It was a marvelous four days (February 22-25) at Immaculate Conception Parish in Green River, Wyoming.  I had the privilege of preaching at the weekend Masses and then presenting a three night parish mission entitled, "Stir Into Flame the Gift of God."  The hospitality extended to me was simply amazing, and I am grateful for the kindness and generosity of the pastor, staff, and parishioners.

On the first night of the mission we focused our attention on faith.  What do we believe?  Why do we believe it?  How does it make a difference in the way we live? 



The second night we reflected upon the gift of hope.  In particular, we examined our prayer lives and how that factored into our conversion experience.  Can people truly see that we are people of hope by the way we live?

The final night of the mission was nothing short of powerful.  We pondered the wonderful attributes of our God in regard to mercy, forgiveness, and healing.  We took a serious look at our individual hurts and wounds and sought the peace, healing, and contentment that can only be found in the loving arms of our Redeemer.  The gift of tears was prevalent and the Holy Spirit moved within our midst in dramatic fashion.

I am humbled each time I have the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful experience.  God's people in Green River blessed me abundantly in my short stay in their community, and I am sincerely appreciative of the pastor's invitation to be part of this precious experience.  

Next up--the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) retreat in Cheyenne tomorrow morning.  This is an annual retreat for all of those individuals at the three parishes in Cheyenne preparing to come into full communion of the Church at the Easter Vigil.  I enjoy the enthusiasm and anticipation that is present at this retreat each year.

Following the retreat I will be preaching at three Masses at the Cathedral of St. Mary this weekend: Saturday evening at 5:15 P.M. and Sunday morning at 7:30 and 9:00 A.M.  

Ash Wednesday then comes upon us with the beginning of Lent.  On Thursday, we are reviving the Cursillo movement in the Diocese of Cheyenne with a men's weekend.  I have the awesome privilege of serving as a spiritual advisor for the weekend (March 6 through March 9) and I am looking forward to seeing the Holy Spirit move within our midst during these four days as well.

Finally, the Rite of Election takes places at the Cathedral on Sunday, March 9, at 3:00 P.M.  After that, I may need a day off. 

Have a Blessed Lenten Season! 

As we approach another celebration of “President’s Day” on Monday I can’t help but wonder what President Washington, President Lincoln, and all of our Founding Fathers would think about the current state of affairs in our country.  It is evident that Christianity in Colonial America served as the foundation of everything the early settlers set out to do. The collapse of Christian virtues and values in our modern culture shows just how far we have strayed from the original intent of our country’s founding.

The Rhode Island Charter of 1683 begins, “We submit our person, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given us in His Holy Word.”  Fast forward nearly 100 years to 1779 and look at what Samuel Adams wrote in a letter to James Warren.  “A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.  While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.  How necessary then is it for those who are determined to transmit the blessings of liberty as a fair inheritance to posterity, to associate on public principles in support of public virtue.”  It seems that Samuel Adams had in mind in 1779 what we would witness in our current generation.

Noah Webster (1758-1843) published a textbook in 1832 entitled, History of the United States.  In this book he speaks at length about the value of religion, the Bible, and Christian principles.  One line serves as a prominent reminder to all public servants today.  “Almost all the civil liberty now enjoyed in the world owes its origins to the principles of the Christian religion.”  Compare that statement to the reality of today in which there appears to be an all-out assault on Christianity from the powers that be.  How did we as a nation allow ourselves to be led astray from such convictions?

The moral decline of our nation is evident.  The refusal to believe in Eternal Truth has brought about rampant relativism in which each individual creates his/her own truth.  The consequences of such a belief system seems to  become more and more obvious with each passing day.  We have been legally killing unborn children for 41 years; there are times when this includes infanticide as depicted in testimony at the trial of Dr. Gosnell.  Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia clearly establish that the value of life is determined by functionality.  The dignity and sanctity of human life is ignored in each of these actions, and yet, it has become accepted and even welcomed in contemporary culture.

The attack on Christianity is to be expected.  People with religious convictions who are guided by the Sacred Scriptures in their day-to-day lives are a roadblock to those with an evil agenda.  The tyranny that erupted at various times in history provides us with some insight as to what is happening today.  If we are prudent we will all become students of history to get a glimpse at our future.  The removal of God from our public institutions, the indoctrination of students from preschool through the ultra-liberal university years, the control of the press from graduates of these liberal universities, and big time financial donors promoting their aggressive agenda paints a picture that is not too bright for Christians who value the liberty provided by the Constitution of the United States.

The Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate is one of the latest assaults on Christianity, and on the Catholic Church in particular.  Why is this relevant?  The Catholic Church is a significant roadblock to those who pursue a culture of death.  A book entitled, They Fired the First Shot 2012, spells it out quite clearly beginning on page 562 where the author says:

“If you study communist takeovers and dictatorships, you will see we are on this road.  Mexico’s history in the early part of the last century is proof.  As in Mexico, the Catholic bishops, priests and religious in the United States will be among the first to be imprisoned or killed.  Others will follow.  The healthcare mandate first attacks the Catholic Church.  Bishops, as the enemy sees them, are generals to be eradicated to scatter the flock and are the first that must be taken down.  Don’t want to believe it?  Study history.  Look at the French Revolution.  The guillotines ran non-stop.  Not possible in the United States?  If there is not a radical stand now, “the guillotines,” whatever that might be in the USA, will run non-stop.  History clearly shows religion is first in line to be crushed and the first major blow to smash the Church is the healthcare mandate.” 

The author is adamant that the Catholic Church has to be firm in standing up against this attack on religious liberty.  The writer goes on to elaborate that, “twenty-five percent of all medical health related care, totaling $100 billion, is under the spiritual authority and protection of the Catholic Church.  This in itself is authority not to bargain with, but to mandate; not to request with, but to state: ‘Our goal is we will not shut down.  We will not relinquish our authority to the state.  We will not go to jail.’”  

It appears that we will need to follow the example of repentance as demonstrated by the people of Nineveh to bring our nation back to God.  Prayer and fasting are key elements that people of God have used in the past and they are certainly pertinent for our needs today.  May each of us truly turn our hearts and minds to God!  

The words attributed to Patrick Henry so long ago may resonate once more with Americans, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”  

In 1992, Pope John Paul II designated February 11, as World Day of the Sick.  The Church also celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes on this day.  Obviously, these two events have much in common when we consider the many miraculous healings that have been recorded at the shrine in Lourdes.  This is certainly a time to reflect and pray for all those who suffer and struggle with illness, but it is also a time to give thanks and praise for the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us through medical progress as well as those supernatural occurrences of healing.

“Why do bad things happen to good people?”  This is a question that has been pondered in one way or another for centuries.  The philosophical and theological extrapolations on the topic are immense, and the psychological and sociological components add an even more complex twist to decipher the meaning of life in the context of suffering.  It was for more than a decade that I worked with a support group for individuals and families coping with a life threatening illness. The question was posed many times in one capacity or another, “Why is God doing this to me (or my loved one)?”  

I became a student of suffering by necessity, not by choice.  Being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 25 provided an opportunity to learn some things I would have never learned in textbooks alone.  The awareness of my mortality at such an early age shaped my adult life in a way that I could have never imagined.  There was a cycle of fear, anger, bitterness, resentment toward healthy people, and a whole list of other emotions that I need not elucidate.  Suffice it to say that it took quite a while for me to come around to seeing anything positive in this experience we call suffering.

I remember being in the hospital and looking out the window at the rest of civilization with contempt.  I could see the Missouri River flowing by and I felt that was a depiction of my life.  Life was flowing by and I was not in control of where I was going.  I watched the people walking by on the sidewalk and was enraged at their lack of concern for my well-being.  It was incomprehensible as to how life outside the hospital walls could keep going on without me.  To put it mildly, I did not take up my cross willingly.

More than half of my life has now been lived as a cancer survivor.  One of the greatest gifts that I finally received through this experience was the virtue of empathy.  I know what it is to hurt, to suffer.  It has enhanced my personal life and it clearly has affected the way I minister to others who are hurting.  This is not the path of learning that I would have chosen for myself, but I am convinced that it is a path allowed by God in my journey toward understanding, and hopefully, holiness.  The learning did not come quickly or easily, but it continues to grow deeper with the passing of years.

In the last quarter of a century I have had the privilege to enter into relationships with many individuals and families coping with serious illnesses.  Some have recovered, some have succumbed to the battle, and others are still maintaining the fight.  The one thing that each relationship has demonstrated to me is that these are sacred moments.  There is an opportunity to encounter God in the midst of the pain and suffering.  It may not always be easy to recognize those opportunities when one is in the midst of the challenges, but they are present nonetheless.

Although World Day of the Sick may focus our attention on physical suffering, it does not diminish the fact that many people are suffering from mental, emotional and spiritual ailments as well.  Broken relationships between spouses have brought an abundance of suffering to innumerable homes, and the ripple effect is detrimental to the lives of a multitude of children who bear the burden of this rampant discord in our culture.  The economic downturn and subsequent job losses has affected a large percentage of households and caused serious mental and emotional anxiety.  There simply is no shortage of pain and suffering in contemporary society.

If you are currently in the midst of serious suffering and pain right now, I hope you find strength in knowing that the Church is praying for you in a very significant way on this Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.  For you and your loved ones I simply offer this prayer from the Rite of the Anointing of the Sick.

“God of compassion, you take every family under your care and know our physical and spiritual needs.  Transform our weakness by the strength of your grace and confirm us in your covenant so that we may grow in faith and love.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.”