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Father Dwight Longenecker-I really don’t think I’m being cynical, but I’ve decided that one of the biggest disasters is the Utopia instinct. This is the instinct in the human race (and part of our fallen condition) to create perfect little worlds. Someone comes along with an ideology which will solve all our problems and we go trooping off to join him and his mission from God.
We’re suckers for politicians who feed us a dreamy lie. We’re suckers for the advertising and media men who  sell us a dreamy lie to get us to buy a particular product or a particular way of life. We’re suckers for religious leaders who give us a dreamy lie about the new life and the wonderful community they have on offer.
Now this is tricky because if we follow Christ we really do believe in a new kind of life–a life that is abundant and free. However, any kind of political or religious leader or any kind of political or religious method or community who offer this to us is very often offering us some kind of easy way to the new life, and easiest is rarely best.
Utopias are ultimately disappointing. The hopes of the devotees are so high. The reality is so low. They find that the leader had feet of clay. They find that the charismatic priest is a stinker. They find that the other leaders of the group are seriously flawed and the whole thing collapses in a mess of confusion, fear and recrimination. The disappointment is high because the expectations were high.
Have you ever noticed that the gospel never promises any kind of utopia and Jesus never tells his disciples to go out and create a new community that will be a paradise on earth? No. he says his kingdom is not of this world. He founds a church but he does not found a utopian community. He promises a new kind of abundant life, but it comes with a cost, and the cost is a cross.
If you come across any church or religious community or action group or fellowship group or any such which seems too good to be true. Guess what? It’s too good to be true. Any group or community or movement in which everyone is overwhelmingly smilingly nice and sincere and warmly welcoming and flattering and smooth is something to beware. They’re promising too much and they can’t deliver.
This is why the most authentic religious communities are austere. They don’t promise the novice anything but blood, sweat and tears. They don’t promise bliss. They don’t promise happiness here. They don’t promise anything but a cross. But in that cross they do promise a new identification with Christ, and that is something that will last forever.
Just don’t try to make that heaven on earth because what you’ll end up making is hell on earth. This is because the person who wants so much to create the Utopia will impose his Utopia on everyone else. It has to be his beautiful dream and, in the end, you either buy into it and become a loyal devotee or you’re out. Thus cults are born and people are destroyed.
Instead live simply. Try to pray more. Don’t look for an earthly Messiah. You were never supposed to have a kingdom here anyway. Look to your own sins. Laugh at your pride. Plead that your sins will be overcome. Look to Jesus the author and finisher of the faith. Ask to be conformed more and more to his likeness, then live that love you’ve been given for others.
Then, maybe just maybe, you’ll begin to live a little bit of heaven on earth as you get yourself ready for your second home.
(edited by Jeff Gares)
My Dear People,
Jesus Christ Protects and Defends Us
Through the Chair of Peter
Good Shepherd Sunday always falls during the middle of the Easter Season. St. John tells us that a Holy Shepherd cares deeply for the life of his sheep. He is willing to lay down his very life for them. When St. Peter was chosen to care for the Church upon the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, Our Lord knew the very quality present in Peter that would protect and nourish His Church here on Earth.
 From the Chair of Peter And so it has been with every successor to St. Peter. Pope Benedict follows in that apostolic tradition. Our Lord Jesus Christ has never left us abandoned. Until He returns, Jesus still guides us from His Heavenly throne. Every time the Holy Father speaks “ex cathedra” (from His Chair), he does so to protect and defend us. How important it is for us to pray for and support the Pope. Pray, pray, pray for holy priests and bishops to lead the flock into the way of Christ’s peace.
Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,
Fr. Mark Bozada
We may find joy by prayerfully reflecting on God’s plan for us and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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Denver Catholic Register – Catholics believe that the Church is the ongoing presence of Christ in the world. So as disciples, we’re called to do as the first Apostles did; and that can be summarized in three brief mandates. They all, unavoidably, need resources to succeed.
The Church’s first mandate is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—even when the Gospel message is inconvenient in our own lives or unwelcome in the world around us. So whenever we raise financial resources, which of course the ACA seeks to do, those resources need to be used in some way to preach Jesus Christ to the world around us. The ACA plays a vital role in underwriting the formation of our future priests, and in supporting our pro-life work and our communications ministries as part of the Church’s evangelization of culture efforts.
The Church’s second mandate is to build up the community of believers. The vitality of Christian life depends not on feelings or good intentions, but on a deep and mature faith, especially in the face of adversity. This is why archdiocesan educational and catechetical ministries, which the ACA also supports, are so important.
The Church’s third mandate, following in the footsteps of Jesus, is to care for those who are in need. Jesus didn’t require people to believe in him before he loved them, healed them or entered into their lives. As Christians, we have the responsibility to be the presence of Christ in the lives of others—even those who are not believers. Thus, an important portion of ACA resources always goes toward serving the poor through the works of Catholic Charities.
Priests and Laymen Must Establish a Profound Spiritual Life to Combat the
“Famine of Love” In Our Modern Culture
Father James Farfaglia-Today, men are addicted to pornography at an alarming rate. Catholic priests and laity are struggling with pornography, especially internet pornography.
As I wrote in my recently published book Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men About Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life , “Lust is a very powerful sin and it destroys human freedom. Lust is a real problem for most men. Lust is more powerful than an addiction to drugs or to alcohol.”
Many affirm that celibacy is the reason why priests have sexual addictions. But our pastoral experience tells us that the amount of married men that are addicted to pornography is staggering.
After more than twenty-two years as a priest, I am convinced that the capital sin of lust is not the only reason why men continually struggle with pornography. I believe the addiction is primarily driven by a disorder in our emotions.
Dr. Conrad W. Baars, M.D. called it an emotional deprivation disorder. Mother Theresa called it the famine of love.
The on-going struggle with pornography, which usually includes masturbation, is rooted in the fact that modern man feels unloved, isolated, and alone. We are all part of this modern culture.
The emotional disorder of today is caused by the following factors:
- The unborn child that was unwanted and unloved by his or her mother
- The infant that was not breastfed
- The infant that was left in day care
- Mothers who work outside of the home
- Fathers who have abandoned their families
- The infant and the child that was not held enough by their mother and father
- The infant and the child that was sexually and/or psychologically abused
- Children of alcoholic parent(s)
- Children of a parent or parents who are addicted to drugs
- Children of divorced parents
After reading this list, you can see that most of us have been damaged by a very dysfunctional society. What then is the solution for this serious problem?
Catholic spirituality has always placed great importance on mortification to control and integrate our sexual desires. Without a doubt, concupiscence will always be something that we will have to deal with until the resurrection of the body.
However, because of the pathology of the emotional disorder that we suffer from, it is of great importance that we focus our attention on how to love correctly and how to existentially experience that love within our emotional world.
When this happens, the disorder will be healed and so will the urge to view pornography.
So, let us take a look at the action points for your emotional healing.
- Maintain a profound spiritual life. Live your life before the Eucharist. Get into contemplative prayer. You need to experience God’s awesome love for you on an emotional level.
- Connect with your family. If your family is dysfunctional find someone in your family that you can connect with. The experience of some kind of connection with your family or a family member is very important. There may be some sad situations where this may be impossible, but for most people, they can at least connect with one or two family members.
- Have good, solid friendships. Many of us live alone in a rectory. We do not need to have many friends; we need at least one true friend.
- Love your parishioners. Connect with your parish family. Develop a strong community and be involved with everything that takes place. Connect with your people.
- Enjoy life and laugh a lot.
I am totally convinced that if you put these action points into practice, joined together with a serious life of mortification, the struggle with pornography will diminish or disappear. Laymen can apply the five steps too by taking into account their state in life, and then making the corresponding changes to the list.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have Mercy on Us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for Us.
A Courageous Priest Speaks to Men About Marriage and Family Life.
Heroic men have always inspired me. Saints, military generals, and famous presidents have always provided light and direction during my life. Men like Paul, Athanasius, Thomas Moore, John Fisher, Edmond Campion, John Vianney, Miguel Pro, Oscar Romero, John Paul II, Pope Benedict, Washington, Lincoln, Reagan, Patton, MacArthur and Eisenhower are all men that I admire very much. They are all lighthouses: men, who within their own historical circumstances, stood up to the plate and lived their lives with heroism.
Today, as men, we are constantly being challenged.
If the house is burning, get a hose and put out the fire. If someone is trapped inside, we need to go in for the rescue. Only the cowards would watch from the sidewalk and do nothing.
I love heroes. I loathe cowards.
I know that as married men you are challenged every day. I am writing to you in order to encourage you to remain faithful and to be a hero.
Father James Farfaglia
To order “Man to Man” click here
Being as last week was “Good Shepherd Sunday,” this week could be considered “Nice Shepherd Sunday.” Fr. John Speakman, Homilies and Reflections from Australia, has a classic parody about the Good Shepherd.
I don’t know where he found this picture, but it’s one of the most brilliant and creative ones I’ve seen.
 Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Jesus shared with his disciples,
“I am the Nice Shepherd.
I never say no to my sheep. They love me and I love them and I do anything they want. When the wolf comes I smile and say hello and welcome him into the flock because my flock is inclusive and welcoming.
Other shepherds are not nice. They are divisive and bullying. They have rules for the sheep. They do not accept the wolf and do not let the sheep play with him.
I am the Nice Shepherd. I lay down for the sheep and the wolf. They love me lots and call me by my first name. We love ourselves and we form community. We do not like those other sheep who will not play with the wolf. We do not have them in our flock. We call them names and show them they are unwelcome because they are not welcoming like us.”
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The Lord bless thee, and keep thee;
The Lord shew his face to thee,
and have mercy on thee.
The Lord turn his countenance to thee,
and give thee peace..
Long before Michael Brown showed the world that Fr. Mark Bozada is spiritually gifted, he was featured on Courageous Priest. It was not because we knew Father was a mystic, but because he is not afraid to share the teachings of the Catholic Church.
If you follow Courageous Priest, you know that we feature Fr. Bozada every week. Here are some of his strongest teachings to date.
- Politicians who are Catholic, and support abortion, cloning and so called “mercy killing” of the elderly, commit grave public sin and grave public scandal.
- When you receive Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, you have to come properly disposed and free from serious sin.
- “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock.” This applies not only to the Church, but also to government and civil leaders as well. God will allow the consequences of our immoral and evil choice to overcome us.
- The devil looks for any excuse to convince us that daily prayer, Sunday Mass and the Rosary, can take a vacation with us.Throughout the Sacred Scriptures, Our Lord tells us that we are accountable for our individual acts and our communal acts. This past election reaped the bad fruit of many, many years of choosing death over life. Pope John Paul ll warned the United States, that it was becoming a culture of death.
- With a move toward socialism in our country, the rights of the unborn are all but obliterated by the powers in Washington.
- You can’t become consecrated in Truth, unless you read and know the bible.
- It is so easy to get lost in our sin. The world encourages sin on every level. Sin is popular. Sin is easy. Sin is everywhere. It takes a well disciplined soldier of Christ, to overcome the “tsunami of sin” in our world.
- Who would have thought that even ten years ago people would become so indifferent to homosexuality, abortion, cloning and other deeds of darkness…and to elect an administration that daily promotes DEATH over LIFE?
- As we approach Lent, we recognize the overwhelming need for penance and repentance; if not for ourselves, then especially for of all the pro-abortionists. Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed for much less. When God corrects us, we should not be surprised. He is already beginning the correction through our pocketbooks.
- We are now suffering the consequences of our immoral actions.
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After Years of a Hidden Life, Fr. Mark Bozada’s
Spiritual Gifts Reveal a Mystic Loyal to the Church
What a blessing the Church has been given in Fr. Mark Bozada! Michael Brown from Spiritdaily has written an excellent article on our most beloved “unknown” courageous priest. I have been fortunate enough to know Fr. Mark for the past seven years and consider him one of the biggest blessings in my life.
Why all the reports of spiritual phenomena? How come: the sudden, overwhelming public interest in spirits, ghosts, and apparitions? Why, in the Christian and non-Christian worlds, are there so many claims of the supernatural?
Angels. The deceased. And, yes, demons.
The reason, according to a gifted priest from St. Louis named Father Mark Bozada, is that the “veil” is “thinning.”
As we approach special times, the supernatural, he says, is being made more manifest.
 My son with his godfather, Fr. Mark Bozada Fr. Mark Bozada”In my own prayer I have been shown that the preternatural gifts lost in the Garden are being partly restored and part of the grace is having the veil lifted,” explains Father Bozada, who ministers at three parishes. “It is predicated, however, on obedience to God’s Will, so as not interrupted by the evil one. The two ways we support that is to remain obedient to the Church community and Magisterium. The perfection of the Holy Spirit is revealed through the Church.”
That admonishment comes at a time when many have strayed into questionable aspects of spirituality, and yet it also comes at a time when seers can face hyper-skepticism (and even persecution). The Church, says Father Bozada, acts as “mothers do at a ball field”: making sure the kids stay within the boundaries (and recovering the ball when it’s kicked astray). “The devil perverts gifts,” says Father Bozada, who served as a consultant for an A & E program on spirit infestation. “That’s what he does best.”
The thinning veil, says this priest, “is because we’re moving into the era of peace and the Lord is preparing us to live in a different way. Many saints in the past have foreseen this rebirth of the Church and mankind.”
Much is about to change. We see the purification all around us.
Father Bozada is well-qualified to speak on the mystical because he is “supersensory” and has had the experience of sensing and even seeing spirits since he was five or six. The gift developed as he encountered the demonic — including the smell of sulfur as a boy — and learned to pray harder. That’s the negative side. He also experiences — and sees — angels and poor souls doing their purgatory on earth — something that was also associated with St. Padre Pio.
“My mother told me never to be afraid because the Blessed Mother was there to protect me,” says this special priest, who was ordained in 1981. “The first time I encountered an angel was when I was six or seven. I was at our community swimming pool and started drowning — in water over my head. I heard a voice say, ‘I will help you.’ The voice said to push off the bottom of the pool and then again and kept coaching me until I got to the side of the pool.
“I always had a sense of the presence because we were always told to pray for poor souls. My mother always said never to be afraid of souls but pray for them (if you catch them out of the corner of your eye). But it wasn’t until Medjugorje in 1989 that I could distinguish dark purgatorial souls from demons.”
While sometimes the priest sees them through his physical eyes, most often, allegedly, Father Bozada sees spirits in interior visions (as if through “the mirrors on a reflector telescope”). The darker a soul, he says, the lower is its purgatory — and the more difficult to identify. He says souls can seem like mere outlines in gray and shadows.
Souls higher up in purgatory become recognizable and exhibit features. “I can see the faces of the ones closer to the upper levels of purgatory,” he asserts, for our considered judgment.
“Sometimes souls do get ’stuck,’” he adds. “I did a house blessing in Kansas City. The home had a presence of children and it turned out that it was part of the ‘trail of tears’ — Indian children where tribes went to reservations and passed through Missouri long ago.”
This all sounds like “fringe” stuff until one meets this otherwise “down-to-earth,” no-nonsense, orthodox priest.
“A lot of it has to do with intimacy,” he counsels. “The gifts are contingent on how intimate we are with God. The farthest back I remember when I was about four and I saw the Face of Jesus and felt this intense love.”
He sees earthbound spirits virtually every day — especially in busy places like hotels, malls, or airports, he claims. For this reason, Father Bozada usually travels with the Blessed Sacrament. He says that souls not only attach to places but also specific people — looking for help or remaining near relatives.
And for that reason he believes that freeing such souls often cause healings — emotional and physical — in families, that spirits attach to our lineages. He sees more of these souls that demonic ones.
“If there’s a place infested, I would know the difference,” he says. “The poor souls come like beggars. The demons come raging. A demon that is present makes you feel like you’re falling into a dark hole — cold and menacing and intense fear.”
The most intense demonic activity, says Father Bozada, is often linked to places where there has been occult activity, prostitution, or the use of drugs. Although he doesn’t like to specify locales — and notes that every city has its positives and negatives — he has felt special evil in two places many would expect: Las Vegas and parts of Manhattan.
As for the poor souls: they should be held up, in a special manner, during the Consecration. Small Masses for them, he says, are especially intense.
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I know many of our readers know Fr. Mark Bozada. Would you please share with the world any special stories or testimonies about our beloved priest?
And, a special favor to ask of everyone. Please take a moment to say a prayer for Fr. Mark.
By Trusting In God’s Loving Providence
Archbishop Chaput-When we think of the Church, we usually think of our local parishes. This is understandable. At our parishes we encounter Christ in the Eucharist, couples are married, babies are baptized, sins are confessed and families come together for the burial of loved ones.
But for Catholics, the Church is actually much bigger and wider than any individual parish. We may rarely think of the Archdiocese of Denver as our primary community of faith, but it really is. Each of our parishes is a local expression of the archdiocesan Church, which in turn is the local reality of the universal Church.
The Church’s first mandate is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—even when the Gospel message is inconvenient in our own lives or unwelcome in the world around us.
The Church’s second mandate is to build up the community of believers. The vitality of Christian life depends not on feelings or good intentions, but on a deep and mature faith, especially in the face of adversity.
The Church’s third mandate, following in the footsteps of Jesus, is to care for those who are in need. Jesus didn’t require people to believe in him before he loved them, healed them or entered into their lives. As Christians, we have the responsibility to be the presence of Christ in the lives of others—even those who are not believers. Thus, an important portion of ACA resources always goes toward serving the poor through the works of Catholic Charities.
Giving of our resources is a sign of faith. For many of us, money embodies the ideal of security. Yet, it is the message of the Gospel that we should trust in God’s provision, and that we are stewards—not owners—of the many good things God has placed in our lives. Our only real security is God’s love, and the more generously we reflect that love to others, the deeper our own happiness here and in the life to come. The Christian vocation invites all of us, priests and bishops included, to give sacrificially from our material resources back to God.
(edited by Jeff Gares)
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