Now That's What I Like to See

After Mass yesterday morning at St. Odilo Parish in Berwyn -- located a few blocks from our house -- before preparing to trudge through the snow [!] to get to my car, I picked up a bulletin.

In it was the text of Father Tony Brankin's homily from the Mass where he was installed as pastor a few weeks prior.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Chicago Catholic scene, Father Brankin enjoys a well-deserved reputation among local orthodox Catholics. He's affable, brilliant, holy, and loves the Tridentine Mass. He's also a real Renaissance man. Musically talented, he plays the harp and the fiddle, and he's also an accomplished sculptor. (I recall hearing recently that he has been commissioned by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke to create a sculpture of the Holy Family.)

Father Brankin's homily did not disappoint. My favorite part:

I will preach on behalf of families and against things that hurt families like contraception. I will preach for life and against abortion--and against any Culture of Death politicians who support abortion.

There will be no "Well we don't really believe in that anymore" from me.

I am not smart enough to star tmy own religion--so I will follow Christ's--His revelation about what we must believe and do to be saved.

I will try to remember what I told a young priest once who asked me if I had one single thing I could tell him that would help him in his priesthood--and I was taken aback and responded, "Jim, just try to remember that things are a lot simpler than we often make of them--it's about God's grace and saving souls."

Sacerdotal spine -- always good to see.