The Feast of Two Apostles

October 28

Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

Feast

“Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, ‘Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him’” (John 14:22-23).[1]
Saints Simon and Jude were two of the Apostles. In the Gospel of Luke, Simon is called “the Zealot,” meaning he may have belonged to a radical anti-Roman group. Jude, the son of James, spoke with Jesus at the Last Supper. According to Passion of Simon and Jude, an apocryphal text, the two saints preached and were martyred together in Persia. These Apostles remind us to execute the will of God with a sense of inquiry and passion.[2][

Are you following the Pope on Twitter?

Pope's Twitter account attracts 10 million followers

 

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Pope Francis greets the crowd at St Peter's square after a mass on October 27, 2013 at the Vatican (AFP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis welcomed news on Sunday that his Twitter account @pontifex had attracted more than 10 million followers.
"Dear Followers I understand there are now over 10 million of you! I thank you with all my heart and ask you to continue praying for me," the pontiff tweeted early Sunday.
Francis's predecessor Pope Benedict XVI had opened the account on December 12, and interest in tweets from the pontiff surged after the Argentine pope was elected in March.
People around the world follow @pontifex in nine languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Polish and Latin.
Followers in Spanish are the largest group at four million, followed by English with three million and over more than million in Italian.

Pray through/with the Saints

Read the Catechism in a Year

Day 373 - Turning to the Saints

Why does it help to turn to the saints when we pray?

Saints are people who are aflame with the Holy Spirit; they keep God's fire burning in the Church. Even during their earthly life, the saints prayed ardently, in a way that was contagious. When we are close to them, it is easy to pray. Of course, we never worship saints; we are allowed, though, to call on them in heaven, so that they may present petitions for us at the throne of God.

Around the great saints developed particular schools of spirituality, which like the colors of the spectrum all point to the pure light of God. They all start with a fundamental element of the faith, so as to lead in each case by a different gate to the center of the faith and devotion to God. Thus Franciscan spirituality starts with poverty of spirit, Benedictine spirituality with the praise of God, and Ignatian spirituality with discernment and vocation. A spirituality to which someone feels attracted, depending on his personal character, is always a school of prayer. (YOUCAT question 497)

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Dig Deeper: CCC section (2683-2684) and other references here.

Apostle of Ethiopia

St. Frumentius

                                 

St. Frumentius

 

Feastday: October 27
Patron of Aksumite Empire
Died: 380

Called “Abuna” or “the fa­ther” of Ethiopia, sent to that land by St. Athanasius. Frumentius was born in Tyre, Lebanon. While on a voyage in the Red Sea with St. Aedesius, possibly his brother, only Frumentius and Aedesius survived the shipwreck. Taken to the Ethiopian royal court at Aksum, they soon attained high positions. Aedesius was royal cup bearer, and Fruementius was a secretary. They introduced Christianity to that land. When Abreha and Asbeha inherited the Ethiopian throne from their father, Frumentius went to Alexandria, Egypt, to ask St. Athanasius to send a missionary to Ethiopia. He was consecrated a bishop and converted many more upon his return to Aksum. Frumentius and Aedesius are considered the apostles of Ethiopia.

On Priesthood Sunday, I remember

This weekend is Priesthood Sunday and unfortunately, most Catholics will never know this.  Some parishes may embrace this, others may simply not know about it and in some cases, Pastors specifically and Priests in general don't like to call attention to themselves.  Of course we all can think of that occasional exception to the rule.

For many of us Catholics, we have never really stopped and thought about the importance of the Priest.  Quite simply: no Priest, no Eucharist.  No Priest, no Reconciliation. 

I hope you have fond memories of Priests.  For me, I lived right next door to a parish rectory.  It was not unusual to look out my bedroom window and see a Priest, cassock and all, walking the property either praying his breviary or reciting the Rosary.  These Priests were Marists who were assigned to several of the parishes in the Algiers community of New Orleans.  The first  Priest I remember well was saintly Fr. Templeton.  Apparently long before I even came along, he helped my family through some difficult times and was well regarded by my grandmother.  He indeed baptized me and as I grew older I have memories of good Fr. Templeton having dinner at our home often.

The next real impactful Priest in my life was Fr. Francis Hannigan.  He too was a Marist and lived next door.  He took a real interest in me as he learned I had no dad and loved baseball.  He loved baseball too and often I watched many a All-Star game or World Series with good Fr. Hannigan.  When in high school I won a local speech contest, he personally recruited me to be a lector.  At 15, there I was lecturing along with all the adults.  Fr. Hannigan also took an interest in my girlfriend from high school and would eventually lead her in RCIA classes, oversee her profession into the Catholic faith, witness our marriage and baptize our first child.  He was a positive presence in my life for many, many years.  I still cringe today that for some unknown reason I was unable to speak at a remembrance service upon his death.  He was a good and holy man and such a great influence in my life!

The next really great experience I had with a Priest would be my first encounter with a Benedictine monk.  Fr. William McCandless was the pastor at the local church in Abita Springs.  He would be the first Priest I went to confession in many years.  His generous words and welcoming me "home", as he put it was the catalyst to my fervent return to the Catholic Church.  Under his influence, I became remarkably active in all aspects of parish life and became involved with the parish council, finance committee and Grand Knight of the local KC Council.  One day, the good monk casually but intentionally mentioned to me the diaconate.  I had no real idea, but two years later I was inquiring about the possibility of a vocation.

When Fr. William returned to the Benedictine Abbey we were introduced to Fr. Robert Cavalier, the first archdiocesan pastor in the history of St. Jane Parish.  His arrival coincided with my letter of acceptance from the Archbishop to begin formal aspirancy and eventually formation to become a Permanent Deacon.  Fr. Robert was my local guidance through many years of formation and I eventually became a Deacon assigned back to him when I was sent home to St. Jane's.  He would also guide me through the difficult transition to being moved to a neighboring parish.  Fr. Robert also played a major role in helping me and my family during my mom's passing.

Fast forward to today where I serve at Most Holy Trinity now under the leadership of Fr. Rodney Bourg.  He is currently overseeing the beginning of the construction of our new church and family life center.  At MHT we are also helped by Fr. Dean Robbins who can balance a good joke with a powerful homily all in 10 minutes.

During formation I was blessed to meet many Priests who would avail themselves to help us along our journey.  At the prison where I minister I too have been blessed by the help of many Priests, most notably Fr. Pat Collum who gives two nights a month to bring Mass and Reconciliation to the inmates.

I hope you too will have some time this weekend, or in the week ahead, to reflect and remember those Priests in your life.  Can we all join together and pray for our Priests on this Priesthood Sunday!

This is Priesthood Sunday

About Priesthood Sunday

Together we can make a difference!

One afternoon, I was waiting for Mass to start at St. John’s and there was no priest. Some nuns were visiting from New York and they said they didn’t have a priest in all their parishes anymore, and that Eucharistic services were common. I thought, “What would it be like if there were no priests?” And I asked myself, “What are you doing about it?”
-- Elizabeth Shrier, Serra Club of Omaha, NE

What is "Priesthood Sunday"?

Priesthood Sunday, the last Sunday of October, is a special day set aside to honor the priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one.
In the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal, there has been concern that the image of all priests has been tainted by the actions of a few. Priesthood Sunday sends a message to all that the sins of a few do not reflect the innocent majority, and that the parish priest, as the instrument of Christ's ministry on earth, is loved and respected by those in the parish community.
This nationwide event is coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International. It is sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International and the Serra International Foundation.

What happens on Priesthood Sunday?

The lay faithful of all parishes in the country develop their own special way of marking the day and honoring their parish priests both at Mass and other parish events, such as social celebrations and school activities.
Priesthood Sunday was designed to be an event led by the laity, but your parish priest can participate by talking about how he experienced and answered his own calling, the need for vocations to keep the priesthood vital, and about priests who have inspired him.
Priesthood Sunday will also offer an opportunity for priests and their parishioners to build a stronger working relationship for the future. Together, they can dialogue to take an honest look at the challenges of the future and how they can collaborate to meet those challenges as a united force.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: USA Council of Serra International
             888-777-6681
             serraus@serraus.org

August 19, 2013

PRIESTHOOD SUNDAY:

Catholics honor priests in nationwide event

In October 2013, Catholic parishes throughout the United States will show support for their priests with prayer, celebration and dialogue. The last Sunday of October is designated as Priesthood Sunday, a one-day celebration of the priesthood organized by parish lay leaders and coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International.

“The purpose of Priesthood Sunday is to engage every level of the church in the United States in a national conversation about the priesthood,” said Rev. Richard Vega, President of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils. NFPC represents more than 26,000 U.S. priests.

Priesthood Sunday was established in 2003 to provide a way for Catholic communities to express appreciation for the devoted priests who serve them so faithfully despite recent negative attention in the media. Such a celebration is increasingly relevant in light of the declining number of priests in the U.S. Only about 4,000 of the 19,000 parishes in this country currently have more than one priest. Many priests serve two or more parishes by themselves.

The lay faithful of each parish, school or other ministry are asked to develop their own special way of marking the day and honoring both priesthood and their own priests. Special liturgies, Priesthood Sunday celebrations and the opening of a dialogue between priests and parishioners are encouraged. Priesthood Sunday is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of October, but some dioceses and parishes may celebrate at a different time to coincide with other planned events.

Lay parish leaders are invited to visit www.priestsunday.org for suggested liturgies, social celebrations, reflections, and downloadable graphics, guides and posters. Requests for printed material may be directed to 888.777.6681.

“Affirming and supporting our priests are some of the most important things that we can do as Serrans,” says Gary Davis, past president of the USA Council of Serra International, the non-profit organization coordinating Priesthood Sunday. The USA Council is responsible for disseminating information to parishes interested in honoring their priests on this very special day. “Our priests give of themselves every day in so many different ways. It is an honor to recognize them in a manner in which entire parishes may join together in an outpouring of appreciation,” said Davis.

Priesthood Sunday is coordinated and sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International. Serra International is a worldwide Catholic organization of lay men and women dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. More than 10,000 members in over 280 clubs are active in the United States. The USA Council is available at the number above or at www.serraus.org. The USA Council office is based in Chicago.

 

Praying to/with the Holy Spirit

Read the Catechism in a Year

Day 372 - The Holy Spirit and Prayer

Why do we need the Holy Spirit when we pray?

The bible says, "We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words" (Rom 8:26).

Praying to God is possible only with God. It is not primarily our accomplishment that our prayer actually reaches God. We Christians have received the Spirit of Jesus, who wholeheartedly yearned to be one with the Father: to be loving at all times, to listen to each other with complete attention, to understand each other thoroughly, to want wholeheartedly what the other person wants. This holy Spirit of Jesus is in us, and he is speaking through us when we pray. Basically prayer means that from the depths of my heart, God speaks to God. The Holy Spirit helps our spirit to pray. Hence we should say again and again, "Come, Holy Spirit, come and help me to pray." (YOUCAT question 496)

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Dig Deeper: CCC section (2670-2682) and other references here.

Became a king instead of a cleric but remained faithful to the Church

St. Alfred the Great

                                 

St. Alfred the Great

 

Feastday: October 26
848 - 899

King of Wessex, scholar, and renowned Christian monarch. Alfred was born in 849, the fifth son of the Wessex king. During a journey to Rome in 853, he was accepted as a godson by Pope Leo IV . He was a great scholar, translating classics for his people, and early on seemed destined for a career in the Church. Instead, he became king and was forced to spend most of his reign in conflict with the Danes who were then threatening England. His work as a patron of the arts, literature, and especially the Church made him a beloved figure in England.

It's a beautiful cool Friday night and I have a date with wallpaper; all because of Calvin

Down in these parts we wait very patiently for days and evenings like this.  At 9 P.M. we are experiencing cool temps in the upper 40's.  It could not be more delightful.  Sounds like a great evening to maybe go out for dinner, take in a high school football game down the road or just sit out on the porch and soak in all this autumn feel good air.  At the Talbot abode, it is none of the above.  The better half has me helping her rip and destroy and discard decades old wallpaper in the living room and the hallway.  She's still at it; I've surrendered.  However, after just 2 hours, the wallpaper is gone, not a hint of it.  Unfortunately, the better half now feels motivated to let the painting begin!  For me, I bow out gracefully here; I have work at the bank in the morning and ministry all weekend long.

Why are we ripping wallpaper and painting.  Amazingly, after living on our 10-acre paradise for 18 years, we have never done much to the place except paint here or repair something there.  But that was B.C.; before Calvin!!  Yes, finally, after what will be 15 months of life, and Pops & Nona traveling there; Calvin, with mom & dad, is coming here!!!  The big event is still 6 to 7 weeks off, and thank goodness because Extreme Make Over, Talbot edition, is far from complete.  Once again, I refer to my better half, who has declared from on high that we will change out all the flooring in the entire house, get brand new kitchen counter tops, paint 4 rooms, hang new light fixtures, purchase various new furnishings and have the driveway redone from the road to the front door.  Now a dollar figure will not be offered up here to keep the peace and prevent me from a momentary seizure, but this is slightly more than significant.  I never knew Calvin's arrival in southeast Louisiana would be so, well, expensive.

Now no one should take any of this wrong; Calvin's anticipated arrival is something I am looking forward to with profound joy.  I cannot wait to see him, and mom & dad too, in my own home.  In fact, this will be the first time all of my family will even meet him.  And I guess the secondary bit of good news; it will be the first time the Talbot clan will get to mess up my expensive renovations.

Looking forward, there is much work to be done as Wendy begins painting the living room and we continue to change-out this and fix-up that.  And along the way, we both dutifully go to work, I attend to my many ministry responsibilities and then there is always the never ending grass to be cut.

Yes, it is the most beautiful evening of the year since last March.  And we wrestled with wallpaper and paint.  It is well worth it and it served again tonight as a great reminder: I love being Calvin's Pops and I love the amazing commitment of my better half, in absolutely everything she undertakes. 

And yet, we are all reminded, it's not what we do, but who we are that really counts!

Why? Because in whatever we do because of who we are, it's the gift of presence that really is the best present ever!