Fr. James's Sunday Homily

Eternal Consequences

If we were to step back in time and place ourselves within the historical context of this Sunday’s gospel narrative, we would notice that people did not have utensils such as knives, forks or napkins when they ate a meal. They ate with their hands, and in wealthy homes, they cleaned their hands by wiping them on pieces of bread, which were later thrown away. Lazarus, the poor beggar, lay there daily, hoping to receive these pieces of bread.


The rich man lived in opulent luxury. He feasted luxuriously every day of the week. His sin was not that he was rich, but that he had misused his time, his talent, and his treasure. He was totally self-absorbed. His sin was gross self-indulgence, and this blinded him from even noticing the needs of Lazarus.


Our earthly existence provides us with countless opportunities to change our lives. God continually pours his graces upon us and continually calls us to repentance and conversion. Death is definitive because when we die all opportunity for change ceases abruptly. Judgment by God determines our eschatological destiny. The drama of our contemporary world is made even more spectacular because so many people have closed themselves to the truth and have chosen to continue down the path of destruction.


“'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead'“ (Luke 16: 27-31).


The message of this Sunday’s gospel narrative is powerful indeed. Jesus clearly reveals different dimensions of the Catholic Church’s eschatological teaching. The parable teaches us about..." Continued here.)

Announcing my new book, "Catholic Saints Prayer Book"

I am excited to announce that my new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing) will be released in March 2008! Amazon.Com already has it available for preorder! In a month or so the cover image will be posted at Amazon. To preorder from me for a signed copy just follow this link to my "Author's Store" for details.

This Saints book would be ideal for Confirmation kids who are deciding upon their patron Saints. It's also a wonderful little book to learn more about our friends the Saints, our intercessors in Heaven! This book is a compilation of 34 Saints that I chose to bring to you! It is appropriate for anyone wanting to learn more about the Saints and what they have to offer us on our own journeys. There is a biography of each with an original prayer to each one as well as inspiring quotes from them included in this book. It is a hardcover book in a smaller format so that it is suitable for carrying in one's purse, briefcase, diaper bag or to leave on the coffeee table or nightstand for those times when it can be pulled out for some inspiration.

Feast of St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel

From Catholic Culture:

"The liturgy celebrates the feast of these three archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church. Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people. Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar today was only the feast of St. Michael. St. Gabriel was observed on March 24 and St. Raphael on October 24." (To see more click here.)

An article about my new book, me and Mother Teresa

The Catholic Standard and Times out of Philadelphia just published an article about my newest book, Prayerfully Expecting: A Nine Month Novena For Mothers-To-Be. It is complete with a couple of Mother Teresa photos with me and with my son, Joseph. You can click on the link to read it here.

Vatican strongly denies Italian doctor's claims

From Catholic News Service:
Rome, Sep 28, 2007 / 12:07 pm (CNA).- "Vatican officials have strongly denied claims by an Italian doctor that John Paul II hastened his own death by “refusing” to accept nourishment through a feeding tube.

In an article Dr. Lina Pavanelli questioned the reasons for which John Paul II received nourishment from a feeding tube “only” starting on March 30, 2005, three days before his death. Pavanelli said the Pope clearly needed this treatment earlier. She claimed the Pope chose not to receive adequate nourishment in order to weaken himself and die in a sort of “assisted suicide.”

Vatican officials told the Associated Press that the Pope did in fact use a feeding tube before March 30 but that it was not made known officially until that day. They pointed out Pavanelli has not had access to the Pope’s medical records and that her accusations are based merely on media reports..." ( Continued here.)

Here we go with the Italian journalists...

From Catholic World News:
Rome, Sep. 25, 2007 (CWNews.com) - "Officials of the Rome diocese have scaled back a campaign to distribute relics of the late Pope John Paul II (bio - news), after a spate of media reports forced Church officials to clarify that the relics were not for sale.

Officials promoting the cause for the beatification of the late Polish Pontiff have offered prayer cards, accompanied by a piece of the Pope's cassock, to anyone interested. The prayer cards have been available through the official web site of the beatification cause.

During the past week, several Italian newspapers reported-- inaccurately-- that relics of the late Pope were for sale, and the Rome office was deluged with requests for the prayer cards. But Church officials were alarmed by the stories, and hastened to clarify that the prayer cards were being offered free of charge..." ( Continued here.)

Here we go AGAIN with Time magazine...

From Fox News: "Time Magazine has published a story that suggests John Paul II may have been euthanized by his doctors at his own request.

The article is blatantly irresponsible, for the reasons I will explain below. But of even greater journalistic concern are the author’s false statements about what the Catholic Church teaches regarding end-of-life care.

It would be in the magazine’s best interest to issue a public retraction of its error..." ( Continued here.)

Radiating Christ

Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Your fragrance
everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being
so utterly that my life may only be
a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let then look up,
and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin
to shine as You shine,
so as to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, o Jesus, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine.
It will be You, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You
in the way You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by example,
by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love
my heart bears for You. Amen.
Composed by John Henry Cardinal Newman
and one of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's favorite prayers.
She TRULY LIVED this prayer!

Happy Feast Day!

Saint Padre Pio's feast day is today. He was an extraordinary saint and one of my absolute favorites. I beseech his help every single day! My spiritual director, Fr. Bill introduced me to him years ago and I have been counting on his help ever since. I have a chapter on him in a book I wrote about the saints which will come out next year with Our Sunday Visitor publishing. When St. Padre Pio wasn't saying Holy Mass or praying before the Blessed Sacrament, he was spending endless hours (18 or more a day) hearing confessions and reading the hearts of the people who came in droves to him to hear his counsel. I highly encourage you to beseech him with your concerns and needs. He will help! One quote that he is known for is "Pray, hope, and don't worry!"


You can go to this Vatican website to learn more about Padre Pio.

You can check out this multilingual official website for more information on him.

You can access Jean Marie's site at Catholic Fire for a beautiful reflection, many quotes of St. Padre Pio, and lots of information.

Saint Therese of Liseaux

Here is a beautiful novena to St. Therese whose feast day is coming up on October 1st!

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

Fidelity In The Small Things

One stormy night an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk said they were filled, as were all the hotels in town. "But I can't send a fine couple like you out in the rain," he said. "Would you be willing to sleep in my room?" The couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, "You're the kind of man who should be managing the best hotel in the United States. Someday I'll build you one." The clerk smiled politely. A few years later the clerk received a letter from the elderly man, recalling that stormy night and asking him to come to New York. A round-trip ticket was enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building. "That," explained the man, "is the hotel I have built for you to manage." The man was William Waldorf Astor, and the hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria. The young clerk, George C. Boldt, became its first manager.


This Sunday’s liturgy reminds us that we need to be faithful in the small things of our every day existence. “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones” (Luke 16: 10).


Fidelity is an austere Biblical virtue. It takes a lot of will power, sacrifice and commitment to live...( Continued here.)

It can happen to you...

Yesterday I received an email from a friend of mine who is a priest out of state. Actually, you may know him. His name is Fr. James and I post his Sunday homily here every Sunday!

So, yesterday morning I opened his email and found out that he was in South America attending a conference. He was writing his friends to tell them that he was actually stranded because he forgot his bag in the taxi that contained his passport, wallet and important documents. He said that he reported everything to the authorities and was working on trying to get a new passport and didn't have money to eat, get another passport, or stay anywhere. Fortunately a family there took him in for a night and fortunately his blackberry was in his pocket so he was able to send the email, but he was in dire straights in a strange country. He asked if I could send money to the address he noted and he would pay me back when he returned.

This was incredible! I was worried about Fr. James and this strange email. But, I couldn't believe this! Something was really wrong here. After just a minute I thought that this must be the workings of a hacker who had gotten into Fr. James's email and was using it to solicit money from Fr. James's address list! I called his parish and only got his voice mail. I called every extension leaving messages and even dialed the emergency number that was provided and left another message. I had to tell Fr. James about this in case he didn't realize that someone had hacked into his email and I had to find out if Fr. James was all right!

Finally an hour or so later the parish secretary called me to tell me that it was a hoax and that Fr. James was fine but now had to get everything back in order and deal with protecting his identity, etc. He was not aware that it had happened until the parish received about one hundred calls inquiring about that email!

This could happen to anyone. Always be aware of strange emails. In this case the email initially looked legitimate because it had my friend's address. I had received emails in the past begging for money that I opened by mistake and then deleted them immediately. But I never received an email that I thought was from my friend because it was from his email address. Just be careful on the Internet.

A few "give aways" --Fr. James doesn't have a blackberry (I wasn't sure about that though) and the email was signed, "Best Regards" and he would have said,"God bless." AND it didn't say "Fr. James," instead it had his first and last name.

Let us pray...

The following is an article from CNA
"Washington DC, Sep 18, 2007 / 10:50 am (CNA).- President George W. Bush has promised to veto an amendment that overturned the Mexico City Policy.

Last Thursday, 16 of the 25 Catholics in the U. S. Senate voted to overturn the "Mexico City Policy" and allow funding to overseas health clinics providing abortions. The amendment passed by a margin of 53-41.

One of the 16 was..."( Continued here)

ALSO, read this incredible story about Planned Parenthood's lies and deception. from CNA.

"Aurora, September 18 (CNA).-U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle ruled on Wednesday that Planned Parenthood cannot open a newly constructed abortion clinic in Aurora, Illinois until he reaches a decision about allegations that the abortion provider's developer lied on applications for a building permit. Judge Norgle wants attorneys for both Planned Parenthood and the city of Aurora to come back on Thursday and present more information.

The city of Aurora has brought a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood because their developer, Gemini Office Development obtained a building permit for the new abortion clinic under the pretense that it was an office building and falsely listed a building operator that was not Planned Parenthood.

The truth about the purpose of the building came to light when a pro-life construction worker on the 22,000-square-foot site became suspicious of the bulletproof glass and surgical suites..." ( Continued here.)

A surprise gift

One night recently I was going over to the Church to try to make it for the evening week day Mass. I had planned on going all day and then a bunch of stuff came up suddenly that prevented me from leaving the house on time to get there. They were important things - things that could not be prevented and needed addressing. Such is the story of my life being a Mom to five with other people who surround me too, who often need some sort of help. But, our good Lord knows and charity comes first.

When I pulled into the parking lot of the Church, I glanced at the time and moaned to my myself that it was too late, I probably had missed Communion too. But, I was eager to see Jesus and parked quickly to go inside. I blessed myself with holy water , genuflected and went into a pew in the back. I knelt down quickly to pray, closing my eyes and telling our dear Lord that I was happy to be there even though I had missed Mass. I could hear the closing hymn playing - a reminder of the time - and I had just arrived!

"Oh Lord," I said, "I'm so sorry I am so late. I knew that He knew the reasons and that they were important, out of my control and had prevented me from being there on time. But my heart ached and I said, "I'm sorry, Jesus, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I continued to pray and drink in His presence, His love and peace. I asked to receive Him in spiritual Communion.

Within a few minutes, I could hear the rustling of people coming down the center aisle from the back of the Church and a hymn beginning. I opened my eyes to see that Jesus was processing down the center aisle in a monstrance carried by our priest surrounded by altar servers and incense! What a gift. I hadn't known that there would be a Eucharistic holy hour after that Mass. I was there on time for that! Thank you dear Lord for Your many blessings! Thank you for Your love. I love You!

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

God Will Always Forgive
The parable of the prodigal son is by far one of the most beautiful narratives of the Holy Bible. The conduct of the father in the parable reveals to us the love and mercy of God. The father not only welcomes his prodigal son, but also celebrates his return with immense joy. "But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15: 20).



The prodigal son's decision to leave the father's house and to immerse himself into a life of rebellion, clearly illustrates the nature of sin. Every sin is an abuse of human freedom. When we sin, we defy God who loves us unconditionally. The consequences of sin are always disastrous. Every sinner always experiences profound sadness. "So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine" (Luke 15: 15).



The hunger that the prodigal son experiences indicates the anxiety and emptiness that we feel when we are far from God. We can never be ourselves when we sin. Sin will always bring us to our lowest state and cause us to even become perverted if we were ever to persist in a life of sinfulness.



"And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything" (Luke 15: 14-16).



The prodigal son experiences the profound sadness that sin causes. He turns away...( Continued here)

Our Lady of Sorrows

Catholic Culture tells us, "Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Sacred Scripture and in Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering Son. Today's feast was introduced by the Servites in order to intensify devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows. In 1817 Pius VII — suffering grievously in exile but finally liberated by Mary's intercession — extended the feast to the universal Church." Visit Catholic Culture here.

Visit Catholic Exchange here.

Also visit Jean at Catholic Fire to see some beautiful photos of Our Lady of Sorrows on her feast day today as well as some helful information and a prayer.

Motu Proprio goes into effect Friday, September 14th

The motu proprio with which Pope Benedict XVI encouraged wide use of the Roman Missal of 1962, will take effect tomorrow, Friday, September 14th.

On July 7th, Pope Benedict's initiative was made public after months of intense speculation. "It calls upon pastors to 'willingly accept' requests from the faithful for access to the pre-conciliar liturgy. Pope Benedict explained that his motu proprio was an effort to promote 'interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church.'" (From Catholic Culture)

Catholic Carnival

The Catholic Carnival is up and ready. Go on over to Sarah's place, Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. As usual she has done a terrific job! She is so gracious to host these Catholic carnivals so often - and this is while she's running around after a toddler and expecting to give birth to another child in the very near future. Great job, Sarah! Thanks for pulling it off once again!

The Holy Name of Mary

"This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters.
The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and in 1671 was extended to all of Spain and the Kingdom of Naples. In 1683, John Sobieski, king of Poland, brought an army to the outskirts of Vienna to stop the advance of Muslim armies loyal to Mohammed IV in Constantinople. After Sobieski entrusted himself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he and his soldiers thoroughly defeated the Muslims. Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the entire Church." (from American Catholic)

For more insight, click here at American Catholic

Picking up our crosses and carrying them

I just found these thought provoking words today about carrying our crosses at Overheard in the Sacristy...

"These two statements by Jesus, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” and “anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple,” have prompted many Christians over the centuries opportunities to examine our faith lives. The Lord allows us to examine our crosses and to define the necessity of the objects which surround us. Neither our crosses nor our possessions are enumerated in detail in Sacred Scripture. This makes the Word of God transcend space and time, eras and cultures. This makes the Word of God “alive” throughout salvation history. Our crosses today may not be the crosses of tomorrow.


Just like Jesus, we pick up our crosses, we suffer our own passions and death, yet we also have moments of resurrection. This is how we participate in—to a point—the Paschal Mystery, knowing that the fullness of that mystery will only occur at God’s time. Last week I mentioned that the..." (Continued here.)

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

The Meaning of Suffering
When Jewish psychiatrist Victor Frankl was arrested by the Nazis in World War II, he was stripped of all of his personal possessions. He had spent years researching and writing a book on the importance of finding meaning in life--concepts that would later become known as logotherapy. When he arrived in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp, even the manuscript hidden in the lining of his coat was taken away.

"I had to undergo and overcome the loss of my spiritual child,” Frankl wrote. "Now it seemed as if nothing and no one would survive me; neither a physical nor a spiritual child of my own! I found myself confronted with the question of whether under such circumstances my life was ultimately void of any meaning."

He was still wrestling with that question a few days later when the Nazis forced the prisoners to give up their clothes. (Homily continued here.)

Happy Birthday dear Mother Mary!

"All generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48)

Article in Georgia Bulletin about Vatican initiative

Women Invited To Form Study Groups On Pope’s Letter

SUZANNE HAUGH, Special To The Bulletin

Published: September 6, 2007

ATLANTA—The Pontifical Council for the Laity is encouraging the faithful worldwide to observe the 20th anniversary in 2008 of Mulieris Dignitatem, or “The Dignity of Women,” an apostolic letter by Pope John Paul II released in 1988 that encourages women in their vocations and highlights the essential feminine genius that they provide to the world.

To prepare for this milestone, the council recently launched a campaign to heighten awareness of the document through grassroots efforts that include stimulating discussion of the apostolic letter by women, particularly, who will consider planning study groups or scheduling knowledgeable speakers, among other activities, at their parishes or at the diocesan level.

Through the document, Pope John Paul II hoped to promote the restoration of spiritual and physical motherhood to a culture that he saw was losing sight of the meaning of nuptial love.

Catholics of North America are being asked to consider the document in light of one overarching theme: “The Dignity of Women in a Technological and Consumeristic Society.”

“Technology and consumerism have assaulted the family and women, especially, who have been drawn into masculine models of operating as well as suffering the peddling of women’s bodies and sex, which demeans them,” according to Genevieve Kineke, author of “The Authentic Catholic Woman” and one of a handful of Catholic authors and other professionals who are providing direction and support for the effort.

The Web site www.dignityofwomen.com provides available resources, including the text of the apostolic letter, and includes a list of pertinent books and available speakers familiar with the document. The Web site will also evolve as people post their own reflections and information on the events they may be sponsoring within their parishes or dioceses.

“It is indeed an exciting time for women of the Third Millennium!” proclaimed Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, whose most recent book, “Prayerfully Expecting: A Nine-Month Novena for Mothers-To-Be” is among others she has written about Catholic motherhood. She also was invited by the council to serve as one of the planners and speakers for the initiative.

“The laity and Religious alike are being called to reflect on the document. We—through our baptismal commitments—will respond in respect to our fundamental equality as Catholics. Our informed response after having read and spent time in thoughtful consideration of Mulieris Dignitatem, can be through group discussions, reflective articles in various venues, catechetical explanation of it for those who may not understand it, or the planning of events to promote its applications. The Holy Spirit must guide that and we will rejoice as it unfolds,” she said.
You may see the article here.

Discussion about Mother Teresa with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio this morning

In case you didn't get a chance to tune in to Teresa Tomeo's show, here is the link to our discussion about Mother Teresa in light of the fact that Mother Teresa is being criticized by the secular media which is saying that Mother Teresa lost her faith.

Blessed Teresa's tomb

From Catholic News Service:

Kolkata, Sep 6, 2007 / 10:11 am (CNA).- It was still dark, almost an hour before sunrise on Sept. 5, but the freshly decorated white marble tomb of Blessed Teresa gleamed as the feast day of the saintly nun began.

According to UCA News, activities began early in the morning with the arrival of more than 150 women, men and children from slum areas where Blessed Teresa had begun her mission among "the poorest of the poor."

The program of activities that day marked the 10th death anniversary of the world-renowned nun, who lived in this eastern Indian city formerly called Calcutta. Her tomb sits inside the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity (MC) congregation that she started in 1950.

The tomb, adorned with flowers and the words "Happy Feast, Mother" formed with yellow marigold petals, was lit up by the glow of candles held by people who came for the morning program. (article continued here.)

Discussing Mother Teresa with Teresa Tomeo

I want to remind you all that I will be on "Catholic Connection" tomorrow morning (Friday, September 7th) with Teresa Tomeo at 9:30 AM Eastern time discussing Mother Teresa and the current comments and criticisms of her in the media regarding her interior struggles which were just brought to light by Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk the Postulator and Author of the new book about Mother Teresa’s hidden interior spiritual life, Come be My Light published by Doubleday. Tune in here at 9:30 AM EASTERN time. In case you miss the program, I will be posting a link to the segment on this blog afterwards.

My interview with Nissa Gadbois of "Simple Gifts" about Mother Teresa

You should probably brew yourself a cup of tea or coffee and have a seat. This will be a lengthy interview with Nissa Gadbois of Simple Gifts who so graciously spoke with me today about our beloved Mother Teresa, the Mother of all the poor now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. It was a blessed time recounting memories of my relationship with Mother Teresa and sharing the blessings with Nissa to be shared with all of you. I hope you enjoy Nissa's podcast and I pray that it will bring you many blessings!

Let us also pray together that we can help to light the way for others. Mother Teresa's work of caring for the poorest of the poor can and should be continued through you and me. Let us strive to open our eyes and ears to the plight of the poor around us. Mother Teresa so often spoke about the poor in our affluent nation here in the United States who are not poor in riches perhaps, rather they are poor in love. Can we allow our Lord to love through us to them? I certainly hope so.

Please dear Blessed Teresa look down upon us and hear our prayers for ourselves, our families and the poor and please intercede for us before the Blessed Trinity. Amen.

To hear my conversation today with Nissa, click here.

Blessed Teresa's feast day!

"Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are -- in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. ... You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society -- completely forgotten, completely left alone."

Dear Blessed Mother Teresa pray for us! Help us to recognize the "poor" around us who may not be starving for lack of food, but may be starving for lack of love. Dear Lord, please open my eyes to your poorest of the poor who surround me in my everyday life so that I may help to ease their sufferings with Your love. Amen.

I will be back to post more later. I have three radio interviews today.

God bless!
Donna-Marie

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta's tenth anniversary of death tomorrow

I'm sure you have all heard about Blessed Teresa's dark night of the soul that she suffered through while she ministered to God's poorest of the poor. Excerpts from Mother Teresa's private letters have been brought to light which reveal her interior struggles and sufferings. Of course, the secular media has misconstrued and distorted everything suggesting that Mother Teresa had lost her faith - how ludicrous! I will be speaking about that in posts and interviews in the upcoming days.

Tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. It's hard for me to believe that it has been that long. I will be posting a link here at "Daily Donna-Marie" to an interview with Nissa Gadbois of Simple Gifts by tomorrow sometime. She will be interviewing me later on today about Mother Teresa whom I was privileged to know.

Also, I will be featured on the "Catholic Connection" show with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio this Friday, September 7th at about 9:30 AM EASTERN time. Please tune in to that which you can do from your computer.

My book, Unlikely Saints about Mother Teresa will be out early in 2008 published by The Crossroad Publishing Company.

Additionally, I wrote a cover story for the September issue of Canticle magazine titled, Mother Teresa and Me: Remembering the Mother of All the Poor. My son, Joseph (as a baby) appears on the cover in Mother Teresa'a arms.

It begins...
Sheer sweetness filled my heart as I watched my little girl bend down on one knee to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament while making the Sign of the Cross on herself. A Missionary of Charity nun caught sight of her too, and felt compelled to run up behind my child, lean over and wrap her arms around her in a warm embrace. How kindhearted, I thought.
It happened so quickly and then I felt like my heart stopped when I suddenly realized who that nun was. Touched to see a small child remember to reverently say "good bye" to Jesus before leaving the chapel, Mother Teresa had hugged my daughter, Chaldea! That blessed hug was the first gesture of love from Mother Teresa that would touch my family.
This beloved moment came after we attended a Mass at the Missionaries of Charity chapel in Washington, DC...

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

The Virtue Of Humility
Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when he was stopped by a wealthy white woman. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace. A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady.

The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Mr. Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely. "It's perfectly all right, Madam," he replied. "Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it's always a delight to do something for a friend." She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute. ( Continued here.)