Weekend Update

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Hey Ya'll, hope this finds you well and rested.

Over the past week I have come across a number of things I would like to share with ya'll.

Here they are in no particular order:

CHUCK UPDATE:

As I shared last week, my little sister Chuck (aka Charlotte) has recently been accepted as a missionary by a group called "Heart's Home." Their motto is

To Love and Restore

Human Dignity to the

Most Wounded People

in the World

Starting sometime in October, she will be going to Peru to spend 18 months there as a missionary. This past week Heart's Home added a page about Chuck onto their website. Chuck is amazing! Check out the blurb is wrote about how she decided to do this program.

CHUCK BLURB

Also, if you haven't watched the video yet explaining Heart's Home, I really...really recommend it. Here it is again.

HEART'S HOME VIDEO

RUTH & TOAD:

April 24, 1952 is an important date in relation to my existence. For on that day, my (maternal) grandparents, got married. Therefore, yesterday my grandparents celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary!!! Just want to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you Ruth and Toad!

I love you and am so proud to be your grandson. You are one of the greatest examples in my life of Love and Commitment. May God Bless you both RICHLY this day and every day!

"Toad" is obviously my Granddad's nickname. Take a gander at his mugshot and you will understand why. Here are some pictures of them on their visit to visit Connor for the first time---their first GREAT-grandchild!!!

CONN-ARTIST:

If you haven't realized by now, my family is more or less obsessed with nicknames. "Conn-Artist" is one of many nicknames Connor will be assigned throughout his life.

Here is a shot my sister sent me taken yesterday. It is too good not to share.

CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Building in the Spirit Campaign:

This is the name of the parish in Montgomery, AL where I grew up. My family became members there sometime when I was 6 and have been there ever since. I received my first Communion there, first Reconciliation, went to Bible School, Sunday School, Middle School Youth Group, High School Youth Group, went on Mission Trips, and Altar Served there. In summary, that was the primary place where I came to know and love Jesus Christ. Needless to say, it holds a special place in my heart.

It continues to grow and bring the Life of Christ to so many families in Montgomery.

Right now, they are working very hard to raise money for a big building project for the Church which they are calling the "Building in the Spirit Campaign." The main goal of this project is to build an elementary school on the parish grounds.

A girl that I grew up with at Holy Spirit now works for a local TV station. She helped the Fundraising committee come up with a "Commercial" to help advertise a big Raffle that has been set up to sell tickets. It is hilarious and impressive all at the same time.

I am amazed by the work the people in the parish are doing to raise the money for this school. They are even raffling off a KIA car as the top prize! So Check out the commercial...and if you are living in Montgomery...or anywhere within earshot...think about buying some tickets :)

RAFFLE COMMERCIAL

To find out more information, check out our Parish's website: CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

WHERE DO PRIEST'S COME FROM?

Another group at my parish has been working hard to pray for and promote young people to consider becoming priests and religious. They too are doing a lot of amazing things at our parish which I am really proud of.

Despite the great shortage of young men entering seminary to study to become priests today, currently there are THREE guys from families at the Church of the Holy Spirit who are studying to be priests right now--Zach Greenwell and myself are studying for the Archdiocese of Mobile and Daniel Spotswood for the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in their NW Province in the United States.

This past week the committee make a video which they entitled "Where Do Priests Come From?" It is being shown at each Mass at my parish today and my pastor will be giving a homily (sermon) about the Priesthood. I will be honest, it was pretty emotional for me to watch. It really drew me into the mystery of our lives. How quickly we grow up. How mysteriously God moves and works throughout all of our lives. Somehow he got my attention and has drawn me to where I am today! Incredible.

Hope you enjoy this video:

WHERE DO PRIESTS COME FROM?

A WORD FROM POPE BENDEDICT XVI:

Last week Pope Benedict XVI visited Malta. During his visit, he took some time to speak to the youth. I read an article summing up his comments. I really like it and want to share a snip of it with ya'll. I have bolded some parts I found especially inspiring.

"I appreciate your desire to seek and find the truth, and to know what you must do to attain the fullness of life", said the Pope, going on to recall how it was as a young man that St. Paul met with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

"Every personal encounter with Jesus is an overwhelming experience of love", he said. "For the rest of his life, Paul had a burning desire to carry the news of that love to the ends of the earth".

The Holy Father went on: "Maybe some of you will say to me, St. Paul is often severe in his writings. How can I say that he was spreading a message of love? My answer is this. God loves every one of us with a depth and intensity that we can hardly begin to imagine. And He knows us intimately, He knows all our strengths and all our faults. Because He loves us so much, He wants to purify us of our faults and build up our virtues so that we can have life in abundance. When He challenges us because something in our lives is displeasing to Him, He is not rejecting us, but He is asking us to change and become more perfect. That is what He asked of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. God rejects no-one. And the Church rejects no one. Yet in His great love, God challenges all of us to change and to become more perfect.

"St. John tells us that perfect love casts out fear", the Holy Father added, and he called on the young people who wish to bring the Gospel to the world not to be afraid. "You may well encounter opposition to the Gospel message. Today's culture, like every culture, promotes ideas and values that are sometimes at variance with those lived and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ. Often they are presented with great persuasive power, reinforced by the media and by social pressure from groups hostile to the Christian faith.

"It is easy, when we are young and impressionable, to be swayed by our peers to accept ideas and values that we know are not what the Lord truly wants for us. That is why I say to you: do not be afraid, but rejoice in His love for you; trust Him, answer His call to discipleship, and find nourishment and spiritual healing in the Sacraments of the Church".

Pope Benedict continued: "Here in Malta, you live in a society that is steeped in Christian faith and values. You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and promotes stable family life ... for a healthy society. ... In the context of European society, Gospel values are once again becoming counter-cultural, just as they were at the time of St. Paul".

"As Christians", he concluded, "we are called to manifest God's all-inclusive love; ... we should have a special care for those who are in distress, ... we should be attentive to the needs of immigrants and asylum seekers in our midst; we should extend the hand of friendship to members of all faiths and none. That is the noble vocation of love and service that we have all received. Let it inspire you to dedicate your lives to following Christ".

May we all be inspired by these words. May we pray this week and consider...how God is calling each of us to DEDICATE our life MORE to Christ and his Gospel!

CLERICUS CUP UPDATE:

We beat the French College yesterday 1-0! Jimmy Morrison of Mobile, AL scored our only goal. This gave us a sure place in the play-offs as the number 2 seed. Not bad!

The Quarter Finals will be played May 8th. I will be sure to keep you all updated.

NEXT SUNDAY'S GOSPEL:

John 13:31-33a, 34-35

When Judas had left them, Jesus said,

“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

If God is glorified in him,

God will also glorify him in himself,

and God will glorify him at once.

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.

I give you a new commandment: love one another.

As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

This is how all will know that you are my disciples,

if you have love for one another.”

SIGNING OFF:

Let's pray for one another this week!

Again, if you ever have a prayer request, please let me know.

Anticipating next Sunday, let's take time each day and meditate on the words Christ speaks to us "As I have loved you, so you should love one another."

May Christ give us the grace to realize how total....complete...radical...selfless..uncomplicated...and passionate is HIS LOVE for us.

Also, our love be transformed more and more by HIS.

Peace.

Love.

Joy.