Lino Rulli, the host of “The Catholic Guy” radio show, writes this easy-to-read book of anecdotes about his life as a sinner trying to get to heaven (just like most of us Catholics). He uses wit, knowledge of his faith, and a great sense of humor to weave a tale of his coming-of-age and adulthood. This book is a great read for Catholics who have a sense of humor, and for anyone who enjoys humorous memoirs.

Rulli’s memories include everything from joining his father’s sideshow business to conversing with a Thai prostitute to coping with his crazy Italian family. He’s not ashamed that his heroes include not only the predictable (Blessed Pope John Paul II), but the endearing (his mom), and the unexpected (Howard Stern).

It would be difficult *not* to relate to Rulli, as he opens up honestly about his own insecurities and Promethean (or so he describes) efforts at living a life of holiness.

He’s funny, seriously.

View all my reviews at Goodreads

The conference was beautiful, and had three talks:

1. Generation Life – Enthusiastic young adults speaking about how they address chastity and life issues with teens.

2. Anna Halpine – Young adult founder of World Youth Alliance, spoke about life issues worldwide, and how programs are being developed that seek to educate women about their bodies and help them to make good decisions for themselves and their families (not just throwing condoms or hormonal birth control at them).  She also talked about the frightening prospect of the Philippines adopting a population control policy.

3. Father Roger Landry – This engaging preacher spoke about Theology of the Body issues, Blessed JPII, and how we humans are called to love others selflessly if we want to fully become who we are meant to be.

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After the conference, I did some exploring.  First, I spent a couple of hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, mostly exploring their European paintings collections.  I noticed they had two beautiful impressive paintings by El Greco that I hadn’t noticed before (on account I wasn’t familiar with his work last time I was there).  Since it’s a “suggested donation” for admission, I elected to donate a small portion of the recommended value; I got an unhappy look from the ticket clerk.  But hey, I’m a poor student.

Next, I took the subway downtown to visit my dad at work at night.  I tried to take the 6 down directly to Canal Street, but I had to change onto the (Q, N, R, maybe) at Union Square for one last stop due to construction.  On that one last leg (between one stop and another), a hullabaloo arose.  It was a pretty crowded subway car, and I was on one end of it.  In the middle, there was some shouting, but I thought it was just someone performing trying to pass around a hat.  A minute later, people were yelling “stop” because apparently, it was sort of fight going on, because one fight-prone guy had gotten disproportionately offended when another guy on the train did something.  Lots of yelling (on the part of my fellow passengers) ensued, including my own (very loud) shouts of “stop” and “who do you think you are…fighting on this train, and “do it on your own time in your own place” (ok, that one was a bit mean), as well as my urging the male passengers next to me to stop the fight.  To his credit, one of the three men next to me reluctantly proceeded to the middle of the train car, and talked down one of the guys from fighting.  Thank you, Mr. Stranger who broke up the fight at my teacherly insistence, for being a man.  The fight mostly stopped when the train arrived at the Canal Street station.  Arriving at the station, I stood in the sliding doorway for a good minute to try to spot an official/cop of some kind, but there were none.   I was the last one trying to keep the door open, so I asked the guy (victim? who had gotten pushed around by the other guy) if he was getting out.  Since he said “no” and seemed (oddly)  a-ok, I left and went to the restaurant where my dad works.

[Note - the subway fight freaked me out because I've seen The Incident, and I never want to be a bystander in that level of a situation, nor a victim.  Hence, I should take up karate].

I had a nice little dinner and got to talk to my dad a bit; they had a decent-sized crowd of 20-something lawyers regaling each other with the finer points of a trial.  Kinda felt like L&O-ish.

After leaving my dad’s work, I stepped out towards Canal Street and who should I spot?  Three CFRs (Franciscan Friars of the Renewal)!  I walked right up to them and introduced myself, and I ended up travelling with them on the subway until we got to stations where we all departed.  It was such a nice breath of fresh air to see them (as well as their parents (so sweet!) and their friend). The CFRs have a beautiful ministry in the city with the poor and with young people as well, and the witness of these men is amazing.  Praise God!

So, I suppose my subway travels ended up a net positive.  The Friars cancelled out the fight, and then some.

Tomorrow I’m going to hang out with my Grandma, then go to St. Rose of Lima for 5:15 Youth Mass with Father Briar Barr.  All are welcome (to St. Rose, not my Grandma’s, at least not without notice).

Whilst shelving new books at work today, I noticed a work of fiction that shares its cover photo subject with my WordPress profile photo.  The lounging lady is in the Camposanto, or cemetery for the rich, in Pisa, Italy.   Beautiful locale!   See the cover art here: http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Who-Stayed-Stories/dp/1439194653 (Note – I haven’t read the book, and in fact, have no idea what it’s about.  If anyone can recommend it, go for it.)

1. My good friend Father H. Todd Carter was ordained to the priesthood of Christ in the Diocese of Trenton over the weekend.  The Ordination Mass was beautiful, and was a testament to God’s love for His Bride, the Church, providing us with such holy young men to do His work.   Moreover, his first Mass was amazing, and he didn’t mess up at all. He will make a great priest.  I’m exceedingly proud of Fr. Todd and so overjoyed for his happiness in his vocation.  God is good!  (If you’re my f/b friend, take a look at the non-stop posts I made on Sunday night).  Please pray for him and all priests.

For more information about the priesthood, or for resources about discerning your vocation (God’s plan for your life, including married life, religious life, the priesthood, etc.), visit Vocation.com.  Also, take a look at Fr. Brian Barr’s Long Island Priest for testimonials and an introduction to the priesthood, and see Peter’s Boat for some great homilies and meditations for young adults.

2. I signed on an apartment in Farmingdale/North Massapequa, and I’ll be moving on Saturday July 2nd.  So, if you know any groups of strong young men who can carry furniture with care, in exchange for large amounts of pizza and cake and moderate amounts of beer, please tell me.  Once I’m settled in, I plan to invite folks over for lots of classic movie nights, complete with homemade food and surprise pre-movie Chaplets of Divine Mercy, and other fun stuff (I’m dangerous like that).

3. I did well in my courses.  My only non-A henceforth is for my ridiculous intro to technology course that bored me to pieces, and I still managed with a B+ for minimal studying.  (Note – Don’t get the impression that I’m a lazybones; my other courses have required my most dedicated efforts).

4. I’m trying to get more involved with the local Catholic young adult community in our diocese.  One of my new friends from this group, Trista, is part of a great group of young Catholic gals who blog on issues that affect the faithful of our generation – check out their Bright Maidens page on Facebook.   So, I’ve been going to lots of the events, and I’m hoping to try to help out more with planning and doing social and spiritual things as group….which relates to…

5. At the end of the month, I’m going to Latin Mass (a High Mass!) for the [almost] first time.  (When I was around 10 years old, my dad took me to a local parish, I suspect purely for the nostalgic aspects.)  A new friend invited me and I’m excited to finally experience this particular liturgy.  I’ve been to Byzantine Divine Liturgy twice before, and I’ve been told that it will feel similar to this.  I’m very thankful there will be booklets to follow along with, though!

6. I don’t have Pentecost plans yet.  As I recall, I spent last year in NJ with some Spirit & Truth friends.  I somewhat remember seeing a lot of people dressed in red at St. John’s, so that must’ve been it.  I’d love to go to a parish that feels alive in the Holy Spirit for this special feast.  Any recommendations?

This film is in limited release, so if it’s playing your local theater, get

there fast!  Otherwise, I’ll be purchasing it on DVD so I can re-watch it with friends.  Excellent film and a topic I love!

This documentary follows the travels of a group of young men from Brooklyn who sought to better understand what defines the human experience. They started their journey in New York where they lived in a homeless community during the coldest week of the year. Next, they traveled to Peru where they assisted hospitalized children with special medical needs. Finally, they ventured out of their comfort zone to befriend men and women with HIV/AIDS and patients in a leper colony in Ghana.

Everything in this film was true, and the filmmakers really let the beauty of life shine forth, especially by showing their own lives in such a vulnerable way. This story was truly inspirational and reminds us that, no matter how different people may be in culture, religion, or background, they are all human and deserve the love of others. Additionally, the score for this film was excellently suited for the content and really made the experience even more rich. I highly recommend this film!

Today, I was fortunate enough to attend a screening of The Human Experience at  Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament church in Bayside, New York.  Not only that, but two of the filmmakers, Cliff and Michael, came and answered questions after the film.  It was a really amazing movie and I hope and pray it will be inspirational and fortifying to those who see it, and that it will give people new courage to stand up for the truth and live their faith with renewed life.

The Human Experience is available on DVD here through the film company, Grassroots Films.

For more information on the St. Francis House in Brooklyn, where the young men first met, visit the St. Francis House website.

I thought I’d get my soul cleansed today, so I went bright and early to my local parish at 3:15pm, so I could have some prayer time before the usual 4pm kick-off.  With my books and prayer cards at the ready, I arrived at the doors, only to meet the cleaning crew who debated for a few moments whether or not they should allow me to enter.  Upon peeking into the nave, I saw they had just finished mopping/waxing (I couldn’t tell) nearly the whole church, and that my route to the confessional would have to traverse this area.  So, I said thanks anyway to the nice men cleaning and changed my plans.

Off I went to another parish, a few towns away from my own, where I used to go for weekday Mass sometimes.  I found the church’s bulletin in my back seat, and confirmed that they do offer confession from 4pm-5pm (in addition to every day in conjunction with evening weekday Mass – woohoo!).  Pulling into the parking lot, I found it packed with cars, and a limousine in front of the church.  Alas! A wedding was running late.  I hightailed it to the local library where I used their facilities, then drove back to the church, and the wedding wasn’t over yet!  Gah!

I’m all for weddings (and for clean floors, too), but it seems like the sacrament of confession becomes like the little brother in A Christmas Story forgotten in the snow in favor of more exciting or [perceived-to-be] more pressing matters.

Last year, in my own parish,  confessions were preempted for a wedding.  I think if I were getting married (God willing) I would refuse to take a 3pm time slot on a Saturday.  I wouldn’t want to be in danger on walking on folk’s ability to receive the sacrament – people [should] count on it!  In fact, in this imaginary scenario, I’d love to conspire with the groom-to-be and the priest to actually offer confessions before the Nuptial Mass and to advertise as such in the paper programs (and daresay, in the invites: “You’re cordially invited to clean your slate; we all should”).

The sacrament of reconciliation is an important, vital, part of our lives as Catholics, and it is how we can reunite ourselves to Christ and bind ourselves more closely with Him.  It shouldn’t be shooed to the background, a mere 45 minutes a week for a parish of 1000+ families.  Fortunately, I didn’t have to go to confession this week, but what if I did?  What about people who go as a last-shot, and who might not return or seek another parish if turned away?  In my opinion (which probably isn’t truly imHo), parishes need to attend to all the different parishioners, including those they don’t expect to see.

A few weeks ago, the National Catholic Register posted a blog article called “Supply Side Confession: The Economics of Mercy.”  The point it makes, essentially, is that Catholics might not be coming in droves to confession because the parish, by offering it for only brief weekly periods, is really saying that it’s not important enough to merit more frequent scheduling or more prominent bulletin advertisement.  Something to consider.

Pope Benedict’s general prayer intention for May is: “That those working in communication media may respect the truth, solidarity, and dignity of all people “.

  His mission intention is: “That the Lord may help the Church in China persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and grow in unity”.

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us.

Seraphic Single posted a little “thought experiment” – how would you feel if God assured you, pointe-blank, that your particular desires would be fulfilled, but in the distant-ish-future.  How would you cope?

Here is a taste of Seraphic Singles’ post:

What I hated most, when trying to discern my vocation and discerning that my vocation was to wait, was not knowing my marital fate. It was so annoying that something like that was beyond my control. So annoying.

The theme of the retreat was Ignatian Meditation, and it was led by Fr. Greg Cleveland, OMV, who is a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (OMV), who are dedicated, among other charisms, to the formation of the laity and the clergy and the Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Over the past few months, I’d been reading Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Introduction to Prayer by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV.  Discernment is the process of making a decision about an important personal matter in light of God’s love and His purpose for our life.  This book introduces the reader to what discernment actually is, why it may be called for,  the foundation necessary for true discernment to take place, as well as a step-by-step guide to St. Ignatius’ discernment process, along with a great many examples from lay and religious.    For me, it seemed that Fr. Gallagher especially notes that the individual discerning must pray for a heart disposed to do God’s will, and that a will open to God is a gift from Him.  Additionally, he recommends attempting discernment under the guidance of a spiritual director or mature, prayerful friend.

During the retreat, Fr. Cleveland gave six short conferences/talks about different aspects of Ignatian prayer, primarily involving sacred scripture.  He began the weekend by reminding the retreatants of the importance of being in touch with the desires of our hearts, because that is where we often find the direction in which God is pulling us.  Next, Father discussed how we can use meditation on scripture (using our intellect to think through the Gospels and open our minds to God) as well as contemplation (using our imagination and five senses to make ourselves more fully present in the mysteries of Christ in the Gospels) in order to enrich our prayer lives.  He also gave us some suggestions given my St. Ignatius as to the structure of our prayer, so that we may reach ever more deeply into the Heart of Him who made us.

Later, Fr. Cleveland gave a discussion on discernment of spirits, which is the ongoing process of learning to understand the fluctuating  feelings of consolation and desolation in our hearts, and how we can use this knowledge to discover God’s will for us in the discernment process.  This morning, there was a brief conference in which Father gave us some practical suggestions on how we can incorporate prayer time into our everyday lives.

Mass this morning began at 10:30 am on the outdoor steps of Villa Maria Guadalupe, and it was a beautiful liturgy!  (I am thankful that God gave me the strength to stand through it all despite my typical lack of endurance – praise God!).  I prayed and thanked Our Lord for bringing me closer to Him throughout the weekend, not only through the formal preaching and liturgy, but also through the quiet times of reading, prayer, reflection, and enjoyment of nature.  I remember that I am weak, but He is strong, so nothing is impossible with Him.

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The Villa Maria Guadalupe is owned by the Knights of Columbus, and is operated by the Sisters of Life for major events and retreats for religious and lay people.  It sits on beautiful grounds complete with blooming trees and singing birds, surrounded by nature and a quiet residential neighborhood.  For more information about the Sisters of Life or upcoming events, please see their website here.

For more books by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV, click here.

Holy Mary, pray for us.  St. Joseph, pray for us.