Trinity Sunday - Fatima

 

This weekend is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It's the feast day for our parish.

Did you know some of the apparitions of Fatima had to do with the Mass, the Eucharist and the Blessed Trinity?

In 1916, a year before Mary appeared, an angel appeared to three children holding a Chalice in his hands. A Host was suspended over the Chalice, and drops of blood fell from it into the Chalice. While the Chalice and Host were suspended in the air, he prostrated on the ground and repeated three times: "Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly, and I offer the Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in all the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the offenses, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is so offended. And by the infinite merits of your Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask for the conversion of poor sinners."

Then the angel, took the Host, gave it to Lucia, and the contents of the Chalice to Jacinta and Francisco, saying: "Eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly offended by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."
This prayer addressed to the Holy Trinity had as its purpose to make reparation for the "offenses, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is so offended" in the Holy Eucharist. The angel even said the Body and Blood of Christ is horribly offended by ungrateful men. And the children are asked to make reparation for their crimes and to console God.

Years later, Sister Lucia had a vision in the convent chapel at Tuy, Spain. She had a vision of the Blessed Trinity and she saw the Virgin Mary holding a Rosary, pointing to Her Heart surrounded with thorns, as She stood next to the Blessed Trinity, who were above the altar.

She saw God the Father looking down upon Jesus hanging on the Cross and the Holy Spirit between the Father and the Son. From the crown of Jesus and His wounded Heart dripped blood onto a suspended Host, which then dripped into a chalice.

This vision of the Trinity above the altar with Mary standing near by is a reminder of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every Mass is the re-presentation of Calvary. And Pope John Paul II said, Mary is present at every Mass because She was present at Calvary.

We need to be reminded that the Mass is a sacrifice. The Mass is like a time machine, where the event of the Crucifixion that took place over 2000 years ago becomes present in an un-bloody manner at every Mass.

The apparitions of the angel and the vision at Tuy, are subtle reminders, of our times that there is loss of faith in the Eucharist causing indifference, sacrileges, and offenses. There is also a loss of understanding that the Holy Mass is a sacrifice.

The Tuy vision showed us truths about the Mass. That Mass is a Holy Sacrifice. It’s the re-presentation of Calvary on the altar. The Holy Mass is the worship of the Blessed Trinity. The bread and wine are totally changed into the body and blood of Christ at Mass. The vision of Sister Lucia where she sees Jesus hanging from the Cross and drops of Blood falling from His head unto the Host and from the Host dripping into the Chalice, is a reminder, that the Eucharist is the true Body of Jesus and the wine is changed into the true Blood of Jesus, shed for us on the Cross.

What are the sacrileges, offenses and indifference today with regard to the Eucharist? The most common sacrilege is receiving the Holy Eucharist in the state of mortal sin.

We are obligated to confess all mortal sins before we receive Holy Communion, such as missing Mass on Sunday, impure actions, pornography, adultery, using birth control etc... Otherwise, we commit an additional mortal sin called a sacrilegious communion. When we do such a thing, we receive absolutely no graces from Communion and in fact, we deeply offend Jesus.

St Paul said that when we receive the Eucharist unworthily, will bring condemnation to our self. He said, “For he who eats this bread and drinks the chalice of the Lord unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

Blessed Dina Belanger said, “No punishment on earth can suffice for receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin.” St. Cyril said, "They who make a sacrilegious Communion receive Satan and Jesus Christ into their hearts--Satan, that they may let him rule, and Jesus Christ, that they may offer Him in sacrifice as a Victim to Satan." The Catechism of the Council of Trent states, "Of all the mysteries...none can compare with the....Eucharist, so likewise for no crime is there heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreligious use by the faithful of that which...contains the very Author and Source of holiness."

During the time of the apparitions, no one, except the priest received Communion in the hand. That’s why the children received Communion on the tongue.

One of the offenses committed against the Holy Eucharist in our time is small Particles of the Sacred Host are dropped on the floor by those who receive Communion in the hand. If we receive Communion in the hand, we should look at our hand to see if there are any Sacred Particles, and if there are, we should place them in our mouth and consume them. Most people may no attention to their hand after they receive Communion.

The Holy Eucharist is not only Jesus. Every Host contains the Blessed Trinity. We can't separate the three persons of the Trinity, they are always united as one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are equal, undivided and one.

Blessed Dina Belanger speaks about the Blessed Trinity in each Host and how Jesus is present in each fragment. She said, "The veil of mystery has been torn asunder. He is there, my God, infinite Unity, adorable Trinity, under the appearance of a small piece of bread. Jesus is there, in His sacred Humanity, His Heart, His precious Blood, His Soul, His eternal Divinity; He is there, whole and entire, in each Host consecrated throughout the world and in each fragment of consecrated Host."

I would like to prayerfully consider asking Jesus how He would like you to receive Communion. If you receive in the hand, pray about receiving on the tongue.

The angel of Fatima also told the children that God is offended by ungrateful men. The angel said, "Eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly offended by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."

Every time we receive Holy Communion we need to thank the Lord for the gift of receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. The same is true for Confession. Every time we confess our sins, we should thank the Lord for forgiving us and bestowing His mercy upon us.

"Eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly offended by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."

If we are not in the state of grace, as an act of humility, we should not come forward to receive Holy Communion. People at times don't receive Communion because they accidentally ate food in less than an hour before Communion, or perhaps they have an upset stomach and don't want to receive Communion for fear of vomiting.

Today, at Mass, let us offer our self, our sacrifices, our works in union with the bread and wine as they are offered on the altar through the hands of the priest as a total gift of self. We offer our self through Him, with Him and in Him as the priest says, "Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever."

As the re-presentation of Jesus on Calvary becomes present on the altar, worship the Blessed Trinity, we believe Our Blessed Mother is standing at the foot of the Cross next to the priest. May our Holy Communion today, make reparation for the offenses, sacrilegious and indifferences by which Jesus is offended in the Holy Eucharist.

Pentecost & Virgin Mary

 

Today, Holy Mother Church celebrates Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the upper room. We will first look at the history of Pentecost and then see how Mary helps us to live out the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that all can see the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life.

Pentecost was one of the three great Jewish Feasts many Jews went on pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem to worship God in the temple. It was a feast of thanksgiving to God for the deliverance of the Hebrew people and for God giving the Law on Mount Sinai. In thanksgiving to God they offered the first fruits from their harvest. It was called Pentecost because it was celebrated 50 days after the Passover. Passover is when they slaughtered the lambs as sacrifice and ate the Passover meal. It is believed the day Jesus was crucified was the feast of the Passover. When the Holy Spirit would come down upon the apostles, it gave new spiritual meaning to the Jewish Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles and the Virgin Mary prayed for nine days in the upper room, waiting for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. When the day of Pentecost arrived, suddenly, a sound came from heaven, like a rush of mighty wind, and it filled the house they were sitting. And there appeared to them, in the form of tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit, which came down, and rested upon the Apostles, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and filled them with the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues such that each person heard the apostles speak in their own language. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were no longer afraid. From this day forward, they would become witnesses of the Gospel, even to the shedding of their blood as martyrs. The descent of the Holy Spirit is the birth of the Church as it begins its mission to gather all people of all nations together by the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Holy Spirit is the advocate who leads all people to the truth.

The Virgin Mary, the most perfect of all humans, was present in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended upon Her and the apostles. Because She was perfect, She received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in a super imminent way. She is the greatest of all saints, completely free from original sin and never once sinned in Her life. If we want to grow in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can ask Mary to help us. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, & fear of the Lord.

Mary is called the Seat of Wisdom, because She always sought God as Her highest good enabling Her to know the purpose and plan of Her life. She relished the things of God and directed Her whole life and actions to His glory and honor. Turning to Mary for Wisdom, we put God first in our life and see more clearly God’s will and plan for us.

The gift of Understanding caused Mary to understand Catholic teaching in a way far superior to us. If we are confused about a particular doctrine of the Church, or we want to come to have a better understanding of a particular Church teaching, or the grace to discern true and false doctrines, let us ask Our heavenly Mother for the gift of understanding.

Mary’s gift of Counsel caused Her to have the supernatural gift of prudence. The gift of counsel can help us to judge promptly and rightly what must be done in difficult circumstances. Sometimes we need help in making prudent decisions and we want to better know what is wrong and what is right, so we can ask Our Lady of Good Counsel to help us in our decisions.

Because of the gift of Fortitude Mary had the courage to endure Her seven sorrows. She had the strength to stand at the Foot of the Cross. And after He was placed in the tomb, She believed He would rise. When we are faced with difficult situations, we should turn to Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, to seek the gift of Fortitude.

The gift of knowledge “enables us to see God reflected in all creatures and to praise Him in them, but yet to see the nothingness of creatures in themselves so that we desire God alone.” The gift caused Mary to see created things as instruments for God’s service. We can appeal to Mary for help to know and love Jesus more and also come to understand the true purpose of created things are to lead us to God.

Mary’s gift of Piety caused Her to love God as Her Father, who overshadowed Her. She always sought the Father’s will in all things. She loved God first and foremost because God deserved to be loved. Perhaps we love God for the purpose of getting something from Him, not for His own sake. Mary can assist us to love God first, because He deserves to be loved as our loving and compassionate Father.

The Gift of Fear of the Lord, did not cause Mary to be afraid of God. Rather, She feared to offend Him. That is why Mary never chose to sin. When we find ourselves complacent with our sins, not striving to overcome them as we ought, we should pray to Mary, asking Her for the gift of Fear of the Lord, so we will strive to turn away from sin, so as not to offend God our loving Father.

Today, let us turn to the Virgin Mary as our model asking Her to obtain for us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit so that all who see us will see the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit in all that we say and do as Christians. May everyday-- be a day--- we pray to the Holy Spirit and in this way, all will see His working in our life.

Ascension of Jesus

 

The readings for the feast of Ascension challenge us to look in three directions at the same time: upwards, inwards, and outwards. 

When 'looking up', we see the disciples of Jesus on the top of the Mount of Olives, our eyes are firmly fixed on the heavens where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. His ascension gives the finishing touch to His resurrection. It is ‘mission accomplished’ for Jesus.

The mission had begun when he embraced our human condition in the womb of Mary by becoming one of us, then walking in our footsteps, traveling our roads, experiencing our pains, feeling our fears, taking on our weaknesses, embracing our limitations even to the point of coming face-to-face with death itself. His mission was to reveal the Blessed Trinity, establish His Church, work miracles, expel demons, forgive sins, preach and proclaim the Gospel. He wanted as many as possible to come to know and love Him and be one of His disciples to obtain heaven.

And just when death seemed to get the last word, and when His lifeless body was in the tomb three days. He burst forth from the tomb radiant with new life. 

Forty days later, He returned to his Father where he intercedes for all of us. Ascension is about looking up, then: looking up to heaven where Christ is gloriously triumphant, our hope and our joy.

But looking up to heaven is not enough. There is work to be done on earth. We can’t afford to be heavenly minded without an earthly good! And that’s where looking inward and looking outward come in.

St. Augustine, helps us to look inward. In a homily for the feast of the Ascension, he said, 'Christ ascended before the apostles’ eyes, and they turned back grieving, only to find Him in their hearts.' St. Paul, in today’s reading from Ephesians, speaks of looking with 'the eyes of our hearts' – coming to see the Christ who dwells within us by faith, awakening to the ways God’s grace is working within us right now, coming to know the hope that is ours, the 'surpassing greatness of God’s power for us who believe'. The eyes of the heart are able, in times of pain and darkness and grief, to see, however dimly, the hand of a mysterious but loving God at work. Only the eyes of the heart can make sense out of life’s most perplexing mysteries. That’s why we look inward to see God in the midst of what we cannot understand.

Lastly, the Ascension causes us to look outward. The Ascension is not only about meeting Jesus who dwells within, it is also about taking that Jesus out into the world where we live. Jesus told his disciples, 'Go, make disciples of all nations,'. He says the same to us. We don’t just stand still gazing at the heavens anymore than the disciples on top of the Mount of Olives did. There is work to be done, a world to be transformed, a Gospel to be preached, and we instruments of God in the world to help others get to heaven.

The Ascension reminds us, that we who follow Jesus are called to look outwards, to leave our comfort zone and plant the seeds of the Gospel in the very dirty soil of this world:  soil that is often hostile to the Gospel, or at least painfully indifferent to it. 

We are called to go some places we are not welcome, to proclaim good news to those who don't want to hear it – certainly not to a culture that has eyes only for the here and now, that often confuses freedom with license, views suffering as meaningless, and values life only when it brings pleasure. Like Jesus, we are to be a sign of contradiction in the world, for by doing so, we help others to look heavenward.

My friends, make no mistake: the Ascension is about keeping our eyes upward toward heaven and it's about inward and outward directions. It is about internalizing the Gospel to take root in us and transforms us. And it is also about taking that Gospel to the streets: preaching it by the love we give, the stands we take, the poor we serve, the justice we promote.

Dear friends, this Feast of the Ascension, we are at the same time to live on a heavenly plane and to carry our cross on an earthly plane. That’s the life of a follower of Christ, a life that’s not easy and never dull. But if we take it seriously, we’ll make our mark.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, who was with the Apostles on the Mount of Olives and with them watched Her Son go to heaven on a cloud, we trust that someday, we too will be all those who gone before us in our heavenly home. Mostly taken from Msgr. Jameson

Our Lady of Fatima

 

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The year before Mary began to appear to the children, an angel of peace appeared to them. The angel said to the children, "Fear not, I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.” Kneeling on the ground, he bowed low and cited this prayer three times, with the children repeating it after him: "O my God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." The angel showed us the importance of believing in God, adoring God to have hope in God and to love God.

The angel of peace also explained it was necessary to pray in order to have peace. The angel said, "Pray! Pray a great deal. The hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs concerning you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way...I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you."

The angel as a messenger of God reveals that in order to have peace we need to make reparation for sins which have offended God and we are to love others by being concerned for their salvation. We show our love for others by making sacrifices for them and praying for their conversion.

The angel also said something very important about how to obtain peace. The angel said, “Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you."

The angel offered the children Holy Communion. Lucia received the Host, and Jacinta and Francisco drank the Precious Blood from the chalice.

When Our Lady began to appear to the children in 1917. She told them that from Russia would come a threat, which could cause the annihilation of the nations. To prevent this, she asked that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and asked for world devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

She came to ask for reparation for sins against Her Immaculate Heart, by doing the first 5 Saturdays.

During every apparition, She asked the children to pray the Rosary. She gave the children 3 secrets. She showed the children a vision of hell.

There is controversy over the 3 secret. The children saw a man dressed in white walking over the bodies of dead people killed by soldiers. An angel appeared saying, "Penance, Penance, Penance". Some believe the Vatican didn't reveal the full secret and some contend that the secret involved apostasy in the church.

Mary said that the consecration would come, but that it would be late and she said it would cause the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart.

Mary appeared on the 13th of each month. However, one month, the couldn't come to the apparition site because the children were arrested by the communist government and placed in jail. The authorities threatened to boil them in oil if they didn't renounce

At Her last apparition of the children, She identified Herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. Lucia also saw St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus, who was blessing the world and she saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It had rained for days and so on Oct 13th, the ground was muddy and soaked.

But suddenly the crowd saw the sun grow larger as it swirled out of control and appeared as though it was going crash into the ground.

Thousands of people witnessed the phenomena. After the sun returned to the sky in its normal position, the people were shocked that their clothes and the ground were completely dry.

Jacinta and Francisco would do great penances. Francisco would spend hours before Jesus in the tabernacle consoling the hidden Jesus. Jacinta became known as a mystic and predicted such things as immodest clothing, that would greatly offend Our Lord. The two children would die shortly after from the flu. Jacinta would later be found incorrupt.

Lucia would become a religious sister. First she entered the Dorothean convent and then later became a Carmelite sister. While at the Dorothean convent, she had visions of the Child Jesus and Mary, asking her to promote the first five Saturdays and in one vision she saw the Blessed Trinity above the altar, with blood dripping down from the wounds of Jesus onto a Host, which then dripped into a chalice. She saw what appeared to be water coming down from the wounds of Jesus, with the words "graces and mercy".

She lived to be 97 years old. However, some have analyzed photos of Sister Lucia, and believe the woman, who lived in the Carmelite monastery, was actually a woman who impersonated her. They claim to have scientific evidence that its not the real Sr. Lucia, which they say disappeared in the 1960s.

Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13th, the anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima and then several years in 1983, later consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which resulted in the fall of communism in the world. He however did not specifically consecrate Russia.

Due to the Russia and Ukraine war, Pope Francis consecrated Russia but also the Ukraine, which some believe still did not fully do was Our Lady asked, which is the consecration of Russia in union with all the bishops of the world.

There is definitely a re-surge of Communism in the world today. Many are praying and hoping for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Let us do as Our Lady requested, daily pray the Rosary, do penance, make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and may we continue to do the First Five Saturdays and promote devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

6th Sunday, If You Love Me Keep My Commandments (Graduation Mass)

Do you love Jesus? How do we know if we truly love Him? We can say to Jesus, "I love you." Which is good. But, words can be cheap. If we love someone, we show the person we love, by doing loving actions for them.

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." We can tell Jesus, we love Him, but if we don't keep His commandments, do we really love Jesus as we ought.

We should not have strange gods before Jesus. We should not place anything above our faith, such as as money, fame or sports, our job, our even our family. God must always be first.

We should not take God's name in vain, by cussing or saying, God's name as an expression.

We should keep the Sabbath holy, by attending Mass, and not working on Sunday un-necessarily.

We should honor our mother and father, not talking back nor disobeying them.

We should not kill, which includes physically or verbally harming others, losing our temper. We should not overeat, or drink alcohol excessively or take drugs, or harm our own body. We should always forgive those who hurt us.

We should not commit adultery and be faithful to our spouse. If not married, we should not have relations outside of marriage or do anything impure or watch pornography. We should not use contraception, especially because the pill, IUD, patch or the injection, can cause the death of an unborn baby.

We should not steal. We should do an honest day's work. We should not cheat in games or at school.

We should not bare false witness, by lying or gossiping.

We should not envy or be jealous of others or their spouses.

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments. But, we are all human. We all make mistakes. We are all sinners. And Jesus understands that. What Jesus desires is that we try to keep His commandments. That we do our best to be a good disciple. To be holy and live a life of virtue. That's why Jesus gave us the sacraments, so we can be forgiven in Confession, and receive spiritual strength when united to Jesus in Holy Communion. Our Lord understands us, better than we understand our selves, and is always ready to give His love and mercy.

God desires that we not only keep His Commandments, but we also do loving acts of mercy for our neighbor too.

So, let's back track a bit. Do you love Jesus? How do we show Jesus we love Him. Telling Him, "Jesus, I love you." But, also to keep His commandments and not just keep His commandments, but to love others. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:39)

In the first Letter of John (4:20-21) it states, "If anyone says, I love God, and hates a brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: that he who loves God should love his brother also."

When students graduate from high school, they have their whole life to look forward to. But, there is a great responsibility to keep God's commandments and to love others. We need to do these to get to heaven.

As a child, our mother and father taught us to love God, to keep the commandments, and love our neighbor.

Often times, mothers shoulder the responsibility of forming us to help you become stewards of your own soul. Mothers taught us right from wrong. They taught us to share, to tell the truth, to not say dirty words, to forgive, to pray. They taught us the importance of attending Mass on weekends and going to Confession regularly. Mothers and fathers give us the skills we need to practice our faith on our own, and therefore, play a key role in helping us obtain heaven.

I was at the post office a few days ago. I saw a family from our parish there. The smallest child about 1 year old was sucking on a lollipop given to him by the postmaster. When he saw me, he took the lollipop out of his mouth and raised his hand holding it up for me to suck too. Of course, I politely refused to take it. But, the little boy's act of kindness, his little act of love, to share with others, was taught by his parents.

Now, as you gradate, you are responsible for your own soul. You are responsible for living out your faith. You are responsible for sharing what you have with others. You are responsible for going to Mass on your own. Going to Confession on your own. You are responsible for praying every day and praying the Rosary regularly and reading the bible. You are responsible for how you treat others. Will you live a life of selfishness or a life of self-giving. Will look out for the needs of others and help them when you can? Will you cause grief to others by bad behaviors or make the world a better place?

God has plan for every one of us. The prophet Jeremiah says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Today, think about doing something you will do for your natural mother and also the Virgin Mary, your spiritual mother. I'm sure your mother would enjoy it, if regularly told her, that you love her, if you kiss her, visit or call her. Take her out to eat or cook a meal for her. Or do a favor she asks of you. You can give her flowers or a gift on occasion.

If your mother died, have a Mass offered for her, pray a Rosary for her and daily pray for her soul.

The Blessed Mother is our spiritual mother. You will make the Virgin Mary happy if you daily pray Her Rosary, wear Her scapular, daily kneel before an image of Her and ask for Her intercession. And on occasion, set flowers before Her.

She would especially love if you made the First Five Saturdays in reparation for sins committed against Her Immaculate Heart, which includes: confessing your sins, attending Mass, offering your Holy Communion in reparation, praying Her Rosary and meditating on the three mysteries of the Rosary, Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries in reparation. By making the First Five Saturdays, you console Mother's Immaculate Heart so wounded by the sins of mankind.

There are five reasons why God is asking us to make reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception 2. Blasphemies against her virginity 3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, at the same time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men. 4. Instilling indifference, scorn and even hatred towards this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children. 5. Direct insults against Her sacred images.

Let us thank God for our natural mother and our Blessed Mother, and may we keep God's commandments, for by doing, so we will show our love for Jesus, who said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."

5th Sunday, I am the Way, the Truth & the Life

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

Is Jesus the only way to heaven? 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.

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.

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 Church was founded by Jesus Himself.

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.

Most all non-Catholic religions believe the Eucharist is 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 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 any denomination believes abortion, homosexual marriage, and euthanasia is okay and another 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.

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, because we have the fullness of truth.

During this month of May, 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."

First Communion

 

Today, the children will make their First Holy Communion. All year they learned about Confession and the Eucharist. It’s exciting for them, to make their First Confession and First Communion. Haley Stroppes faithfully taught the children everything they know.

The children first need to know what confession is and what receiving Holy Communion is all about. Then they needed to know how to go to Confession and How to receive Holy Communion.

I came to their class a number of times. After visiting with them and teaching them, they know they are not receiving bread, because they believe-- Jesus changes the bread and wine into His Body and Blood on the altar.

The learned the Last Supper was the First Mass and today, through an ordained priest, Jesus changes bread and wine into His Body and Blood at every Mass.

And if you ask them, “What is the Eucharist?” they will say, the Eucharist is the “body of Christ”, and some will also say, “the Eucharist is Jesus”.

What great faith children can have! And with what pure hearts they love Jesus.

I asked them what is a mortal sin? And all of them told me it was a very bad sin, that one freely chooses to do. They know they can't receive Holy Communion after committing a mortal sin. However, they understand Jesus is merciful and forgives, and so if someone commits a mortal sin, they are to Confess before receiving Holy Communion.

They were taught Jesus in the priest forgives their sins, in confession. When asked how often they should go to Confession, they will say once a month and they can go more often if they like.

They learned that they are not supposed to eat food, chew gum, or drink pop, within one hour of receiving Communion. And adults should not drink coffee in less than hour before Communion.

When they come to church and when they leave church, they genuflect because they know Jesus is in the Tabernacle. When they genuflect on one knee, I suggested they say to Jesus, "I love you." Jesus is king and that is why bend the knee to show Him respect and honor. They were taught the church is God's house and we need to always dress up when we come to Mass and never wear shorts to Mass or Eucharistic Adoration.

They know the Red sanctuary candle reminds us, Jesus is in the Tabernacle.

When they receive Holy Communion, they will return to their pew and close their eyes and pray to Jesus, who is inside them.

They were taught to always thank Jesus after they receive Holy Communion and to always thank Jesus for forgiving their sins after Confession.

On Wednesday, I told them-- before God created the earth, the moon and the stars, he thought of creating each one of them and Jesus has been looking forward to today, when Our Lord would come to dwell in their heart in Holy Communion.

At the end of the Mass, they will receive a brown scapular of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is a sign, that Mary will watch over them and help them to get to heaven. If they pray to Mary, She will keep them close to Jesus in the Eucharist.

In a couple of years, hopefully they will want be altar servers because they want to help Jesus at Mass.

When they come to Mass every Sunday to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and come to confession once a month, may their excitement continue every week.

What a joy it must be for Jesus to come into hearts so pure, innocent and so trusting.

May their joy be ours, every time we come to Mass and to confession, as we humbly believe and trust that Jesus, who is God is really present in the Eucharist and that Jesus, the good Shepherd forgives us-- in the Sacrament of Confession.

Parents, I encourage you to teach your children how to pray the Rosary and pray the Rosary at home regularly with your family. At the beginning of Mass, we crowned Mary because we love Her and want to honor Her.

Watch their eyes and faces when they receive Holy Communion when their heart is united to the Heart of Jesus for the very first time.

The mother of one of the children making his First Communion told me her son used to have spider man on his bedroom wall. But he took those down, and now he has pictures of Jesus. At Halloween, his parents asked what he wanted to dress up as, and said he wanted to dress up as Jesus. He wore a white tunic and a beard. He wanted to be Jesus.

When he goes to school, he carries a stuffed image of Jesus with him in his backpack. He loves Jesus. He brings Jesus wherever he goes.

For us adults, the hard part is to remember Jesus is there. To remember in those moments, when we all get heated up and confused or scared, Jesus is with us.

If you just looked over and saw Jesus standing next to you, you would be different. But, He is standing there. You just can't see Him. If you knew Him, you would know He is always with you.

Jesus comes to us in Holy Communion and we take Him with us, wherever we go.

4th Sunday, Year A Good Shepherd

 

The fourth Sunday after Easter is always dedicated to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday.

As the first pope, Saint Peter was the first chief shepherd of the Church. Recall what Jesus said to Peter after Our Lord rose from the dead. Even though Jesus rose from the dead and they had seen Him two Sundays in a row, the apostles didn't know what to do. So Peter, said to the Apostles, “I'm going out to fish,” and they said, “We'll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat. After fishing all night, they caught nothing. But the next day, Jesus appeared on the shore, though they didn't recognize Jesus. He told them to throw out their nets for a catch, and when they did, their nets were overflowing. John recognized Jesus, saying "It is the Lord!". Peter jumped into the water and swam to the shore. As Jesus was cooking a charcoal fire, He asked Peter,

 Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” And then again, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Tend my sheep'. The third time, Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter responded, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep". These words show Jesus made Peter the Shepherd of the Church.

When I was in the Holy Land recently, we visited the church built over the sight where Jesus cooked fish for them and told Peter, he was to be the shepherd of the Church. The church is called, "The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter."

What was the very first way Peter shepherded the Jewish people and where did he do it?

When the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and Mary in the upper room and after they heard the strong driving wind, Peter boldly went out to the Jews gathered for the feast in Jerusalem, and said, "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." When the people heard him, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the others, "What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Did all the people who gathered outside the upper room, where Peter gave his sermon crucify Jesus? Yes. All of them may not have been there at the location, where Jesus was crucified, but every Jew, every Roman, every Gentile, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, etc...every person in the entire world from the moment the world was created until Jesus's second coming, participated, in the crucifixion of Jesus by our sins.

A bold shepherd will proclaim that every person, participated in the crucifixion of Jesus. And then tell them what to do, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Every pope, bishop, and priest is a shepherd, and every shepherd is called to bring souls to Jesus. A shepherd should not fear in proclaiming that everyone needs to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

When I was in the Holy Land, I met a priest from the United States, he said, he had been to the Holy Land before. He said when he went the wailing wall in Jerusalem, which is believed to be the remaining wall of the Temple, Jews accosted him. He told me, "I'm not wearing my clerics this time, when I go to the wall, so they don't do that again. They won't know I'm a priest." I was disheartened he wanted to hide that he is a Catholic priest. 

Our group was scheduled to go the wailing wall in a few days, and I thought I would wear my clerics, because I was willing to suffer for Jesus. I wondered, if I could have endured it. I hope so, yet I didn't want to presume I could take the persecution. However, at least I was willing to suffer for Jesus. A priest from a different pilgrimage group said that Jews spit on Christians, especially priests at the wailing wall.

The thought occurred to me, "If I go to the temple wall, I don't care if I get accosted, and I will say to the Jews, "You people of Israel, you and your ancestors crucified Jesus, the one and only Messiah. He is Lord and Savior. Repent and be baptized everyone one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins, and accept Jesus into your life, for only He is the way, the truth and the life. Only Jesus can help you obtain to heaven. Despite each of us participating in His death, He loves you and forgives you!" 

Due to war beginning, we never went to the wailing wall and so I never had the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to the Jews there. Only God knows if I actually would have said what I thought.

The pope is the chief shepherd of the church and like Peter, he is also called to proclaim the Gospel, not only to Christians but to every man, woman and child and to every religion, whether that be Jew or Muslim or Hindu.

Saints went to their death proclaiming the truth about Jesus. For example, in 1597, Japanese martyrs, St. Paul Miki and companions were crucified for trying to convert others. He said, “As I come to this supreme of my life, I am sure none of you would suppose I want to deceive you. And so, I tell you plainly: there is no way to be saved except the Christian way. My religion teaches me to pardon my enemies and all who have offended me. I do gladly pardon the emperor and all who have sought my death. I beg them to seek baptism and be Christians themselves.”

Imagine for a moment what would happen if the pope, the current chief shepherd of the Church, went to a Muslim nation and said the words of St. Peter, "....know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." "Muhammad is a false prophet. The one and only true prophet, who is Lord, God and King is Jesus Christ! And then would say to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Would he convert all those who heard him, or be martyred like St. Paul Miki and companions? A shepherd is to lay down his life to help many obtain salvation.

As our bus was traveling the countryside in the Holy Land, as we looked out the window, we could see the Bedouin people, who are nomads. They roam the country and live in tents. Every time I saw a flock of sheep, I saw a shepherd, who stood or sat by the sheep with a staff in his hand. He uses the staff to protect the sheep from animals and bring back those that wander off. There were no fences, so the shepherd needed to constantly guide the sheep, to keep them close to him.

Today, the Church needs shepherds, like St. Peter, the first pope and like St. Paul Miki and companions, to boldly bring all into the flock of the Catholic Church. We need bishops and priests who are willing to suffer for Christ and to lay down their lives for sheep.

I would like to close with some thoughts about young men, who may be called to the priesthood. There was a recent survey given to many priests. The results are that:

86% of priests surveyed, that as a child, both parents were Catholic. 88% of the time, during the most formative childhood years, were raised by a married couple living together; 97% were raised by both biological parents. Before entering seminary, 79% regularly prayed the Rosary, and 81% regularly participated in Eucharistic Adoration. 92% were encouraged by a parish priest to consider a vocation; 49% were encouraged by a friend, 46% by their mother, and 44% by a parishioner. 79% of priests served as altar servers.

The diocese of Wichita has more seminarians per capita than any other diocese in the United States.

We give thanks to God for the many parishes that have Eucharistic Adoration, and as a result, help young men and boys to discover their vocation in life.

Is there some young boy or young man, from our parish, God is calling to be a priest? And will he respond to become a shepherd to bring as many as possible to Jesus, the Good Shepherd and therefore obtain the gift of heaven? 

Survey Results: https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=69158