Family Instills and Promotes Faith in Us

Today my family and I had the opportunity to go to Nazareth Day for Families held at the Basilica of St. Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill. The whole day was filled with Mass, hot dogs, brats and burgers fresh off the grill, as well as face painting, bounce houses for the little ones and games of volleyball and soccer.

All in all, the entire day was celebration of families. Families show us what it means to belong, grow and develop, and most importantly, families show us what it means to love. I think Bishop Donald Hying said it perfectly in his homily today, " Marriage is a vocation that many are called to, and having a family is a vocation as well. It is not easy to have a family. It is not always easy to bring your children up in the world that we have today especially with secularism on the rise. This is why we applaud these families for doing their best to bring their children up in the faith of the Catholic Church and most importantly, to know and love God. Without good and holy families instilling the great faith that we believe in by attending Sunday Mass as well as other church related activities, vocations to priesthood and religious life would never be what they are today." 


So in conclusion, I just want to say a big thank you to all those families and in particular my own family, for bringing your children up with great morals, for being great examples of how we should live, giving up our lives in order to bring us to God through the sacraments that we have received, all so we can grow closer to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Summer Continues to Teach The Importance of Hard Work

This summer I have the opportunity to work at St. Francis De Sales Seminary here in Milwaukee, as a part of a groundscrew team. The previous two summers I had spent work at my parish. Being able to work on various things to keep the grounds and the building working and looking good is a really great feeling. To know that I am working at a place that not only fosters my vocation, but also has fostered countless others over the 157 years of its existence is amazing.

While working there I have had the opportunity to learn different skills and work tatics that I not only need in order to keep the building running, but will also need them for the rest of my life such as the importance of hard work, determination and patience. As I start college seminary this coming August, I know that I will need all of these same characteristics. I realize that I will need to learn all that I can, in order to help as many as I can. This means that in order to properly educate people in the faith and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I need to immerse myself in every area of study that I can. Just as a maintenance man who does not know how to use tools will have a hard time improving and taking care of the buildings he is entrusted to, so a priest who has no knowledge of the faith really have a hard time educating others in the ways of the church.

With that in mind, I have given myself a few goals this summer as I move closer toward beginning seminary life.

1. Increase or find consistency in my prayer life.
2. Read as many philosophy and theology books as I can.
3. Write emails or letters to those discerning a call to priesthood or has expressed an interest in applying to seminary, but need a little encouragement.

All in all, this summer I feel like it is time for me to start living the life that I will, while I am in seminary. This is my time to continue to grow in my faith and bring others to it as well. I only pray to God that I can.

Young People of Wisconsin: "It's Time to Stand Up For Life!"

This past weekend I was invited to give a talk about pro-life issues to a group of 17 teenagers at a youth retreat at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hales Corners, WI. My talk was to be on pro-life issues, specifically abortion. This has been an extremely important topic ever since it was made legal in the 1973 Roe V. Wade Supreme Court ruling. My talk highlighted facts about abortion, the Catholic Church's teaching on it as well as personal experiences that I have had with pregnant classmates who were contemplating abortion, and personal stories about my time spent praying outside of a local abortion clinic. The main thing that I wanted to incorporate in my talk however was how important it is for the youth of our church to stand up and fight for the pro-life cause. After all, we are the future of the church aren't we? We need to show the rest of the world that we can make a difference in the way that it is run. This includes fighting to end abortion and all attacks on human life. We need to show the world that we will not stand by and let organizations such as Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics influence us and our decisions. A copy of my talk is below in italics.

One of the biggest ways that we can make an impact on the world is by doing one very simple but equally powerful action, voting. Yesterday marked the Recall Primary Election for Governor in Wisconsin. As you may know, Governor Scott Walker is being recalled and will, as of yesterday's primary election, face Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a Recall Election on June 5th. One of the things that Mayor Tom Barrett is in support of is abortion. As young people and young adult voters of this great state, we need to stand up and vote in support of pro-life candidates, namely, Governor Scott Walker. Walker is extremely pro-life and that is why he is getting my vote this election. Not only is he unjustly being recalled after doing a great job moving Wisconsin forward and out of debt, but it is also appalling that his opposition is one who is so evil that he is in support of killing innocent children and then trying to receive communion at a Catholic Church. It is time for us to stand strong as the young people of this state and vote for what is right. Please join me in voting for Governor Scott Walker on June 5th to not only to continue to move the state forward, but also save lives doing it.  

Respect Life Committee Talk May 5th 2012 • My name is John Bender. I’m a senior at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, a parishioner at St. Matthias Catholic Church in Milwaukee and am a member of the Respect Life Committee there.

• So when Eva Melenchuk, the president and founder of the Respect Life Committee here at St. Mary’s invited me to come talk about pro-life issues, I thought it was a great honor and a great chance to talk to kids around my own age about how important it is to make an impact in the world, by stopping one of the biggest things that harm it, abortion.

• So I’m going to begin by starting with the church teaching on human life taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church- “All life is sacred from conception to natural death.” 

• People’s Exceptions- “ I’m only in favor of abortion in cases of rape and incest. When it comes to saving innocent life however, there are exceptions. 

• There is nothing more important than the life of each and every human being.  

Facts about Abortion 

• Legal since the Supreme Court ruling of 1973. 

• Since then, over 42 million abortions are performed in the US each year. 

• 52% of these women receiving these abortions are younger than 25. 

 • 64.4% of all abortions are performed on un-married women. 

• Teenagers obtain for 20% as well as 1.2% for children 15 and under.  

Why is abortion still utilized? 

• 1% of all abortions occur due to rape, 6% due to health problems regarding either the mother or child. 93% of all abortions occur because of social reason. Simply put, 93% of children are aborted due to inconvenience. 

• Meaning that when a mother or family member feels like it is convenient for them to have a child, they will have one. Which leads to the question, “ when is it ever convenient to abort or end innocent human life?”  

The Question is? 

• How can we stop these horrible attacks on life from being performed, the biggest and best answer is abstinence.

• After all, the more couples that practice abstaining from sex reduces the number of women becoming pregnant, stops the transfer of sexually transmitted diseases and of course, without a pregnancy, there is no abortion. 

 • Sex between a married couple is seen as beautiful. It not only unites the couple but it also creates the possibility of creating new life. 

• It is outside of this marriage bond that sex is considered morally wrong. First, because it is not commonly used as a way to pro-create, and second because a large number of pregnancies for unmarried couples are often result to abortion. This is the challenge for us young people. We need not only be physically strong, but also mentally and morally strong.  

Call to be proactive 

• As young people we have to be proactive in terms of our faith. We have to be advocates for one another. This requires getting out of our comfort zones and getting involved.

• There are many ways to get involved in the pro-life effort. 

• This past March the Archdiocese had a Pro-life rally at the Cousin Center bringing huge amounts of teens and young adults to pray for an end to abortion. 

• Each October is dedicated as Pro-Life Month, dedicating everything during that month towards praying for the pro-life cause. 

• There are also opportunities to make a true impact in the pro-life movement. 40 Days for Life asks people of all ages to make a trip down to Affiliated Medical Services on Farwell Ave. in Milwaukee to pray for the end to all abortions that continue to occur at this last abortion clinic in the Milwaukee area.  

Personal Experiences 

• I have known a few classmates and old friends who have been pregnant and currently pregnant. When I have talked to these girls many of them felt strongly about keeping their baby, but also others have been influenced by their parents to try to make them give up their baby by aborting it. It is very sad for me to see how much their life will eventually change with or without the baby. 

• The time that I have spent praying out in front of abortion clinics have definitely been life changing. I remember standing out in front the building watching countless women walk out of the clinic, heads down in shame, emotionally and mentally drained, feeling totally wiped out. I remember hearing the clinics employees ridiculing us for trying to deprive women of their right to abort their children. They seem so full of anger and hate, constantly calling us name, occasionally calling the police on us. It is very sad, but we understand that the only reason that they are angry is because somewhere inside of themselves; they know that what we are doing is honorable and right. Their reactions give away their true feelings. 

 • I can count the times that I have been to the abortion clinic on one hand, and sometimes I feel like I’m not really doing anything to fight abortion. In reality, just my being there, standing there, praying there; I am making a difference in someone else life. Maybe God is calling each of you to work in the pro-life movement. You will never know until you try. Just by going a few times will not only change your life, but it will change the lives of the people around you walking past and seeing your bravery and cheerful spirit. We need to bring a little light and happiness to fight the darkness. I encourage each of you to listen intently to what God is calling you to do. I promise that he will never disappoint you.

Evangelization: It Starts With Us

It is important to stand up for your faith! Everyone can attest to this statement, but do we really do what we say? Everyone can be faith filled and have the urge to do God's work while they are in the middle of worshiping during church, but it is often a different story once we leave the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Evangelization is not tolerated today. We are told, "It is okay for you to believe what you want to believe, just don't talk about it to anyone else." We are given the perception that religion is great in church, but we should keep it to ourselves after that.

A work friend of mine was recently in trouble with the law. She was arrested, brought before a judge and was given a 45 day jail sentence as a result of two consecutive drunk-driving charges. Her arrest has caused each of her co-workers to pick up her shifts while she has her paperwork filed and can return to work under Huber Law. As I take each one of her shifts I pray that the Lord can help her to feel His presence as she goes through this very difficult time. Shortly before her incarceration, I had a chance to talk to her. I found out that she is an atheist, but has not always had the lack this lack of faith. I found out that she had regularly attended a Catholic church while she was little, but her parents had ceased to attend and she found what she considered "better" ways to spend her Sundays.

In an attempt to show her that God still exists and is very much a part of her life, I told her that I was attending college seminary after graduation this year and offered to share my faith story with her. I was not trying to brag or show off my strong faith, but I wanted to show her that God has the power to influence our thoughts and decisions if we open up to him. It is my prayer "amid the pots and pans at work", that God continues to open up her heart to Him. Perhaps by some miracle her eyes can open to His love and her faith will be renewed.

Religion is a bigger subject than people think. God needs to be talked about wherever we go. The subject of God should not be stopped once we walk out of the church doors, but it should be carried to all those we come in contact with. Young people of today need to know God and know how much He loves them despite all of their faults and mistakes. This is our job as Christians and Evangelizers. Are we up to the challenge to take the Gospel to the streets?

Update!

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on all that has happened over the last few days. God sure does work in mysterious ways. My application has been reviewed and I will be a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee studying at St. Joseph's College Seminary in Chicago! Thanks so much everyone for your thoughts and prayers! I ask you all to please continue to keep me in your prayers as I continue on this journey, finishing up high school, beginning seminary life and God-willing, becoming a priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee!

Thoughts

In case I haven't already told you, I am in the final stages of applying to St. Joseph's College Seminary on the campus of Loyola University in Chicago. It has been interesting to say the least! I have only one more interview with one of three priests to go before the seminary board meeting that ultimately decides whether or not I am accepted will meet on March 21st to decide my fate. This is all pretty exciting stuff that has been going on including psychological testing, medical examinations and physicals, interviews with priests and discernment groups and retreats.

During the process, what I've really enjoyed doing is being able to just take time to really pray and meditate about whether or not God wants me to be a priest or not. I've realized that throughout everything, I have been shown the importance of total and complete trust in Him. A prayer that has been stuck in my mind and I have recited often is, "God, please reveal your will for me, and if I am not doing your will, please make it obvious!"

One thing that I have noticed so far is that while we as Christians try to live our lives entirely dedicated to God, so many things try to keep us from doing just that. In my life for example, while in the midst of my application process I have been struggling with laziness, lack of motivation, the feeling of unworthiness and also my feelings of interest towards girls. During discernment, I learned that it is okay to date and that it is important to develop good, strong, healthy and holy relationships with girls. While applying to the seminary, or for a person who is ready to enter seminary, it is important to distance yourself from serious dating since you are considering giving your life to Christ. For me this has been very challenging concept to grasp because simply put, "I like girls!" and I feel that ever since I started applying I have had more girls wanting to hangout or date and are way to serious about things than before I began applying. It feels like a tug and pull relationship. At one point I am strong in my discernment and yet I am also very weak.

Another part that has been addressed in recent interviews and conversations is the importance of academics. I have never been strong in my academic career and it is a huge problem. In fact, I learned that I might not be accepted because of that issue. I am advanced in History and English, but very poor in Math and Science. On top of this, I am a horrible test taker and this is clearly evident in my low ACT score.

I am finding it hard sometimes to be positive and upbeat of the application process. I do experience doubts and negative thoughts many times with what God really wants for me. I have attended seminary summer camps as well as other events in the Archdiocese and every where I looked, I kept thinking that I could really see myself becoming a priest and yet I am learning so often that it is harder than it looks. I am finding out that it is not easy to be a priest, let alone even be accepted into a seminary.

Despite everything, I have learned how important prayer and patience are! I have learned that it is important no matter what to never lose confidence and trust in God. I have confidence that he will put me right where he wants me, despite all of my girl and school troubles. I realize that even if I don't become a priest, I will continue to have my strong faith in Jesus and a strong love for His Catholic church. With God by my side, I will have nothing to fear. He has me in his arms, carrying me the whole way to where he knows I will be needed.

Speaking Out

A couple weeks ago, my Effective Speech class was given the assignment of delivering a persuasive speech. The objective of this speech was to persuade someone to change their look on subject or to make them see two sides to a story. Some chose to give speeches on why school year round is bad, or why one sports team is simply better than another.

Surprisingly some students chose controversial topics to speak about such as stances on pro-abortion and gay marriage. Because of this I decided to also speak on a controversial topic, wanting to show my insight and my stance on these topics. My initial intention was to speak out against abortion, but when someone else chose that topic, I decided to choose another.

The topic I chose to speak about was Anti-Gay Marriage. This was a something that many Christians have fought against ever since five of our fifty states passed laws that allowed two persons of the same-sex to get married. I felt that I should speak out about my stance on it because many of my classmates are in favor of gay marriage. I feel that as Christians and as Catholics in particular, we should be able to teach others about our faith not just by our words but also by our actions. Please feel free to read my speech below-

The United States Constitution, the supreme law of the land, is decorated with laws and regulations with which our government runs our nation with all due respect to the people. Over the years, certain states of our country have endorsed and promoted questionable and controversial laws that not only are immoral and illogical but also fog the lens of our country’s law-makers, forcing them to blindly pass laws that destroy the sanctity of human life and the reason why we are here.

The definition of marriage in the Merriam-Webster dictionary states that marriage “is the binding of one man and one woman to each other in a consensual as well as contractual relationship both in the eyes of the state and in the eyes of God.” New York’s Cardinal-Elect Timothy Dolan recent blog post from May 2011 states, “Marriage is at the very core of civilization.” By this simple statement, Cardinal-Elect Dolan is implying that with out the essence of man and woman uniting together in a pro-creative act of sexual intercourse within the confines of marriage, there would be no hope for mankind. Without man and woman combining their naturally separate and uniquely different bodies we would cease to exist as a city, as a country and as an entire world. There are countless individuals however, who fail to see this point.

Fairly recently, five of our fifty states have passed laws allowing this beautiful unification of man and woman to also be open to either two men or two women. According to Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver of the New Jersey Senate, “ the passing of this law is seen as the third and final leg of the civil rights movement, initially started by Martin Luther King Jr. as a means to bring social and political equality to the African-American race. “

Please don’t take my remarks here as a sign that I am anti-gay or hateful towards the lesbian/gay/transgender community. I realize that many people simply are born with attractions toward the same sex and this is a very difficult and often times tormenting state in which to exist without the freedom to express their unique sexual identity. However, those people who claim a sexual orientation that is anything other than heterosexual are not able to naturally bear children for which the union and sanctity of marriage was created.

Am I saying that those in the gay and lesbian community can’t live together and enjoy the benefits of friendly companionship and the care of family for one another? No, I am not. But I am saying that the legal benefits that come with marriage should be reserved for those of the opposite sex. Marriage should involve one man and one woman only.
Gay Marriage has a surprising effect on children. Marriage more times than not involves reproduction. A man and woman create a human life and give it the opportunity to grow and develop in the world. The gift of life enables the new born to discern the many aspects of life such as emotions, triumphs and struggles and ultimately the meaning of life. Without man and woman, none of this would be possible. With two men or two women, a child would be deprived of having a true father or mother figure in their life. As a result of gay marriage, children in same-gender relationships often experience social marginalization, ridicule and harassment. This is not to say that children reproduced from heterosexual relationships are not teased too, but it would be more prevalent in a homosexual relationship.

To clarify my stance on this subject, I agree that people who feel attracted to the same sex are not bad people. These feelings a person has, he or she is simply born with. I totally understand that concept. However, I also understand that even though you as a person with these feelings, should not be able to flaunt your sexual identity. I believe that even though people are sexually attracted to others, he or she should not be able to act on it. Perhaps the lawmakers of our country will realize the importance of morality over desire. A desire or a want can sometimes be transferred into an immoral act, sometimes depriving us from the ability to discern what is right.

Our society is taught that nowadays “if you truly want something, you have the right to strive for it.” However, taking a religious point of view, it is okay to live a chaste life. Just because you feel attracted to the same sex, these feelings shouldn’t force you to make the decision to act on it. We need to realize that chastity and purity, which are two fading ideas in our world, are very important considering how many people obtain sexually transmitted diseases. In order to remove the anti-gay marriage laws, we need to go back to thoughts of morality, purity, cleanliness and embrace our sexuality of any source, all within the context of living to glorify our creator with our lives.