Mary, Mother of God - January 1st

 

Today, we celebrate with great joy, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

During the 400's Bishop Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, began preaching Mary was only the mother of Jesus, a human person, not God. This heresy confused Christians, and so, some began to think Jesus isn't God.

But to refute this heresy, the Pope called a Council. A council is different from a synod, which only has few bishops of the world who meet to discuss topics. Whereas a Church Council is a meeting of all the bishops of the world with the pope, and has the authority of making infallible statements, but a synod doesn't.

The Church Council gathered in Ephesus, in modern day Turkey in 431AD. After discussing the heresy and how to deal it, the Council proclaimed, “…we confess the Holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from His very conception united to Himself the temple He took from her.”

The council fathers also added, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.” Due to their infallible proclamation, the council refuted the heretic Nestorius and affirmed that Jesus is God, a divine Person, so Mary truly is the Mother of God. When the people heard the affirmation of the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, the enthusiastic crowds surged through the streets crying out, “Holy Mary, Mother of God!” 

Many centuries later, this prayer, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.” would be added to the Hail Mary, when praying the Rosary.

The first part of Hail Mary is found in Sacred Scripture. The angel Gabriel came to Mary “Hail Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee…” (Luke 1:26). When Mary visited Her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth proclaimed, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42).

From the beginning of Christianity, after Mary was assumed into heaven, Christians would have known and perhaps prayed “Hail Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee…” “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” This was how the Hail Mary was prayed for centuries even during the time of St. Dominic when Mary appeared, giving the mysteries of the Rosary, only these words were prayed. However, in the 1200's the names of Jesus and Mary were added to the Hail Mary.

In 1555, St. Peter Cansius added "Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death." to his Catechism. Then 11 years later, the Council of Trent Catechism added these words to the Rosary. The Council of Trent Catechism came at a time of the Protestant rebellion. This would result in the Rosary playing an important part in overcoming the heresies of that time.

The "Glory Be" was added to the Rosary in the late 1600's by St. Louis de Montfort.

In 1917, Our Lady of Fatima said to the children, “I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day. And after each one of the mysteries, my children, I want you to pray in this way: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need of thy mercy.” Since 1917, the "Oh my Jesus prayer" was added to the Rosary.

When we pray the Hail Mary, it reminds us we have a Mother, who prays for us, now and will pray for us at the hour of our death. It reminds us to pray for sinners, so that they will be saved from the fires of hell.

The Virgin Mary is not any mother, She is the Mother of God. In times of difficulty, let us frequently pray the Hail Mary trusting when we do, the Virgin Mary will be praying for us, interceding for us and as our spiritual mother console us during our difficult moments, and keep us close to Jesus, Her Son, who is God.

Just as St. John the Apostle, took Jesus' Mother at the foot of the Cross and then took Her into his home, so we, as Christians, should take Mary, our spiritual Mother into our home. The Mother of Jesus is our mother. Jesus wants us to love and honor Her. He wants the truth about His Mother to be known, so that the truth about Jesus Himself is known.

For if Mary is the Mother of God, then Jesus is God and Mary is His Mother and that makes all of us children of Mary, our spiritual Mother.

Holy Family

 

This weekend is the feast of the Holy Family. What I would like to do is talk about romance. By keeping romance alive it strengthens marriages. The duty of romance falls on the shoulders of the man. The virtues associated with romance include: 1. Think about the needs and desires of your wife and children before yourself. 2. Self-sacrifice 3. Be spontaneous. 4. Do acts of love and kindness.

Girls love it when men make sacrifices, and do things for them and their children, rather than for themselves. They love to be surprised with little acts of love.

Look at the sacrifices Joseph made for Mary and the Child Jesus. When they were headed to Bethlehem for the census, they walked about 8 hours per day, perhaps 20 miles a day. Joseph walked the entire distance, while Mary, 9 months pregnant, rode on a donkey, which wasn't easy either. Joseph sacrificed going from Inn to another, enduring rejection, until he the found a cave with animals. Tired from the 5 day journey Joseph, didn't just sit and rest. Because the cave stunk from animal manure, he cleaned it. He fetched water and laid straw on the ground for Mary to lay. The manger had drool from animals who ate from it. So Joseph cleaned it before the Babe was laid in it.

Often times, when couples are married about 25 years, the feeling of love experienced at the beginning of marriage sometimes disappears. But, we have to remember, love is not about feelings. Feelings can fool us. So, what is love? Love is sacrifice. Sometimes there are no joyful feelings when making sacrifices. Jesus didn't feel love when He carried His Cross. He didn't feel love hanging from the Cross. But, the sacrifices He made for us, especially His suffering and dying on the Cross were His greatest acts of love.

For men to show love, they need to make sacrifices for their wives and children. Choosing their needs and desires before his. If the wife wants to eat out, while he wants to watch a football game, he silently chooses to eat out. If she wants spaghetti for dinner, rather than eating steak, he silently chooses spaghetti.

It takes sacrifice for men to be the spiritual leader of the family. Men and women are completely equal, but men have always been considered the spiritual leaders of the family. That is why the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the Child into Egypt. The angel didn't appear to Mary. God wanted Joseph, a sinner, to lead Mary, who was sinless and be the foster father of Jesus, the Son of God, the Father, and to guard and protect Jesus and Mary.

Men, it is your duty to lead the family spiritually. When I first came to Holy Trinity, a good number of high school students had only been to confession once or twice since their first confession in second grade. That is why we now have Confession during PSR, because parents fail to bring their children to Confession as they ought. Men, bring your family to Confession once a month. They first see your example, and then you tell them to come with you to Confession. It takes humility, sacrifice and prayer to be the spiritual leader of your family. You might be surprised to know that children actually want to go to Confession. Several classes have asked me to hear their confessions during PSR, which I joyfully do.

I love my parents, but I have never seen either of them ever go to Confession. My mother once told me that she goes to confession. Children need to see their parents go to Confession. They need your example and your encouragement. Come to Mass early, which allows them to go to Confession if they want. Fathers should take your family to Confession every month and give an example by going first.

Men, it is your duty to make time every night for your family to pray before bed. It only takes 5 minutes. Gather the family together and then each family member mentions one thing they want to pray for, and one thing they thankful for. Close with an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. Eventually pray the Rosary together. It's not as difficult as you think. Be consistent every day and will become routine.

Bring your children to daily Mass. Every Wednesday, we have Mass at 6:30pm. Some youth, on their own, come to the 7am Mass, and have time for breakfast before school. Bring your children to adoration. Four years ago, several high school youth signed up for a weekly holy hour and they were faithful in keeping their Holy Hour every week until they graduated. Today, there are younger children to who come adoration, at times substituting for their parents.

Each married couple should have a regular date night. At least once a month, ask grandparents or someone to care of the children, while mom and dad go out for the evening. You need your time together to focus on your relationship.

Men it takes planning on your part to be romantic. Don't tell her in advance what you are doing for her. What appears spontaneous for her is planned by you. For example, on occasion, give her flowers, or a small present.

There is a story that says, on the night Jesus was born, a rose bush, near the entrance of the cave, blossomed in the middle of winter, symbolically representing the birth of Jesus from the womb of Mary. While the Child Jesus was asleep, Joseph plucked a rose and gave it to Mary.

A Christmas hymn states:

Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter
When half-gone was the night.

The prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 was fulfilled when Jesus was born, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root.”

I'm going to give an example what most couples can't afford, but you can adapt the idea to do something that would be more affordable or easier. I give this example to couples I prepare for marriage.

First, tell your wife, a month in advance, not to plan anything for a specific weekend. When she gets off of work that Friday, tell her grandma and grandpa are going to take care of the kids for weekend. You ask her to pack a suitcase for the weekend and then you drive her to the Wichita airport. The plane ticket says Atlanta. She says, "Oh that's exciting, what are we going to do there?" And you say, "You'll see." Once at Atlanta, you give her ticket to Florida. She states, "Oh, honey, I have always wanted to go to Florida! What are we doing there? He states, "You'll see." When you arrive at the hotel, you ask her to unpack and get dressed for a night out, and then tell her, that you will be back in about 30 min.

When you return, you and your wife go to restaurant with her favorite food. After the order is placed, suddenly a man comes to your table and sings her favorite song, causing her tear up, and say, "O sweetheart this is so special." After dinner, the couple walks on the boardwalk holding hands gazing at the moon. At the end of the boardwalk, they remove their shoes and walk barefoot in the sand. Suddenly, he notices a bag sticking out of the sand. He opens it, and its her favorite bottle of wine, with two glasses. She said, "Oh darling, you hid that just for me". After sipping wine, they return to the hotel and.....go to bed....

In the morning, they take a taxi to St. Augustine, Florida, and attend Mass at the oldest historical Catholic Church in the United States. They return to the hotel for breakfast and then depart on the plane back to Kansas.

She noticed how he planned everything for her: her favorite food, serenading with her favorite song, her favorite wine, going to Mass, walking down the boardwalk gazing at the full moon. She notices his self-sacrifice, not thinking about anything for himself. Couples should do something like this once a year.

After I gave this example to couples who I prepared for marriage, one young man planned a getaway to Colorado for a weekend, not telling her where they were going. Another couple went on camping at her favorite lake.

My friends look to the Holy Family and ask them to help your family to be a family that prays together, and makes sacrifices for each other. And men ask Joseph to help you to be romantic, so that your wife's eyes glisten and she will walk with a happy skip because her heart is filled with joy due to the love you show for her and the children by your self-sacrifice. Don't be surprised, if she begins to make beautiful sacrifices for you.

O Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, help all families to grow in love for each other, make sacrifices for each other and truly become holy families. Amen.

Christmas - What Child is This?

 

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping.

What Child is this? When the Child was on Mary's lap sleeping? Mary knew more than anyone what would become of the Child. She knew the scriptures better than anyone, because Her intellect and memory didn’t suffer from original sin. Mary knew He would be the Messiah, King, Lord and God. From the moment She was pregnant, She must have longed to see God, Her Son. She was first to pray to God dwelling within Her womb. Surely, She pondered, what He would look like? And when He was born, She was the first to kiss the face of God. To first to see the smile of God.

"This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary!"

On the night of Jesus' birth, it was revealed to poor humble shepherds what would become of the Child born in Bethlehem and where they would find Him. The angel said to the shepherds, “….today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

"Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christians, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading."

When the angel told the shepherds, what Child is this, they knew He was Savior, Messiah, Christ, and Lord, and yet was born in poverty in a cave with animals.

The wise men came to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of Jews, and this is how Herod came to know, the baby born in Bethlehem is a King.

"So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh, Come, peasant, king to own Him. The King of kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him."

Because He is King, Messiah and Lord, the future destiny of the Babe is “Nails, spears, shall pierce Him through; the Cross be borne for me for you. Hail! Hail! the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary!”

Above the Cross, was a sign “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The Word made flesh in the womb of Mary, who bore the Cross for me and you, would be pierced with nails and a spear, to saves us from our sins.

As in the time of Jesus, we too can come to Jesus to have our sins forgiven. Back then, Our Lord saved: the woman who committed adultery, the woman who washed His feet with her tears, the tax collector, the good thief and many others from their sins. Today, He saves us from sins through baptism and confession.

Years ago, when I was in a nursing home, as I was leaving, I noticed a woman who was dying in a room surrounded by her family. I asked her family if they would like me to pray for her and with them. I asked what religion she belonged and they responded, "She doesn't have one." I said, "Is she baptized?" They said, "No, but she always wanted to get baptized." I baptized the 95 year old woman and she died the next day. She was unconscious, so she didn't know she was baptized until she went to her judgment. And must have said, "Come!" And she would have immediately went to heaven. The babe that was born in Bethlehem came to save her from her sins.

Once I was walking through a rehab center in Wichita. One person asked me to hear their confession, and as I was walking down the corridor another person asked me to hear their confession.

One person hadn't been to confession for 40 years and the other hadn't been to confession in 35 years. Within 15 minutes, I heard the confessions with a combination of 75 years of sins. Today, Jesus saves us from our sins.

What Child is this? The Jews who knew scripture, would have known the Messiah would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, to bring liberty to captives. Jesus would be the Savior.

Jesus not only healed lepers, blind men, a paralytic and raised Lazarus, He heals today through the intercession of saints in heaven. Every time a saint is canonized it is the result of a physical healing approved by the Church.

From 2013 to 2025, Pope Francis canonized 942 saints. That's 942 Church approved miracles of healing! Since Pope Leo was elected Pope this year, he has canonized 7 saints including St. Carlo Acutis. The through intercession of St. Carlo Acutis, his first approved miracle involved a Brazilian boy born with a malformed pancreas. A second miracle through St. Carlo was recognized in May 2024, after a young Costa Rican woman was healed from a serious head injury.. Jesus comforted the people in His day and He has comforted all who turn to Him including our generation.

A number of years ago, a woman with tears in her eyes, came out of Eucharistic Adoration, and said, “Father, I just had the neatest experience. I felt the arms of Jesus around me.”

From the time of Jesus unto today, Jesus helps many to forgive others, including those who suffer from the most horrible injustices.

In Wichita, a 23 year old man was murdered due to a robbery of his wallet. The mother had terrible anger toward the killer and couldn't forgive him for killing her son. After praying a Holy Hour with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, she forgave the man who killed her son.

What Child is This? Jesus can help every person in every generation, no matter their circumstances, no matter their life situations. He can heal, forgive, give us comfort and peace.

What Child is this for you? I encourage you to pick up the baby Jesus from your manger at home, and hold Him in your arms and pray: I love you baby Jesus. I adore you baby Jesus. Baby Jesus you are the Lord of my life. You are the king of my heart and of my family. You are my best friend. To you I can confide everything. You will heal me when I need it. You will comfort me and wipe away my tears. You will give me strength to carry my cross. You will help me love others, especially those most difficult to love. I want to see your face for all eternity. I want to be with you in heaven. O Child Jesus. My savior, save me from my sins. Help me to come to Confession often. Give me the desire to come to Mass every week, so that you may dwell within my soul and give me graces to reach my eternal home in heaven. I know what Child is this… He is my Savior, my King, my Lord, my God and my All. "Raise, raise the song on high. The Virgin sings Her lullaby. Joy! Joy! for Christ is born, The Babe, the Son of Mary!"

4th Sunday of Advent, St. Joseph

 

The Gospel today reveals, a most difficult marriage preparation for Joseph. At that time, Jews were betrothed one year before they were married. When a couple was betrothed to each other one year before marriage-- they were then legally united, but did not live together. A year later, the wedding ceremony took place and then the couple came to live together.

During the year before marriage, after they had been betrothed, Joseph learned Mary was pregnant. To say the least, he would have been shocked and dumbfounded. What suffering he must have endured. He didn’t believe Mary would have sinned, yet he knew he wasn’t the father of the child. What a terrible dilemma. In order to prevent Mary from being stoned to death (which was the punishment at that time for women, who committed such sin.) he believed he should quietly divorce Her.

During a dream Joseph received a visit from an angel asking him to agree to God’s plan for Mary. The angel reassured him it was by way of the Holy Spirit, Mary had conceived. “When Joseph awoke, he did what he angel of the Lord had told him: he took his wife to his home.”

Marriage and virginity are two signs of the love of God for us-- and we see both of these united in the first couple of the New Testament, Mary and Joseph. Joseph is a model of chastity. And we know Mary chose to dedicate herself exclusively to God in virginity.

Catholic tradition has always taught that Mary’s virginal love for God was so great, She consecrated Her body to God at an early age through a vow of perpetual virginity. Mary entrusted Her entire person to God and had absolute confidence in His place for Her life. She desired nothing in this life, other than to do God’s will. She was certain God would give Her a man who would truly love both God and Her, and respect Her vow; a man who would be completely dedicated to God’s plan and protect Her virginity. She never doubted God.

What dignity and holiness were required of St. Joseph to be the husband of Mary. In Her feminine Heart, Mary knew She was secure in the manhood of St. Joseph. He was Her knight and warrior. Every wife desires such a husband—a gentleman, a protector, a good father.

When Mary met Joseph, She knew that God had chosen him to be Her loving and beloved spouse. Trusting in God’s plan She fell in love with him and gave him Her Heart. He was the only man who perfectly reflected the pure love of God. Mary and Joseph lived what was called a “Josephite marriage”, meaning they never had relations.

Although Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, he was a true father to Jesus. When Jesus was found in the temple, Mary said to Jesus, “Your father and I have been looking for you.” We can imagine the love and affection between Joseph and Jesus, and between Joseph and Mary. We can imagine Joseph’s anxiety at the poor circumstances of Jesus’ birth. We can imagine the agony he must have suffered when Simeon told Mary, Jesus would be a sign that to be opposed and a sword would pierce Mary’s soul. We can imagine the pain Joseph suffered when he had to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt for safety to preserve their lives.

Sometimes we see Joseph pictured as an old man in statues and paintings, but it’s actually believed, he was just a few years older than the Virgin Mary. As Mother Angelica said, “Do you think an old man would have walked from Nazareth all the way to Egypt, during their flight into the desert?”

What gave Joseph the strength to endure all the trials his vocation brought him? It was obviously his life of prayer to be obedient to God’s call to him. He was a just man, a man of honor. He had to have been a man of deep faith to fulfill his high calling.

It is believed, he died before Jesus began His public ministry and that Jesus and Mary were present with him, as he died. That is the way all people of faith would like to die, in the company of Jesus and Mary. And this is why St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death.

Today, let us “go to Joseph”—“ita ad Joseph” in all our needs, especially seeking his fatherly care. He will help us to pray, to grow in our faith, to be obedient and to be just. He will help us love Our Blessed Mother and the Divine Child.

Let us pray: O Joseph, spouse of the Mother of God and step-father to Jesus, the Son of God, grant that men may imitate your fatherhood, and they may they be faithful and loving spouses, as you were to Mary, your wife. Pray for and protect Holy Mother Church and grant us the grace of a happy death.

3rd Sunday of Advent- Jesus, the Messiah Has Come to Save Us

 

In the Gospel today, while John the Baptist was in prison, John's disciples came to visit him. He told them to go to Jesus, and ask Him a question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" The question really means, “Are You the Messiah, who will come to save us?”

The Jews were looking for the Messiah, who would come to save them from their sins and reconcile them back to God. But, during the time of Jesus, and even today, some Jews thought the Messiah would be a military leader, who would save the Jewish people from their enemies. But this idea is not scriptural. This wrong idea is why many Jews today, reject Jesus.

Jesus declared Himself the Messiah when He responded, "Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

The prophet Isaiah, who lived 800 years before Jesus predicted what the Messiah would do, "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy." (Isaiah chapter 35:4-6)

The Jewish people expected the Messiah to work these kinds of miracles, and so, by Jesus pointing them out, He told John's disciples, He is the Messiah.

Through every generation Jesus continues to physically heal, but first and foremost, to save people from their sins.

Here are some real life examples of Jesus causing the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk.

Bruno from Brazil was born deaf in his left ear. One day, in 2007, he learned about Isidoro Zorzano, who was a man that lived a holy life and whose cause was opened for his possible canonization, and Bruno decided to pray to him. A month later, on April 4, 2007, when his alarm went off, he realized through the intercession of Isidoro Zorzano he could hear. Pope Francis declared Isidoro venerable.

Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun of Perpetual Adoration, who founded EWTN, was miraculously healed of the leg and back pain that had hobbled her for 40 years due to a floor buffer accident. Jesus healed her through the mystic, who came to visit Our Lady of the Angels Monastery near Birmingham, Ala., where EWTN is headquartered. Mother and mystic Paola Albertini prayed the Rosary together on Jan. 28, 1998. When Paola came out of the vision, Mother Angelica could walk without crutches and braces, raised her arms in triumph and even danced. After the healing Mother Angelica cautioned that others with physical pain and illness should not necessarily expect miraculous healing. Instead, she said that when medical means cannot produce healing, people should “offer up” their pain “as a way of saving souls.” And said: "I think we forget that the Rosary is powerful."

A few months after I was ordained in 2004, when I was giving Communion to the home bound, I went to the house of a lady in her 90's. She told me that she was going blind in her eyes, but she said, she asked Jesus to not let her go blind before she dies. She said she started a novena to St. Lucy, who is the patron for the healing of eyes. The following week, when I went to visit her, she said she happened to have an eye appointment on the last of the 9-day novena. On that day, the doctor prescribed her a new medicine called "Lucere". The woman said her vision actually improved and she believed St. Lucy interceded to Jesus for her, so that Our Lord could keep her eyesight.

In a previous homily, I told you about Andre, an 8-month-old boy, who had Leukemia. When I was pastor of Sacred Heart in Halstead, Andre's parents, Zach and Melanie, were beside themselves and in terrible anguish. Melanie phoned and asked me to anoint her baby, I replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't because the Church desires that anointing of the sick be given to only those who are of the age of reason." I said, "Come to my office, and we can pray for little Andre." When they arrived, we prayed the prayer to Fr. Kapaun and they immediately left for a doctor appointment. After running lab tests, the results came back normal. The doctor said the child no longer had Leukemia. Jesus healed the child through the intercession of Fr. Kapaun.

One of the prophecies was that Messiah would raise the dead. Besides Jesus raising Lazarus back to life, the little girl who died, and also the young boy being carried out in a coffin, Jesus raises the dead through saints: St. Dominic, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Patrick, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin de Porres, and many other saints, God used them to bring the dead back to life.

Today, Jesus continues to work miracles as the Messiah. He fulfills the prophet Isaiah's prophecy, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy."

More importantly than physical healings, Jesus, the Messiah, came to save us from our sins. It is infinitely more important for our soul to be healed from sin, than for our bodies to be healed. That is why before Jesus healed the paralytic, he said, "My child, your sins are forgiven." Then He said, "So that you may know the Son of Man has power to forgive sins, I say to you, take up your mat and go home." First his soul was healed, then the paralytic was physically healed.

Jesus first and foremost wants to heal the soul and then, if its His will, He can also heal the body. But in order to be physically healed, we should first have all our sins forgiven, and forgive all those who hurt us. How can God heal us, if we are not sorry for our sins and if we haven't forgiven others? What good would it be, if our body was healed, but our soul wasn't and then we were to die and lose our soul forever?

Jesus not only saves us through the forgiveness of our sins in Confession, He also wants to make us holy through trials and sufferings.

St. Padre Pio said, "God neither wants, nor is able, to save and sanctify us without the Cross. The more He calls a soul to Himself, the more He sanctifies it by means of the Cross. By suffering we are able to give something to God. The gift of pain, and suffering is a big thing and cannot be accomplished in Paradise."

Saint Therese said, "Sufferings greatly help to detach us from this earth, they make us look higher than this world. It is such joy to think that for each little pain borne with joy, I shall love God more through eternity."

St. Margaret Mary said, "The Heart of Jesus is closer to you when you suffer than when you are full of joy."

My friends, Jesus is the Messiah, who has come to reconcile us back to God, save us from our sins, help us to grow in holiness, and on occasion heal us physically to help us grow in faith. He also came to help us embrace our sufferings and crosses to help us get to heaven.

Jesus always, at all times wants to heal us spiritually, by saving us from our sins and helping us to endure our suffering. We are all sinners and in need of being saved.

Over the centuries, how many billions of people had their sins washed away in the ocean of God's mercy by Jesus the Messiah. O, the multitude who suffered everything and anything out of love for Jesus, because He saved them from their sins and by the sufferings and pains, they endured, their souls were made ready for paradise, our eternal home in heaven.

Immaculate Conception - December 8th

A terrible fire occurred in Colorado, January of 2022, destroying 1000 homes. When Tom and Kat Greany returned home, they found it completely destroyed. Yet a statue of the Virgin Mary was unharmed.

Tom said, "When we arrived at our home... all but five of 55 homes in our neighborhood were completely destroyed. When we climbed down into the smoldering rubble of what had been our home, almost nothing was recognizable. A few pots and pans. Twisted steel I-beams, disconnected from the foundation, had fallen onto the ash. On our front porch we could see the crumbled concrete of the foundation, bricks strewn about. And the beautiful designer front doors themselves melted into a twisted ball. But Mary remained. Covered by black soot on the right half of the statue’s body, the Marian image was unscathed. Bricks appeared to have fallen all around; some probably even hit the statue. But it didn’t even fall over. At the feet of the statue, beneath the debris, are many heart-shaped stones that Kat and I have collected on our many hikes, reminding us that we have consecrated our lives to Jesus through Mary and that her Immaculate Heart and his Sacred Heart will protect and sustain us through anything. The statue is a symbol. Amid the smoldering ruins that hours earlier had been an inferno, Mary remained — as she will in our lives, interceding for us through the darkest of times, praying for us to Jesus Christ, her Son, Our Lord and Savior. It stings to look at our home, all of its contents lost. The Christmas giving we had celebrated with our sons went up in smoke, along with everything else they and we owned."

Tom said, "But through the loss of the home, He gave us an opportunity to experience His comfort through the intercession of His Mother — our mother, Mary. We were blessed to be together, safely away; and to get our cars safely out. And no one can take the faith that is rooted deeply within us, fed by signs such as this, that the Holy Family is not only with us, they’re looking out for us. They love us, and they care. They pray for us. And they pray for the world in these dark times we live in. I had asked for only one thing for Christmas: that the Lord would make my family holy. Maybe that starts with stripping away our possessions and becoming fully reliant on him."

My friends, the statue that was unharmed in Colorado is Our Lady of Grace, which depicts the Virgin Mary standing on the earth with her foot on the head of the serpent. The statue represents the woman in Genesis, who will crush the head of the serpent. Mary is the predicted woman, who will be at enmity with the devil because She is sinless. Just as the Virgin Mary was untouched by sin, the statue of Mary was untouched by fire.

Why was Mary conceived without original sin? If you could create your Mother, wouldn't you make Her perfect, and so, Jesus made His Mother, preserved Her from sin. Our Lord also wanted to enter the world in a pure and sinless womb. And just as Eve was sinless, when She was created, so Mary is created sinless to be the new Eve, as the woman foretold in Genesis. Mary was created sinless and never sinned in Her life, so as to be a Mother most pure, spotless and advocate who will pray for us, Her children. At all times, She stands with us, especially in our distress and dark times. As a mother, Mary comforts us and guides us to Her Son Jesus.

Let us have confidence in our sweet Mother and ask Her to intercede for us and give us the graces we need to live a life of holiness and purity of heart, in imitation of Her Immaculate Heart. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us, who have recourse to thee.

Our Lady of Hope: Amid 1,000 Colorado Houses Destroyed by Fire, Virgin Mary Statue Stands Unscathed| National Catholic Register

2nd Sunday of Advent, Repent of Modernism

 

In the Gospel today, John the Baptist reproached the leaders of the Jewish people, the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them to repentance saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

In every generation, there are different philosophies, world views, and heresies that come up in the Church. On the surface they seem attractive, especially since they are less demanding. Today, some leaders of the Church need to come to repentance for promoting the heresy of modernism.

Modernism is basing one’s religion on one’s emotions and feelings and so their beliefs are constantly changing; modernism falsely supposes dogmas can be changed by novel ideas, according to the times. Modernism therefore rejects objective truths. However, something that has always been true, cannot someday be not true. Modernists want to change doctrine, but doctrine can never be changed because it comes to us from Jesus and the Apostles, through the Bible and Sacred Tradition. Divine revelation is unchanging and will be passed on until Christ comes again. The fullness of revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life.

    Pope St. Pius X said, "It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and all men, but rather inaugerated a religous movement adapted or to be adapted to different times and places."

Here are some modernist ideas of today: In the history of the Church, women have never been ordained deacons or priests. A modernist wants to make it happen. However, in 1994, Saint Pope John Paul II said, "it is impossible for women to be ordained Catholic priests, since the decision to ordain only men came from Christ Himself". Pope John Paul II concluded the Church's law prohibiting women's ordination can never be changed. In fact, if a priest participates in a woman's ordination, he could be excommunicated, which is what happened to Fr. Roy Bourgeois in 2008.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider said, “An example of how modernism affects us today, is that some think the Catholic doctrine of homosexuality must change. The Church has always taught homosexual acts are intrinsically in themselves evil. There are some today, who think homosexuality can now be viewed positively, but this is false. Truth does not change.”

As mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, those with unwanted affliction of the inclination are to carry their cross living a life of purity and virtue.

Modernists reinterpret scripture to mean something that it has never meant before. For example, a modernist no longer believes in the miracles of Jesus. A modernist would say Jesus never really multiplied loaves and fish. Rather, the people just shared their food. But the Church's teaching is that Jesus worked a real miracle multiplying loaves and fish. St. Cyril of Alexandria (376 to 444) explains what Christians have always believed. He said, “The feeding of the multitudes in the desert by Christ is worthy of all admiration. But it is also profitable in another way. We can plainly see that these new miracles are in harmony with those of ancient times.”

Some modernists say, Jesus never worked the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish. But why is it that God multiplied food through saints such as St. Anthony of Padua, St. Dominic, St. Clare, Blessed Father Solanus Casey, etc.. It would be ridiculous to say Jesus didn't work miracles, but saints can because Jesus does it through them.

A modernist places abortion on the same moral equivalence as the death penalty, immigration and global warming. But, abortion causes millions of deaths every year. Whereas combining deaths by the death penalty, immigration and global warming is minutely small.

When those who have had an abortion, later come to the anguish of their decision can find comfort and consolation in the Heart of Jesus through confession and support.

Scripture and tradition as well as the Church's magisterium have always said a person in the state of mortal sin, may not receive Holy Communion. But a modernist thinks it is no longer sinful to receive Jesus in Holy Communion sacrilegiously because times have changed.

So, how do we combat modernism and all heresies All heresies can be destroyed by the Holy Rosary, including modernism. By meditating on the life of Jesus and His supernatural power over created things, it helps prove the divine origin of the Christian religion. This is one of the reasons why we should meditate on the miracles of Jesus.

While praying the Rosary, we gaze upon the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries. But we can also meditate on His miracles, by praying the Rosary of Miracles: Jesus healing of the paralytic, multiplying the fish and loaves, walking on water, freeing the possessed, raising of Lazarus from the dead.

When we pray Hail Marys and meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, our soul is touched by grace and truth, and truth sets us free. When we gaze upon the mysteries of the Rosary, we contemplate unchanging truths. Truths that bring about our salvation, based on Jesus, who is the Truth. Meditation on the truths of our faith touch our intellect and our soul with objective supernatural knowledge, which is unchanging.

St. Cyril of Jersualem said, “In learning and professing the faith, you must accept and retain only the Church’s present tradition, confirmed as it is by the Scriptures... For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you have now received, let him be accursed in your sight. That is why, my brothers, you must consider and preserve the traditions you are now receiving. Inscribe them across your heart. Observe them scrupulously, so that no enemy may rob any of you in an idle and heedless moment; let no heretic deprive you of what has been given to you. Faith is rather like depositing in a bank the money entrusted to you, and God will surely demand an account of what you have deposited. In the words of the Apostle: I charge you before the God who gives life to all things, and before Christ who bore witness under Pontius Pilate in a splendid declaration, to keep unblemished this faith you have received, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have now been given life’s great treasure; when he comes the Lord will ask for what he has entrusted to you.”

My friends, if you pray the Rosary everyday, you won’t be swayed by changing times and heresies, because you are firmly grounded in Jesus. By the regularly praying the Rosary and meditating on the life and events of Jesus and Mary, we remain faithful to revelations given to us by God, and so, we are standing on rock, the Church, and will be safe.

If you want to help others to remain firm on the foundation on the Church, rather than novel ideas that change with the time, introduce the Rosary to them. Tell them, how through the Rosary, Jesus and His teachings will help them stay strong in their faith.

When we pray the Rosary, the Blessed Virgin Mary prays for us. She will help us to remain firm in our faith and keep us close to Jesus and His truths revealed to us.

Make your Advent special by daily praying the Rosary, including the Rosary of Miracles.

1st Sunday of Advent - Rapture, Preparing for Christmas

 

Advent is a time to prepare for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus and to prepare for His 2nd Coming.

The Gospel today Jesus said, "Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left."

Many Protestants believe the "taken" are the faithful who are raptured away, and the unfortunate sinners are "left behind". They also think the rapture will be secret and before the great persecution, only the elect will not the great persecution caused by the anti-Christ.

But is their really such a thing as a rapture, when one will be taken and another left behind? Will the rapture be in secret? Will it occur before the great tribulation or at the moment of the Second Coming of Jesus?

Catholics believe no one is exempt from the great persecution. No one is exempt from suffering from the anti-Christ. We believe Jesus does not come twice, but once. His coming will not be in secret, but rather for everyone to see. And His 2nd Coming will coincide with the General Judgment. Catholics believe that when Our Divine Lord comes on the clouds of heaven, everyone will be caught up to meet Him in the air and we will all receive our recompense whether good or bad as to the good deeds we did or failed to do. We will all get a new resurrected body. All in heaven and in hell will get a new resurrected body. Those in hell their resurrected body will add to their torment, but those in heaven, it will add to their glory.

  St. Cyril of Jerusalem explains the meaning of "one will be taken and the other left." He said, “…Those who are taken"….confess their good deeds before the Father in heaven, and their "works follow them" while those who are "left" are those who are passed over because, despite their great titles or impressive speech, "had no charity" (did no charitable deeds) and thus have no reward from God.” So we will be judged by our deeds of mercy. The truth is-- the Protestant rapture theory is a false doctrine. The idea never existed until the 1800’s when John Nelson Darby, a member of the Plymouth Brethren Congregation, began to heavily promote his idea of a secret rapture.

How are we to prepare for the coming of Jesus and the celebration of His birth at Christmas? Here are some examples.

Accept the cross-- First pray that God will take it away, and at the same time accept it, out of love for Jesus. We can offer up the pain and suffering of our cross for others. Whether it's illness, or a difficult job situation, or a problem that never seems to go away, ask the Lord to help you to endure it. We can give Jesus the gift of accepting our suffering.

Prayer. Daily make time to pray. You can come to pray before Jesus in the tabernacle to make a Holy Hour or short visits.

Decide to daily pray the Rosary, especially as a family. If you personally already pray one Rosary, pray 2 or 3 rosaries a day.

The family can gather every night 5 min before bed. Each person mentioning one particular intention or something you are thankful for, and then pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

Read a short paragraph from the Bible and meditate on it. Do some spiritual reading such as read the Catechism of the Catholic Church or read lives of the saints. We can give Jesus the gift of learning more about Our Lord and His Church.

Visit and Call. Go to visit someone in a nursing home, or someone who is home bound. Call a family member or friend whom you haven’t talked to in a long time.

Forgive. Perhaps there is someone you haven’t talked to for a long time because you are holding a grudge. Give Jesus the gift of forgiving someone who hurt you.

Attend Mass during the week. In addition to Sunday Mass, come to a weekday Mass and give Jesus the gift of allowing Him to come into your heart in Holy Communion.

Stop Wasting Time on the Computer. Instead of Facebook, call or speak to others in person.

Help a Neighbor. Rake leaves, remove snow or do a good deed for others. Give an anonymous donation or a food basket to a needy family.

Confession. There are most likely some who haven’t been to confession for a long time. How beautiful will your gift be to give Jesus, the gift of a truly repentant heart. Resolve to confess monthly, by giving Jesus the gift of overcoming your fear of confession and to regularly confess our venial sins.

Give Jesus the daily practice of a particular virtue or try to avoid a particular sin. We can practice patience, or try not to gossip, or to try to practice humility. If we have a negative attitude, put others down and complain about everything. Maybe try to have a grateful heart and positive attitude and give heartfelt compliments to others.

Young husbands and wives, you can give Jesus, the gift of being open to life, by giving up contraception and making the commitment to take Natural Family Planning Classes.

Parents once a week spend time with your children, playing board games or cards.

Children, be obedient to your parents, and do your homework without being told. We can give Jesus the gift of loving our family more by spending more time with our family.

Create a group to go Christmas Caroling to the homes of the elderly. By doing these things, you will give Jesus the gift of making Him the reason for the season.

In conclusion, you can make Advent like a little Lent, make sacrifices and do penance. Deny yourself chocolate, or candy or your favorite food.

What will you give the baby Jesus for Christmas? How will you spend your Advent? How will you prepare for Christmas and the 2nd coming of Jesus? Do as St. Cyril said which was to do deeds of charity and acts of mercy and you will be very well prepared. Let us ask the Virgin Mary to enter into mystery of Her preparation for the birth of Jesus and Our Lord’s second coming.

Christ the King - Martyrs

                       

This weekend is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Solemnity of Christ the King. In 1925, Pope Pius XI introduced the feast in response to the rise of secularism, atheism, fascist dictators and political turmoil in the early 20th century. The abuse of power is what led to its introduction—using power in the opposite way that Jesus used His power.

For example, during the Mexico revolution, from 1910 to 1920, the government wanted to extinguish the influence of the Catholic Church throughout the country. They started executing priests, seizing the Catholic Church's property, and closing religious schools and convents, in accordance with anti-clerical laws that were written into the Mexican Constitution. People from many of the central and western states in Mexico rebelled against the government in defense of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Miguel Pro, a priest, and Jose Sanchez, a 14 year old boy, were martyred both bearing witness to Christ the King.

Fr. Miguel Pro had a great love for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and had great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Despite his illness and the fierce persecution from the government, which forbid all worship, he continued to minister to the faithful with great courage and zeal. He disguised himself as a layman, so he could administer the sacraments secretly. By wearing regular clothes, he was able to go about the city giving 1,300 Holy Communion in a single day. Despite the danger of getting caught by police, he continued to administer the sacraments and was arrested several times.

In 1927, a bomb exploded, aimed at killing the president. Although Fr. Miguel had nothing to do with it, he blamed for it and was arrested. He had no trial, but was condemned to death. Just before his death, as he stood before a firing squad, with arms outstretched, his last words were, “Vivo Christo Rey”, “Long live Christ the King”.

St. Jose Luis Sánchez del Río was born in 1913 in Mexico. Jose loved his faith and grew up with a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was 12-years-old when the Cristero War began in Mexico and was allowed to become the flag-bearer for the troop.

On January 25, 1928, Jose was captured by the government troops and imprisoned in the sacristy of the local church. During his captivity, Jose was ordered to renounce his faith in Christ. Even under the threat of death, he refused. He was forced to watch the hanging of another Cristero. Instead of breaking his resolve, Jose encouraged the man, telling him they would meet again soon in Heaven.

During his time in captivity, he prayed the rosary daily and wrote a letter to his mother. He told her he was ready to fulfill the will of God.

On February 10, 1928, after realizing they would not break Jose's faith, the government troops cut the bottom of his feet and forced him to walk around the town toward the cemetery. As he walked in great pain he recited the rosary, prayed for his enemies, and sang songs to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

They told him that if he shouted, "Death to Christ the King," they would spare his life. Instead, Jose shouted, "I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey y Santa Maria de Guadalupe! (Long Live Christ the King and Holy Mary of Guadalupe!)."

They transferred Jose to a building close to where he was being held and told his family that he would be shot. One of his aunts brought him Holy Communion. At the age of 14, Jose was shot and died as a martyr. St. José Luis Sánchez del Río was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis canonized him on October 16, 2016.

Both martyrs proclaimed Jesus Christ the King. But Our Lord was not a worldly king. He was not a military leader. Rather, Jesus is the King of heaven and earth, but He was not given a royal cloak, but mocked when given a scarlet military cloak. He was not crowned with a golden crown, but was crowned with a crown of thorns. He was not given a royal scepter, but a reed was placed in His hands. Rather than bowing out of reverence, the soldiers bowed to their knees mocking Jesus, saying “All Hail, King of the Jews”. While Jesus was on the Cross, the soldiers said, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” As King, He did not issue any decrees, but a decree was nailed above His head, which read, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews”.

Since Our Lord's Kingship is exercised through service, by laying down His life for us out of love, then it stands to reason we allow Jesus to rule over us serving His kingdom by doing God’s will in our life. The feast was established as a sign against all those who at that time seeking to absolutize their own political ideologies, and the Church boldly insists that no earthly power, no particular political system, or military dictatorship is ever absolute. Rather, only God is eternal and only the Kingdom of God is absolute.

Every family should place Christ the King as their center of their lives. We do this first and foremost by attending Mass together as a family. In homes families pray before meals and more and more families are praying the Rosary together. When a family prays the Rosary together, wonderful and beautiful things will happen. There is so much pain, suffering, hurt feelings and unforgiveness in families and individuals. However, through the family Rosary, God through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, will help families to love, to forgive each other and practice sacrifice and virtue.

We need to take Christ wherever we go. A number of restaurants and businesses in Lyons, Hutchinson, Newton, and Wichita display a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe or a Crucifix and high schools throughout the US are starting Christian organizations at their schools. By doing these things proclaiming Christ the King.

May God's kingdom on earth come as it is heaven, through Jesus Christ the King and Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth.