A PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

There has been much talk these days about illegal immigrants in the USA. Of course, there has always been illegal immigrants in the USA and you if your an American your neighbor is probably an illegal immigrant. My family were immigrants from Portugal but of course they came legally and never had to worry about being discovered and deported. Just imagine these poor people who come to the USA who want a piece of the "American Dream." Unfortunately, they have to take jobs that are below minimum wage and they are not protected under labor laws which unfortunately leads employers to mistreat them. The buzz in Washington is to legalize illegal immigrants. Well, one side says that these illegal immigrants are taking away jobs from Americans. Well, I would like to say to those people that they are not taking jobs from Americans. Americans have become too good to do such domestic jobs as cleaning the toilet. My father who is presently a custodian at the local hospital is a legal immigrant who works hard and keeps the hospital looking good. Well, I can tell you that 90% of his department are all immigrants. So America, wake up and smell your Folgers Coffee. Immigrants are not taking our jobs. They are actually doing a service for us. Who then would clean our toilets, empty our garbage baskets and take care of our elderly mother or father. Let us give these people a right to live in the good old USA. Give them an opportunity to live out the "American Dream" and give their a children an opportunity to be anything they would like to be. Also tomorrow it seems many immigrants will be participating in a walkout and many rallies will take place throughout country. Cardinal Mahoney from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is against this walkout because he's concerned some will lose their jobs and what can be accomplished by that action. Others have supported this decision and believes this will speak to those in Washington. What do you think? Do you believe these walk-outs will benefit the immigrants or hurt them? Let me know what you think and as always I will post your comments.

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

They recognized him in the breaking of the bread. Were not our hearts burning? That is a question we should ask ourselves when we are around the Eucharistic table. Do our hearts burn? Do we have this "passion" for Jesus when he's present on the altar under the form of bread and wine? How can I make my heart continue to burn for Jesus? The answer is that we must constantly be in prayer. "O.K." you might be telling yourself this, "that's good for you. Your the one that going to be the priest." Yes, your right I should be praying especially since we seminarians and priests are considered the "prayerers." All people in different ways of life can be in prayer by thinking of God throughout the day, giving him a couple of minutes in the morning and in the evening, saying grace when we are around the dinner table, and the list can go on. Is your heart burning? (Having heartburn doesn't count.)

Da Vinci Code

All the hype of the Da Vinci Code is back on the scene. The movie will be released world-wide on May 19th. I'm sure there will be long lines at the box office and also many protests against the movie. At present, I will not share my thoughts about the Da Vinci Code until I see the movie for myself and then you can come back here late next month and I'll share with you my view points. I do want to hear yours. What do you think of the Da Vinci Code? Do you think Christians are making too much of a big deal over this book? Do people realize that the book is a fiction? Do you think that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene which we don't hear about in the 4 Gospels? Let me know and I will try to post your comments.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today is the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena. She was born on March 25, 1347 and died April 29, 1380 in Rome was a Dominican Tertiary or lay-affiliate of the Dominican Order. Catherine was the 23rd child out of 25 (her twin, the 24th, died at birth); her parents were Giacomo di Benincasa, a cloth-dyer, and his wife, Lapa Piagenti, daughter of a local poet. Catherine had no formal education. At the age of seven she consecrated her virginity to Christ; in her sixteenth year she took the habit of the Dominican Tertiaries. As a tertiary, Catherine lived at home rather than in a convent, and she practiced austerities there which a prioress would probably not have permitted. She is especially famous for fasting and living for long periods of time on nothing but the Blessed Sacrament.
In about 1366, she experienced what she described in her letters as a 'Mystical Marriage' with Jesus, after which she began to tend the sick and serve the poor. In 1370 she received a series of visions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, after which she heard a command to leave her withdrawn life and enter the public life of the world. She began to write letters to men and women in authority, especially begging for peace between the republics and principalities of Italy and for the return of the papacy from Avignon to Rome. She had a detailed correspondence with Pope Gregory XI, also asking him to reform the clergy and the administration of the Papal States. In June of 1376 she went to Avignon herself as ambassador of Florence to make peace with the Papal States, but was unsuccessful. She impressed the Popeso much, however, that he returned his administration to Rome in January of 1377. During the Western Schism of 1378 she was an adherent of Pope Urban VI, who summoned her to Rome where she lived until her death in 1380.
Her letters are considered one of the great works of early Tuscan literature. More than 300 letters have survived. Her major work is the Dialogue of divine providence.

LESSER EVIL?

You've probably heard that the Vatican is investigating if it would be permissible for married couples, where one spouse in infected with AIDS to use a condom when performing sexual intercourse. Of course this has been quite a hot topic since the AIDS epidemic began. Again, this shows Pope Benedict's willingness to investigate the matter and see if this is possible among Catholics. It should be interesting to see what will come out of this. I would love to hear your thoughts about this topic. Sent it my way and I'll post your quotes. Also thanks to all those who have been impressed with my blog. I hope to keep this updated and let it become a forum for open discussion on topics affecting our Church and world today.

WELCOME

I just signed up for this blog which I was encouraged by some friends that told me that it was time for me to get with the times and begin composing your own blog. So I've listened to them and have started and as you noticed, I've titled it, "MY WORLD."

What will you see in "MY WORLD." You will get the latest happenings of what's going on in my life which at times can be boring but I'm sure I will give you plenty of surprises. I'm also hoping to have lively discussions on different topics so stay tuned.

If you don't know who I am. My name is Philip and I'm a Franciscan friar studying in the eternal city, Rome, Italy. Yes, you heard correctly, Rome, Italy. It's a beautiful city and it's been great to have lived and studied in this city. I'm finishing up my studies for the priesthood and I will be finished by mid-June. I'll be returning to the USA and in the fall I will profess vows of obedience, poverty and chastity for the rest of my life. Also, by the end of the year, I should be ordained to the transitional diaconate. So I ask you to please keep me in your prayers.

I love to hang out with friends. Yes, I actually do other things outside of chapel or a classroom. I enjoy going to the mall, watching a movie, taking a stroll in the park, going to the beach, trying a new restaurant or just simply chatting on-line with friends.

So you might be asking, "where did you come from?" I grew up in a Portuguese household in New England. I have a lovely family that has been so supportive of me and my vocation. To my grandmother, I no longer have a name. I'm referred to as "the grandson that's going to be a priest."

Well, I won't bore you with my life. I hope to eventually put up pictures and also have discussions on church issues or other issues that we are dealing with in today's world. So please stayed tuned and welcome to "MY WORLD"