Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Invitro fertilization separates the unitive from the procreative aspect of the marital embrace and makes the procreative part the only goal. When the procreative component is the only goal, this is a violation of the child's human dignity because the child is now just a product to be obtained rather than a gift from God to a family. Pope Paul VI said that there is an, "inseparable connection, willed by God, and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning."

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This weekend, we remember Americans who pledged and even lost their lives to protect our country and preserve our freedom. The cost of freedom was and is paid for by those who are willing to lay down their lives for our great nation. We give thanks to God for all those who are willing to pay the ultimate price for our freedom. If you know a military service man or woman, make sure to thank them for their service and add a few prayers today for peace on earth.

Our Catechism of the Catholic Church helps us to understand what freedom means: Paragraph 1731-1734 says, "The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin." Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Progress in virtue, knowledge of the good, and self-discipline enhance the mastery of the will over its acts."

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As you know, there is a war against life. I want to draw your attention to a battle that does not get talked about very much. You may have heard about a custody battle over two frozen embryos that a famous Hollywood couple had planned to implant in a surrogate once they were married. Well they called off the marriage. Surprised?!?!? Then to make a bad situation worse, one of the two started speaking out about why he is suing his ex over custody of the embryos.

Catholics need to know what the Church's position is on frozen embryos because there is so much confusion and misinformation about what is to be done with these embryos. The Church has much to say about such things and we need the wisdom of the Church to guide us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are blessed with so many families at St. Joan of Arc. I am always amazed at the incredible sacrifices I see parents make at each and every Mass to be a good parent. As I see moms and dads bring their little ones to religious education classes I am so grateful for their dedication and desire to share God's love with their children. The wonderful catechists at St. Joan of Arc are here to help you… BUT your role as your children's primary teacher is your gift to your children. YOU have the awesome privilege and blessing to form the future of the world IN GOD'S IMAGE!

On this Mother's Day 2015, we are reminded that motherhood is a calling by God and it is a gift from God to our world. Today with give thanks to God for the gift of our mothers… and we remember also our mothers who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace. Grant them, O Lord, we pray, a place of refreshment, light and peace.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It seems like every day there are news reports of assaults against human life. War, abortion and street violence have become so "ordinary" that we hardly notice them.

One of the most quiet and socially acceptable assaults against human life is euthanasia under the guise of mercy. This attack on life is even legal in some states. People "decide" when it is time to extinguish the gift of human life when life becomes "inconvenient" or "messy". The problem with this kind of thinking completely disregards the fact that God is the Author of all life. Our Lord decides when life on earth ends and eternal life begins.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I've noticed something about the secular world in which we Catholics live today. That is, more and more, people who are hostile about faith believe that people who go to church or express their faith in any sort of substantial way are dangerous zealots. We are "dangerous zealots"?!?! The temptation is to be afraid of being labeled zealots. As a result of this fear, we may overreact and fall into the sin of spiritual sloth. We are constantly tempted to NOT allow ourselves to be excited about our faith, most especially if people are watching.

How often have you been told that religion is a taboo subject and not polite dinner conversation? Nonsense! It is nothing but a tactic to shut us down from the authentic joy that we have as followers of our Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Most of us have at least heard of the story of Divine Mercy brought to us by St. Faustina, a Polish nun of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, who had mystical experiences that focused on God's Divine Mercy. Part of the charism of her community includes the unique task of "cooperating with the Mercy of God in the work of rescuing souls."

Pope Francis blessed the Church and world by announcing at St. Peter Basilica an extraordinary Holy Year of Divine Mercy. The Holy Year will begin on Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. It will end on Nov. 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Francis has declared a Year of Mercy. He recently said, "I have thought about how the Church can make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy… It's a journey that starts with a spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee that has the mercy of God at its center."

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the focus is on the healing power of Our Lord's Mercy. Through Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, confessions, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy, we will draw special attention to God's Divine Mercy. Along with the regular Mass schedule, we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the main church and Confessions beginning at 2:00 pm. In honor of Divine Mercy there will be the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We will conclude the octave day of Easter with Mass at 3:00pm in which we will ask for Our Lord's Divine Mercy to heal our hearts, our minds, and our bodies.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On Wednesday February 18th, many of us came to church. We came to celebrate our common faith at one of our four Ash Wednesday Masses. On that Ash Wednesday, Catholics came to receive ashes and to take to heart those haunting words: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." And after Mass, many of these Catholics disappeared from church back to their lives. Most were on their way to work or school, having begun the important task of every Catholic: preparing themselves for the coming of Easter six weeks later.

And now we have begun the season of Easter! Lent, like winter, is becoming a distant memory. The purples of Lent have disappeared from our church. The symbols of Jesus' journey in the desert, and His passion and death on the cross have been transformed into signs of His risen life--Easter lilies, spring flowers, the new Paschal Candle, and the abundance of water flowing from our baptismal fonts grace our church!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There are times when a person is blessed with the realization that something is lacking in their soul. We all experience what has been referred to as a "spiritual battle". Perhaps you are struggling with an addiction to pornography or drugs or alcohol. Maybe you find it difficult to get along with certain family members. Everyone has demons that seek to destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we listen to St. Mark's account of the Passion, we see a spiritual battle. This battle led to what we recall today in the Sacred Scripture - the day Jesus carried our sins to Calvary. To be clear, this is not something that happened over 2000 years ago. As Catholics, we experience Calvary every time we come to Mass. Every Mass is a representation of Calvary.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The last two weeks I wrote about almsgiving and fasting in my pastor's notes. Now, I want to write about the final pillar of Lent, the pillar or prayer, most particularly—repentance and sacramental confession.

Some Catholics and nearly all Protestants report that they confess their sins straight to God. Certainly, I try to confess my sins nightly to God as part of my night prayers before bedtime. But refusing sacramental confession rejects a practice that has occurred since ancient times and was given to us by Jesus himself. St. Augustine dealt with this belief way back in the in the fifth century. He wrote: Let no one say I repent before God. God knows it and pardons me." What? Was it then said in vain to the priests, "Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven?"

St. Augustine is reminding us that after the resurrection, Jesus gave his apostles the authority to "bind and loose" or to forgive sins. This means that the priest must hear the sins and make a decision about a person's contrition, give a brief moment of counsel, a penance and absolve the sinner.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The last two weeks I wrote about almsgiving and fasting in my pastor's notes. Now, I want to write about the final pillar of Lent, the pillar or prayer, most particularly—repentance and sacramental confession.

Some Catholics and nearly all Protestants report that they confess their sins straight to God. Certainly, I try to confess my sins nightly to God as part of my night prayers before bedtime. But refusing sacramental confession rejects a practice that has occurred since ancient times and was given to us by Jesus himself.

St. Augustine dealt with this belief way back in the in the fifth century. He wrote: Let no one say I repent before God. God knows it and pardons me." What? Was it then said in vain to the priests, "Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven?" St. Augustine is reminding us that after the resurrection, Jesus gave his apostles the authority to "bind and loose" or to forgive sins. This means that the priest must hear the sins and make a decision about a person's contrition, give a brief moment of counsel, a penance and absolve the sinner.

Dear Brothers and Sister,

In my column last week, I wrote about almsgiving, an important pillar of the Lenten season with the hopes that we can move to a more profound understanding of this spiritual practice. This week, I want to move on to penance and fasting.

Lent is a time of penance and fasting because we seek to identify ourselves with Jesus' 40-day fast in the desert, the first step in His earthly ministry. One of the things that I always try to remember is that as a Catholic, I am called to follow Jesus Christ as a member of His body and that includes penance and fasting.

At every Mass, we remember Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Clearly, Jesus didn't need our help. Yet, we miss the point of our faith if we think we are mere onlookers of a grand drama. No, we are participants! Personally encountering Christ must include entering into the life, death, and resurrection of Our Lord. It is one thing to read about riding a bike. It is a completely different experience of actually riding the bike.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Part of the call to holiness involves almsgiving. So what does it mean to give alms? For some, almsgiving, one of the three pillars of the Lenten Season, is about writing a check and checking it off the "Lenten list."  Because it involves the transfer of cash or goods, I think we tend to see it as less than prayer and fasting.  And yet, in the only place where the Bible brings all three together, the Bible puts the emphasis firmly on almsgiving as the superior work.  

Almsgiving is more important than prayer and fasting because it is prayer and it involves fasting.  Author Mike Aquilina says that, Almsgiving is a form of prayer because it is "giving to God" — and not mere philanthropy.  It is a form of fasting because it demands sacrificial giving — not just giving something, but giving up something, giving till it hurts.