View from the Domestic Church: Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa

View from the Domestic Church: Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa

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Living Water: Thirst Asks for Nothing Less

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

Another Lent begins and this year (as many years), I am giving up soda. I have a real love-hate relationship with Coca-Cola. It’s the only soda I like to drink, but I also know it’s bad for me: the caffeine, the calories (I can’t abide by diet, so no help there) and how it just leaves me thirsty. Yet when I’m dehydrated, the first thing I want is a soda!

It’s a bad habit, developed through my own weakness. I’d actually given it up for the most part as an adult, until my sweet mom thought I deserved a treat now and then and started bringing it to my house. Of course, soda is everywhere—combo meals come with free soda, but you pay for the bottled water (tap water tastes awful where we live); restaurants offer free refills. It’s a standard. I’m not blaming my mom or society, however. I’m the one who took the treats, said yes to refills and let the bad habit develop. I’m the one who, after 40 days of abstinence, welcomes the bad habit back. I drink it even when it makes me more thirsty.

Sin is a lot like that. We don’t always see it for what it is. Sometimes, we think of it as a “treat,” a kind of vacation from holiness. Some things actually can be a treat if we keep them under control, but lead to sin when we make them a habit (like when a love of food becomes gluttony.) Society, especially today’s, offers us plenty of opportunities to sin; and indeed, considers many sins as harmless and something we have the right to indulge in. So, we give in to our appetites and our wants.

But just like Jesus tells the woman at the well, some drinks just leave you thirsty.
We don’t know the whole story of the woman at the well, but we know she had several husbands and was living with a man she was not married to. It seems to me that she thirsted for something—companionship? Love? Maybe simple financial support?—but she hadn’t found it. She drank the wrong kind of “water,” and it kept her thirsty, so she fell again into the bad habits—leaving one wrong man just to take up with another. Then Jesus comes and offers living water, the water that will quench with such thoroughness that you never thirst again.
Can you imagine being filled with such love and holiness that you could look at the “treats” of sin and say, “Know what? I’m not thirsty.”

So, forty days without soda for me. Will I have one on Easter? I’m not sure, but I know one thing: from now on when I crave one, I’ll take a moment to consider the woman at the well.
Jesus, fill me with living water.

Karina Fabian is an author, wife, and mother of four currently living in Utah. In 2010, she and her father wrote a short devotional, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life. This year, they invite people to share their Lent stories at http://whygodmatters.com

*"Thirst asks for nothing more" was the slogan campaign for Coca Cola in 1938.

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Father Augustine's Homily for Ash Wednesday

Father Augustine Measures, OSB is a priest of the Ampleforth Community. He shepherds the people of St. Mary's and St. Benedict's in Bamber Bridge near Preston in Lancashire, England.

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“Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta lived her life to satiate the thirst of Jesus on the Cross. In serving the poorest of the poor, she wholeheartedly lived the message in the Gospel of Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.” Because she did, each person she encountered was Jesus to her. She served Jesus within everyone whom God put within her reach from the ones she rescued from the gutters of Calcutta, India to Bl. Pope John Paul II. To do this, she fueled herself with a deep prayer life grounded in the sacraments.

In every chapel in her convents all around the world, two simple yet poignant words have been painted on the wall beside the tabernacle: “I Thirst.” Mother Teresa wanted to remind everyone who entered that Jesus thirsts for our love and wants us to thirst for His as well.

Below is my recent interview with Fr. Benedict Groeschel on EWTN’s “Sunday Night Prime” in which we converse about “Mother Teresa, Our Friend” since we both knew her. During our conversation I share some of my experiences in knowing Mother Teresa. The lessons of love I learned from knowing Blessed Mother Teresa for about ten years are ones I strive to share with others through my books, talks, radio and television shows.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel , C.F.R.was kind enough to recommend my new book, Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa. He said, "Can you imagine spending Lent with Mother Teresa? A chance of a lifetime! Donna-Marie's book will do that exactly for you. Enjoy!"

It’s ONLY $2.50 (plus shipping and handling) and available autographed from my website: www.donnacooperoboyle.com

Description from the publisher: Popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle presents a daily devotional companion for families with young children. She illustrates how to bring Lent home, doing "small things with great love" under the guidance of the Blessed Mother Teresa, with whom she enjoyed a close friendship.

While many Lenten reflection booklets are designed for individuals or small groups, this one is formatted specifically for families and draws on the wisdom of Blessed Mother Teresa. This daily guide shows parents and children alike how to put her words into practice with practical suggestions on how to live the threefold call of Lent: to fast, pray, and care the poor. Each Sunday's focus is drawn from the themes assigned to that Sunday of Lent and a project for the week ahead is suggested. Usable during all three Catholic lectionary cycles.

Have a beautiful grace-filled Lenten journey! May we strive to follow dear Blessed Mother Teresa's way of serving Jesus in everyone we meet. That means everyone--the ones who contradict your Christianity, the ones who cut you off in traffic, the sometimes grouchy spouse, the children who are acting up--all of them. They all need our Lord's love coming through you to them.

God bless!

Donna-Marie

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Pope's Lenten Message: "We Must Not Remain Silent Before Evil" "We Must Not Remain Silent Before Evil" We Must Not Remain Silent Before Evil

"Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works"
(Heb 10:24)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works". These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord "sincere in heart and filled with faith" (v. 22), keeping firm "in the hope we profess" (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of "love and good works" (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.

1. "Let us be concerned for each other": responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.
This first aspect is an invitation to be "concerned": the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to "think of" the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to "observe" the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to "turn your minds to Jesus" (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for "privacy". Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be "guardians" of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: "Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations" (Populorum Progressio, 66).

Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is "generous and acts generously" (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of "spiritual anesthesia" which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite "pass by", indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf.Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of "being concerned", of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of "showing mercy" towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. "The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it" (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of "those who mourn" (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

"Being concerned for each other" also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten:fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: "Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more" (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included "admonishing sinners" among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: "If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way" (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness.

Scripture tells us that even "the upright falls seven times" (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.

2. "Being concerned for each other": the gift of reciprocity.

This "custody" of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek "the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another" (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour’s good, "so that we support one another" (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather "the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved" (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community.

The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: "Each part should be equally concerned for all the others" (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).

3. "To stir a response in love and good works": walking together in holiness.
These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, "like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day" (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.

Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God’s plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the "high standard of ordinary Christian living" (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to "anticipate one another in showing honour" (Rom 12:10).

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of the Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 3 November 2011
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

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The Last Seven Words...

A lovely gift sent to us by Father Augustine:

THE SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS ON THE CROSS

Jesus died on the Cross to redeem mankind, to save us from our sins, because he loves us.
He was mocked, scorned, and tortured in the praetorium; carried his cross up the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem to Calvary, nailed to the Cross, hung between two common criminals, and suffered an indescribable end.

When religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land were prevented by military occupation of Jerusalem, a popular devotion known as the Way of the Cross arose during Lent, fourteen stations retracing the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial of Jesus.

The Seven Words are the last seven expressions of Jesus on the Cross recorded in Scripture.


THE FIRST WORD

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
Gospel of Luke 23:34
Jesus says this first word only in the Gospel of Luke, just after he was crucified by the soldiers on Golgotha, with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. The timing of this suggests that Jesus asks his Father to primarily forgive his enemies, the soldiers, who have scourged him, mocked him, tortured him, and who have just nailed him to the cross. But could this not also apply to his Apostles and companions who have deserted him, to Peter who has denied him three times, to the fickle crowd, who only days before praised him on his entrance to Jerusalem, and then days later chose him over Barabbas to be crucified? Could this not also apply to us, who daily forget him in our lives?

Does he react angrily? No, he asks his Father to forgive them, because they are ignorant! At the height of his physical suffering, his Divine love prevails and He asks His Father to forgive his enemies.

Right up to his final hours on earth, Jesus preaches forgiveness. He teaches forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us [Matthew 6:12]." When asked by Peter, how many times should we forgive someone, Jesus answers seventy times seven [Matthew 18:21-22]. At the Last Supper, Jesus explains his crucifixion to his Apostles when he tells them to drink of the cup: "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins [Matthew 26:27-28]." He forgives the paralytic at Capernaum [Mark 2:5], and the adulteress caught in the act and about to be stoned [John 8:1-11]. And even following his Resurrection, his first act is to commission his disciples to forgive, the Scriptural foundation for the Sacrament of Confession: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if the retain the sins of any, they are retained [John 20:22-23]."


THE SECOND WORD

"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Gospel of Luke 23:43
Now it is not just the religious leaders or the soldiers that mock Jesus, but even one of the criminals, a downward progression of mockery. But the criminal on the right speaks up for Jesus, explaining the two criminals are receiving their just due, and then pointing to Jesus, says, "this man has done nothing wrong." Then, turning to Jesus, he asks, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power [Luke 23:42]." What wonderful faith this repentant sinner had in Jesus - far more than the doubting Thomas, one of his own Apostles! Ignoring his own suffering, Jesus mercifully responds with His second word.

The second word again is about forgiveness, this time directed to a sinner. Just as the first word, this Biblical expression again is found only in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus shows his Divinity by opening heaven for a repentant sinner - such generosity to a man that only asked to be remembered!


THE THIRD WORD

"Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son".
Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother."
Gospel of John 19:26-27
Jesus and Mary are together again, at the beginning of his ministry in Cana and now at the end of his public ministry at the foot of the Cross. What sorrow must fill her heart, to see her Son mocked, tortured, and now just crucified. Once again, a sword pierces Mary's soul, the sword predicted by Simeon at the Temple [Luke 2:35]. . There are four at the foot of the cross, Mary his Mother, John, the disciple whom he loved, Mary of Cleopas, his mother's sister, and Mary Magdalene. His third word is addressed to Mary and John, the only eye-witness of the Gospel writers.

But again Jesus rises above the occasion, and his concerns are for the ones that love him. The good son that He is, Jesus is concerned about taking care of his mother. In fact, this passage offers proof that Jesus was the only child of Mary, because if he did have brothers or sisters, they would have provided for her. But Jesus looks to John to care for her.

St. Joseph is noticeably absent. The historic paintings, such as Tondo-doni by Michelangelo and The Holy Family by Raphael, suggest Joseph was a considerably older man. St. Joseph had probably died by the time of the crucifixion, or else he would have been the one to take care of Mary. Early Christian traditions and the second-century apocryphal Protoevangelium of James hold that Joseph was a widower, and his children by his widow were the "brothers and sisters of Jesus."

Another striking phrase indicating Jesus was an only child is Mark 6:3, referring to Jesus: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" Now if James, Joses and Judas and Simon were also natural sons of Mary, Jesus would not have been called the "son of Mary."


THE FOURTH WORD

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34
This is the only expression of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Both Gospels relate that it was in the ninth hour, after 3 hours of darkness, that Jesus cried out this fourth word. The ninth hour was three o'clock in Palestine. Just after He speaks, Mark relates with a horrible sense of finality, "And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last [Mark 15:37]."

One is struck by the anguished tone of this expression compared to the first three words of Jesus. This cry is from the painful heart of the human Jesus who must feel deserted by His Father and the Holy Spirit, not to mention his earthly companions the Apostles. As if to emphasize his loneliness, Mark even has his loved ones "looking from afar," not close to him as in the Gospel of John. Jesus feels separated from his Father. He is now all alone, and he must face death by himself.

But is not this exactly what happens to all of us when we die? We too will be all alone at the time of death! Jesus completely lives the human experience as we do, and by doing so, frees us from the clutches of sin.

There can not be a more dreadful moment in the history of man as this moment. Jesus who came to save us is crucified, and He realizes the horror of what is happening and what He now is enduring. He is about to be engulfed in the raging sea of sin. Evil triumphs, as Jesus admits: "But this is your hour [Luke 22:53]." But it is only for a moment. The burden of all the sins of humanity for a moment overwhelm the humanity of our Jesus.

But does this not have to happen? Does this not have to occur if Jesus is to save us? It is in defeat of his humanity that the Divine plan of His Father, and as the Trinity, His plan will be completed! It is by His death that we are redeemed.


THE FIFTH WORD

"I thirst"
Gospel of John 19:28
The fifth word of Jesus is His only human expression of His physical suffering. Jesus is now in shock. The wounds inflicted upon him in the scourging, the crowning with thorns, and the nailing upon the cross are now taking their toll, especially after losing blood on the three-hour walk through the city of Jerusalem to Golgotha on the Way of the Cross. Systematic studies of the Shroud of Turin, as reported by Gerald O'Collins in Interpreting Jesus, indicate the passion of Jesus was far worse than one could imagine. The Shroud has been exhaustively studied by every possible scientific maneuver, and the scientific burden of proof is now on those who do not accept the Shroud as the burial cloth of Jesus.


THE SIXTH WORD

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished";
and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit.
Gospel of John 19:30
It is now a fait accomplit. The sixth word is Jesus' recognition that his suffering is over and his task is completed. Jesus was obedient to the Father and gave his love for mankind by redeeming us with His death on the Cross.

The above painting is meant to capture the moment.
What was the darkest day of mankind became the brightest day for mankind.

When Jesus died, He "handed over" the Spirit.
Jesus remains in control to the end, and it is He who handed over his Spirit. One should not miss the double entendre here, for this may also be interpreted as His death brought forth the Holy Spirit. This becomes more evident in John 19:34: "But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water." The imagery of water recalls the Holy Spirit as "living water." This fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10: "They will look upon him whom they have pierced." The piercing of Jesus' side prefigures the sacraments of Eucharist (blood) and Baptism (water), and as well the beginning of the Church.


THE SEVENTH WORD

Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit":
Gospel of Luke 23:46
The seventh word of Jesus is from the Gospel of Luke, and is directed to the Father in heaven, just before He dies. Luke quotes Psalm 31:5 - "Into thy hands I commend my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God." Luke repeatedly pleads Jesus' innocence: with Pilate [Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22], through Dismas, the criminal [Luke 23:41], and immediately after His death with the centurion" "Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, 'Certainly this man was innocent [Luke 23:47].'"
The innocent Lamb had been slain for our sins.

Jesus fulfills His mission, and as He says so clearly in John's Gospel, He can now return: "I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father [John 16:28]."
Jesus practiced what He preached: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends [John 15:13]."

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TFD Episode #6:: Surrender with Deacon Tom, Part 6

Surrender - To the Cross. Your Cross.



Many thanks to Deacon Tom Fox for providing us these beautiful reflections. Thank you for joining us each Lenten Monday, we hope that you have been abundantly blessed by this Lent's reflections.

Remember, you can also download these podcasts via iTunes.


Deacon Tom Fox was ordained by Archbishop Charles Chaput into the Diocese of Denver. He worked in a mountain town parish at the foot of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Thousands of tourists and visitors came to his parish as they vacationed in and around the Continental Divide. Frequent requests for his homilies and Communion Service reflections led to a parishioner volunteering to set up a website (www.deacontomonline.com) where Tom stores some of his preaching. Deacon Tom has also worked with pre-marriage formation for young couples, baptismal prep for parents and he has taught RCIA for several years.


Tom's work on the internet led to his monthly contributions to the wonderful Lisa Hendey site for Catholic mothering (www.catholicmom.com) and a little later to a monthly column on the family site www.catholicfamilypodcast.com . The last year or so, Tom has been recording weekly reflections for the podcast found at www.catholicmoments.com He was interviewed on the Catholic Relevant Radio Network and he is working on completion of a Pontifical College Josephinum course on Diaconate Ministry for Marriage and Families. Deacon Tom and his wife Dee now reside in north central Arizona and Tom was granted deacon ministry faculties by the Tucson Diocese.

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TFD Episode #5:: Surrender with Deacon Tom, Part 5

Surrender - To the Father, Like a Child



Many thanks to Deacon Tom Fox for providing us these beautiful reflections. Join us each Lenten Monday for another installment in our 2009 series "Surrender". You can also download these podcasts via iTunes.


Deacon Tom Fox was ordained by Archbishop Charles Chaput into the Diocese of Denver. He worked in a mountain town parish at the foot of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Thousands of tourists and visitors came to his parish as they vacationed in and around the Continental Divide. Frequent requests for his homilies and Communion Service reflections led to a parishioner volunteering to set up a website (www.deacontomonline.com) where Tom stores some of his preaching. Deacon Tom has also worked with pre-marriage formation for young couples, baptismal prep for parents and he has taught RCIA for several years.


Tom's work on the internet led to his monthly contributions to the wonderful Lisa Hendey site for Catholic mothering (www.catholicmom.com) and a little later to a monthly column on the family site www.catholicfamilypodcast.com . The last year or so, Tom has been recording weekly reflections for the podcast found at www.catholicmoments.com He was interviewed on the Catholic Relevant Radio Network and he is working on completion of a Pontifical College Josephinum course on Diaconate Ministry for Marriage and Families. Deacon Tom and his wife Dee now reside in north central Arizona and Tom was granted deacon ministry faculties by the Tucson Diocese.

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TFD Special: Father Augustine on the Luminous Mysteries

Father Augustine again discusses the luminous mysteries.



I have also linked the paper which Father provided to his attendees

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