Blessed by Holy Priests

A few years ago when our parish said good bye to a great priest, (he was called to help another parish ), I wondered if God would bless us again with another great priest (after all, we already have a great pastor.) Would our parish even get a second priest due to the shortage of priests?

Not long after Father left, our parish was blessed once again with a holy, enthusiastic priest. From the first Mass he said for our parish, I knew God blessed us once again. He has been with us for a little over a year now and I've seen how much he loves our God and our Lady. We still have a winning team of priests at our parish. With the world as tough and depressing as it is, every time I go to Mass, my hope is renewed. God is reminding me that He is with us and He has many faithful shepherds ready to guide us to Him. Isn't God amazing?  

Our "new" priest said many Masses and homilies over the year and, just like with our pastor, I've learned something from each one. Sometimes he reinforces the teachings we grew up with. In this world that tells you    the church is wrong and unfair, it's nice to come "home" and be reassured. Other times we hear some tough teachings, just as Jesus gave to His disciples. Another time I've seen him completely humbled and literally on his knees in reparation for the priest scandals. Finally, there are the times I've seen him be brave and talk about things that might make him unpopular in this secular world.

I've also learned so much from the priests we've had in our parish. One thing I'm learning here is that when God takes something precious from us, he doesn't leave us stranded. He bestows greater blessings on us which often fulfills a need we never even knew we had. I've learned our priests have the toughest job in the world. They will often be unpopular, ridiculed, and called discriminatory. Not only is there a potential for them to be attacked by the secular world, but if they do their job well, there is potential for them to be attacked by the devil and his temptations. Yet they still do their job. I've learned that more than anything, our priests need our prayers. After all they give us with Mass and of course bringing us Jesus every week (and even every day), offering prayers for them is the least we can do for them.

So here is my personal prayer for not just my parish priests, but for priests worldwide:

Dear Jesus, the Good Shephard
Thank you for giving us our holy priests.
May your Spirit of Truth and Wisdom inspire their hearts
And their words be Your words, King of Peace.
Guide them with your Providence
and Protect them from harm.
May they always be faithful to You
in doing your Will.
Bless them with courage for their tough job ahead
Shield them from the temptations of the evil one
and Surround them with your holy angels. 

Amen

Copyright Jennifer Gladen 2012

A Few Good Priests

I firmly believe we are in a time where great saints will be made. And not just a few known around the world, but possibly in your own parish right now. We are at a time when we either stick with the church or turn from it. It takes courage to stand with the Church now.

But we can't do it without our priests. Yes, a few have given the church and the priesthood a bad name. And as our priest said in today's homily - those priests deserve justice. Without a doubt.

 But there are so many unsung heroes in the Church - much more than the few who hurt the Church and its members. Our parish has been blessed with great priest after great priest. For me just their dedication, humility and faithfulness speaks the truth about what our Church is and what it stands for.

When you go to Church today - or any Sunday, listen to what your priest is saying to you. What message is he delivering to you in the Homily? What is Jesus saying to you in the Eucharist?  Yes, there are some "bad priests" out there and they will be held liable - to society and worse - to God.

However, there are many more here serving God justly and faithfully. Yes, there are more than just a "Few Good Priests" out there. They will lead us through the tough times which are imminent. They will help carve the great saints of our time.

A Mother's Prayer

 

Thank you God for giving me the gift of motherhood.

That I may do the best job possible, I ask:

God please grant me....

The heart of the saints.

The forgiveness of  Jesus 

The kindness of the Father

The wisdom of the Holy Spirit

And the patience of Mother Mary.

Book Review: Walking with Jesus

Walking With Jesus

By Father Daniel Sullivan

http://www.monsignordanielsullivan.com

Publisher: Paulist Press
http://www.paulistpress.com/

ISBN-10: 0809141310

ISBN-13: 978-0809141319

Walking with Jesus, written by Father Daniel Sullivan,  is an inspiring book which takes us on a spiritual journey of the crucifixion and death of Jesus through the points-of-view of those who knew Him. These fictional first person reflections make you think about what these other biblical people may have been thinking. We meet people such as the soldiers, guards, the thieves crucified with Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the Lepers, The Virgin Mary, John the beloved disciple, and even some other people less known friends of Jesus.

As we read along and “walk with Jesus”, we easily see these good and not so good traits in us. However, the passages often leave us with a sense of hope. No matter who was at the foot of the Cross, Jesus was continually seeking the people out. Not just as a group – but as individual people. Just as God knows each of us down to the hairs on our heads and has called us each by name, so Jesus sought each person, individually, from the cross. As we read, we see these events are just as it is today. Jesus loves and has died for each of us – individually. What a great lesson of hope!

As a reader, I found myself breezing through the chapters without pause. I laughed, I cried, and I smiled. Each chapter I found myself asking, “In what great way will meeting Jesus change this person’s life?” Often in the book, the change is a result from something simple Jesus said or did – great, but simple.

This book is great for everyone, no matter where you are in your spiritual life. I fully recommend Walking with Jesus to anyone seeking growth in their journey with Jesus.



Where to get Walking with Jesus:

http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Jesus-Reflections-Those-Knew/dp/0809141310  

http://www.monsignordanielsullivan.com/CDS-and-Books-Available.html



About Monsignor Daniel Sullivan:

Monsignor Daniel Sullivan has been a pries of the diocese of Trenton since 1975. Learn more about him at: http://www.monsignordanielsullivan.com/My-Philosophy.html

Daniel Sullivan, Monsignor

I chose a special topic today to blog about in the A to Z blogging challenge.  Daniel Sullivan. More specifically, Monsignor Daniel Sullivan. He is an engaging speaker, motivating priest and a servant of God on a mission.

Father Dan, as he is often called, began his ministry as a parish priest. After several years, and many inspiring experiences later, he began doing parish retreats. His words and stories move your heart and soul. They point out our humanity, and thus, our dependence on God. The experiences Father Dan shares with you will make you laugh, and some will make you cry. But it's just these emotions in which our own healing begins - and thus a miracle. His preaching is powerful and thought provoking.

But there is more to what Father Dan is about. He felt called to follow a visiting Archbishop to Sierra Leone, Africa where he learned the true horrors of war on all humans - but especially children. Father was so moved by the nightmares he saw, that he got involved. As he said at a recent retreat, "These are my kids."  Father Dan runs several projects to help his kids, which can be found on his website.

One project he's working on is collecting children's books. As a children's author this appealed to me. I am currently contemplating the most effective way I can help these children.  If you have a moment, I recommend you check out the link - http://www.monsignordanielsullivan.com/ and learn more about this inspirational priest and his mission. Be sure to look into his book Walking with Jesus as well, which can be purchased  here.

Review of Father Donald Calloway's No Turning Back

No Turning Back is a book worth reading for everyone. No matter where you are in your spiritual life, you will benefit from Father Calloway's experiences. I found this book to be one of the most captivating books I've read in a long time. Father story of his journey of faith was inspiring. From the minute I picked up the book, I was hooked. This book can easily be read in a few short days with the way it captivates the reader.






The introduction was a general explanation of the journey toward God that Father Donald traveled. It warns of his "animal-like" behavior in his teen years and asks forgiveness in advance to what we are about to read. This introduction was no exaggeration. The next nine chapters detailed all of the negative events that plagued Father Calloway's early life. His stories will make you want to pray for others who may be in those situations now.






At one point in the book, he refers to a scene being like a scene in a movie. In fact the whole book seems like events from a movie. He vividly details his wrong doings from disrespecting his parents, to drug and alcohol abuse, to stealing, and even nights in prison.






Just when you think the story couldn't be any more captivating, you follow Father through his miraculous conversion. This too was like a scene from a movie. I found myself cheering Father along as he rushed in urgency to visit a priest. Background music could have easily been playing as Father literally turned his life upside down in order to make room for God.






We see many sides of Father throughout the book, however all his past experiences have given him the skills of perseverance and determination to pursue the priesthood.






The book was well written and I had a hard time putting it down. I've managed to read it in just a few short days.


Father tells his story in such a personal way that you feel like you are there with him. This book also offers a bright beacon of hope for those who have family members in similar situations.






I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in Catholic spiritual reading. You won't be sorry.






You can purchase this book here.


I wrote this review of No Turning Back for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Oplatki and Advent Calendars. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.






Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.






I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Review of Divine Mercy Video

Orthodoxy: Mostly adheres to Church teachings.



Reading Level: N/A


By Jennifer Gladen (PA) - See all my reviews




Synopsis


An engaging cartoon about the Divine Mercy and how to pray it.


Evaluator Comments


Saint Faustina, together with her friends, talk about what the Divine Mercy Devotion is. Saint Faustina tells the children the story of when Jesus appeared to her and asked her to spread the message of his divine mercy to all.


They then go to church and pray the chaplet together. For each decade they do, they focus on the mysteries of Jesus’ Passion. While Saint Faustina and the children are praying, an image of that mystery is displayed on the screen. The artwork is colorful and eye catching, but doesn't distract you from praying.

In decade one, they focused on the Agony in the Garden and they show Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. The second decade was the Scourging at the Pillar and briefly showed the scourging. I found children with a strong love of Jesus had a tough time with the second mystery. However, this can be a great conversation starter and teachable moment for children. In the third decade they meditated on the Crowing of Thorns, showing the image of soldiers placing the crown of thorns on Jesus' head. The fourth mystery showed the Carrying of the Cross. With this image we see the cruelty the soldiers show Jesus as He carries His cross. Finally, with the fifth decade the characters focus on the Crucifixion.


After the prayers, Saint Faustina explains the importance and necessity of the sacrament of Confession and how this is a wonderful way to receive God’s mercy.


For children who are sensitive to Jesus' sufferings, you may want to prepare them ahead of time. The depictions are not graphic, but His passion and why He suffered can be a hard concept for children to grasp.


I showed this to my children and immediately it grabbed their attention. Instinctually, they all joined in the prayers. This movie definitely engages the children, while teaching them about Jesus and how to pray.


I fully recommend this video.

You can purchase the Divine Mercy Chaplet for Kids here





I wrote this review for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, the largest Catholic Store online. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.



Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.


I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.