29th Sunday, Medjugorje

 

Medjugorje is nestled in a valley in the country called Bosnia Herzegovina, which was part of former Yugoslavia. The largest mountain near Medjugorje there is a large stone cross constructed in 1933 in honor of 1900 years after the death of Jesus.

Back then, the local people carried water and cement up the rocky mountain to create the large cross that overlooks the valley.

They used to have terrible Hail Storms that would destroy their crops. Since the cross was erected in 1933, they have never had a Hail Storm that damaged their crops.

Every year near the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross Sept. 14th, the entire village climbs the mountain to have Mass on an altar next to the Cross. Most people, young and old will journey up the rocky mountain barefoot for penance. Its impressive to see so many people doing penance for their sins and the sins of others.

Below the mountain in the valley is St. James Church. The people in the area are very faithful Catholics and most all attend daily Mass. Because there are thousands of pilgrims who come to Mass, the Mass is celebrated outdoors under a large canopy over the altar. There are various Masses through the day for the various different countries in their language and these Masses are in the JP II center.

The international Mass at St. James starts at 6pm. The Mass is prayed in the local language of the people. The prayers of the Mass are prayed in Latin so all the priests can concelebrate. To prepare for Mass confessions begin at 5pm. There are priests from all over the world who hear confessions in their native language. Polish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, English are just a few. The priest will place a sign with the language he is able to hear confessions.

One day, when I was hearing Confessions it began to rain. These are outside confessions, I had an umbrella, but it did little good and I was soaked. I was surprised how the people kept standing in line to go to Confession despite the rain. One man in his 30’s had no umbrella and he patiently waited his turn to Confess. He hadn’t been to confession.

When I was hearing the Confession of teenage girl, it was raining and just when I gave her absolution, saying, I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit...right when I said, that, the rain stopped and the sun shone directly on the two of us. Both of us immediately understood, God did that! It was amazing!

The confessionals on each side of the church and priests also hear confessions on benches and using chairs. At 5:40pm, everyone stops praying the Rosary and the church bells are rung when the Virgin Mary is appearing to some of the visionaries usually in their homes. After about 5 min. the people continue to pray the rosary.

After Mass they pray 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Marys and 7 Glory be’s for peace-- then another Rosary followed by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To the east of the church is the hill of apparitions where the Virgin Mary began to appear to 6 children in June of 1981. The Virgin Mary’s messages were peace, reconciliation with God and neighbor. The Virgin Mary asks that we pray for peace. She said, “Peace, Peace, Peace.”

If we want peace in the world, in our hearts and in our families, we need to do as Our Blessed Mother is asking of us. She asks us to Pray from the heart, to attend daily Mass, to Fast on Wed. and Friday, to daily read the bible, daily pray three mysteries of the Rosary and to have Eucharistic Adoration.

The children who are now adults, have been examined and tested during many apparitions. Every test has always concluded they are seeing something. Every 2nd of the month, the Virgin Mary gives a message for the world. Due to the Vatican’s recent approval of Medjugorje, the messages now have ecclesiastical approval.

There are 10 secrets which will all be eventually revealed before Mirjana before she dies. One of secrets Mary promises to leave a permanent sign on the location of the first apparition. Some secrets will encourage the people in their faith while other secrets are punishments by God for the sins of the world. The Virgin has said to not wait to convert before the secrets are revealed because by then-- for many-- it will be too late.

The parish has (veneration) of the cross every Friday. People gaze and pray before the cross for an hour as hymns are sung and a priest will give a meditation on the cross for an hour.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays the parish has a Eucharistic Holy Hour at night at 7pm after Mass. Anywhere between 2,000 to 10,000 people will come to adore Jesus in adoration.

If I could describe Medjugorje with one word, I would say “Peace”. It could be felt wherever I went. I felt at home there. While I was there I was able to let all difficulties and problems go trusting Mary would take care of them. I went to confession several times in Medjugorje.

Some highlights of the trip include holy Mass and helping to distribute Holy Communion to the multitudes. At the English Mass they were from Ireland, Great Britain, the US and Canada, etc..

Another highlight was hearing confessions. I heard confessions several evenings from 3 to 5 hours each night. They were the most beautiful confessions. Its wonderful to hear confessions of people from all over the world. There is a grace given to those who go there to open their hearts and confess sins they failed to confess from the past and with deep sorrow.

As a group we went up apparition hill and prayed the Rosary at each mystery on the way up. The people keep respectful silence near the apparition site.

We were supposed to go up to Cross mountain, but since it rained, it was too dangerous. People usually make the Stations of the Cross going up the mountain. The mountain is very steep and rocky. People of all ages will trek up mountain barefoot. Just before the last station a very popular priest, Fr. Slavko instrumental in helping the parish during the beginnings of the apparitions died on the mountain there about 10 years ago.

The Cenaculo group of young men have a treatment house in Medjugorje. They are men are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. They carried a 2 ton rock from the bottom of the hill to the place where he died as a memorial to him. Many people believe someday Fr. Slavko become a saint and we went to the cemetery and prayed at his tomb.

We went to the Castle, which is a retreat house from priests. A man and his wife from Canada told the story of their conversion and I hope to tell it, in another homily later.

I was present for two apparitions when the Virgin Mary appeared to Maria, one of the six visionaries. During the apparition I prayed for all of you and especially for the intentions of those who asked me to pray give them to Our Lady. It was a beautiful experience. I felt so honored to be in what I believe was the presence of Our Lady.

We also went to several near by shrines St. Anthony Shrine and the Shrine of Divine Mercy. I was privileged to be the main celebrant at the St. Anthony’s, one of my favorite saints. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Shuermance, we venerated the first class relic of St. Faustina and a second class relic of St. Pope John Paul II. In the main apse of the church is the miraculous image where a man was healed, that led to the beatification of St. Faustina, when the icon was located in Italy at the time. The icon was later transferred to Sheramce because the Italians wanted the image near Medjugorje.

Many attended the outdoor Holy Hour, where thousands of people adored Jesus under the starry sky at night.

Maria’s house is sort of like a hotel, where our group stayed.

The food at Maria’s was homemade and very delicious. They had homemade wine from grapes from their fields near Medjugorje. The wine had an alcohol content of 12%. I never tasted it since I don’t like alcohol.

There was 52 of us in our group with people from Columbia, Canada, and the US from Wichita and Hutchinson. A good number were from Idaho.

A young girl from Idaho about the age 12 is a super good artist. She plans to make an image for my book on the Rosary, that I have been writing.

My trip was paid for by benefactors. I picked up some rosaries and also purchased a statue. I hope we will soon have a carrier made, so we can do a Rosary procession with the statue of the Virgin Mary.

They rosaries were placed near the apparition and Maria said the Virgin Mary blessed them. I also blessed them.

On Wed., Oct 30th after the 6:30pm Mass, I plan to give a talk about Medjugorje and hope you will come.

A few weeks ago, the Vatican approved devotion to Our Lady of Medjugorje and the messages now have ecclesiastical approval. The apparitions now have the highest form of Church approval without declaring them supernatural, but most likely will, when they are concluded.

Today, let us pray each of us will grow in our faith, will become better Catholics and grow in our love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who loves you!

May we do as Our Lady requested, to daily pray for peace, attend daily Mass, read sacred scripture, fast on Wed. and Friday, pray three rosaries a day, confess monthly and pray with the heart. I would like to read to you the last message of Our Lady from Sept 25^th, the Virgin Mary said, September 25, 2024, "Dear children, out of love towards you, God has sent me among you, to love you and encourage you to prayer and conversion, for peace in you and in your families and in the world. Little children, do not forget that true peace comes only through prayer, from God Who is your peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)

Our Lady of Good Help, Oct 8th

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Good Help. The only officially approved apparition in the United States.

On Oct. 8^th of 1871, was the great Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was the greatest fire tragedy in the history of the United States killing between 1,200-2,400 people and burning 1.2 million acres. Due to the high winds and dry grounds, the fire quickly became a storm of fire and roared towards the convent and school established by Sister Adele Brise.

Desperate for help, people from the surrounding countryside fled to the Chapel where Sister Adele Brise and her companions were praying for Mary’s protection. Lifting the statue of Mary, they processed around the sanctuary, praying the rosary and singing hymns to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. Early the next morning, a steady rain came and extinguished the flames of the fire. Everything around the property was completely charred. But the fire came only to the fence of the land consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, containing the chapel, school and convent, where they were praying. 12 years earlier on that exact date, Oct. 8th, the Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. Adele Brise, and said if the people do not convert from their sins, Her Son would punish them.

Another miracle was associated with the Peshtigo Fire.

St. Mary Church was destroyed in the fire. However, before it was destroyed, Father Pernin was able to carry the church’s wooden Tabernacle, containing the Blessed Sacrament, to the river on his wagon. He pushed the wagon partially into the river and abandoned it to save his own life. The next day, a parishioner who had also survived found Father Pernin and asked if he knew what had happened to the Tabernacle. The priest said, “This wagon had been blown over on its side by the storm; whilst the Tabernacle itself had been caught up by the wind and cast on one of the logs floating on the water. Everything in the immediate vicinity of this spot had been blackened or charred by the flames. But, the Tabernacle was saved when the wind tossed it on a log floating on water.

Today, let us turn to the Virgin Mary, praying Her Rosary for the conversion of our country and for protection against natural disasters.

St. Denis, Martyr, October 9th

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of Saint Denis, who was born in Italy and would become the first bishop of Paris. The year of his birth is unknown. While still very young, he was known for his virtuous life, knowledge of sacred things, and firm faith.

Denis was sent by Pope Fabian with some other missionary bishops to Gaul (modern day France) on a difficult mission. The Church of Gaul having suffered terribly under the persecution of the Emperor Decius, the new messengers of Faith were to try to restore it to its former flourishing condition.

Denis and his companions, the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius, arrived in the neighborhood of the present city of Paris and settled on an island in the Seine. On this island Denis built a church and provided for regular divine services. His fearless and tireless preaching of the Gospel led to countless conversions. This aroused the envy, anger and hatred of the pagan priests, so they incited the populace against the strangers and persuaded the governor, Fescininus Sisinus to put a stop by force to the new teaching. About the year 250, Denis and his two companions were seized and, as they persevered in their Faith, were scourged, imprisoned, racked, thrown to wild beasts, burnt at the stake and finally beheaded.
Their bodies were then thrown in the Seine River, but were recovered by their disciples. Through the efforts of a pious matron named Catulla, the bodies of the three holy martyrs received an honorable burial and a small shrine was erected over their graves.

St. Denis is usually represented in art with his head in his hands, because, according to the legend, after his execution the corpse rose again and carried the head for some distance.

26th Sunday, Pluck Out Eye, Cut off Hand

 

When our Lord tells us in the Gospel, that if a particular part of the body causes us to sin, we are to cut it off or pluck it out. Obviously, Jesus does not mean this literally, but it is better, Jesus says, to enter life with something missing than to be condemned with everything intact.

Jesus is saying sometimes, we need to take drastic measures our self to turn away from sin. Here are some examples:

About 15 years ago, I knew of a man who was struggling with pornography and became so upset with himself, he took his computer and threw it in the trash. Since, then he never did it again.

Another drastic measure to cut our self-off from the serious sin of pornography is to use a flip phone, or install Covenant eyes, on the computer and phone which blocks images.

If we are in high school and have a friend that is constantly tempting us to take drugs, or do something that is sinful, even after we told them we are not interested, sometimes, we need to cut off our relationship with them.

The year after I graduated from high school, a friend tempted me to take drugs. And I told him, that if I find out that he keeps taking them, he will no longer be my friend, because I don’t have any friends that are druggees.

The result of that conversation, was that he never took drugs after that, and we remained friends. So, if we stand up for our self and for our friend, we can help them.

Or if we have job and the boss wants us to do something unethical, we may be forced to quit our job, even if it means we will have a less paying job.

Or if a man has a female friend constantly trying to get him to be unfaithful to his wife, he may need to make the resolution, he cannot have this woman as his friend.

You may have heard how Israel placed an explosive in about 4000 pagers of Hezbollah terrorists. When the pagers when off, it caused many of them to lose a hand and eye. There seems to be symbolism with regard to today’s Gospel.

Israel did this action, to prevent the Hezbollah terrorists from doing a similar attack like Hamas, another terrorist group, did last year on Oct 7^th. God does not want war. He does not want terrorists. God wants us to live in peace and harmony.

Perhaps, the losing of one’s hand and eye would cause the terrorist to give up terrorism. It is better to lose an eye and a hand, then to go into Ghena (Hell), after one dies.

The fault does not lie with the hand, the foot or the eye. The problem is in the will.

We have to choose to do what is good and right. We have to choose to cut off our pride and pluck out our selfishness.

We have to remember that as members of the body of Christ we are not living for this world. Instead, we have to live in the world for a time, but our focus needs to be on the next world. Recall that the decision of where we will spend eternity is made in this life and it is demonstrated in our choices.

We need to cut off our pride and selfishness and pray for charity and humility.

And we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask Her to help us to do everything possible, even drastic measures to cut off serious sins from our life. By daily praying Her Rosaries, She will give the grace to be detached from sin and attached to Jesus, Her Son.

25th Sunday, Which Religion is the Greatest?

 

In the Gospel, Jesus told His apostles, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His death the Son of Man will rise.” Our Lord just told them He was going to suffer and die, and now they are discussing among themselves who was the greatest.

Can you imagine the apostles standing around talking to one other saying, “I am greater than you.” Another one says, “No, I’m the greatest.” So that Jesus would end their one up-man-ship, He said, “...the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)

He wanted them to know the one who serves the most is the greatest. Our Lord was willing to suffer and die for all of us, and by doing so, He serves us and can save us.

There are some who are objectively greater than others. Jesus, is greater than all of us, because He is God and He serves us, by giving His life to save us. I suppose we could make the argument that Peter was the greatest of the 12 because He was the leader of the apostles, and also the leader of the Church. Peter, as the first pope, was the servant of the apostles and the whole Church. Pope Gregory, the great referred to himself as the servant of servants.

Is one religion greater than all other religions? Are all religions the same? Are all religions pathways to God?

Pope Leo XIII said “…. the great error of this age-that a regard for religion should be held as an indifferent matter, and that all religions are alike. This manner of reasoning is calculated to bring about the ruin of all forms of religion, and especially of the Catholic religion, which, as it is the only one that is true, cannot, without great injustice, be regarded as merely equal to other religions.” Humanum Genus #16

To say all religions are the same and all religions are pathways to God, denies Jesus and the need for Him to save us to get to heaven.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to me, except the Father.”

All religions are not a pathway to God, because some religions do not have Jesus as the pathway to the Father and not all Christian religions have the same beliefs about Jesus.

Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism can’t save anyone. Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad aren’t gods and they can’t bring others to the Father, like Jesus. They are not pathways to God. They didn’t die for anyone and even if they would have died for others, they still could not have saved anyone from their sins because only God can do that. Only Jesus, who is both God and man, can reconcile us to the Father.

Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims don’t believe Jesus is God. All religions other than the Catholic religion are false religions.

Every religion cannot be a pathway to God if they differ on who God is and how God can save us.

St. Paul said,...”(God wills) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:4-6)

Only Jesus, as God, could offer Himself as a ransom for all by His suffering and death on the Cross. That is why He is the only mediator between God and man. Jesus' mediation as God and man, ransoms us from our sins.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)

The pagan religion worshiped idols and those in Judaism, who did not accept Jesus, are not pathways to the Father, because only Jesus came to save us and reconcile us to the Father by His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. Only Jesus is the Savior. Only Jesus is the way to the Father.

Two Christians (one Catholic and one Protestant) were discussing among themselves each saying their religion is greater than the other. There is one religion everything God has given to mankind to be saved. And that religion is the Catholic religion.

There are many different Christian religions such as Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholic, Christian, Congregationalists, etc…. Most believe Jesus is God and Savior. But, all don’t have the same beliefs. If all don’t have the same beliefs, all religions can’t be the same.

The Methodist church was founded by Charles Wesley. Lutherans were founded by Martin Luther. Baptists were founded by John Smyth. The Catholic faith is greater than all other religions because Jesus Himself founded our Church. He gave our Church all 7 sacraments and our Church has the fullness of revelation (God’s truth) revealed through Jesus Christ.

The Catholic Church’s mission is to bring all mankind into salvation through Jesus Christ. And because the Catholic Church was given everything by God to bring men to salvation, our Church serves everyone and therefore, our Church is the greatest.

We come to know who God is and how He can save us by Sacred Scripture and Tradition only found in the Catholic Church. Non-Catholic Christians don’t have Sacred Tradition, so they are missing a lot of what God revealed.

Church councils and popes through the centuries clarified who God is and how God can save us. Councils proclaimed Jesus has two natures, human and divine. And there are three persons in the Trinity and they are equal and have the same substance. God uses Church councils to help us to resolve questions about God and what God desires of us.

The very first Church council is Council of Jerusalem found in the bible in Acts 15. Back then Christians wondered if they can eat meat sacrificed to idols. They also wondered if new Gentile (non-Jew) converts to Christianity were obligated to be circumcised, a Jewish tradition. How would they resolve these issues?

The 12 apostles gathered together in Jerusalem to discuss the controversy. Scripture tells us that once Peter spoke, all fell silent. By Peter leading the first Church Council, it was decided Christians should not eat meat sacrificed to idols, so as to not appear that they believe in false idols. And it was decided non-Jewish converts were not required to be circumcised, but the Jewish converts could. It was through Church authority by way of the Councils all came to know the truth.

Jesus left us 7 sacraments (outward signs that bestow grace). Most Christian religions have 2 sacraments Baptism and the Eucharist. But they don’t believe the same things Catholics believe about Baptism and the Eucharist.

For example, Baptists don’t believe original sin and personal sins are washed away through baptism. Lutherans believe baptism forgives the guilt of original sin, but the sinful nature that remains is real sin.

However, Catholics believe original sin, personal sin and the punishment due to sin is washed away at baptism. We believe God comes to dwell within the temple of heart, we become children of God, we enter into the very mystery of God’s divine life and baptism opens the gates of heaven.

Non-Catholic religions believe the Eucharist is only a symbol. They don’t believe the Mass is a sacrifice. They don’t believe the Eucharist is the real and true flesh of Jesus.

But, Catholics believe the sacrifice of Calvary becomes present on the altar at Mass. We believe the bread is totally and completely changed into the resurrected person of Jesus. We believe that we eat the true flesh and blood of Jesus.

Most Christian religions reject Church authority. But, Catholics have always accepted Church authority.

Jesus promised to protect the teaching of the Church, He told the Apostles: "He who hears you, hears me; he who rejects you rejects me, he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me" (Luke 10:16)

Catholics believe Church Councils and Popes have the gift of infallibility when proclaiming a specific doctrine on faith and morals binding all the faithful to believe it.

We Catholics believe Jesus gave us 7 sacraments (Baptism, Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Priesthood). Through sacraments Jesus bestows grace to sanctify us and help us to obtain heaven.

Most every Christian religion has different teachings and morals. So all religions are not the same, especially if they contradict each other.

If one so called “Christian” religion believes abortion, homosexual marriage, and euthanasia is okay and another Christian religion believes these are wrong, which religion is right?

The Catholic Church is right- because only our Church has the authority by God for all of humanity.

We don’t follow a religion that makes us feel good or one that has the least rules and obligations. Rather, we take up our cross and follow Jesus, because we love Him, want to please Him and be with Him in heaven.

There were many martyrs in the first three centuries and through all the centuries up to today. They died for Jesus and their belief that He is the way, the truth and the life.

Many Gentiles gave up their pagan practices and many Jews gave up their religion to become Christian. But, they knew they would die because they were followers of Jesus.

St. Paul said, “I consider the sufferings of the present to be nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us.” “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: For thy sake, we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us.… For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels or principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:18-39)

There is a wide path and narrow path to heaven. The narrow path is full of sufferings, persecutions, pain and crosses. While the wide path is easy. All other religions don’t fully embrace the Cross. They don’t have the full deposit of faith handed down to us from Jesus and the Apostles. They are not true pathways to God. It is our duty as Christians to proclaim Jesus is Savior and help as many as possible come to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Church, because those who accept it find the most sure pathway to heaven.

We want everyone to come to know and love Him. He died for us on the Cross, that we may have life abundantly with Him in heaven. Today, and every day, make Jesus, the Lord of your life. Give yourself to Him and allow Him to lead you. Confess your sins to our Savior, so He can save you from them. Though you may fall on that narrow hard and arduous road, Jesus will be there to pick you up, encourage you, help you to carry your cross and give you peace.

If we love our family and friends, we will help them to become Catholic, the best and greatest religion, because it is the only religion with the fullness of truth.

And let us pray the Holy Rosary for fallen away Catholics and non-Catholics, that Our Lady will touch their hearts and bring them to Jesus Christ, Her Son, Our Lord and Savior in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father, except through Him.

St. Joseph of Cupertino, Sept 18th

 

Today, we offer a votive Mass in honor of St. Joseph of Cupertino, a Franciscan saint. Perhaps some of you may be familiar with the excellent movie about him called the Reluctant Saint. His father was a humble carpenter, who had contracted very heavy debts and so the family lived in great poverty. His mother was very strict, so much so that he would tell people years later, that he had his novitiate when he was a child. Despite the way his mother treated him, he did additional penances and mortifications.

He attempted to learn a trade, but later discovered it wasn’t his vocation. He was invested with the Franciscan habit among the Capuchin Franciscans, but was dismissed due to his awkwardness. Because of his dismissal from the Franciscans, his relatives considered him a disgrace to the family, and was turned away.

The Conventual Franciscans took pity on his humble pleading and admitted him into their order and asking him to care for the convent mule. His virtues, especially his humility, obedience, and piety, shone forth with such brilliance, that his superiors received him among the clerics, and within three years was ordained a priest. His efforts to study were never successful, but soon people became aware that he possessed infused knowledge.

His life was an uninterrupted union with God. Everything seemed to lift his mind to heaven, such that his body was frequently raised above the earth and remained in the air for such a long time, that his biographer declared he spent more than half of his religious life above the earth.

On a hill near the convent were three crosses. Repeatedly when he looked at them, he would rise in the air with a cry, and flee to the cross in the center embracing it. On another occasion, when he visited the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, he saw a painting of the Mother of God high in the vault of the church, at once his body rose into the air, and he kissed the image with tender devotion. At the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he was usually lifted in the air and remained there swaying over the altar for hours at a time. For that reason, he usually said Mass in the convent chapel rather than in the church.

Once a Duke from Brunswick was so impressed with by St. Joseph’s ecstasy, that he was convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith and two years later became Catholic.

Because of these visions and ecstasies, he was also severely tested by the devil. In addition to this, he suffered from dryness of heart and felt completely forsaken by God. Despite all of this, he continued to have peace of mind and had no other wish than to do the will of God.

He died in a convent on Sept. 18^th, 1663 and many miracles occurred at his grave. He was canonized in 1753 and would later be known as a patron saint of those who travel by air.

Today, let us pray that we may have the humility of heart of St. Joseph of Cupertino. May we show our devotion for the sacrifice of the Mass by our reverence and may we gaze upon holy images with the love.

24th Sunday - Accept Sufferings

 

 In the Gospel today, Our Lord first told His disciples, He must go to Jerusalem to suffer greatly, be killed and on the third day rise.

Peter rebuked Jesus because He didn’t want Him to suffer and die. At first, this sounds very noble. Nobody would want someone they love to suffer and die. However, Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan. You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God, but as human beings do.” He wanted Peter to know that to run from suffering, is the way of the world, not the way of God. Jesus called Peter, Satan, because only Satan would want Our Lord and us to avoid the Cross.

The Crucifixion was necessary to defeat the devil, to reveal God’s sacrificial love for us and to teach us to love. This is why Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny Himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

Our Lord wanted to teach His apostles and His followers to not reject the cross, but embrace it. And they did. All but John were martyred, but they tried to kill him too.

The shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France has 70 officially approved medical miracles. But there has been thousands of unapproved miracles. Those who go to Lourdes, will bathe in the miraculous waters and ask the Virgin Mary for a physical healing.

But most of them receive a healing they don’t expect. They obtain a spiritual healing, by receiving the grace to carry the Cross of their illness, and they will peace in their hearts.

Millions of people go there every year for healing. It seems like most often, once people accept the cross of their suffering, it is then the Lord heals them.

When we accept sufferings, they can be used to atone for our sins and reduce our purgatory time. Sufferings when united to the Cross of Jesus can be offered up for the conversion of sinners and help bring about the salvation of souls. Sufferings keep us close to Jesus, because we become more dependent upon Him.

The Virgin Mary told the children of Fatima to embrace their crosses, She said, “Make sacrifices for sinners, and say often, especially while making a sacrifice: ‘O Jesus, this is for love of thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’”

When we deny our self and carry our crosses, we sacrifice our self for love of Jesus, for the conversion of sinners and to console the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Saint Faustina in her diary (Diary #1804), wrote, “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering.” And she said, “I united my sufferings with the sufferings of Jesus and offered them for myself and for the conversion of souls who do not trust in God...“ (Diary #323)

We should cherish our crosses because through them we gain eternal life. As St. Rose of Lima said, “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.”

St. Teresa of Avila said, “I would always choose the path of suffering, if only to imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ, if there were no other gain. In order to bear our afflictions with patience it is very useful to read the lives of the saints who endured great torments for Jesus Christ.”

St Padre Pio said, “I do not love suffering itself; I ask it of God because I desire its fruits: it gives glory to God, saves my brothers in exile, and frees souls from the fires of purgatory. 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, of suffering is a big thing and cannot be accomplished in Paradise. Lean on the Cross as Mary did. She was as if paralyzed before Her crucified Son, but was not abandoned by Him.”

St. Louis de Montfort said, “To suffer is not enough: the evil one and the world have their martyrs. We must suffer and carry our cross in the footsteps of Christ. Take advantage of little sufferings even more than great ones. God considers not so much what we suffer as how we suffer…”

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

St. Anthony Mary Claret said, “To suffer contempt in silence is the key to Jesus’ Heart and the means of uniting with Him.”

Saint Madeline Sophie Barat said, “Let us go to the foot of the Cross, and there complain—if we have the courage.”

Saint John Vianney said, “You must either suffer in this life or give up the hope of seeing God in heaven. Sufferings and persecutions are of the greatest avail to us, because we can find therein a very efficient means to make atonement for our sins, since we are bound to suffer for them either in this world or in the next.”

Saint John Bosco said, “Accept afflictions with patience. Silently endure cold and heat, wind and rain, fatigue and all other discomforts that God may deign to send to you.”

Several weeks ago, the Faith Formation Class on Wednesday watched a documentary on Servant of God Rhoda Wise from Canton, Ohio at our parish hall.

She was born in 1888 and died in 1948. She was a Protestant, who converted to the Catholic faith. She had severe health problems, but the Lord miraculously healed her. Not much later, after she was healed, the Lord gave Rhoda the stigmata, the wounds of Christ.

Rhoda would suffer the Passion of Jesus including her head bleeding as though a crown of thorns was placed on her head.

The evening we watched the video on Rhoda Wise, I had a migraine caused by arthritis in my neck. That night, when I went to bed, my head was throbbing terribly and I prayed to Rhoda Wise. I said, “Rhoda, please help me to accept my suffering.” When I said that prayer, the migraine immediately disappeared and I fell asleep. The Lord just wanted me to embrace the sufferings of it and then He took it away. I didn’t ask Jesus to take it away, He just did, because I accepted it.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us to carry our crosses manfully, keeping our eyes on Jesus, embrace them with love, uniting them to the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross, to make atonement for our sins and the sins of others, and offer them for the conversion of sinners. And in this way, we will not complain and will see them as precious gems to help us and others obtain heaven.

23rd Sunday, Be Opened (Baptism)

 

Ephphatha—“Be Opened”

In the first reading, in a moment of darkness the prophet Isaiah lifts up his voice to comfort the Chosen people, who were at the moment living in exile. The prophet announces to the people, that soon they would return to their homeland once again. The prophet Isaiah said, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God; He comes with vindication; the divine recompense He comes to save you!”

He also predicts great wonders which will have their complete fulfillment with the coming of the Messiah: “The eyes of the blind be opened, the ear of the deaf be unstopped; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the dry land. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground springs of water.”

Most Jews believed that when the Messiah would come, he would open the eyes of the blind; cause the paralyzed to walk; the deaf would be able to hear; and those who could not speak, would talk.

Some people brought a man to Jesus, who had a speech impediment, and begged Him to lay hands on the man. And so, “Our Divine Lord took him off-- away from the crowd. He then put His finger into the man’s ears, and spitting, touched his tongue; then He looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.”

Our Lord’s healing of the deaf and dumb man, in the Gospel clearly indicates that Jesus is the Messiah, because He does what the Jews expected the Messiah to do, as the prophet Isaiah had foretold. But it also indicates that Jesus is God, who has come to save us.

Recall, also, that in the Gospel of Matthew, when John the Baptist was imprisoned, he questioned if Jesus was the Messiah or not. He sent word to Jesus, asking is He the one who is to come, or should we look for another? Our Lord’s response was “Go report to John the Baptist, “The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” This response by Our Lord indicated that He is the long awaited Messiah, and fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah.

At very beginning of Christianity, the priest prayed over the one to be baptized using the Ephphatha Prayer. Most early Christians were adults, but little children were also baptized from the very beginning as well. The tradition of praying the Ephphatha prayer continues today. When a child is baptized, the priest touches the child’s mouth and ears, and says, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and dumb speak. May He soon touch ears to receive His word, and your mouth to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”

These words signify what the child will someday do. Because he is not yet baptized, and because he is just a child, he is unable to hear, and to speak, the word of God, like the deaf man, who could not hear nor speak.

However, once baptized, when the child is old enough, his ears will be touched by divine grace, to receive the Lord’s word, and the child’s mouth, will be able to speak His praises. As he begins to practice his Christian faith, he will proclaim his faith--- to the praise and glory of God the Father.

St. Augustine speaks of how this is put into practice. He said, “the tongue of someone united to God-- will speak of the Good,-- will bring to agreement those who are divided,--- will console those who weep. God will be praised--, Christ will be announced.”

Beginning Sunday, Sept. 8^th (today), those who are thinking about becoming Catholic will meet at 4pm begin the process of OCIA. Those who are not yet baptized, and who may later choose to become Catholic, will be given the ancient Ephphatha Rite, which occurs a few weeks before Easter.

And at the Easter Vigil, those to be baptized will be like the man in today’s Gospel, they will to receive the Word of the Lord by first hearing it, and they will open their mouth to proclaim their faith-- to the praise and glory of God the Father.

Do you know of someone who is not baptized? Do you want to help them to receive the most glorious gift of baptism, whereby God comes to dwell within their heart? Whereby God comes with vindication to defeat the devil by washing away all sin? Whereby God comes to save us? I encourage each and every person here in the church to ask one non-Catholic if they are interested in becoming Catholic or interested in learning about the Catholic faith.

The un-baptized, who choose to become Catholic, long for the day, when God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in their heart at baptism. They long to hear His word, so that they may profess it, and proclaim it. And to those seeking baptism, the words of the prophet Isaiah can eloquently refer to our Lord’s coming into our hearts at baptism.

“Say to those whose hearts are frightened, be strong, fear not! Here is your God; He comes with vindication; the divine recompense He comes to save you!”