It was a great experience being part of the KATH 910 AM Radiothon two weeks ago. Thanks to Dave, Manny, Doug, Toya and the entire crew for allowing me to come down and be a part of the broadcast. Several of you pledged – even my “little” nephew from California was listening online. Thanks to all of you for contributing to this great station.

Hey Music Friends-
I’ll be ‘in-studio’ and ‘on-the-air’ next Tuesday, August 18th at 4pm to talk about the “Build a House – Music for Mission Honduras” CD. Note the theme of the Radiothon…nice, eh?

The Radiothon helps raise the necessary funds to continue operation of our DFW-based Catholic AM station. If you have not dialed-in or streamed KATH 910 AM radio you really should give it a try. They feed a lot of EWTN programs throughout the day in addition to daily Mass, devotions, and the Rosary. They also have a great morning show called “The Son Rise Morning Show” – it’s a great way to wake up and start your day!

Tune in next week – especially Tuesday afternoon – to show your support! Station manager Dave Palmer has asked for volunteers to answer phones and help out during the event. Contact Dave for more information. (davepalmer@grnonline.com)

Thanks!

I’ve been talking with a group of people working to help homeless and orphaned children in a small village in Kenya. Check out this site. It is an amazing story and the individuals leading this effort are nothing short of incredible.  Not sure where this will lead me and specifically how music will be included but I’m jazzed about the opportunity.

I’ve tried really hard to stay away from politics on this blog but I found something today that simply knocked me out. It is definitely relative to the people of Africa and clearly political. But I think you need to see it and send to anyone you think might be interested. No spin here: this is true, accurate, unbiased reporting about an incredible humanitarian and this story needs to be out there, especially given the political climate we find ourselves in today. Read the first paragraph:

What if a president, on his own initiative, under no demands from staff or from supporters or opponents, set out to spend an unprecedented amount of money on AIDS in Africa, literally billions of dollars, at a time when the nation could not afford it, citing his faith as a primary motivation and, ultimately, saved more than a million lives?

Now, read the rest of the story then pass it on.

Hey all-
I wanted to tell you about a great new outlet for Catholic artists to promote their music. Each month, several songs are chosen to create a Top 10 list under a topic such as “Lent” or “Easter” etc. Artists submit appropriate songs and site members vote on choices, creating a “Top 10″ list under that heading. I was honored to have “Jesus, Teacher” chosen as a Top 10 for songs of “Adoration”. Check out the site. You can listen, download, and create CDs. Lists are then published to various outlets such as National Catholic Register. This is a great reasource for worship leaders, music ministers, etc or for those that like to listen to new music from mostly unknown artists. Everyone in the group works hard to create worshipful Catholic music.

Spread the word and let me know what you think. Thanks for listening!

http://www.topcatholicsongs.com

Motivating people to act – especially people that have never heard of you or your project – is by far the greatest challenge I’ve faced since the release of the CD, “Build the House.” Promotion is a full-time job! It’s easier after the release: your family, friends, church members, etc. all jump in to help and in our case, it was a huge jump. We sold about 1000 CD’s in the first few weeks of the release and after that, the hard work began. I turned my efforts to the web, creating online stores, blogging, joining user groups, and getting mp3’s of some of the songs to people who might help distribute and spread the word. Below is a list of a few of those that have helped and continue to support the mission.

Please take a minute and visit these sites. Some are radio shows or podcasts and others are listener sites that utilize hits/page to push your song up the charts. I’ve started to see some purchases from iTunes and CD Baby by people not in my immediate network, including several from the U.K., which is very exciting and encouraging. One church community in Florida contacted me to ask permission to use the title cut as their theme song for an upcoming capital campaign. Comments and reviews have been positive and almost everyone mentions the good work we are doing for the mission.

Grapevine Catholic Music Magazine- a great online music mag, complete with podcasts – check out the podcast page and go to Episode #74, January 20, 2008. Contact Susan Bailey, editor, for more information. Susan will review the CD in the February issue, so check it out!

Catholic Music Express- wonderful, up-to-date online radio program, featuring many Christian artists and their latest releases. Link to other sites, etc. Visit the podcast page to listen to or download the January 6th, 2008 program, featuring “Blessing Cup.” Contact Jim O’Meara, owner, for more information.

Soundclick.com – music artist resource. Great site to listen, network, comment. This site receives thousands of hits/day, so any input you can provide will encourage others to check out the music too.

The only way this approach to part-time promotion can work is to forward what you’ve learned to those individuals in your network. Thanks for your continued help to get the word out! Lastly, please pray for our mission team as they travel to Honduras next week – may God keep them safe in their travels!

Check out the photo of the sanctuary above: it was taken by one of our mission team members in Honduras earlier this year. Not only is it a great photo but it also reveals a lot about the people that worship here. When we look at it, it reveals something about us too. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? I was amazed at the simplicity of the alter. And then I noticed the dirt floor. Incredible. As I sit here planning to go to Mass tonight, I am almost embarrassed by my good fortune. Our church seats 1100, has 2 multimedia projectors, air conditioning and heat, stained glass, wireless mics and a grand piano! In November, we will celebrate the second anniversary of our new church building and it IS an amazing place to worship. But I look at the image above and wonder why things have worked out this way. God has a plan and I believe we all have a part in that plan. The people of the parishes in Honduras don’t look at us with envy and we should never look at them with pity. Our part is to do all we can to make their lives more comfortable by repairing roads, building chapels, etc. That’s why we need a reminder like this photo to keep us humbled and focused on the mission. As we move forward with our blessed and busy lives and into a very busy season, let’s remember the work we are doing for our brothers and sisters in Honduras.

As I was preparing the music for this Sunday’s liturgy, I took a minute to reflect on the Gospel reading and immediately got a cold chill in my bones. It stuck with me the rest of the afternoon – I just could not stop thinking about it. I’m not sure why this happened since I’ve heard this passage many, many times before and never gave it much thought. But there was something about that last sentence that hit home this time – something very urgent and final.

In Luke 16, Jesus is telling the Pharisees (Jews) about a rich man that dressed in the finest robes and ate “sumptuously each day” but never even noticed Lazarus, a poor, sick man who lived in the streets outside his home. Lazarus was so sick, even the dogs would come and licked his wounds – an awful picture that sets the stage for Jesus’ teaching:

When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

Here, the rich man, now paying for his lack of compassion, asks Abraham to send a messenger to warn his brothers, so they can change their behaviors before its too late. But Abraham’s reply is anything but compassionate and hammers home the message:

Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Unbelievable! Remember, Jesus is talking to the Jews and about them at the same time! He’s also foretelling the future – he knew they would never be convinced about who he was – not by his death on the cross or by his rising from the dead! Nothing would change their hearts to follow him. How many people do you know that just can’t make that leap of faith? Today, he’s talking to all of those that declare themselves as non-believers, skeptics, moral relativists – the Pharisees of our time!

Jesus tells us many times about the narrow passage to salvation. I don’t think it’s as easy to get into heaven as a lot of people do. It takes more then making a declaration of faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior – it’s easy to say what you believe; the challenge comes in living it! It takes accepting him into your heart, body, mind, and soul in the Holy Eucharist. It takes sacrifice, charity, humility, love, and hard work.

It worries me when I think of the people I know in my own life. Will I see them and spend eternity with them in heaven? I know God is ever-merciful and its way beyond me to know how He will respond to us when we are judged. Will we make it? Have you done all you can during your earthly journey to make the cut?

Anxiety vs. Peace. Which of these wins the battle in your life most of the time? I know for me lately it’s been a real struggle. It is fall – school is back in session, vacations are over and work has picked up, people are returning to church – more singers, musicians, etc. – so the anxiety level seems to be up and rising. I couple of days this week I woke too early, walked around the house once or twice and then couldn’t go back to sleep because my brain was cranking so fast I didn’t know how to turn it off. I just sat there with a not-so-interesting song chorus doing loops in my head and feeling like I had to tire myself out before I could lie down again.

Almost everyone I know drops little hints that they have too much on their plates, or so they say. We all probably think we do anyway. Just listen the next time you are gathered around the water cooler with co-workers: too many commitments and not enough down time to relax and enjoy life; too many meetings, appointments, long days and restless nights. So it’s not a stretch to look out across the community landscape to see a lot of us suffering from a load of anxiety – real or imagined, but easy to see either way.

How do we find the peace that overcomes anxiety, the peace that comforts and calms us? I think the answer is we have to ask for it. We have to pray for it. It’s within our reach…but we may not see it.

In Luke 24, Jesus appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus but they didn’t recognize him, even after walking with him for the better part of the day. They were filled with anxiety after the crucifixion so they were not able to see clearly who Jesus was. Just imagine the pain and confusion after witnessing him dying on the cross! Later that evening, while they were eating with him, he took bread and broke it – and their eyes were opened once again! He appeared later, saying, “Peace be with you” and this gave them the strength and encouragement to return to their work with great joy!

Today, more than ever, we need peace in our lives. Things have a way of getting too busy for too many of us. Let’s open our eyes again, ask for peace, and focus on the important things that need to be done. When a quiet moment comes our way, accept it as the gift it is and cherish it. Hold on to it! The disciples wanted Jesus to stay so they could continue to experience the peace he gave them. They wanted to hold on to him forever – he was their peace! And, he’s still ours right now. We have to make ourselves slow down, see him, and return to our work with great joy. C’mon, Anxiety – take your best shot! I’ve got peace in my corner.

The readings this weekend were about humility, which is simply putting the needs of others before our own. From the first reading (Sirach 3:17-22, 28, 30):

My son, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. For great is the power of God; by the humble he is glorified. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. What is committed to you, attend to; for what is hidden is not your concern. With what is too much for you meddle not, when shown things beyond human understanding. The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the wise man’s joy. He who does a kindness is remembered afterward; when he falls, he finds a support.

In Luke’s Gospel (Luke k 14:7-11), Jesus goes to dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee:

He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

And then he delivers a huge punch in the gut to the host of the party (Lk 14:12-14):

When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Ouch! When was the last time you had a dinner party (or any other party) and invited strangers (the poor, homeless, sick) instead of your best friends and family? How weird for us? Don’t we usually think of a party or gathering as an event held for friends or relatives? But these readings illustrate for us that being truly humble is not as simple as we try to make it. I think we sometimes confuse being quiet and reflective or trying not to call attention to ourselves in a crowd as exhibiting humility. But it’s much more than that.

Remember the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples before the Last Supper? They were embarrassed and almost ashamed of his behavior. But he said we must be like servants to each other, serving others in an outward display of humility. He showed them by his own actions that we must take the lowest position in society to do the work that needs to be done! Then, he goes and dies for us! The greatest sign of humility one can perform: to lay down one’s life for a friend! Of course, as you reread the passage from Luke, you can see clearly Jesus is talking about the final banquet where we will be repaid for our kindness when we feast for eternity with Him. Our pay-back will not materialize in this world, but in the next.

When I read these passages or imagine Jesus washing my feet, it overwhelms my ability to reason. I know I must become a better servant – to my wife and family, my community, my society – but it’s not an easy task. We are bombarded with messages counter to what we are taught and know is right. The environment we live in, our “Society of the Selfishness” screams at us and makes us feel like we’re foolish or naïve for even trying to serve another person.

A big part of the struggle for me is not giving in and listening to the false messages of our time. We’ve got to try to silence the screams of society by our actions of humility, service, and sacrifice. All we can do is pray for the grace to try and keep going.

Peace-

This weekend I met a person that is truly doing God’s good work. Her name is Yong Oh and she is the brains behind The Shepherd’s Café. I played a set there this Saturday, met her, and got to see for myself what I had been reading about on the Café website. The mission of The Shepherd’s Café is simple (from the website):

… to promote Catholic culture by providing a coffee house environment with Catholic décor, entertainers, speakers, and music for individuals to reflect, pray, enjoy, and grow spiritually in the fellowship of other Catholic Christians. We commit to creating and maintaining a Catholic atmosphere that helps individuals to grow in the Catholic faith as witnessed by the Christian attitudes in their professional, academic, and personal lives.

It is a great place to hang out. My family and I spent the better part of the evening just taking it all in. There were young adults and families, several Religious, musicians and artists – all visiting, laughing, enjoying pastries and coffee, and listening to music. The coolest part came at the end of the evening. Two of the Brothers from The Community of the Franciscans of the Renewal (CFR) from Fort Worth led us in closing songs and prayers – everyone participated. These men dedicate their lives to helping the poor and homeless and have come to the diocese of Fort Worth to assist those in need in our area.

Because Yong and her staff are providing a physical location at a local church to come together to share in community, pray and praise, and enjoy our Catholic family, they are working hard to further God’s kingdom in our community. Her vision is to one day build a permanent coffee house open to the public for normal business hours Monday through Saturday, provide entertainment on the weekends and a place to study, meet, and network complete with a gift shop, etc. – all for fellowship and doing good work.

It’s great to meet people who have a vision, work hard at their dream, and do their part to build the house of God. Contact Yong for more information and check out The Shepherd’s Café to see the love of Christ in action!

I’m continually blown away by the way people act. What makes them so unresponsive and calloused to the world and the other people around them? How does this happen? I believe this lack of interest is developed along two different but continually criss-crossing paths.

First, it begins by thinking WE are the center of the universe. Only WE are important and only WE are the reason anything ever works out. WE are responsible for our successes. This starts when enough people tell us we are “wonderful! genius! so cute! hilarious! talented!” and we begin to believe it so much we lose site of our humility. Confidence is not the same as cockiness! Confident people have a vibe about them but overconfidence breeds cockiness and we all see it the minute it enters the room. It’s good to be confident about your talents - it’s annoying and unproductive when it’s too over-the-top. How do we keep confidence in-check? By our humility. Confidence must be coupled with a humble heart to keep the balance.

Secondly, some people drown in their own insecurity. It’s true that each of us is insecure about something: our weight (vanity), our possessions (greed), our beliefs (pride), our relationships (envy), – the list goes on and everyone (except those too overconfident to notice) struggles with a little insecurity. But when a person with severe insecurity realizes theirs has been exposed, they can react by overcompensating, hoping those watching or listening are too foolish to see through it. That’s when the excuses, the lying, the lack of effort and indifference to others begins. Most of us are able to see through this and we feel sorry for them.

What do self-centeredness and insecurity have to do with one another? One seems to perpetuate the other. Because you are so busy doing your own thing, it’s easy to make excuses to avoid the things you don’t want to mess with – those things at the core of your insecurity are those things closest to you: your family, your community, your faith, your friends. It’s easier to avoid the things staring you in the face when you continue to push those things out of the way because they make you uncomfortable. The truth is: they don’t go away. They keep coming back, criss-crossing back and forth between your ego and your insecurity. You try to avoid them (and you do a great job for a little while) but because you’re really not in control, they keep coming back, testing your humility and exposing your insecurity.

The cool thing is Jesus keeps coming back too. When we push someone who needs us off to one side, we push Him aside too. But He just keeps coming. He asks us to be humble and put aside our insecurities. He asks us to put our trust in him instead of ourselves. And He will show us how to be humble while facing our insecurity head on.

Do something today! You’re not too busy or too important to take a minute and do something for someone else. Drop your guard, get over it, and get out there. Call your dad, email a friend, shoot baskets with your son.

Act right! Your worst enemy is yourself.