SIT DOWN WITH

BLESSED SEELOS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Sit Down With Blessed Seelos.”

Today is the feast of Blessed Francis X. Seelos - a former pastor of this parish - one step away from being named a saint in our church.

When you have a chance - when you are at St. Mary’s Church - if nobody is around - head for the Marian Garden and sit down by yourself on the Seelos Bench - with Blessed F.X. Seelos.

WHAT TO TALK ABOUT - WHAT TO PRAY ABOUT?

It’s just a statue - a nice one at that - but do what I see lots of people doing: they sit down next to Blessed Seelos.

What to talk about - what to pray about?  Here are 4 suggestions:

1) MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION

The first step thing to do is to make a good confession.

I’ve read 3 lives of Seelos and one of the things that stand out is that people loved to go to him for confession. They said he could read minds. I don’t know about that - but he had great insight into people - and people loved to go to him.

I wrote an article for Moorings about Seelos and Confession and I don’t know if I put it on my blog - but I’ll check that out today - if I have some time.

Sometimes when I see someone in St. Mary’s Prayer Garden sitting on the Seelos Bench by themselves next to the bronze statue of Seelos, I walk by and say, “He hears confessions.”

Sit there and make a good confession to him of your life - where you’ve gone right and where you’ve gone wrong and ask his blessings in prayer.

And from time to time, go to confession in the box or confession room. Hopefully you get a good confessor.

2) PRAY FOR A SENSE OF HUMOR

As you probably know Francis X. Seelos was known for his sense of humor - trying to get people to laugh. Life can be funny - and if you don’t have a funny bone, get a transplant. Sit next to Seelos and rib him - elbow him - laugh with him.  Sit rib to rib and ask God for that funny bone. Hey God took Adam’s rib out of him and made Eve - and that’s always been a great story - with lots of humor.

3) PRAY FOR FAITH

Seelos came to America because while in school he read about the Redemptorists working in America. We came here in 1832. Redemptorists wrote letters and visited seminarians and schools in Austria and Germany and begged young men to become priests, to become Redemptorists, to come and serve the church of America.

Next week, next Thursday, October 11^th, the pope is beginning a year of faith for our church. It’s going to go longer than a year - till November 24, 2013. It’s the 50^th Anniversary of the great council of the last century, the Second Vatican Council. It’s the 20^th anniversary of the Catechism of the church. So the pope is asking all dioceses, all parishes, all Catholic Schools to work and pray for an increase in one’s faith.

So sit on the Seelos bench and pray the simple prayer in the Gospel of John when Thomas prayed, “Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.”

4)  PRAY FOR THE ABILITY TO CHANGE - TO ADJUST TO LIFE

Blessed Seelos came from Germany to America. He was stationed in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cumberland, Annapolis, Detroit, and New Orleans. He was willing to go to where he could help the most.

He not only had to adjust to different places, he also had to adjust to different folks. Some Redemptorists thought he was too easy going - so they didn’t want him in charge of students. He said, “No problem. There is plenty of work to do everywhere.”

CONCLUSION

So that's 4 suggestions for a good conversation with Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. I'll be looking to see you sitting next to him on the Seelos bench in our very unique Marian Garden.