Father Wade Menezes Spoke At The 2016 North Texas Catholic Men's Conference

[Music] father grade is a member of the climate's of mercy in autumn Kentucky and yesterday father claims he had the opportunity to have a mass celebrated my father way and he said something during the course of that master that really struck a chord McLean he said we're all wounded we're all wounded and it's that woundedness that blames us to need and longed for God's mercy and he made reference to to us all needing a booster shot from time to time and to return us to a more healthy relationship with God and we're all here to receive that booster shot that's what we're here for but the other thing that he made mention of is then you know Mercy's not just something that we receive but it's something that we have to give as well that's something that we have to do it's an action in our heart as well and so we're required to do both we want to receive it but we're also required to give it I am super happy to the father made he's taking the time to share his his talk with us today and please give a warm welcome to hello gentlemen it's great having you all here today what uh what a very edifying group this is a very undefined group and it's a joy to come to an event like this and you're a big part of it with your presence here today a hall to Valerie letting mercy and virtue triumph over sin and vice a call to valor letting mercy and virtue triumph over sin and once I looked up the word valor in the oxford dictionary before I came here and this is the first definition it gave it's a noun valor courage and boldness such as in time of battle bravery as when protecting and defending it comes from the Latin infinitive Valerie which means to be strong then I went to the Oxford's lists of synonyms for valor and this is the list that I came up with fasten your seat belt courage briefly defendants heroes protection determination fearlessness boldness gallantry spirit fortitude resolve lion hardness nerve backbone and Gus amen amen to that st. Catherine of Siena one of the great 36 doctors of the church one of the great female doctors of the church gives us this awesome quote kicking on my men's conference table with a female Saints whoa remember Catherine was no women she's the one who chastised the Pope during the 14th century to uproot the papacy in Avignon I swear he had run like a scary guy and chastised him and challenged him to bring the papacy back to Rome where Peter died the head of the church and also exhorted him to kick that anti Pope who had set up shop in Rome to kick him the heck out of there and that's exactly what the Pope did it got his request so again Catherine's know when but quote if you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze in cognizant dr the church if you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze in other words my brother's you become the best version of yourself whether single married or a consecrated priest or brother you become the best version of yourself that already exists for you in God's divine eternal mind that already exists for you in His divine and eternal mom the best version of yourself that he wants you to discover a teeny and retain if this happens you will set the world on fire now all of this from this 14th century st. Catherine of Siena reminds me of a great 20th century Saint something he said st. Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei who truly is one of our own contemporaries he died only in 1975 and he was canonized as saying the same year as Saint Faustina Kowalska the Divine Mercy seer during the great Jubilee year 2000 and this is what Saint as rebus says quote God wants to make you a saint right there where you're at in quote if you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze Calvin of Siena and God wants to make you a saint right there where you're out st. Josemaria Escriva now how do these two quotes from these two great Saints tie in to the Jubilee year of Mercy and the theme of this cause mercy and virtue I'll tell you how because Mercy Mercy is who God is it's lost secondly God is more interested in our future than our past he's more interested in the kind of person you can yet become that if the kind of person you used to be now God indeed takes our sins seriously no doubt whether mortal irvene he takes out her sins seriously because they have in some way wounded or severed our supernatural relationship within venial versus mortal sinan wounding versus severing our supernatural relationship with him but he never takes those sins as the last word why because he knows he's made us in His image and likeness he knows who calls us constantly to a life of his sanctifying grace and he knows he is our God who is bigger than any mortal or venial sin we might ever commit if you are what you should be you will set the world ablaze and that must make you a saint right there where you're at because mercy is who God is it's love second name God is more interested in our future than our past he's more interested in the kind of person we can yeah huh then the climate person we used to be while indeed taking out her sins seriously whether mortal or venial he never ever ever takes those sins as the last word why because he knows he's made us in his own image and likeness he knows he calls us constantly to a life of his sanctifying grace and who knows he is our God maybe this is why st. Padre Pio's daily prayer to overcome his inordinate propensity to anger was this beautiful prayer praying to the day he died my house Oh Lord to your mercy my present to your love and my future to your divine products amen my past Oh Lord to your mercy my present to your love and my future to your divine profits only the human person is made in God's image and likeness Genesis is clear about things you go through the hierarchy of creation the gases in the airs they're part of creation but they're not made in God's image and likeness the rocks and the minerals they're part of God's creation they tell us something about God but they're not made in His image and likeness the vegetative plants even the wide array and assortment of flower types there are as beautiful as they are as different as they are they tell us something about God's greatness but they're not made in His image and likeness how about the brew animals like dogs and cats and cattle and horses they're not made in God's image and likeness although cats think they are only the human person is made in God's image licensed not murse assists for one reason and one reason only period and keep in mind my brothers that the majority of the church Bob's riding during the patristic age the first 700 to 800 years the church from the latin word potter which means father the age of the father's the patristic age the vast majority of them goes so far as to write that mercy is God's greatest attribute it's as great a sacrament now first John horse says God is love this is why we can say that mercy is loves 7/8 because God is love and mercy is the straightest attribute mercy can indeed be a second name for love and it's God's greatest attribute mercy requires reckoning with oneself before God why because mercy exists for one reason and one reason only period the reality of sin think about no such thing as sin no such thing as a need of a thing called mercy but because precisely because there is such a thing called sinning there is such a need for the greater thing the greatest attribute of God called mercy and I know the Pacific's is partially hidden because of the white screen but also my brothers let us remember that Jesus shows us his wounds precisely so that we will not be afraid to show him Oh amen you know it's a doctrine of our Catholic faith and I'm always amazed at how many Catholics don't know this doctrine it's based on the book of Revelation the last book of the Bible of Apocalypse on the second coming day the day of the second coming when Jesus descends on his heavenly and golden throne to judge the living in he will bear his wounds because they are the tools of our salvation his wounds are the very tools of our salvation for each one of us invented individually but they will be radiant with light they won't be bloody and bruised they will be radiant with the light of Christ but he will happen on the day of judgment so in mercy requires reckoning with oneself before God and let us remember that Jesus shows us his wounds precisely so that we are not afraid to show him our wounds let a mercy and virtue like valor and all of the synonyms triumph over sinning and vice the title of this talk now you show me 936 men gathered inside a church and if we're honest which is the title of Francesca out of Stallions latest album a great Christian female artist we're honest I love the time of the album if you're honest I must show you 936 points each one different of woundedness and the thing to do is to cowboy up and to admit it because it's the 12-step program states in the first step acknowledgement of the problem is the first major step to recover me what are some of those points of woundedness well they can be anything fear anxiety dot or worry and mind you it can be fear anxiety dot or worry that dates back to church and you're now 67 years old nunim sorry what are the words we hear at every mass right out of the our Father Lord Jesus Christ who said to your apostles I leave you my I give you he wants to give us his penis he doesn't want us to fall to pieces he wants to give us his peace so it be things like fear anxiety doubt worry about South a sham vision how about recent haven't talked to my brother long seven years because he never returned my chainsaw excuse me you're willing to risk pal over a chainsaw I hope it's a steel rim so resented it you know resented has been defined as a drinking poison but hoping the other person will die from it's crazy it's insanity by the way dad great job great example you're given their three teenage boys not talking to their own your brother-in-law for seven years now yeah mana great example you're given your three teenage boys by not talking to their uncle and then when the family gatherings do happen everybody's walking on eggs around the two of you because everybody knows that this conflict has been going on for seven years and then the truth be known both of you are active like eighth grade girls both of you are acting like they three girls making the whole family miserable around you and Thanksgiving and Christmas how about things like preconceived notions maybe that's our woundedness preconceived notions of how things ought to be well if I was on the committee I would do it this way well you know what you're not on the committee so deal with it five times now this morning in the workplace not four not three five times in the workplace this morning you have said out loud well if I was on the committee I would do it this way you know why don't we get it we know you're not on the committee actually we're happy you're not in the command you're making everybody walk on eggs around you in the office place because if you're grieving the seed notions by the way preconceived notions that woundedness leads to resentment battle animus which leads to the further woundedness of rash judgment but why didn't they ask me to the owner oh I know why they didn't ask me to be on the committee all this rash judgment going and it's eating you alive these are all examples of different points of woundedness we might suffer from huh how about taking advantage of another utilitarianism look no further than the so called modern day hookup culture on our college campuses I'm with you because I know I can get this from you friends with benefits and the sad thing is my gentlemen the women can't see it for what it is and we're called to be their protectors and their defenders and we're using them like raw meat and we're gonna have to answer to that as assess as the male sex we will have to answer to that on the day of judgment and they can't see it the women can't see you tell it to the sin of utilitarianism I'm with you because I know that you're useful to me in this regard or that regard I know I can get this from you how about workaholism you come on 530 home from work at 5:30 and within 20 minutes you're in the back bedroom which has been converted into the family office and you're at the computer again other than a quick hello to your kids and your wife they don't see you for the next hour until your wife says it's dinnertime because you're such a workaholic not healthy you know it's interesting each of the seven capital sins and the seven capital sins are listed on the doctrinal my examination of conscience brochure from my community that fathers a person that I brought him the seven count of Santa's have an opposite extreme in the far right column both are bad so you have sloth right sloth as one of the seven capital sins what's the opposite extreme opposite of sloth but just as dangerous is sloth workaholism so what you have to do you have to strive for the median virtue the middle column diligence the virtue of diligence or the virtue of industriousness from st. Thomas Aquinas being neither slothful nor workaholic know the seven capital sins know there are seven opposite extremes and know there are seven opposite virtues and strive for the virtuous life we'll talk about virtue the moment about perfectionism maybe that's true who did this why I don't know why I'm not your spiritual director maybe your perfectionism stems back to your relationship with your father how about stubbornness think of Jonah's own stubbornness in the Old Testament huh how about unbending product or jealousy how about this maybe this is your point of woundedness the need to be right because you are after all he just elbowed his brother line goes like this the need to be right I should be on the committee see how some of these dovetail they should have asked me to not only be on the committee they should have asked me to have the committee so that them doves dovetails enterprise as well spirit of competition who makes the best Texas barbecue arrogance maybe that's rudeness insecurities of any kind again fear anxiety doubt worry about the abortion from 23 years ago then you paid you denied yourself fatherhood until this day you still have not forgiven yourself port so what do you do Saturday after Saturday after Saturday you confession ha you confessional ha you priest ha and you keep confessing it over and over and over again when the truth and the truth of it all you confessed it 23 years ago what a month after you did it praise God you did that you confessed it one month after you did it a lot of people don't confess it very quickly but praise God you did but because you're still not healed from it you still have an innate need to keep confessing it over and over and over again when there's no need to from the first time you confessed it 23 years ago the great mercy of God his greatest attribute tells you that you no longer need to confess him you still might need healing from it because it's the residual effects of sin the sin is gone has been forgiven but you're still experiencing the residual effects of that sin the temporal punishment due to that sin so that's what needs to be worked you don't need to keep confessing it in fact each time you confess it you keep picking at the scab you keep picking at that 23 year old wound and it just keeps bleeding and bleeding it'll never heal what you need instead of confessing that because again it's no longer there to confess what you need instead is a Rachel's Vineyard retreat weekend for post abortive men and women or join the st. Joseph's group for post abortive men specifically who have a booth here in the eating hall their booth is Sena or a project Rachel retreat vineyard weakened for post abortive many women have a treadle of masses set for yourself three masses set for yourself just tell the pair Secretariat's for a special attention you don't need to be specific you and God know what the intention is then when it appears in the Paris bulletin for that we you see them all in a row Monday Tuesday Wednesday afternoon at the 4:30 mass or 5:30 mass the weekday masses special intention by so and so special attention by selling so special intention by so-and-so the so-and-so is the same name have a true tomb of massive set for yourself that's how you get you offer communion for yourself make it that your particular willed intention for the communion that's how you get healed you'll get healed from keep confessing the abortion over and over again now that was my lives of being a priest for 16 years giving spiritual direction and hearing confessions and I say that a very general sense that's not revealing the inviolability of the seal of confession is no name is mentioned note particular sin as mentioned by other Ticknor person those are just examples of pastoral ministry period whether the sacrament or whether in spiritual direction sixteen years ago now you thought my list was strong things that cause our woundedness things that hold us back from loving from being merciful from advancing in virtue you thought my list of strong fear anxiety doubt weary selfish ambition resentment preconceived notions the sin of utilitarianism the need to be right workaholism perfectionism stubbornness unbending pride jealousy spirits of competition arrogance insecurities and the abortion from 23 years ago if you thought my lists was strong of things that hold us back things that caused our personal woundedness listen to st. Paul's list from Galatians 5 lewd conduct of all sorts impurities lie citizeness idolatry sorcery and the occult hostilities bickering and jealousy even amongst family members outbursts of rage selfish rivalries dissensions factions indeed drunkenness sexual origins and the like and you thought my Elizabeth struck fear anxiety dowry now you thought Paul's list of a strong listen to Jesus's list of things that cause our woundedness things that hold us back from being merciful and loving and virtuous from mark 7 Jesus's own words evil thoughts on chastity that murder adultery fornication dreamed malice deceit sexual licentiousness in these blasphemous arrogance and utter violence but uh for the mercy of God his greatest attribute but for the mercy of God it's love second name God is largest in our future than our past he's largest in the climate person we can yet become then in the kind of person we used to be while indeed taking our sins seriously no doubt he never ever ever takes those sins as the last word why because he knows he's made us in His image like us he knows he calls us constantly to Elijah the sanctifying Grace and he knows he is our God amen veidt's is defined in the captain and the Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1866 I see quite a few of you taking notice number 1866 of the Catechism is what defines officially the word pious according to Catholic moral teaching quote a vice is a habit acquired by repeated sinning in violation of the proper norms of human morality the vices are often linked with the seven capital sins I can also be linked with their seven opposite extremes you got the seven capital sins in the far left column they're opposite extremes in the far right column both extremes are bad by the way the seven capital sins are all examples of being too laughs in your life they're opposite extremes and remember they're just the opposites are all examples of being too rigid in your life like the workaholic how about lust Plus is one of the seven capital sins - laughs huh what's the opposite extreme prudishness too rigid you see all things to do with human sexuality is evil and that's just not the case we're Catholic we love human sexuality we see it as a great gift John Paul's theology of the body is a time bomb that I personally believe has yet to go off I believe the culture has to sink a lot lot more beyond bathroom lungs for John Paul's the seconds theology the body to fully be appreciated it was spent for a time that is yet to come I believe that firmly so you strive on the middle column the median virtuous car what's the median virtue found between slaw workaholism I said earlier diligence or industriousness how about the median virtue found halfway between lust and traditions chastity we're all two chasm whether single mary or consecrated religious brothers or priests each one according to his own state in life even married couples are called to chocen with each other there's certain things that are not permitted in marriage things regarding foreplay that make at least one of the spouses feel uncomfortable should not be done that's not the nature of marriage to make your spouse feel uncomfortable in one of the most intimate times that takes place within your marriage in the bridal chamber contraception isn't permitted within marriage so even married couples are called to be chaste with one of them singles that aren't in vows chase courtship I'm a Sullivan technically not Mary Shelley looses a lot I have several methods that are unmarried in the early 20s or in the 20s still going to college not married yet they're technically celibate Chelios in Malaya unmarried their celibacy permits chaste courtship my celibacy does not permit courtship or chat all so we're all called to chastity according to our state and so a license I haven't acquired by repeated sand and violation the proper norms of human morality the vices are often linked with the seven capital sentence repentance for the sin or vice and confession of it will restore grace to a soul but the removal of the ingrained disposition to the sinner vice will require much continued effort and self-denial until finally the corresponding virtue is attained in other words the words of Absolution my brothers when you confess the sinner by supporting two kind an approximate number the words of Absolution do not function as a what as a magic wand the words of Absolution do not function as a magic wand do you confess your alcoholism and confession great but when you exit the confessional you're not cured of that alcoholism listen to this again number 1866 repentance for the sinner vice and confession of it will restore grace to a soul but the removal of the ingrained disposition to the sinner of ice requires much effort and self-denial until the contrary virtue is finally acquired I think an examination of conscience the doctrinal situs the ways of light and the ways of darkness you want to strive to the virtues listed under the ways of light because you know what vices you suffer from so you want to practice the opposite version now brothers what I'm about to tell I mean from the absolute core of my being I could not stress this enough in fact so much so if there's one pieces you take it from this whole 50 minute talk okay 55 minutes on this what I'm about to tell you I cannot stress it enough I'm about to end the paragraph number 1803 gives us the definition of virtue it is my favorite favorite favorite paragraph period and in the entire Universal catechism of the Catholic Church are you ready for this hey virtue is an official and firm disposition to seek and do the good it allows the person not only to perform good acts but to give the very best of himself the virtuous person tends toward the good with all of his sensory and spiritual powers he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete daily actions ayman what are the sensory powers sight smell taste touch and here he pursues the good daily with all of his sensory powers and all of his spiritual powers the powers of the soul intellection memory rationality the ability to choose intellection memory rationality the ability to choose listen to the definition a virtue is an official and firm decision to seek and do the good it allows the person not only to perform good actions but to give the very best of himself the virtuous person tends toward the good with all of his sensory and spiritual powers he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete daily passions and the very next line still number 1803 where the definition of virtue is given the very next line is a one sentence quote from a church bomber early third century st. Gregory of Nyssa quote the goal of a virtuous person excuse me the goal of a virtuous life is to be like God in quote the goal of a virtuous life is to become like God the divinization that was alluded to earlier in Vinnie stop for the sign rental ization of the individual through active participation the seven sacraments as Jared referred to in his first talk this morning especially the two and the only two that can be received over and over and over and over again with much frequency Eucharist and penance the other type cannot in fact of the other five three of them can only be received once period once that's it because of the indelible mark or spiritual character they leave on the soul never be erased Baptism Confirmation and Holy Orders those who hear those three intolerable marks on their soul never to be raised to make it to heaven those 3 marks will be in their greater glory any number of the three then we'll be there greater glory but for those who go to hell with those three marks because again there never be erased after receiving the modern for those who go to hell it will be to their greater condemnation and reprobation a great judgment follow Satan's Robert Bellarmine wrote a treatise on this truth of the indelible character on the Christian soul of Baptism Confirmation the holy orders that are never be erased to the greater glory of the individual in heaven to the greater reprobation and condemnation of the individual in hell the other two of the five can be received again but it wouldn't be daily or frequently anointing of the sick and matrimony for example if your spouse dies you could marry them get it right but would it be daily Texas and have the grapevine police knocking on your door whatever our spouses are disappearing to but Eucharist in penance oh yeah they can be received again with much frequency even daily if you want them you can receive the Eucharist twice in one day provided the second time is a full mass the first time doesn't have to be a full mass let's say you're visiting your grandmother at the nursing home and the Deacon comes by with the hosts for her and he has enough second house and he asks you if you want to receive and you know that'll be your first reception that day and you know you go to daily Mass at 4:30 in the afternoon your second one will be a full mass you can accept that morning communion with your grandmother in the nursing home you can receive Communion twice and one day provided the same time as a full Mass the first time could be a full mass too but the second time has to be a full matters and confession technically speaking technically speaking you can receive daily as well however that Helen said it surely isn't good to go to daily confession if it's screw callosity leading you to confession where various rutila's sold at everything every little thing is a sin they can't they can't differentiate between mortal and venial sin and they can't differentiate between venial sin and no sin at all and they're very scrupulous saint john re be a meanie that was his woundedness during his seminary formation years he suffered terribly from scruples not a good time to suffer from scruples when you're studying for the priesthood but he overcame them just like Padre Pio overcame his inordinate propensity to anger so the goal of the virtuous line is to become like God even Saint Dominic quote the person who governs his passions is master of the world quotes in quote the person who governs his passions is master the passions are neutral in of themselves in fact in the mortal section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church the three terms that are used interchangeably are passions emotions and feelings they all mean the same thing they're interchangeable they're neutral in of themselves you need to know what each one's end is which what what is the object of each passion emotions are feeling in order to make a moral judgment on bless me Father for I have sinned my last confession was a month ago father I was angry that tells me nothing is your confessor were you angry because you got home from work at 6:15 at night to find two thieves in your house one holding your bride up at gunpoint and the other one ransacking your house and going through your personal belongings is that what the anger was this last month because if that's the case there's no sin there in fact my brother it would be simple if you were not scenario that's adjusting our Lord had just anger with the money changes in the tempo so the passions emotions and feelings in and of themselves are neutral you got to know what each one's end is to make a moral judgment haha surely Joy's a passion emotion or feeling huh how about this joy good joy or evil joy virtuous joy or evil joy by Smigiel I it's the it's the third Wednesday of the month and I always be my adulterous lover I'm here every third Wednesday of the month and nobody knows we meet we meet in Taco Bell that's not a holy joy that's an evil joy meeting your adulterous lover every third Wednesday of the month Taco Bell how about this joy how about those two leads I'm so July flight I just can't wait to get off work in fact I asked the boss if I can leave a little earlier he said yes it's it's me and my brides 23rd wedding anniversary and our 23rd wedding anniversary I'm gonna take her out to dinner at Taco Bell I'm gonna give her a beautiful mother's ring with the four stones of our of our four children's first months that I bought it at Walmart that's a holy joy that's a holy joy I was given a parish mission in Louisiana one time right in the heart of Latvia Cajun country like you wouldn't believe yeah one woman I'd say she was in her late 60's but you know good health I was greeting the people in the vestibule as they were all walking out of the parish mission that night but she didn't even look at me all she did was extend her arm out there in this index finger point at me never looked at me she said it clear as a bell I'm there too reading other people's just father father example use father not hard from the truth father now say Jean Rivini who again suffered from scribble ASSA T he says this the man of true sanctity it's the one who is just as consciously aware of the dark side of himself as he is for his need for the grace and mercy of God he holds bold in the balance why is that important because if all you do is focus on the dark side of yourself that can lead to the sin of what begins with a deed to spend the sin of despair but if all you do is focus on the grace and mercy of God all the while still sinning can lead to the opposite of despair which is presumption presuming on God's mercy st. John the Rivini again the man of true sanctity is the one who has justice consciously aware of the dark side of himself as he is for his need for the grace and mercy of the Lord he holds both in a balance you know the poor guy who is scrupulous during his seminary formation years he couldn't grasp why he received a special dispensation from the Archbishop of Paris did not have to study live he was finally ordained his archbishop sends him to a a neglected little parish in ours France he overcame his scrupulosity he gradually on his own learned Latin but when he overcame those points of woundedness but when he was ordained the archbishop knowing of his problem sent to an abandoned neglected parish in ours the day he arrived there were roosters and chickens up on the rafters inside the church the first-half heifer had just given birth to her calf and one of the side names I mean that's what he arrived at for his first assignment his brother priest that this is the glory of his sings among about Stella his brother priests were so angry with their Archbishop that they that he even ordained jean-marie Vianney that they started a petition when they found out that he was going to ours even though ours was in the collective perish that nobody had staffed for over 13 years it didn't matter to his brother Parisi they wanted him out see they had preconceived notions about genre meaning they didn't want at all so what do they do they started a petition to their Archbishop to ask pardon take him out of the Archdiocese and sent him somewhere else well somehow someway somehow someway the petition ended up in a genre Romanies own hands so he would have been signed it too that's the sage right there my brothers you know what are they trying to do he doesn't return my JSON seven years no he didn't do any of that he didn't do any of that at all well you know what maybe this is from God I mean there's enough of them that have signed and it's did my immediate superior the archbishop maybe this is of the Holy Spirit all that by him at my signature he did he didn't let him rain on his parade st. Cyril of Jerusalem says remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks from your life so that you will be able to go straight along the road to eternal life that median call of a virgin now I don't have it here but if you go to my blog page and fathers of Mercy calm my communities website navigating to my personal blog page you can print out the seventh out of sins sheet there opposite extremes and the median column of the seven virgins you can print that out that should be a part of your spiritual life copy and pass it out to friends all that okay remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks from your life so that you will be able to go straight along the road to eternal life neither leaning to left - laughs nor too far to the right - rigid but at living a balanced virtuous life st. Philip Neri the founder of the Oratory empowers very happy-go-lucky we all know the four primary temperaments the sanguine the melancholic the flag matter and the choleric well Philip Neri was very sanguine temperament very happy-go-lucky you know he would do crazy things like shade half of his beard off and walk around Rome to attract them in to come to the Wednesday night oratory that he found them for fathers and saunas and men's single and married an older man and younger to all have been praying together like a midweek booster shot in the arm like our Protestant brothers and sisters are so well known for doing huh we could learn from that okay well that's what he did in Rome he found out the Oratory but he would do crazy things like shave half of his beard off and he'd walk around Rome all week and the merchants selling their items on the sidewalks would say hey beer dog and his answer would be you come to the Oratory Wednesday night I'll give you the answer there we attracted the guys to come the orator he would just do crazy things well this happy-go-lucky fella this primarily sanguine and temperament gentleman what was his morning offering each morning upon arising we know this from his rivals quote oh god stay by your philip today because if you do not your philip will be trained before the day is over England Oh God stay by your felicity because if you do not your filament will be triggered before the day is oh now that is a pretty somber solar awakening morning awfully coming from someone who is known to be of such a happy-go-lucky sanguine temperament tells me that Philip Neri had good what good self-knowledge st. Thomas Aquinas says you can never hope to grow in holiness unless you first possess good self-knowledge then he goes on to define south marriage selling knowledge is simply knowing your virtues to advance them and good self-knowledge is also about knowing the opposite extreme it's about knowing your vices to begin to uproot them out of your life so good south knowledge is knowing and admitting your virtues whether natural virtues you possess or acquire virtues that you didn't possess naturally but were turned on them until you finally acquire them so it's about knowing your virtues whether natural or to advance them but good seller knowledge is also about knowing and admitting your vices to begin to hunt root them out of your life and my brothers we do just that with Vice we uproot it when you pull the weed from your garden you don't pull it just at the surface green above the earth you pull it from what the roots you want to peel the weed you know if somebody confesses to me in this again this is a hypothetical situation somebody confesses to me something that's extremely habitual in their life sindelle vines that submission it by its nature is a ritual if it's a bias remember our definition of bias it's habitual all those internet pornography and or masturbation the two often accompany one another and they're confessing to me that it's very vital and repetition in their life for me as their confessor who's just sitting there silently listening to them that tells me that is as evil and bad as the alcoholism or the masturbation or the internet pornography is for as bad as those three things are they are all all three of them the weed above the earth my question to them when they're all done is what's the root of this what is the root that's leading you to do this is it loneliness is it a crumbling marriage do you find yourself doing these things when you're out of control because you like being in control what is it because that's what you need to be healed from is that root amen I want to wrap up of this in this last ten minutes talk about virtue and mercy overcoming sin advice I've read the lives of four men to Clarence one single layman one married leader and purposefully while reading all former things I kept a note of the virtues that they shared all four of them and here are the four named father Michael McKibben founder of the Knights of Columbus father Agustin Colton the first african-american priest ordained in the United States bless appears Giorgio for saga single-lane Lee who died in his mid-twenties of polio a great lover of the attitudes and the 14 works of mercy and lastly the married laven st. Thomas More statesman Chancellor of England husband father grandfather who was beheaded by the order of his former boss Henry the eighth these are the virtues that I came up that all four of these men shared and I share them with you forgiveness mercy fatherly instinct loyalty compassion fidelity or famous man of the church lover of wisdom and searcher for the truth for turning Colorado Allegiance constancy and instill a sense of duty and responsibility moral uprightness and truth strength bravery chivalry courage a generous providing spirit of giver one who wants to give constantly of himself it's not about you it's about the other it's not about self-centeredness it's about other sentiments protector defendant patriotism lover of their country in other words steadfastness moderation and self-control one who recognizes the dignity of Labor there were all great workers but not our mahalos and lastly an instilled sense of valor and instilled since of valour and remember the synonyms of valor that I gave you at the beginning courage bravery defense heroism protection determination theorises boldness gallantry spirit Ford it resolved lion hardness nerve backbone and guts the virtues my brothers give us the very blueprint if you will think of an architect the blueprints for the house the virtues give us the very blueprint of being a man indeed the very term virtue comes from the Latin word for man precisely as male which is fear vir that's where we get the word virtue the Latin word for mankind or humankind many men is home eNOS hom I NES but the Latin word for the human person precisely as male is view it's where we get the word virtue for the ancients then like the Greeks to be manly was precisely to be virtues the term virtue in Latin dr2 signifies the power strength and ability thus the virtues are the habits that gives us the power to act in a manly way with strength sufficient to do what is right and just without virtues we will neither be godly nor real men virtues are the very building blocks of character and without them our moral lives will collapse especially under the pressures of the world for the Catholic layman his chief earthly iconic example of sound masculine character should be his parish priest his earthly iconic example should be as parish priests why because the man of the home is the priests of the home he's the Christ figure of the home just as the parish priests is the priest of the parish the Christ figure of the parish first Thessalonians 4 it is God's will my brothers that you grow in holiness and the third letter of John verse 11 I never imitate an evil example but follow it as good and true for whoever does what is good and true is of God and Romans 13 let us my brothers always live honorably as in the daylight not in carousing and drunkenness not in sexual excess and must not in quarreling and jealousy but rather let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit a call to Bala letting mercy and virtue triumph over sin and vice godless remembers [Music] you

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Length: 56min 8sec (3368 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 27 2016