Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is no question for many of us that this has been a difficult year, one of the hardest in memory. There was a difficult and divisive election; there has been an ongoing assault on religious freedom; our economy has yet to overcome the recession and secularists continue to push us to "live as though God does not exist." During the time when we are supposed to be focusing on "peace on earth and good will," we hear stories about a fiscal cliff and the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar.

And in the midst of all of this, the Church calls us to embrace the New Evangelization? Our current difficulties beg the simple question, "Why go to the trouble of evangelizing during the New Year when we collectively seem to be going down to despair?" Why? Because our faith does not call us to a naïve optimism that "things will work out," but to authentic Christian hope!

The Holy Father has allowed the granting of Plenary indulgences for the faithful during the Year of Faith at places and dates determined by the local bishop.

An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain conditions. (Canon 992) A Plenary indulgence totally frees the soul from temporal punishment due to sin. (Canon 993).

Between now and the end of the Year of Faith (Feast of Christ the King, 2013), plenary indulgences can be obtained by members of the faithful in the Diocese of Phoenix by visiting one of the following historic Churches and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father (an Our Father and a Hail Mary). Indulgences may also be obtained by attending Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours at any sacred place in the diocese and making a Profession of Faith on feast days of American saints listed below. The person seeking the indulgence must have received sacramental confession and Holy Communion within a week of the visit. Further, in order for the indulgence to be Plenary and not partial, the individual must be free from sin (even venial). Only one Plenary indulgence may be gained on a day.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Sunday we lit the third candle of our Advent Wreath. You probably noticed that it has a different color: rose, instead of violet or purple. The rose color signifies "rejoicing."

St. Paul tells us to "rejoice in the Lord always." He doesn't say, "rejoice when things go your way." Or "rejoice when you are feeling good." No, he simply says, "rejoice always." Before saying how this is possible, I would like to first address why it is necessary for a Christian to always rejoice.

We are celebrating the Year of Faith. This year is a special year given to us to help us to live as committed followers of Christ. Part of being committed followers of Christ means sharing the faith. How? St. Paul reminds us today: "Your kindness should be known to all." Inner joy leads to kindness. The person who goes around sullen, angry and bitter has a hard time treating others with kindness. On the contrary, the angry person often treats others harshly. St. Paul presents joy, constant joy, as not just a good thing, but as a duty. Rejoice always, he says.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As I child, (not so long ago) I can remember counting down the days until Christmas. Mom would put up the felt Advent calendar that had one piece of candy tied to it for each day of Advent. It was a form of torture… the waiting for the days to pass seemed like forever. I wished that if I could untie them two at a time then Christmas would somehow arrive sooner. It never did. The Advent season seemed like forever.

Today we learn from Sacred Scripture that Our Lord's timing may be different from ours. Since God doesn't always give us what we want exactly when we want it, we can grow impatient with God. Patience is such an important virtue. It means waiting and sacrificing some immediate satisfaction for the sake of a greater good. Impatience is the unwillingness to wait or to sacrifice. These are words we don't like to hear since we are so used to immediate gratification.

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.

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.