the Constitution on the Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council. I hope to periodically post sections from the Constitution with a few personal reflections. The documents can be lengthy but they are rich with wonderful teachings that help to deepen our faith. I hope you will find these posts to be helpful.

Constitution on the Liturgy- Introduction and Chapter I Section 1

1. This sacred Council has several aims in view: it desires to impart an ever
increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more suitably
to the needs of our own times those institutions which are subject to change; to
foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ; to strengthen
whatever can help to call the whole of mankind into the household of the Church.
The Council therefore sees particularly cogent reasons for undertaking the
reform and promotion of the liturgy.

2. For the liturgy, "through which the work of our redemption is accomplished,"
[1] most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding
means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others,
the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church. It is of the
essence of the Church that she be both human and divine, visible and yet
invisibly equipped, eager to act and yet intent on contemplation, present in
this world and yet not at home in it; and she is all these things in such wise
that in her the human is directed and subordinated to the divine, the visible
likewise to the invisible, action to contemplation, and this present world to
that city yet to come, which we seek [2]. While the liturgy daily builds up
those who are within into a holy temple of the Lord, into a dwelling place for
God in the Spirit [3], to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ [4], at
the same time it marvelously strengthens their power to preach Christ, and thus
shows forth the Church to those who are outside as a sign lifted up among the
nations [5] under which the scattered children of God may be gathered together
[6], until there is one sheepfold and one shepherd [7].

3. Wherefore the sacred Council judges that the following principles concerning
the promotion and reform of the liturgy should be called to mind, and that
practical norms should be established.

Among these principles and norms there are some which can and should be applied
both to the Roman rite and also to all the other rites. The practical norms
which follow, however, should be taken as applying only to the Roman rite,
except for those which, in the very nature of things, affect other rites as
well.

4. Lastly, in faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred Council declares that
holy Mother Church holds all lawfully acknowledged rites to be of equal right
and dignity; that she wishes to preserve them in the future and to foster them
in every way. The Council also desires that, where necessary, the rites be
revised carefully in the light of sound tradition, and that they be given new
vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of modern times.

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE RESTORATION AND PROMOTION OF
THE SACRED LITURGY

1. The Nature of the Sacred Liturgy and Its Importance in the Church's Life

5. God who "wills that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth"
(1 Tim. 2:4), "who in many and various ways spoke in times past to the fathers
by the prophets" (Heb. 1:1), when the fullness of time had come sent His Son,
the Word made flesh, anointed by the Holy Spirit, to preach the the gospel to
the poor, to heal the contrite of heart [8], to be a "bodily and spiritual
medicine" [9], the Mediator between God and man [10]. For His humanity, united
with the person of the Word, was the instrument of our salvation. Therefore in
Christ "the perfect achievement of our reconciliation came forth, and the
fullness of divine worship was given to us" [11].

The wonderful works of God among the people of the Old Testament were but a
prelude to the work of Christ the Lord in redeeming mankind and giving perfect
glory to God. He achieved His task principally by the paschal mystery of His
blessed passion, resurrection from the dead, and the glorious ascension, whereby
"dying, he destroyed our death and, rising, he restored our life" [12]. For it
was from the side of Christ as He slept the sleep of death upon the cross that
there came forth "the wondrous sacrament of the whole Church" [13].

6. Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also He sent the apostles, filled
with the Holy Spirit. This He did that, by preaching the gospel to every
creature [14], they might proclaim that the Son of God, by His death and
resurrection, had freed us from the power of Satan [15] and from death, and
brought us into the kingdom of His Father. His purpose also was that they might
accomplish the work of salvation which they had proclaimed, by means of
sacrifice and sacraments, around which the entire liturgical life revolves. Thus
by baptism men are plunged into the paschal mystery of Christ: they die with
Him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him [16]; they receive the spirit of
adoption as sons "in which we cry: Abba, Father" ( Rom. 8 :15), and thus become
true adorers whom the Father seeks [17]. In like manner, as often as they eat
the supper of the Lord they proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes [18].
For that reason, on the very day of Pentecost, when the Church appeared before
the world, "those who received the word" of Peter "were baptized." And "they
continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles and in the communion of
the breaking of bread and in prayers . . . praising God and being in favor with
all the people" (Acts 2:41-47). From that time onwards the Church has never
failed to come together to celebrate the paschal mystery: reading those things
"which were in all the scriptures concerning him" (Luke 24:27), celebrating the
eucharist in which "the victory and triumph of his death are again made present"
[19], and at the same time giving thanks "to God for his unspeakable gift" (2
Cor. 9:15) in Christ Jesus, "in praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:12), through the
power of the Holy Spirit.

7. To accomplish so great a work, Christ is always present in His Church,
especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the
Mass, not only in the person of His minister, "the same now offering, through
the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross" [20], but
especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the
sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes
[21]. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy
scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, lastly, when the Church prays
and sings, for He promised: "Where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20) .

Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work
wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His
beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the
Eternal Father.

Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office
of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by
signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with
each of these signs; in the liturgy the whole public worship is performed by the
Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members.

From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action
of Christ the priest and of His Body which is the Church, is a sacred action
surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by
the same title and to the same degree.

8. In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy
which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as
pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the
holies and of the true tabernacle [22]; we sing a hymn to the Lord's glory with
all the warriors of the heavenly army; venerating the memory of the saints, we
hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Saviour, Our
Lord Jesus Christ, until He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with
Him in glory [23].

9. The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church. Before
men can come to the liturgy they must be called to faith and to conversion: "How
then are they to call upon him in whom they have not yet believed? But how are
they to believe him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear if no one
preaches? And how are men to preach unless they be sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15).

Therefore the Church announces the good tidings of salvation to those who do not
believe, so that all men may know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has
sent, and may be converted from their ways, doing penance [24]. To believers
also the Church must ever preach faith and penance, she must prepare them for
the sacraments, teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded [25], and
invite them to all the works of charity, piety, and the apostolate. For all
these works make it clear that Christ's faithful, though not of this world, are
to be the light of the world and to glorify the Father before men.

10. Nevertheless the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the
Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power
flows. For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made sons
of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of
His Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord's supper.

The liturgy in its turn moves the faithful, filled with "the paschal
sacraments," to be "one in holiness" [26]; it prays that "they may hold fast in
their lives to what they have grasped by their faith" [27]; the renewal in the
Eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and man draws the faithful into the
compelling love of Christ and sets them on fire. From the liturgy, therefore,
and especially from the Eucharist, as from a font, grace is poured forth upon
us; and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to
which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end, is
achieved in the most efficacious possible way.

11. But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is
necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their
minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with
divine grace lest they receive it in vain [28] . Pastors of souls must therefore
realize that, when the liturgy is celebrated, something more is required than
the mere observation of the laws governing valid and licit celebration; it is
their duty also to ensure that the faithful take part fully aware of what they
are doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects.

12. The spiritual life, however, is not limited solely to participation in the
liturgy. The Christian is indeed called to pray with his brethren, but he must
also enter into his chamber to pray to the Father, in secret [29]; yet more,
according to the teaching of the Apostle, he should pray without ceasing [30].
We learn from the same Apostle that we must always bear about in our body the
dying of Jesus, so that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our
bodily frame [31]. This is why we ask the Lord in the sacrifice of the Mass
that, "receiving the offering of the spiritual victim," he may fashion us for
himself "as an eternal gift" [32].

13. Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended,
provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they
are ordered by the Apostolic See.

Devotions proper to individual Churches also have a special dignity if they are
undertaken by mandate of the bishops according to customs or books lawfully
approved.

But these devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the
liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived
from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very
nature far surpasses any of them.

II. The Promotion of Liturgical Instruction and Active Participation

REFLECTION

The introduction and first section of Chapter I clearly lay out the purpose and
focus of the Constitution. I am struck by the beautiful scope of these initial
paragraphs as they remind the Church what the Liturgy is. It is Christ's action
and this message takes us back to His time, His words and His desire. It truly
is timeless and it applies to the Church today as profoundly as it did 50 years
ago.

I call your attention especially to paragraphs 7 and 10. The message of these
paragraphs has been repeated countless times since this document was originally
promulgated. Paragraph 7 speaks of the fourfold presence of Christ in the
liturgy. In His minister, in the Eucharistic species, in His Word and in the
people assembled. These words remind us of the challenge we face at every
liturgy to be aware of Christ present in each of these ways. We have all felt
the ways our experience of the liturgy is diminished when this balance is
seriously lacking.

Chapter 10 includes the image of the liturgy as the summit and font of the life
of the Church. This is probably one of the most quoted images of the
Constitution but the depth of its meaning is something we continue to explore.
In many ways it captures much of the reflection contained in this initial
section. The document reminds us that the liturgy is something we must always
return to as it is always something we must draw strength from as we seek to
live Christ.

Let us pray that as bishop, priests, deacons, religious and faithful in the
diocese we may continually ponder these beautiful words and be guided by them as
we seek to live Jesus Christ.

Saint Francis

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:00:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to visit the city of Saint Francis again. Assisi is a beautiful place that seems to reverberate with the spirit of Saint Francis. His message of poverty and simplicity is so important for us in todays busy and complex world. He is a great patron saint for the Lenten season because his message is really what Lent is all about. Focus on the Lord. Simplify your life. Let go of the material distractions and allow a spirit of poverty to pervade your life.

This call is a great challenge for us today but it continues to bear the fruit of peace and tranquility that the Lord Himself promised. Let us look to Saint Francis to inspire us in the Lord as we continue our Lenten journey.

A Beautiful Image

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 06:00:00 +0000

In his most recent Exhortation Gaudium Evangelii Pope Francis encourages all Christians and especially priests to "Be joyful messengers of challenging proposals". I believe this captures the attitude of discipleship that we should all have.

The Gospel for yesterday, the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time offers Jesus admonition that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. That is a profoundly challenging proposal but Christ seems to lay it down as a clear goal for all of His followers. We can easily dismiss this Gospel ideal as simply impossible to attain and in reality it is but in the face of this challenge being joyful messengers is part of the work.

As the title of the exhortation emphasizes, Pope Francis is constantly calling us back to the joy of our life in Christ. Let us present all of His challenging messages with the joy of knowing that His truth set us free.

Letter of St.James

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 06:00:00 +0000

During these days the daily readings have come from the letter of James. We are all probably more familiar with Paul's letters to the various communities but the Letter of James presents some wonderfully practical food for our spiritual reflection. Whether acknowledging the temptations that we all face or the patience we need in the midst of suffering James goes right to the heart of the issues of living the Christian way.

Let us savor the words of James and listen to their message as the challenging words of a brother in the Lord inspired by the Holy Spirit. This balance between very practical advice and inspired insight truly helps us to apply God's word in our day to day lives.

Saint Valentine's Day

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Today I gave my staff a couple of hours off for Saint Valentine's Day and they were all extremely grateful. As I thought about it I realized that their gratitude is probably connected to how busy their lives are.

We all live a hectic pace with a lot of demands on our time. I think my staff has taught me a valuable lesson that the gift of time is probably one of the most precious gifts we can give to each other.

We should all remember this when the next gift giving opportunity arises. We all have more than enough stuff but very often precious little time. On the next birthday, anniversary or holiday rather than a gift consider giving that friend or loved one a little extra time. It may well turn out to be the best gift of all.

Reflections of a Shepherd

Sat, 18 Jan 2014 06:00:00 +0000

~~As I move along into my second year as bishop of Tyler I must say there have been many things to reflect on. I thought I would use my website as a medium for sharing some of those thoughts. I hope what I share will help all of us to work together in the Diocese of Tyler and I hope that those who read them in other places may benefit in some way as well.

Since my assignment as bishop of the diocese where I grew up allows me to interact with people that I have known for many years they often ask “what is different?” about being a bishop. My standard response has become that it is a much busier life than I lead as a priest. I must say I didn’t feel “not busy” before and I always had plenty to do but as a bishop I am definitely busier. I suppose there is a danger in that which is somewhat magnified because as bishop I believe it is essential that I am a man deeply in touch with Jesus Christ and His Gospel message.
Maybe the word “magnified” is a good one to use to attempt to capture the differences in my life from my almost thirty years as a priest. It seems that everything is magnified, the challenges and the blessings, the calendar and the responsibilities.

One of the greatest challenges I have faced as a bishop is how best to work with and guide the men who serve with me in the diocese as priests and deacons. I am more aware than ever that the work of these good men is essential and I truly understand that anything I can accomplish is only possible because the priests and deacons (along with consecrated religious and committed laity) are working with me.

We are blessed with a diverse group of men who make up the presbyterate of the Diocese of Tyler and one of my greatest challenges is bringing the proper balance of unity to this diversity. At times I laugh at myself because through the years I’ve often seen fellow priests who seemed to really enjoy telling people what to do but that were never a major part of my priesthood. I suppose my approach has always been to try to do my very best and for the most part leave others to presumably do the same. I’ve come to realize as a priest and even more now as a bishop that sometimes I need to instruct and correct and I must admit that at times I fail to do so.

I hope that I, along with the priests and deacons of the Diocese of Tyler, can continue to make good progress in seeking greater unity and caring for the people of God in these thirty-three counties. I always want to respect each individual priest and deacon but at times it is necessary that I shepherd them with a firm hand. Thankfully our diocese is blessed in that there are not major doctrinal issues that have to be addressed. We are faithful to the teachings of our Catholic faith in all its aspects. I would characterize my responsibility more in terms of fine tuning and thus shepherding to a greater unity and respect for each other.

At my ordination Cardinal DiNardo said at times I will need to correct the flock and her shepherds and I realize more than ever how true those words are. I hope that I can always guide and correct out of love for the Lord and His Church but I know I have and will make mistakes along the way. I laugh because I realize that when I “put my foot down” I’m likely to “step on some toes”. The imagery is really quite appropriate because it captures in many ways what it means to shepherd with love.

If you are reading this I ask you to pray for Pope Francis and all bishops throughout the Church. He is inspiring us to return to the heart of the Gospel and our relationship with Jesus Christ. I will continue to do my best to shepherd the flock of East Texas closer to our Lord and His Church. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me to be the shepherd His good people need.

Pope Francis' Exhortation

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 06:00:00 +0000

These words of Pope Francis challenge all of us to live and share the treasure of our Catholic faith.

"49. Let us go forth, then, let us go forth to offer everyone the life of Jesus Christ. Here I repeat for the entire Church what I have often said to the priests and laity of Buenos Aires: I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the centre and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life. More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: “Give them something to eat” (Mk 6:37)."

Time Magazine Person of the Year

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 06:00:00 +0000

We must all be thankful for Time Magazine's choice of Pope Francis as Person of the Year. I had heard other names mentioned as being in the running and it is very positive that ultimately Pope Francis was chosen.

Certainly Time Magazine is a completely secular publication and the criteria they use for making these choices is at best questionable many times but I am pleased that they have made this choice.

As we continue this journey of Advent 2013 and once again seek the renewal of faith that Advent represents it is worth noting that one year ago no one would have dreamt of all that has unfolded since February 11, when Pope Benedict XVI announced his decision to resign. I doubt most of us had even heard of Cardinal Bergoglio and now he is the Vicar of Christ and Person of the Year. Certainly Pope Francis' unique gifts and his at times unusual approach to his duties as the Supreme Pontiff have attracted a lot of attention in the media but his message of caring for the poor and re-focusing the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church on the person of Jesus Christ have also resonated with many.

As we continue these Advent days let us pray that not only the personality of Pope Francis but most importantly his message as Vicar of Christ may deeply move the people of God closer to their Lord and His Light.

Thanksgiving for Liberty

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 06:00:00 +0000

As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day let us be thankful for the freedom of religion that we enjoy and let us be vigilant that this liberty may be protected for many, many years to come.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ON THANKSGIVING DAY.

BISHOP JOSEPH STRICKLAND

Reflection on Vocations

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I announced on November 21, at the Priest’s Study Day that I have appointed Father Justin Braun as Vocation Director of the Diocese of Tyler. As I made this announcement I expressed my profound gratitude for the work of Father Jesudoss Thomas and Father Jesus Arroyave who have served as Co-
Directors of Vocations for the past six years. They have continued this important work during the especially challenging time when we were without a bishop and I deeply appreciate their dedication and hard work.

I am pleased that Father Braun has enthusiastically agreed to take on this additional responsibility. He will continue to serve as Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral and Priest Chaplain at Bishop Gorman Regional Catholic Schools. I know it will be a challenge for him to balance these various responsibilities but as a fine young priest I feel sure that he is up to the task. Father Braun has already been assisting Father Arroyave and Father Thomas as part of the Priestly Vocation Team along with our Chancellor, Father Hank Lanik, Father Victor Hernandez and Father Nolan Lowry.

The theme of the Priest’s Study Day where I announce the appointment of Father Braun was a Reflection on Priestly Vocations in the Diocese of Tyler and it was the perfect time to announce this development in the diocese. As I met with Father Braun to ask him to take on this responsibility I shared with him something of my experience as the first Vocation Director of the Diocese of Tyler. Bishop Charles Herzig, the first bishop of the diocese appointed me in March 1987 about a month after the diocese was formed and Bishop Herzig was ordained. It is a blessing for me to have been part of the growth of the diocese since those early days and especially in the area of Vocations it is easy to see the work of the Holy Spirit among us.

While Father Braun’s primary focus will be priestly vocations he will also be available to support the efforts of Sister Angelica Orozco EFMS who has done beautiful work in promoting the vocation of women to Vowed Religious Life. I know he will also be supportive to men who are discerning the Permanent Diaconate and in general he will be a voice encouraging every baptized Catholic to consider their specific vocational call. The world today demands that we support the call of the Lord in whatever form it takes and of course married life is a vocation that must be promoted as well because so many have little understanding of the importance of the commitment of marriage.

As I reflect on the promotion of vocations I want to highlight a beautiful tradition that has become part of our diocesan life. Once again on November 30, I will gather with all the altar servers who are able to attend as we celebrate their service in our parishes. These young people are a blessing as they assist the priests and deacons at the Eucharistic altar. I encouraged the priests to highlight the possible vocation of the boys to consider priesthood or permanent diaconate and for the girls to consider vowed religious life in the Church. Serving at the altar is an opportunity for boys and girls to become more comfortable with the mass and the beauty of the Eucharistic liturgy. The Lord calls all of us to live deeply committed lives in His Church and serving at the altar is an opportunity for boys and girls to reflect on the Lord’s call in very concrete ways. As Father Braun begins his work as Vocation Director I ask for your prayers that many boys may consider ordained ministry as priests or deacons and many girls may consider serving the Church as vowed religious. Let us pray that Mary the Mother of God may intercede for us all so that we may follow her example and say yes to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Daily Reflection

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 06:00:00 +0000

The liturgical calendar today offers us the option of celebrating St. Albert the Great, a renowned Dominican of the 13^th century. He was a learned scholar who was also a man of great faith and theological depth. The first reading for today’s mass is especially significant in light of the life of St. Albert the Great.

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 495

Reading 1 Wis 13:1-9

All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

I would encourage all of us to reflect on this message as very pertinent to our day. The last sentence is especially worth pondering.

God bless you. Bishop Joseph Strickland

Approaching the Feast of Christ the King

Fri, 15 Nov 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Something Worth Sharing

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Therefore, when talking about same-sex “marriage,” the debate is not about personal liberté or égalité. Rather, the debate is about whether the State should publicly sanction and monetarily support disordered sex or whether the State, society, and the individual have a vested interest in maintaining the biological definition of sex and discouraging disordered acts? Professor Anthony Esolen from Providence College sums it up quite nicely:

“Before we ask whether a man and a man may mate, we must notice that in fact a man and a man are incapable of mating. There has never been such a thing as a man marrying a man, and there never will be. There can only be the pretense, just as a man in drag can only pretend to be a woman. At base, there is nothing at all to debate. What is up for debate is whether we should pretend that something exists which not only does not exist but can never exist, and whether this act of make-believe will conduce to the common good—to stronger marriages, families richer in children, fewer divorces, fewer births out of wedlock, fewer abortions, a more wholesome public square, the withering of pornography, more harmony between men and women, more understanding between the generations, children who retain their innocence till the threshold of adulthood; fuller churches, men and women motivated less by pleasure than by what is good and noble; a world in which a young person would be ashamed for the shameless, and in which there need be no laws against public filth, because custom alone would more than suffice.”

The Sancitity of Life

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

"In reality it is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man truly becomes clear".

This quote from Gaudium et Spes in the Catechism gives us much to ponder. It speaks to the foundations for the sanctity of life that the Church proclaims with such joy and hope. We know that the earliest words of scripture in Genesis tell us that we are created in God's image. This quote reminds us of the astounding reality that God has entered into this creature created in His image in a wondrous way. God has given His own Son that human life might be profoundly sacred once again as He originally intended.

Let us continue to work in our society in order to wake up God's people to this tremendous truth.

A Prayerful October

Fri, 04 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

As we begin the month of October with its focus on the Sanctity of Life I encourage all of us to refocus on the core values that guide us in our Catholic faith and that we are called to live and proclaim as leaven in our society.

I've had numerous questions from the faithful in the diocese regarding Pope Francis' recent interview reported in America magazine and other Jesuit periodicals. The secular press and even at times certain Catholic periodicals tend to take brief quotes out of context when it comes to interviews like the one Pope Francis has given. I would encourage anyone who is unsure or concerned about what the Holy Father is saying to read the interview in its entirety. This is always a good principle in our age of sound bites but it is especially important when something addresses Catholic teaching. After having read the text of the Holy Father's interview some may still have questions but they can be dealt with much more effectively in the context of his whole message.

What the Holy Father is saying in regard to the sanctity of life issues is especially important during the month of October when we traditionally pray and work for a greater respect for life. Clearly the Holy Father is not calling for a retreat from the importance of these issues but instead he is reminding us that they make sense when we are deeply rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ the Lord of Life. Too often secular society rejects our beautiful Catholic faith as a list of thou shalt nots. I understand Pope Francis' words as a reminder that when we come to know and love Jesus Christ then who we must be and what we must do becomes very clear. As a consequence what we must not do also gains a greater clarity and becomes part of our relationship with Him and His powerful love. Then we are able to say from deep in our hearts. I will not violate the sanctity of life or commit any grave sin......because I LOVE HIM.

Christ at the Center

Sat, 21 Sep 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The Last Judgement as depicted by Michaelangelo in the Sistine Chapel places Jesus Christ af the very center of the fresco which covers the entire wall. As I have just returned from Rome and my experience of studying with new bishops from around the world this image seems to capture the essence of what we were reminded of in our seminar. This famous image depicts Christ at the end of time dividing the saved from the damned. There are of course many striking elements of this fresco but one that is quite significant is that Michaelangelo depicts the book of the damned as a volume which is quite large while the book of the saved might be described as pocket sized. This probably says a lot about the artists own perspective and struggles especially as we note that this was painted toward the end of his life. The significant difference in the size of these symbolic books seems to be something that Pope Francis is trying to address in a recently released interview. As the Bishop of Rome and thus the leader of the Roman Catholic Church today Pope Francis is urging us not to be satisfied with the small volume of those who are ultimately saved and share eternity with God. The Holy Father is urging us to share and live the good news of Jesus Christ. He urges us to rely on God's mercy as we seek the strength of His grace to guide us away from sin and damnation.

Christ at the center, this seems to summarize well the message of Pope Francis. When we place Christ at the center His mercy heals us, His life inspires us and His grace guides us to our true fulfillment. Let us resolve to do our daily best to place Christ at the center of all that we do.

Reflections in Rome

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Reflecting on the first couple of days here in Rome at the Bishop's School with 120 bishops from all over the world I have to say the operative word is overwhelming. We have only begun several days of talks and there is already more to do than I could ever accomplish. Even as I say this I'm aware that probably the most important thing is to remember I CAN NOT do it all. Ultimately we only cooperate with the grace of God.

I hope this reflection is helpful to you where ever you find yourself. Whether a student, a parent, a professional, a priest, a woman religious, a deacon or some combination of these roles I suppose we all feel overwhelmed at times. One of the bishops spoke of the grace of office and I definitely feel the strength that brings. The Lord truly does give us the grace to fulfill His call for us.

We had an excellent presentation last night where a bishop from Brazil touched on some very practical points. I laughed when he reminded us that time is very democratic. Whether the Pope or a kindergartener we all get the same 24 hours every day. He emphasized that as bishop I need to manage my time well. I know that is a challenge we all face.

The most important message I heard yesterday was to focus on the essentials. This resonates with my own prayerful reflection on what we need in the diocese. I believe we all need to live the essentials of our Catholic faith. There are so many distractions and fragmentations of life for all of us. These include serious threats to the very fiber of our life in Christ. Catholic teaching through the ages guides the people of God to be fully alive in this world and to live with Him eternally in the next.

When we begin to speak of the essentials I'm sure many priorities flood our minds. I would propose the following as at least a beginning list.

1. Our relationship with Jesus Christ God's only begotten Son who guides us in His Spirit

2. The Virgin Mary Mother of God and model of Christians

3. The Eucharist & all the sacraments especially marriage, signs of Christ alive with us

4. The Word of God nourishment for our souls

5. The sanctity of life from conception to natural death

Some may be surprised at my second essential. I place Mary immediately after our personal relationship with Christ because she constantly points us back to Christ. As our loving Mother she always nudges us back on the path of her son.

We immediately think of a multitude of important things that radiate from these five essentials. Hopefully these five help us to constantly refocus on the essentials of our life in Christ while not neglecting these important things.

Let us continually return to these in all that we do and let us support each other in living the essentials.

Bishop's School

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Rome at Bishop's School........Pilgrimage to the Tomb of Peter........quite an experience

A Visit with Pope Francis

Sat, 31 Aug 2013 05:00:00 +0000

As I go to Rome for Bishop's School I don't hope to have the chance to greet the Holy Father in the informal way that this picture suggests. But he may surprise me as he has surprised the world.

Please know that you will be in my prayers as I visit Rome.

God bless you, Bishop Strickland

School Days

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The photos are from our Catholic schools in Tyler on the first day of the new school year.

All over the diocese schools are preparing to start a new year or have already started. We are blessed to have Catholic Schools in Tyler, Longview, Marshall and Lufkin. Our Catholic schools do a great job of educating children and supporting families and have the opportunity to form our children in the context of life in Jesus Christ. As bishop I support all efforts to provide sound education whether public or private but our Catholic schools are a special treasure that allows us to form the whole person according to God's will.

I appreciate all who are involved in education at whatever level because I know it demands an intense commitment. As schools begin please know that all educators and students are in my prayers.

Knights of Columbus in the Diocese of Tyler

Sun, 04 Aug 2013 05:00:00 +0000

This picture was taken on February 24, 2012 when the Diocese of Tyler celebrated its 25th Anniversary. It includes only a portion of the Knights who have served the diocese throughout its history. I thought it was an appropriate photo to pull from my archives as I head to the 2013 Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in San Antonio. The Convention begins on August 5.

In a few weeks Bishop Carmody will join me as the Knights of Columbus present a check in excess of $50,000 which is designated for the support of the education of future priests for the diocese. This very generous donation comes from the hard work of all of the Knights of Columbus Councils in the diocese in supporting the charitable works of the order. The Knights have been a tremendous support to all four bishops of the diocese and their dedication to faith, our nation and assistance to those in need is an example for us all. Congratulations Sir Knights and your Ladies. See you in San Antonio.

World Youth Day and Pope Francis' First Encyclical

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Pope Francis has had a tremendous impact on the youth at World Youth Day in Brazil and on the whole world. As I reflect on some of his statements and encounters in Rio his encyclical Lumen Fidei, “The Light of Faith” is brought to mind.

Pope Francis quotes Saint Justin Martyr saying that, “No one has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun”. Pope Francis is referring to the age old tendency for the human person to turn to idolatry in our quest for faith. Saint Justin’s play on words refers to the prevalent worship of the sun god in the culture which first encountered Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Although today worship of a sun god has been marginalized to the fringes of our culture we are challenged by the words of Pope Francis to be aware of our tendencies toward idolatry even today. We may not be urged to worship the sun in any literal sense but we are urged to worship the idols of wealth, pleasure, power and excess.

Let us take Saint Justin’s words to heart and reflect on the ways we are called to die to self because of our faith in the Son of God. Let us pray that the youth who have been greatly touched by Pope Francis as he proclaims Jesus Christ may joyfully embrace devotion to the Son of God and His Light that guides their daily lives.

A Flock of Shepherds

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 05:00:00 +0000

This photo was taken on July 9, 2013 at the Installation of Bishop Mark Seitz as Bishop of El Paso. It also happened to be the birthday of Archbishop Michael Sheehan third from the left. Archbishop Sheehan was rector at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas during the seminary formation of the five bishops pictured. It was great to have us all together.

The bishops pictured are from left, Bishop Doug Deshotel, Auxilary Bishop of Dallas, Bishop Mark J. Seitz, newly installed Bishop of El Paso, the Archbishop, Bishop Daniel Flores, Bishop of Brownsville, yours truly and Bishop Michael Duca, Bishop of Shreveport. Archbishop has been a great mentor to all of us and to many other priests that he helped to train during his 6 years at Holy Trinity.

While I was in El Paso about 300 parishioners and supporters drove to Austin in support of legislation to help limit abortions in Texas.

How's that for a multitasking diocese! Way to go Cathedral and those who joined in the trip. The pictures indicate that it was not only a holy trip but a pretty fun time too!

True Independence

Sat, 06 Jul 2013 05:00:00 +0000

As the fireworks of another 4^th of July celebration fade I pray that all of you are blessed and have had the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends.

It seems that we live in a time of great contrasts and at times great contradictions. As we celebrate Independence Day for our nation let us do so as people always rooted in faith. The glow of the fireworks for this 4^th of July shed light on a nation in great turmoil in regard to the basic values that have been the foundation of our society since its inception. Our forbearers spoke of rights endowed by the Creator yet many today deny the existence of our Creator or at least want to ignore His commandments. Every society from Sodom and Gomorrah, to the Roman Empire, to Nazi Germany, to Communist Russia that has chosen to ignore God has ultimately crumbled into dust. We have to pray that we may learn from the errors of the past while trusting that “even if only ten are faithful” God will sustain us in His mercy. Let us choose daily to be among those faithful few no matter how deeply our society falls into error.

I recommend a brief article by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput entitled “Christian Witness and America’s Birthday”. It was shared with me and can be accessed on Zenit.org.

I’m grateful for the fidelity of prayer and action that I continue to witness in the people of the Diocese of Tyler. Many have participated in various efforts of prayer on the public square promoting the sanctity of life, the value of traditional marriage and the need for a just immigration policy for our nation. As I share these reflections a group is organizing to make a pilgrimage to Austin in support of our legislator’s efforts to at least eliminate abortions in our state after twenty weeks of gestation. It is a sad commentary that we have to fight so hard for this minimal protection for the unborn but fight we must and I commend those who are organizing this prayerful and peaceful effort to uphold the sanctity of life.

If you are interested in participating in this trip to Austin you can contact Mr. Jim Franz via the Bishop Gorman School website bishopgorman.net or Fr. Justin Braun at the Cathedral at thecathedral.info

Lest we grow despondent because of the apparent crumbling of values we need to also note the tremendous signs of God’s grace unfolding in our lives. The contrasts and contradictions I mentioned above are highlighted in the fact that this 4^th of July also finds us contemplating the announcement that two popes that have served in the last fifty years are to be canonized as saints. Blessed John the XXIII and Blessed John Paul II are both to be elevated to sainthood, likely before the end of the year. The miracle that allows Blessed John Paul II to take this final step has been described as “truly astounding”. Hopefully those words remind us that the power of God’s grace always has been and always will be truly astounding. Let us continue our journey of faith encouraged and challenged to live our lives always seeking the Grace of God.

Marriage

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 05:00:00 +0000

God’s Gift of Marriage

The Supreme Court has chosen not to uphold the definition of marriage that has guided human society for much of recorded history. As people of faith this decision saddens and deeply troubles us but we must continue to look to scripture and tradition to address the important questions of our time and specifically the meaning of marriage. Our Catholic faith constantly reminds us to turn to these fonts of truth.

Let us begin with the word of God. In the Gospel of Mark 10:6 Jesus reminds the disciples that in the beginning God made them male and female and the two shall become one. Here we have Jesus Christ taking us back to the very beginning of creation to indicate that marriage involves one man and one woman in a covenant of unity. We have to acknowledge that the Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of the chosen people of God gradually coming to understand what was God’s plan from the beginning of creation. We can point to numerous instances where this original plan of God was not followed but as Christ appears on the scene he clearly calls His flock to recognize that marriage as the commitment of one man to one woman was God’s plan from the beginning of creation.

Now let us look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1601 as it speaks of our Tradition.

“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.”

The phrase, “partnership of the whole of life”, speaks beautifully of the reality of marriage. It is God’s will that a man and a woman enter into this partnership and if we take a moment to reflect on what this is saying it truly reinforces the basic meaning of marriage. Only a man and a woman can share the whole of life as is intended in marriage. This phrase reminds us that marriage is about sharing physical, emotional, personal, sexual and intellectual aspects of life. We must acknowledge that this sharing is a great challenge and often breaks down in one aspect or another. It is intriguing that even the failures of this partnership that occur between a man and a woman seem to reinforce the reality that it is simply impossible for any other configuration of marriage to have any real success. No matter how much some may want to distort marriage and shape it in new ways it is simply not possible.

At this point I would like to reflect on the word offspring. It is a term that somehow harkens back to a different time and a society more rooted in the earth. The term from old English has been in use for more than one thousand years. In a beautiful way it seems to speak organically of how children come to be as they are an offshoot of the relationship of a man and a woman. Although modern medical technologies can separate the conception of a child from the sexual union of a man and woman ultimately offspring are only possible when a man and woman come together.

These brief reflections only begin to touch on some of the issues that we need to address in light of the Court’s decision let us continue to pray and focus on the truth that our loving God has revealed to us.

More on Marriage

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I wanted to add a brief follow up to my reflections on marriage in light of the decision of the Supreme Court. The media tends to paint these complex issues with a very broad brush but as I read more about the actual decision of the Supreme Court it is clear that we still have significant opportunities to ensure that the definition of marriage that comes from scripture and tradition is upheld. Let us pray and advocate in our state legislature and in any national forums available to us that our belief that marriage is between one man and one woman should be the law of the land. I would expect that you will hear much more about this controversy in the weeks and months to come, let us stay anchored in the truth that our loving God has revealed to us and do our best to share this good news with all.

Source and Summit

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, reminds us of an essential teaching of our Catholic faith embodied in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life”. As we have just celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi it is appropriate for us all to ponder anew whether this is true in our own daily faith journey.

As an ordained priest it is essential that this truly is my reality, the truth that guides every day, the essential focus for all that I do. It is also important that we pay attention to the specific wording of this teaching. It speaks of the Christian life and thus reminds us that the Eucharist is the “source and summit” or the “fount and the apex” of the life of every Christian. Thus for all of us it is the fount of all that we are in Christ and we return everything in thanksgiving to the Eucharist.

We heard these words many times. Let us continue this Year of Faith by striving to live them more fully each day. May we all live the truth these words express and allow the altar of thanksgiving that is the Eucharist to dwell at the very center of our lives.

Wednesday Audience Message from Pope Francis

Thu, 30 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

These words from a recent Audience of the Holy Father at St. Peter's in Rome resonate with my prayers for the Diocese of Tyler. Let us reflect together on our loving God's call for us to be a Holy Family.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Last Wednesday I stressed the deep connection between the Holy Spirit and the Church. Today I would like to start some reflections on the mystery of the Church, a mystery that we all live and of which we are part. I would like to do this, using some well-known phrases taken from the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

Today the first: the Church as Family of God
In recent months, more than once I have made reference to the parable of the prodigal son, or rather of the merciful father (cf. Lk 15:11-32). The youngest son leaves the house of his father, squanders everything, and decides to return because he realizes he made a mistake, though he no longer considers himself worthy of sonship. He thinks he might be welcomed back as a servant. Instead, the father runs to meet him, embraces him, gives him back his dignity as a son, and celebrates. This parable, like others in the Gospel, shows well the design of God for humanity.

What is this God’s plan? It is to make us all the one family of his children, in which each of you feels close to Him and feels loved by Him – feels, as in the Gospel parable, the warmth of being the family of God. In this great design, the Church finds its source. [The Church is] is not an organization founded by an agreement among [a group of] persons, but - as we were reminded many times by Pope Benedict XVI - is the work of God: it was born out of the plan of love, which realises itself progressively in history. The Church is born from the desire of God to call all people into communion with Him, to His friendship, and indeed, as His children, to partake of His own divine life. The very word “Church”, from the Greek ekklesia, means “convocation”.

God calls us, urges us to escape from individualism, [from] the tendency to withdraw into ourselves, and calls us – convokes us – to be a part of His family. This convocation has its origin in creation itself. God created us in order that we might live in a relationship of deep friendship with Him, and even when sin had broken this relationship with God, with others and with creation, God did not abandon us.

The whole history of salvation is the story of God seeking man, offer[ing] humanity His love, embracing mankind. He called Abraham to be the father of a multitude, chose the people of Israel to forge an alliance that embraces all nations, and sent, in the fullness of time, His Son, that His plan of love and salvation be realised in a new and everlasting covenant with humanity. When we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus gathers around him a small community that receives His word, follows Him, shares His journey, becomes His family – and with this community, He prepares and builds His Church.

Whence, then, is the Church born? It is born from the supreme act of love on the Cross, from the pierced side of Jesus from which flow blood and water, a symbol of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. In the family of God, the Church, the lifeblood is the love of God that is realised in loving Him and others, loving all without distinction, without measure. The Church is a family that loves and is loved.

When does the Church manifest itself? We celebrated [the Church’s manifestation] two Sundays ago: the Church manifests itself when the gift of the Holy Spirit fills the hearts of the Apostles and pushes them to go out and start the journey to proclaim the Gospel, to spread the love of God.

Even today, some say, “Christ yes, the Church no,” like those who say, “I believe in God, but in priests, no.” They say, “Christ: yes. Church: no.” Nevertheless, it is the Church that brings us Christ and that brings us to God. The Church is the great family of God's children. Of course it also has the human aspects: in those who compose it, pastors and faithful, there are flaws, imperfections, sins – the Pope has his, as well: he has lots of them; but the beautiful thing is that, when we become aware that we are sinners, we find the mercy of God. God always forgives: do not forget this. God always forgives, and He receives us in His love of forgiveness and mercy. Some people say – this is beautiful – that sin is an offence against God, but it is also an opportunity: the humiliation of realising [that one is a sinner] and that there is something [exceedingly] beautiful: the mercy of God. Let us think about this.

Let us ask ourselves today: how much do I love the Church? Do I pray for her? Do I feel myself a part of the family of the Church? What do I do to make the Church a community in which everyone feels welcomed and understood, [in which] everyone feels the mercy and love of God who renews life? Faith is a gift and an act that affects us personally, but God calls us to live our faith together, as a family: as the Church.

We ask the Lord, in a special way in this Year of the faith, that our communities, the whole Church be ever more true families that live and carry the warmth of God.

The Whole Spectrum

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I thought I would take the time to share a few random thoughts that have been on my mind during these days following the Feast of Pentecost.

The Sanctity of Life

Atrocities

Dr. Kermit Gosnell is a name that should ring through the ages, as does the name of Adolph Hitler, as personifying evil in our world. Sadly, many probably don’t even recognize the name and those who do most likely have only a vague idea of the atrocities that he has committed. Thank God the jury saw fit to convict him of murder which is clearly the crime he committed. Our nation’s main stream media largely ignored the story offering the excuse that it was too horrible. The clear reality is that it was ignored because it exposes the ugly reality of abortion for what it is; taking the life of an innocent human being. I pray that we can be a local church that proclaims the pro-life message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with great joy and strength.

Disasters

The tornadoes that have struck Texas and Oklahoma in the past week, once again, remind us of the fragile nature of our lives. It is uplifting to see the heartfelt response of God’s good people after they witness these tragedies and give so generously of themselves to assist their brothers and sisters. It is especially poignant to witness the loss of children and it speaks to the deep down goodness that rests in the human heart that so many join in expressing concern and support. Our faith compels us to see clearly the stark contrast between this genuine and natural response to the tragic loss of life as opposed to the selfish and evil actions of Dr. Gosnell. We must thank God for the expressions of value for the sacred nature of the life He has given all of us and pray that many more will see the tragic dichotomy which exist in our fractured society. Let us pray that our society may be moved to recognize that the loss of any life from conception to natural death is always a tragedy and a poverty for the human family.

End of Life

You may be aware of the storm of controversy surrounding a Bill in the Texas Legislature known as SB 303. The substance of this legislation deals with some much needed reforms of our state laws which pertain to end of life decisions. Once again, it highlights the essential teaching of our Catholic faith that life is sacred from conception to natural death. Certainly, we can never cease to speak out for the sanctity of the life of the unborn, but our teaching reminds us that life at the other end of the spectrum is often threatened as well. It is my firm belief that we will only bring an end to abortion when we as a society begin to embrace a true culture of life which values the sick and infirmed as well. I am proud to stand in solidarity with the bishops of Texas as we support the values this Bill reinforces. Our legal systems will never be able to perfectly express the fullness of God’s justice, but it is our duty to continue to seek that perfection and refinement of our laws. The policies expressed in SB 303 are clearly a step in the right direction and we need to support it with our prayers and action.

ACTS Retreats

Many in the Diocese of Tyler have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in an ACTS Retreat and I encourage all of you who have been touched by this wonderful experience to do all you can to promote the growth of ACTS in our parishes. ACTS stands for Adoration, Community, Theology and Service and these retreats originated in the Archdiocese of San Antonio in the late 1980’s. This Catholic movement has spread to many other dioceses and has proven to be an instrument of wonderful faith renewal for many Catholics. It has also supported the faith journey of many non-Catholics. As you read my reflections under the general heading of The Sanctity of Life you may wonder about my inclusion of comments about the ACTS Retreat experience. I choose to address this element of our diocesan family because I believe it truly does speak to the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. As noted above, many of the life controversies we deal with focus on the beginning of life or the end of life. I believe ACTS is a wonderful way to make all those days in between more sacred as well. As bishop of the Diocese of Tyler I wholeheartedly endorse ACTS as a wonderful Catholic retreat experience and I encourage all of our priests, deacons, religious and laity to support ACTS in their local parish.

Knights of Columbus

The final focus I bring to these reflections on the Sanctity of Life highlights the work of the Knights of Columbus in the diocese. As is the case with the ACTS Retreats, I believe the Knights of Columbus and their generous spouses who support them are a great force for enhancing the sacred nature of the lives we lead every day. It is probably not as widely known as it should be that the Knights of Columbus do a tremendous amount of charitable work that reaches well beyond the boundaries of the Diocese of Tyler. Recently, Daniel Cardinal DINardo recognized the Diocese of Tyler Knights of Columbus Councils for their accomplishment of meeting or exceeding their charitable donation goal. The recognition notes that the Diocese of Tyler is the only diocese in the state where every Council has met or exceeded its charitable donation goal for twenty years in a row. Their efforts also garnered a check of almost $50,000.00 in support of our diocesan seminarians. These charitable donations address many needs of the body of Christ and further support the sacred nature of life in our day to day journey.

I hope you will agree with me that these seemingly random thoughts actually do come together as expressions of the sanctity of life.

Bishop Strickland meets with His Holiness Pope Francis

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Pope Francis and a dark week

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I was blessed with the opportunity to meet Pope Francis at his audience in St. Peters Square on April 10. His presence at the audience was truly a reflection of all that we have heard and read about this man since his election to the See of Peter in March. It was truly a joy to see him interact with the people at the audience. As you can imagine it was quite an experience for me as a newly ordained bishop. I have been blessed to shake the hand of John Paul II, Benedict and now Pope Francis. In the interest of full disclosure ALL I did was shake the hand of Pope John Paul II. I was a seminarian at the time and was just lucky enough to shake his hand as he moved through the crowd. I at least was able to exchange a few words with Pope Benedict and now with Pope Francis. Each of these men are very different individuals but as the succesors of St. Peter they all bring unique gifts to their Petrine ministry.

My experience on April 10 stands in stark contrast to the events of April 15 and April 17. First the horror of the bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon and then the devastation of the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West, Texas left us all reeling and deeply saddened.

I suppose my reflection is that all three events speak to us of the deep meaning of these Easter days we continue to celebrate. My encounter with the Vicar of Christ was a moment of great hope and excitement. The bombing in Boston represented the darkest of diabolical intentions that sadly can spring from the human heart. The explosion in West (apparently totally accidental) reminds us of the frail and uncertain world we live in at all times. They come together to remind me that Our Lord and Savior has truly encountered the world we live in and has brought everlasting light that penetrates the deepest darkness. Christ is our Light. Christ is our Hope. Christ is our Joy. Let us pray that whatever happens we will always turn to Christ. Let us turn to him when we are joyful to acknowledge that He is the source of all joy. Let us seek Him when we are frightened and remember that He is our refuge. Let us turn to Him when we are shocked and confused and remember that He is the Lord of Truth.

I have asked our parishes to take up a special collection that we will send to the Diocese of Austin to support those who are suffering in the aftermath of the explosion on Wednesday. I know our wonderful people will be generous with their resources and with their prayers.

May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

A Blessed Easter

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I pray that this Easter brings special blessings to you and your family. We have seen God's love expressed through His Holy Spirit in wonderful ways. Let us continue to strive to live as people of the resurrection every day. As I celebrate the Triduum for the first time as Bishop of Tyler I offer these beautiful liturgies for you and all who are dear to you. We give thanks for the election of Pope Francis and we pray that he will continue to be a powerful beacon of the light of Christ for the entire world.

God bless you, Bishop Joseph Strickland

Ringing in the Joy

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Photo

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The photo comes from the 2005 election of Pope Benedict XVI. It shows me and several St. Gregory School students ringing the bell at the Cathedral the day he was elected. It is hard to believe that was eight years ago and so much has happened since then. We have joyfully rung in the papacy of Pope Francis and all that I have seen of him in the media gives me great hope that he will build on the good work of Benedict XVI.

Many are calling for dramatic changes in basic Church teachings but as faithful Catholics we know that the Pope's responsibility is to faithfully pass on the message of Jesus Christ. As we joyfully and prayerfully embark on this new chapter in the life of the Church with Pope Francis let us always remember that it is the teaching of Jesus Christ that we are called to follow. All of us from the Holy Father to the Holy people of God must remember that the teachings of Christ were often rejected and misunderstood in His day. As many voices call for significant changes in those basic teachings we must remember that the work of the Church is to guard the faith and share its beauty with all who seek the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Habemus Papam

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I join Catholics throughout the world in rejoicing at the announcement of the election of our new Holy Father Pope Francis I. The Cardinal Electors guided by the Holy Spirit have chosen a man from the new world, from Argentina, a Jesuit and from all reports a man of simplicity that whose lifestyle echoes the name he has chosen. I find it to be significant that Pope Francis I was chosen after a relatively short Conclave. It signals a unity among the Cardinals that is a blessing. The fact that he is not only a non-Italian but also is from Latin America, the new world, is also a sign of the vitality of the Church as She is guided by the Holy Spirit.

Let us all pray for the Holy Father Francis I, he has a tremendous task ahead of him but as all Popes before him the Lord is with him and the Holy Spirit will guide him. Let us pray that his heart will always be open to face the challenges with joy and that he may listen attentively to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Reflections

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Reflecting on the Word of God to be proclaimed at our masses for the 4th Sunday of Lent (Cycle C Readings) I focus especially on the reading from the Book of Joshua, the Responsorial Psalm and the familiar Gospel story of the Prodigal Son (Luke Chapter 15). The thread I see running through each of these readings is the idea of sharing food together. Although the specific details of how a meal is served and how people come together to share a meal have changed over the centuries and vary significantly in different cultures even today, there is something truly universal and timeless about eating together that God embraces and His Word acknowledges.

The reading from Joshua speaks of the end of mannah, the food of the desert, and states that the people began to eat of the "yield of the land of Canaan". There is a great significance in this statement in that it implies that the wandering Israelites are beginning to truly "settle" in the land of Canaan. They are moving away from being foreigners eating foreign food to being residents who eat the "yield of the land". In the context of the great struggle of the people of isreal to move from slavery to freedom, from wandering to being citizens in the land this simple act of eating home grown local food is very important.

The Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 34, uses those beautiful and familiar words "taste and see the goodness of the Lord", echoing again the idea of eating together, of being nurtured in the presence of the Lord by the Lord himself. The beautiful word of the psalm clearly call us beyond merely eating food together to a powerfully intimate relationship with the Lord. Especially in the context of the other readings for the mass this psalm clearly has Eucharistic overtones. We can never cease to be in awe of the wonderous gift we celebrate in the Eucharist, being fed of the "yield of the land" the Kingdom of God by the Son of God Himself.

Finally, I focus on the words in the Gospel that cause all the commotion that prompts the Lord to tell the marvelous story of the Prodigal son. The lament of the people is that Jesus "sits with sinners and eats with them". This is a marvelous gift of the Lord's mercy and we must acknowledge the irony that it is in the protest of this wondrous gift that the Lord is able to once again reinforce His message. Christ makes it clear that the heart of His mission is to "sit with sinners and eat with them", rather than join the protest let us pray that we might acknowledge that we ARE sinners and rejoice that the Lord longs to dine with us, to show us real food and thus to free us from our sins and call us to "go and sin no more".

As we continue this Lenten journey with all the challenges we face individually and communally, as we pray for the Cardinals who enter into Conclave on Tuesday and as we strive to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel", let us do our best every day to "taste and see the goodness of the Lord".

God bless, +Joseph

A Simple Prayer

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 06:00:00 +0000

As we hear the news that the Conclave will begin on Tuesday March 12, 2013 let us pray that the Cardinals in Conclave will hear the beautiful voice of God's Holy Spirit, that the Church may blossom forth in a new springtime of faith, hope and love.

+Joseph

The Resignation of the Holy Father

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I thought I would share a few words of personal reflection on this historic day on which the Holy Father has announced his resignation effective February 28, 2013. As you can imagine it created a whole new layer of activity on my calendar which was already fairly busy. I can imagine that it will become one of those moments when I will remember exactly where I was when I received the news.

Although as you probably have read by now the resignation of a Pope is not completely without precedent it certainly is uncharted territory for the modern history of the Church. As various people have asked about my reaction and my thoughts in light of this announcement I suppose I have begun to focus on the following.

I am impressed by the humility and the deep faith of this man who has served for the past eight years as Pope Benedict XVI. Although of course the work of the Pope is a tremendous burden it is also an office with great prestige. I am impressed that Pope Benedict has seen fit to relinquish all of the “position” that the papacy entails for what he believes is the good of the Church.

This news calls us to prayer especially as we will soon enter into the Retreat of the Church known as Lent. As we receive Ashes this Wednesday we will be reminded in a different way that we are “dust and unto dust we shall return”. The resignation of the Holy Father is in a beautiful spiritual sense another example of dying to this world in order to seek the everlasting life the Lord came to share with us. I hope that we can all pray in thanksgiving for this good man, Joseph Ratzinger, who has served the Church as His Holiness Benedict XVI, that he many continue to be a vibrant part of the Church he has loved so well.

The announcement of the Holy Father’s resignation also reminds us that the Church continues her journey through history guided by the Holy Spirit. The unique nature of our Roman Catholic Faith is that we do not ultimately have an earthly head. Instead our head is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Although this transition is unusual it reminds us that is simply is another transition in regard to the earthly leadership of the Church. Whether a Pope dies or resigns it is always true that they are only temporary, the Lord and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is our constant.

Let us pray for the Cardinals who will soon be traveling to Rome to meet in Conclave. They are only human but with the Lord’s promise that His Holy Spirit will always guide His Church they take on a very special role as instruments of the Lord. Let us pray that they will keep Him always before them as they deliberate. Our own Daniel Cardinal DiNardo will join them and for the first time a Cardinal from Texas will participate in the election of the Bishop of Rome.

Please be assured of my prayers as we enter into the Lenten Season and once again experience history making events in our lives.

+Joseph

Welcome to my new Website

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I've finally found a moment to greet you from bishopstrickland.com I hope you are enjoying these last days of January.

This past Monday I celebrated my two month anniversary as a bishop. The whirlwind has continued and in some ways the two months seem much longer. I continue to be blessed in my new role. The challenges are great but the people around me are greater and the blessings far outweigh the headaches.

I have been busy this week visiting our Catholic schools in celebration of Catholic Schools Week. It is great to see the kids flourishing. One little girl at St. Joseph's in Marshall amazed me with her poise and excellent diction. She was just about knee high and she offered the prayers of the faithful using some large words that would have challenged many adults. God has given all of His children gifts and it is a blessing to see those gifts unlocked in our Catholic Schools.

Even as we celebrate the great work our Catholic Schools are doing it makes me realize how hard we have to work to make these wonderful opportunities available to as many children as possible. Our schools are never an exclusive club but instead they are a resource for all. I thank the administrators, faculties, parents and community members who work so hard to make our schools stronger so that they can reach out to more and more kids. Wouldn't it be wonderful to say that every child in East Texas had the opportunity to experience Catholic education for at least a portion of their schooling. We are a very long way from realizing such a dream but I hope we can keep creatively working toward it. All of our children deserve the very best we can offer.

A Brief Update

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I'm on retreat but I wanted to break away for a moment to let you know you are in my prayers and
to share a couple of calendar updates.

January 13- 6:30 AM Mass at the Cathedral
8:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral

January 20- 9:00 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul
11:00 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

I will share more updates when I return to the office the week of January 14.

God bless.

Wishing You All a Blessed New Year

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I just wanted to take a few moments to wish you all a Blessed New Year and to promise my prayers.

I finally got around to editing my profile. People are still getting used to calling me bishop, as I am getting used to the title myself but at least it is a little less of a mouth full than bishop-elect!!!

The great people at Group M7, the internet company that hosts our diocesan website, are working on a website that I can use personally. It is still in the design phase but before too long I will be switch to that and ending my use of this blog. Don’t worry!!! I will offer you plenty of notice for the switch and I will be able to use the new website like a blog but with other great features also. There will also be a link from the official website of the Diocese of Tyler, dioceseoftyler.org so in case you do miss the information on my blog you will always be able to catch up with me there.

I spoke to one of our seminarians this morning and when we were both hanging up and wishing each other a happy new year he laughed. He explained that he was laughing because 2013 will be a VERY NEW YEAR for me and for the diocese. His laughter was quite appropriate because each step along this new year will be a brand new experience for me as bishop of this family that I have come to love so deeply called the Diocese of Tyler. Through the years I’ve often commented to newly weds and newly ordained priests that they have to realize how important their first year in their new vocation is. Every experience is a first time event in their new role. It dawned on me a couple of weeks after my ordination that I need to heed my own advice. The coming months will bring many new experiences for me.

One of those brand new experiences has already passed. Celebrating my first Christmas as bishop was a joyful and blessed event for me. People have commented that I seem so comfortable in my new role and I have to say that their perception is accurate. I know it is the Grace of God that allows me to enter into this new role so smoothly and I also appreciate the kindness and support of the people and so many who are assisting me directly with liturgies etc. I feel everyone “pulling for me” and that is a great comfort. I suppose it is just another manifestation of the blessing I feel in being called to be bishop of my family!!!

Speaking of family, I’ll share a picture of my niece Megan Schnurbusch. You can probably guess that she is Cinderella in this picture. You can see that she is enjoying her new role also!!!

GOD BLESS YOU AS WE ENTER INTO 2013. LET US CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

Christmas Greetings

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

A Blessed Christmas to All-

As I celebrate my first Christmas as Bishop of Tyler I wanted to greet all of you and assure you of my prayers during this holy season.

As you can imagine it is exciting to return to the Cathedral this evening for my first Midnight Mass as bishop. I have celebrated many midnight masses at the Cathedral through the years, as an assistant priest, as rector of the Cathedral, concelebrating with Bishop Corrada and now as bishop. The Cathedral is always beautiful for Christmas and I look forward to this wonderful liturgy.

Christmas is such a busy time for all of us that it is easy to forget what it is all about. I pray that where ever you are this Christmas that you take the opportunity to go to mass and celebrate the birth of Our Lord. I was always mystified as a kid by the reality that many believing Christians don’t go to church to celebrate Christmas. The liturgical basis of our worship as Catholics helps us to stay rooted in the basic events of salvation that have unfolded for us all.

I know that many of you have a tradition of inviting non-Catholics to join us for our Christmas masses especially for Midnight Mass. I encourage you to continue that tradition. There is no limit to what God can accomplish in all of our lives when we open our hearts to the truth of His saving plan. Let us pray that all Christians, Catholic or not, may grow in a deeper contemplation of the wonders God has done for us as we celebrate Christmas 2012.

Sincerely in Christ’s Name,

+ Joseph

Reflections and Calendar Update

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

This picture includes (seated on the front row, from the left) Bishop David Fellhauer, Bishop Edmond Carmody and Archbishop Michael Sheehan. All three of these men along with Bishop Herzig, Bishop Corrada and so many others have played significant roles in my formation.

It is a special blessing to me personally that Bishop Carmody, bishop emeritus of Corpus Christi has agreed to return to Tyler to serve as my Vicar General. I look forward to working with him and especially asking him to assist us in development for the future of the diocese. He and Bishop Corrada have placed the diocese on a firm foundation after Bishop Herzig began the diocese and formed the basic administrative offices. It is an exciting time to continue the work of these fine men and a special blessing that one of them will be working as my "right hand man" as the diocese continues to develop.

Many people have commented on the abundant blessings our diocese has received with the three fine men of Christ and His Church who have shepherded the diocese since it began. Herzig, Carmody and Corrada will be names that will always be remembered as a triumvirate of strength in the Catholic faith. I am humbled to realize that it is my charge to take up their yoke and continue their fine work. I know that I will rely on the prayers and support of all in the diocese and beyond.

Midnight mass for Christmas 2012 will be a very blessed celebration for me. Please know that all of you will be in my prayers in a special way at that mass. I ask that you also pray for me and the Diocese of Tyler, by the grace of God may the coming years also be blessed as we seek to live and proclaim Jesus Christ more abundantly in north east Texas.

GOD BLESS YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

MY CALENDAR

December 26- No public mass

December 27- No public mass

December 28- 8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop’s Chapel in the Chancery

December 29- 5:30 PM Mass at the Cathedral

December 30- 9:00 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

11:00 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

December 31- 6:00 PM Mass at the Cathedral

January 1, 2013- 10:00 AM at the Cathedral

January 2- No public mass

January 3- 8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop’s Chapel in the Chancery

January 4- No public mass

January 5- 5:00 PM Mass at St. Joseph’s in Marshall

January 6- 9:30 AM Mass at Holy Spirit Church in Holly Lake, Texas

January 7- 11- Bishop’s Retreat in San Antonio

January 12- 5:00 PM Confirmation Mass at St. Augustine Church, St. Augustine, Texas

January 13- 1:00 PM Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tyler

More Pictures

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

These pictures are from 10:00 Mass at the Cathedral on December 2, when I officially took possession of the Cathedral.

The other pictures are from the Gala celebration of the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital..........me getting a little exercise and learning how to do heart surgery.

A Few Pictures

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Yep that's me in the miter!!

A great partnership Bishop and Vincent Meinzer

Bishop and Archbishop Sheehan

Bishop Corrada laying on of hands

Bishop Carmody, Archbishop Sheehan

(first row)

Me with Dennis, Stephen, Barbara, Katherine and Megan Schnurbusch (my baby sister and her family)

Archbishop Sheehan and ski buddies from New Mexico, Fr. Dennis Garcia, Fr. Larry Brieto, Archbishop, Fr. Francis Malley

Me with my sister Ann and family, Julie Smith McManus, Beth Smith, Michael Smith and Macy McManus

A Tremendous Week

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 06:00:00 +0000

As I try to share a few reflections about the most awesome week in the life of this kid from Atlanta, Texas; I realize that there is no way I can capture everything. Acknowledging that my reflections will be inadequate I will go ahead and make a stab at it.

It seems especially significant that Bishop Gorman School was highlighted in the Bull (mandate) from the Holy Father Pope Benedict naming me as the 4^th Bishop of Tyler. That is one element of awesomeness that Bishop Gorman School was actually mentioned in the Bull. It reflects all the wonderful people in my school family who have been a part of this tremendous week and truly a part of my entire journey. Although St. Gregory Cathedral School was not mentioned directly I hope that those who are part of that wonderful “branch” of my family realize that they really were in the message also. St. Gregory and Bishop Gorman are sister schools and they BOTH did a tremendous job for me personally and for the diocese of adding a WHOLE LOT OF AWESOMENESS to this past week. I could go on for a very long time mentioning the behind the scenes and “in the spotlight” contributions that Bishop Gorman administration, staff, faculty and students made to the event of my ordination. I can say DITTO for all that the administration, staff, faculty and students of St. Gregory offered as well. I suppose what this expresses for me is that as children and families have been so much a part of my journey it is especially appropriate that the children and families of our schools have been right at the middle of my ordination.

I know that all of our Catholic schools contributed in beautiful ways to my ordination and in addition to Bishop Gorman and St. Gregory I want to especially thank St. Mary’s, St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s. Even though I haven’t had as much interaction with these schools they stepped up beautifully to participate, send wishes of congratulations and add materially to the celebration in wonderful ways. I look forward to embracing all of these kids into my growing family also.

I commented on a couple of the posts of a fellow blogger in regard to my election and ordination as the 4^th Bishop of Tyler and stated that his words were “over the top”. Somehow that may be a good description of the wonders that God has done among us after all. The Lord has been truly “over the top” in the grace that He has offered me. The event of my ordination was a blessing to me in a deeply personal way; the same can be said for my family and my wonderful extended family that encompasses the Cathedral and the whole diocese. It was a blessing for the visiting bishops who had nothing but praise for ALL the elements of the two days that many of them spent with us.

I wish that I could take the time to publically and personally thank each and every person involved but I know if I made the attempt I would leave some dear people off the list and I’m afraid I’d be accused of neglecting my pastoral duties. We do have some celebrations in the works to say thank you to key groups in a small way. My expressions of gratitude will forever be inadequate expressions of thanks for the wonderful people who have done so much but maybe realizing that makes it all the more important that I at least try.

I’m reading a book on spiritual leadership these days and I loved a quote from a Chinese monk from centuries before Christ that said, a true leader is one who can accomplish a great work and leave the people saying “we did this”. In reality my ordination isn’t a good example because I really had very little to do with it but I rejoice that the feeling I do get is that all of you who have worked so hard do come away from this week with exactly that feeling, “WE DID SOMETHING GREAT BY THE GRACE OF GOD”. I feel my prayers is already being answered in wondrous ways that your hard work will reap tremendous benefits now and for a long time to come.

We all love Bishop Carmody, (the 2^nd Bishop of Tyler) and he has often told us after various efforts in the diocese, “You done good”. It was such a beautiful moment when Bishop Corrada greeted us as his fellow East Texans, the response of the congregation symbolized the significance of his warm statement for all of us. It seems to be most fitting that I close and thank you in true East Texas style. GOD BLESS YOU DIOCESAN FAMILY, YOU DONE GOOD!!!!!!

Calendar Revisions and Update

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

REVISION

December 2, 8:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral
10:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral
1:30 PM Mass at the Cathedral

NEXT WEEK

December 3- No public Mass

December 4- 7:40 Mass at Gorman School Chapel

December 5- No public Mass

December 6- 7:40 Mass at Gorman School Chapel

December 7- 7:40 Mass at Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I thought this little guy was an appropriate image as I reflect on all I give thanks for

at this time. I can imagine that some would question what a koala has to do with

Thanksgiving Day in the USA. If you've been following my blog you probably know

that Australia has a very significant place in my story. Aussie isn’t just “the land down

under” for the Strickland kids, it is part of who we are and part of our story.

I suppose the picture of a koala serves to remind me of the wonder of God’s plan in

each of our lives. The story of how my father from Clarksville, Texas and my mother

from Sydney, Australia met during the second world war sounds a bit like a movie

script. It is a story that includes joy and triumphs as well as sadness and heartache but

isn’t that the case for all of our stories. As I give thanks for God’s blessings in my life

I am profoundly aware of all the graces and challenges that have brought me here. The

act of giving thanks is deeply embedded in what it means to be Christian and what it means

to be Catholic. As we celebrate this holiday I pray that all of us can be more aware of all

we give thanks for and I pray that our gratitude will strengthen us to face the joys and the

sorrows of tomorrow. May God bless you and all who are dear to you on this Thanksgiving Day

2012.

The kindness of Shepherds Part 2

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

As I continue to enter into this new life I am more and more aware of the joys and the pitfalls that await me. Through the years people have often told me not to change. I have to admit I probably haven't fully understood their message but I think I'm getting more and more of the idea. So many new things have entered my life and so many new influences that it is probably more important than ever that I stay grounded. It is probably easy to begin to separate myself from the people but I realize more profoundly all the time that this would be a huge mistake. My success as a shepherd will depend a lot on whether I remember that whether limos or pick up trucks, whether mansions or mobile homes, whether fine robes or running shorts, my primary work is to love and serve all of God's people however I encounter them.

It probably sounds strange to a lot of people but there is a lot of glitz associated with being a bishop and it seems that it would be very easy to get carried away with it all. The bishops that I am meeting inspire me because as I said earlier they seem very down to earth. Many of them are in major cities and play major roles not just in the Church but in their entire communities. Their experiences make the "glitz" that I have experienced seem very minor but they are very real. I suppose Timothy Cardinal Dolan the Cardinal Archbishop of New York is a prime example. He gave me a big bear hug and a slap on the back that almost knocked me down but his warmth and welcome was a great blessing. He is just returned from Rome and playing a major role at the just concluded Synod of Bishops. Here he is fresh from audiences with the Holy Father at the Vatican and he takes the time to warmly welcome me to the College of Bishops.

Cardinal Dolan and so many of the bishops remind me that we must always stay rooted in humble service to the people The Lord has called. I suppose I always turn to the children to help me stay rooted and real. It occurs to me that these men are a good reminder that Jesus Christ has said "let the children come to me". It is truly a profound message that goes much deeper than kindness to the little ones even though that is so important. Christ reminds us that we are all His children and that we need to humbly serve each other in that relationship. The children often cut through any over blown "adult" importance we may grasp to ourselves. I pray that they will always remind me that I'm a heart a kid from Atlanta,Texas who has been greatly blessed by God's kindness and grace.

The Kindness of Shepherds

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I am in Baltimore at my first Bishop's Meeting and even though I have not been ordained yet all of the bishops have been very welcoming. I wanted to share what a great experience it has been to join them as I prepare to enter into this new role. I suppose I presumed that since I have not been ordained I would more or less take a back seat at this meeting but the opposite has really been true. Kindness is the word that I have to use to describe the way I have been welcomed by each bishop that I have encountered as we have been arriving and preparing for the official opening of the meeting tomorrow.

I know that I am still in awe of this call from God and Pope Benedict XVI and I suppose that awe continues to color my experiences. I see bishops, archbishops and cardinals in the hall and all of them are so kind and seem so genuinely happy that I am joining their college. I've reflected on that word a bit these past few days. The College of Bishops is really a good way of describing this group of men who all have the same purpose of fostering and promoting the message of Jesus Christ. It is so much more than a club or organization. These men are called to be "collegial" in doing their best to share the burdens and celebrate the joys of shepherding God's people. I have felt that collegial spirit since the moment I arrived here, literally in the shuttle van from the airport to the hotel. I met one of the bishops from a diocese in the midwest and we visited a bit and compared notes on our dioceses etc. He was kind enough to invite me to dinner when I'm sure he had several other opportunities that he could have accepted. As we visited at dinner I commented how nice it is for priests and bishops to be able to meet as total strangers and have so much in common immediately. I have already been blessed to experience the goodness of these men with whom I will be working for the rest of my life.

It is also good to see that these bishops with all their responsibilities and important positions are ultimately just men. They have all the human issues that any other group of men from their late forties to their late seventies would have but it is truly inspiring to see their goodness and dignity. Too often even in Catholic circles bishops are seen as distant authorities and maybe occasionally that perception is accurate but I have to say that does not describe my experience of them at all. I have to believe that the "grace of office" truly does bring out the best in these men. I hope you will pray with me that this grace will strengthen and bless me as well.

Let us pray for the Church and for these men who are called to be apostles today. May The Lord guide us in His Ways and strengthen us in His Spirit.

Official Portrait

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Another piece of the puzzle..........

Official Portrait

I especially like this picture because Our Lord in the image of the Sacred Heart is watching over me. Please pray that I will always be strengthened by the special grace that Our Savior's Sacred Heart offers the world. It is also a great blessing that I stand at the altar in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the same altar where I celebrated mass as a newly ordained priest assigned to the parish of the Immaculate Conception and where I have celebrated countless masses since.

A Quote

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I liked this quote from Matthew Warner's Blog.

"Elections are not the leading edge of change. Elections are the lagging indicators of what's already changed"

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-warner/heres-the-lesson-from-the-election-folks#ixzz2BZyDcFCo

I believe there is a lot of truth in that statement. It is not good news but it is important that as people of faith we recognize that it describes the realities we face. Let us be strong in the Lord in professing and living our faith more fully each day so that the lost may be found and so that we may continue to seek the narrow path.

Bishop Elect's Calendar

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Calendar November 16 to December 2

********November 9- 16 Meeting out of town

November 16- 9:00 AM Mass at St. Patrick's School in Lufkin

November 17- No Public Mass

November 18- Out of town

November 19- No public Mass

November 20- 8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 21- 8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 22- 9:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral

November 23- No public Mass

November 24- No public Mass

November 25- 10:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral with Bishop Corrada
                         12:00 PM Mass at the Cathedral as Celebrant

November 26- No public Mass

November 27- 7:40 Mass in Gorman School Chapel

November 28- 2:00 PM Ordination Mass at Caldwell Auditiorium
                         (Televised live on cable and EWTN)

November 29- 8:15 St. Gregory Cathedral School Mass at Cathedral
                         9:45 Bishop Gorman School Mass

November 30- 7:40 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

December 1- 10:00 AM Altar Server's Mass at Cathedral

December 2-
                       10:00 AM Mass at Cathedral
                       12:00 PM Mass at Cathedral

Coat of Arms

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:00:00 +0000

This is the Coat of Arms that has been produced as part of my ordination to the episcopacy. One of the first things that Cardinal DiNardo said when we talked on September 14, just after I had received the call from the Nuncio was "start working on your Coat of Arms". I can see why he said that because it is quite a process and I'm afraid several people were in danger of getting ulcers as they kept asking, "is it here yet"!!!!!!

A funny point in that story is that I emailed the priest who was working on the design and as it turned out he was in New Jersey and caught up in the disaster of Hurricane Sandy. He apologized for being delayed but explained that he had no power after the storm, then I APOLOGIZED and felt like a bum after finding out he was dealing with much bigger problems than my Coat of Arms!

I will add the official description in a later post but the basic imagery in the Coat of Arms includes the following elements. The left side is the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Tyler. The right side includes my personal images, at the top are the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart, the shell represents the Strickland family crest and is also in Pope Benedict XVI's Coat of Arms. The wavy line is taken from the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Dallas where I studied and was ordained to the priesthood. The cross of stars represents the Southern Cross which is visible in Australia and is part of the Australian flag.

All is coming together well for my Ordination. I suppose one of the greatest challenges is the limited seating in Caldwell Auditiorium but our "team" is doing a great job of seeing to it that all of the diocese is at least represented.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. Please don't stop!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflections

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I wanted to share a few reflections as I continue my journey to the episcopacy. Even as I begin I realize that it is more accurate to speak of our journey to the episcopacy. Don’t worry I’m not adopting the “papal we” as the Holy Father at times speaks of himself in the plural. My point is that it really is the journey of a community to my ordination on November 28, at Caldwell Auditorium in Tyler at 2:00 PM. I keep repeating the details of the date, time and place so that no one makes the effort to drive in and they’ve been given the wrong time!!!!!!

It is our journey because the events that are unfolding are truly remarkable for the Catholic Church of East Texas. I have often tried to express the feeling that comes over me but I never seem to be satisfied that I have conveyed the message very well. I laughed with my sisters this past week as we celebrated my birthday because I often referred to this “feeling” in my conversation with them. I suppose one way of saying it is that the goodness and support of so many constantly reminds me that it truly is not so much about me as it is about the power of the Grace of God. I feel like part of a vast crowd looking on to see the wonders that God creates in our lives.

Those wonders presently are taking concrete form in a virtual of army of people working to make sure all the details of the Solemn Vespers and Ordination Mass are arranged perfectly. I am humbled by this loving service of so many. I know it springs from their commitment to faith and I also know that there is a genuine excitement because this army is made up of people who “know the guy” being ordained. I can say from my perspective that I share the excitement because these same people have been part of my family of faith for many many years. It calls to mind the words of Our Lord, “I know mine and mine know me”, it is a powerful blessing to really know the flock that I am being ordained to serve.

As I continue to prepare I am aware that the Lord has truly been molding me for quite some time. I am humbled to realize that I have been blessed with opportunities that many bishops elect have not experienced. I have celebrated enough Confirmations that I already have a way of celebrating that I am comfortable with but of course I realize some adjustments will have to be made as I begin to celebrate them as a bishop rather than a delegate of the bishop.

One of the more profound experiences for me was the recent dedication of the newly remodeled church of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha in Buffalo, Texas. By special delegation Bishop Corrada allowed me to preside over this dedication because he was not able to return to the diocese on that date. Normally the dedication of a church is reserved to a bishop but Bishop Corrada saw fit to delegate me as bishop elect. The moment of the liturgy that I found to be profoundly moving was the anointing of the altar. I had watched Bishop Corrada and other bishops celebrate this moment in the rite and it was always a very blessed ritual. I have to say that it was extremely moving to be the minister actually conducting this anointing. I was profoundly aware of the beauty of the Eucharistic altar as an image of Christ Himself and I very much felt his presence as I spread the sacred chrism across the top of the altar. I often speak of being humbled by various aspects of this journey but I must say that these words are not adequate for how it felt to anoint this altar as an image of Christ Himself.

All of this reminds me that saying to people “please pray for me” is not merely a way of responding to their kind greetings and congratulations. Indeed “please pray for me” should resonate through my ministry as bishop and profoundly remind me of my great responsibility to always follow with “as I pray for you”. Only in prayer can we begin to fathom even the tiniest elements of the wonder of Jesus Christ in His Church.

Calendar Update

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I thought it would be helpful to update my calendar. The items posted earlier have not changed.

October 29- No public mass scheduled

October 30- 7:40 Mass in Gorman School Chapel

October 31- 8:00 AM Mass in Bishop's Chapel at Chancery

10:00 AM Mass at Christ the King Church in Kilgore

Nov 1- No public mass scheduled

Nov 2- 7:40 AM Mass in Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

November 3 to November 9

November 3- No public mass scheduled

November 4- 9:00 AM Mass at St. Charles in Frankston
                       4:00 PM Candle Light Ceremony for Alzheimers
                       5:00 PM Prayer Vigil on the Square in Tyler
                       6:00 PM Mass at the Cathedral

November 5- 8:30 AM Mass at St. Joseph's School in Marshall

November 6- 7:40 AM Mass in Gorman School Chapel

November 7- 8:00 AM Mass in Bishop's Chapel in Chancery

November 8- 7:00 PM Memorial Mass for Knights of Columbus

November 9- 7:40 AM Mass in Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul

November 9- 16 Meeting out of town

Images

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Our Catholic faith is rich with images and as I take on this new role of shepherding the Diocese of Tyler I am aware that many new images are entering my day to day vocabulary.

The images of the zucchetto and pectoral cross depicted in the attached photograph are only a few of the “new things” that I will have to get used to. As I’ve mentioned to friends and family I have tended to travel pretty lite. I’ve never worn hats or rings but I will necessarily have to become more comfortable with both. I realize even as I share this reflection that I truly am “only just beginning” to understand the impact of the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to call me to the Episcopacy. The miter, crozier and episcopal ring that I will receive as part of the Ordination Rite bring even more beautiful imager and profound meaning that speaks to the work that I am called to take on.

As you can probably imagine it is easy to get caught up in all of these images and signs of the office of bishop but I ask you to pray with me that I may stay focused on the most important elements of what these images represent in our ancient Catholic tradition. As I look at the simple silver cross that I have been wearing since the announcement on September 29, it occurs to me that I have seen much more ornate and beautiful crosses. Many crosses are layered in gold and encrusted with precious stones. In a very real sense this ornamentation is appropriate because the cross represents the greatest treasure of human history. On the other hand it is important to remember the origin of the cross in Christian tradition. Staying focused on the reality that the cross of Jesus Christ was a rough wooden instrument of torture and death calls us back to the most powerful elements of what the cross represents.

Catholic art has had a unique role in the history of civilization as we have seen the mysteries of God and the mission of His Son woven into virtually every aspect of human life and artistic expression. This is truly quite appropriate as we listen to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that every element of our human journey is to be transformed by the truth he has lived for us all. When we see a beautiful piece of art such as a golden crucifix or a beautiful marble altar let us remember that these images are very appropriate as they depict treasures beyond price but let us afford them the greatest power by allowing them to remind us of the simple elements in the life of our Lord and Savior that they represent.

God bless you all and let us continue to pray for one another.

Two quotations

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Since we last visited the whirlwind has continued with a wonderful time of Retreat at Subiaco Benedictine Abbey in Arkansas, a trip to Chicago to order cassocks etc. and my first opportunity to preside over the Dedication of a Church this past Sunday in Buffalo, Texas. All of these events are material for lengthy reflections and hopefully I can share more of my thoughts soon.

I wanted to share these two quotations that I have encountered over the past couple of days. The first is a few lines from the remarks given by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his election as Bishop of Rome. The second is a prayer offered by Cardinal Burke who presently serves in Rome.

Please pray with me that these words of Blessed John Paul will always guide my service as Bishop.

"Perhaps in the past the tiara, that triple crown, was placed on the Pope’s head in order to signify by that symbol the Lord’s plan for his Church, namely that all the hierarchical order of Christ’s Church, all “sacred power” exercised in the Church, is nothing other than service, service with a single purpose: to ensure that the whole People of God shares in this threefold mission of Christ and always remains under the power of the Lord; a power that has its source not in the powers of this world, but instead in the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection."

As the election on November 6, draws near these words of Cardinal Burke remind us of the precious gifts we have and the values we must cling to with all our might.

AN ELECTION YEAR PRAYER FOR THE FAITHFUL

WITNESS OF CATHOLICS IN THE UNITED STATES

By His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke,

Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

O Lord Jesus Christ,

You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

In Your Church You show us the Way,

You teach us the Truth, and You give us Your Life.

Grant, we humbly beg You,

that, always and in all things, we may

be faithful to You in Your Holy Church,

and to Your Vicar on Earth, the Supreme Pontiff,

Pope Benedict XVI.

Grant also, we beg You,

that, in these times of decision,

all who profess to be Catholic

and who are entrusted with the sacred duty

to participate in public life,

may, by the strength of Your grace,

unwaveringly follow Your Way and

faithfully adhere to Your Truth,

living in You with all their mind and heart,

for Your greater glory, the salvation of souls,

and the good of our nation. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America,

Pray for us.

Saint Thomas More, Patron of Religious Freedom,

Pray for us.

Let us join in prayer for our nation and for our world.

God bless you.

Bishop Elect's Calendar October 22- November 2

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Note: As I continue to become accustomed to my new responsibilities I will publish this as my public calendar. Please assume that if a mass is posted here it will happen! I will do my best to update the calendar as needed but I apologize in advance because I know I will often not be able to respond to questions individually. It has always been a joy to gather with you in prayer at the altar of the Lord, please know that if a mass is listed here you are welcome. If you are not able to attend any of these masses let us be together in prayer as we gather at the altar of the Lord where ever we are. God bless you.

Calendar October 22 until November 2

October 22- No public mass scheduled

October 23- 7:40 AM Mass in Gorman School Chapel

October 24- 8:00 AM Mass in Bishop's Chapel at Chancery

October 25- 2:30 PM Mass at Cloistered Dominican Monastery in Lufkin

October 26- No public mass scheduled

October 27- 5:00 PM Mass at St. Mary Magdalene in Flint

October 28- 8:00 AM Mass in Chapel of Trinity Mother Frances Hospital
11:00 AM Confirmation Mass at St. Jude's Church in Henderson

October 29- No public mass scheduled

October 30- 7:40 Mass in Gorman School Chapel

October 31- 8:00 AM Mass in Bishop's Chapel at Chancery
10:00 AM Mass at Christ the King Church in Kilgore

Nov 1- No public mass scheduled

Nov 2- 7:40 AM Mass in Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

Mea Culpa

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I've often said that I am a firm believer in the premise that priests should always be willing to say "I'm sorry". I'm sure there are more significant infractions that I have failed to acknowledge but a dear friend alerted me to the fact that I've published some grammatical errors on this blog. I won't promise that because I've been alerted I won't on occasion fall back into the abyss!!! But I will promise to try to be more careful and remind myself that this is not just an email I'm zipping off to a friend.

As I head into a busy weekend and then begin my retreat I wanted to share the following quote from St. Gregory of Nyssa.

"Those, then, who are in a position of authority must look after their brothers as conscientious teachers look after the young children who have been handed over to them by their parents. If both disciples and masters have this loving relationship, then subjects will be happy to obey whatever is commanded, while superiors will be delighted to lead their brothers to perfection. If you try to outdo one another in showing respect, your life on earth will be like that of the angels."

Please pray that these days of retreat might help me to live these words more deeply as I prepare for ordination to the episcopacy.

I will do my best to post again on October 22, and continue to share my journey to ordination.

Serenity

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I like this picture of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul under construction. It has a nice peaceful feel and I need to breath, smile and find the quiet moments. As you can imagine the calendar has revved up slightly in the past 10 days. I'm enjoying every moment but I have to admit they are starting to blur together.

I've managed to cover a few miles in the past few days. Masses in Grand Saline and Emory on Sunday, mass with the Daughters of Divine Hope at their Convent in Marshall on Monday and Mass this morning for Saint Mary's School at St. Mary's Parish in Longview.

Things are coming together for the Ordination on November 28. We have a major committee meeting on Friday. I have ordered a ring and pectoral cross. The design for the Coat of Arms has been sent to the artist. The crozier is being ordered and I will be fitted for vestments next week. Bishop Corrada was kind enough to fed ex a choir cassock and the other items I need for a formal portrait so that is being scheduled also.

I'm glad I already have my retreat scheduled for next week in Subiaco, Arkansas, it will be a great opportunity to get away from all of this planning and remember what it is really all about. I said at the Press Conference that my main job is to be a man of prayer. I'm beginning to see how challenging that is and how very important it is. As people continue to congratulate me I constantly say please pray for me. If you are reading this please know that is the greatest gift you can give me. PRAY PRAY PRAY and then PRAY some more!!!!!!!!!

We launch the Year of Faith as proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, October 11. Let us rejoice together in this opportunity to give thanks for the Gift of Faith and seek new ways to deepen our Faith and share it with others.

God Bless.

Calendar of the Bishop Elect October 13 - 21

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

October 11- Mass to Begin the Year of Faith
                     10:30 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

October 12- Daily Mass at Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul- 7:40AM

October 13- Confirmation at St. Joseph's in Marshall, 10:00 AM

October 14- Masses at St. Catherine's in Atlanta, Texas
                     9:00 AM English 11:30 AM Spanish

October 14- Closing Banquet of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
                     6:00 PM Tulsa, Oklahoma, Renaissance Marriott

October 15-18 Retreat in Preparation for Episcopal Ordination
                         Please Pray for the Bishop Elect

October 20-    Confirmation at St. Luke's, Wills Point, 5:00 PM

October 21- Confirmation at St. Mary's Longview, 11:30 AM
                     Confirmation at St. Peter's Mineola, 5:00 PM

A Tribute to my brother priests

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

If you read this and your not a priest please pass it on to all the priests you know. If you are a priest please receive it as a small expression of thanks for all you do and pass it on to a brother who may need a boost.

A Catholic priest is a man of God but shares all the hopes, fears, dreams, concerns and daily challenges of every other man.

He often finds himself alone but at any moment he may be called into the most significant moments of another person's life. The door bell rings, a cell phone buzzes, there's a knock on the door or the office phone clangs and in a moment he goes from alone and quiet to "ministry mode" congratulating on a new birth, consoling in the midst of crisis, accepting an invitation to dinner, offering comfort at the news of a death, trying to calm a complaining parishioner or simply accepting the latest blurb that MUST be included in the next bulletin.

He often finds himself surrounded by a crowd of people but at any moment transported to a deep and quiet place where he encounters the Lord alone. Often this occurs at mass when the words from a hymn, a glimpse of a familiar face, as favorite phrase from scripture or an oft repeated line from the ritual of the mass cause him to pause and be reminded of the deep purpose of his life.

In between these moments the priest finds himself going about the business of life with all his brothers and sisters. The myriad of normal daily life images that every man encounters from the sublime thoughts of the mysteries of God encountered on a marble altar to the realization that he really does need to see what that "check engine" light on the dashboard of his car is all about.

When priests fail those they are called to serve, when they stumble in their own sinfulness or when their patience wears thin..........remember they are just men.
Men called by the Lord to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ God's own son.

Pray for your priest as they pray for you.

Dedicated to the priests of the Diocese of Tyler

A Photo

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I have to laugh because I thought there were already more than enough photos of me especially with all the Confirmation photo ops lately...........but I have the feeling the photo ops are just getting started.

Another busy day learning how to be a bishop. I truly enjoyed the masses at Gorman and St. Gregory. I've always loved the kids and they definitely make me feel loved in return.

One cute moment to share.............I was talking to the St. Gregory students about the fuchsia zuchetto a bishop wears and explaining that Cardinals wear a red zuchetto and the Pope wears a white one. As kids often do one little guy raised his hand and said, "I don't like the cardinals", for a brief moment I was surprised but then I realized and said to him, "oh you mean the baseball team" and he noded yes.

I was relieved to clarify that little misunderstanding. I would hate to think one of our third graders had a grudge against the Pope's College!!!!

Thanks for all your great support. I'll try to keep sharing the little stories as they occur.

God Bless.

Signs of the Times

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Couldn't resist sharing this!!!

Thanks to Msgr. Xavier Pappu and the community of St. Matthew's

in Longview for their prayers and support.

That's what calendars are for................

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I'm sure you aren't surprised that there is already a change in the calendar I posted. I am blessed to be able to have mass at St. Mary's Catholic School in Longview next Tuesday, October 9, at 8:00 AM so I will not be able to have mass at the Gorman School Chapel that morning.

This picture is of the beautiful crucifix that hangs in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. I love this picture especially because it is unique. Now the backdrop of this crucifix is not the sky but the image of the Risen Christ in stained glass. The stained glass is beautiful but I'm glad we have this beautiful image of the crucifix with the sky as the backdrop also.

Speaking of school masses, I really enjoyed celebrating my first mass with the Bishop Gorman School community as bishop elect this morning at 9:45 in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul that you have read so much about. The students seemed to enjoy it also since I baptized so many of them and now I am their bishop.

Today Bishop Corrada left to return to Puerto Rico and I have to admit the reality "sunk a little deeper" that I will soon be the Ordinary and the canonical head of the Diocese of Tyler. The Church has a tradition that every bishop is canonically attached to a specific diocese. Auxiliary bishops are assigned what is called a titular see which is usually a surpressed diocese somewhere in the world. I have to say when I first learned this I was a little taken aback, what do you mean a surpressed diocese. I have come to learn that it is a beautiful example of the organic reality of the Catholic Church as she moves through history. Capital cities, governments and even nations come and go; populations centers develop and then recede and the Catholic Church is there through it all.

The United States is such a young nation compared with other nations and the history of the Church. It is hard for us to relate to some of the realities that develop through the march of history. I feel especially blessed that I have been named to a diocese that is not only very much alive but is poised for tremendous growth in the next twenty-five years. Even in this country in the north east older diocese face the grim realities of having to close and reconfigure parishes. Through it all the Church continues to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.

What a blessing to be working in a young diocese, in a young nation in the ancient Catholic Church that spans 2000 years of history. Let us pray together that we may take advantage of these exciting times and joyfully build the Kingdom of God guided by His Word, His Love and His Abundant Grace.

Calendar of Bishop Elect Joseph Strickland

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

October 3 to 12

October 3- Bishop Gorman Regional School Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul..........9:45AM

October 4- St. Gregory Cathedral School Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 8:15 AM

October 5- Daily mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul 7:40 AM

October 7- Sunday Masses in Emory and Grand Saline

October 9- Daily mass in Bishop Gorman School Chapel 7:40 AM

October 11- Mass to begin the Year of Faith at the Cathedral with priests of the diocese 10:30 AM

October 12- Daily mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul 7:40 AM

Let us continue to pray for one another

A New Dawn

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

?I know the title of this post is a little "over the top" but I guess I feel a little over the top right now. I think most of you will forgive me at least for a few more days!!! Somehow it seems completely fitting to me that this "new dawn" picture has the announcement of my call to the episcopacy with the Chapel of Saint's Peter and Paul in the background. I'm sure for a lot of us these images conjur up a lot of reflections on the wonder of God's grace in this community.

I've appreciated the on line comments and in person comments of so many of you and it seems that my idea of sharing my journey to the episcopacy is accomplishing exactly what I hoped it would. I hope that as you hear the touching or humorous stories that it will draw you closer to your deacons, priest and bishops and most importantly closer to the Lord. After all he lived his life as a simple carpenter. I like to imagine what His reaction would be. Ultimately the images and symbols of the episcopacy of His Church have a beautiful and rich history that speaks of the devotion of God's people through the ages.

Speaking of symbols of the episcopacy, Bishop Corrada has been a tremendous help in guiding me regarding the proper protocols and customs of this time between the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI has named me Bishop of Tyler and my ordination on November 28, at 2:00 PM in Caldwell Auditorium.

The miter (triangular bishop's hat) the crozier (bishop's staff) and the bishop's ring are all given to the bishop as part of the ordination liturgy. During these two months the bishop has instructed me that it is proper for me to use the pectoral cross (cross the bishop wears on a chain around his neck) and the zuchetto (the dark pink skull cap). As Bishop Corrada and I discussed the announcement last week and his introduction of me at the Cathedral liturgies at first I was just going to borrow one of his zuchettos and his pectoral cross. As it turned out I am able to use the pectoral cross that Bishop Herzig received for his ordination as our first bishop. This was a very special gift for me to be able to use his pectoral cross because I was there at his ordination and served as one of the masters of ceremonies.

Father Anthony McLaughlin was going to let me use a zuchetto that he keeps on had at the Cathedral but Bishop Corrada was kind enough to give me one so that is the zuchetto I will use during this time. I have to admit it takes a little getting used to wearing the pectoral cross and the zuchetto. As I mentioned in an earlier post I've already had one slight "wardrobe malfunction" when I had the zuchetto on at the wrong time during the mass. I guess the bright side is that most of us don't know these protocols of a bishop so maybe my mistakes won't be too noticable.

It occurs to me that a lot of my time will be taken up in the next several days with getting "things" in order. Please pray that I can stay focused on "the people" I am preparing to serve. The things can be beautiful images as long as they stay connected to the service of the People of God that they signify.

Bishop Corrada has been more than kind throughout this time. He is a very gracious man. Last night it was a joy for me to preside at the Red Mass at the Cathedral at the invitation of the bishop. After the mass last night he said, "you truly presided like a bishop" and from Bishop Corrada who is truly an expert I receive this comment as the highest of compliments.

Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. I celebrated mass this morning in the small chapel upstairs in Gorman School and I mentioned that my guardian angel had received an upgrade in responsibility. I will need him whispering the constant message of God's love and grace as all our guardian angels do as I continue this journey.

More to come....................so stay tuned.

OH SACRED HEART OF JESUS I PLACE MY TRUST IN THEE..............IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY I ASK THEE PRAY FOR ME. GOD BLESS.

A Blessed Weekend

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

September 29 and 30

Just a few thoughts about the most amazing weekend in my 53 years.

As you might guess I woke up early on Saturday morning and was already composing emails before the embargo lifted and the secret of my appointment could be shared. I'm not sure how many emails and texts I sent but as I said in the Press Conference my iphone was overheating!!! Since that 5:00 AM opening of the floodgates it has been a blur of activity.

Wisely, Jim Smith (Finance Officer of the Diocese and a Huge support to me) suggested that Bishop Corrada and I should wait in his office until people were in place in the St. Paul Conference Room. It was a great quiet before the storm for Bishop Corrada and I to discuss a few things that we hadn't had the time to talk about.

I will always remember that image of the conference room when I walked in with Bishop Corrada and saw the crowd. It will always be for me a visual image of what OVERwhelming really means. I'm so glad that we have video of the PC because it was all a blur for me. It is nice to be able to go back and realize what actually happened. The rest of that day unfolded as a wonderful gift of the goodness of the people I have served for 27 years. Some of you may have kept up with a blog that had a slight influence in my life whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com Rocco Palmo's posts there have been truly over the top but very gratefully received.

Sunday I joined Bishop Corrada for 10 and 1:30 mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. I can't describe the joy I felt in being assigned to serve this wonderful community for the 3rd time. First as a newly ordained assistant priest, second as Rector and now as the Bishop. Bishop Corrada was wonderfully gracious as he allowed me to take the principle post for distribution of communion and left the cathedra (official bishop's chair) empty as a symbol of waiting for my ordination when I will formally take it as the chair from which I will serve the 33 counties, 80,000 Catholics and over 1,000,000 souls in the Diocese of Tyler.

I'll share a funny moment before I close. As bishop elect I wear the pectoral cross and the zuchetto (the dark pink beanie) because the other symbols of the office of bishop the crozier, miter and episcopal ring are all given to the new bishop during the ordination liturgy. I've never worn hats or rings but I guess I will have to get used to both. I managed to keep the zuchetto on during the mass and as the Eucharistic prayer began I even remembered to remove it. My mistake came after communion. I was so anxious to remember to put the zuchetto back on that I put it on too early. The bishop does not put the zuchetto back on until the Blessed Sacrament has been returned to the tabernacle. Our great Master of Ceremonies, Vincent Meinzer, just looked at me and kind of waved his hand over is head.......I got the hint and blushing profusely tried to remove the zuchetto as unobtrusively as possible. Bishop Corrada was gracious enough to pretend he didn't even notice!!!!!

I have a lot more to learn than the protocol for zuchettos but hopefully I've got that little detail memorized!!!!

Stayed tuned. More to come as this amazing journey unfolds. God bless you and let us pray for one another.

It all started with a phone call

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI greets the 4th Bishop of Tyler- No I didn't just make a quick trip to Rome. This picture was taken at the ad limina visit to which I accompanied Bishop Corrada last March. Some said at the time "is this picture prophetic??" I suppose it was.

I thought it would be fun to use my blog therunningpriest.blogspot.com to let you all walk this journey with me.

On Friday, September 14, at about 9:30 am I was in my office and the phone rang. I answered as I usually tend to “Fr. Joe” and on the other end of the line a rather soft accented voice said “Is this Msgr. Joseph Strickland?” I said yes and my mind began to race! I have to admit I cannot accurately tell you what the Nuncio said next but the gist of it was that he Archbishop Vigano was calling on behalf of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to inform me that the Holy Father was asking me to be Bishop of Tyler. The Nuncio simply said “do you accept”. After a pause during which I was attempting to restart my heart, untie my tongue and unscramble my brain all at the same time I must have said something resembling “yes”!!!

I must have said yes because Archbishop Vigano then began immediately to talk about what would happen next. He said he would contact Bishop Corrada as the most recent bishop of the diocese and Cardinal Archbishop Daniel Dinardo, the Metropolitan for this part of Texas and inform them. He then said that he would like to schedule the announcement for September 29, 2012. He noted that it was a Saturday but said that should be alright and that it was the best date for the announcement in light of his schedule. My first thought was that I had a class to teach that Saturday morning and I blurted that out to the Nuncio. At that point there was simply silence so I quickly got the message and said “but I can arrange my schedule for the announcement on September 29”.

Very soon after this phone call Bishop Alvaro Corrada called to congratulate me and then also Cardinal Dinardo. Immediately they both began advising me regarding choosing a date for the ordination etc. etc. etc. Believe me there is a lot of etc. there!!!!!!!!!

I will always remember the Cardinal’s kindness in immediately beginning to give me pointers regarding what I should do next. So here I was within the space of an hour going from routine work in my office to working on a “how to be ordained a bishop” to do list.

As you can imagine one of the things that began to sink in was that I could not share this news until September 29th, two weeks to keep the biggest secret of my life. I’m a pretty quiet guy but even for me keeping this a secret for two weeks won’t be easy.

September 15

The next day I went to pick up my dear friend Archbishop Michael Sheehan at the airport in Dallas because he was scheduled to celebrate mass and speak at the Cathedral’s Roses and Rosaries event on September 16. You can imagine how my mind raced through various memories during that weekend. A bit of a disclaimer here……….if anyone happened to witness me walking down the hall or on the sidewalk and just laughing hysterically now you know I hadn’t completely lost my mind……….or maybe!!!!!!!???

September 18 & 19

It was certainly interesting to represent Bishop Corrada at the Texas Catholic Conference and meet with the bishop’s of Texas with my little secret. Of course Cardinal Dinardo knew but none of the other bishops were aware or at least they didn’t let on that they had heard my news.

I have to share a funny moment at the meeting. The lay staff and I stepped out of the room as the bishops went into executive session. As we sat in the lobby area of the hotel waiting for the bishop’s to call us back in as you can imagine some of the staff members were asking me when Tyler was going to get a bishop. I gave one of my usual vague responses and one of the ladies just looked at me and asked “Are we talking to him?” I’ve always had a tendency to turn beet red at moments like that so I may have let the cat out of the bag!!!! After I made a feeble attempt to answer the question the group was kind enough to just move on with the conversation.

September 22 and 23

This weekend I participated in the St. Gregory Fun Run and celebrated Confirmation at the Cathedral at 5:30 mass on Saturday and then again at 1:30 mass in Spanish on Sunday. I have to say that it was a great joy to know that in a week it would be announced that I would be bishop of this flock. Joy has been the pervasive emotion I have felt since that phone call on September 14, but I’m also well aware of the great responsibility to serve the people of God that I will take on.

September 24

One week and counting until the big announcement. I’ve stayed busy with the usual activities plus things like preparing a Curriculum Vitae for the Press Conference on September 29, preparing remarks that I will give at the Press Conference and writing letters of thanks to the Holy Father and Bishops that will be sent as soon as the news becomes public.

Today I participated in an event for the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County where Leeza Gibbons spoke. As you can imagine my mother who suffered with Alzheimers for ten years was very much on my mind. I know that my parents reaction to the news that I am to be the fourth bishop of Tyler would be a mixture of great joy and concern for the responsibilities the role involves. I have an idea that the reaction of my siblings will very much mirror the joy and concern my parents would have felt. In the later years before my mother became very ill with alzheimer's and my responsibilities in the diocese continued to grow, my mother often said, "I need to talk to your bishop and tell him to quit piling on". I guess I'll be the one "piling on work" for my brother priests to do now. I'll try to remember they have mom's too!!!!!!!!

I will pick up Bishop Corrada at the airport on Wednesday, September 26. As soon as the news hit that Bishop Corrada had changed his original dates for a visit the speculation began to heat up with people asking if an announcement was coming soon. I suppose my primary technique for fielding the questions has been simply to laugh a lot and say that we certainly hope it will be soon. It will be interesting to know how many people have begun to suspect my news. I have never been much of a poker player!!!!!

September 26-28

A nice interlude here with the installation of the Lamb of God window in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul (see earlier post for pictures).

I picked up the Bishop Wednesday evening and we had dinner at his home and discuss various details of the announcement and ordination. He was a big help because he has been involved in the life of bishops since his ordination as auxiliary of Washington, D.C. in 1985.

I didn’t’ get much sleep last night, just a busy mind racing with many things. I’m hoping I get a good nights sleep tonight so that I don’t look exhausted at the Press Conference.

More to come as the Journey to the Episcopacy continues.

The Third and Fourth Bishops of Tyler greet

Pope Benedict XVI

Behold the Lamb of God

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 05:00:00 +0000

The windows over the main doors of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul have been installed.

Lynchburg Stained Glass continues to do a beautiful job. They plan to

have the rest of the windows installed by December 8, 2012

The Chapel is open during daylight hours and all are invited to stop by for a look.?

Here come the Saints

Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hello again. I'm not sure how many of you are still checking the pages of The Running
Priest. I know it has been a long time between posts but things have been happening
behind the scenes.

The week of September 24, the large window over the main doors of the Chapel of Saints Peter
and Paul is set to be installed. The theme of the window is "The Supper of the Lamb"
referring to the apocalyptic image of Christ's Eucharistic sacrifice. It promises to be
truly beautiful.

The title of this post refers to the remaining windows depicting a procession of the
Saints which we hope to have installed in time for the first anniversary of the dedication of the chapel
on December 8.

As you can see things are revving up again so stay tuned!!!!!!!

Now it's Easter

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hello,

Sorry for the lack of posts but it's been a little busy since I last posted on March 11.

Speaking of busy..............the pictures say it all. Pope Benedict says hello to all the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul supporters!!!!!

Lenten Waiting

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Supper of the Lamb window over the main doors of the Chapel is in production. I'll try to update as much as possible as it develops.

We also await the announcement of our 4th bishop. This makes one both nervous and excited as we enter into these early days of our next 25 years as a diocese, a "local Church" of the universal Catholic Church. I'll try to use my blog for updates regarding developments as our new bishop begins to shepherd us.

As we pray during these Lenten days for our own renewal, for our families and for our 4th bishop let us embrace Mary's response to the angel.....FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA........thy will be done, echoed by Christ himself in the garden before his crucifixion.

This phrase echoes through the ages as THE response of the Christian disciple. Let us embrace it as we continue our Lenten journey.

God Bless.

All's Quiet

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Just thought I would post a brief message on the blog. The dedication of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul brings to a close the blog's focus on that effort. There are still some stained glass windows to be completed and installed and I will keep you up to date as they develop.

I'll probably try to share an occasional picture and post with images of the Chapel in action also.

Beyond that I'll be pondering where the Blog goes next.

Thanks for all your support.

First Christmas at the Chapel

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul celebrates the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the first time, December 25, 2011. We pray for God's special blessings for all who helped to make this beautiful Chapel a reality.

Finishing Touches

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Photos of crosses and statues installed on the exterior of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

Outdoor Crosses and Statues

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Workers are installing the Crosses and Statues for the exterior of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul.

I hope to post pictures soon.

Remember to walk these last days of Advent in prayer as the business of the season tempts us to run instead!!!!!!

Scenes from a Dedication

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Finally some photos from the dedication on December 8, 2011

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The Symbolism in the Main Altar Stained Glass

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The Meaning of the Stained Glass Window behind the Altar at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

As promised I wanted to share some of the background regarding the various symbols that you see in the stained glass depicting the risen Christ and the twelve apostles.

The Risen Christ- of course this image is self explanatory, the artistic idea was to bring together the full imagery of Christ Crucified, Christ on the Eucharistic Altar and Christ Risen and gloriously reigning

The Four Evangelical Figures- These winged figures come from the prophet Ezequiel and the Book of Revelation and have traditionally been associated with the Four Evangelists since at least the 5th century. The Man (Incarnation) represents Matthew traditionally because he begins his Gospel with the human genealogy of Christ, the Lion (Resurrection) represents Mark referring to John the Baptist the Lion in the Desert, the Ox (Passion) represents Luke and calls to mind Luke’s emphasis on the sacrifice of Christ and the Eagle (Ascension) represents John’s Gospel which sores to the heavens with its deeply theological themes.

The Chalice and Loaves of Bread- These images which hover directly over the tabernacle and altar clearly draw us to reflect on the Eucharistic Sacrifice which takes place at the altar at every mass.

The Apostles on either side of the Risen Christ- These chosen ones gather around the resurrected Lord as they gathered with Him at the Last Supper. Because the Chapel is dedicated to Peter and Paul the artists used some license in replacing the image of Judas Iscariot the betrayer with the image of Paul carrying his sword. Paul is traditionally depicted with a sword and a scroll both calling to mind the power of the Word of God.

Looking at the window from top left we begin with Bartholomew (also called Nathaniel) depicted with a knife or spear due to he manner of his death. Tradition says he was flayed alive. Next is Andrew who is represented with the X shaped cross because of the tradition that he died on a cross shaped like an X. Then we see Jude who is depicted with a flame over his head calling to mind his presence at Pentecost. Phillip is depicted holding a loaf of bread he is the apostle who answers Christ at the multiplication of the loaves. James the Younger is depicted with a saw because of the tradition that he was martyred by being thrown from the roof of the temple and his head was sawed off as an expression of hatred and persecution. Finally, at the bottom of the left window is Peter who is presented holding the keys to the kingdom which Christ gave him as the head of the Apostles.

At the top of the right hand window we have Thomas holding a spear because that is how he was martyred. He is also sometimes depicted with a carpenters square because he built the church in India. James the Elder holds a scallop shell symbolic of his great travels across the oceans of the world. Next is John who holds a cup with a serpent because tradition says someone attempted to murder him with poison in the communion cup. Simon is depicted with a fishermen’s net calling to mind the Gospel passage where he and the others are called to be fishers of men. Matthew is depicted with a money bag because he was called away from is tax collecting tables to follow Christ and then we find ourselves back with Paul and the two edged sword of the Word of God.

You may find other symbols and images used as well because there are many traditions concerning the twelve apostles. The artists chose to use the symbols describe above because they have strong roots in the history of the Church,

It is worth noting that the images refer to the ways the apostles lived the Gospel and often the way they died for the Gospel as well.

The next window to be installed in the Chapel will be over the main entry doors. It depicts the Supper of the Lamb which comes from the Apocalyptic Visions in the Book of Revelation.

The windows along the sides of the Chapel will be installed in the coming months and depict the Communion of Saints processing to the altar of the Lord through the ages.

The choir area includes windows depicting St. Cecelia and St. Gregory tradionally saints associated with music and in the side entry vestibule we will have the three Archangels, Michael. Raphael and Gabriel.

No Flash Photography at Dedication Mass

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

We are requesting that there be no flash photography at the Dedication Mass on December 8, at 7:00 PM. The professional photographer who will be taking the official pictures will be using digital eqipment and the flash interferes with the quality of these images.

Thanks for your understanding

A Few Pictures

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Live Streaming of Chapel Dedication

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0000

As you know Bishop Alvaro Corrada will be presiding over the mass of dedication for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul on December 8, at 7:00 PM. All are welcome to attend but we certainly understand that for many it will not be possible.

Thanks to generous support from members of the Cathedral community we will be able to offer the ceremony streaming live over the Internet. If you are interested you can access the live feed at www.tkgorman.net.

God bless you and we hope you can join us at least virtually.

Drawing Near

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

December 8, is just around the corner. If you've ever moved into a new home and decided to have a house warming party on move in day then you have some idea of how we feel.

Lots of details still to be addressed but things are moving along well. It is exciting to see it all coming together.

Just a note for any who are planning to attend the dedication liturgy which is set to begin at 7:00 pm on December 8. The flow of the liturgy has everyone gathered outside the front doors as Bishop Corrada formally accepts the building from the architect and builders, then we all enter together and begin the liturgy during which the building becomes a sacred space consecrated for Divine Worship.

The main thing to note is that we will all be outside so "getting a good seat ahead of time" will not really be a practical option. We will certainly accommodate everyone who has difficulty walking or standing for an extended time as best we can. We just wouldn't want people to come two hours early thinking they could "get a good seat" that way.

Please don't let the above discourage you from coming. All are welcome and we want as many as possible to join in this beautiful historic moment for the Catholic community of Tyler. You won't regret being a part of the congregation to witness the "baptism" of this beautiful building as she becomes a House of God consecrated for His Worship and dedicated to His glory.

AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM

Days Away

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

December 8, drawing near.

If you've ever moved into a new house and planned housewarming

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

I can imagine that you are laughing because it had been so long between posts and now I'm posting more than once a day!! I suppose it simply is an illustration of the rapid pace of the final elements of the Chapel coming together as we approach December 8.

I invite you to visit the YouTube video of the original DVD we used to launch the campaign for the Chapel back in 2007.

The link is...............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCHHKcUuXYk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul- the first Stained Glass Window t

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The first stained glass window is complete. Lynchburg Stained Glass did a wonderful job.

Next week the Baptismal Font is to be installed and the week after the statues and crosses for the exterior and interior of the Chapel.

It is all coming together thanks to wonderful donors and the support of so many in our community.

Today, November 18, is a special day for the Chapel because it is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. The feast reminds us that places and things become sacred in our Catholic tradition because they are associated with gifts of God's grace and growth in faith. The numerous holy sites in Rome have inspired the faithful from the earliest days of the Church. Thanks to the generosity and hard work of so many the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul has already been a "holy site" right here in Tyler. We look forward to the Chapel being a place of prayer and pilgrimage for many years to come.

Relics for the Altar

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

These relics will be sealed in the altar at Saints Peter and Paul as the altar is consecrated at the Liturgy on December 8. Since the earliest days of the Church the Liturgy of the Eucharist (the Mass) was celebrated in the presence of the remains of faithful disciples. Because of the persecutions in the early Church many of these "faithful disciples" were martyrs. We are blessed to continue the tradition as the altar of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul is consecrated with the special gift of relics for three who were martyred, Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Maria Goretti.

Relic of Maria Goretti

Relic of Saints Peter and Paul

Relic of Saint John Newman

Relic of Saint Pius X, Pope

Relic of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Watch for future posts sharing something of the lives of these Saints.

Habemus Stained Glass

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Sorry for the slow posting. Although we haven't seen a lot of visible changes lately there has been a lot happening behind the scenes. These pictures of the Main Altar Stained Glass demonstrate just how busy our artisans have been. Enjoy and we look forward to seeing you on December 8, at 7:00 PM.

Relics and Art

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Apologies for the slow posting. Things are really starting to develop to finalize the Chapel for the Mass of Dedication on December 8, at 7 PM.

Photos include the main altar stained glass being installed and the relics that will be placed in the altar at the Dedication.

We have relics for Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Maria Goretti, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint John Newman and Pope Saint Pius X. These relics are a beautiful echo of the Procession of the Saints which will be depicted in the stained glass windows. We have documentation of the authenticity of these relics which will be displayed in the Priest's Sacristy at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul.

Chapel at Night and Crucifix

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

A local photographer has fallen in love with the Chapel and took these beautiful pictures of the Chapel at night and the newly installed crucifix over the altar.

Bishop Corrada has chosen December 8, at 7:00 PM for the Chapel Dedication Mass.

All are welcome but I have a feeling the Chapel will definitely not be big enough for her first mass!!!!!!! It will be a beautiful celebration of the marvels God's Grace and your generosity has accomplished so come if you can and be part of the crowd!!!!!!!!!

Then and Now

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Was looking through the pictures of the Chapel's progress on my Blog and noticed that the one of the dirt work was taken on September 11, 2010. We've come a long way in a year.

We hope to set a dedication date soon and we will get the word out ASAP after a firm date is chosen.

Progress is Showing

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Pews and ambo under construction

Altar to the left and Crucifix below

Another view of Altar and Ambo

As you can see the Chapel is coming together pews, altar, ambo and crucifix are being installed. We hope to set a Dedication Mass soon. Thanks for all your support.

Progress

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0000

The Chapel is coming together. As you can see from these pictures the pews are going in, the Crucifix over the altar is hung, altar and ambo are being installed. We hope to set the Dedication Date soon.

Getting Closer

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 05:00:00 +0000

These pictures don't show it too well but lots of progress continues on the interior of the Chapel.

I've also included the artists rendering of the stained glass of the Risen Christ and the 12 apostles over the main altar. The picture doesn't do it justice but hopefully gives you some idea. I'm finding that the stained glass is one of the most challenging elements of the Chapel because it is expensive and such an intricate process but thanks to lots of help we are making good progress.

I thought you would be interested in the following list of items still pending.

1. Exterior Crosses on both ends of the Chapel and exterior statues of Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Sacred Heart.

2. Exterior brick screens around a/c units and landscaping

3. Interior statue of Peter and Paul and of the Virgin Mary.

4. Altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle throne.

5. Bronze Crucifix suspended over main altar.

6. Pews and chairs

7. Presider and Deacon chairs and altar servers stools.

8. Stained Glass in the main sanctuary area.

I'll do my best to post pictures of these items as they are installed. Thanks be to God the Chapel is really developing beautifully and all of the elements are fitting together nicely.

Exciting

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Various interior views. Just a note to all who donated stained glass..........it is quite a process but we are moving forward. We are hoping to have the main altar window completed for the Dedication of the Chapel but a lot has to happen before that. Our approach is to address the main altar window first and then those in the main sanctuary and over the main entrance doors. Beautiful drawings are under development and with the help of a host of your fellow parishioners we are making good progress. As you can imagine it is an extremely complex process but as a lover of stained glass I am very pleased with all that is developing and I believe all of you will be as well. I look forward to the day (soon I hope) when I can post some of the designs for the windows. They are stunning.

The pictures are of various interior elements of the Chapel. Lots still to do but it is moving along nicely.

To the left a view of one of the sacristies.

To the left a view of the main sanctuary.....you can see a Statue nitch in the center of the photo

To the left a view of one set of main entrance interior doors

To the left a view of one of the Reconciliation Rooms

To the left another view of main sanctuary, left of altar as congregation faces it

To the left a view of the main entrance as seen from the main altar

Close up of a statue nitch.

We have statues ordered to fill these nitches and the exterior statue nitches. They are due to arrive around mid-August.

The transfer of Bishop Corrada took us all by surprise but just to reassure you the Chapel will move forward as scheduled. Bishop Corrada is our Administrator until he takes canonical possession of his new diocese in Puerto Rico on September 12. At that time an Administrator will be chosen to lead the diocese as we await the naming of our 4th bishop. The Administrator will assist us in determing plans for the Dedication of the Chapel.

Let us continue our prayers for the construction of this beautiful worship space and let us pray in a special way for Bishop Corrada and for the man that Pope Benedict will name as the 4th Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler. We won't know who he is for several months but he needs our prayers even now.

More pictures

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:00:00 +0000

We continue to make great progress with the Chapel. I know that it is hard to tell from the pictures because the basic structure has been in place for quite a while. It was easier to see the progress when we were looking at walls going up and huge beams being put in place.

It reminds me of our spiritual journey. At least in my experience most of the time we progress spiritually in ways that aren't so obvious and easy to see but as we continue on the path of Christ we do continue to make progress growing in wisdom, age and grace (for sure the age part!!!!!)

God bless and try to stay cool.

Photo Update........Finally

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Views to the left and below are looking toward the choir area to the right of the main altar.......from congregations point of view

View of the large window over the main altar area. This is being developed as an image of the Risen Christ with the four evangelists in the bottom portion of the window. The twelve apostles will be in the two windows at either side of the large altar window.

A view of the window over the main doors and a view of the skylight which is in the narthex (vestibule)

The North Facade of the Chapel facing Loop 323

Front Entrance Facade of the Chapel facing South toward the Gorman School campus

Another angle on the North Facade looking at the Chapel coming from Copeland to Paluxy on Loop 323

The story continues

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Thought I would share a couple of interior shots of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul.

Running Back

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Apologies for the length of time between posts. I had the "rough duty" of a trip to Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary as a Lenten pilgrimage and just returned on April 1. The picture is of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. Europe is full of the beautiful churches and I couldn't help think of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. Our Chapel could fit inside some of these grand Cathedrals and Basilicas of Europe but regardless of its size I pray that it will be a place of prayer and worship that is significant in the lives of the people of Tyler as the basilicas have been significant in the lives of the people in Europe. It was a wonderful trip that covered the spectrum from glorious Cathedrals, the beauties of the country side and the memory of the Nazi concentration camps. I prayed for all of the diocese and all who have requested special prayers as we traveled. As you can imagine that is quite a long list but it was a blessing to be able to pray for all of you at the font where John Paul II was baptized, at the cell where St. Maximillian Kolbe was imprisoned before he was martyred, at the Shine of Saint Faustina and at some many other holy sites. The Chapel is going well. Lots of details to work on simultaneously but when I get overwhelmed I think of what it must have been like to build the Cathedrals of Europe in the Middle Ages............no Email or cell phones for sure!!!!!!!!! I didn't manage to run in Europe but we of course did a lot of walking and I did take the chance to exercise in the fitness rooms of a couple of the hotels..........have to work off all that Polish and Austrian food!!!! Since I've been back I've gotten some good runs in as I prepare for the 25th St. Gregory fun run. I was there for the first Fun Run in 1986 and although I've missed a few I've been there for most of them. I'll try to keep you "posted" more frequently as the Spring continues into summer.

Springing Forward

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

These Apostolic Patrons are watching over us as we continue to build a Chapel dedicated to their wholehearted discipleship in Jesus Christ.

As we move into the Lenten Season let us pray that our faith can gain strength as theirs did. It seems that Peter and Paul are especially good Lenten patrons because they both stumbled along the way but relying on the Lord's mercy they were able to get up and continue the journey and grow in faithfulness along the way.

If Peter had despaired after his threefold denial rather than being the Prince of the Apostles and the first Pope he could have been known through the ages as "The One who Denied Christ".

If Paul had failed to continue to seek the truth of His Lord he could have been forever remembered as "The Great Persecutor of Christ".

Instead both of them became great witnesses, Great Apostles and they continue to inspire us today.

Coming Together

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

A little harder to see on this cloudy day but the Chapel does continue to come together. I've had information from the firm that is designing the altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle throne. I just spoke to one of the companies making a proposal for the stained glass. We've heard from the pew company that we've chosen based in North Dakota. Lots of moving parts but things are progressing well.

The time seems to slip through my fingers. I went to New Mexico for a couple of days of skiing and managed not to break anything. I also managed to come home with a bug that layed me low for a couple of days...........pretty powerful virus I suppose. I didn't feel like doing much of anything for a couple of days there. I'm better now but still feeling the after effects. A friend told me the doctor told them that the cough would last for a month............sounds fun.

Today is the Feast of the Martyr Polycarp. I had mass with the Gorman students this morning and I told them I bet no one has a friend or family member named Polycarp...............sounds like something industrial to me!!!!

Polycarp was martyred sometime in the 2nd Century of the Church. I encouraged the kids to respect the name of Jesus Christ because there is Power in His Name and martyrs like Polycarp were willing to die rather than to deny the name of Jesus. I urged them to be very careful not to use the name of Jesus as a meer exclamation or even worse to use the name of Our Lord in any blasphemous way at all. Sadly they hear examples of the misuse of the Lord's name on a daily basis but hopefully we can all remember to be extra cautious about the sacred name of the Son of God.

Let us pray that the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul will be one more place where the name of the Lord is held Sacred and proclaimed as our Savior. May it be a "Light on the Loop" reminding all who pass by to keep Holy the Name of the Lord.

Pictures Continue to tell the story

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

As you can see the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul continues to take shape. The beautiful blue sky in these pictures is a wonderful backdrop for the pictures. I'm sure the workers are glad to see it and be able to work in some warmer temperatures. The forecasters tell us that tomorrow February 9, we are likely to get more snow and have the temperatures drop into the teens again.

If you look closely at the picture below you can see the roofline taking shape over what will be the choir area to the congregations right of the main altar. We are hoping for bids from various stained glass companies in mid-February. There is still a lot to develop regarding the stained glass but we are making progress.

We are also hoping to receive plans for the altar, ambo, baptismal font and tabernacle throne in the next few days. I'll do my best to keep you posted.

A Photo Update

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Taking Shape

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

This silhouette of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul show that it is really taking shape. It is exciting to see the architectural notes that call to mind the Cathedral while at the same time highlighting the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul as a new Catholic sanctuary for the city of Tyler.

In the Catholic liturgical calendar today we celebrate two very early bishops who were mentioned in the bible, Timothy and Titus. The epistles of Paul advising them on their work in the early Church are often called the pastoral epistles because of the pastoral advice and guidance they offer to these two early leaders and ultimatlely to all disciples of Jesus Christ.

I find it to be especially inspiring to witness the construction of this Chapel dedicated to the two great apostles Peter and Paul on this day that the universal Church celebrates two leaders of the next generation of Christians, Timothy and Titus. It is a reminder that the mission they shared continues for all of us. Like Peter and Paul, Timothy and Titus and Lois and Eunice mentioned in Paul's letters as part of Timothy's family, we continue to be called to the same work........proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Hopefully Timothy and Titus will inspire all of us to serve the Lord with Joy and proclaim His wonderful message. I have to laugh a bit as I'm reminded of Paul's famous words about "running the race". This blog started as a page about running but with the excitement of the Chapel I've allowed it to be "hijacked" a bit. I think that is ultimately a good thing because the most important "race" we run is the spiritual journey that our Lord calls us to share.

Let us pray that the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul will be a place that inspires many to a deeper faith in Jesus Christ and a fuller life in our Catholic Church.

A Chapel Rises

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul continues to make good progress. I felt for the workers on the cold days last week still working away, putting decking on the roof and laying brick. I was cold as I served as Crossing Guard on the Gorman campus for only a few minutes..........I know the workers were cold way up in the rafters!!!!

I confess I didn't get in any runs during the coldest days but I did keep up with my indoor workouts. I have a stair stepper that I use for days when I can't run and it gives you a pretty good workout.

I need to get a "set of runs" on the calendar!!

Saint Andre Bessette

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Today, January 6, we celebrate the feast of Saint Andre Bessette. This date has been designated for "Brother Andre" for several years but this year 2011 is the first time we celebrate his feast with Brother Andre having been canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, of 2010.

Saint Andre is a beautiful example for all of us and especially for young students. As a religious brother his work for many years at a school in Canada was as doorkeeper. The world would see this is a rather lowly calling and would dismiss this type of position as insignificant. Because of his great faith and love Brother Andre transformed this work that the world would so easily dismiss into the mission of a Saint. He had a tremendous impact on all who entered through the doors of his school because he showed the kindness and care that the Lord calls us to show all of his children as we encounter them on any given day.

As you can see the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul is continuing to progress. I hope that Saint Andre can be a kind of unofficial patron for the Chapel, reminding all who enter there that the greatest power in the world is that of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us heed the call and following Saint Andre Bessette's lead "Open wide the doors to Christ".

New Year and the Building Goes On

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The wooden support beams for the Chapel roof were installed on January 3, and as you can see the building is making a lot of progress.

Continuing to Build

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

The construction of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul continues as you can see. Brick is going on and soon the wooden trusses will be installed. It will be exciting to see the Chapel continue to develop in 2011. The contract indicates a completion date of sometime in September. Let us continue to pray in thanksgiving for the generous donors who have made this possible and to pray for the safety of all the workers involved. I'm reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and it reminds me that all the workers who are involved in constructing the Chapel have their own stories of joys and struggles. Let us pray for them as they serve our community in such an important way. The skills they use are God Given and we pray that they are a blessing for the individual workers and for the community they serve.

A Blessed Christmas to All

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Apologies for slow posting lately but I did want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. I'll try to get some more Chapel Progress pictures posted and reflect with you a bit regarding the exciting events of 2010 as we approach the beginning of 2011.

God Bless you in the Love of His Child.

The Great Inspector

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

You saw the earlier post with Chapel Inspectors but now you have the chance to see the Grand Inspector!!!!! Believe me she put the architect, designer and contractor through their paces making sure the Chapel would be kid friendly and solidly built. She wanted to make sure that when she's all grown up and running things the Chapel will still be in great shape and very low maintenance. You could hear the crew saying repeatedly................Yes ma'am, Yes madame inspector!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job Ms. Sattler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapel Inspection

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Some of the Chapel Committee took a tour of the progress on the Chapel on December 2 and then had a meeting with our Liturgical Designer to discuss preparations for the stained glass windows. I think the Chapel Committee members would join me in saying that we have learned a lot in this process from pews to stained glass. These Advent days remind us to be especially grateful for the wonderfully generous gifts from so many individuals and families that have made the construction of this Chapel possible.

I often get the question from Catholics and non-catholics.........Why are you calling it a Chapel........it seems to big to be a Chapel. It is large and I suppose that was the overwhelming impression of the Chapel Committee members as we looked around. We have all seen much larger churches but the Chapel has a feeling of ample space and presence that I hope will contribute greatly to the worship that takes place there. This is all possible because of the loving sacrificial donations of so many.

Let us continue to pray together during these Advent days.......in thanksgiving for the greatest gift of all.......God's own Son and in prayer that we might live in His light always.

Today, December 3, we celebrate St. Francis Xavier a missionary of the 16th century who is described as "the greatest missionary since the Apostles". Let us pray that St. Francis Xavier may inspire all of us to "go out to all the world and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I have had some great runs lately........the weather in East Texas has been its usual "changeable" but today is beautiful and sunny with a temp of about 70 degrees.......I hope to get in a good run at lunchtime. If you haven't gotten any exercise during these busy Advent days.......why not get out there and join me. A nice brisk wall or even just a leisurely stroll will do you good!!!!!!

Chapel Photo Album

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:00:00 +0000

These photos show the Chapel main entry, a view from the altar to the main entry and a view of the Day Chapel.

Building a Sign of Faith

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 06:00:00 +0000

As you can see the Chapel continues to take shape. It is interesting to see it from different angles around the area. I realized yesterday that I can look out the back window of my house and see the Chapel rising on the campus.

Yesterday, November 9, we celebrated the anniversary of the dedication of St. John Lateran. This beautiful basilica in Rome is not as well known as St. Peter's but it is actually the Pope's cathedral. As Bishop of Rome the Pope has a cathedra church or cathedral like all other bishops. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Rome you certainly want to see St. John Lateran. There has been a Catholic church on that site since the 4th century. The present structure was built in the 17th century.

I can imagine that many non-catholics and even many Catholics would wonder a bit why the Church would have a day on the calendar to celebrate a building. I suppose there are many answers to that question. Of course part of the answer is that St. John Lateran (the Pope's Cathedral) is the mother Church of all Churches in the world. As we build the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul which is part of our local Cathedral parish for the Diocese of Tyler, I find it inspiring that this new Church especially through its connection to the Cathedral is truly connected to all the other Catholic communities around the world in all the different languages and cultures.

I suppose the reason for celebrating a building that I find most compelling is that it is part of the sacramental character of our Catholic faith. Christ has given us the sacraments as sensory tangible manifestations of His Grace and Life. Certainly a building is not a sacrament but it is a sacramental. Very often sacramentals are small images etc. that help enhance our experience of the seven sacraments where Christ is truly acting and especially in the Eucharist is truly present. I guess I don't often think of a building as a sacramental but I believe it fits the definition especially in the case of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. It is a reminder of the faith and goodness of so many faithful people who have lived Christ in this community and so many who are still living that journey in their Catholic faith. Let us all say a little prayer as we pass this new Church literally rising on the Loop in Tyler. Let us pray that it truly will be a place where God's people grow in faith for years to come.

Guess I got a little carried away!!! By the way I am still running. Beautiful weather here lately. I hope to get in a nice run after a meeting I have in a few minutes.

God bless you today and always.

Reaching Higher

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The Chapel is definitely reaching higher now. I thought you would enjoy these pictures as some of the steel goes up. Exciting stuff.

Also today I was contacted by a generous donor who wants to donate a beautiful crucifix for the main altar. I had the chance to go by and see the crucifix where it is stored. It is a gorgeous bronze, the classic Christ figure is life size or a bit larger on an 8 foot cross. Beautiful piece that I believe will be perfect over the main altar. A special prayer of thanks for this wonderfully generous donor.

The walls are going up

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The Chapel continues to make progress. Letus pray as these walls rise that this place will truly be holy ground and a place to worship God for generations to come.

Had a good run at the noon hour today. Pretty warm for last days of October but I heard a report recently that it is supposed to be a warmer than usual winter in these parts. Pretty great running weather over all.

I've heard and read a number of comments lately regarding how bad off our nation and our world is. We certainly have to acknowledge that there is much evil in the world, there are dire problems and many ignore faith. We all have the obligation to continue to grow and learn. As disciples life should always be a journey seeking a closer relationship with Our Lord.

We do have to acknowledge all that is wrong with our world but we also have to be aware of the abundant goodness that God always makes available to us. If we study history virtually every generation has its serious problems and seemingly insurmountable difficulties. The Saints are people who proclaimed and gave their lives for the values that the Church still teaches, rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God's Divine Son.

I suppose I would summarize by saying that we are ALWAYS obligated to seek and live the truth. The beauty of our Catholic faith guided by the Holy Spirit is that day in and day out the Church has proclaimed the truth through the ages. Often the world rejects that truth but as a loving mother the Church continues to proclaim the truth with great strength. Let us listen and learn.

On the Move

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

I think this picture says it all........the Chapel is well on its way. Have a great day.

Three Thousand Words

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

I guess if a picture is worth a thousand words then............

We should see some steel soon..........talk about getting verticle.

Living Stones

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

As I mentioned in the earlier post, we placed "Living Stones" in the foundation of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. I thought you would enjoy this picture of them in place before they are incased in concrete!!! Great to know that we will literally be founded on the thoughts and prayers of so many who helped to make this Chapel happen. A special thank you to all who were a part of the "Living Stones" from all who signed one to those who helped gather them and those who helped get them in place "just in time"!!!!!

Pouring the slab

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

It may not be easy to see but there are a lot of workers in this picture smoothing the just poured concrete for the foundation of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul.

Due to the efforts of many "living stones" were placed in the slab at the main entrance to the Chapel. These were stones that parishioners signed and put their favorite bible verse on or wrote a little prayer. These stones were part of the original efforts to build the Chapel and have been added to as we've progressed to this point. I find it inspiring that these "living stones" pave the way for all who will enter the Chapel in the years to come to worship God and to grow in faith. They serve as a reminder that we are all connected in the communion of saints and faithful that is the Church. We "pave the way" for each other as we all journey to fulfill God's will for us.

I had a good run this morning with a running buddy that I've managed to reconnect with recently. He and I found some new trails and had a little adventure "blazing our way" through uncharted territory. Nothing too exotic..........just some good ole East Texas woods. We laughed because we both thought that before we know it they'll build another housing development where we ran today!!!!!

These fall days are really beautiful. They make it easy to get out and exercise........see you out there!!!!!

A view from the altar

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

It is probably difficult to tell the difference between this picture and the last one posted but this one is the view from the altar area of the new Chapel. I stood on the slab that has been poured for the elevated area of the altar and took the picture. It was about 4 in the afternoon and I could imagine the sun streaming in from the west which will be the left side of the Chapel if you are seated in the pews.

Today is 10/10/10........we'll all have to stop and say a prayer for our nation, our families and our world at 10:10 PM on 10/10/10.

I've always been intrigued by those day and date alignments. The first on I remember was 7/7/77 the summer after I graduated from high school. I remember remarking to my mother wondering what the future would hold from that day forward. Little did we know that my brother would die before that month was out. That tragedy in my family in so many ways laid the groundwork for my entering the seminary that August. I remember people telling me that dealing with a loss like that at 18 really made me grow up fast and I have been amazed by the ways God has used that experience to make me a better priest.

We can't know what the days beyond 10/10/10 will hold. I'm sure they will hold tragedies and triumphs as always but most importantly let us remember........whatever the future holds.........God holds us in the palm of His hand.

Beautiful Days and Moving Forward

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

These beautiful October days are perfect for a run, a walk or any other outdoor activity that you enjoy. Get out there and celebrate the beauty.........you'll create memories that will help you deal with 100+ temperatures next summer!!!!

The picture doesn't show a lot of progress but there is great progress on the foundation etc. of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. A thank you to all the workers who are part of building this beautiful place to worship God. Many of those working on this building will probably never enter it to pray or attend a mass but I pray that they will all know that they are welcome and that as the Catholic community gathers to pray there in the years to come these workers, their families and all of God's people will be part of our prayer.

I recently attended a workshop on the renewal of the Romand Missal that the Roman Catholic Church uses for our most important prayer, the mass. The workshop discussed the precise wording of prayers in the mass and emphasized how much of the mass comes from Sacred Scripture. One specific word choice caught my attention.......rather than speaking of Christ's salvation for All.........it speaks of Christ's salvation for many. The precise meaning of this wording is to acknowledge that Christ does offer Himself for all of us but He leaves us free to choose to embrace His gift or not. I believe that makes Christ's love for us even more profound. He completely pours Himself out but still loves us so much that He gives us the choice to embrace His saving gift or not. The mission of the Church, of every baptized Christian is to "go out to the world" and share the life and message of Jesus Christ. Let us work faithfully so that "the many" mentioned in the prayers of the mass becomes the overwhelming throngs of humanity who HAVE chosen to follow Christ. Because God loves us so much that He leaves us free to choose there will always be some who choose to reject Christ let us do all we can to make sure that ultimately that number is very few!!!!!!!!

September 19 Making Progress

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The construction crew is making progress with the Chapel. It is interesting how much work goes into the foundation. I suppose it is appropriate and really quite biblical. If the foundation isn't firm the building will collapse...........and we DEFINITELY don't want that. So many centuries have passed and new technologies have developed but the basic wisdom is still there........make sure the foundation is solid before you move ahead with the rest of the building. All that I have seen indicates that the foundation of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul will be FIRM!!!!!

I had a good run this aftenoon. It is amazingly hot and muggy for mid September but the weather people assure us that is about to change. I'm ready!!!

The Gospel for this Sunday reminds us that real wealth is the Life of God. Hopefully we were all reminded today that our life in Christ is the Pearl of Great price. I'm sure we've all known very poor people who were truly wealthy because of their faith and conversely we've known very wealthy people who were actually quite poor because they had no faith. Of course the Gospel calls us to give help and aid to those who are materially poor but we always have to remember that the ultimate purpose for assisting the poor is so that they can have the basic needs of life to flourish and seek the lasting wealth of the Kingdom of God. If people are hungry and truly in need it is very difficult for them to "seek the higher things" that God longs to share with us. All of God's people deserve their basic needs so that they can then have the strength and freedom to seek the Life God longs to share with us.

Have a Blessed week.

September 11 Reflections

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0000

I suppose that many of us are in a reflective mood as we mark the 9th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Hopefully the ultimate reminder for all people everywhere is that we need to pray and seek the wisdom of God in order to overcome the violence and hatred that so easily develops among us.

I have a prayer application on my iphone that allows you to see a globe spinning with points of light representing others who are using the application in prayer at that moment. As the globe spins it is a great reminder to me of Almighty God's perspective. A world filled with His precious children that he has given life. How it must grieve the Father, Son and Spirit to see how we use the free will God has given us to attack and destroy each other.

Certainly the headlines nine years after 911 indicate that we haven't really learned very much. How patient and merciful God is. Hopefully we can all strive to learn to live with each other seeking the guidance of that divine patience and mercy.

Let us pray for all who died on that sad day nine years ago, let us pray for their families who still grieve, let us pray especially for young people all over our world that anger and bitterness may never lead them to commit such devastating and destructive acts. That all of us given life by the One Loving God might hold that life for ourselves and others as a sacred gift.

On a lighter note I share a picture of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul....... as I told a friend we are just beginning to see "something verticle". It will be exciting to see the Chapel gradually grow out of the ground. Let us pray that it will truly be a place to worship God and deepen the desire and ability for all of us to respect life from conception to natural death.

September 10

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Just realized I've let several days slip by again without a post to my blog.

Running has been good with cooler weather lately. Chapel construction continues with the work on the foundation. I'll try to post a picture soon when there is a bit more progress evident.

Let us all pray for our nation and for our world as we commemorate 9/11 tomorrow.

God bless America.

Running and Digging

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

I thought I'd share this photo of Chapel construction in progress. As you can see "lots of dirt". The photo is looking at the excavations for the Chapel foundation. I have a friend who talks about the "red dirt" in East Texas and you can certainly see red dirt in the photo.

Beyond what you can see in the photo there has been a lot of work done on the parking and some work done where the re-located ball fields will be. Thanks to cooperation between the school and construction crew things have gone pretty smoothly with the beginning of school on August 16. It has been hot and dry which seems to be the best weather for this part of the construction. We could use some rain but I'm sure the construction crews would prefer to keep moving dirt.

I have been able to keep up with my runs..........hot but good. I hope to schedule another "batch" of runs soon. I'll keep you posted.

Chapel funding is about $600,000 short of having the construction and initial furnishings fully pledged thanks to so many generous members of the Cathedral community. I recently visited a church under construction in another diocese and they were just about the reverse of our situation with about $500,000 in the bank and looking at debt around $5,000,000. Even though we continue to work to cover our entire cost of just under $5,000,000 we have to be very grateful to God and His generous people that we have only several hundred thousand still to cover.

August 12 Hot and Fast

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

A bit of an update on the progress with the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. The dirt is flying on site and with the start of school looming on the horizon the construction crews are working hard to have as much drive and parking area available as possible. They are working on the foundation of the Chapel also so as you can imagine the corner of Loop 323 and Easy Street is a busy place right now.

We have had some great meetings discussing the interior liturgical design of the Chapel. Another busy agenda there with stained glass, altar furnishings and pews to look at. The basic theme that is developing is a journey of the saints depicted in the stained glass windows along the Chapel walls and culminating in the main window over the altar with Christ in Glory surrounded by the 12 apostles. The initial drawings are very exciting and even though we have to keep costs down as much as possible we agree that the windows will be beautiful and inspiring.

I'll do my best to share some site photos once it is more than dirt moving and then also share sketches of the windows etc. as they develop.

Running has been good lately too heat advisories and all!!!!!!!!!!

I really have tried to be sensible about the heat and run in the late evenings as much as possible. It really has felt good. After school starts I'll have to put together another set of runs!!!!!!!

Scenes from a Groundbreaking

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Finally have a chance to share some pictures from the official groundbreaking for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul by Bishop Alvaro Corrada on June 29,2010.

Hello Again............its August

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Sorry for letting July slip by with no posts. It was a busy month with several trips out of town.

Great things are happening with the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. Crews are working hard to get things in shape for the beginning of school and other activities.

I have been running but haven't organized myself around another "set of runs". I'll try to remedy that soon. I have to admit I will probably wait until the temperatures are mostly below 100 degrees instead of trying to get in too many runs with 100 plus temperatures. I may be a crazy runner but I'm not that crazy!!!!!!!!!

Building Excitement

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

We have a construction trailer at the site of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul and we should see some dirt moving any day now. The ground breaking was cancelled due to a down pour but we got great press coverage anyway. As people look back at newspapers years from now the ground breaking for the Chapel will go down in history as a great event even though it didn't actually happen. We will probably have a blessing of the site in the next few days but keep it pretty low key.

I'll do my best to keep you posted on Chapel progress as the construction gets under way.

I guess you may start to think this blog should be called the building priest instead of the running priest but I really have been running. I'll have to get organized and get another set of runs underway. It was just about this time last year that the original idea for therunningpriest.blogspot.com came to me while I was running!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all who have supported my efforts. God bless America on July 4, 2010!!!!!!!!!

Runnin' into June

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Have had some good runs in the June heat..........actually ran at Bachman Lake in Dallas after dropping a friend off at the airport. I enjoy taking the opportunity to run in various locations when I'm on the road. Bachman Lake is one of my favorite places in the Dallas area..........can be kind of exciting as planes from Love Field fly over.........you can see all the stuff under the plane very clearly.........always glad they keep flying.

Still counting down for launch day for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul...........generous pledges continue to flow in and we are right at $1,000,000 in new or continuing pledges with about $600,000 to go for the Chapel to be fully funded as we begin construction........exciting stuff!!!!!!

THANKS AGAIN TO THE REMARKABLY GENEROUS PEOPLE OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION WHO ARE MAKING THIS CHAPEL HAPPEN!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Finish Line # 30 and 31

Fri, 28 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

I actually finished my 31 runs several days ago...........just been "running" to much to report in.

The Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul is coming along well. We are still gathering pledges and thanks to the generosity and sacrifice of so many we are getting there. The next couple of weeks we are really trying to close the gap on our needed $1,600,000 more in pledges...........we are just over half way there.

We are asking all Cathedral parishioners to make a pledge if they possibly can. If you are reading this and want to make a pledge WE ACCEPT!!!!!!!!! Just send your pledge to.............

Msgr. Joseph Strickland
Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul Pledge Drive
1015 ESE Loop 323
Tyler, Texas 75701

God bless.

# 27, 28 and 29 A Highway Runs through it

Sat, 15 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Had some good runs this week in an area that used to be wilderness. If you are familiar with Tyler it is along the Grande Extension recently completed. I ran between Paluxy and Troup Highway. They've put in a sidewalk along the highway with about a yard of grass in between the road and the sidewalk. It makes a great running path for me.

The earth moving that I mentioned in my last post went very well. I think you'll enjoy the picture.

#27, 28 and 29 A Highway Ran through it

Sat, 15 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

My last post mentioned the Earth Moving Event for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. It went really well. A lot of laughs as I tried to learn how to use a backhoe and Father McLaughlin tried to stay alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coming down to the home stretch with my 31 runs. Couple of good ones this week. I ran in an area that used to be wilderness and now it has a four lane highway running through it.

If you are familiar with Tyler I ran along the Grande Extension between Paluxy and Troup Hwy. As I said it used to be wildnerness. It is still a great area for me to run because I try to stay on the grass and off of the pavement and there is a nice yard wide green strip along the side of the highway. They keep it mowed and it is pretty even so it makes a great running path.

My last post mentioned the Earth Moving Event for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. It went really well. A lot of laughs as I tried to learn how to use a backhoe and Father McLaughlin tried to stay alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#26 I feel the earth move

Sun, 09 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

The picture of course honors Mary the Mother of God and as we honor Jesus Christ's own mother we honor all of our mothers. Let us pray that Mary will intercede for all mothers and for all of us before throne of Almighty God.

Great run and an exciting day. I ran around the perimeter of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul this afternoon and later today at 4 PM the Catholic Community of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will gather on the site for a historic "earth moving event". Today we will "move some dirt" as we begin the initial site work for the Chapel.

The symbolic event this afternoon will be followed shortly by real construction workers beginning the site work for the chapel.

We are right in the middle of our "9th Inning Lap" to raise the pledges necessary to cover the 1.6 million we still need for the chapel to be fully funded. Great generosity and excitment has already been expressed by so many and we are asking everyone to join us as we build the first new Catholic Church in the city of Tyler in more than 70 years.

We plan to have a formal groundbreaking with our shepherd Most Reverend Alvaro Corrada, S.J., Bishop of Tyler presiding as soon as we have the pledges and are ready to begin building the chapel.

As you can imagine with all of these exciting plans to reflect on my run went by in a flash this afternoon.

As I sign off..........a special prayer of blessing for all mothers living and deceased on this Mother's Day 2010.

#23, 24 and 25

Fri, 07 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Hey Gang.

A bit more "on track".........all puns intended.........these last few days. It is warming up but not terribly humid yet so the runs have been good. Actually ran on our Bishop Gorman Catholic High School track at noon today. I don't usually run on tracks but it wasn't bad for a change.

If you are reading this in the Tyler area join us on Sunday, May 9, at 4 PM for some "dirt moving fun" as we launch the site prep for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. If all goes well we will be starting the actual building construction after the site prep work is done.

If you wish to make a donation to the Chapel.........WE ACCEPT.......just give me "the running priest....AKA.......Msgr. Joseph Strickland.......Fr. Joe.........a call!!!!!!!!!

#21 and 22 May Days

Tue, 04 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Slow going with lots of interference in the schedule but managed to log two more runs
in the last couple of days.

I'll have to post a picture of the roses that the St. Gregory faculty planted in my back yard when I moved in. They are blooming beautifully. Appropriate for these beautiful may days.

I'll keep trying to get those runs in................promise not to "stop and smell the roses" until AFTER the run.

EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING WITH THE CHAPEL OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

I spoke at all the masses last weekend and the people were very kind and receptive. We need 1.6 million in pledges in order to get the Chapel fully pledged. We want to get as close to that as possible before signing a contract for the construction but we do have a firm bid in hand.............so please get those pledges in. All parishioners at the Cathedral in Tyler will be receiving pledge cards and information in the next few days.

I realize with the wonder of the internet you may be reading this and not be a part of the Cathedral parish in Tyler, Texas. If you want to help with the Chapel.......YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!!!!!!!!! Just give me a call at 903 534 1077.

We had a great gathering last night as the first of several with our generous donors. They had some great ideas that we will pursue. Things like getting the students involved and reaching out to Alumni. The enthusiasm is a great blessing.

This Sunday, May 9, at 4 PM on the Gorman campus on the site of the Chapel at the corner of Loop 323 and Easy Street we will be celebrating the beginning of initial site work and "moving some dirt" all are welcome. You'll even have the chance to take home some "chapel dirt" as a momento.

By the way...........blessings to all mothers this Mother's Day.........bring mom out for the "dirt moving celebration" and we'll have a special remembrance for her.

CATHEDRAL PARISH.............LET'S BUILD THIS CHAPEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Run #20

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Finally broke into the 20's...........sorry about the slow pace of this set of 31 runs but it has been an especially crazy time.

Things are good and there is light at the end of the tunnels!!!!!!

If you read this say a prayer for "the running priest" and all of us priests throughout the world starting with the Holy Father. I was thinking the other day..........if I am blessed to reach old age (no wisecracks any youngsters out there!!!!!!!!) Ahemmmmmmmmmm If I do reach old age I think I will be able to look back and realize that I lived my priesthood during some very challenging times for our dear Catholic Church......and I realize all of you Catholics out there can join in and say..........yea Father and it was a bit of a bumpy ride being Catholic at times.

But as my dear mother would say............quoting the first Pope....."Lord to whom shall we go"

Let us pray

Run # 19

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Beleve it or not my last run was in Rome........yes Rome.......as in Italy.......not Texas!!!! I had a great run along the Tiber and then the next morning unexpectedly was back on a plane to Texas. I was actually lucky to get back home with the Volcanic Ash Cloud hanging over Europe!!!!

Thankfully wasn't breathing any Volcanic Ash along the Tiber.

Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul is still moving along well. It will be so much fun when I can post photos of the construction as it unfolds. I know many of us look forward to that day!! And it is approaching.

I am set to speak at all Cathedral masses on the weekend of May 1 & 2. Then shortly after, as early in May as the school calendar will allow we will begin the initial site work.

We still have pledges to raise so that the entire cost of the Chapel is pledged. Thankfully we don't have to have all the money "in the bank" as soon as we have pledges to cover the cost we can begin construction on the actual Chapel itself.

Runs # 16, 17 and 18

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Some great running weather lately. Run # 18 was the St. Gregory fun run. It was a perfect morning for a run and I came in third in my age group. Managed to keep my time below 8 minute miles so not too bad.

Lots of meetings going on for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. Plan is for me to speak at all masses at the Cathedral on the weekend of May 1 & 2 and update the entire parish on where we are with plans, costs and the pledges we need to get started.

If your schedule allows plan to join us for a special event on the afternoon of May 2, at the Gorman School Campus at 3:00 PM. You will see "the running priest" in a whole new role!!!!!!!!!!!

Exciting things in the air!!!!!!!!!!!!

Run 12,13,14 and 15

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Some good runs for Holy Week. Managed to catch up with a running buddy the last several days that I hadn't run with in months. Good to have the companionship again and we got in tosme good runs.

I'm writing this on Holy Saturday afternoon and this evening the Church will celebrate the Easter Vigil in many ways THE liturgy of the year.

I pray you all have a Blessed Easter and that our Resurrected Lord brings you strength and hope.

Run #11

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Had a good run today around the loop from my house.

As we enter into the celebrations of Holy Week it is great to see the spring flowers
popping and the trees beginning to bud.

Have a great Tuesday of Holy Week.

Days 9 & 10

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Finally made it to 10 runs........won't make any promises since we're heading into Holy Week but I'll do my best to get some runs in along the way. The weather is perfect for running right now so I will try to get out there!!!!!!!!

THE CHAPEL OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL continues to progress. As I've mentioned before the plan right now is to present an update to the entire parish at the end of April. I'm really excited about the way plans are coming together. We hope to see some dirt moving with initial site work sometime this spring. I have a fortune cookie slip I got a few weeks back posted in my office....it says..."Rome was not built in a day....be patient". We've all heard that before and I thank you for your patience. I'll add another familiar saying, "Good things come to those who wait"....Let us continue to pray that the Lord will guide us to those "good things". Have a blessed Holy Week.

Day 7 & 8..........Running into Spring

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Well at this rate it will take me a while to get to 31 runs. I'll do my best to get in some good ones this coming week.......starting today. Did manage a couple of good runs this week but a couple of days out of town sort of knocked me off schedule again.

UPDATE ON CHAPEL OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

We've had meetings of the full committee,several meetings with the architect and another meeting with the Liturgical Designer since my last update. Things are really coming together........keep an eye out for a full parish update and plan for moving forward the last weekend of April.

Meanwhile we are entering into Holy Week. Let us pray together that the troubles that plague our world may diminish and answers may come more clearly into focus as we celebrate the Life, Deat and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If you usually attend the liturgies of Holy Week we'll see you there........if you haven't had the habit of attending I'd encourage you to check the schedule at your local church and do your best to attend any liturgies you can. You will be blessed.

Meanwhile................keep on runnin'

Days 5 & 6

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Some great running weather lately. Had a good run Sunday afternoon and then ran on the track on Monday.

Looks less than sunny today but I'll try to get one in.

Things are hopping with the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul.........meeting later this week for revised cost estimates, trying to arrange a meeting next week to plan a strategy for pledges to "get this Chapel built", and working on site plan to get things done later this spring and clear the way for construction of the Chapel.

A word of thanks to the volunteers..........your fellow parishioners who put in countless hours to keep the Chapel efforts moving forward. I'm really excited about the progress on multiple fronts........a bit of a challenge to keep it all moving along but a good challenge. We meet this Friday, March 19, which you may remember is the feast of St. Joseph.............for me a good sign that the Holy Spirit is guiding us. St. Joseph is often the saint people pray to regarding real estate deals!!!!!!!!!!! Let's all say a prayer to St. Joe that he will pray with us and bring the good work of the Chapel to fulfillment.

Meanwhile...............I'll keep running.

Day 4

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Got in a great run today right about noon. A bit cool but nice and sunny.

No rash promises about keeping this up EVERY day but...........27 days to go!!!!

Have a blessed weekend.

Confession is good for the soul!!!!!!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Well gang...........I have to confess that my plan for 31 runs in March has kind of fallen apart. I have managed to run some and Nordic Track some but my schedule has been so erratic that I'm not sure when I've done what!!!!!!

Obviously since it is March 12, I've lost a little ground since the last post was March 3!!!!!!!!!!

If you've made any pledges I promise I'll make up for the shortfall in recorded runs!!!!

GOOD NEWS ON THE CHAPEL OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL PLANS

Thankfully I've made much better progress on the Chapel plans. We are meeting with the architect, meeting with the funraising group and meeting with the initial site work group all at the same time!!!!!!!!! HEY MAYBE THAT'S WHY I HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH THE RUNS!!!!!!!!

We are moving forward with plans that look at a 20% cost reduction in the price of the Chapel and furnishings. Our architect and other advisers are doing a great job of finding cost savings while still maintaining the beauty and stature of the Chapel.

We hope to have some news to share with the Cathedral parish shortly after Easter.

Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to the very best outcome for this important project. God bless...........now to get back on track as THE RUNNING PRIEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 3

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Had a great run. Beautiful sunny day.

I was out of town for a couple of days at a pro-life event in College Station. Governor Jeb Bush spoke and it was a great event in support of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn.

I was most impressed by Governor Bush's comments linking how we treat all of those who are vulnerable in society. If the unborn who are the most vulnerable are not safe then the same attitudes threaten the disabled, the elderly virtually everyone that society "decides" are less valuable for some reason. I thought he really hit the nail on the head when he said that we have to return to the notion of absolute values for our society. I believe he is right and I also believe it will only happen by the grace of God. Sadly we have lost our way when it comes to the virtues proclaimed by God's word.

I hope we can all use this Lenten journey as a time to strengthen our own resolve and encourage others to embrace the basic truths that God has revealed to us through His Son. These truths are a tremendous challenge and we all fail but God's abundant mercy is always there for us.

Keep on running and when you stumble just look to the Lord once again.

March 2- Time Marches On

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

It felt to get out for a run today. Still a little cool but nice and sunny and for me that always makes the difference.

I hope the Lenten season is moving along well for all of you. It is a different Lent for me with my new responsibilities but it has been good so far. Very different not to be at the Cathedral but I'm certainly involved in Lenten activites in many places.

My special prayer this Lent is for Catholics who have not been practicing their faith. Let us pray that all will always know that they are welcome and that Our Lord is always ready to bless us with his mercy.

God bless.

March 1- A Nordic Day

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

I didn't manage to get a run in because of the blustery weather but I did get started with my March through March with a good workout on the Nordic Track. My cat has an interesting approach to this machine. She seems to be afraid of it but she doesn't run out of the room. Instead she just kind of crouches as if she is ready to pounce on it any minute and come to my rescue!!!!

I'm attaching renderings of the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul. They are on display at St. Paul's Chapel in the Chancery building but I know some of you may not have had the opportunity to see them there. We continue to work on reducing costs in every reasonable way we can while at the same time we are planning to meet next week to get started on the additional fundraising that will be required. Let us pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we can bring this project to completion in the very best way possible in service to our Catholic community in Tyler.

Tyler's Winter Wonderland

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Tylerites of the two legged and four legged varieties have been surprised by the amount of white stuff we've seen. I was actually in West, Texas today for meetings and they got alot more snow than we did here in Tyler. I'm sure the kids were hoping for a free day...........well at least they got a "late day".

Didn't manange to get in a run today but I'm headed to the Nordic Track in a bit.

February 22........The Chair of Peter

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Well February has kind of slipped through my fingers. When I last wrote I had hoped to get in a Saint Valentine's Day series of runs but obviously that didn't happen.

I am planning to run through March with another 31 runs in 31 days. Your pledges to the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul and to the Soceity of Saint Vincent de Paul are welcome. In October you donated just shy of $9,000 which was split between the two causes. THANK YOU!!!!!

UPDATE FOR CHAPEL OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

We had a good meeting with Bob Brown our architect. Lots of things to look at as we balance reducing costs with maintaining the beauty of the design. If you haven't seen the drawings of the Chapel they are on display at St. Paul's Chapel. I encourage you to take a look. It is a challenging process but I am pleased with how things are moving forward. So many of you have been such a tremendous support and I know we all look forward to getting the Chapel started. We hope to have some adjusted cost estimates soon and we will share them as soon as we do.

Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide this good work to completion. Please encourage your friends to check my blog for updates on the Chapel. I'll do my best to post new information as it is available...........in between my runs!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I'm still here

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Howdy. I know it has been a month since my last post. As you probably know it has been quite a month for me. As of February 2, 2010 I have left my position as rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and have been named Vicar General for the Diocese of Tyler by Bishop Alvaro Corrada. I replace Msgr. Xavier Pappu who has done a great job as Vicar General for the past nine years. His work helped move the position of Vicar General from being mostly a title to actually being a functioning office. I know I will benefit from all of his hard work as I move into the office of Vicar General full time.

I have to laugh because we often speak of "full time" positions in the Church when in reality we have other jobs as well. I'm not sure exactly what full time means but I have a feeling I will still be very busy. I guess it really isn't very different from what all of us deal with.......after all fathers and mothers, husbands and wives have "full time" jobs that don't include all that they do for the family etc. etc. I think of an old saying "idle hands are the devils workshop" so I guess it is a good thing that I won't have to worry about idle hands!!!!!!!

I'm still adjusting to actually being gone from the Cathedral after almost 16 years. I guess it will take time to embrace my new schedule, new office, new house and new duties. I will always cherish my time at the Cathedral but I have to admit I'm glad to lay down the pressures and responsibilities of that office. I pray that Father Anthony McLaughlin who takes my place as the new rector will be able to build on and expand the good things that are happening in the Cathedral family. He is a talented man and I know he will bring many good things to the Catholic community of Tyler. I hope I will be able to support him in all kinds of ways since my "big move" is only three miles down the road.

Speaking of "miles" your probably wondering.........what's up.........isn't this blog called "the running priest"???? I have to admit the running priest has been more the "box moving priest" lately but I go on retreat this week and I plan to take the opportunity to get back on the running track!!!!!!!!!

I'm thinking of a set of runs to celebrate Saint Valentine's Day.................I'll keep you posted as that develops.

The 12th Day of Christmas

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Well. Finally posting my 12th run.

We celebrate the baptism of the Lord this Sunday and officially end the Christmas season. I pray this Christmas has been a blessing for you and your loved ones. God Bless.

Days 10 & 11, January 4 and 5

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Had a little get away for my day off but managed to get a couple of good Nordic Track workouts in. I guess I should have called this session "The Twelve Nordic Track workouts of Christmas" between the weather and the schedule I think I did more Nordic Track than actual runs for these 12 Days. Oh well the NT is a good workout and in some ways it requires more discipline..........at least mental discipline. When you're running you "gotta get back anyway" so you might as well keep on running. The NT tempts you to stop early so you have to "stay with it" and complete the time you've committed to.........in my case 31 minutes and 31 seconds!!!!!!

I think my next session will be something to honor St. Valentine's Day. We often hear that we need to put the Christ back in Christ-mas and I whole heartedly agree........maybe we can also tackle putting the "Saint" back in St. Valentine's day!!!!! I have to admit I'm biased (as the running PRIEST I guess I should be) but it really is amazing how many holidays, place names, and customs find their origin as part of faith. Faith is thankfully very much woven into the history of our nation and our cultures.......let's all work to keep it that way.

8th and 9th Days of Christmas- January 2 & 3

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

I had a couple of good Nordic Track workouts for the 8th and 9th Days of Christmas. The picture just reminds me of what the weather feels like around here these days........not really quite THAT cold but it has been pretty chilly for this East Texas kid.

Sunday January 3, we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. It is always one of my favorite Feasts in the calendar of the Church. As you probably know Epiphany means "shining forth" and as we read of the Magi, the three wise men it always reminds us that Christ has come to all people for all time. It seems we need to remember that message more and more in today's world.

I don't want to get too preachy but I will share a couple of points that I made at the Epiphany masses that I celebrated. I tried to emphasize the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ God's only begotten Son and I encouraged the people to celebrate this Greatest Gift throughout the year by making sure they come to mass every Sunday and by taking the time during the week to reflect on the Word of God for the coming Sunday. These are pretty basic steps and I acknowledged at the masses that I was more or less "preaching to the choir" because the people at mass are pretty committed to being there. But I think it is still worth saying because even faithful Catholics can be tempted by the business and distractions of the world to skip a Sunday here and there. Of course Sunday mass is an obligation in the Catholic faith but hopefully on the feast of the Epiphany we can be reminded why the Church has raised this to the level of obligation in her law........BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT.

So much for not getting too preachy!!!!............well, anyway let's all treasure the opportunity to celebrate the Greatest Gift of All every Sunday at Holy Mass and take the time to reflect on the Word of God so that we can hear it more profoundly when it is proclaimed on Sunday.

I know some of you reading this may not be Catholic............I'd just encourage you to apply this to your own Sunday worship and recommit with us to honoring the Lord's Day every week.

Day 7, January 1

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

I had a good run on the first day of the year. Nice sunny day, cool but really perfect for running.

I'm sure we all saw fireworks televised or otherwise as we rang in 2010. Let us pray that the new year brings greater harmony among nations and all of God's people.

Only 5 runs to go for the 12 runs of Christmas.

GOT EXERCISE????

4th, 5th and 6th Day of Christmas- December 29,30 and 31

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Ok. Gang. Obviously I'm playing a little catch up these last days of 2009.

Actually have to confess that I did'nt make it on the 4th Day!!!! Just ran out of time. Don't worry........I'll make it up......maybe I'll even throw in another day at the end..........make it a "bakers dozen" Days of Christmas.

I did have a good Nordic Track work out on the 5th Day. I laugh because you could get the impression that I'm on contract with Nordic Track!!!!! Actually it is a pretty old machine and I'm not even sure they make them anymore. It is really a simple contraption that simulates cross country skiing. Skiing cross country is a real workout and the machine does a decent job of simulating it!!! I went and donated blood after my workout on Day 5. The city has made a special push for blood donors during the holidays and the staff at the Blood Bank said they have been unusually busy. Thanks to all who responded with a blood donation.......there really is no substitute.

Today is Day 6, December 31, the last day of 2009 and I had a good run to close out the year. It was chilly, wet and foggy but one of those nice quiet days for a run. I don't know if it is my imagination but foggy and misty days like today seem to be quieter. It seems as if all the traffic noise etc. is muffled as if it were blanketed in cotton!!!!

We had a nice mass this morning for the last day of the year. Today is the 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas so I guess officially my 12 days are off by one day. Oh well!!!!!!

Let us pray together for our families, our communities, our nation and for all of God's people throughout the world. Hopefully 2010 will prove to be a year when we finally begin to welcome the Prince of Peace in a more profound way.

In the mean time...........KEEP ON RUNNIN'

Third Day of Christmas- December 28

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Another good workout. I was laughing with a fellow runner because both of us have encountered people that thought we were crazy for running. We've had people get really upset saying it was to hot to run or too cold to run. I even had one lady say she was going to call the police! Oh well......we just keep on running.

Today, December 28 is the feast of the holy innocents, it commemorates the boys two and younger that Herod had killed after his visit with the Magi. I guess it teaches us something to be reminded that there was violent resistance to Christ even as a baby. It seems the very idea that God could be so close to us is threatening to some. We shouldn't be surprised that even to this day the strong resistance continues. Maybe we like the idea that we can pretend we are God. Let's use these Days of Christmas to rejoice that God has loved us so much and rid ourselves of the ways we resist His coming.

Second Day of Christmas- December 27

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Another beautiful day, still pretty chilly but nice and sunny. I confess I ran out of daylight and ended up on the Nordic Track after dark. It is always a good workout but I miss the fresh air.

Today was Sunday and the Catholic calendar celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. This is celebrated on the Sunday immediately after Christmas. It always seems appropriate to me that we celebrate the family in the midst of the holidays when so many of us are gathering with our families. It is a good time to reflect on the blessing of our families.

I'm also aware of the difficult time that many have because of the loss of loved ones. The holidays can be especially difficult if we have recently lost loved ones or if we are far away from home and unable to be with family. I have been blessed as a priest to always have family within a reasonable driving distance. I try to especially pray for the priests who are half a world away from their families during the holidays. We are blessed with many priests in our diocese in Tyler who have left home and family far behind in order to serve the people of God. We need to be especially thankful to them during the holidays.

As we approach the New Year why not go ahead and get started on that "new years resolution" to get some exercise!!!!!!!!

First Day of Christmas- December 26

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Well I made the first run of my "Twelve Runs of Christmas". It was a nice day for a run, a little cool but nice and sunny. I guess you could count December 25 as the first day of Christmas nut I doubted I'd get a run in on Christmas day and I was right.

I hope that my 12 runs of Christmas will remind us all to keep celebrating the birth of our Lord for the whole Christmas season. The Catholic liturgical calendar offers us a whole season to celebrate the Feast of Christmas. It is still easy to slip back into regular routines leaving "the season" as something that only happens in Church.

One suggestion I make is to continue gift giving during the Christmas season. Gifts given during the season really aren't late.........it's still Christmas!!!!!!!

I hope you can get back out there and get some exercise. All of us have some "turkey and pumpkin pie" to get rid of!!!!!!!

December 7

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Howdy........it's been a while but I am still here. Getting in some good runs as we zip through Advent.

I do have my next set of runs on the calendar........the 12 runs of Christmas beginning on December 26.

Have a blessed Advent.

Thanksgiving

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Hello out there. I'm sorry I've gotten behind on posting to the blog, just busy with the usual stuff. I intended to take a bit of a break after my October runs but the time kind of got away from me.

The picture of St. Peter's reminds me of the Thanksgiving I spent there a couple of years ago. It was interesting to be out of the country for the Thanksgiving holiday. It made me that much more thankful for the blessing we have here in the good ole USA. We certainly have our problems but this is a great country because of the goodness of the people here and the freedoms we enjoy. Let us pray that we can live these freedoms more responsibly.

It has been great running weather lately and I got in a nice run at Faulkner Park yesterday. I hope to get in another out there this afternoon. I actually saw another runner out there yesterday. I believe that is the first time I've seen another runnner on the trail. There were lots of bikers too and I frequently see people walking but it was good to see a running comrade. I guess the park was busier than usual with people anticipating that they were going to eat too much turkey.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving we all reflect on the blessings of family and friends in our lives. Let's remember to be thankful all year........not just on one day. A good thought for our exercise also.......good thing to do all year not just one day!!!!

I hope to organize myself for another set of runs during Advent and leading up to Christmas. In the mean time have a blessed Thanksgiving.

The 8th of November

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

I had a good run today after a couple of days off after completing my 31 runs in 31 days trek. I'm planning to put something together around the Thanksgiving holiday............turkey trots seem to be popular and I can definitely supply the turkey!!!!!!

The picture reminds me of the theme that the Catholic liturgy sets for November. We celebrate All Souls Day on November 2. This is a traditional time to pray for all who have died. As Catholics we offer masses for the repose of the soul of loved ones and remember them especially in our prayers. Many people both Catholic and non-catholic have expressed to me how comforting it is to be able to pray for loved ones who have died. Some Christian traditions see this as simply a Catholic thing but it has always seemed to me that it is a logical aspect of our belief in Jesus Christ. The Catholic doctrine of Purgatory reminds us that the absolute separation between this life and the next is not reality. Our faith reminds us that life is a journey that continues through all the phases of this life and into the next. My personal experience of the loss of loved ones serves to deepen my faith that this is the reality.......those who have passed from this life continue to be alive in God and so we pray for them as we hope they pray for us.

Pretty heavy stuff on a November Sunday!!!! I pray that whatever your experience of death and loss may be you may find the ancient tradition of praying for the dead to be a source of great consolation and deeper faith.

Day 30 & 31

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

I finally got a chance to finish up the first installment on my blog with run #30 and 31.

#30 was a Nordic track day. It was actually a nice day but I just didn't have time. Someone asked me if they still make Nordic Tracks. I'm really mt sure. I may be working out on an antique!!!

#31 Got'er Done

had a good final run of my thirty-one. I haven't decided what my next installment will be......maybe something with Turkey Day.

Day 29

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

I had a good run. The weather has been pperfect. I hope you are getting out to enjoy these fall days

Day 28

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I managed to get a run in before the rain returned. I ran in the neighborhood around UT Tuler.

We honored two mothers last night at the Tyler Catholic School Foundation dinner. Mary Prudhomme and Martha Ann Roy Lehnertz exemplify the qualities we celebrate in our mothers. They were women of faith and family who dedicated their lives to others. As we celebrated them last night I celebrated my mother also and I'm sure the people present thought of their mothers also.

Day 27

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had a nice sloppy run today! We've been blessed with so much rain lately that the trail I run on in Faulkner Park was very much like a swamp for my last run.

I'm planning to head out for a run in a few minutes. Storm clouds are approaching but maybe I can squeeze it in before more rain.

Day 26

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had another good workout on the Nordic Track.

I'm still catching up on getting my runs posted. I'm glad I'm better with the exercise than with getting my runs posted to the Blog!!

I went to a conference on spirituality and health and Gertrude the world's oldest person was quoted. When Gertrude was asked, why have you lived so long she said, "God, ask him, I took care of myself the way he wanted me to". Gertrude at 114 sounds like a very wise woman. Got exercise?

Day 25

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Had a good workout on the Nordic Track

Day 22, 23,24 Catching Up

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I guess you could say the weekend kind of slammed my schedule at least as far as keeping up with the blog postings. The weather has been standard for East Texas, "sunny..........I mean cloundy........no sunny.............wait it is cloudy". I guess it's called "mostly changable". I've had some good runs and some good workouts on the Nordic Track when the weather wasn't cooperating.

I'm heading into the home stretch. Thanks for all the support and I hope here and there you've been inspired to keep up or "get with" your own exercise program. I'd have to say that the whole RunFatherRun experience has been an inspiration to me and I hope it has inspired you in some way.

The Catholic liturgical calendar is counting down to the Feast of Christ the King and the end of another liturgical year. The cycle begins again with the First Sunday of Advent. The image attached to this post is the Christmas window from the Cathedral. As of yesterday Christmas is two months away. I guess it will get busy soon!!!!!!!!!

A Nice Day

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Just thought I'd share this picture of Fr. Joe "at work" on a pretty day.

Day 21 Runnin' Down Hill

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

At day 21 I'm pleased that I have been able to keep up with the running pretty well. I admit it has been a challenge to fit them in but I'm always glad I did.

Today was a quick run in the neighborhood South of the Cathedral down College Street etc. It is fun to just kind of "run where the wind blows", I discover new little side streets and house that I'd never paid attention to before.

I've always noticed there is something about running in an area that gives me a much better picture of the actual layout of things. I might get lost in a car in a new area but after I run there a few times I'm really much more oriented. I guess it is some primordial instinct!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got Exercise.

Day 20

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had to go to West,Texas today (the town) yes there is a West,Texas. I guess they named it West after they had exhausted their more creative ideas like Waxahachie and Italy!!! I had a good run in the countryside outside West.

The beautiful weekend we had was taken over by clouds and rain but it really wasn't bad in West.

Keep on Runnin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 17, 18 & 19 Catching Up!!!!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The weather has been what I call "perfect running weather" the past three days. It has been a challenge to wedge a run into my schedule these past days but I managed to get it done and I'm glad I did.

Day 17 I ran in the neighborhood near the Cathedral. It is always challenging to play "find the turf" since I do my best not to run on concrete or asphalt these days. Saturday was a packed day but getting the run in really helped give me the energy to keep going.

Day 18 was another busy day with 4 masses but I managed to run in the Stonegate addition off of Paluxy and South of the Loop. I even saw a few parishioners along the way. It is always fun to see the reaction of the kids when they see me running. They seem surprised to see a priest doing normal things!!!!

Today, Day 19 was another beautiful day in the Piney Woods. I ran at Lindsey park which is a soccer and baseball complex on the West side of town.

I hope you got some exercise today............perfect day for a nice walk.

Day 16 Get 'er Done

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The picture is of the Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It is special to me because today, October 16, is the memorial of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque who had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart. My mother Monica Clare Margaret Hart Strickland was born on October 17, and always had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart. It is one of those very Catholic images that our non-catholic brothers and sisters don't really understand. I believe it is important to all of us that we recognize the clear and scriptural foundation of sacramentals like the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. They flow from century after century of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ the Son of God reflecting on the Gospels. The Gospels clearly speak of the Sacred Heart of Christ pierced as He dies for us. It seems tremendously appropriate for all Christians to reflect on the beautiful Sacred Heart of God's Son as it beats its very last as an expression of love for all humanity. It's not just a Catholic "thing" it is a gift to all who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, Redeemer of the World. God bless you Monica Claire Margaret.

Sorry I got so preachy above but after all I am The Running Priest!!!!! As I hoped I managed to get a great run in this afternoon. I have to laugh because it was not easy to "stay with the program". I had a day of non-stop meetings and just barely managed to squeeze in a run before a wedding rehearsal at the Cathedral. I was literally on the phone dealing with an issue and trying to change into running clothes at the same time......a bit of a challenge to say the least. It was a beautiful October afternoon after I finally got out there and managed to get in a run with just enough time to get cleaned up and over to the Cathedral for the rehearsal.

As I was reflecting on my hectic day and the "barely squeezed in" run I realized that I can't remember a single time when I "got the run in" and said afterward "I wish I hadn't done that!!!!!!!!!" It seems I'm ALWAYS glad I got a run in....the only regrets come when I don't manage to run and often think "I wish I'd been able to run".

Have a great weekend and get out there and get some exercise.

Day 15 I Confess

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I bet you don't often have a chance to hear the confession of a priest!!! I have to confess that after planes, trains and automobiles yesterday I wasn't able to get in a run, a treadmill session or even a Nordic track!! I'm determined to get one in today and it looks like a really nice day for it!

Don't worry and please don't deduct from your donation!!!!! I'll plan to do a make up run on November 1, for 32 minutes so that you are sure to get all the "virtual running" you paid for!!!!

Have a blessed day. Got Exercise???

Day 14

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Another good workout on the treadmill, it will be good to get back to the trails in Tyler. I only saw a couple of my canon law classmates. I guess a lit of places are really struggling with their budgets so mist of the participants are from fairly close by.

The talks have been helpful, one I went to was about proper evaluation of seminarians, I'll have to pass that on to Jorge Sanchez our pastoral year seminarian.

I'll sign off now........Got Exercise?

Day 13

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had a good workout on the treadmill today. Thirty one minutes on the treadmill isn't exactly a run but it felt good.

Day 12 Thanks to All

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I realized I haven't said thank you to all of you who have pledged your support for my running project. I don't have any totals yet but I know a number of you have been really generous. It has bee fun. Thank You!!!!

I managed to get out to the Kentucky countryside today for a nice run. This is called "bluegrass country" but it looks pretty green to me!!! Have a great day........Got Exercise???

Day 11

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had a good workout tonight on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center. Certainly not the same as a run in the park but still gets the blood pumping. The machines were full of gadgets, even a virtual fitness trainer!!

I'll scout out the area tomorrow to see if I can work a run in between sessions.

Day 10

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The run today felt really good. I ran down Front street to Vine and around to 4th street and then wound my way back to the Cathedral. I do my best to stay on turf these days because I have some problems with my feet so it is always a challenge to find the "green stuff" in the midst of streets, sidewalks and driveways. The temp etc. was just about perfect for running today, cool and crisp. I was glad to be able to get outside again after the Nordic Track Trek yesterday.

Reflecting on the readings for this Sunday as I ran I kept going back to the portion of the Gospel where the young man walks away sad. My homily will somehow focus on that basic theme for this weekend and I would encourage all of us to reflect on it. How am I tempted to "walk away sad" from the call of Jesus Christ? In our sinfulness and weakness I believe all of us face that temptation. Sometimes living the Way of Jesus Christ the Son of God just seems to be so far beyond what we can manage we can think all we can do is "walk away". Whatever the challenges of living Christ in our own personal journey, in our families and in our society let's not "walk away sad" but instead trust in the Lord and continue to see His Way.

I'm off to a Canon Law meeting in Kentucky after masses tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how I can get Day 11 taken care of with the travel and all. Hopefully next installment will be "live from Kentucky".

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY.

Follow Up

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I wanted to report that I did get in a good Nordic Track Trek. In some ways it's harder to use a treadmill or other exercise machine because it can be so boring. You have to get creative with music or something to move the clock along a little faster.

Exercise equipment makes a great clothing rack but I encourage you to move those shirts and sweaters and put your exercise equipment to good use. Have a great Saturday!

Day 9 A Rainout?

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Just making a wild guess but I'm guessing today will be another Nordic Track day. I'm doing things a bit differently today, writing my blog post before I go for a run or Nordic Track Trek!!

As I've been working in my office at the Cathedral this morning I've been watching the steady rain and not seeing any sign of one of those last minute changes in the weather that East Texas is famous for, we'll just have to see.

A friend who is a fellow runner sent the picture of the beautiful yellow flowers....not!!! You may recognize these plants as the source of your sneezes and headaches at this time of year. East Texas may be the top producer in the world of these little yellow buds of allergy producing stuff.

Got Exercise??

Day 8

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I ran through the Azalea District today taking a route that wound through streets like College, Rusk, Robertson, Dobbs and Shaw. Recognize any of those?

It was very humid and I don't know if it was just because it was Day 8 or because of the humidity but it was a hard run to finish. I had to motivate myself by saying "Remember the Bloggers!!!!!!!" Hopefully I'm inspiring you to get some exercise, obviously you're inspiring me to keep it up.

The stained glass window in the picture is one that many who regularly attend the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception may not recognize. It is in the Bishop's Sacristy on the right as you face the main altar so usually only the Bishop and altar servers who vest there would get to see it.

Day 7 A Very Special Day

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had an early run this morning down College St to Bergfeld Park etc. Then I joined our St. Gregory Catholic School community for the National Walk to School. I thought it was a great experience that reminded me of simpler days. I rode the bus but however we got ourselves to school every day I'm sure we all have memories of that daily trek.

We also celebrated Our Lady of the Rosary in our Catholic calendar today. This feast of the Catholic liturgy originates from a papal decree in the Middle Ages. Many probably wonder why the Catholic Church continues to hold onto these ancient traditions in our modern world. Certainly many ask us why we focus on Mary, isn't it all about Jesus? We respond as Catholics, ABSOLUTELY it's all about Jesus and we honor Mary because she is the original disciple who is all about Jesus. Let's follow her example and ponder the works of God in our lives. I believe we need that more than ever in our modern world.

Got Exercise????

Day 6 so Far So good

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had another good run on the Faulkner Trail this afternoon. It was a lot more humid today and almost 90 degrees.

Continued to reflect on today's Gospel passage from the Gospel acccording to Luke. Today's passage is the encounter with Martha and Mary when Jesus says Mary has chosen the better part. I think most of us feel for Martha and envy Mary. Especially in today's world we are "busy about many things". The passage seems to clearly indicate that being busy and worried about many things is not just a modern problem. It also reminds us that we are called to seek the better part just like Mary did. The business still needs to be taken care of but being focused on "the better part" gives us the strength to do the business well.

Day 5

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

I had a good run this afternoon. I ran at Faulkner Park on the bike trail. I always enjoy the woods after a heavy rain like yesterday, everything is peaceful and quiet.

By the way, I wanted to apologize for typos on these posts. I've written several of them on my iPhone and sometimes I hit the wrong letter. iPhone has a great autofill feature but sometimes it assumes I've transitioned to a different language!!!!!

I hope you got some exercise today!!!!!

Our grade school, St Gregory Catholic Elementary, is participating in the national Walk to School event on Wednesday this week. I plan to walk/run with the group......it should be interesting. God bless.

A Runner's Tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi yesterday, October 4th and as we remember this italian saint who lived hundreds of years ago he reminds us that we must care for Mother Earth as a gift from God.

Saint Francis celebrated the beauty of every aspect of creation and reminds us to respect these sacred gifts. The diverse beauty of our planet is something we can celebrate through technology in ways that Francis never imagined but we must also be careful that the same technology doesn't bring harm to our fragile world. Let us celebrate Saint Francis by doing all we can to protect the world he loved so much.

Day 4

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Well gang I must confess I didn't run today, too much rain. I know that's a wimpy excuse but I didn't think it would be very smart to get soaking wet. I did get in a good workout on my Nordic track so hopefully that counts. My cat always reacts to the Nordic track. She seems to waiver between attacking it or hiding under the bed. She usually chooses the bed!

In my homiily today I asked the question, "is this God's plan?" I think we can apply that to all of the important decisions we have to make. Too often the world says we should just follw our own plan. That seems to get us in trouble all the tiime as individuals, as nations and as a global society.

Runnin'

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Day 3

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Had another good run today. A bit warmer but that's how it goes with weather in East Texas. I ran out at Faulkner Park on the bike trails. There are more and more bikers out there especially in this gorgeous weather. So far no collisions!!!!!

On today's run I was reflecting on the readings for this Sunday. I think it all comes down to a basic question. Is what I am about to do God's plan or my plan? We can apply that to all of our choices and I think it will help a lot.

I'm trying to include a picture from last year when I had a chance to run in the Italian countryside in the Tuscany area. If the picture doesn't make it I guess you'll just have to use your imagination!!

Day 2

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Day 2

Great day for a run. I was a little short on time so I took the route down College to Hamvasy back up Chilton then cut back over to College. Pretty quiet and peaceful run.

Today we celebrated the feast of th Guardian Angels and I asked the people at 7 am mass if there angel had "grown up". I think it's a good question for all of us to ponder because we probably need our guardian angels more now than ever. Isn't it a consoling thought to realize that the angels represent the will of God that we all share everlasting life with him.

Godbless and have a great weekend.

Have a Beautiful October Day

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

DAY 1

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Well gang I had a great run for my first official day. If you are one of my virtual companions you'll want to know that today we ran at the UT Tyler campus for 31 minutes. It had looked like rain earlier in the day but by about 4 pm it was clear to partly cloudy "with a chance of meatballs"!! We ran in and out of the nature trail that winds through the woods along university headed toward the main entrance to UT Tyler.

It appeared that the UT baseball team was having a practice as we ran by the back of the baseball field. Occasionally I see criters as I run through the woods but it was pretty quiet today. I often reflect on the day as I run and visit with God along the way. God seems to share some of his best stuff while I'm "runnin' and sweatin' " I suppose Our Lord likes the idea that as I run I'm a bit more aware that every breath I take is a gift from Him. It has been a very busy and stressfull week but a good run always seems to help. God bless. I encourage you to get out there and exercise. Whatever form it takes exercise that gets the heart rate going is A GOOD THING. See you tomorrow for DAY 2.

First Attempt

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Well friends I suppose I've entered the "blogosphere." Is that a place where you breath "blogxogen"?

I hope this Blog will be a companion to my little RunFatherRun.com effort.

My plan is to give you a few tidbits now and then about how my running is going. The sites I see etc. etc.

Had a good run today after a stressful day of phone calls, meetings etc. etc. The running seems to feel especially good after a rough day. Did you exercise today? Make sure you start tomorrow if you didn't.