Page 378 – Regnum Christi

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Gay and Virgin – Am I on the Right Path?”

April 30, 2019 / Ask a Priest

Q: I’m sort of a rare individual. I have never smoked, never did any drugs, don’t drink alcohol, never been violent with others. I am still a virgin. Now the punchline: I’m a gay, 55-year-old gentleman. I’ve always lived alone since I left my parents’ home at 20. I knew I was gay since I was around the age of 7. The Bible passages that have really helped me to stay clean are the following: The five out of 10 virgins that kept the oil reserves full; “Blessed are those who are pure of heart — they shall see God”; and “Be holy as your Father who is in heaven is holy.” Have I been on the right path and does my sacrifice have any value? I think so! I pray and offer my life and myself to God the Father united with Jesus crucified for all the gay and transgender people of the world, for their conversion. I received the grace of chastity and held on to it — it was a blessing from God because my virginity was my strength over all these years. Father, I would very much appreciate your comments. – R.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: You are definitely on the right path! Your sacrifice has clearly born fruit for Christ’s Kingdom and will continue to do so.

It seems as though you have had a great grace from God. You have lived precisely the way that the Church counsels those with same-sex attraction to live: chastely.

It sounds as though you have dedicated your life to prayer, Scripture reading and, I’m guessing here, the sacraments.

In a sense you are living out what the Catechism in No. 2359 says:

“Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”

You have therefore given glory to God through your chaste living. And you might have been a model for many people over the years without realizing it. This is the kind of thing that will be revealed at judgment day.

It is wonderful, too, that you pray for people with same-sex difficulties and related issues. That, too, is a great work of mercy.

Stay close to the Blessed Virgin Mary, continue to pray and do acts of charity and mercy, and you can become a saint. I hope you achieve that.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to AskAPriest@rcspiritual.wpenginepowered.com and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

“Ask a Priest: Gay and Virgin – Am I on the Right Path?” Read More »

“Ask a Priest: My Catholic Dad Won’t Walk Me Down the Aisle – What Can I Do?”

April 26, 2019 / Ask a Priest

Q: I grew up in the Catholic Church but joined a non-denominational Protestant church a few years ago. I go to Bible study, attend church every Sunday, and do outreach with them. I have never said anything bad about Catholicism and even went to pre-marital counseling through the Church. I am getting married soon, and my father says that because it is not a Catholic wedding, he cannot walk me down the aisle. Is this true of Catholic doctrine? This is strange to me since my father continually says how no one should discriminate against another’s religion and how God also exists outside of the Catholic Church. He always says, “Catholics will not be the only ones in heaven.” I am hurt, angry and confused because I could see his point if I became an atheist or something. Instead, I feel more in touch with God than I ever have before and have never and would never make the argument that my dad is wrong for his Catholic faith. – K.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It sounds as though you are a lot like your dad: a person of principle. That is something to be admired.

As you might know, the Church requires a baptized Catholic to obtain Church approval in order to enter a marriage.

The Church requires this because it considers marriage to be a sacrament and an institution that has ripple effects on the community, and thus wants to ensure, as much as possible, that the partners are approaching their wedding day well prepared. (For a deeper understanding of marriage you might want to see our retreat guide “Three Hearts.”) Since you haven’t sought Church approval, your marriage will not be recognized by the Catholic Church.

Your father obviously understands this, which is why it would probably go against his conscience to walk you down the aisle. For him to do so, at least from his viewpoint, would be to compromise his faith by giving public approval to a marriage that he knows will not be considered valid by the Church.

As for a Catholic’s attendance at such a wedding, the Church doesn’t have hard-and-fast rules. This is a prudential judgment that a practicing Catholic has to make. Your dad seems to have made his prudential judgment in this case.

Now, I don’t intend for this answer to sound cold or legalistic. It is understandable that the situation is not an easy one for your family. Perhaps we could put the case this way:

You have decided to join a Protestant denomination and to abandon the practice of the Catholic faith. Perhaps this is a decision you made after much prayer. Likely you are sincerely trying to follow your conscience. The Church regrets seeing that you no longer taking part in Mass and the sacraments, but it respects your decision.

Likewise, your dad is trying to follow his conscience. And his decision should be respected too.

You have made a personal decision about which faith to practice. That is within your religious rights. Like any decision, this one has its consequences, one of which is that your dad won’t participate actively in your wedding. It is what it is.

I’m sure that your dad loves you very much and that his decision probably wasn’t easy for him to make.

Perhaps he is trying to show his love for you in the best way he knows how: by witnessing to his Catholic faith and his beliefs about marriage. He isn’t practicing discrimination. He is simply try to live his faith in an integral way.

He sounds like a man with a lot of integrity. A dad to be proud of – whatever other feelings you have right now. Count on my prayers.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: My Catholic Dad Won’t Walk Me Down the Aisle – What Can I Do?” Read More »

“Ask a Priest: What If a Fine Young Woman Now Shows a Crude Side?”

April 23, 2019 / Ask a Priest

Q: I am 20 years old, and last year through YouTube I saw an 18-year-old girl who was featured in part of a channel where they show the rural life of Middle America. They talk about God and help others in need, etc. Nothing is scripted, and they show the raw reality of how people are there. Throughout this year I’ve seen more about this girl and her family. She is wonderful because she is humble, kind, simple, modest and grateful. She is very close to her family, talks wonderfully about God, and has a very strong faith. I believe she is part of her church somehow (not sure). I got to talk to her a few months back and everything went well. However, recently I’ve seen her “like” a few very vulgar “memes” on Facebook, and most recently one that takes the name of the Lord in vain. I don’t like that. I was planning a trip there to meet her but also to see my family. But now I don’t know if I should just give up on her, or should I keep pursuing her? Even though I feel something very strong for her, God is my priority now. – F.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Given the nature of social media, it isn’t easy to get a real handle on people.

You have seen two sides of this young woman via Internet. Which is her “real” side? Perhaps both are. We are complex beings, after all.

Perhaps those good qualities you have noticed in her are real. It’s just that they are mixed in with elements that are less than perfect. Given the seedy media content that has flooded the culture, it is understandable that even goodhearted people can get accustomed to and accept vulgar or even irreverent material.

What is often needed is a bit of education and better formation of a person’s conscience.

Rather than try to offer an assessment of this young woman — which isn’t the place of Ask of Priest — I would suggest that you give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

If you want to pursue a true relationship, you will want to have face-to-face meetings with her.

Your initial impressions of her were elevated and perhaps fragile. You might have been quick to project your own hopes and ideals on her. Then those hopes were quickly deflated by the meme and the misuse of Our Lord’s name. Either way, you now want to establish things on firmer ground and not on the roiling waves of social media.

You mention that God is your priority now. God should always be your priority. By keeping him first your life, you might play a part in helping this young woman to live her Christian faith in a deeper way.

She is probably a work in progress, like the rest of us. And if she is as humble and simple as your first suspected, she could be a potential saint. All this is something to take to prayer.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: What If a Fine Young Woman Now Shows a Crude Side?” Read More »

Letter from Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil, LC, to all Regnum Christi Members for Easter 2019

April 20, 2019 / Press Release

April 20, 2019

To all of the members of Regnum Christi

Very dear in Jesus Christ:

The Easter liturgy shouts and sings: the Lord has risen, Alleluia, Alleluia! Truly he has risen, Alleluia, Alleluia! It is the Paschal feast of the Lord, and we are called to proclaim this message with joyful voices and lives that bear testimony.

The strength of Jesus’ resurrection is also resuscitating, and because of this, the whole Church is called to new life. Easter is a call to all Christians. A new life exists. Come out of the tomb to experience the joy of the Risen Lord!

Come out from the tomb to enter into life! This is the constant call of the Risen Jesus to each one of our hearts. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above.” (Colossians 3: 1)

We can consider different types of tombs. The first kind of tomb is being enclosed in oneself. It is the tomb of the apostles locked in the Cenacle. Another is the tomb of doubt and disbelief, and this is the tomb of the disciples of Emmaus. A third could be the tomb of sadness and bitter tears, like those of Mary Magdalene, because difficult circumstances in the present moment do not allow us to see a complete reality.

At the invitation of Pope Francis to be a living Church that goes out, we, as members of Regnum Christi, want to welcome and listen to this call. Let us leave the tomb! Let us be a community of apostles on a mission! The Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit that the Holy Father just published on March 25, 2019, asks us to do this very thing, recalling the son of the widow of Naim who was resurrected (Luke 7:14). It invites us to a new life. Let us go out then, liberated from the chains of death!

If you have lost your inner vitality, your dreams, your enthusiasm, your optimism, and your generosity, Jesus stands before you as once he stood before the dead son of the widow, and with all the power of his resurrection he urges you: “Young man, I say to you, arise!” (Christus Vivit 20)

Self-centered individualism is one of the most tempting aspects of our society. It prevents us from “going out,” it makes people believe themselves isolated, and that the individual only exists for himself and through his own power. This tomb leads to death because it makes us incapable of living in communion with others, in the profound joy of the communion of the living saints in which we recognize that the Lord has made us for each other, for the common enrichment of all. That is precisely what we see in Peter and John when they run to meet the Risen Christ, going out of themselves, realizing that they do not exist only for themselves, but that there is an Other, someone outside of themselves that attracts them in such a way that they are willing to risk their whole life to discover him (John 20:3-10). And once they have found that Other, they come and believe. It is this encounter that makes them capable of the proclamation of Life, which is faith. This experience is what transforms them into apostles.

Similarly, every member of Regnum Christi, like every Christian, is called to experience this dynamism of a personal encounter with the Love that takes you out of yourself, that makes you go out to meet the Lord wherever you discover him, to see and proclaim in faith that he has risen. It is this experience that, through us, makes Regnum Christi truly an apostolic movement that goes out.

The second grave that we could lay dead inside is systematic and existential doubt, so prevalent in the children of our time. This tomb is extremely poisonous because the way out seems beyond reach when we feel like we are several meters underground. The person who allows themselves to be found in this tomb feels locked in darkness with no way out, unable to escape the trap.

Such were the two disciples of Emmaus: they walked out of Jerusalem and away from the solution they needed. They fled, wandering, overwhelmed by their doubts as they went along the road, unable to get out of themselves and see the Truth before their eyes–the Truth that was able to take them out of that existential doubt (Luke 24:13-35). At times we have been scandalized by the darkness of evil in our lives, by the sins in the Church; and we have doubted that a solution is really possible, a way out through which we can discover the Truth, the Life and the Way (John 14: 6). Faced with this tomb, the only one who is able to make us go out is the Lord Himself, manifesting himself as present and merciful in the breaking of bread, which is in reality Christ himself, dead on the cross and resurrected for each one of us.

What are your doubts, your anxieties? What darkness do you need to overcome today to go out of the tomb and be a living member of Regnum Christi, one who is able to run and proclaim to others the greatness of the news that Christ lives? Let us experience in our hearts the joy of already being in a new stage of Regnum Christi, one in which we can dedicate ourselves with renewed strength to the apostolate and to evangelization.

A third, among many other possible tombs, is the sadness that springs from the interior of the soul and emerges uncontrollably, like the sorrowful weeping of Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18). It is a bitterness of soul that obscures the ability to see inside ourselves and discover the Lord himself present in our hearts, even amid the deepest and most profound sorrows of our lives.

“How will I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? I will raise the cup of Salvation, invoking your name, Lord!” (Psalm 115). This prayer is called to be the prayer of each one of us, though we may be nailed to our own personal crosses, knowing that the Risen Christ is present, that the suffering in our personal lives and in our life as Regnum Christi has a meaning and that death is not the last word. “Where is, oh Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians15:55).

When we see and touch the wounds of the Risen Jesus, they can make our hearts joyful and make it possible for us to confess our faith as St. Thomas did: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

From this experience of encounter with the Risen Christ we must go out into the streets enthusiastically, no longer desperately seeking the Love of our lives (cf. Song of Songs 3), but sharing this Love, especially with those most in need of a personal encounter with him.

The Pope says in his Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit:

“Jesus is risen, and he wants to make us sharers in the new life of the resurrection. He is the true youthfulness of a world grown old, the youthfulness of a universe waiting “in travail” (Romans 8:22) to be clothed with his light and to live his life. With him at our side, we can drink from the true wellspring that keeps alive all our dreams, our projects, our great ideals, while impelling us to proclaim what makes life truly worthwhile.” (Christus Vivit 32)

I pray to God that this Easter is an occasion for each one of us to renew the experience of the liberating love of our Risen Lord, and that this will make us go out from our personal and institutional tombs once and for all, making us capable of a proclamation of faith, not in ourselves, but in Him and from Him, who has died and risen for us.

May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, accompany us!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil, LC

Link to Spanish original

Letter from Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil, LC, to all Regnum Christi Members for Easter 2019 Read More »

Corpus Christi St. Brendan the Navigator

Fifth Anniversary of Installation of Corpus Christi at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish

April 19, 2019 / Atlanta, Regnum Christi News

Palm Sunday 2014 marked a long-anticipated milestone in the evolution of the liturgical décor of St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church. A newly acquired Corpus was installed on the main cross behind the altar. The hand-carved corpus has a story all its own, one with familiar biblical roots and with an unlikely character being chosen to do God’s work on earth.

Introduction____________________________________________________

It began as a simple conversation. At the conclusion of a baptism in 2013, the grandfather of the newly baptized approached Fr. Matthew VanSmoorenburg to ask if he might help our church with a significant donation. Fr. Matthew expressed his desire to complement recent altar enhancements with a new Corpus to attach to our existing Celtic cross. From here, the story of the Corpus takes an improbable path from inspiration to creation.

The Setting ______________________________________________________

In 2013, Angola State Prison was the largest maximum security prison in the United States, with more than 6,000 offenders. Once known as the country’s bloodiest and most hopeless maximum security prison, it had been reborn in the early part of the century under the guardianship of Warden Burl Cain. A man of great faith, Cain knew that without moral rehabilitation, his inmates would never find peace. Theology classes led by the New Orleans Theological Seminary followed as did the construction of several small chapels within the walls of the prison. Where once only despair thrived, tiny seeds of hope were now beginning to take root.

The Cast __________________________________________________________

The donor informed Fr. Matthew that he knew a prisoner in Louisiana who was a talented wood craftsman – one who had never taken on a project of this size but who was skilled with carving life-like images. Inspired by the redemptive possibilities, Fr. Matthew decided to give the prisoner a chance to perform the work. “My name is Marty James Hebert. I am from the town of Franklin in south Louisiana. When I was 21 years old I got into a fight with a man and killed him. In 1995 I was convicted of 2nd degree murder and sentenced to mandatory life in prison (Angola Louisiana State).”

Work Commences _____________________________________________

Working closely with the Pastoral Council, photo images were forwarded to the prisoner and work began in the early months of 2014.

“When I was asked to carve the life-sized Jesus for the crucifix, I had some doubts … I never worked on anything so large and so life-like. I enlarged a picture I was given and made a pattern of it. But I also wanted to carve my interpretation of the physical aspects of Jesus. He worked as carpenter and therefore would have been strong, but in the last years on earth as He was traveling and teaching He would have eaten modestly, taking only what His body needed…The face was the most challenging. I used all my imagination in how I could make it command a sense of peace.”

Once the Corpus was complete, Fr. Matthew made plans to transport the carving to our church. Through their generosity of time and willingness to travel a bumpy 1,200-mile round trip ride via rented box truck, parishioners Mike and Diana Artzer set out on a purposeful journey to bring “Jesus” to St. Brendan’s. Their trip included tours of the Angola facility including the death row area and the execution rooms, a meeting with the assistant warden and even an overnight stay in a guest cottage known locally as the “Sugar Shack.”

The Artzers were impressed by the hospitality extended to them by everyone they met as well as the sense of pride and ownership the inmates showed in their work. “I am a Christian, I have a Catholic school education. I have prayed for many years in prison for God to help me and I believe the gift I have is His answer. I have a talent to make wonderful art with my hands and with it the ability to bring joy to those who have an eye to see it.”

The Lesson_______________________________________________________

Once safely delivered to Cumming, the Corpus was temporarily displayed in the Narthex on the Third Sunday of Lent 2014. That day parishioners listened to the Gospel story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Fr. Matthew reminded them that Jesus frequently made choices that seemed to go against what others expected Him to do. Jesus engaged in dialogue with the Samaritan woman, asked her for a drink and then offered her “living water.” With this parable as the backdrop, it seems fitting that the parish would acquire a Corpus hand-carved by a prisoner serving a life sentence. This prisoner was a carpenter by trade, the same profession shared by Jesus, and through a strong conversion experience, he now uses his woodworking talent to glorify God.

“I am not a great artist like Michelangelo but I did put my heart and soul into 10 weeks of work. I hope it gives reverence and hope to all who see it.”

Several skilled craftsmen securely suspend the Corpus in front of the cross with special care being taken not to harm the existing Celtic cross. Work continued through Friday and Saturday with the imminent date of display set for April 13, 2014: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. On Palm Sunday, as the Word of God was proclaimed in the stories of Christ’s passion and crucifixion, parishioner’s eyes were unable to move away from the new image of Christ with them, watching over them. Above them now rested the representation of the ultimate sacrifice: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for a fallen world and the sacrifice we are called to make to truly follow Him.

The Afterword ______________________________________________

An Update from Marty James Herbert, Artist and Prisoner (March 2019)

“I am Marty James Hebert, the prisoner in Angola who carved the Corpus for St. Brendan’s Catholic Church. I feel honored to write a letter for the 5th anniversary commemorating its blessing.

I would like to thank Father Matthew and all the parishioners for the many letters I have received sharing your feelings of the carving I made. I am humbled to learn the Corpus has touched your hearts. I remember back when I was working on it, I would begin each day with a prayer asking God to grant me knowledge and to guide my hands so I could serve His purpose.

I have received letters from people telling me looking at the Corpus gives them a sense of peace from their daily troubles. I have received letters from people of different races each telling me to them the Corpus looks like their own people. Perhaps God’s will was for me to carve this Corpus in an image everyone can relate to, and to see an image that reminds everyone of the power of God’s love for us. If this was God’s will for me, then I believe I served Him successfully.

I would like to thank Father Matthew and all the parishioners at St Brendan’s for their prayers and for providing me with the opportunity to serve our Lord in such a grand manner.”

With special thanks to Jane Smith, Mike Artzer, and Larry Peterson, and to all the parishioners of St. Brendan’s who lovingly call this parish home

*originally published by St. Brendan the Navigator Parish.’

Fifth Anniversary of Installation of Corpus Christi at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish Read More »

“Ask a Priest: How Can We Know Psalm 22 Was a Prophecy About Jesus?”

April 19, 2019 / Ask a Priest

Q: I am looking into the psalms and have noticed that Psalm 22 closely parallels the death of Jesus. I have found that many people believe this psalm to be a prophecy, but am not so sure about the latter myself. How can we be sure that this is a prophecy? That is, what textual evidence do we have to make that assumption? I realize of course that the psalm closely resembles the narratives of Christ’s death. But how can we be sure that we aren’t just reading something into the psalm that wasn’t meant to be read into it? – M.D.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: First, Jesus himself quotes from the start of Psalm 22 when he is on the cross (Matthew 27:46). This has enormous importance. We can imagine that all the words spoken by Jesus in the moments before his death have particularly heavy significance.

Second, Jesus himself said the Scriptures of his time (what we call the Old Testament) spoke about himself and pointed toward him. “You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf” (John 5:39). And then there is the moment with the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures” (Luke 24:27).

One reason the early Christians kept the Jewish Scriptures was precisely because Jesus himself quoted from them and affirmed, as we see above, that they pointed the way toward his coming. This alone counts more than any simple textual analysis.

None of this takes away from the fact that the psalms and all the Old Testament were written for a particular audience in a particular historical moment, and thus they have a meaning that was relevant in that time, long before Jesus appeared on the scene. Still, this doesn’t preclude our seeing a deeper meaning in Old Testament passages, in the light of Christ.

As the Catechism says in No. 140: “The unity of the two Testaments proceeds from the unity of God’s plan and his Revelation. The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfills the Old; the two shed light on each other; both are true Word of God.” I hope some of this helps.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: How Can We Know Psalm 22 Was a Prophecy About Jesus?” Read More »

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in the Vatican Museums

April 17, 2019 / Weekly Message Blog

“Sacred art, by being true and beautiful, should evoke and glorify the mystery of God made visible in Christ, and lead to the adoration and love of God, the Creator and Savior, who is the surpassing, invisible Beauty of Truth and Love. The beauty of sacred art is always a fruit of a deeper knowledge and love of God in Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Who is all beautiful.” – Pope Benedict XVI, March 19, 2011

In 2017, Fr. Kevin Lixey, LC, left his role as Regnum Christi chaplain in Atlanta to take on a new mission as the International Director of the Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museum.

This Lent, he and his colleagues send a gift from Rome, brief video meditations on the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary with art from the Vatican Pinacoteca (art gallery).

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony of Christ

Art: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane by Giovanni di Paolo

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

Art: The Flagellation by a Master of the Trevi Crucifix

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

Art: Wooden Bust of Ecce Homo by and Unknown, first decades of the XVI century

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

Art: Christ carrying the cross – Marco Palmezzano

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion

Art: The Crucifixion Between Saints Venantius, Peter, John the Baptist and PorphyryL’Alunno, 1480 ca.

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in the Vatican Museums Read More »

“Ask a Priest: Why Pray for Someone If God Won’t Force Grace on the Person?”

April 16, 2019 / Ask a Priest

Q: I have struggling a bit with our practice of asking others for prayers and praying for others. I can understand that I need to pray to God to help me. But how I can pray to God for graces for others who do not ask directly of God, as Our Lord won’t force things on us? I recall a homily where the priest said many people asked him for prayers. He reminded us that we can’t outsource prayers. This really spoke to me. Also, I struggle somewhat when we give a lot of credit to St. Monica’s prayers for St. Augustine’s conversion – does that mean if we have a mother like St. Monica, or someone who prays like her for someone, that that person will be converted and become a saint? — J.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Intercessory prayer for others is a great act of charity.

Scripture backs this up. St. Paul writes, “I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

But what might be some of the reasons behind intercessory prayer?

First, prayer is very hard for some people. Some people might not even think to pray for themselves. There could be lots of reasons – such as fear or ignorance or shakiness in the faith. So they turn to others for help.

Second, some people are holier, and their prayers might have more weight with God, so to speak. And these holy people are sometimes in demand as intercessors.

Third, keep in mind that God has given all of us the power to help one another. I can help people by changing their flat tire, or even by passing them the salt during dinner. Why not help them by praying for them? This capacity to help one another is one of the beautiful aspects about being created in God’s image.

The Catechism in No. 2634 says, “Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners.He is ‘able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.’ The Holy Spirit ‘himself intercedes for us … and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.'”

No. 2635 says, “Since Abraham, intercession — asking on behalf of another — has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ’s, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks ‘not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others,’ even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.”

God won’t force his grace on anyone, of course. But part of his grace could be precisely to open the heart of someone who needs to be closer to him – and who needs to recognize that basic truth.

The pastor you mention has a good point. People should never presume that they can shift their obligation to pray onto someone else’s shoulders. That would be a mockery of intercessory prayer. Nevertheless, intercessory prayer in principle retains its value.

As for the case of St. Monica: Her example is certainly praiseworthy, and over the centuries it has given more than a few moms a source of hope for their wayward children.

Still, prayer is not like using a vending machine. There is no guarantee that someone will insert coins (prayers), and outs pops the candy bar (a conversion and a saint). There are lots of factors involved. Some souls resist grace. Other souls might convert, though it might take a lot of people’s prayers. It’s not easy to do a simple calculation when it comes to prayers and divine favors.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: Why Pray for Someone If God Won’t Force Grace on the Person?” Read More »

The Apostle to the Apostle | A Regnum Christi Retreat Guide on St. Mary Magdalene with Fr. Bartunek

The Apostle of the Apostles: A Retreat Guide on St. Mary Magdalene

April 15, 2019 / Retreat Guide

St. Mary Magdalene was a sinner (like all of us) washed in the merciful love of the Lord—and his love for her filled her with a great love for him. Christ chose this woman to tell his apostles the good news of his resurrection. She was as St. Thomas Aquinas called her, “the apostle of the apostles.” We can learn a great deal from her story. We can grow in our relationship with the Lord she loved so much by reflecting on her life. And by her example and her intercession, we can become more joyful and committed witnesses to the risen Christ in our own lives too. We’ll follow this path for our Easter Retreat with St. Mary Magdalene:

In the first meditation, we’ll consider how St. Mary Magdalene sought Christ, and, above all, how she was sought by him.
In the second meditation, we’ll reflect on how Christ definitively found St. Mary Magdalene—but not in the way she expected.
And finally, in the conference, we’ll look at several ways we can grow in our own calling to be apostles of Christ’s resurrection.

The Personal Questionnaire/Group discussion questions are available in the Companion Guide Book or Small Group Companion Guide. Either download the PDF Companion Guide Book or purchase it. The Companion Guide Book is available for purchase as a paperback or in Kindle at Amazon. Pause the video at any moment to go to the Companion Guide Book or continue to the next meditation.

Video

Audio

Print Guides

The Apostle of the Apostles: A Retreat Guide on St. Mary Magdalene Read More »

The Regnum Christi Identity

4 Vocations: 1 Spiritual Family

The Regnum Christi Mission

Locations by Country

News & Resources

Prayer Resources

Media

Series

Events

“Ask a Priest: Gay and Virgin – Am I on the Right Path?”

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: My Catholic Dad Won’t Walk Me Down the Aisle – What Can I Do?”

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

“Ask a Priest: What If a Fine Young Woman Now Shows a Crude Side?”

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Letter from Fr. Eduardo Robles-Gil, LC, to all Regnum Christi Members for Easter 2019

Fifth Anniversary of Installation of Corpus Christi at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish

“Ask a Priest: How Can We Know Psalm 22 Was a Prophecy About Jesus?”

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in the Vatican Museums

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony of Christ

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion

“Ask a Priest: Why Pray for Someone If God Won’t Force Grace on the Person?”

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

The Apostle of the Apostles: A Retreat Guide on St. Mary Magdalene

Video

Audio

Print Guides

The Regnum Christi Identity

4 Vocations: 1 Spiritual Family

The Regnum Christi Mission

Locations by Country

News & Resources

Prayer Resources

Media

Series

Events

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

The First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony of Christ

The Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

The Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Video

Audio

Print Guides

Events

Donate

Looking for another country?

Contact Regnum Christi near you

News & Resources

News & Resources

The Regnum Christi Mission

The Regnum Christi Family

The Regnum Christi Identity

Alex Kucera

Atlanta