Some insight gained while out in the woods...

http://www.intothewildweekend.com/

I went with two parishoners, Mark and Mike, on an outdoor men's retreat called "Into The Wild" (http://www.intothewildweekend.com/) run by The King's Men (http://www.thekingsmen.org/) out of Philadelphia. What a great experience! Picture 100 men, out in the woods, in cabins, celebrating mass, praying, fishing, digging holes and tramping through the woods together in the spirit of faith.
 
The whole weekend is structured to teach three elements of Masculinity: leader, provider, and protector. For example, we had a presentation to teach us basic Orienteering. We were broken into groups - guys we didn't know. We learned to use a map and a compass to determine the direction to head. I had done this before, but this way was better. Then we walked 100 meters and counted paces to determine our pace "factor" or the distance we walk in each pace. After learning this, of course we could determine from a map direction and distance to go and then count out the paces.

Okay, so then we are sent into the woods to find markers that matched points which we copied onto our map. The first thing we found out was that often you can't just go in a straight line and count the paces because there is an obstacle in the way. So we had to learn to read other symbols on the map, such as a foot path or contour lines to tell us to go uphill or downhill or symbols that showed there is heavy vegetation.

My team of 4 (myself, Ted, Harry and his son Mark) split into two sub teams. Ted and I calculated the distance and direction from the map, compared it and then sent Harry off into the woods. Then the rest of us would catch up and spread out to look for the orange pole with a red, yellow or green band (for number of points) with the name of a saint and a code we had to write down to get the points.

After two hours of scrambling through the forest we had found 6 markers worth 26 points. We were pretty proud of ourselves. (until we heard that others had 40 something points and higher. ;)  This whole exercise was to get us thinking about leadership. And to learn that to be a leader, you have to know the direction you want to lead and be able to work with people to get there. As Christians, we men lead based on Gospel values.

Harry and I talked a lot that night and he helped me talk out some things I was struggling with. Thanks, Harry! Later that evening and every night we sat around a huge bonfire and guys would get up and share how the weekend and their faith journey was going. Very inspiring stories.

On Saturday, we broken up into three teams: fishing, outdoor chapel building, and outdoor cooking. The fishing guys got up very early and headed out to a beautiful lake. The chapel building guys worked all day to build a chapel in the woods: benches made from logs, a stone and wood altar and lectern and some other decor such as a main cross (with two stone crosses on a hill to represent the two thieves) and a little grotto for Mary. We had mass in this outdoor Cathedral on Sunday morning. Awesome.

I was on the outdoor cooking team. The team dug a 2 foot by 6 foot by about 2 foot deep hole out of incredibly rocky ground. In it we placed volcanic rock that had been heated in the fire and  a burlap wrapped pig. We covered it with the rock and dirt and let it cook in the earth oven for 10 hours. We dug two more holes for logs in which we cut notches for the spits with 12 chickens (stuffed with garlic and rosemary.) We also cut up little potatoesand some veggies: red bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and fennel (which John, our chef, grilled later.) John also baked some brisket. At night we had a big Ol' feast for a bunch of hungry, tired guys. It was delicioso!

That night we had the hugest bonfire I had ever seen. More guys got up and shared their story. I was inspired to share even though I wasn't planning on it. I shared a bit of my struggle to discover what a real man is (versus a macho Rambo type or the Sex addict or the dopey husband portrayed on TV.) I realized how much, as a man and a priest, that I needed the witness of these faith filled Catholic men. I need them to bring their wives and children to mass. I need them to support me in preaching the Truth to a culture that does not welcome it. I need them to have the courage to stand up against evil and promote Christian values in our community. And sometimes, I need someone like Harry, to tell me when I am being prideful and need to learn humility.

Overall, it was a great retreat, despite the sleeping on plywood and the bug bites (even with spray) and the lack of sleep. I definitely feel fired up and had some good insight into the direction my parish's men's group should go.

I highly recommend checking out the Kings Men and possibly attending one of these retreat weekend (maybe with your son!)

Jesus, a Mama's Boy and the Wait Continues..

August 22 - The Queenship of Mary. Today is an interesting feast day, because it reveals what kind of man Jesus is.....a mama's boy. In the Glorious mysteries of the Rosary we have a mystery called the Coronation, where it celebrates the crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of heaven and earth. This can be related to the image of the woman "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head" in Revelation 12 and the queen arrayed in gold of Psalm 45. The Church has revered Mary as Mother and Queen since the beginning but it was only declared in 1954.

The Coronation from earlychurchfathers.org

This feast, along with the Assuption (August 15) shows Jesus' affection for his mom. We can picture Him wanting to honor her and elevate her to a high position and so Jesus, in union with the Father and the Spirit, crowns her as Queen. As Christ is the King, she is his queen. Her job is simply to point people to her Son.
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People have been asking me, "Father, I heard you were going into the military, is that true?"  I usually reply that I have applied to be a Navy Chaplain but I haven't been accepted yet. Most people
think this is an awesome thing (with the occasionally, "I wouldn't let my kid go into the military.") So, I usually feel pretty good about it.

I am still is wait mode. I hope I will be invited to Washington to meet the Chaplain Board soon.  I just want to be accepted. Then, of course, I will still have to wait until July, but at least I will know for sure I am going.

Pray for me. I am off to a retreat called "Into the Wild." It is about 100 guys at a state park doing spiriutal and outdoorsy things. Should be great. For info:  http://www.intothewildweekend.com/

Status Update: "More Info Needed" AND My Homily from Sunday

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/highbloodpressure.html

Well, I received a letter from Navy Recruiting. I need to send in some more information.

 

Apparently, the results of a drug test were left out of the report when I went for a physical. So I had them fax it. I also needed to go get an "Ophthalmology evaluation." I guess since I wear glasses, that might be a good idea. I have to go to my doctor twice a day for three consecutive days to get blood pressure readings. My blood pressure must have been high when I went for my physical. I wonder why (he says sarcastically) since I drove up to Edison to a clinic and was informed when I got there that they wouldn't be able to see me! Then I had to wait 45 minutes or so as a nurse came back from break and spoke to my recruiter and worked everything out. Ugh. Maybe that is why my blood pressure was up?!?

 

So no problem. If something is worth it, you have to work for it. Today is the last day of going to the doc for blood pressure readings. They are fairly normal. Certainly not high.

 

The good news is that the Navy must have started to look through my application. (Yeah!)  I will send the additional information to my recruiter and he will send it on to Washington.

 

Yesterday, August 7 was supposed to be another Navy Chaplain review board meeting. I missed another one. Hopefully, I will hear back from the Navy by the end of August and have an appointment for the final review soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

FYI -- here's my homily from this Sunday. I also had mass in Spanish this weekend. I will be doing the Spanish mass for the next few weeks.

Homily for 18th week in Ordinary Time Year B 

We spend much of our time doing things that help support our life here on earth.

• We work to support our family:   so we can have a roof over our heads, so we can feed our children, and so we can pay the bills. Maybe we will have a little money left over to have some fun.
• We may spend time cleaning, improving or fixing our house.
• We spend time with family and friends.
• We raise our children, send them to school, teach them to know good from bad.
• We maintain our car (I had to take my car for inspection this week!) and we take care of our other possessions.
• We manage our finances and try to save for future expenses and maybe prepare for retirement.

These are all good things and we should do them.

In the Gospel today, however, Jesus tells us not to “work for food that will perish” – the possessions, rewards and admiration in this life. He tells us rather to “work for food that endures for eternal life.”

How do we work for this eternal food. What is this eternal food?

Jesus himself is this food. He says, “I am the bread of life.”

So Jesus is commanding us to work to receive Jesus into our minds and hearts!  (Recall the gesture we make right before the Gospel… We make a cross on our forehead, lips and chest signifying “May the Lord be in my thoughts, my words and my desires. This is what he meant.)

How do we do this?

We know the basics. Practice our faith. Pray. Come to Mass. Teach your children, not only right from wrong, but teach them to know, love and serve Jesus. We do this by example.

Pray every day with your family. Perhaps pray the rosary as a family. Or if your children are very little, pray one decade of the rosary or do a shorter version – something they are able to do. But teach them the prayers. Teach them about Jesus. Teach them about Mary, Our Mother.

We need to open ourselves to how Jesus wants to feed us. So we need to remove sinful behavior from our lives. Run away from inappropriate entertainment and get help with fighting addictions. Make sure your marriage is in good standing, maybe an annulment is needed. Use some of your free time to serve the people around you. In serving, we imitate Christ.

Focus more of your day on the fact that God is present. Offer each day to God. Offer everything that you do for His glory! If you are going to work, offer that to God. If you playing with your kids, offer that to God. If you are sitting and talking with your spouse, offer that time to God. Be grateful for what you have and avoid always desiring what other people have.

St. Paul instructs us to “pray without ceasing.” So basically, you make your whole day a prayer - by reminding yourself and others. We do this with building habits of praying, for example praying before meals. We have statues and symbols around our house and in our car. I make time to pray the rosary whenever I am taking a long trip. As soon as I get off the highway, I take the rosary from around the rear view mirror and I start to pray before I forget.

Work for food that will endure for eternal life! Work to let Jesus into your hearts and minds!

What is Our Country Founded On?

You gotta love what people send you in email. I received this video link from a teacher at the high school in our parish. It is a little walk through Washington, D.C. mall area, visiting monuments and noticing the faith of our founders. I like it a lot.

Is our nation a "Christian nation?" Does it have to be composed of Christians ONLY to be called that? Or, was there a conscious attempt by the founding fathers to create a Christian nation - to base our nation on a value system and set of principles derived from Christianity?

I think of the Declaration of Independence as I ponder this question. (See http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html )

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. ...

"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. ...

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."


I think there is a clear acknowledgement of the power of and our dependence on God. However, to be fair, this doesn't show Christian faith yet. The video also shows that various Presidents spoke of God. One mentions "our religion,"  but that is still not clear that it refers to Christianity - I would have to know more context.

So, I guess the search continues. Maybe it's time to hit the library and see if there is more evidence of the intent of Our great Country's founders.

A question first:  if the foundation of Our Country is NOT Christianity or its values and principles -- then WHAT is? And more importantly, what determines the direction we are going in?