October Respect Life Month

So after having an amazing movie night last night and watching "Bella" to help raise awareness of abortion in our culture and the beauty of adoption. Here is that interview with Eduardo Verastegui ,the main character Jose in the film, and his conversion story.   You can see in the opening scenes of the short video how much of an icon he was in Central and South America.  Eduardo's conversion brings to light what we all long for and his own story of praying in front of an abortion clinic in Los Angeles, CA is powerful.  You can clearly see what one person can do in the world when they give it all to God. 

October is Respect Life Month take time this October to help support the 40 Days for Life campaign at the Delta Clinic 756 Colonial Drive (off Goodwood Drive).  It is crucial in our effort to end abortion, the most visible component is peaceful prayer vigil outside our local abortion clinic.  It is an important time to go out and simply pray in front of the building for all the people that are involved in abortions: doctors, staff, mother receiving the abortion, and the father too.You can help make a life-saving impact by joining 40 days for life vigil from now until Tuesday, November 6 every day from 7am-7pm. 

THIS FRIDAY FROM 5:30-7PM THE ST. GEORGE YOUTH GROUP WILL BE PRAYING AT THE DELTA CLINIC FOLLOWED BY DINNER SOMEWHERE.  SO COME ON OUT AND BRING YOUR ROSARY'S WE WILL BE OFFERING UP SOME AWESOME PRAYER!  LET ME KNOW IF YOUR DOWN LIKE A CLOWN!



 

Last Ounce of Courage

Here is the new movie "Last Ounce of Courage" as seen in the movie trailer above.  I had a chance to go see it yesterday afternoon and comb my thoughts through the movie. The movie itself was an experience.  A continuous whirlwind of Pro-Patriotic and Pro-Religious Freedom for sure. 

I am glad I was able to see the movie and made me think to myself at times of what am I doing to help sustain religious liberty here the United States.  At other times I found the plot to have your generic over the top bible belt movie mentality and acting skills.   However, more importantly is that most of the movies that come out into theaters today being down right horrible and helping promote the culture of death in our society this movie is a great change of pace with an awesome Christian message of Evangelization. 

I would recommend everyone to see this movie simply just to see the wake up call of what is going around the in our country today.  We can no longer be on the sidelines when it comes to religious liberty in our country.  We have to do our part to help make certain that we keep this freedom for ourselves and future generations to come. The best way to do this is through Evangelization. If we had more active evangelizing in the world today I do not this would be a problem.   

Here is an interview with one of the actors in the movie.  PS he is Catholic and seems to be pretty cool.  Check It Out Here!

Here is information on how you too, can see "Last Ounce of Courage" here in Baton Rouge.  The only place you can watch it in town is at The Rave @ O'neal Lane.  Here are the showtimes: 1:40, 4:20, 7:15, 9:45.

Theology of the Body Retreat

Theology of the Body Retreat Happening in November!

Come enjoy an amazing weekend at Camp Abbey with youth groups from around the Baton Rouge area for one awesome weekend to learn about who we are and what we are created for...

A deeper look at women…men…love…sex…relationships…marriage…vocation….what’s it's all about?

For More Information Check Out The Flyer Right Here! Let Me Know If You Want To Go! It is going to be EPIC.

Youth March for Life Pilgrimage 2013

So we are set for another awesome March for Life Pilgrimage to for the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. Check out the video from last years march. 

Here is the official website for the March for Life Trip. And here is a the other link for the paperwork to sign up with St. George Youth Group. 

Check the Super Sweet Itenary for all the events that will be happening at this years March.  DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR A GUARANTEED SPOT IS OCTOBER 20!  Let me know if you want to go! 

2013 Pilgrimage Itinerary

Monday, January 21

· Depart Baton Rouge, LA

· Mass & Visit as Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia, Nashville, TN

Tuesday, January 22

· Arrive and Tour Emittsburg, MD

· Shrine & Grotto of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

· Mount St. Mary Seminary

Wednesday, January 23

· Tour Washington D.C.

· Mass as Basilica of Immaculate Conception

· Prayer Vigil at Planned Parenthood

· Smithsonian Holocaust Museum

· Dinner and MP3 Youth Rally at Camp

Thursday, January 24

· Tour Washington D.C.

· Mass at Baltimore Basilica

· Tour Mount Vernon

· Memorials: Lincoln, Vietnam, Korea, Martin Luther King

· Geaux Forth – Louisiana Youth Rally

Friday, January 25

· Life is Very Good - Matt Maher Concert, Mass, Youth Rally

· March for Life

· Dinner at Mall of Pentagon

· Depart for Home

Saturday, January 26

· Mass at Nashville Dominican Motherhouse

· Arrive Home Between 8:00-10:00pm

TobyMac New Album - "Eye On It"

Hey!  I found a great review of the new tobyMac album, Eye On It, by a staff reviewer at NewReleaseTuesday.com.  Here’s what she has to say:

Another Successful Reinvention:  It’s near impossible to pinpoint one achievement CCM legend tobyMac HASN’T accomplished in his career. GRAMMYs, Dove Awards, multi-platinum sales, books, magazine spreads, TV appearances, movies, even his own record label. You name it, Toby McKeehan has probably been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt. Crazy to think this whole journey started with humble beginnings in a dorm room at Liberty University with dcTalk almost 25 years ago.

Having made a name for himself as a solo artist over the course of the ever changing music scene, Toby has been able to successfully do what few have: reinvent himself time and time again without missing a beat. From the thick hip-hop rhythms on 2001s Momentum, to the pop friendly stylings found with 2010’sTonight, it almost seems as if he can do no wrong. Needless to say, when tobyMac announces he’s working on a new project, the industry pays attention, as do his faithful legion of diehard fans.
Coming just two years after his last release–a miracle for his notoriously long recording standards–2012’s Eye On It has taken shape not only as one of Toby’s most musically whimsical projects, but one of his most passionate.

“‘Eye on it’ is simply a phrase used to mean ‘stay focused on what really matters,’” he explains. “My relationship with Christ and the calling He has placed on my life is what matters to me and what I’m trying to keep my eye on.”

Melodic pop smash “Me Without You” starts the project on an infectiously catchy note, and keeps the same fun yet chill pace through the next track, “Steal My Show.” The song is an invitation to the Creator to come and interrupt our lives, ultimately allowing Him have His way in us.

Picking up the pace, the title track “Eye On It” serves as the most rambunctious song on the record, and one of his best to date. Taking the album’s main theme of keeping our eyes on the prize, it’s nearly impossible to keep your feet from moving, and chances are you’ll be singing along with the contagious chorus after only a few seconds.

“Forgiveness” takes us back to Toby’s hip-hop roots, and features a great appearance by acclaimed rapper, Lecrae. The tune talks about man’s struggle with guilt, but shares that even when we throw stones at ourselves for bad choices, God’s forgiveness still rings true. It‘s a message every listener will be able to relate to.

“Speak Life” again showcases a fresh melodic pop sound, while lyrically, is taken straight from the Bible, reminding us how powerful our words are and how we should chose to speak life even into deadest of situations: “Lift your head a little higher / Spread your love like fire / Hope will fall like rain when you speak life with the words you say.”

Again delving into the waters of the chaotic, “UnStoppable”–featuring guest vocals from Blanca Callahan of Group 1 Crew–serves as an anthem that boldly declares we will go against the flow of this world. The musically on-par “Lose Myself” opens with a beautiful piano piece, but picks up speed along the way, becoming a progressive moment of total surrender to God.

“Family” is one of the deepest on this project, both musically and lyrically. It tells the story of a couple ready to throw in the towel on their marriage, only to come to the conclusion that while it won’t be easy, their family is worth fighting for: “So are we still trying or simply surviving? / Facing these giants / The bigger they are, the harder they fall / But I still believe in the dreams we’ve been dreaming / The hope that we’ve built on is never too far, it’s never too far.”

The next two tracks serve as mini autobiographies. The groove driven “Thankful For You” written to thank his lifelong supporters for believing he could make music that could impact the kingdom, while “Made For Me” is a fun song written for his wife, Amanda. Recounting their love story, it playfully shares their differences, and how they cause them to love each other, brilliantly coining the word for their five half American, half Jamaican children–“Jamericans.”

The big surprise for longtime tobyMac fans will be “Mac Daddy (Tru’s Reality).” Though it’s only been a little while since we last heard from him, teenage truDog now almost mimes his father vocally. The quirky dubstep song humorously tells of Tru’s desperate need for cash to buy a MacBook. While it pulls on the sentimental heartstrings of fans to hear him so grown up, there’s no question it’s their best–and goofiest–father/son duet yet.

The album comes to end with the 1940s romp, “Favorite Song”, with reigning GMA New Artist of the Year, and Toby’s musical protégé, Jamie Grace, assisting on vocal duties. The lyrics liken our life to a musical composition, us singing our own melody before joining the harmonious family of God. It’s one of the best closing tracks I’ve heard on album in a while, taking you out on a cheerful and encouraging note.

Closing Thoughts: tobyMac has reinvented himself yet again. Fun and chock full of deep spiritual moments, Eye On It once again proves why he is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. While it might not break new ground, it establishes familiar ground in a fresh new way, and showcases a clearly evident musical maturity, this offering some of the best work melodically he’d ever done. Lyrically, the themes on this album dig a little deeper as well.
I would like to see him go back to his hip-hop roots a tad more with his next effort, seeing as it’s an aspect fans have grown to miss as he‘s pulled away from it more each album. Nevertheless, this is a masterful project and one that has been well worth the refreshingly short wait. This is without a doubt one of my top albums of the year and one of the “cant miss” CCM projects of 2012. Longtime fans won’t be disappointed, and those new to Toby’s music will be in for a treat. Take my word for it: this is one album you will definitely want to keep your eye on.

Sunday Mass Reading - Lectio Divina 21st Century Style

So a buddy of mine launched a website that is dedicated to going through the Sunday mass readings. It is a great website and is called "Sundays on Fire." You can check it out right HERE! or you can simply type in www.sundaysonfire.com

Sunday’s on Fire was born out of an inspiration to help Catholics “enter into dialogue” with Jesus through the prayerful reflection of the Sacred Scriptures. From Young families with children to busy on the move Catholics, “Sunday’s on Fire” hopes to encourage a kind of modern day Lectio Divina where Catholics can listen, read and re-read the word of God throughout their weekly prayer life. From this practice we hope to foster a greater love and devotion for our savior Jesus Christ, the word of God, and to enhance each person’s quality of prayer at the Sunday Liturgy. There are three main components to each podcast. One; The reading of the Word of God for the upcoming Sunday Liturgy. Two; a short reflection (not a homily!) by myself or another faithful Catholic Theologian who is open to the Holy Spirit prayerfully seeks a word of reflection to share. Three; A prayerful song. Sung and sometimes written by the CATHOLIC music artist who live and write their music open to all the gifts the Holy Spirit desires to inspire in them.

This would totally build off what we already do on Thursday during Bible Study... SO TAKE TIME & CHECK IT OUT!

Invitation Is The Key!

I have always wonder looking back at my life of were people would be in life if they had become active in their faith. I realize that I had so many opportunities to invite my peers to youth ministry events, to come to mass with me, or other church events. However, I instead decided to make no form of invitation in fear of what they might think of me. It might not seem like a big deal when you think about it. However, it can be quite intimidating to invite friends, family, and peers to church. This is because of the fear of rejection. The fear of what they might think of us or being labeled as a "Holy Roller" or "Jesus Freak."

Many Christians in the early church had to continually make the decision to follow the Lord when the thought of being a blood martyred for the church was a reality. So many had the courage to be bold in standing up for the Lord and continually giving the invitation to spread the Gospel. We too have to have the courage to die to ourselves when evangelizing to our friends. When we give the invite to someone, especially our peers we risk many things like our status at school, friendships, being labeled by others. Christ continually calls us to go out and cast our nets into the deep. It is our mission and the mission of the church to help build the kingdom by bringing all that meet to Christ. It can be done in the most simplistic way of giving someone the invitation.

Sometime in the next week or so go out of your way to invite someone that you know to go to mass with you, come to youth group, bible study, or even prayer at your school if you have it. You would be surprised at far an invitation go. May the Lord cover you with His Holy Spirit as you go out into the deep and evangelize to all that you meet.

I Will Wait: Mumford & Sons and Purity

I know the band Mumford & Sons has been sweeping across the globe getting a cultic following by many people across the world.  I have to say they have quite some sweet tunes myself.  Check out their new song "I Will Wait" it is quite nice.  Lifeteen Blogger Christina Mead wrote up this great article about how this song has so much to do with our daily life in living purity and the beauty of waiting for the ones we love.  CLICK HERE to see her super sweet article on Mumford & Sons new song. 

Mary The Queen of Heaven & Earth!

So today is one of my favorite feast days of the church, "The Coronation of Mary."  Exactly one week ago we celebrated the Assumption of Mary Body & Soul into Heaven.  Now just one week later we are celebrating The Blessed Virgin Mary's Queenship of both Heaven & Earth. 

Here is some information to help show us why Mary's Coronation of Queen of Heaven is shown throughout the entire Bible.  

Check out this Meditation on the Rosary.

The Coronation of Mary sets Mary up as your Queen who distributes many gifts, especially the gift of peace.

It is helpful to look at a picture of the Coronation of Mary which is the last of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary when Mary, Mother of Jesus was crowned queen of heaven and earth. Keep these events in mind as well as the fruit of the mystery which is trust in Mary's intercession as you pray the Rosary prayers.
Also, keep the following story in mind while you meditate on this glorious event and repeat in your heart this greeting to Mary: "Hail Holy Queen"...

After Jesus took Mary, body and soul into heaven, He crowned her Queen of heaven and earth.

By her very relationship as the mother of Jesus, Mary is queen because Jesus is King. Who is a king's mother?

A queen of course. And Mary is the greatest queen ever for she is the mother of the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

The Angel Gabriel declared this to be true...

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." -Luke 1:32-33

Not only is Mary the mother of the King, she is the most highly favored daughter of God the Father and the Spouse of God the Holy Spirit.

She always obeyed God and was humble before Him.

Mary received the promised "never fading crown of glory" because her life so perfectly resembled that of her Son's and because she shared in all His sufferings. -1Peter 5:4

As a reward for her holiness and perfection of virtues, Jesus gave her dominion over the Angels and the Saints as their queen.

Evil spirits fear Mary more than any other human because they never had any power over her for she was conceived in her mother's womb without the blemish of original sin.

Jesus could only enter this world through a spotless woman, one created as Adam and Eve were created, perfect in the eyes of God.

So Take Time Today To Meditate On The Importance Of Mary In The Church & How She Can Become More Active In Your Own Life Through Prayer.

How To Love In Marriage

After having such an awesome response to our Theology the Body speaker last Monday evening with Evan Lemoine. Here is an amazing video called Crucifixion Type Love. This is how marriage should be between a husband and wife. It shows the reality of the true sacrifice that a marriage takes; instead of the media portrayed of "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER" or "WHY NOT JUST FIND ANOTHER SPOUSE." Maybe if we had more people giving a sacrificial love to their spouses in marriage the focus would be less on themselves and on the betterment of their spouse/families.

 When we think of crucifixion we think of the ultimate sacrifice. That is the type of sacrifice that spouses should be giving one another. So check this out. It might give you a new look on the reality of dating and what you need and are looking for from your future spouse if the Lord calls you to the vocation of marriage.

St. Maximillian Kolbe Feast Day!

So as everyone knows I always talk about my "Fav 5 Saints" quite a bit and today is a wonderful day on the Church calendar.  It is one of there feast days.  St. Maximilian Kolbe Here Is To You!  It is an awesome testament of how Christ chooses the weak to lead the strong when he chose St. Maximilian Kolbe a frail priest from Poland to stand up against the Nazi Germany Movement and would later give his life for it. 

Here is some info on him so that you can have a better understanding of why he is AMAZING!  Maximilian was born in 1894 in Poland and became a Franciscan. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. Before his ordination as a priest, Maximilian founded the Immaculata Movement devoted to Our Lady.  He spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men, the largest in the world.  Maximilian went to Japan where he built a comparable monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936, he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. But in 1941, he was arrested again and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz and branded as prisoner 16670. He was assigned to a special work group staffed by priests and supervised by especially vicious and abusive guards. His calm dedication to the faith brought him the worst jobs available, and more beatings than anyone else. At one point he was beaten, lashed, and left for dead. The prisoners managed to smuggle him into the camp hospital where he spent his recovery time hearing confessions. When he returned to the camp, Maximilian ministered to other prisoners, including conducting Mass and delivering communion using smuggled bread and wine.  On July 31, 1941, there was an escape from the camp. Camp protocol, designed to make the prisoners guard each other, required that ten men be slaughtered in retribution for each escaped prisoner. Francis Gajowniczek, a married man with young children was chosen to die for the escape. Maximilian volunteered to take his place, and died as he had always wished - in service.  He was killed by lethal injection after enduring 3 weeks of starvation and dehydration. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. His feast day is today August 14th.  

Favorite Quotes

"For Jesus Christ I Am Prepared To Suffer Still More"

"Greater Love Has No Man Than This, That He Would Lay Down His Life For His Friends" 

YOUTH 2000 RETREAT!

YOUTH 2000, an international spiritual initiative, organizes and directs Eucharistic centered retreats for young people. Begun in 1990, YOUTH 2000 is a response to the challenge of Pope John Paul II to "become shining heralds of the reevangelization and generous architects of the civilization of love." YOUTH 2000 promotes, organizes, and directs retreats based on the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6, "I am the Bread of Life." The focus on the Eucharist shows young people that Christ must be at the center of their lives. The format of each retreat, which includes the Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer, talks, music and fellowship, provides a means to help young people develop a deep and lasting personal relationship with Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist, "the source and summit of Christian life" (Lumen gentium 11).

Its the weekend of August 24-26 in Lake Charles, LA.  Let me know if you are interested in going it is going to be awesome. The Franciscan Friars run the retreat and will be there with brothers and sisters. So it is great exposure to other religious orders. Let me know if you are interested in going. I have to have numbers worked out by the end of the week. Pax Christi, Matt

YOLO!!!

HERE IS THE SKINNY FOR ALL YOU YOLO FANATICS OUT THEIR! So over recent time I have been noticing how much I have been seeing YOLO everywhere. It struck my interest some time ago. I managed to look it up and found out that it mean "You Only Live Once." I thought of what a great phrase this is, but how today's culture many times takes this out of context in using it as an excuse to make irrational decisions. Click on the link and check out this article by Lifeteen on how to truly live YOLO!

Junior High Youth Group Kick Off

I am starting to work on our upcoming Junior High Kick Off on Friday, August 17 from 6:30-8:30pm. Let me know if you can help out.

MP3- Viva Christo Rey

MP3- Viva Christo Rey on Saturday August 18th. It's going down. Let me know if you want to go. Early registration=Free Tshirt! Click on Picture for more info.

Fortnight for Freedom!

Fortnight for Freedom began yesterday. I forgot to post it on the blog, but have it on Facebook. Here You Go. Get you prayer on for our Church and Country! http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-for-freedom/upload/Fortnight-Reflections-pref-statement.pdf

"For Greater Glory"- Cristero War

This week I made time in my schedule to check out the new movie on the Christero War. The title of the movie is called "For Greater Glory." Here is a video trailer for it above. The only theater in town that is even showing it is Rave on O'Neal. Show times are 12:40, 4:00, 7:20, & 10:00. The movie is still in the top 10 in the box office, even though it is only being played in select theaters across the country.

"For Greater Glory" was amazing. They did a great job in portraying the Christero War. The Christero War happened during 1926-29 with a counter revolution to the Mexican Revolution. This happened because the Atheist Mexican President was seeking a dictatorship and saw the Catholic Church in Mexico as a competitor; simply because many people in Mexico were faithful Catholics. He decided to band all Catholics from practicing in the country and outlawed any priest from wearing clerics or administering sacraments. During this time there were many martyrs of the Church in Mexico. The Catholic Church recognizes thirty-three martyrs during this time including, my favorite Blessed Miguel Pro & Jose Sanchez del Rio. These two people one being a Catholic Priest and the other a teenage boy were killed for being Catholic. Blessed Miguel Pro was publicly executed by firing squad with a rosary in one hand and a crucifix in the other. Here is more information on him. Blessed Miguel Pro's last word were the theme of the Christero Army "Viva Christo Rey/Long Live Christ The King." Jose Sanchez was given the chance to deny Christ by saying "Death to Christ the King" to save his life. He refused to do this and accepted his martyrdom with open arms as Christ did. So this story is a great eye opener of modern blood martyrs of the Church. We see them in this movie, and it is still happening in some countries across the world in the Middle East and Asia.

Be sure to check out "For Greater Glory" because it is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. The movie is intense at times, when you are dealing with martyrs of the Church. You realize that the violence that you are seeing really happened. So, be sure to check out this movie. Whether you were planning on making a trip this weekend or not. It is worth every penny. Be sure to stay through the credits to read information on some of the characters and see actual pictures of the Christero War.

Summer Softball

Here is our softball uniforms for the season. After much voting at the last youth group. This is the final product.

This summer the Georgetown High School Youth Group will have a co-ed summer softball team to contend against other youth groups in Baton Rouge.  All high school you are invited to play from upcoming 9th graders to graduating seniors. The games will be held on Monday nights from 6-8pm throughout June and July.  Practices will take place on Thursday evenings from 6-8pm at the St. George Field. It is not necessary to have prior experience or to attend every single game.  If you would like to come out and play just show up.

Here is the schedule for the year!
June 4 St. George vs. St. Agnes (Home)
June 11 St. George vs. St. Jean Vianney (Home)
June 18 St. George vs. Our Lady of Mercy (Away)
June 25 St. George vs. St. Patrick (Home)
July 2 St. George vs. St. Aloysius (Home)
July 9 St. George vs. Sacred Heart (Home)
July 16 St. George vs. St. Thomas Moore (Away)
July 23 St. George vs. St. Agnes (Away)

Respect Your Mother!

So this Sunday is Mother's Day!  PS we are also in the middle of May (AKA the month dedicated to Mary). Be sure to take notice of the video by the skit guys crew.  It is to the point and about the beauty of moms in the world.  You could even link it to Mary too if you would like.  Be sure to take some time to give your mom the credit/respect she is due.  Take notice of the title of the video "unnoticed moms!"

The Avengers Podcast

Here is "The Avengers" podcast by Lifeteen. Check it out! It is a review that gets to the point.
http://lifeteen.com/the-avengers/

Sunday Parish Picnic Volunteering

Come help out with the St. George annual parish picnic with helping serve food and pick up after the event from 12-3pm. If you need service hours we can make that happen. The more the merrier. It will be located outside in front of the gym. We will be meeting by the front doors to the gym. Text me if you want to help out or simply show up if you can't get in touch with me.

MP3- Agape

Saturday Night- MP3 Agape 5-9:30pm at Our Lady of Mercy Activity Center Adoration, Sweet Keynote by Sr. John Thomas, righteous tunes by the Chris Cole band Inflatable, MP3 Games, and Pizza BE THERE!

Dinner with the Dominicans Tomorrow Night

Friday Night- GIRLS ONLY – Dinner with the Dominicans 6:30-9pm at the St. George Youth House This includes great speakers, confession, and adoration. RSVP if you would like to go

The Hunger Games

Here is a Catholic post from another website in regards to the Hunger Games Trilogy. It is officially labeled as "A Parents Guide," but brings up great points and themes to think about when reading the series. This is definitely worth a look.  I am currently working on reading through the series just so I can be in the know.  So click here to check out the themes and issues to think about from the book.

Rosary and Spiritual Warfare

Here is the qoute that Tbird used last night at youth group in regards to the Holy Rosary and Spiritual Warfare.  The Rosary will indeed change your life if you give it a chance.  Check out what the Chief Exorcist writes about it:

Father Gabriel Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican writes:    One
day a colleague of mine heard the devil say during an exorcism, "Every
Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful
the Rosary was, it would be my end."

The secret that makes this prayer so effective is that the Rosary is
both prayer and meditation. It is addressed to the Father, to the
Blessed Virgin, and to the Holy Trinity, and is a meditation centered
on Christ.

I write in addition to the above: Please enunciate each word of the
Rosary clearly and distinctly. Do not trample on the heels of the
words of anyone with your words. Do not speak over the leader if you
are following or the respondent if you are leading the Rosary.
Remember that they also are having a conversation with Mary Our Mother
and it is not polite to speak when someone else is speaking.

Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

EASTER PEOPLE
Reflection
The Easter season is an invitation to live out the meaning of our baptism.
Do we continue to resist sin and life for God?
Are we truly pursuing a relationship with Jesus?
Are we living as Easter people, focused on the living light and not desolate darkness?

During Lent and Easter, God has renewed his people. He has called us back from sin and death; he invites us to remain close to his son, Jesus. We are to let the teachings of Jesus -His love for others, His readiness to serve; His strong stand for what is pleasing to God- become an important part in our life. We must remember that Jesus is always with us to help us. Alleluia!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, our brother,
We love you.
Help us to love you more.
Have mercy on all your people
Especially those who have been
baptized in your name

Stir up your Spirit in our hearts,
and teach us to keep your
commandments,
to carry our daily cross with you,
and to see you in all we meet.

Lord Jesus,
help us to be your Easter people today.

Holy Mary,
Pray for the people of God.

The Lord is Risen, Amen, Alleluia!
We share in his new life. Amen, Alleluia!

The Triduum Is Near!

So Easter is just around the corner and we are already half way through Holy Week. This is by far the most important week in the Church year. Think about it. Within a seven day time frame Christ goes from Rock Star status with having palms waved as he entered Jerusalem to being crucified on the cross. What a transformation that must have taken place within those seven days 2000 years ago.

The Triduum is considered the time from Holy Thursday until the Easter. During this time so many things happened in the church. Jesus institutes the priesthood and gives us the Eucharist through the first mass at the Last Supper. Jesus' own apostle Judas betrays him for a mere thirty pieces of silver. We have Christ in the Garden praying to God for strength in preparation for His Passion. It states that he was sweating blood from the intensity of prayer he was having with God. From there we see Christ arrested by a mob and brought to the chief priest. After this heartache he is scourged and crucified to his death only to be buried and raised from the dead. Wow! That is tons of things.

This is beyond amazing acts of miracles in themselves in the last few moments of the Lord's life. Be sure to spend this time in prayer to continually grow in your relationship with the Lord. Here are some cool things happening around St. George from now until Sunday. Check it Out!

Last Chance for Confession During the Lenten Season
Wednesday 6-7:30pm

Holy Thursday
Mass @ 7pm
Adoration following Mass until 11pm

Good Friday
Living Stations of the Cross @ Noon
Veneration of the Cross @ 7pm
Personal prayer time following veneration until 10pm

Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil @ 8pm

Easter Sunday!

Interlude Dance Experience

So this past Monday at Youth Group I was introduced to the mecca of dance experiences; "INTERLUDE." It was the very Interlude dance that has been rapidly sweeping its way across the Baton Rouge area. Kolbe Fletcher introduced myself and Fr. Brent to this dance. Now the problem is that we have the desire to never stop dancing around to this song. So check it out and become part of the masses of the dance experience. The video above gives you dance instructions and a preview of what fun is to come for you and your friends. JOIN THE INTERLUDE DANCE EXPERIENCE NOW!

Good Christian Fun with a Twist of Bieber Fever!

Nothing like good old fashion fun as we see here. Who ever said that Christians live boring lives when they follow Jesus. I think the video above shows how much fun one can have with a few people, a video camera, and an afternoon. It is a great example of good clean humor. This video is a kick and I can't seem to get enough of it.

If you are wondering who the heck all these people are? You are in luck. The 2012 Rock & Worship Roadshow is up and going all along the country with various artist. The headliner is Mercyme, there lead singer for the band is the main singer in this Bieber classic. A few years ago they started doing renditions of others bands music calling it the "Cover Tune Grab Bag." Mercyme releases these via Youtube every so often.  There latest one is beyond amazing and I just had to share it. It just shows that it looks like "Bieber Fever" is truly sweeping across the country.  If you liked this one here is another one with Mercyme, Matt Maher, and some other people they did at last years Roadshow to Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by the Beatles. So just remember the amount of fun you can have when you simply choose to follow Christ, even in the weirdest of ways like this.

Steubenville Ohio Bus Trip

We will be headed out to Steubenville, OH for our annual Steubenville Conference on June 28- July 2. The event is open to anyone currently in the 8th grade- graduating seniors. Cost is $220 including: transportation, conference fee, food, housing, shirt. Get ready to attend this summer’s greatest event in the Deep South with incredible music, awesome speakers, great friends, and a powerful witness to the love of Jesus. The theme this year is “The Eighth Day” and will feature various national speakers. Steubenville is a gathering of a few thousand young people across the country. Throughout the weekend, we will spend time with Christ in Adoration, celebrate the Holy Mass, have forgiveness through Reconciliation, enjoy live music, and be challenged by some of the finest Catholic speakers in the country. We go to Steubenville South in Alexandria, LA, but this trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We still have 10 spots open so if you are interested let me know soon! If you would like more information or are interested in chaperoning please contact Matt at mattb@st-george.org or 293-2212.

Mission On The Bayou

We are on the verge of another wonderful summer.  Now is the time to start thinking about what your going to be doing during your time off of school.  One great idea is to take a summer mission trip.  If you have any interest or have never been on a mission no worries.  This summer we will be heading out to the bayou to Vacherie, LA.  Check out the information below.  

St. George Youth Group will be taking a local summer mission trip to Vacherie, LA on July 17-21.  The cost is $125 for the mission trip.  The trip is open to all High School Youth who have finished their freshman year.  This will be our 5th Vacherie Mission; it has been incredibly powerful.  We repair homes for needy residents in this bayou community, visit and pray with the sick and elderly, run a kids camp for the children in the area and the community, in turn, pours themselves out in service to our group.  Youth from Vacherie, St. George, St. Aloysius, and a parish in Virginia join us for the mission.  We have a great time while growing spiritually and coming to understand our gospel call to service. If you would like more information or are interested in chaperoning fill out an application by clicking on here.  SPACE IS LIMITED!  Selections will be based on answers, participation, and when they are received.  Applications are due along with a $100 deposit to Matthew Brundrett by Wednesday, March 21 at 5:30pm.    

David Crowder Band Finale Album Blows Everyone Away!

I wanted to get around to listening and writing a review on David Crowder Bands finale album "Give Us Rest" and now the time is here.  It is crazy that I managed to preview this album this week after we talked about the topic of Purgatory at Gtown on Monday.

David Crowder Band debuted their last album with much anticipation of Christians across the world from this Christian music juggernaut. This is DCBs sixth and final album after their announcement of disbandment last year. All I have to say is that they totally came through on their finale album which came in as #1 on Billboard Christian charts and #2 in Billboard world charts on its release week of January 10. This is the highest release of any Christian album in Billboard history. No other Christian band has come close to #2 in the regular charts.

After listening to the album a few times, I now know why it had such an amazing release. Out of all the DCBs albums this is by far in my opinion their most complete album. I do not think they could have done a better job on it. There is such a diversity of music on this album including: contemporary worship, gospel folk, church choirs, and even some heavy rock. I think no matter what type of music you like something on this album will appeal to you. I found myself never having the desire to skip a song. One of the most unique things about this album is the instrumental shift they use as the album changes styles of music.

The greatest thing is how Catholic of an album it is. The past few albums of the band, it is obvious that front man David Crowder has been reading some sort of Catholic material. He has managed to use various saints and such in his music in previous albums, but this one is by far the most Catholic of them all. It is great to see, from a Catholic perspective, our Christian brothers and sisters being exposed to the beauty of the Church. The full name of the album is Give Us Rest or (A Requiem Mass in C [happiest of all keys]). Requiem Mass is latin for "Mass of the Dead." That's right, you just read the word mass as part of the title of a Christian artist.  Not only a Christian artist, but a band that started its own baptist church in Waco, TX.  The album begins with the sounds of a person walking into a Catholic Church funeral service with a priest performing the burial rite in Latin. The album only gets better having many recognizable phrases that we use in the Catholic Mass including:  Penitential Rite, Holy Holy, Great Amen, etc. You will simply be listening to songs on the album and think; "I say this every Sunday at mass." Here is an interview with David Crowder explaining the concept of the album is based on the Eucharist and Liturgy. After seeing this video I was blown away that my ears and heart were not lying to me. This album is truly a dedication to the Mass.

So congratulations to the David Crowder Band for pumping out righteous tunes over the years and ending on such an amazing Catholic album. Will the band members be leaving there nondenominational mega church in Waco, TX? Only time will tell. All I know is that they are on their way to seeing the gifts the Church has to offer. Be sure to get a copy of DCBs finale album "Give Us Rest" for your listening pleasure. Pay attention to the words that are said in the music to see the Catholic mass parts throughout the album. I have not stopped listening to it since I have downloaded it onto my Ipod.

Lent: A Time of Fasting, Prayer, and Pennance

So we have just begun the wonderful Lenten season all across the world. We begin to prepare ourselves for the death and resurrection of the Lord. For me Lent is one of my favorite times of the Church season, although it requires much work in our physical and spiritual lives. Lent is not easy, but at the end of it I always feel better. I always like to see Lent as the Spring Cleaning of our lives/souls. We begin to notice how our society is filled with excess and busyness. We are able to get back to our roots of focusing in on the beauty of Christ and The Cross.

Through the Lenten season we focus on fasting. As you have seen in the clip above, different people have different views of how fasting should be done. It has been said by many that "fasting is a lost art of the Church." In our modern culture we have such excess that it is hard to comprehend the idea of purposely restricting ones self from the comforts of daily life. Fasting can be done in many ways like as stated in the video from above. If you are in love with technology maybe your IPhone or Facebook is a great thing to give up. Refraining from food/things can help us to bring our bodies under the control of our souls and better in tune with what the Lord is calling us to in our daily lives.

Just as we give things up, it is a great idea to add things to your prayer life. Prayer is another key component to Lent. As we are fasting we become more capable to be in touch with the graces that God has for us. So we can help build our prayer lives in a deeper way by adding something a little extra to our daily prayer lives. It could be setting a schedule of prayer time of 5 minutes in the morning and/or evening before bed time. Maybe picking up a reading a chapter of the Bible every day (start with the Gospels first). Another option is reading the Sunday mass reading before you go to church or on the daily saint of the day. You can look to the left on the blog with the link "Mass Readings" and "Saint of the Day" and you can instantly have access to them. Whatever it is God will greatly enjoy it.

This year the Diocese of Baton Rouge is continuing "The Light Is On" campaign to give all Catholics the opportunity to go to sacrament of Confession. Every Wednesday evening St. George will have multiple priests hearing confession from 6-7:30pm. Also, St. George will still be having its weekly confessions from 2:30-3:30 before the Saturday vigil mass. So be sure to clean house during this Lenten season. There is no better way to celebrate Lent then recognizing the forgiving power of Christ on the Cross. So if it has been a 6 months or 6 years don't miss out.

Be sure to make this Lent a Great one. Every year during Lent is a great to concentrate on one sin in your life you struggle with. If you manage to help reduce the occurrence of sin or wipe out the struggle all together then it was a success. Even if you are unable to reduce the occurrence, just being aware/admitting it in your life is half the battle. Take this Lent and make it a good one. Just remember Jesus spent 40 days in the desert in prayer and fasting. He totally knows what your going through when you have the temptation to break fasting and prayer. He was there himself.

Spong Bob & The Seven Deadly Sins

I have a friend of mine who did a reflection on the 7 deadly sins via through "Sponge Bob Square Pants." I think it helps understand the sin in our own lives and in the world.  Make sure you start prepping for Lent!  IT'S ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY.  You should totally check it out on his blog WHO EVER SAID THERE ISN'T ANYTHING GOOD ON TV?: SPONGE BOB AND THE 7 DEADLY SINS Once you click on the link you can simply click on his power point slides to make it full screen.  ENJOY!

Nunjas: The Tools We Need For Spiritual Warfare

Take a look at this video! It is amazing awesomeness indeed. I have to say, I would want to join a religious order that gets down with battling the evil in the world. The pope must have totally turned these nuns into a secretive order. Maybe they are the CIA of the Catholic Church. It is funny to think about, even knowing this is not the case. However, they could be instead of seen possibly fighting the spiritual evil of the world through their prayer and actions. So even though this video is real, lets take a look at the video with the context of: "This how nuns get down when they are praying it up in their convents." They simply are just conquering wave after wave of spiritual attack the evil one.

It is important to remember as Catholics the importance of the spiritual realm within our world. The notion of Good and Evil. As we talked about in youth group last night about the existence of Hell and evil within the world we must safeguard our souls to keep them yearning for the Lord. There are so many things to get consumed in our culture today. What is it that we dedicate our time and lives to?
When I first asked myself this question I was startled at the things that I worry about that are

We must continually strive to pursue holiness in our daily vocation in answering the call of Christ has for us. In doing this we are able to choose the path that God has laid out before our lives. It is so easy to succumb to what the devil continually tempts us with, because it doesn't take work. We must safeguard our body and soul and continually ask for the strength from the Lord via Holy Spirit to consume everything that we do so that it may help build the kingdom here on earth. Pray for holiness and strength thru the Holy Spirit to be a light to the world.

It best said by Harry Loes "This Little Light Of Mine, Im Gonna Let It Shine!"

Why I Love Religion, and Love Jesus: Catholic to The Core

So I thought this would be good to post on the blog in regards to the "Why I Love Jesus, But Hate Religion" video that has become the buzz of YouTube over the last month. This video was done by a novice of St. John Bosco's order. So it is truly a great video that is done in the same style as the original.

It is so easy to be able to just give up the religion thing and say we love Jesus because when we do that it makes life easier. If we simply say we love Jesus, but hate religion we have no sacraments that Mother Church. On top of that we do not have to live to a moral code either if you think about it. Religions all across the world have some form of moral ethical code/rules that each follower must strive for. So be sure to past this video on to people that you know if you find people wanting to side with I Love Jesus, But Hate Religion. I have included the lyrics to this guys poem he wrote in the video. ENJOY!

Lyrics to Poem:

So what if told you Jesus came to love with his heart?
Didn't come to end religion, man of the law from the start,
As it's written he did not come to abolish, but to fulfill
The law and the prophets, as was his Father's will.

None of us perfect all sinners together,
But Christ and Religion you can't really sever.
We need some help in the Church that I believe,
But don't speak to the people half truths to deceive.
Many people and children listen to every word that you say,
So use wisely your authority, and don't lead them astray.

We are the Church of the blind but we pray for that vision;
I pray that we stay with Christ and St. Peter and create no division.
A church without religion is a house that's divided;
Integratin' truth and doctrine will keeps us united.

By creating this dialogue, I respect what you're doin';
Just make sure it's for God what it is that you're brewin'.
Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and what's God's straight to Him,
Arise pick up your mat he came to forgive us our sin.

Now lets step out of this fog,
and take from your eye that blinding log;
Now you judgin' religious like we're all the same people,
All fools who head towards the same steeple.

You call us to be genuine, and that's all good and so true,
Stay in Christ's Church we need passionate men like you
Who strive not only to talk the talk, but really walk the walk,
Love in our hearts written with blood and not chalk.

Yes, I got my Heavenly Father, and His Spirit, my guide,
I got Christ the Word who speaks deep inside.
And at the cross of my God and my Savior I too kneel,
But it's also prophets, Angels, and Saints that I feel.
They feel so close, and I can call them my family,
Cause at the cross he gave us his own Mother Mary.

And then He said it is finished...and yes, it was sincere,
But not to abolish religion, and condemn a people so dear,
Instead he showed the effulgence of God's human face,
Offering Salvation to the whole mortal race.

We build our churches as dwellings for our God and our King,
Where we gather in faith, give praise, are nourished, and sing.
Inspired by the art, the beauty of Salvation's story,
Sent out to the poor to proclaim God's glory.

We're not here to save the world, Jesus makes all things new,
He is the new Adam, the crucified King of the Jews.
He died and was buried, but then he arose,
I know he's alive, and it's me that he chose.

I too boast of my weakness, take courage 'n' don't fear,
I pray for humility and the strength to persevere,
I too was a lost sheep drugs liquor and all that,
I was the one laying paralyzed on that mat.

Jesus lifted me up and gave me a new look,
His hand I then took and turned to that sacred book.

I too love Jesus but stand on his foundation,
He gave us the Church, the Sabbath, and all of Creation.
You say that Jesus and religion are on opposite sides of the line
But he gave Peter the keys to start something Divine.

We're now the Body of Christ and I'm proud and stand tall,
Yes I recognize that on the cross Christ gave it all.
Some are self-righteous but many act with compassion and love,
I'm giving my life for this religion that you speak of.

God gave us a vocation, mine's a priest with Don Bosco,
Christ gave us all mission, so together lets go.
And don't be a slave to the rules, let them set you free,
Thank God for the Church or I wouldn't know how to be me.

Come meet my religious friends who are living with Christ,
Who know that with life giving love comes great sacrifice.
You speak well and now I pray for you always,
But you continue your journey, don't get lost in the haze.

CHURCH now I speak to you, I beg and I plead
We recognize in our common baptism, we have been freed,
Let us rejoice as one in the love, and Spirit He gave us,
Let us cherish Tradition and His law that he made for us,
Let us walk in the light of Christ Jesus, our friend,
Yes, not as slaves, but as friends, Amen...Amen!

The Last Things

Over the next weeks at our Monday Nights we will be having a four week theme on "The Final Four: Last Things." We will be talking about the final four options of the soul. These consist of death/judgement, hell, purgatory, and heaven. It is going to be amazingly sweet discussions with various speakers from the area. Fr. Brent Maher will be talking tonight on Death & Judgement so come on out and make sure you make it to Monday Night Gtown over the next few weeks. You know the time 7-9pm. BE THERE!