Ash Wednesday - Deny Pleasures, Self-love

 

Are we living for eternity or living for the world? Are we detached from the things of the world, rather than to attached to God alone. One of the most common temptations we have is the temptation for self-love, by satisfying our own personal desires because we love our self, more than we love God and neighbor.

That is why Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. The minimum, when fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. All Fridays of Lent are days of Penance and Sacrifice.

During Lent and especially on Fridays of Lent, we are to deny our self-non-sinful pleasures of the body: food, drink, temperature control, delicious meals, favorite foods, comfort, taste, meat, etc... And pleasures of the eye: TV, Internet, Social Media. And especially deny our self-sinful pleasures: Lying, Laziness, Envy, Gossiping, Excessive Food or Drink, Lust, Anger, pornography, impurity, cussing, etc...

By dying to our self and our pleasures, we live for God and live for heaven and don't allow worldly things to control us. Rather we control them and master them, so as to practice virtue. We need to be detached from the things of the world, so we can be attached to God alone.

The following items are considered non-necessary or even luxury items, especially in poor countries: Candy, dessert, pop, alcohol, cigarettes, power drinks, meat, chewing tobacco, etc...

Alcohol is viewed by most in four ways: as a social drink or partying drink or luxury drink, or for celebrations.

It also lends to immoderate drinking and drunkenness and is an occasion of sin for some who may have it as an addiction.

This is why during Lent; we deny our self-non-sinful pleasures and sinful pleasures. We make these sacrifices, so that we can detached from the things of the world and be attached to God alone, because in the end, if we give up all our worldly and sinful pleasures, we will look forward to heaven as our goal, we all our pleasures will be satisfied in God alone.

Rather than living for our self, and our pleasures, let's live for God & neighbor. May the Virgin Mary, help us to enter into Lent with a spirit of penance and sacrifice, as we look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter.

As Aristotle said, "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self."

6th Sunday - Heaven, Hell, Purgatory

 

Today's readings speak about heaven, hell, and purgatory. The book of Sirach said, “If you keep the commandments, they will save you.” What do the commandments save us from? Hell. “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” Life refers to eternal life, which is heaven.

The second reading said, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” This refers to heaven. St. Paul is speaking about a place where we cannot comprehend. There is nothing on earth we can see or hear, compared to the place for those who love Him will go, which is heaven. In heaven there is no tears, no pain, but only love, joy, and peace. It's a place where all our desires on earth are fulfilled and not just fulfilled, but even beyond our wildest dreams. We will be rewarded for our merits. We will see and talk to saints, angels, the Virgin Mary and our family and friends and most importantly God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel today, Jesus mentions purgatory. He said, “Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you paid the last penny.” To settle with one’s opponent, refers to making amends with those whom we have hurt, by apologizing, and by making restitution to the harm done to them. Jesus makes it clear the offender must pay for his sins. He is referring to a temporary prison (purgatory). The court refers to the person’s judgment at the moment of death. The judge refers to Jesus, who judge's us when we die. If all our sins are not made up in this life, we will be punished in the next life, through the fires of purgatory, because only that which is clean may enter heaven. Those in purgatory have the assurance of eventually going to heaven. Their greatest pain is have to wait to be with God. St. Augustine said, “The pains of purgatory are greater than any kind of suffering we can endure in this life.”

Today's Gospel mentions hell three times. “Whoever says, ‘You fool’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” The following verse is repeated twice, “It is better if you lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.” Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. He said, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!" The punishment of hell is forever, which is horrifying.

The Virgin Mary, showed three children, ages 10, 8, and 7 what hell looked like. Sr. Lucia spoke about the vision. She said, "(Mary) opened Her hands once more, as She had done the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals...."

Our Lady also told the children, "Each time you say the Rosary, My children, say after each decade, 'O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy."

Thanks to the Virgin Mary, every time we pray the Rosary, we pray 5 times that Jesus will save us from the fires of hell. The vision of hell didn't cause the children to be afraid of God. But rather it caused their hearts to expand with great love for sinners. This is why the children offered their sacrifices and did penance for the conversion of sinners. They never had a vision of heaven, but wanted souls to go there because of love.

Lucia asked the Virgin Mary, "Do you come from heaven...and will I go to heaven?" “Yes, you'll go". "And Jacinta?" "As well" “and Francisco?" "Him too, but he will have to say many rosaries". Our Lady told the children: "Do you wish to offer yourselves to God, to endure all the suffering that He may please to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and to ask for the conversion of sinners?" "Yes, we do." said the children. "You will have to suffer a lot, but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

One day in St. John Vianney little church, a man possessed by a demon approached him, and the demon said: "I hate you, I hate you because you stole from my hand eighty-five thousand souls." He suffered much and did great penances to save souls from the fires of hell.

Today many think God is too merciful to send anyone to hell. Some cease to fear hell and do not try to avoid it. Others believe everyone goes straight to heaven, as though no one goes to purgatory or to hell. Some wrongly believe at the end of time, God will release all the souls and demons from hell. But the Church teaches hell is everlasting. God is not only infinitely merciful, He is also infinitely just.

May we seek the kingdom of heaven and do everything we can to keep it. May we come to Jesus, the merciful shepherd in confession often, especially if we committed a mortal sin, to come quickly to Him to receive His infinite mercy. As soon as we commit any sin, may we immediately ask the Lord to forgive us. There is nothing more important than keeping our soul in the state of grace. And if you find our self in mortal sin, do everything you can to get out of it. Because if we die in the state of mortal sin, we go to hell forever. We don't avoid mortal sin out of fear of hell, but especially out fear of offending and hurting the good God, whom we love because He loves us so much He died for us, that we may be with Him forever in heaven.

Let us do as Our Lady of Fatima asked, to do penance, offer up sufferings, make sacrifices and pray the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners, so that we help many souls go to heaven. By the grace of God, we will save our own soul and go to our eternal home where there is no pain, no suffering and no tears, where there is nothing but love, peace and joy in heaven forever and ever and ever.

O Jesus, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.

Our Lady of Lourdes - Feb 11th - 72 Miracle

 

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. On Feb. 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous at a grotto in the small French town of Lourdes. Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette 18 times between February and July of that year.

After the first three apparitions, Our Lady asked St. Bernadette, “Would you have the goodness to come here for 15 days?” Despite resistance from her mother, Bernadette continued to visit the grotto and pray her rosary, which gained the attention of many villagers.

During the final few apparitions, close to 10,000 people came to Lourdes to see St. Bernadette and the apparition. Our Lady’s messages to Bernadette were always about repentance and praying for the conversion of sinners. Our Lady of Lourdes said to St. Bernadette, "You will pray to God for sinners” and "Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners! Kiss the ground as an act of penance for sinners!"

Our Lady of Lourdes did not reveal herself until the 16th apparition on March 25, after St. Bernadette asked her who she was for a fourth consecutive time that day. Our Lady replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

One reason millions of people visit the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes every year is due to the reported medical miracles from the grotto’s spring water. The Lourdes Medical Bureau was established in 1883 at the request of St. Pius X. Out of 7,500 cases, 72 were reported as scientifically inexplicable. It is for this reason Our Lady of Lourdes is the patroness of the sick.

Antonia Raco, a 67-year-old Italian woman long affected by an incurable neurodegenerative illness, was officially introduced to the press on July 25, 2025 in Lourdes, where her healing was recognized as the 72nd miracle attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary since the apparitions of 1858. When the miracle was announced Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, the permanent doctor at the Lourdes Sanctuary, reminded the audience that the Church considers a healing miraculous only if it is sudden, complete, lasting, medically inexplicable, and not attributable to treatment or gradual recovery.

Diagnosed in 2006 with ALS — a progressive and fatal condition — Raco experienced a recovery that defied medical explanation. The recognition by the Shrine in Lourdes marked the culmination of 16 years of medical, canonical, and pastoral inquiry. Raco, a mother and active parishioner from Basilicata in southern Italy, had been living with the disease for several years when she traveled to Lourdes with her husband Antonio in 2009. Raco said, “I had wanted to go to Lourdes since I was a child."

On the second day, sanctuary volunteers brought her to the baths. “We prayed together. That’s when I heard a beautiful young female voice say three times: ‘Don’t be afraid!’”

Raco wore the white veil and uniform of the Hospitallers of Lourdes — the volunteer caregivers she now joins each year, assisting the sick with the same compassion once shown to her. During the immersion in the bath, she described a sudden, sharp pain in her legs as though “they were taken away from me.” She did not disclose what had happened to anyone during her stay and returned home in a wheelchair.

In her living room with her husband, she heard the same voice urging her, “Tell him! Call him!” Obeying the voice, she called out to her husband, who had just stepped into the kitchen. “Something has happened,” she told him. In that moment, she stood unaided for the first time in years. Overcome with emotion, the couple embraced, crying together as they realized she was cured.

Although miraculous physical healings are astounding, what is more astounding is when a soul is healed from sin. Spiritual healing is infinitely more important than a physical healing.

One of the primary messages from Our Lady was for us to do penance and to pray for sinners. Today, let us resolve to don penance and pray for the conversion of sinners. We can do this most especially, like Bernadette daily praying the Rosary and calling upon Mary saying, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us, who have recourse to thee."

5th Sunday, Salty Pie

 

Last Saturday, Fr. Ken Schuckman offered the 6:30pm Mass. I went to the Confirmation of Sydney and Kassie Sauer at St. Joseph in McPherson. Last year, they were unable to get confirmed with our group. When you see them be sure to congratulate them.

When I was a seminarian, I was serving at Church of the Resurrection, the parish of Fr. Ken Schuckman. One day, an old lady stopped by the priest house and dropped off homemade cherry pie, she made for us. She did a charitable deed for us.

Later that day, after we finished our evening meal, Fr. Schuckman cut the pie and we began to it. But, suddenly, we realized something was wrong with the pie. On top of the crust, bakers sprinkle sugar and sugar is used as an ingredient in the pie. But, not this one.

After swallowing a bit my mouth immediately puckered and I had to spit it out. It was extremely salty. I said, "The pie has a huge amount of salt in it." Fr. Schuckman was slowly chewing it, but he swallowed it. He said, "There is one thing, you must learn, people have good intentions. She must have accidentally used salt instead of sugar when she made it." He said, "Come on, you can eat it. She spent her time and money making this pie. It ain't gonna hurt you." He said, "You should be thankful for what anyone gives." I took another bite of the pie, chewed it, swallowed, but had to spit it out. I said, "I'm sorry, I can't finish it. It upsets my stomach." Fr. Schuckman finished eating his piece with a grimace on his face. He put the rest in the refrigerator and throughout the week, he finished off the pie. His humility shined like a light.

In the Gospel today, Jesus used metaphors of light and salt to explain the importance of living our life as a Christian. Salt seasons (adds flavor), it preserves, it heals, but it can also burn.

Salt Seasons – Christians are called to add spice to life, to bring beauty, joy and hope to the world. Keeping the Commandments is a source of joy as we experience God’s power to put sin to death in us and bring forth order, self-discipline and holiness. We are to be zesty, passionate, alive and free from sin in Christ. Look at what spicy things our Catholic faith has contributed in the world: Art, music, churches, hospitals, universities, the scholastic and scientific methods.

Salt Preserves – Before refrigeration was invented, salt was used to cure or persevere meat. It killed bacteria and other microorganisms that caused rot and decay. As Christians we are to prevent further decay in this sinful world. The truth we proclaim is meant to preserve people from the decay of sin. Chastity, justice, generosity, the proclamation of the truth, and so forth, are like salt that preserves the world from decay. As Christians we proclaim the dignity of life from the moment of conception until natural death. In a world immersed in promiscuity, we proclaim, purity, chastity and abstinence. In a world which thinks life is worth as to how much a person is useful, as Catholics we believe life is worthy living for the handicapped, elderly, unborn and the poor. As the world promotes homosexuality, Catholics proclaim the beauty of marriage is only between a man and woman. The world promotes infidelity, but we proclaim the indissolubility of marriage. The world disregards conscience and religious beliefs, but we proclaim religious freedom is a gift from God, not from man. In a world life is not protected, we proclaim abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research are grave offenses against God. We proclaim every life is sacred. Our Catholic faith preserves all that is good.

Salt Heals – In the ancient world salt was used on wounds. It helped stop bleeding, it killed bacteria and prevented further infection. So too the Christian faith. Through our doctrinal and moral teaching, and living our faith, we bring healing a world wounded by sin, strife, war, jealousy, anger, bitterness, retribution, promiscuity, unfaithfulness, greed, and countless errors. The Word of God and His plan is a healing medicine for an ailing world.

Salt Burns –When salt is applied to wounds it burns and causes pain. The truth stings, and the truth of the Gospel can be irritating to a world wounded by sin. But, despite the protests of our world, the sting can heal. It is driving out the bacteria and disease of the world and preventing further infection by proclaiming the healing balm of truth. The truth is-- the pie the lady made was extremely salty and was hard to swallow. But to those who can stomach it, its a source of virtue.

Salt in a saltshaker needs to be sprinkled about. It has to go forth and be scattered. We are to bring Jesus to others, and to help them to know and love Him. But if salt goes flat or is used for the wrong purpose, it's hard to swallow.

Christians are called to transform the world bringing the light of Christ to the world by their good deeds, like he lady who made a pie for Fr. Schuckman and I. Our good deeds are a way of proclaiming the Gospel. And those who are homebound and suffering in the hospital are beacons of light. They witness to the beauty of suffering. Pain is powerful when united to the sufferings of Jesus on the Cross. Their gift to the world is to reveal the suffering Jesus to others and that suffering is redemptive. Suffering purifies the soul and can be offered to Jesus for the conversion of souls. How beautiful are the souls of those who suffer with Jesus and transform the world by their willingness to embrace their cross. They are hidden sources of light that radiate a spiritual light emanating as a beacon in a world of darkness.

The lady who gave Fr. Schuckman and I the cherry pie, was a light of God's love. Too much salt when doing a good deed can sour the stomach, but the loving action is beautiful in the eyes of God.

Today, add flavor to your life, by doing good deeds of love. Scatter salt and allow the light of Christ to shine through you. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, give us the grace to be faithful Christians by “passing the salt” and to “turning on the light”, so as to give glory to God.

By the way, you will never eat a salty pie made by the Wrights at the Little River Cookie House.

4th Sunday, Confound Strong (David, St. Agnes, Virgin Mary)

 

In the second reading today, St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, "Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something..."

Can you think of anyone in the bible who was weak, but confounded the strong? David was a lowly shepherd. He was short in stature, yet he took 5 stones placing them in a bag as he carried his sling shot. David goes into battle against warrior Goliath, the giant Philistine, who had a large sword.

Archaeological evidence leads to the conclusion that Goliath was between 6 feet 9 inches and 7 feet 8 inches tall. David was probably about 5 foot tall, the average height for Hebrew men during his time.

David prayed to God and then he took one stone, placed it in his sling, and hurled it at Goliath. The stone struck Goliath in his head instantly killing him. David then cut off his head. He used a single stone to kill a giant who came at him with a sword.

How could this be? Truly, the hand of God was upon him. God wanted to show everyone, that the Lord can use weak humble instruments to confound the strong and prideful.

A saint whose weakness confounded the strong was St. Agnes, who was about 12 or 13 years old when she was martyred.

Because she was Christian, and because the emperor hated Christians, a judge sentenced Agnes to live in house of harlots.

Agnes was a very pure young lady. A young man attempted to have his way with her, but she told him she belonged to Jesus alone. After she said this, the young man became suddenly blind.

Because she knew Jesus awaited her arrival in heaven, Agnes was then taken away, to be put to death, but was not afraid to die.

When the executioner attempted to fasten a chain around her neck and hands, she willingly did it herself. What hostile threats came from the executioner to frighten her; what promises made to win her over; what influential people desired her in marriage!

But to all that, she answered: “To hope that any other will please me-- does wrong to (Jesus) my Spouse. I will be His who first chose me for Himself. Executioner, why do you delay? If eyes that I do not want can desire this body, then let it perish.” She stood still, she prayed, and then offered her neck. Then she told the executioner, “Executioner, why do you delay?”

He was shocked at her willingness to die for Our Blessed Lord. Fear could be seen in the eyes of the executioner, as if he were the one condemned; his right hand trembled, his face grew pale as he saw the girl’s peril, while she had no fear for herself. One victim, but a twin martyrdom of modesty and religion; Agnes preserved her virginity, and gained a martyr’s crown.

St. Agnes was a weak young humble girl, but put to shame the emperor, who had tremendous power in the empire. She put to shame the young man, who became blind for looking disgracefully at her. And she put to shame the executioner, the strong man, who was shocked because of her courage to die for Jesus. The young girl was weak, but confounded the strong. Her humility humbled the proud, as she had no fear of death.

The Virgin Mary is the supreme example of humility. She was a weak humble virgin. But by Her immense humility, She confounded the strong.

She is the woman in Genesis who will crush the head of the proud serpent. That is why whenever we have any temptation, we can be like David who hurled the stone to kill a the giant Goliath. Instead of 5 stones, we have 5 mysteries of the Rosary. By praying Hail Marys we hurl stones at the devil.

St. John Bosco had a dream on the eve of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the dream he saw a stranger come to him and asked him to look at something on the ground:

St John Bosco said, "He took me to a meadow alongside the playground and pointed to a huge, ugly snake, over twenty feet long, coiled in the grass. Frightened, I wanted to run off, but the stranger held me back. "Get closer and take a good look," he said."What?" I gasped. "Don't you realize that monster could spring on me and gobble me up in no time?" "Don't be afraid! Nothing of the sort will happen. Just come with me."

The stranger went to get a rope and asked St. John Bosco to slap the snake with it: They snapped the rope on the snake's back. The monster immediately sprang up and struck at the rope, but, as it did, it ensnared itself as in a noose. The snake began to struggle and quickly died. Then the stranger picked up the rope and put it in a box. What happened next was astonishing.

The stranger explained the spiritual symbolism behind what happened: He opened the box. We looked in and were astounded to see the rope shaped into the words Ave Maria. "How did that happen?" I asked. The man said, "The snake is a symbol of the devil, whereas the rope stands for Ave Maria or, rather, the Rosary, a succession of Hail Marys with which we can strike, conquer, and destroy all of hell's demons." St. John Bosco took the lesson to heart and wrote to his students, "Let us devoutly say a Hail Mary whenever we are tempted, and we'll be sure to win."

Today, take into your hands the Holy Rosary, praying it daily. By these humble prayers, She will confound the devil and crush the head of the serpent. She will shame the strong and reduce to nothing those who think they are something.

Strengthening Purity Boys

"But, I say to you, everyone who looks lustfully at a woman, as already committed adultery in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)

The Virgin Mary told Saint Jacinta Marto, one of the three children who had visions of the Virgin Mary, “More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.” She issued a direct warning saying: “Let men avoid greed, lies, envy, blasphemy, impurity.”

“One study found that 90% of children ages 8 to 16 have viewed pornography online.” (Covenant Eyes)

To regain purity can take a long time, but some saints, like Augustine, by a single act of grace received it immediately and maintained it the rest of their life.

Why do some statues of St. Joseph depict him holding a staff in his hand with a lily blossoming out of it? There is a tradition that when it came time for the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the age of 14 to be married, there were several suitors seeking Her hand. Each had their own staff and at the request of the priest, wrote their name on their staff. During the prayer service offered by the priest, Joseph’s staff immediately burst into bloom with fragrant white lilies, indicating he was the one chosen by God. St. Joseph is known for his purity. "The just man shall blossom like the lily" is applied to St. Joseph in the liturgy for his feast day, March 19, St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary. Praying to St. Joseph, the most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, will greatly give strength to overcome impure temptations. The book Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Don Calloway has helped many men to become pure.

For those who would like to break the habit of pornography and/or impurity, here are some helpful suggestions:

1. Confess your sins once a week. Don’t wait until you commit a mortal sin to go to Confession, rather confess lustful thoughts, temptations to do actions of impurity (the thought occurs to do an impure action, and the mind begins to embrace the thought is when the temptation becomes a sin). If one turns away from the temptation and doesn’t fall, it is important to confess the venial sins of lust, and desire to to do an impure action, etc… Come to confession immediately after a fall. Don’t wait. The longer you wait, the more you will be tempted to not go to Confession and maybe tempted to do another impure action. Confession first and foremost washes away the sin, but Confession also gives the penitent graces to over come sins. So the more frequently one confesses, the less one will commit mortal sin. If you commit a mortal sin, don’t receive Communion, unless you first go to Confession. Saint Padre Pio suggested that everyone go to Confession weekly. Confession helps us to overcome sin, to grow in virtue and to be more sorry for having committed sins. Despite frequent falls, keep coming to Confession, manly take up your Cross and persevere. Don’t give up. If you fall, don’t lose heart. Jesus understands how difficult it is for you to pull out of a long habit. Over time, and with His help and grace, Jesus will slowly free you. It took time to develop the habit and it will take time to give up the habit. You can be free and you will someday be free. Trust Jesus. It takes work and you can do it!

2. Trust Jesus! The devil will first try to convince you to do an impure action, then he will make you feel shameful after you have committed it. He will try to get you to lose hope and by shame will try to keep you from trusting Jesus and try to prevent you from going to Confession.

3. Attend daily Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as possible. Receive Jesus in the Eucharist only in the state of grace. Pray a weekly Holy Hour or daily Holy Hour if you are able. Come and spend time in the church praying before Jesus in the tabernacle.

4. Wear a Crucifix, Scapular, Miraculous Medal and St. Benedict Medal. Have them blessed by a priest.

5. Every night before retiring, pray three Hail Marys in honor of Mary’s purity and ask Mary for the gift of purity. St. Alphonsus Ligouri said those who keep this devotion will always become pure.

6. The quicker one turns away from the temptation, the easier it is to overcome it. When a lustful thought first enters the mind, or as soon as the idea begins to tempt one to look at pornography or to do an impure action, immediately turn your mind on something pleasurable, but non-sinful (such as ice-cream or chocolate cake), and simultaneously pray audibly, an Our Father or Hail Mary. You will see the thought immediately vanish, because most likely it was an evil spirit tempting you.

7. Regularly avoid eating sweets and drinking pop. Stay away from foods and drinks labeled “sugar free”, but actually have alcohol sugars in them. For some men, chocolate can cause impure thoughts.

8. Deny yourself instant gratifications. When a thought for pop or candy first come to mind, don’t have them. Eating snacks can cause the will to be weakened and so one can’t turn away from sin as easy as one who mortifies his or her desires. When thirsty, make yourself wait a few minutes before drinking water, or when it is hot, wait to turn on the air conditioner. Make yourself wait for things. These small non-sinful self-denials can be very helpful in not following through with sinful gratifications.

9. Fast on bread and water (or however you are able fast) twice a week. By fasting regularly, it is much easier to overcome sinful temptations. Our Lord said, “...this kind can only come out through prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21)

10. The primary motivation for growing in purity is love. First, we love Jesus so much, we want to avoid hurting Him. By meditating on His scourging at the pillar, we can see how we participated in it. Second, we are to love our neighbor, by seeking what is best for those who have allowed their bodies to be used in an impure way. We should view girls who have allowed themselves to be photographed immodestly as sisters in Christ. We refuse to look at their bodies for our own pleasure, and will pray and fast for them regularly, because we truly love them and want them to be in heaven someday.

11. Consecrate yourself and your purity to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and consecrate yourself to St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse. Develop a tender love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Virgin Most Pure.

12. Avoid occasions of sin. Stop watching television. Avoid movies and YouTube videos with improper content. Install image blockers on your phone and computer. Use Covenant Eyes for the protection of yourself. https://www.covenanteyes.com or www.catholicinrecovery.com or

https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security

13. When an addiction has developed, evil spirits can use our emotions to convince us to sin. But, we can pray deliverance prayers and cleansing prayers to protect us. Daily pray the St. Michael prayer and the Guardian Angel Prayer. These prayers as well as the Our Father and Hail Mary should especially be prayed when we are tempted. Daily pray a deliverance prayer and Cleansing Prayer.

14. Daily pray the Holy Rosary as many as you are able in one day, perhaps 3 or 4 rosaries. Several men including Gabriel Castillo and Fr. Don Calloway say that those who pray 3 or 4 Rosaries a day will become free of pornography and impure actions. The frequent praying of the Rosary, especially the sorrowful mysteries, will lead to greater holiness and leave behind sin and impurity. The Rosary is THE weapon against evil and temptation. Mary will enter the battle for us and crush the head of the serpent.

15. Accountability Partner. “For some it is helpful to ask a friend to help you to be accountable. In Proverbs 27:17 we read “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” I believe this refers to the value of support and accountability. In my work I with men struggling with pornography, I usually recommend they find accountability partners. This is needed to help achieve and maintain healthy sobriety. Many ask me who can be a suitable accountability partner.” Dr. Peter Kleponis

3rd Sunday - Fisher of Men (Eucharist)

 

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone."

The four individuals in our Gospel today experience the light of Jesus: Peter, Andrew, James, and John, when they were called by Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee. These four apostles were invited by Jesus to turn from fishing fish to fishing for people. They left careers and family to follow Jesus, not just mediocre careers but careers that were giving them a good income.

Jesus called the apostles, “Come after me.” It was a call first to spend time with Him. Jesus called them, not because they were better than others, but because He loved them. And the apostles responded because they loved Jesus, and because they loved Him, they were willing to leave everything at His words “Come after me.”

Isaiah’s prophetic text about the people of Galilee seeing the light of God was fulfilled not only eight centuries later at the time of Christ but continues to be fulfilled in our time as men continue to answer the call of Jesus to leave their boats and nets and enter seminary, to turn from fishing fish to fishing people for the Lord himself.

Jesus said, “Come after me.” Seminarians give up a career and spouse by following Him. Sometimes people talk about what seminarians leave behind to follow the Lord and enter seminary. While we know that is true, it is not the full story because when they leave everything, they gain Jesus.

The reason why apostles and seminarians are able to leave everything to follow Jesus is because they loved Jesus. If they did not love Him, they would not have been able to leave everything to follow Jesus. During the Last Supper in John’s Gospel Jesus said that the Apostles love Him, “the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me.”

When one loves Jesus, suffering for Jesus does not even seem like suffering. When the apostles were interrogated by the Sanhedrin for preaching about Jesus after Pentecost, they were beaten but went home rejoicing because they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. They were called by Jesus because He loved them, and their love of Jesus enabled them to do anything for Jesus and would even die for Him.

Our love for Jesus is seen especially by coming to Him through the sacraments. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments", and therefore, we show our love for Jesus by avoiding sin and confess our sins to Him. We feel bad because we hurt Him, whom we love.

We come to Mass as often as we are able, because we desire to be one with Jesus in Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love. During Communion our heart and His heart are intimately united. He pours His love into our hearts. The Eucharist is Jesus. He is the light. He said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

In 1991 I went to Medjugorje for the first time. Our pilgrimage group met Anka Dragan, an interpreter of Fr. Jozo. She said she was born in a Communist family and was raised as an Atheist. She had an inner desire for love and an understanding for her purpose in life. She traveled the world searching for an answer. She studied Eastern philosophy, spirituality, and still wasn't satisfied.

Then one day.... God performed a miracle of conversion in her life. Anka understood that Jesus was real; that she needed Jesus and that miracle led her to become Catholic.

As an atheist, when she entered St. James church for the first time, she saw people going up to the front and receiving something, but she didn't know what it was. As they were leaving the altar to receive Holy Communion, she saw a light come inside them and they became light. She said, "I saw the miraculous conversion that takes place in us when we receive Holy Communion, the body and blood of Christ. Although I was in the back of the church, I heard a voice that said my name, "Anka" and the voice repeated my name again, "Anka". She said she felt Jesus personally called her by name. She left her career and everything to follow Jesus to become Catholic, because she discovered He loved her. She said, "I know that now it was the unbound-less love and mercy of God for which I am very very thankful for being a convert, for being a witness. I found what I had been looking for and searching in so many places and the entire time it was 100 meters from my home, here in the church was Jesus in the tabernacle. I am happy because I am a witness of Jesus who is God and is alive."

My friends, Jesus in the Eucharist is God. He is King of heaven and earth, and to show our love and respect to Him we now have the opportunity to receive Him kneeling at every Mass.

The Eucharistic revival brought about many graces in our own diocese. A number of parishes now use kneelers or altar rails. Holy Cross in Hutchinson, St. Patrick's in Kingman, Blessed Sacrament in Wichita, St. Joseph in McPherson are just a few that use them with Bishop Kemme's approval. I spoke with Fr. Bob, who said we could use kneelers at all Masses, but to use two kneelers. Austin Neufeld constructed two kneelers and starting today, we will begin to use them.

During Covid, scientists including a researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Bergen, Norway, said, "receiving Communion on the tongue and in the kneeling position is scientifically the safest and most hygienic method, which is "unlikely to incur a high risk of infection transmission," the new research shows.

My friends, you may wish to consider kneeling and receiving Communion on the tongue. It shows deep love and respect for Jesus and it's safer, than receiving on the hand.

Jesus in the Eucharist is the light. He wants us to live in the light and when we come before Him in Eucharistic Adoration or during Holy Communion, our soul glows with light and this light spreads throughout a world in darkness.

O Mary, Mother of light, guide us to Jesus the light.

2nd Sunday Year A Confession

 

In the Gospel today, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." John the Baptist was to prepare the people of his time for Jesus by encouraging them to repent and seek forgiveness for their sins.

When Jesus began His public ministry, He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel."

One who acknowledges their sins, repents and confesses them, is open to hearing what Jesus has to say and having a relationship with Him. If we are reconciled with God, we have union with Him.

Jesus Himself instituted the Sacrament of Confession. Our Lord told the apostles, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” Our Lord also said, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

From the beginning of Christianity, Christians repented by confessing their sins. St. Paul said, “We are ambassadors of Christ.” An ambassador is who is sent on behalf of another person. He said, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

Confession, like all sacraments, is an encounter with Jesus. So when we confess our sins in confession, we are confessing them to Jesus. In our encounter with Jesus, He Himself absolves the sins. The priest says, “I absolve you from your sins.”, but the priest in his own name cannot absolve sins.

St. Basil the Great, in 374 AD, said early Christians confessed to the Apostles. He said, "It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of God’s mysteries is entrusted. Those doing penance of old are found to have done it before the saints. It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist [Matt. 3:6], but in Acts [19:18] they confessed to the apostles."

St. Cyprian of Carthage in 251 AD, (about 200 years after Jesus) said Christians confessed their sins to priests. He said, "Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who... confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience.... I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still pleasing before the Lord."

The apostles, bishops and priests of the early Church, and up to today, heard confessions. For 1,500 years, all Catholics confessed their sins and no one questioned it, until the Protestant revolt with Martin Luther. To not confess sins to a priest is Protestant.

Mortal sin causes us to be separated from God and when we come to confession we are reconciled with God. If we commit a mortal sin, we are obligated to confess our sins in confession.

St. Paul said, “whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” To receive Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin is an additional mortal called a sacrilegious communion which is a more grievous sin, because it is a direct offense against God.

If we have mortal sin on our soul and if we receive the Eucharist, without going to Confession, we receive absolutely no grace whatsoever from Holy Communion, but rather, deeply offend Our Lord and add many years of purgatory time for us or if we refuse to confess mortal sins, we could lose heaven and go to hell forever.

There are various reasons why some don't receive Holy Communion: For example someone may have accidentally ate something and broke the one hour fast before Communion, or someone may not be Catholic. Or a person may have an upset stomach and fear vomiting. Or if a person's soul is not in the state of grace (due to missing Mass on Sunday or some other serious sin) and needs to go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion. It takes humility to stay in the pew, when we shouldn't receive Holy Communion.

At every Mass, the Church reminds us we are unworthy to receive Holy Communion. The priest elevates the Host saying the words of John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb." The people respond declaring their unworthiness, saying, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, by only say the word and my soul shall be healed."

Confession reconciles us back to God telling Him, “O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you.” I want to come back to You and once again be one with You. And so when we go to Confession, we are reconciled with Him and He embraces us. When the prodigal son comes back home full of repentance, his father runs to embrace him. We restore our friendship lost due to our sins.

Confession washes away sins and prepares our heart for Jesus. Our soul is cleansed and made pure. Confession is the Sacrament of Mercy. God in His loving kindness, out the depths of His love, forgives us. Though we don’t deserve His mercy, it’s a total gift.

Confession is called the Sacrament of Conversion. It is a turning away from sin and turning toward God. We resolve to never commit the sin again and to “amend our life.” When we confess our sins to a priest, we receive advice on how to overcome our sins. We receive penance to make up for our sins. Just a reminder, we have Confession 30 minutes before every Mass.

My friends, every day we should examine our conscience so as to daily strive to improve our friendship and relationship with Jesus. May the Virgin Mary, refuge of sinners, help us to have a sacramental encounter with Jesus in Confession and receive His mercy frequently.