Since prayer is so important to our spiritual fruitfulness, I thought you might enjoy some comments of Pope Benedict as he draws on the wisdom of St. Dominic concerning prayer. “Thus, there are three positions: standing, kneeling, lying prostrate on the ground; but with the gaze ever directed to our Crucified Lord. However, the last two positions, on which I would like to reflect briefly, correspond to two of the Saint’s customary devotional practices. First, personal meditation, in which prayer acquires an even more intimate, fervent, and soothing dimension. After reciting the Liturgy of the Hours and after celebrating Mass, St Dominic prolonged his conversation with God without setting any time limit. Sitting quietly, he would pause in recollection in an inner attitude of listening, while reading a book or gazing at the Crucifix. He experienced these moments of closeness to God so intensely that his reactions of joy or of tears were outwardly visible. In this way, through meditation, he absorbed the reality of the faith. Witnesses recounted that at times he entered a kind of ecstasy with his face transfigured, but that immediately afterwards he would humbly resume his daily work, recharged by the power that comes from on High. Dear friends, St Dominic reminds us that prayer, personal contact with God is at the root of the witness to faith which every Christian must bear at home, at work, in social commitments and even in moments of relaxation; only this real relationship with God gives us the strength to live through every event with intensity, especially the moments of greatest anguish. This Saint also reminds us of the importance of physical positions in our prayer. Kneeling, standing before the Lord, fixing our gaze on the Crucifix, silent recollection — these are not of secondary importance but help us to put our whole selves inwardly in touch with God. I would like to recall once again the need, for our spiritual life, to find time every day for quiet prayer; we must make this time for ourselves, especially during the holidays, to have a little time to talk with God. It will also be a way to help those who are close to us enter into the radiant light of God’s presence which brings the peace and love we all need.” Pope Benedict XVI, Aug. 2012. Yours in Christ. Fr. Sid

This Sunday is Catechetical Sunday where we recognize our youth religious ed teachers and aides, also known as catechists. First let me clarify why we call them “catechists” rather than teachers. All catechists are teachers but not all teachers are catechists. The term specifically refers to those who pass on the Faith so as to form faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Therefore, every person who participates in our youth formation program, teaching or assisting in any manner is a “catechist.” We have chosen a theme for this school year, “Know Jesus.” You see, it is not enough to know about Jesus. Every one of us as His disciple must know “Him.” What is the difference you ask? Let me use a family story. On Carol’s side of the family, it is a popular and repeated claim that an ancestor was a friend of Abraham Lincoln. There’s no concrete proof but it is at least plausible because they lived in Springfield, Illinois at the same time. For the sake of this story, let’s assume it is true. Now it is possible for you and I, due to modern technology and the abundance of information about the life of Lincoln, to know far more information about Lincoln than Carol’s relative. But we must admit that we still do not and cannot in this life “know” Lincoln the man. What is the difference? A personal relationship. The ancestor had a personal relationship with Lincoln. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ we must have a personal relationship. This happens when we allow Him to pass from the arm’s length distance of book knowledge knowing to heart embraced, relational love and affection. Is that possible you ask? Yes, most definitely. We all need this relationship, and we are obligated as disciples to share it with the world around us via our thoughts, words, and actions. This is the task of our youth catechists. Please consider helping them. We need you! Our youth need you! I also wish to address the upgrades being made in our classrooms, larger whiteboards, shelving for books and class items, access to technology. Recruiting staff for our program is always challenging and rightly so. Teaching a class and working with youth and children requires courage and a missionary’s heart. They need and deserve the generous support of the whole parish. Cathy Wieck, our D.R.E, (director of religious education), surveyed our catechists, asking what we could provide in the classroom to help them with their task and make their mission easier. It was suggested that larger white boards and access to the abundant technology would help a lot. Children need visibility to learn, and technology is already huge in their learning process. So, the parish has invested in these classroom upgrades. Our ladies’ group, the CCW, is covering the cost of these upgrades as well as new curriculum. Their resources come from our annual soup supper. If you contributed in anyway, (most of you did) this makes you a “catechist” by assisting our classroom catechists to effectively pass on the Faith. For this I thank you! God bless you! Yours in Christ, Fr. Sid.

One of the serious philosophical and theological problems of our time is the belief that what one believes is not attached to or the business of another. This is fostered by something called “relativism.” It defines truth as only existing within the perceptions of a given individual. The “truth” within the individual is related (relative) to the situation and perceptions of the individual. This philosophy has been slowly taking over our common thinking for over 100 years. It took a giant leap forward with the aggressive promotion of the idea that human sexuality or gender is simply a matter of self-image; biology or science are not relevant. We are now living in the midst of a culture that has a growing desire to punish anyone who disagrees. So why am I bringing this up? It is a real possibility that a day may come when you will not be allowed by law to openly study or speak about your Catholic faith. If that sounds farfetched, please take a look at history. It has happened frequently and in many nations before, Britain 1600s, France late 1700s, Mexico and Russia early 1900s, China mid-1900s. There are influences in our society as I write this who will do that in our nation if they can. If you do not have a good basic understanding of what you believe as a Catholic, you may be swept away in this madness or fail to help your family to stay anchored in the faith. Our parish FORMED program will help you to grow in faith and understanding. You can access this directly with your computer or tablet. Or you can use the MyParish app to access it. If you haven’t checked it out lately, you need to. Many more programs have been added. The access code is: j6k3pk. The Lord be with you. Fr. Sid

I am putting out an invitation to anyone who is not Catholic but would like to take a short in-class preparation for becoming Catholic. It will be six sessions covering two lessons each. The class will last about 2 hours and offered on a weekday evening, perhaps moving to different weekdays to accommodate schedules. I have three such individuals already and there is plenty room for more. Perhaps you are not sure you wish to be Catholic. Can you still attend? Absolutely! Attendance does not mean you are committing to become Catholic. If your spouse is Catholic, at a minimum you will come away with a better understanding of Catholicism and your spouse’s faith. Your spouse, boy/girlfriend is welcome and encouraged to attend with you. You will not find an opportunity like this very often. Most parish programs require classes stretched over the length of the school year, fall, winter and spring. I will probably be criticized by my peers for offering this. My personal opinion of those long programs is that they are not very effective in nurturing a continued practice of the faith in spite of the fact that their length is designed was for that very purpose. I speak from some experience. I facilitated and taught such a program for eight years before preparing for the priesthood. The essential ingredient for a practiced Catholic faith is not knowledge, it’s “practice” starting with regular attendance at Mass. Christ is present there. He’s the best teacher. So, if you are interested or know someone who might be interested (You are welcome to attend with them if they would prefer not to attend alone.), here’s an opportunity. We will begin this Wed, Sept 7th, 7pm in the parish hall.

A national magazine has published a political piece comparing the Catholic Rosary to owning AR-15 rifles. I confess I have not read the article but from what I have read it was not words of praise. If you want to know more, you can Google the topic. It got a lot of pushback. I find the comparison amusing at some level and flattering on another. I mean, really, Rosaries = AR-15s as symbols of radical politics? That is so demonic and extreme that it’s, well, funny! But it is interesting that they did get something correct, the Rosary is a weapon, a scary weapon to evil in the world. It’s not the string of beads that does the offensive damage. It’s the prayers! Catholic exorcists say demons shriek in pain and terror when these prayers are prayed in their presence. So, if you are praying the Rosary keep it up and maybe pray it more. If you are not, consider taking it up. And here’s a thought, instead of “concealed and carry” of your Rosary, consider “displayed and carry.” “For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds,” St. Paul, 2 Cor. 1:3-4 Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.

I am going to tackle a sensitive topic hear so please give me a little extra leeway. It is not my intention to offend, but it might be unavoidable. I have followed the topic of evangelization (proclamation of the Gospel and conversion to Christ) pretty much my whole adult life in Church ministry. I have come across a statistic that I have seen repeated over the years. It addresses the effect of the spirituality of fathers in the home. A recent study concluded the following. If a mother converts to Christianity or a deeper walk of faith, 17% of the time her family will follow suit. But get this, if a father does the same, 63% of the time the family will do likewise. Young boys are especially affected. I think I know why. We all know you ladies are more faithful and spiritual. One need only to look at the number of women to men in Church on a given Sunday. I think the unfortunate result is (and priest and nuns experience this same thing) women are “expected” to be more religious. Therefore, when they witness to their faith by action and words, it is sadly “discounted” because they are “expected” to be that way. But the reverse happens with men. When the guy is seen praying, going to Church, or heard speaking about his faith, junior pauses and thinks, “What’s this? Guys don’t usually do that!” And they give it more attention and consideration. It makes me think of the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, ch.1, vs 27, “…God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; …what is weak… to shame the strong… even the low and despised… And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus.” You see, this is why your personal witness to the faith is more effective that you think. God gets attention to his salvation via the unexpected. The very reasons you might feel inadequate to the task of sharing the faith are the very things God will use for his greater glory. So, guys, what will it be? Will we “man up.” It falls to us to have a very powerful effect on the salvation of our families and all those we come near. The world needs men of God. Mother Church needs you! St. Libory parish needs you! And most important, your family needs you! Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid

The new school year will soon be upon us. August will soon sweep by, and fall will be here. Fall is probably my favorite season, but I cannot help but always feel sad to see summer go. I think that was ingrained into me from my childhood. I hated school. Kindergarten was great. After that I was miserable. I didn’t know it then, but I have a form of dyslexia. It’s hard to describe. To put it simply, I don’t process written information the way most people do. Consequently, most learning methods did not work for me. High School was a little better, thanks to a couple of good, encouraging teachers. By the time I eventually went to college, I began to develop my own methods of learning, and all went fine. But I digress. Whenever I see the sad eyes in a child who is reminded, he or she will soon return to school, I empathize. I used to cry. Not when anyone could see, but I did. Watching our youngest child struggle with the same learning difficulty taught me a lot about my own learning. He too began to turn it around in High School thanks to a gifted teacher. If you have a child that is struggling with school, I have some advice. Help them find their giftedness, something they are good at. It’s there within them somewhere. The Lord put it there. In my case it was geometry, (go figure). It was the first time I ever got an A in a class. In the case of our son, he discovered he had a real knack for industrial arts, working with his hands, inspired by a great teacher. As he excelled in this subject, everything else rose with it, all other subjects. No more detentions or misbehaviors. Today he is a State Patrol officer and a very good one. Our children do not need unearned rewards, but they do need encouragement. Help them find their gift. And thank God for good teachers! The Lord only knows what I would have become without them. Pray for them and when you have the opportunity, thank them. Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid

What is your “mission”? The formal church term would be, apostolate. You probably recognize the name “apostle.” It means “missionary” and apostolate is the mission of the missionary. As Christians we tend to think of the missionary as the person who goes off to a distant place to proclaim the Gospel. That is certainly correct but it’s too narrow. Every Christian is a missionary in the proper sense. This calling came with your baptism and was strengthened by the Holy Spirit in your Confirmation. It might help to use an analogy used by St. Paul in the Bible. He says we are ambassadors for Christ. Our lives are intended to reflect Christ in all that we say and do. So, our mission or apostolate begins very close to home, in fact in our home. For example, if you are a husband or wife, you are obligated by your office of spouse to reflect Christ to your beloved. If you are a mother or father, you are obligated to be a Christlike parent. If you are a son or daughter, you are obligated to Christlike honor of you parents, regardless of age. We can go on to all other family designation and from there to teacher-student, boss-employee, neighbor, etc. etc. You get the picture. Every Christian’s mission field begin with the person closest to them at any given moment. But what about beyond that? For every Christian there is something a step beyond that they are called to do. Have you prayed about this? There is always something more the Lord is calling us to in our personal walk with Him. In terms of the Faith, what bothers you? What gets your attention and grabs your thoughts and causes you to ponder? Then ask the Lord if there is something he wants you to do? Prayer is the first step followed by action. Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.

Summer is passing quickly, and the new school year will soon begin. I want to put out an early request for help with our CCD program, (religious education of our youth). I cannot understate how very important this is to our youth, our families, our parish, our community, and the world. We are rapidly seeing the disappearance of Christian culture in our nation and world. So much of what has been held as good and virtuous in society was based upon the general acceptance of Christian morals, even by unbelievers. Even many self-identifying Christians now embrace non-Christian values with little or no disturbance of conscience, dismissing marriage and applauding the execution of unborn children in the womb. Beyond this we see that whole concepts and ideas of a God, being washed from all media and entertainment venues. Our children are innocently immersed in the maddening swirl of non-faith information and intimidation. Many if not most of their peers have no allegiance to a life of faith or even a concept of the Divine as a reality. This is why our CCD is so very important, for our youth and their parents. Please consider helping, by teaching, aiding a teacher, being an extra set of hands, eyes, and ears in the classroom. Or, by visibly being present to pray for our youth and their teachers. Classes will begin in September. Please contact Cathy Wieck for more information on how you can help. Yours in Christ, Fr. Sid.

Today we celebrate the protective prayers of our parish patron, Saint Liborius. The hallmark of our day is the Eucharistic procession around the parish grounds, stopping at stations to pray and concluding with prayers of benediction in the church. Something that distinguishes us a Catholic is our manner of praying. We pray with our whole being, our heart, our soul, our mind, and our body. The body prayer is what sets us apart from other Christians in general. We genuflect, we kneel, we fold our hands, we bow our heads, and we physically participate in devotional movements such as our procession. Why? Because as humans we need frequent reminders of the “invisible” and the transcendent, that which is unseen and is greater and higher than ourselves. In the previous decades many of these practices have been abandoned and predictably so has our personal and corporate “memory” of God. But the Lord always has ways of bringing his people back around. Seeing the moral decay that is happening on a scale unimaginable just a few years ago, the bitter fruit is bringing with it a spiritual craving for that which is holy and pure, greater than ourselves. I hope this was your experience this Sunday. Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.