Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today is the final Sunday of the Church's liturgical year. It is appropriate that we have the Gospel of the Good Thief. He reminds us that it is never too late to make a fresh start with Our Merciful Lord. The Good Thief was a man, who in his last dying moment, turned to Our Lord. Just a word about what a thief was at the time of Our Lord. He wasn't just some shady character who picked a pocket or grabbed a purse. In Jesus' day, thieves hid in the hill country and lived in caves. They were often armed with knives and clubs. They attacked travelers, beat them up, robbed them and tossed them in a ditch to die. The thief was feared - and despised.

Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One, un- fortunately, had become hardened and embittered. But the other had an amazing conversion. He accepted his own guilt: "We have been condemned justly," he said, "the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes." Then he made an act of faith: "Jesus, remember me."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Many people have trouble accepting Jesus' teaching about the final judgment.  Our Lord’s teaching is difficult to believe for various reasons but one reason seems most difficult for many to understand.  Our Lord’s judgment is final.  I’ll admit, it is difficult for many to believe that something could be final and forever.   

Sadly, many people live with the incorrect belief that there are “do overs” in the after we die.  Many people hope for a series of “do overs” after they die until they get it right.  While this may be their hope… it is not the reality.  “Do overs” will not be part of the final judgment.  This is why we seek to please God now by seeking to become saints now BEFORE we die. Becoming a saint means that we need repent of our sins while we are still on earth. 

So here are some terms that might help you along the way to becoming saints.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The elections are over and we elected a president - and other public officials. This past election season gave many opportunities to discuss are what really matters to us. In some of my discussions, I noticed some themes that came up again and again. I found that many do not trust our government leaders and do not put much emphasis on the role of government in their life. I also found that there are many who believe that the government should solve our problems. Regardless of where you fall on the role of government, I do believe that some people have some unrealistic notions about power. Some overestimate another person's power and some underestimate their own power. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Today's Gospel provides a remedy. When we compare ourselves to someone like the president of a nation or a famous person, we can feel very small and insignificant. I know that many people feel like they have nothing to give to the Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

After a year or so of political debates, we have the wonderful opportunity to wield the power of the pen and vote! It is a great blessing for us to be able to participate in the election process. Hopefully you know by now that this is a serious moment in our nations history. The future leadership in our country and in our state will impact many people.

This Tuesday we choose our president, senators, representatives - and a number of other officials. Our vote matters a great deal. There are issues that could deeply impact the way we life our Catholic faith. As with any big decision, we need to increase our prayers because this election could be a matter of life or death for millions of people. BUT as important as these elections are for our future, we face an even greater moment of decision. Now is your moment of decision AND IT WILL IMPACT your life here and in the hereafter.

Marriage and Family

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The sanctity of marriage and the family are a gift from God and need to be protected from those who wish to redefine or seek to destroy them both. Blessed John Paul II wrote a beautiful letter called Familiaris Consortio, on the role of the Christian family in the modern world. In this love letter to families and to the world, the Holy Father reminds us that God created man in His own image and likeness. That is why we are sacred and precious and that is why we deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness at the very least. Blessed John Paul II also points out that God has created us out of His love for us. God has loved us first and we are called to imitate God. We are called to love. God is love and love is part of what is means to be a human being. We were made from love for love and to give love.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Catholics are PRO LIFE and we vote for PRO LIFE candidates. You don't take my word for it. Journalist: "Is it ever licit for a Catholic to vote for a pro-abortion candidate. Is it ever valid?" Here is what our bishops responded:

"The question to ask is this: Are any of the candidates of either party, or independents, standing for something that is intrinsically evil, evil no matter what the circumstances? If that's the case, a Catholic, regardless of his party affiliation, shouldn't be voting for such a person."
– Archbishop William Lori, Diocese of Baltimore, Maryland

"No. You can never vote for someone who favors absolutely the right to choice of a woman to destroy a human life in her womb. Where you don't have any candidate who is proposing to eliminate all abortion [voters may] choose the candidate who will most limit this grave evil in our country. But you could never justify voting for a candidate who not only does not want to limit abortion but believes that it should be available to everyone."
– Cardinal Raymond Burke

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Marriage is a precious gift from God and a dramatic way for one to live life. For those who are called to marriage and live it according to God's plan, eternal joy in heaven awaits you. Sadly, our very confused government who are called to defend marriage as God's gift is seeking to redefine marriage in a way that is contrary to God.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York has said:

"Our nation and government have the duty to recognize and protect marriage, not tamper with and redefine it, nor to caricature the deeply held beliefs of so many citizens as 'discrimination,'" His statement followed the February 23 announcement that President Obama has instructed the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a move Archbishop Dolan called an "alarming and grave injustice."

Marriage has always been and will always be the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. The bond of marriage is beautifully serious – it involves creating new life and one's salvation. Marriage has eternal consequences. Clearly God has something to say about marriage – and He has said so much through Holy Mother Church and Sacred Scripture. One clear example of God's position on the definition of marriage comes from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is important that we remember that every person, at every moment, is precious to God. The month of October has been designated by our Bishops of the United States as a time to pay special attention to creating a culture of life. As Catholic, we need to be committed to preserving the dignity of each person and to building up a culture of life. The first Sunday of October is called "Respect Life Sunday." As Catholics, we pray that all come to know the gift of human life. We also need to pray for an end to the threats against human life and how we can protect all persons from conception until natural death.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On the weekend, of October 13 and 14, we are fortunate to have Bishop James Wall with us for all the Masses. Many of you knew him as Fr. Jim Wall because he was assigned here at St. Joan of Arc for a few weeks. He is a personal friend of mine as well as the bishop for the Diocese of Gallup.

When then Fr. Jim lived in Phoenix, we would often get together to see a movie, enjoy a meal or go mountain biking. That is how we thought our friendship would continue for years to come. Our Lord obviously had very different plans for him. As a faithful servant of the Church, we are called to go wherever and whenever we are needed. This is done in obedience and is part of the promises we make to God when we are ordained.

Bishop Wall has been called by Our Lord to serve the people of the Diocese of Gallup and he does so with heroic virtue, humble patience, and a willing heart. His diocese has many needs and many hopes. Some of our parishioners are familiar with the poverty that many families in Gallup experience. Our annual St. Michael Adopt-a-Family program goes a long way to assist those in need but still much has to be done. Bishop Wall has the opportunity and challenge to continue to enable our brothers and sisters to encounter the living Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Monday, October 17, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI reminded the world about the New Evangelization the Blessed John Paul II spoke about so often. This is at the heart of the bringing others to an encounter with the living Christ. This needs to be our focus as Catholics for the Year of Faith. We are a missionary Church. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that we are living in a new missionary age that is called to proclaim the life giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Catholics ARE missionaries. We bring others to Christ and Christ to others!

The term "New Evangelization" is a favorite and powerful phrase of Pope Benedict XVI - as it was of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II. The secular and Catholic world is in desperate need for a new evangelization. Those who were once influenced by Christianity have rejected the faith and believe religion is a thing of the past. Tragically, many Catholics do not know what the Catholic Church actually teaches and have left the Church for all the wrong reasons. Others practice a "cafeteria Catholicism"- choosing what parts of the faith they like and rejecting those parts that do not fit into their lifestyle. Some wrongly think that going to Mass is all they need to do to get to heaven. This had led many to wrongly believe that there is a separation between faith and life. This sort of thinking has led some have rejected God completely!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Lord reminds us today, and everyday that his mission involves the cross. Suffering, rejection and death was central to Our Lord's mission. This is not an attractive mission. But that is not the whole mission. We have hope because we know that Our Lord is to "rise after three days." Jesus offers us an invitation to walk in his footsteps. "Follow me," he says. Take up your cross and follow me. This is not an easy invitation to respond to. No one likes to suffer. So how do we find the hope and the courage to respond to Our Lord's invitation like the millions of Catholics who have gone before us?

I sometimes read about Christian martyrs and ask myself if I would be able to do what they did for Christ. If you have seen the movie "For Greater Glory" then you saw the martyrdom of Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio. The federals tortured the boy by cutting off the soles of his feet and forcing him to walk on stones. The torture would stop, they said, if he would say, "Long live the government." Through his tears, Blessed Jose Luis said, "Viva Cristo Reyo - Long live Christ the King."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This week I would like to offer you step three of three steps to being a good steward.

Step 3Treasure: Here it comes, right – the money pitch. Wrong!We have to understand that giving money is one of the vehicles by which we can exercise our Christian call to respond to God’s generosity. There is a sacramental aspect there–using something earthly, something human to exercise our call to be disciples of Christ.

I know people find it hard to pledge what they will give in the up-coming year, but look upon it as discipline or training for giving. Like athletes exercise to strengthen themselves for their sport, so disciplined giving helps us grow in generosity. When we discipline ourselves in the ways of Our Lord,we grown in holiness. Discipline helps us to focus on what is truly important. When people complain about church related issues, it is often a sign that they have not practiced discipline in their own life. This story helps explain what I mean.