Catholic Transcript Online

There are few people who can sincerely claim ignorance of the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments. The truth found within the "Ten Words" of God are somehow relevant to everyone, even those who profess little or no faith. They are part of us as God-created beings.

Sure, it’s easier today than ever before to rationalize why we accept some behaviors as part of living in our modern world, as opposed to continuing with the traditional mores of former generations.

"Teacher, what good must I do, to have eternal life?" This striking question of the rich young man of the Gospels is employed by the Catechism of the Catholic Church to introduce its treatment of the Ten Commandments (Mt 19:16-19). With great devotion and thirst for the teaching of Christ, the young man makes his way to Jesus and asks a question that lingers in the heart of any sincere disciple searching for the new life offered through Christ. Here, the believer desires the gift of salvation that promises eternal life and, at first impression, seems prepared to follow the Lord where-ever this new life will take him.

The feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola on July 31 is the perfect occasion to reflect on the "prayer of imagination," a prayer form often associated with Saint Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.

The prayer of the imagination entails the quiet and prayerful use of your imagination to picture a specific scene. Sometimes Saint Ignatius recommends consideration of a specific scriptural passage, and other times he encourages the Christian to entertain some other religious scene. A special characteristic of Ignatian prayer is imagining yourself in the scene. "Where are you in this scene? Are you taking part in the action or are you more of a spectator?"

News outlets have been buzzing recently with the political play-by-play of a new legislation regarding the status of illegal aliens.

A day doesn’t go by without some assault leveled at the authority of the Catholic Church to teach on issues of the moral life. From concerns of justice in the workplace to the dignity of family life to procreation and euthanasia, there are many areas of life that the Church is compelled to address as a moral voice in the modern world. With the most recent concerns in Ireland and Europe, it is of paramount importance for the Church’s moral voice to be clear on ethical issues.

I had no idea what my article would be about this month. With the start of Lent and so many pulls from various ministries lately, I haven’t been focused on what would make a good message. Then the phone rang.

The parish priest who has grown in paschal wisdom will naturally demonstrate pastoral charity in his actions and in his person. The experience of this deep and abiding love for the Church and the Lord’s people is the consummation and satisfaction of the priest’s call to holiness through service. Pastoral charity is the hallmark of the priesthood.

Today, family life faces many serious challenges that can undermine the vocation of spouses and deflate a child’s development into an attentive and thoughtful young adult. Over the last several years, I have been struck by the number of authors who have offered reflections and guidance for the formation of the family and what we can refer to as intentional parenting for child development.

In this special Year for Priests, we have an occasion to reflect on the core grace that animates a parish priest’s ministry: paschal wisdom. This grace fortifies the priestly vocation as it faces the challenges that are inevitable in any busy ministry today.

There are several challenges that we should consider here. The following common mistakes can exist in various degrees in a particular priest’s vocation or in the diocesan structures. There can be a tendency to celebrate extra-ministerial achievements as more worthy and important than the daily routine of pastoral life and work in the parish. It is possible to allow scandals, the decreasing number of priests and the ever-increasing demands on priests to go without prayerful reflection. It also is a mistake to see the presbyterate as a nonreligious community with only loose references to fraternity. Another possible mistake is for priests to avoid speaking fraternally among themselves about religious matters and faith concerns. Finally, many different forces can lead a priest to adopt agreeable and pleasant components from the religious and lay vocations to form a compromised lifestyle marked by secular materialism and pious overture.

As Catholics our observance of Advent is our strongest response to a frenzied holiday season of shopping, office parties, social events and greeting cards. The season of Advent affords all Christians time to appreciate the greatest affirmation humanity has ever received – the Nativity of the Savior.

The birth of God as man is itself an act by God of profound humility. The Christ is not to be found in a palace or in a family of social advantage. Without any loss to his being God, Jesus is born in the poverty of the stable. He takes on flesh and all that being human entails save sin. God humbles himself to show us his way of love (Ps 25:9). His experience of poverty isn’t limited to the economic; he enters the poverty of all mankind. God, who is love, comes to know the ravages of our human pain, prejudice and persecution from within the frame of human experience. God comes with glorious works not for his sake, but ours. He comes in a free act of love to be with us just as one friend lovingly desires time with the other friend. With this wonderful expression of God’s love for mankind, we, as the people of God, are filled with great anticipation, hope and joy.