“Though perseverance does not come from our power, yet it comes within our power.”
- St. Francis de Sales
Last Saturday at 6:00 AM, a group from St. Joseph departed for our diocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC, returning home at 11:00 PM. We spent 11 hours on the bus and 6 hours in DC with lunch at the Shrine, Live Carillon Concert by Dr. Robert Grogan, tours of the church, Holy Hour with exposition, adoration and benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a celebration of Penance, a presentation of “A Tour of Faith," a choral concert, and a beautiful Liturgy celebrated by Bishop David Zubik before departing home for Pittsburgh. We were provided with a booklet for the pilgrimage that included Morning Prayer, the Rosary and Evening Prayer, and through our diocesan choir under the direction of Fr. James Chepponis, we were provided with beautiful music. The pilgrimage to our nation’s capital was approximately 300 miles each way and all the pilgrims were delighted to greet the Bishop as we arrived and bid him farewell outside the magnificent basilica as we departed. It certainly was a full day, to say the least, but our spirits were renewed and soaring.
For the past twenty years our diocese has made this pilgrimage every other year. This year there were 13 buses, 13 priests, 24 seminarians and approximately 500 pilgrims. The Bishop blessed our religious articles at the end of Mass as all in the assembly held them up. I got a new pair of wooden rosaries, olive wood from Jerusalem, along with four books purchased in their bookstore. The books were "The Sermons of the Cure of Ars" (St. John Vianney), "The Virtues of Holiness -- the Basics of Spiritual Struggle" by Fr. Juan Louis Lorda, "Mysteries of the Virgin Mary -- Living Our Lady’s Graces" by Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP (editor of the Magnificat monthly prayerbook), and St. Joseph: Patron of the Home and Home Sellers, in thanksgiving for the gift of the Parish of St. Joseph that I now serve. What a memorable, meaningful and picture perfect day God certainly gave us!
I woke up the following morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, to celebrate the three Masses at St. Joseph, after which I met a friend at The Café in Sewickley for lunch. As I opened the door of The Café, there seated before us was Mario Lemieux and his wife Natalie! Mario, the icon of Pittsburgh hockey and the architect who saved our Penguins and whose picture hangs above my computer. I had to seize the opportunity to greet him. It was fitting that I had my Penguin jacket and clerics on —looking like a true Penguin fan— and I wished him a belated Happy Birthday, (October 5) and told him that no one played hockey more gracefully than he did. His humble and kind smile and warmth said it all. So, one day I got to see the seventh largest church in the world at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington DC, and the next day I got to meet the icon of Pittsburgh hockey, Mario Lemieux. It doesn’t get any better than that! It was almost heaven.
It may seem strange to interpose Bishop Zubik and Mario Lemieux in the same article, but to me, both represent ordinary, down-to-earth, humble human beings, using their talents very well for their appointed tasks and duties. God blesses each person with certain talents and abilities in their lives. In his book, "Talent is Never Enough," Dr. John C. Maxwell explains that there are 13 key choices that can help maximize any person’s talent:
- St. Francis de Sales
Last Saturday at 6:00 AM, a group from St. Joseph departed for our diocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC, returning home at 11:00 PM. We spent 11 hours on the bus and 6 hours in DC with lunch at the Shrine, Live Carillon Concert by Dr. Robert Grogan, tours of the church, Holy Hour with exposition, adoration and benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a celebration of Penance, a presentation of “A Tour of Faith," a choral concert, and a beautiful Liturgy celebrated by Bishop David Zubik before departing home for Pittsburgh. We were provided with a booklet for the pilgrimage that included Morning Prayer, the Rosary and Evening Prayer, and through our diocesan choir under the direction of Fr. James Chepponis, we were provided with beautiful music. The pilgrimage to our nation’s capital was approximately 300 miles each way and all the pilgrims were delighted to greet the Bishop as we arrived and bid him farewell outside the magnificent basilica as we departed. It certainly was a full day, to say the least, but our spirits were renewed and soaring.
For the past twenty years our diocese has made this pilgrimage every other year. This year there were 13 buses, 13 priests, 24 seminarians and approximately 500 pilgrims. The Bishop blessed our religious articles at the end of Mass as all in the assembly held them up. I got a new pair of wooden rosaries, olive wood from Jerusalem, along with four books purchased in their bookstore. The books were "The Sermons of the Cure of Ars" (St. John Vianney), "The Virtues of Holiness -- the Basics of Spiritual Struggle" by Fr. Juan Louis Lorda, "Mysteries of the Virgin Mary -- Living Our Lady’s Graces" by Fr. Peter John Cameron, OP (editor of the Magnificat monthly prayerbook), and St. Joseph: Patron of the Home and Home Sellers, in thanksgiving for the gift of the Parish of St. Joseph that I now serve. What a memorable, meaningful and picture perfect day God certainly gave us!
I woke up the following morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, to celebrate the three Masses at St. Joseph, after which I met a friend at The Café in Sewickley for lunch. As I opened the door of The Café, there seated before us was Mario Lemieux and his wife Natalie! Mario, the icon of Pittsburgh hockey and the architect who saved our Penguins and whose picture hangs above my computer. I had to seize the opportunity to greet him. It was fitting that I had my Penguin jacket and clerics on —looking like a true Penguin fan— and I wished him a belated Happy Birthday, (October 5) and told him that no one played hockey more gracefully than he did. His humble and kind smile and warmth said it all. So, one day I got to see the seventh largest church in the world at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington DC, and the next day I got to meet the icon of Pittsburgh hockey, Mario Lemieux. It doesn’t get any better than that! It was almost heaven.
It may seem strange to interpose Bishop Zubik and Mario Lemieux in the same article, but to me, both represent ordinary, down-to-earth, humble human beings, using their talents very well for their appointed tasks and duties. God blesses each person with certain talents and abilities in their lives. In his book, "Talent is Never Enough," Dr. John C. Maxwell explains that there are 13 key choices that can help maximize any person’s talent:
- Belief lifts your talent.
- Passion energizes your talent.
- Initiative activates your talent.
- Focus directs your talent.
- Preparation positions your talent.
- Practice sharpens your talent.
- Perseverance sustains your talent.
- Courage tests your talent.
- Teachability expands your talent.
- Character protects your talent.
- Relationships influence your talent.
- Responsibility strengthens your talent.
- Teamwork multiplies your talent.
On the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we read from the book of Exodus which presents the Chosen Israelite People in battle with the Amalekites at Rephidem. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage in the fight. But when his hands were down and rested, Amalek had the upper hand. Moses was supported with the aid of his brother Aaron and Hur as his arms were lifted by them on each side. Moses kept praying to God until sunset, and with the edge of the sword, Joshua cut down Amalek and his people. None of us will win the battles of life without the support of prayer, friendships and the spirit of perseverance in life’s trials and challenges. A lesson we must take from this is to have the resolve to pray as Moses did with perseverance, trust, endurance and faith. In Deuteronomy 20: 3-4 it states, "Men of Israel, listen! Today you are going into battle. Do not be afraid of your enemies or lose courage or panic. The Lord your God is going with you, and he will give you victory." What battles are we facing in life? Medical issues, financial challenges, faithfulness in relationships, family strife, unemployment, addictions, poor attitudes, low self esteem, lack of serenity, weight problems, grief through a loss of loved one, the scars of a past abuse, the wounds of betrayal, etc. There are many things in life that leave us down and defeated. In today’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the persistent widow who will not take no for an answer. As she faces her formidable foe in the unjust judge who neither fears God nor man, her tactics teach us an invaluable lesson. The figure of the widow is the ancient symbol for a "defenseless, voiceless" and "right-less person" -- "a nobody." However, through tireless perseverance and ceaseless petitions and in the face of many refusals, the weaker party triumphs as the judge finally relents. Simply said, the little person gave the powerful one "a black eye" through profound tenacity. She would not quit; she would not give up. Her "stick-to-it-iveness" teaches us victory and to heed the words of Exodus 14:4: “The Lord will fight for you; all you have to do is keep still.”
