New Dominican Vocations Video

The English Dominican Province has produced a new vocations video.  It's fantastic!  Check it out.



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Link to my vocation story

Getting lots of requests for my vocation story. . .why now?  Who knows!

Here's a direct link:  Fr. Philip's Vocation Story.

Please comment!

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You love me, therefore. . .

Hey!  Look!  A homily!  Remember those???

7th Week of Easter (F)

Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP

St Albert the Great Priory

At the moment of his testing in the Garden, Peter, as Jesus predicted he would, denies knowing the Lord three times and flees for his life. Peter must've been surprised by his failure of allegiance. After all, didn't his Master give him the steward's keys to the kingdom of heaven after naming him the Rock of the Faith? What sort of rock denies his Maker? What sort of leader retreats in front of those he leads? All that time with Jesus. All those lessons. All those moments of revelation, wonder, and friendship abandoned and denied in a panicked escape from certain arrest and possible execution. At the moment of his testing in the Garden, Peter contradicts his Teacher, speaks against his Master; and now, he's given the chance—three chances, in fact—to repent and try again. The first time: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Twice more and we're told: “Peter was distressed that [Jesus] had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?'” Distress?! Peter is distressed that his love for the Lord is being questioned? Does Peter's incredulity seem misplaced? Having denied even knowing the Lord, why is it too much to believe that he might not love the Lord? Jesus' examination of Peter's fidelity is perfectly just and necessary. To feed the Lord's sheep and follow him to the Cross requires more than bare words, more than mere intent. You must be led to where you do not want to go and die there for the glory of God.

Feed my sheep and follow me. These are the two commands that Jesus issues to Peter after he confesses his love for the Lord. Unspoken but clearly implied is the powerful, logical connector, “therefore.” Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Therefore, feed my sheep. Therefore, follow me. Because you love me you will provide for my people the food and drink they need for eternal life and you will follow me to the Cross and a death you do not seek. There is no time for panic, no place to run. You love me, I know this; therefore, come after me teaching what I taught and doing what I did. Lead my people out of your love for me—even as the Cross comes clearly into view—so that when you die you die for the glory of our Father. Our friends love me too and there is no greater love than to die for one's friends, to sacrifice all we know and possess to show those we love the way back to Love Himself. If they are lost, find them. Once found, feed them. And then, follow me.

Christ's command to Peter is his command to all of us as well. We say we love the Lord and though we may not recoil as Peter did at the Lord's wariness in accepting our claims of love, we know too well our failures and our flaws. If we are distressed when our claims to love the Lord are not believed, it is likely because we are shy in accepting what follows after the “therefore.” Feed his sheep? Yes, of course, but what about family obligations? Yes, but what about my money issues? Yes, but I have my reputation to consider? Follow him? Surely, yes, of course, but does he mean follow his line of thought? Or follow his example? Does he mean literally follow his footsteps? Do I have to die? Yes, you do. We do. Die to self. Die for others. Die for our love of him. Peter denies knowing Christ and therefore denies loving him. Without that love there is nothing to feed the sheep, no one to follow. Peter's love redeems his denial. And his death fed the Church. Now it's our turn to profess a sacrificial love for Christ and do what he commands.

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Texas Whirlwind

I've arrived in Irving, TX. . .well, I got here Saturday afternoon.  Things have been a whirlwind since then. . .thus the lack of blogging. 

It's gonna be a busy one, folks!  So far, I'm signed up for the Friday community Mass.  Will probably catch a Sunday Mass or two as well.

Last night, I went to WalMart with several of the friars.  Standing in line at the register I overheard two teenage girls talking about whether or not to get their noses pierced, "Like. . .not the big kind but like the really tiny sparkly kind."  The whole conversation sent me into a Despair Spiral, mourning the decline of our culture.  Then, out of the blue, one of the girls asks the other (I am not lying here), "Did you get that objectivism stuff yesterday?"  Response:  "Yea.  Ayn Rand.  It's an epistemology based on her rejection of altruism and religion."  OK.  Wasn't expecting that. 

Pray for me and my students. . .God bless, Fr. Philip

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Coffee Cup Browsing

No, Palin did not get the Paul Revere story wrong.  It's the media who think the Schoolhouse Rocks version is the whole truth.  Palin once again trips up the MSM.  They fall for her Dumb State College Girl routine every time. 

Wow. . .just. . .Wow.  The lefties in SanFran do not know their history.  Haven't we been told repeatedly that they're Ever-So-Much-Smarter than we are?  Apparently, they are also far superior in bigotry as well.

Uh oh.  Wards of the Greek Nanny State are upset with Mummy and Daddy.  They are demanding that the Rainbow Unicorns immediately begin producing goods and services for free.

St. Bono under fire for avoiding taxes.  Taxes--like rules, laws, morals, etc.--are for the Little People. 

Classic example of media bias:  Anglican clergy "defect" to the Catholic Church.  How about "converted," "came home," "moved," "switched," "transferred". . .???  "Defect" is probably the worse possible choice.

Another move to undermine the family:  12 y.o.'s making their own medical decisions. 

Slinking deeper and wider into our culture. . .

You will never leave the house drunk again!


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