Thank you Altoona, Iowa…

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever travel to Iowa! From the streets of St. Louis, to Altoona, Iowa is where the Holy Spirit has taken me, and what a blessing it was; so many wonderful, loving and Christ Loving people.

Part of the 25^th year anniversary celebration of Sts. John & Paul Parish, I was asked to speak on Sunday evening, the talk was entitled "Do you know what you have?"

Once the talk was over, I had the chance to meet and fellowship with so many wonderful people of God. It was truly a Celebration of the Body of Christ and the Community of God's people.

Thank you to the man responsible for bringing me to Altoona and showing me a wonderful time, as well as the Pastor and our gracious Hostess for Lunch on Sunday. (The German Potato Salad was AWESOME!)

I think the greatest part of my stay was the actual Hotel Room. It was a Hotel with "Themed Rooms." Yeah, I know what you are thinking…GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! I was assigned to "The Prophet's Chamber!" The room had three beautiful Crosses on the wall, NEW bibles and religious material, along with small religious medallions. I knew it was a gift from the Holy Spirit as soon as I looked at the desk. Contained on it was a beautiful carving of Jesus Christ, with the inscription "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." Anyone that really knows me knows that John 14:6 (that passage) is one of my favorites.

Thank you Sts. John & Paul, thank you Altoona, but mostly, thank you Holy Spirit for allowing us to serve!

Pax Christi!

Qorban Mininstries

Sweet Home Alabama - 2

Our Journey Home has been such a blessed one. We HIGHLY recommend you make a Pilgrimage here to Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Pack your walking shoes and bring your Rosaries, but if you forget the Rosary, visit the gift shop and have your fill!

We have has such a wonderful time here and the people we met. As we went to breakfast this morning, we had the great honor and pleasure to break bread with Fr. Frank Pavone, and to our surprise we were joined by Eduardo Verastegui of the movie Bella! What a breakfast that was!

We celebrated Holy Mass in the Chapel that is shown on television and it is such a lovely and extremely reverent dwelling place for our Eucharistic Lord.

So we went to dinner about 5pm and low and behold…here is Fr. Mitch Pacwa. All I can say about him is… "What a HOOT!" I mean that in a loving way of course. What a wonderful and fun filled dinner and great conversation that was had with him.

To cap the night off we were in the studio for the filming of his latest installment of "Threshold of Hope." What a powerful speaker and teacher.

Please…if you are still thinking of a last minute vacation for this summer, COME ON DOWN HOME TO ALABAMA and EWTN! Take the beautiful tour of the Station Facility here in Irondale and then trek to Hanceville and visit the Shrine where Mother Angelica and the Nun's are stationed. We regret that we were not able to make it their this trip, but, God Willing, we WILL BE BACK!

Please ensure that you support this great Evangelizing Apostolate, which is EWTN!

God bless you, keep us in your prayers, we will keep you in ours, and remember… KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!

Peace 2 U!

Qorban Ministries

Thank you…

Thank you so much to all that watched this edition of "The Journey Home." Thank you for all of the wonderful comments and especially for your prayers. They are truly needed.

It was more than we ever imagined it would be, for God to have taken us from the Streets of St. Louis, to proclaim His Glory to millions around the world. God is TRULY and AWESOME GOD!

Once again, we thank you so much for your prayers and asked them to continue for us, to be able to do what God has so Graciously blessed us to do, and that is to "Go…"

Peace be with you and always remember… KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!

Qorban Ministries

“Sweet Home Alabama”

Made it to Sweet Home Alabama and what a beautiful place this is. It has been a long time since I have been back here and it still smells like…HOME!

Well, for those who really care…yes I am getting very excited about Monday night. A lot of prayer and love has gone into brining this day to fruition and we thank all of the people that have continued to keep us in prayer, because without you…NONE of this would have ever been possible.

Donna and I continued to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and know that He will continue to make a Way out of no way for us in our lives. Things are getting hard on so many people all over the country and all over the world, but we know and believe that Jesus will continue to be our source of Strength!

Availability…have you made yourself AVAILABLE for God to use you yet today? He did for me, this morning in Mass and I thank Him SO very much for the wonderful blessing I received from God this morning. He knew my heart and He blessed me for being "Available" for Him to use me.

All we need to do is make ourselves available for God to work through us…and He will!

Not sure if I will be able to write a Blog before the show tomorrow or not, but keep us in your prayers, we will keep you in ours and always remember… KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!

Peace 2 U!

Qorban Ministries

www.CatholicEvangelist.net

IT’S A FRACKIN CRACKER!!!

I read a survey recently that said, only 30% of practicing Catholic's believe the Eucharist is the True Body of our Lord, Jesus. I find this disturbing, but these days, not much surprises me. It never ceases to amaze me the way so many people (Catholic's – Practicing) take the Faith for granted.

I came across an article the other day in response to a young man taking a Consecrated Host from a Mass, to do something to desecrate our Eucharistic Lord. In response to the flood of emails and threats received by this young man, a Blogger felt the need to write a Blog, exhorting, "IT'S A FRACKIN CRACKER!"

I wonder how many Catholic's, practicing Catholic's, believe the same thing. It took me 19 years to understand exactly what had been calling me to the Catholic Church. "The Eucharist." The TRUE, BODY – BLOOD – SOUL – DIVINITY of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… IN the TRUEST PRESENCE. Not a remembrance, not a partial presence, mixed in with the bread and wine, (con-substantiation), we believe in the FULL PRESENCE! TRANS-SUBSTANTIATION! Christ gave us (Roman Catholic Church) His Body, for our Healing. This is what we actually receive, but so many people just don't understand, or believe it.

It was told to me, that an Atheist once said, "If Catholic's believed that it (the Eucharist) really was Christ's Body, they would be willing to crawl on their hands and knees to receive Him…" I ask myself, why are we NOT running to receive our Lord, in His Real Presence? Gandhi once said that he loved Jesus Christ very much, but he did not like Christians because they were not reflective of Jesus Christ.

Do we really reflect Christ in all we do…our words and especially our actions? We need to RUN to receive the Sacraments, we need to RUN to our RISEN and PRESENT LORD for His Healing and Strength. If we do not believe, the how do we expect others to believe.

It is the REAL THING and I am not talking about Coke! Jesus is waiting for us…all we need to do is go and receive Him.

Keep us in your prayers, we will keep you in ours and always remember, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!

Peace 2 U.

Qorban Ministries

www.CatholicEvangelist.net

No greater love, than to lay down one’s life…

A few years ago there was a lot of controversy sparked by comments of Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, stating that he would deny Holy Communion to then, Presidential Candidate Sen. John Kerry, then following that same stance, His Excellency Burkes stated he would also refuse Holy Communion to former Presidential Candidate Rudy Giulliani for his stance, as a Catholic, on "positions contrary to the moral law…". In this article, His Excellency "Burke says that anyone administering Communion is morally obligated to deny it to Catholic politicians who support an abortion-rights position contrary to church teaching."

There was an article that caught my attention on the internet surrounding a young man "smuggling" a Consecrated Host from Holy Mass, to be used for It's desecration by someone not of the Catholic Faith. I suppose this Blog will spark, yet another Blog on "The Eucharist, do we actually believe, it's the REAL Presence of Christ", but for now I would like to focus on Courage.

Would you be willing to lay down your life for your family, your child, mother, father, sibling, friend, neighbor? While serving almost six years in the United States Army as a Military Policeman, I put my life on the line each day in service to my Country, it's citizens, as well as my fellow brothers and sisters in the service, to protect our way of life. The question I ask myself (and ask you to consider as well) is do I have the Courage to put my life on the line for Jesus? Would I be willing to take a stand for Jesus? Would I be strong enough to face the public scrutiny, public humiliation, as an "Extraordinary Minister" of Holy Communion, to be able to deny someone "of note" Holy Communion?

As a Eucharistic Minister and/or Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, one MUST be willing to lay their life down for our Brother Jesus. We must continue to protect Him in every way possible, because He gave us EVERYTHING and what Love He has for each and every one of us to not only lay His Life down, but He continues to live through, with and in each and every one of us.

As Jesus was obedient to His Father's Will; as Jesus said a resounding YES to His Father, as a disciple of Christ, as a Christian, and most importantly as a Practicing Catholic, I TOO must have the courage to say… "Yes Lord. I will lay my life down for You!"

Jesus is ALIVE my brothers and sisters in Christ…He has RISEN and HE IS ALIVE…ALIVE within EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US! Let Him Live, and share Him with someone else today, because He told us, "If you deny me on earth, I will deny you before my Father."

Let us continue to pray for the all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, but especially, the Gift of Courage.

Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, thank you for having the Courage of a Lion. Thank you for laying your life on the line for Christ, most importantly, thank you, Your Excellency, for showing us (myself in particular), not just what courage is…but, what TRUE LOVE is!

Praise be Jesus Christ NOW AND FOREVERMORE…amen, Amen and AMEN!

Peace 2 U and Keep us in your prayers, we will continue to keep you in ours and ALWAYS, remember… KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!

Qorban Ministries

www.CatholicEvangelist.net

Treasure what you see, TODAY in Christ

The Gospel reading for today, July 24, 2008; Matthew 13: 10-17

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"
He said to them in reply,
"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:

You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

In reflecting on today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells His Disciples "Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears because they hear." How many of us would have loved to have walked with Jesus during those Glorious times. We would have been privileged to see His Glory and Majesty FIRST HAND. Can you imagine, being on the Road to Emmaus and having Christ appear to us? What about being at the Wedding Feast at Cana and seeing Jesus turn water into wine? Even being among the 5,000 he fed with the Loaves and Fishes; seeing first hand, Christ healing the blind and the lame walking again. Jesus tells His sheep, so many people long to see what they saw, and hear what they heard. In essence, Jesus is telling them to Treasure the day and time they are in.

In the same way, the Gospel reading reminds us to also Treasure the time we are currently in. If we have our eyes open and ears open to the Holy Spirit, we too can see through the eyes of Christ, the beauty that surrounds our daily life. We also are a part of the Healing, through Christ, to those He brings across our daily paths.

So, remember what Mother Teresa said; "You can save someone's soul with just a smile!" God will send someone to YOU today for Healing. Will you allow yourself to be open to the Spirit and bless them with the Word of God? Remember, we are Blessed to be Blessings to others!

Peace 2 U and always remember, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!

Qorban Ministries

www.CatholicEvangelist.net