Then-Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict,
with Fr. Dean McFalls and me
at St. Patrick’s Seminary, 1996.
with Fr. Dean McFalls and me
at St. Patrick’s Seminary, 1996.
This Wednesday Pope Benedict and I have something in common. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1951 and I was ordained on June 29, 1991. He is forty years ahead of me (maybe in 40 years I’ll be Pope?). He is having a 60th anniversary party in Rome and I am having a 20th anniversary party in Modesto. Mine will be on July 23, though, with lots of local priests and seminarians, and I hope you can come. We want to focus on vocations to the priesthood, and Fr. Mark will have a powerpoint show of “priest adventures” from your local clergy over the last 20 years. I would also like to invite you to a holy hour this Friday, July 1 6:30pm-7:30pm to thank God and to pray for vocations to the priesthood. I beg your prayers for both Pope Benedict and me on our anniversaries this Wednesday.
I need to beg two other things while I’m at it. I need a loaner car for a visiting priest from Spain for the month of July. If you have an extra car that he could use next month, please give me a call. And I also need to buy a used car for $1500 for a starving music student, so she can commute from Stanislaus State to direct our chant choir. If you can sell me a car, or know of a way to obtain one, please call me. Finally, I need to beg one more thing. Last Sunday was Father’s Day, when we recall how much we want to love and look up to our fathers. How reassured little children feel when they admire their fathers as a sure anchor of strength and guidance! We fathers are responsible for the self-respect and self-identity of every member of our family. Our wives, our children, and our children’s children look to us for standards of behavior and attitude.
This is particularly so in spiritual development. No one can replace the man as the spiritual leader of his family. Likewise, men must serve as the committed leaders of their communities. If a man does not guide his family to Mass, and lead his family in the rosary and teach his children the Word of God, the woman’s hands are pretty much tied. She needs his support. The children depend on Mom and Dad working together. My particular point today is how we men dress for Sunday Mass. Two weeks ago I gave standards for women’s dress at Sunday Mass. Today we must consider standards for men. A man’s dress at Sunday Mass sets the bar for his family and shows respect for God and others. Women do not like to see a man slouch. They are discouraged to see men at Mass in T-shirts and sloppy pants, uncombed hair, or slouchy posture.
I want to recommend to all of us men one simple standard: a collared shirt. We men encourage the whole community by wearing collared shirts to Sunday Mass. Collars are a sign of respect—men go to interviews in starched, collared shirts and ties. Priests wear four collars at Mass (clerical collar, alb, stole, and chasuble)—I’m only asking other men for one collar! Men are the priests of their families. One collar a week is all I’m asking. You can get one at Target or Wal-Mart for $10. The responsibility of leading the way for our wives and children, and for all those in our community, rests squarely on the shoulders of us men. Dressing well for Christ on Sunday is a basic standard to set and follow.
I need to beg two other things while I’m at it. I need a loaner car for a visiting priest from Spain for the month of July. If you have an extra car that he could use next month, please give me a call. And I also need to buy a used car for $1500 for a starving music student, so she can commute from Stanislaus State to direct our chant choir. If you can sell me a car, or know of a way to obtain one, please call me. Finally, I need to beg one more thing. Last Sunday was Father’s Day, when we recall how much we want to love and look up to our fathers. How reassured little children feel when they admire their fathers as a sure anchor of strength and guidance! We fathers are responsible for the self-respect and self-identity of every member of our family. Our wives, our children, and our children’s children look to us for standards of behavior and attitude.
This is particularly so in spiritual development. No one can replace the man as the spiritual leader of his family. Likewise, men must serve as the committed leaders of their communities. If a man does not guide his family to Mass, and lead his family in the rosary and teach his children the Word of God, the woman’s hands are pretty much tied. She needs his support. The children depend on Mom and Dad working together. My particular point today is how we men dress for Sunday Mass. Two weeks ago I gave standards for women’s dress at Sunday Mass. Today we must consider standards for men. A man’s dress at Sunday Mass sets the bar for his family and shows respect for God and others. Women do not like to see a man slouch. They are discouraged to see men at Mass in T-shirts and sloppy pants, uncombed hair, or slouchy posture.
I want to recommend to all of us men one simple standard: a collared shirt. We men encourage the whole community by wearing collared shirts to Sunday Mass. Collars are a sign of respect—men go to interviews in starched, collared shirts and ties. Priests wear four collars at Mass (clerical collar, alb, stole, and chasuble)—I’m only asking other men for one collar! Men are the priests of their families. One collar a week is all I’m asking. You can get one at Target or Wal-Mart for $10. The responsibility of leading the way for our wives and children, and for all those in our community, rests squarely on the shoulders of us men. Dressing well for Christ on Sunday is a basic standard to set and follow.
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