 Hey friends, you're watching behind the scenes divine intimacy radio Today we're going to be talking to a parish priest that really tugged on my heart in a in a private conversation a few weeks ago and I was So moved by what he had to say. I thought you know Every every faithful Catholic ought to hear this who's listening and every priest who listens to us ought to hear it as well So I'm excited to introduce you to him and to talk about the crisis in the church and particularly how it affects the diocesan priesthood and our parish life and Parishes closing everywhere and all the different challenges we're having But how do we navigate that? More deeply oriented to Christ so that we can be part of the solution rather than just Complaining and and lamenting How do how do we? How do we how can we become the instruments of the Lord for the renewal of the church? rather than just standing and staring at the Challenges or the wreckages and that sort of thing that was great. Are you gonna repeat that again when we start the show? Should I okay? Yeah, cuz you just set it up and it's not recording. So we've just missed all that Really well it is it's on the live stream. It's boring, but I yeah, I'll thank you okay, and you can ask me You know prompt my so good for the show my tired brain. So before we jump in steps got one thing She wants to tell you about yeah, I want to let everybody know about a couple of things that are coming The first one in order of timeline is the Avalos summit 2023 it'll be held at the Shrine of the most blessed sacrament this year's Avalos summit the theme is on this Queenship of Mary as I'm saying Yeah, that's perfect actually the Mary and mystery and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart the triumph I want you to hear that the triumph of the Immaculate Heart, and I'm telling you our lady is a rock star Mm-hmm, and the Lord is a rock star through her and I'm so anyway, I'm just being Physicist there, but we love our lady and we're so excited to have amazing speakers Join us October 13th through the 15th at the Shrine of the most blessed sacrament. Please check it out at spiritualdirection Dot-com forward slash events That's the Avalos summit the Mary and mystery and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart You're not gonna want to miss it. I don't think we have very many seats left. So don't delay Yeah, yeah, so don't delay and get out there and then at the break. I'll be talking about our next divine intimacy in marriage Retreat, okay, and your market said go. This is Dan and Stephanie Burke Welcome to divine intimacy radio your radio haven't impressed your hermitage of the heart your monastery of the mind Where we draw upon the wisdom of the saints and the church and the long-standing tradition of the church To help us to understand how to see God's will in the midst of the storm How to see God in the midst of the storm and how to navigate the storm how to keep our eyes on him how to keep Our keep our eyes on him. So today I'm excited to have back with us. Dr. Joseph Holcraft who's head of our high-calling program which provides Men prepares men for seminary and I don't know How many dioceses are we in now dr. Holcraft? Yeah, so We're onboarding men and diocese as we speak and it'll be the land this year somewhere between 40 and 50 and Also this year. We are Working with Mount st. Mary's Seminary, which I'm uber excited about yeah Well, of course the spirit of direction program which feeds and forms priests To help men better discern that's also Gonna start here in about a month. So what going on? God has blessed us for sure man. I just couldn't imagine. I mean Just thinking my conversion in 2005, you know, I'm I'm I'm an Anglican seminary and just You know struggling like crazy trying to figure out. Okay, Lord. Is this your church? Yes, okay? I'm in and then going from that to helping to heal the church to to Serve the priesthood and priestly formation and I mean it's just been a dream come true To be a part of all this and so grateful Joseph for your amazing work in priestly formation and and how this Effort continues to expand more and more guys are coming our way for formation whether they're priests or or they're discerning the priesthood and What a gift. Yeah, absolutely It's so grateful to have you here and our our next guest is Father varier, he's from the diocese of Peoria and he is the Parish priest of two two parishes and we should shout out to them and Hopefully some of them are listening to St. Joseph's in Broomfield if I remember that right and then st James and Williams field did I get that right for the barrier St. Joseph Broomfield and St. James Williams field Illinois correct Fantastic. Well, it's great to have you on So, Diane, I saw Diane so Dan Dan Burke. My goodness. Wow, you're wondering Sorry, so Dan. Yeah My right before the break. Yeah, you were setting this up for us beautifully You want to let us, you know remind us why we're here today today. Yeah Yeah, so I my you know a passion of mine is healing of the church and and we're I think it would be Not serving the church well to underestimate understate our current problem We have the average age of priests is 67 years old right now, which is shocking which is shocking the scary actually to me Yeah, we're really looking at I mean Like I said, I don't want to sound crazy because people are not looking at this every day are gonna think you're exaggerating I'm not we're really looking at the collapse of the American church and I don't mean the failure of it in its completion because that can never happen but what I mean is that Vocations are dramatic have been in dramatic decline and The average age as 67. There's this crisis looming because what's happening is We have fewer men who are going to be managing more Parishes and of course many Diocese and our cites is are closing down many parishes. So and that's just a matter of biology. It's a matter of math Yeah, I mean just by all yeah exactly and yeah, please can only go so far, right? And so the problem is then The diocesan priesthood is hard enough and it's way harder than I think I wish I wish parishioners knew what we know Because we deal with so many priests and serve so many priests personally behind the scenes with healing and with You know with care the pressures out of our diocesan priests are quite extreme I mean everybody thinks There's is the only problem and so they go to the priest and take up not that they shouldn't go to their priest but They have an agenda or they have their issues and they don't realize there's there's a thousand others in line as well There's a lot of just different factors that really I Think Threatened the spiritual health as a norm. Yeah of diocesan priests. I think that's really important because the Lord, you know the work We know that the harvest is rich and the laborers are few We've known that from the beginning of the birth of the church, right? Our Lord told us that but I think what is is really really important that you talked about is The spiritual health of our priests. Yeah, because if they're spiritual health Including physical health emotional health all of those things because it all ties together If it's not taken care of You know, their knees will buckle like with any human being it's like a mom who doesn't get proper care With all of her children or a father who doesn't get proper spiritual care So these are our spiritual fathers in our parishes with many many many many children Yeah, lots of problems lots of things going on and it's a joyful beautiful vocation But we need to help our priests stay healthy In all those facets so that they can continue this work that they've been given Yeah, to bring it to a point and then just get Father Barrier's comment on this as he lives the reality What we're talking about the normal diocesan priesthood is challenging just on its face now you have the pressure of priests taking on multiple parishes or too few priests and really large parishes you have those pressures I Those are normal pressures. I think then we have the pressures of a very sick culture and all the things going on I For I think the church in America can revive and become healthy and strong again but if all of these Factors and in particularly the newer factors of of the you know, the retirement age and all of these things happening Are not mitigated in the way that the priest lives his life and and protects his Relationship with the Lord Then it's just it's going to get worse rather than better But I think if a priest does the opposite and we help him to do that as parishioners whatever Then I think we can see a revival and renewal of the church out of the ashes so to speak or or as Cardinal Rads or Radsinger long time ago Predicted, you know a smaller but stronger church that that then can come forward. What what are your thoughts about this Father Barrier? Well, I I think you've hit it on the head free surrender a lot of pressure usually multiple parishes and sometimes parishes schools prisons and The only way to Stay alpheus to stay centered in Christ First of all when you get up and you spend time with Jesus to mental prayer and then prepare yourself for a holy mass and for me Mass and hearing confessions is the center of my vocation. That's where I feel most like Christ But also 15 years ago. I was invited to join a pre-support group called. Yes, you carry toss there's six men in there and There's a core Habit that we have we meet for lunch and dinner But after lunch we go right into holy hour and that's something we never omit And we have the rosary and we end with daytime prayer, but mostly silence And we're bringing our needs the needs of each Priest and the parish and all of our needs to Jesus and the holy blessed sacrament So I think Eucharistic Gaderation is the core of our yeas of carry toss and praying the rosary together so I would say those two things and And then after the holy hour we have a book discussion We're just about to begin a discussion on a book called holy order by avian neckles and and something to Deepen our our appreciation of the priesthood as a gift And then we have sharing of facts, which is maybe the most cathartic thing We we talk about one thing In the last month that has been a challenge in our priesthood Something positive something negative and then to have brother priests who love you and to help you to give you some advice And but the most especially the prayer support is is so uplifting And then after that we do evening prayer We have dinner and fellowship and we had had back to our parishes. So that's the first Monday of every month and That really may be saved by priesthood because I have a tendency to be depressed and anxious and Just knowing that I'm going to be meeting with these priest friends is just so beautiful And the other thing in my parish that really helps me is I decided It's hard enough to get through the week But hump day is always the hardest day Wednesday. So Wednesday evening. We have adoration for about two hours With confessions in my parish and for me, it's relaxing And anybody who just wants to come and just spend time with jesus or go to confession Um, I found that's a great benefit to my parish and to me personally as a priest You know, what I'd like to do a follow-up on this show is I want to take that outline because you you just gave us a diocesan priest survival guide That's how I get back So I I what we'll do is we'll create that outline and we'll make it available for for listeners to To share with their priests and maybe along with the show or something like that But joe I want to jump to you and and talk Have you talked speak to Why mental prayer is so important because that's where father barrier began and why it's You know Preeminent in our work as we do priestly formation to make sure Those who come through our programs are all practicing daily mental prayer Yeah, so When you talk about prayer as the life support of everything We do just not as you know Christians and Catholics, but you know father barriers you're speaking for all the priests those things priests It really forms and informs everything right because the mental prayer as we begin to speak to it in conversation with God It is really entering into that listen dynamic that reveals to you. Maybe something you didn't see before You know or or as I work with guys and work with priests I hear often I hear often you know I was thinking I was going to do this today and yet the board had something else for me to do And how did they discover that? Because they were contemplating truth You know jump all to one set Let all our action yield to the contemplation of truth Hey, and so Yeah, what we have in high calling program and and our other programs Of course, we root it in prayer that we might begin to understand that A union with God isn't something in the abstract. There's a tendency. I think To look at prayer and it's up here somewhere Well, in some cases it is Because we're moving our hearts and minds to Christ But the whole idea is that Everything we do is is made concrete and made real and it receives its shape and form in Christ Jesus that that our friendship with Jesus is tangible and So as we talk about mental prayer and begin to speak into this for priests You know, it's it's nothing to It's nothing to put off Right, because what we have is the present moment you were talking then Earlier before we went on air that uh, you know priests a lot of priests listen to divine infancy radio Sunday morning and men if I could encourage them if they're preparing for mass to just take that quiet moment That extra quiet moment to be present to what the Lord might have for them in that moment. So um, absolutely foundational Uh, you know, I was listening to you father very your talk about Praying the litter to the hours and how beautiful is that because in praying litter to the hours You're faithful to that canon two seven six that speaks to Your responsibility, but not as as this utilitarian thing I need to get something done in the functional sense But rather in the very personal sense that hey joe this is this is important I gotta head to a break when we get back I do I want to continue to talk about the connection between mental prayer and Um, the the the divine office and how powerful and important that is in terms of obedience But also how they enrich one another. So we'll be right back after the break So we did we did basically 14 So we'll do, uh 11 30 Right. Yeah Yeah, okay. So we'll do 11 30 on segment two reset so before we jump back in Uh, divine intimacy marriage you want to tell folks about that? Yes, um real quick for our listeners, especially for our guys Gentlemen, if you want to really, uh, wreck up some great marital points here Some, you know, make deposits in that emotional bank account with your wife We are here to invite you to the divine intimacy in marriage retreat that dan and I lead It'll be this fall november 3rd to the 5th at the shrine of the most blessed sacrament in handsville It it's bearing so much fruit and then it's just so far beyond what anything that we dreamed we did this in obedience to a mother superior who Really encouraged and I would say I would say she insisted You will do this at my condom And and so we did we listened. We followed her insistence and her prompting in love And it's just been nothing short of miraculous what the Lord's doing through it So don't delay. This can be an early christmas present Sign up you and your spouse for this Sign up your uh as couples for this and you can just print it off Put a row bow around it put it under the christmas tree year one and done Or just give it to them early because considering that it's in november they need to do it early There's also one in february. So check everything out. Yeah every year and over valentine's weekend Yeah, so check it out at spiritualdirection.com forward slash events and join us. All right on your market set go This is dan stephanie burke. Welcome back to divine intimacy radio We're talking to a diocesan priest extraordinaire father varrier from the diocese of peoria Dr. Joseph holcraft paris priest survival guide is the conversation Dr. Holcraft before the break you and uh father varrier. We're talking about mental prayer and then you you went into um the divine office And the power of that and the importance of that, uh, please continue Yeah, so The importance of following through on that promise You know father varrier that you made as a priest And really as all cathedrals, you of course should be praying for the three hours something i'm i'm struck by Father varriers as you were talking it is when you look at You know the word obedience, you know oba virae many of us know it needs to listen But maybe we miss it's actually a word that that best translates as to be in tune you know my my uh My children are very involved in music My son and daughter oldest that they play the guitar And they're constantly retuned right, you know word expands contracts and they need to constantly retune Because if they don't retune what they play is going to be all a lot of sorts. It's going to be very discordant to be able to Pray the office to be obedient to to that promise is to enter More deeply into mental prayer right because again Obedience is to be is to listen to be in tune with god to be in accord with god To set your days to the ribbon and tenor of prayer. I know stephen you like you like use that phrase pace of prayer like that The the vitality of praying the office faithfully really When we put in the context of mental prayer meditation is quintessential because It really Draws you deeper into the mystery of what it means to follow the father's will. It's interesting That word obedience is juxtaposed juxtaposed against absurd because absurd means to be out of tune or discordant literally No, the world looks upon the Catholic church and says you're absurd No The church looks at the world and invites what is absurd into be you know into the Into god's will and what needs to be in tune so Father Barry when you were speaking I was I was really touched by that because Your priesthood is speaking to me your joy What you're communicating to me is is a priesthood that is in tune with christ and of course The fellowship you speak of beautiful a lot of the guys Talk to me You know those who join the icon program and talk about Fellowship being this unexpected grace A true joy. I hear that a lot and I that's what I was hearing with with what you're saying And before we go back to father varrier, I do stephen he wants to touch on something I'm pretty sure I know where she's going. Yeah, yeah No, I this was just really beautiful. I love where this conversation is going And as father varrier was listing out all these beautiful practices that he partakes in in the yasuk caritas group What I kept hearing and what dion was talking about is connected also to warfare and this idea of obedience and this being in tune And and that just as a husband and wife in marriage Stay rightly ordered through Ephesians five, right? They're out of reverence for christ, right? That provides protection for me as a wife It gives me safety It makes me in tune with my husband and he in tune with me And we can run after the lord and the lord can just do a mighty thing, right? Well, the same happens with our priests That through this act of obedience of being in tune with the body of the church with with the Heart of christ himself Then that provides spiritual protection And and then your priesthood bears great fruit And you're protected from the whispers and the wiles of the enemy because I think We would all be kidding ourselves if we don't realize that where all of us have some anemesis that's assigned to us You have probably 10, you know, I don't know out there. I've heard too, but I don't know I've seen some priests that look like they're getting pretty battered pretty hard And but this provides protection this this life of prayer Eucharistic adoration Remaining in obedience with the holy office and your promises keeps you safe Did you want to talk about that father very? Yeah, all of everything what you just said is so paramount to have Every single day so you stay on track with god's will so you can always pray help me know and do your will But what you introduced the show with sepani was mama mary as a rock star Today's the queen ship of mary and I prayed to mary that this would be a fruitful interview so that would help other priests You know Run to mary's mantle and one of my favorite devotions that I got from another priest is to say the first Saturday masses with the prayers and the processions and Confessions of that Really helps people stay connected to the heart of christ when you're so close to the heart of mama mary And st. Joseph too. He's the terror of demons, but he's also my spiritual father In a real way. So one of my favorite prayers. I say multiple times every day Jesus mary and joseph I love you save souls. I say that all the time. I found that prayer in 1983 And during a silent retreat. I've never had a silent retreat and I didn't know what to do So I found this prayer and I just kept praying it over and over and over. I still make that Important prayer every day you know I We're We need more time. I do you have time to do a second segment father. Sure. Okay Well, the one thing I want to just reiterate something and I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I I don't want it to make sure that we have Super sharp clarity on this point. So not too long ago Had a priest come and asked for some help who's struggling beautiful priests good good man You know really, you know orthodox, you know in keeping with church teaching but Struggled to pray the liturgy the hours and wasn't being faithful to that And I asked him it was a very powerful conversation. I asked him can you just lift help me lift the hood in your soul a little bit and Tell me what is that sin? like, how do you like what do you confess when you failed to to pray the liturgy the hours and he in he and he named good things, you know, he talked about the sin against justice With respect to the the virtue of religion These sorts of things and I said I said what about disobedience and it caused a pause Which goes back to Stephanie's point which is so Because we've been in extra system ministry. This has been hammered into our dna like both of us are Hyper focused on this issue and Stephanie said it but it's so much. It's so important The second a priest begins to step outside of his canonical obligation He becomes The sin the most grave sin is disobedience and I'm gonna try to I'm not trying to condemn anyone I'm just saying I'm just saying this is probably more dangerous than most notice So you step out of disobedience into disobedience now Who's domain are you living in who whose authority have you opened yourself up to it isn't gods Right and who's feeding the your priesthood because you know, we have to really understand that to be a priest Is to be An imitator of christ to be another christ and the lord himself said I came only to say what the lord told me He was that his primary virtue Was obedience right because he came to say only what the father told him to say and listen. I pray the Hour I pray four of the hours every day and I don't off there. It is often. I don't want to I mean I always want to it's it's it's a weird thing to talk about I want to so I go to the chapel, but I don't feel like it. Maybe it's better way of saying As a priest we just want to say to you all out there The priests who come to us. We're struggling the most That is always happy that is always the case that they've set aside that And and I think the reason it affects them so much is this issue of obedience and authority So I don't know joseph. You want to comment on that? Yeah, you know simply same. Well didn't say lord. Listen. You're serving to speaking but speak, you know if you're serving this lesson Yeah, and that's what we're talking about right that I love how you focused on the heart earlier stephanie Uh everything we do here at apple every every arm You know is tied to the the sacred heart of jesus Um, and that's what that's what feeds us and and if our disposition is one of Yes, we speak we dialogue but first we must be disposed properly disposed from us, you know And I would say uh, and I wonder father very you would confirm this I once had a very holy priest Who was with us on pilgrimage? We were talking we had a private conversation and he said so you're saying to me If I struggle with the liturgy of the hours Mental prayer Can help solve that Because you know, he's just reiterating back because it helps me to to orient myself more deeply to jesus to know him so that when I enter into this more formal kind of prayer which doesn't feel quite as rich or Or emotive or whatever I enter in with that power of mental prayer And that deeper relationship father very or do you find that? Connection to be true. Yes, uh when when you start your day with daily mental prayer You're really Centering your heart on jesus. I always say jesus. I don't want to live today I want you to live through me. I want you to be my mind my heart My my my joy And then when you start your liturgy of the hours And jesus is connected to every person And so there's people out there who are feeling, you know lost or or You know apathetic or are excited or joyful or scared or but Jesus getting connecting with jesus you're connecting with all the people in the world So your prayer for the church is entering into whatever you're feeling You have to remind yourself You're united with jesus and love is in the will and will isn't the will is to do the father's will's Obedience that that was jesus that my food is to the will of him who sent me amen We've got it. We've got an end on that perfect note But we're going to do a second segment so folks make sure you log back into spiritualdirection.com youtube page Stephanie if you would take us out Until next time may the god of peace make you perfect in holiness May he preserve you whole and entire spirit soul and body irreproachable at the coming of our lord Jesus christ amen Yeah