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Letters From the Cross March 2013
The Station of the Cross Catholic Radio Network
101.7 FM BUFFALO“Proclaiming the fullness of Truth with clarity and charity.”
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LENT: TIME IN THE DESERT by Fr. John SmegelskyLent owes much of its spirit to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert as he prepared for His work of preaching, teaching, and healing. We know He was tempted at least three times. In fact, Scripture tells us He was a man like us in all things but sin (cf. Heb. 4:15).
When Jesus went to the desert, He left behind all the expectations of others. It was Jesus and the Father in the Holy Spirit. In His solitude, we know that He was tempted to abandon His mission. The evil one said, “You’re hungry - turn these stones into bread” (Matt. 4:3). He was shown all the Kingdoms of the world, and all their pleasures. He rejected them. He was tempted to throw Himself down to the earth from the highest point of the temple. He rejected this.
We cannot deny that we live in a day and age of excessiveness. The philosophy of the 21st century is, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die.”
Modern man, by what he says and does, tries to push God out of his life or at least put God on the back burner by subscribing to a culture that has spun out of control. As Blessed John Paul II stated so many times in his homilies and encyclicals, modern man, so to speak, has hitched his wagon to the culture of death and pleasure.
We are people of illusions. We say we know God. We say we know ourselves and those around us. We lay out plans for ourselves, and we are disappointed when they fall apart. We try to impose our wills on God, and say, “This is what God wants for me.”
Jesus had no illusions of His own, but we have them about Jesus. He was tempted so that we would know who He was and who he not. He did not come to reward us with earthly pleasures or to reward us with power over others. He came to earth to do the will of His Father, and to bring us salvation.
The tried and true traditions of Lent are as valuable today as they were to the early Christians; that is, prayer, fasting, and good works. These are the things that have made the Church strong over the centuries.
As a people dedicated to the Lord, we should remind ourselves that the passing pleasures of the world will pass away. The great sinner who became an even greater saint, St. Augustine, reminds us that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.
The first reading for the liturgy of Ash Wednesday says this: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God” (Joel 2:12).
During Lent we have the opportunity to hear voices that are usually lost in a den of pleasure and meaningless talk. We can enter into a private desert, even in the midst of our own private world, and face our own shortcomings and failures. We have the opportunity to tear down the false idols that oppose our relationship
with our Lord. If we are brave, we can run through this desert and find the real God amidst the false gods of this world.
During this Lent, try not to take on too many things at once. We start out with a bang and sometimes end with a whimper.
What do I mean? Work on one major fault. Fast, pray, go to daily Mass or at least two or three times a week if your busy schedule allows. The Sacrament of Penance is also so very important in our lives.
We must remember that through all of this, God is with us. He will never abandon us. We can be sure of the continued graces of God in our lives.
When, through Jesus, we reject the illusions and deceptions of the world, we can be sure that we too, like our Redeemer, will enjoy the fruits and blessings of the Resurrection.
May your Lent bear many blessings and may you have a blessed Easter.
Fr. John Smegelsky is a retired priest from the diocese of Syracuse, NY.
Jesus in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoj
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Pray for Our Pope
We are living in historic times, being the first time in nearly 600 years since a pope has stepped down from his role as head of the Catholic Church. The last one was Pope Gregory VII in the year 1415. By the time you read this article, Pope Benedict XVI
will have officially left his office (Feb. 28), and the College of Cardinals will have begun the process of the election of a new Pope, with the hope of electing the new Pope before Easter at the end of this month.
Please join us in praying daily for Pope Benedict XVI - for peace in his heart and for his good health. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the conclave so that God’s Will be done in the selection process. Pray for our new pope to be a truly holy and faithful pope to guide the Church forward to “return to God with all our hearts” (cf. Joel 2:12), as Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged all of us.
Listening to our ListenersWe want to thank everyone who filled out our 2013 Listener Survey. We have learned a great deal from your responses and look forward to improving our programming to better serve your needs. We listen to you, and promise to give you the best programming possible. Congratulations to Jerry Bock, winner of the Kindle Fire. (See below)
Aquinas and MoreIt is with sadness that we announce that we will no longer be able to offer you Catholic resources through our online affiliate store, Aquinas and More, as they will no longer be selling goods online. It has been a great year of our partnership as they provided great service as well as funds for our radio station. We will pray for God to bless them for all of their good work.
We are currently looking into a possible new company to partner with so we can continue to provide you with great Catholic resources online through our website. We will announce this decision as soon as it is made.
Billboard UpdateWe are hoping to get our new billboards up around your community sometime in June. We would appreciate your prayers for this project. Also, if you know of a foundation or if you yourself have the means to support us with this big project, we would appreciate any assistance possible.
We Need Catholic RadioOur Spring Fund Drive is coming up next month, April 24-27. Please take a moment to look at the theme on our ad below: Now More Than Ever, We Need Catholic Radio. Living in this world can be difficult at times. It can be easy to lose hope. But, Catholic radio is a constant presence that will affirm you in your faith, give you peace of heart, re-energize you, and allow you to pass that on to others.
What a great opportunity to take a minute to share some of your experiences of Catholic radio and how it has impacted your relationship with God. We invite you to visit our website www.thestationofthecross.com and complete the phrase, Now more than ever, we need Catholic radio... in 1-3 sentences in your own words. Or, call to leave a recording at 1-877-888-6279, and then press 4.
Happy EasterEaster falls on the last Sunday of this month, March 31. We will be praying for you, our listeners, with hopes that the joy of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection may be yours. God gave up His Son to suffer and die, to show us God’s love, and bring us the hope of salvation. May God grant you that hope this Easter.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Jim Wright
Did you know that you receive this newsletter complimentary as a result of your donation? Anyone is eligible to receive the newsletter by email. If you would prefer to receive our e-newsletter, please let us know
by writing to [email protected].
WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF THE
KINDLE FIRE from our recent listener survey:
Jerry Bock
from Brainerd, Minnesota -
listening on our iCatholicRadio mobile app.
Congratulations Jerry!
Help support The Station of the Cross Catholic Radio for the next 6 months,JUST $50 BRINGS CATHOLIC RADIO TO MILLIONS FOR ONE HOUR!
Spring Fund Drive 2013 April 24 - 27ON AIR DRIVE CALL: 1-888-711-6279
Wednesday, April 24th – Friday, April 26th 7am - 7pm
Saturday, April 27th 8am - 6pm
TIME IS RUNNING OUT...Now more than everWE NEED CATHOLIC RADIO
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Dr. Anthony Pivarunas was the featured speaker at the most recent Catholic Businesses and Professionals Breakfast on February 6th which was presented by The Station of the Cross and the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Almost ninety people met at the Buffalo Club on Delaware Avenue for networking, a breakfast buffet, and a presentation.
Dr. Pivarunas began his talk sharing about his early years growing up in Chicago, being raised in a devout Catholic family, and continued sharing about his education and work as an OB/GYN. He concluded the presentation with anecdotes about his family life. Throughout, he conveyed how his faith has impacted both his personal and professional decisions. It was an inspiring morning for all who attended.
INSPIRING BREAKFAST SPEAKER FROM THE VATICANFebruary 10, 2013
Dear brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry, and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the holy Church to the care of our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the cardinal fathers with her maternal solicitude in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
It has been said that on St. Patrick’s Day we’re all Irish. As someone who does not have an ounce of Irish blood, I have come to believe this is true. That’s because, after learning about St. Patrick, it became apparent that he is not only Ireland’s saint, but everyone’s saint. Just as he converted
the Irish, so can he help each one of us undergo a deeper conversion.
The story of his life is both remarkable and inspiring. Born in Scotland, he was kidnapped at approximately the age of 16 and brought to Ireland as a slave. Great suffering and loneliness prompted him to pray incessantly, which deepened and strengthened his faith and drew him close to God. He tells us in his autobiography Confessio that he said up to 100 prayers during the day and about as much at night. So intense was his prayer that he did not even feel the bitter cold while praying in frigid temperatures.
God heard his prayers and appeared to him in a dream to tell him a ship would enable his escape. St. Patrick fled from his captor and traveled 200 miles to reach the ship, only to be denied entry by the captain. He left the boat and began to pray, but before he could finish, God answered him. He was called back to the ship, which he boarded. He overcame great adversity during the voyage, refusing to participate in pagan acts and enduring a vicious attack by Satan. Eventually he made it back to Scotland and became a priest.
Though happy to be home, he kept hearing “the Voice of the Irish.” With unwavering acceptance of God’s will, he forgave his captors, left his family, and went back to Ireland to fulfill his calling. He began to evangelize, converting people by the masses with cleverness and perseverance. He had a special devotion to the Holy Trinity and used a three leaf clover to illuminate the concept of three Persons in one God. This is how the shamrock became, and continues to be, Ireland’s national symbol. He also overcame constant dangers, insults and hostility in converting an entire nation - a great example for us in the struggle against secularism in our own country.
St. Patrick trusted in God’s mercy. Prior to becoming bishop, he confessed to a close friend and confidante a serious sin he had committed at approximately 15 years of age. His friend broke the seal of trust and exposed the sin, the nature of which has never been ascertained. The betrayal greatly afflicted St. Patrick and almost prevented his appointment as bishop, but God’s will prevailed.
He was grateful to God for His assistance during the difficult trial and throughout his life. His appreciation was often expressed through phrases like, “...Christ my Lord who saved me out of all my troubles” (cf. Ps 34:6) that were derived from Scripture passages. St. Patrick had a deep knowledge of, and love for, God’s Word. In Confessio he masterfully wove in Scripture passages in giving an account of his life, much like St. Augustine in his Confessions.
Ireland’s patron saint is a great role model for each one of us. His life reflects every facet of Christianity – repentance, divine mercy, faith, humility, prayer, forgiveness, evangelization, selflessness, concern for others, fortitude, patience in
suffering, gratitude, perseverance, making difficult moral choices, vocation, surrender to God’s will. Though he is often associated with one country, he embodied a universal faith that transcends nation, race, and ethnicity; a faith that serves as a path to salvation for all people of goodwill; a faith that is truly catholic.
Zachary is the Vice President of Development, Marketing and PR at the Station of the Cross and can be reached at [email protected].
ST. PATRICK: A UNIVERSAL SAINT FOR ALL NATIONS AND PEOPLE by Zach Krajacic
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BEHIND THE SCENES WITH: BILL HAVAS,TECHNICAL OPERATIONS MANAGER
This series of articles will highlight a staff member each month to help you understand the inner workings of your Catholic radio station family.
The Station of The Cross has its origin from a single
station, WLOF 101.7 FM, that went on the air in 1999. This undertaking was no simple task. It entailed acquiring a station, building a broadcast studio, deciding on the best automation software program to run the daily on air programs, installing a satellite receiving system to obtain network broadcasts from EWTN, having a special telephone line circuit from the studio to the transmitter, and last but not least, many prayers for Divine assistance in getting this all to work in harmony for this Catholic radio station to serve our listeners.
This first station went on the air without my assistance. The founders and many volunteers worked together to make this become a reality. We have now grown to our sixth station, WQHE (Queen of Heaven and Earth) 88.3 FM in Oil City, PA, which went on the air in February of 2013, adding this station to our iCatholicradio and station Internet streams.
As Operations Manager, my duties consist of a diverse list of station related tasks. I work with our FCC attorney who files license documents required for each station, negotiate property leases for our transmitter and studio locations, and coordinate with contractors to install antennas, transmitters, Internet service, telephone lines, electric and other utility services at all of our network locations. I personally install all of the radio station hardware from computers and racks, mixer boards, transmitters, program silence alarms, and program audio transport devices. My daily functions also include keeping the network on the air and operating properly and receiving alarms when devices fail.
This all happens amidst the quiet background sound of fans running on the 13 computers in our network center computer room.
I have been a part of this wonderful ministry since 2001. During my time with The Station of the Cross, I have had the privilege of working with the finest group of individuals with one common goal. We provide a means of strengthening our faith in God through this radio ministry.
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PROGRAMMING 101.7 FM WLOF THE STATION OF THE CROSS MARCH 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
12 MIDNIGHTThreshold of Hope The Best of The Journey Home
EWTN Live (Encore)12:30 AM
1:00 AM The Journey HomeRight Here Right Now (Encore)
1:30 AM (Encore)
2:00 AM The Great Adventure
Mornings with Mother (Encore)Sunday Night Prime
(Encore)2:30 AM
3:00 AMQuiet Waters Holy Hour
3:30 AM
4:00 AM The World Over (Encore)
Catholic Answers Live (Encore of previous day’s Hour 1)Life on the Rock
(Encore)4:30 AM
5:00 AM Defending Life Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Song/Reflections (Fr. Leo Clifford) The Choices We Face
5:30 AM Holy Rosary with Mother Angelica and the Nuns of OLAM
6:00 AM Faith and CultureCatholic Answers Live (Encore of previous day’s Hour 2) Threshold of Hope
6:30 AM Crossing the Goal
7:00 AM Father Justin Rosary Hour The Journey Home (Encore)7:30 AM Czestochowa Novena
8:00 AM
8:30 AM
9:00 AM with Teresa Tomeo 1-877-573-7825 • [email protected]
The Great Adventure Bible Study (Jeff Cavins)9:30 AM EWTN Bookmark
10:00 AM Christ is the Answer with Fr. John Riccardo
Mornings with MotherThe World Over
(Encore)10:30 AM
11:00 AM Divine Mercy in My Soul
[email protected] 1-877-998-7884 • [email protected] Here Right
Now (Encore)11:30 AM
12 NOONSt. Stanislaus Parish Right Here Right Now (Encore)
Epic: Church History12:30 PM
1:00 PM Archbishop Sheen Life is worth Living with Dr. Ray Guarendi and Dr. Coleen Mast
1-877-573-7825The Doctor Is In
(Encore)1:30 PM American Catholic Radio
2:00 PM The World Over (Encore)
Register Radio Catholic Answers
Live (Encore)2:30 PM Blessed 2 Play
3:00 PMQuiet Waters Holy Hour
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Mercy Times3:30 PM
4:00 PM Register RadioConference Talks
4:30 PM Blessed 2 Play
5:00 PM The Journey Home(Encore)
Vocation Boom Radio5:30 PM
6:00 PM Life and Money
6:30 PM Holy Rosary Defending Life
7:00 PMWeb of Faith 2.0
Holy Rosary
7:30 PM Truth & Life Audio Bible
8:00 PMSunday Night Prime
Divine Mercy in My Soul
[email protected] on the Rock Celtic Connections
8:30 PM
9:00 PM Holy Rosary Daily Mass from St. Joseph Cathedral (recorded in the morning) Holy Rosary
9:30 PM Truth & Life Audio Bible Holy Rosary with Bishop Richard Malone & Food for the Journey with Sr. Ann Shields Vatican Insider
10:00 PMTop of the Week Open Line (Encore of today’s program)
Father Larry Richards10:30 PM
11:00 PM Super SaintsVernerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
St. Joseph Radio (Encore)11:30 PM Family Theater Classic Radio
programs are subject to change : call toll free: 877-888-6279 : www.wlof.net bold = live program
WLOF BUFFALO 101.7 FMwww.wlof.net
THE STATION OF THE CROSSCATHOLIC RADIO NETWORK
HOLY FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS6325 SHERIDAN DRIVE
WILLIAMSVILLE, NY 14221
1-877-888-6279
IN MARCH’S ISSUE:• In the Desert• President’s Message• Now More Than Ever• Mother Olga in Buffalo• Behind the Scenes • The Real St. Patrick
OVERVIEW FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH
The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph. The entire month of March falls during the liturgical season known as Lent which is represented by the liturgical color purple, a symbol of penance, mortification and the sorrow of a contrite heart. The last day of the month is the beginning of the Easter season. The liturgical color is white, the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored).
DEVOTION TO ST. JOSEPHThe Church encourages us to be devoted to Joseph because he was a model in the heroic practice of all the virtues. The example of virtuous living that he gave in the exact fulfillment of the duties of his state of life is worthy of our reflection.
Read the gospel and you will see his faith, hope and charity practiced under trying circumstances. He was prudent in caring for his wife and the child; he showed great leadership in protecting them and assisting them. ...He was just in his dealings with God and man. He was conspicuous for his fortitude and courage. He was truly outstanding in the practice of virginal chastity.
More: he protected and defended Mary’s virtue in the time of courtship and all during their life together. They had made
a promise of chastity, and because they were resolved to live it for God, they were blessed above all others. While Mary inspired him to practice this virtue perfectly, he, as a real man, understood the profound meaning of her inspiration and how it came from a heart that was steeped in the love of God. Time and again the Church has made it clear that Joseph is not a saint for only a certain number of souls, but that he can help all men.
(Excepts from St. Joseph: a Theological Introduction by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D.)
Holy Father’s Intentions March 2013General:
That respect for nature may grow with the awareness that all of creation is God’s work, entrusted to human responsibility.
Missionary: That bishops, priests, and deacons may be tireless messengers of
the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
MARCH FEAST DAYSSt. Casimir (4th), Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (7th), St. John of God (8th), St. Frances of Rome (9th), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (18th), St. Joseph (19th), and St. Toribio de Mogrovejo (23rd). Additionally, March contains Palm Sunday (24th), Holy Thursday (28th), Good
Friday (29th), Holy Saturday (30th) and Easter Sunday (31st).The feasts of St. Katharine Drexel (March 3) and St. Patrick (March 17) are superseded by the Sunday liturgy. The feast of the Annunciation is transferred from March 25 to April 8 because it falls during Easter Week.
