October 3, 2011, Hallettsville, TX
Dear Friends,
Please accept my apologies for such as extended time between the first blog and this one. I’ve been quite busy with a number of duties.
I’d like to give an update on this website for those who are new, or just haven’t ventured into other parts of the menu. Sunday Sermons are now being uploaded each week. By the time you read this, there should be four in the Sermons/Audio Sermons file. I hope you find these sermons spiritually beneficial. My plan is to add each Sunday’s sermon, and in doing so build a large resource of sermons of various topics.
The radio programs are being added much quicker now. I’m trying to get them up within a day or two. Many have told me they learn from these programs, regardless of their age. This is the number one objective of this program, i.e., to educate Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
I’m hoping to give you a starting date soon for video streaming Sunday Mass. We’ve been having a number of technical issues, causing an extensive delay. If the delays are any indication of just how much Satan doesn’t want us to be able to stream, then he will be quite upset when this project is soon completed.
Your blog comments are always welcome. Some have noticed that I am quite new at this. I am just learning what is a genuine comment and what is spam. For some time most of the hits on this site seem to be spam. I hope that changes in the coming weeks, for I do look forward to hearing from those who are benefiting from the information on this site. One thing is for sure, we are getting a lot of hits each day. In the coming weeks, I will be building a database of spam ip addresses and thus making it impossible for these comments to get onto the website and making my work considerably easier. Until now I never realized there was so much spam. Apparently, there are many people who spend a lot of time creating spam, but in the end, it is truly a waste of time and effort.
Tomorrow, October 4, the Franciscan Order celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a day of great joy for those who wish to follow in the footsteps of the Poor Man of Assisi. He was truly unique among the calendar of saints. He strove to live the virtues of humility and poverty as no one before him. Has anyone since him lived so closely in the footsteps of Christ? I and others seriously doubt it.
St. Francis is today a popular saint, but he is quite misunderstood. Many look at him and think of him as an “animal lover.” He did love animals, but do you know why he cared for animals? Because St. Francis looked upon them as creatures of God. He saw the image of God in the face of the animals.
Many others have chosen him as their “patron saint,” including radical environmentalists, peaceniks and the like. All have understood him incorrectly, except those who are willing to live a virtuous life, filled with penance and obedience. If the virtues are missing, they are not true followers of St. Francis.
The old statues of St. Francis express who he was the best. He carried a cross in his right hand, a Book of the Gospels in his left hand, and a human skull was placed at his feet. He slept with a human skull to reminder him of his death. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
Pass the word onto others about this website, so they may too reap the benefits of it.
May God bless you,
Fr. Joseph, OFM