4th Sunday, Year C, Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

“Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to Her home.”

Before these words, there is the powerful Gospel scene when Mary greets Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother, Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth cried out, “Who am I that the Mother of the Lord should come to me?” Mary was just 5 days pregnant with Jesus, for that is how long it took for Her to travel from Nazareth to Ein Karem the village where Elizabeth lived, so it would have been impossible for Elizabeth to know Mary was pregnant with the Lord. At the moment of Mary’s greeting when the unborn Jesus blessed the unborn John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, the Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth Mary’s pregnancy with the Lord. The Virgin Mary then gave Her moving words, in what we now call Her Magnificat, as She gave praise to God telling Elizabeth and us, that Her soul magnifies the Lord due to God Her Savior, within Her womb.

This powerful scene is followed by what appears to be an insignificant passage. Mary just finished proclaiming “the greatness of the Lord” and exalting His mercy in one of the most brilliant Scriptural acclamation of all time. Scores of books, hymns, and prayers have been produced throughout the centuries based on the “Magnificat.” And yet, the story comes to an abrupt end, summing up the next three months in a single sentence. No popular hymns have been written, no prayer, no books, no made-for-TV movies about Luke 1:56, “Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to Her home.”

From everything we can surmise about Mary, She was a woman of few words. We know She was a humble “handmaid of the Lord,” She was obedient to all that God asked of Her, and She pondered the things of God in Her Heart. That all would have taken an enormous amount of listening, and very little speaking.

It is likely very few words were exchanged between Mary and Elizabeth in the three months that followed their greeting. Scripture highlights for us the only words we need to know about what Mary has to say to Elizabeth, and so our lens into their time together ends there. No more details are given, no more recorded knowledge of their visit. What conversation might have transpired between the two, we can only imagine.

What does this tell us? It tells us that what is significant for us to know is simply that Mary stayed for three months, and not the details of what took place during that time. But there is a lot to unpack in that “little” fact, which, as we will see, is not so insignificant after all.

First, Mary stayed. She didn’t complete her biblical mission of proclaiming the Magnificat and then take off. It is true, when God asked Her to do something, She would do it “in haste”; but that does not mean She acted hastily. It simply means She was prompt. But Mary also would have given Her time and attention to the Elizabeth, so much so that Her immense love would have made her feel as if she was the only one who mattered in that moment. May we ourselves strive to love others with that same kind of time and attention.

Secondly, Mary stayed three months—not two, not four. Sometimes, when women have difficult pregnancies, such as preparing for twins, or perhaps due to pregnancy complications, the doctor may put them on bed-rest to stay in the hospital until the child is safe for delivery. Although oftentimes, the mothers of the pregnant women come to help and stay with them, there isn’t much they can do leading up to their arrival, except for emotional support and praying with them. Then if the child is born early, some mothers will stay with their daughter and her newborn until the new mother feels comfortable staying by herself

It is believed Joseph accompanied Mary on her visit to Elizabeth, but immediately departed. If Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months to offer help, why not have Her stay longer, to help after the baby was born, when help would most be needed? Most likely, this is because while Mary would certainly have helped Elizabeth after the birth, She knew it was not God’s plan, for Her to stay after the birth.

Scripture tells us, Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary arrived, and that She stayed three months. That tells us that Mary left once John was born. She was to stay with Elizabeth to witness John’s birth, and, it is quite possible, She delivered the baby herself! And if that is the case, then the very first hands that would have touched the head of the precursor would have been the hands of the one carrying the Child whom John was destined to herald.

Maybe God wanted to show Mary, the pain and difficulty of giving birth. Later when Mary gave birth to Jesus without labor pains, as Jesus would be born in a miraculous pain-free manner, due to Her not suffering from original sin, She would deeply appreciate what God will do for Her.

Jesus, through Mary, could have imposed a blessing—immediately and upon John’s forehead, the very moment he entered this world because Mary held the baby John as he was born, since children are born head first.

Once Mary’s mission was completed, She “returned home.” There is a tendency we have when enjoying a spiritual consolation to linger with it. The birth of John must have been a moment of incredible joy for both women. The birth of a child usually causes the mother and child to bond.

The Jews had been waiting for centuries, and now, we can only imagine the eager excitement and anticipation these two women must have felt. Not to mention how hard it must have been for them to say goodbye. Ordinarily, when it was time for a mother to leave after her daughter who gave birth, they must feel heartbroken at the departure.

Perhaps Elizabeth thought of begging Mary to stay. And surely Mary would have been sad to leave Her elderly cousin, with her newborn boy.

However, Mary’s visit could not go beyond the “prescribed” time. And so, by Mary leaving, it caused Elizabeth to cling ever more to her husband, Zechariah. And so, Mary’s departure helped the father of the child to bond with his new born baby boy and his wife Elizabeth. It also forced Elizabeth to trust God, that He would take care of her, the baby, and her husband.

Once Mary departed, now was the time for Joseph and Mary to pray and make ready for the biggest event in salvation history the world would ever know, the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem.

Joseph had to deal with the experience of discovering Mary was pregnant, and not understanding how it could be, since he was not the father. By Mary and Joseph going through the turmoil caused by of the Child Jesus coming into the world, by the Holy Spirit, it gave both a deeper appreciation of each other each realizing it was by God’s plan and He would help them overcome the difficulty.

Only after the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream did he understand it was by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived. This event caused the bond between Mary and Joseph to become ever more secure and their love between them grow beyond measure. The marital bond, with God at the center of their relationship, caused the couple to have a relationship beyond description.

Today, if couples want to grow in their relationship, they should pray the Rosary together every day meditating on the life of Jesus and Mary, especially the joyful, sorrowful and glories mysteries, which will strengthen their relationship, help them overcome misunderstandings, and bring about a bond of unity like that of the Holy Family.

Mostly taken from M.C. Holbrook, Catholic Exchange

3rd Sunday of Advent, Rejoice Sunday (Patrick & Nancy)

 

This weekend is the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, traditionally called “Gaudete”, Sunday “Rejoice” Sunday. We light the rose colored candle, the priest wears a rose colored vestment to remind us to rejoice. We rejoice because Christmas is near.

A few weeks ago, I had to get my brakes worked on. I took it to an auto repair shop near Hays, because I wanted to visit my mother and step-father while it was being worked on.

The mechanic answered his phone and I unintentionally heard the conversation. The mechanic said, “Oh we charge more money to (ethnic group).”

I was shocked and saddened by what he said. The mechanic was being dishonest in his dealings just because of the ethnicity of the person who brought their vehicle in good faith to have it worked on.

This reminds me of the Gospel today as John the Baptist told the tax collectors to stop collecting more than what is prescribed. And he told the soldiers to stop practicing extortion. He wanted his listeners to treat others with respect and in a just manner.

John the Baptist called the people of his time to put on a new mind. To try to live in such a way, that is pleasing to God. To be honest with each other. To look out for the needs of others, especially the poor. John the Baptist told the crowd to help the poor, to feed the hungry and to give a cloak to one who needs it.

While there are those who are physically poor, and we are obligated to help them, there are those who have spiritual poverty. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “The spiritual poverty of the Western World is much greater than the physical poverty of our people. You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don’t know what it is.” “What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.”

When I was in Medjugorje, I met a Patrick Latta and his wife, Nancy. Patrick used to be a car salesmen in Canada, and later owned his own dealership. He made millions of dollars in a dishonest way. He became so wrapped up in money, he ended up getting a divorce. Patrick said, “I had nothing to do with God, church, marriage, sacraments, school. I had a horrible time in Catholic school." One day, when Patrick was on the football field, the head coach yelled in front of everyone, “Hey, Latta, you can't play because you don't pay to come here." Patrick did not know his parents couldn’t afford to pay his tuition. He said, "That was the end of my school – that was the end in believing in God. I quit going to school when I was 16 to go wash cars in a car lot….10 years later I bought the company. I was a super salesman. I bought my own Honda dealership. I bought my own BMW dealership. We were the top gun in Western Canada. Nobody could outsell us.” "I have four children [from two previous marriages]. My children never saw the inside of the church – ever." He used to say to his children, "This is god," and would hold up money.

He wanted to become rich, so he would never be rejected again. And he did become rich, but was missing a relationship with God and was spiritually poor.

One day, his daughter came up to him and told him, she was pregnant, outside of marriage. He handed his daughter the keys to a new car and said, “Here you go sweet heart, this will make you feel better.” She walked away sad. She didn’t need a new car. She didn’t want money. She needed a father to show his love to his daughter.

Because he was wealthy, he and Nancy got married by a justice of the peace in a helicopter. Patrick had been married three times. But, when he went to Medjugorje, his life changed. He discovered he needed an annulment and now he wanted to get married in the Church. He later discovered his first wife got an annulment. His second wife wasn’t Catholic, so he was able to get an annulment in a few weeks with paperwork.

He wanted to marry Nancy in the Church. He went to confession, married Nancy in the Church and changed his attitude. He turned away from sin because now he wanted to treat people in a just manner. He sold everything and moved to Medjugorje where he now has a retreat house for priests.

He didn’t raise any of his children Catholic because he never went to church.

After his conversion and marriage to Nancy, he asked the youngest son if he’d like to pray a Rosary with them, but he declined for months before he finally agreed. Today, 19 years later, that son is Catholic and married with two beautiful kids. He is a teacher at a Catholic high school, and one year he even took 52 kids from his school to Medjugorje.

The second son went to Medjugorje once, and Patrick gave him a Rosary. He went back to Canada and later called his father to tell him he quit drinking, quit rugby, and became a fireman. Patrick said, “How is that possible?” And the son said, "The rosary you gave me in Medjugorje." Today he is married and has two beautiful kids.

For 10 years, Patrick did not hear from his daughter. In February of 2012, he got a phone call from her. She said she was in Canada and wanted to come to Medjugorje."Daddy, I want to start again. Daddy, I don't want to be separated from the family anymore." At this point, she had been through three divorces. She came for two weeks to Medjugorje. She got a healing of her problem with alcohol and went back to the University for a nursing degree. Her life completely changed. “The divorce is gone – the alcohol is gone – the drugs are gone – from someone who started to pray.”

Patrick asked for prayers for his oldest son who still lives an immoral lifestyle. Patrick paraphrased, “Our Lady said if you do this (holding up the rosary), I'll show you miracles in your family.”

To treat others in a fair manner, sometimes, means we need to apologize and ask for forgiveness. All of us can wander away from God and every now and then, we all make big mistakes, especially with loved ones: our spouse, our children or siblings and sometimes our parents. Our Lord understands our human weakness. He just wants us to ask for forgiveness to those we hurt and especially ask the Lord to forgive us. God is offended by every sin. Sin hurts Jesus. It was because of sin, Jesus went through His terrible passion and suffering and death. Yet, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death. He ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to form His new Church, giving the apostles and disciples and His bishops and priests in every age, up to today, the commission and power to forgive sins. Jesus forgives, through them.

There is no better way to prepare for Christmas than to come to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness. When we go to confession, our burden is lifted. We feel free. We have peace. We rejoice in God’s mercy. We experience our Father in heaven’s love for us. We were spiritually poor, but after confession, we are rich in mercy. In fact, we know the angels in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner. And Jesus, the Good Shepherd rejoices when He finds the lost sheep and picks up and carries it home on His shoulders.

Now is the opportunity to begin a new life with Jesus. To turn away from sin, to become a true follower of the Good Shepherd. And if we do, we will rejoice in the Lord.

May the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Mercy, grant us, Her children, the grace to come to the merciful Heart of Jesus in the sacrament of Confession, and we will be able to give the baby Jesus a most precious gift for Christmas, the gift of a pure, a heart which is just and honest and rejoices in God, our savior.

Our Lady of Gaudalupe Dec 12th

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when the Blessed Virgin Mary came down from heaven and appeared to Juan Diego, in Guadalupe, Mexico.

In the year 1531, Our Lady first appeared to Juan Diego was on his way to Holy Mass.

She wanted him to ask the bishop, to build a church on Tepeyac Hill. The bishop refused his request, and Our Lady once again appeared to Juan stating, “Humblest of my sons, I ask that tomorrow, you go again, to see the bishop, and tell him, that I, the ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, am the one who personally sent you.” He returned to the bishop. But the bishop wanted a sign, before he would build a church, on the hill.

Once again, Juan returned to the Hill, called Tepeyac, and met Our Lady again. She wanted him to return to the bishop. However, he wanted to get a priest to hear the confession of his uncle, who was very sick. But Mary said, “There is nothing to frighten and distress you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection? Are you not, fortunately under my care? Do not let your uncle’s illness distress you. It is certain that he has already been cured. Go to the hilltop, my son, where you will find flowers.”

At the top of the mountain, in the middle of the December winter, Juan Diego found Castilian roses, which don’t grow in the winter, and don’t grow in Mexico. He placed the roses in his apron and took them to the bishop. At the bishop’s residence, Juan opened the apron, the roses fell to the ground, and an image of Mary instantly and miraculously became present on the apron.

The image was not painted by any human being. God Himself created the image on the apron. It was proof, Mary wanted a church built, on Tepyac Hill. Because of this miracle, the bishop built a chapel on the hill.

The book of Revelation, states, “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.” The image of Our Guadalupe shows Mary clothed with the sun, with the moon under Her feet. The people, who lived back then, worshiped the sun. They believed the sun was god. The image helped the people to understand the sun is not God, and Mary is not a goddess. Her hands are folded in prayer.

On the image, there are stars on Mary’s mantle, matching the stars, as they appeared in the sky, on that exact date in 1531.

The black ribbon around Mary’s waste indicates, She is expecting a baby. The Mexican Indians wore a black ribbon, which indicated pregnancy. The book of Revelations states, “the woman is clothed with the sun”, & “She was with child.”

At the time of the apparitions, the Aztec Indians were killing thousands of people by sacrificing the innocent victims on giant pyramids. They would cut the beating hearts out of their chest while they were still alive. But when the people heard of Mary’s apparition to Juan Diego, and saw the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the horrible killings stopped, and 9 million Indians converted, began to believe in Jesus, and practice the Catholic faith.

Mary took the poor Mexican people under Her care, to help them understand, Jesus is the true Son of God. And today, Mary comes to us, and is always with us. She never leaves us alone. Perhaps we wonder, “Why is it that Mary, the Mother of my Lord should come to me”.

She comes to us because She is the patroness of the Americas, and the patroness of the unborn. Today, she comes to us, because She loves us, and wants Her children to call upon Her, in every need and to help keep us close to Jesus.

When we are frightened, or worried, or when our heart is troubled, we should call upon Mary to help us. When we are under the shadow of Her protection, we fear no evil, no pain, and no worry.

We pray to you, O Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of Mexico, the Mother of the United States, the patroness of the Americas, grant these your people-- the great gift of the practice of their faith.

Help us O Mother, as we turn to you, to renew and bring about the conversion of hearts. O sweet Mother Mary, we hide under the shadow of your protection, because with you we fear no pain, no worry. O Maria, O most merciful Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us, who have recourse to thee! And pray for an end to the child sacrifices occurring every day in abortion clinics and planned parenthood facilities in our country and throughout the world. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent - Rosary - Modernism, Protestantism, Woke

 

This Sunday, the Church puts before us, John the Baptist. He is “A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

As we go through Advent it’s good to reflect if we are on a winding road that is sandy and dangerous, and cause us to lose our balance when passing through and fall into the mud. But, we should follow the straight the path laid out by Jesus. His pathway is narrow and straight and built on rock. The pathway Jesus took to Calvary was actually through the city of Jerusalem and had bricks and stones for easy walking and transporting items. It was a narrow path, a bloody path, but a path of sacrifice and love and it was solid.

In another Gospel, Our Blessed Lord gave the parable of the two houses. One house is built on rock and the other is built on sand. One house the builder wanted to save money on the material for the exterior and not the interior foundation. Jesus calls such a builder, a fool.

Even though the two houses looked identical, they had very different foundations. One was firmly bedded on rock, but not the other.

Time past, and one day, there arose problems that would put their construction to the test. A storm arose, rain poured down, floodwater began to rise and hurricane winds hurled themselves against the buildings. One house remained firm and unshaken, while the other house collapsed with a roar in total ruin.

Jesus tells this parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount because He wants His listeners, and us, to understand that His teachings are like that rock. You can always count on them because they come from Him, who is the way, the truth and the life. His word endured for two thousand years and will, in fact, endure forever.

That’s why the house set solidly on rock can survive any storm. If you are that house, you can survive the storms that come with life in a fallen world: an illness, unemployment, the loss of a loved one.

You can also weather the storms that come in the guise of different philosophies and world views and heresies that come up in the Church. Every generation has them.

On the surface many of these philosophies can seem attractive, especially since they are less demanding. Protestantism says your not obligated to attend Mass on Sunday, you don’t need to Confess your sins to a priest, if you pray to Mary, you are worshiping Her, you don’t need to pray for the dead, nor fast or practice virtue. You are free to do whatever you want.

The world tells us to be woke: to accept biological men playing in women’s sports; if you aren’t politically correct, you’re racist; if you are traditional, you’re not being diverse or inclusive or modern. The woke crowd is at odds with reason and human nature. If you’re against transgenders using your biological restroom, you are not being inclusive.

Those who attempt to change their gender are really suffering from a mental health issue, often times caused by difficulties in their home. Catholic mental health professionals who will give them the Catholic perspective can help them during their identity crisis.

Modernists believe there are no objective truths, morals change depending upon your feelings and keeping up with the times. A modernist would say, homosexuality in the past intrinsically disordered, but today, times have changed, and we need accept other lifestyles as good. A modernist would say women deacons and priests were forbidden due to the oppressive structure of the Church, but if we change the Church, they are now acceptable. Modernists would say it used to be wrong for couples to cohabit, but today it’s good to try out their marriage before exchanging their vows. Modernists would say everyone is welcome to the table of the Lord and can receive Communion including non-Catholics and couples not married in the Church regardless of the state of their soul. Modernists would say Jesus didn’t work real miracles, but the stories were figurative. Modernist will say all religions are pathways to God, but they are not.

If your against modernism, then you believe there are objective truths and morals that never change over time. As faithful Christians, you believe the miracles Jesus performed were real miracles and the Church cannot change her structure because it was established that way by Christ. You believe there is only one way to God. The only straight pathway to the Father is Jesus, who said, “I am way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but through Me”. All religions are not the same and only one, the Catholic religion was founded by Christ.

You won’t be swayed by the changing times, because you are firmly grounded in Jesus, the living stone, that will never move despite the storms, rain and wind battering the house. You believe 2000 years of the teachings of Jesus have never changed and will never change because they are divinely revealed by God.

By the regularly praying the Rosary and meditating on the life and events of Jesus and Mary, we remain faithful to revelations given to us by God, and so, we are standing on rock, and no matter the storms of modernism, secularism, Protestantism, or any turmoil in the Church, we will be safe.

If you know of others, who don’t have their foundation on rock, but are on constant shifting sand, that changes with the time, introduce them to the Rosary. Tell them how through the Rosary, Jesus and His teachings have helped you weather the storms in your life.

If in the past, you were rescued from the house built on sand and are now placed on the rock of faith convince them to daily pray the Rosary as a family. If you live by yourself, call a friend or family member and pray the Rosary with them over the phone.

When we pray the Rosary, the Blessed Virgin Mary prays for us, now and at the hour of death. Her prayers are powerful and She can help us because She is the Mother of the Savior. When we pray the Rosary, and turn to Our Lady in all our needs She will help us to remain firm in our faith and keep us close to Jesus, so that when problems in our life come up, we will be like the house built on solid rock and a straight path. Though we may get battered, we will continue to pray and stay close to Jesus.

The daily family Rosary, the Holy Mass, reading Sacred Scripture, regular fasting, and monthly Confession, being faithful to teachings of Jesus through Scripture and Tradition keeps on a solid rock and a straight path and makes our faith in Jesus Christ stay strong. Will you make this Advent a time where you will do these things, not just during Advent, but all the time?

St. Francis Xavier - Dec 3rd

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Francis Xavier, patron of foreign missionaries. He was born in Spain in 1506. At the age of 18, he went to Paris to study philosophy. Four years later, St. Ignatius came to Paris to the same college, in which Francis was attending. At that time, he was full of the world and ambition, but the influence of St. Ignatius changed him. He became one of St. Ignatius’ first disciples and was ordained a priest. He was one of the first Jesuits to take his vows in the order of the Society of Jesus.

In 1541, he was sent to India as a missionary and landed in Goa. He founded 45 churches in various cities and was known as the “Great Father”. He destroyed temples and idols. He brought back to life two persons, who had died.

In 1549, he became the first missionary to arrive in Japan. Soon a flourishing Christian community arose there. He stayed there for two years and then returned to India in 1551. The following year, he was determined to set sail for China. However, he came down with a fever. The sailors left Francis lying on the sand, exposed to the piercing wind, until someone came to carry him to the shelter of a hut. For two weeks, he lay there, lonely and deserted, praying ceaselessly, between periods of delirium.

On Dec. 3rd, with his eyes fixed on his crucifix, he said, “In thee, O Lord, have I put my hope, let me never be confounded.”, he died at the age of 46 in 1552.

He wrote the following:

“A faithful Christian, when about to go to sleep, will keep all that has been said above by examining his conscience with respect to his sins he has committed during the day by resolving, with the grace of his Lord, to amend them, and by being determined to confess them when he can. And since sleep is the image of death, and many who have gone to sleep in good health are dead in the morning, I shall say the Confiteor with great repentance for my sins, and I shall commend myself to my guardian angel and pray as follows: I, a sinner who have wandered for astray, confess to the Lord God and to Saint Mary and to Saint Michael, the angel and to Saint John the Baptist...and to all the saints of the heavenly court...that I have sinned exceedingly through thought and through omission and through deed, and that I did not refrain from much evil from which I could have refrained, for all of which I am sorry...I pray and ask my Lady Saint Mary and all the saints that they may be willing to forgive me my present, past, confessed, and forgotten sins; and that from now on he may grant me his grace of keeping me from sinning and bringing me to the enjoyment of the glory of paradise… O blessed Cross that was sanctified by the body of my Lord Jesus Christ, through the efficacy of Your Passion and death, which you suffered on this most holy Cross, that you may deign to forgive me my sins as you forgave those of the thief when you, gracious Lord, hung crucified upon it, and that you may grant me victory over my adversaries and deign to bring my enemies to a knowledge of the truth so that they may repent.”

1st Sunday of Advent, Year C "The Anti-Christ & his mother"

Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas, His Second coming at the end of the world and the coming of Jesus at our personal judgment when we die.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about what will happen before His coming as judge. He said, “there will be signs in the sun, moon and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.”

These words can be interpreted as either literal or symbolic or both literal and symbolic.

In our day and age, what are we to think when the comet struck Jupiter on July 16, 1994? Or the miracle of the Sun in Fatima on Oct 13, 1917, as the sun a zigzagged and then appeared to fall from the sky? Or people who saw the sun dance in Medjugorje? And what about the tidal wave in 2004 that killed 230,000 people on Christmas Day, or hurricane Katrina in 2005 that devastated New Orleans? In 2023, last year an earthquake in Turkey and Syria killed 7,900 thousands of people? Are these signs that Jesus is coming to judge the world soon? However, before His Second Coming, the anti-Christ will rule the world.

What will the anti-Christ be like? There are 16 things about the Antichrist that reveal who he is. 1. He will be controlled by Satan through diabolical possession. 2. He will declare himself the messiah. 3. He will be Jewish and his mother will be Jewish (LaSallete). 4. He will conquer enemies & reign over the world for 3 ½ years. 5. He will declare Jerusalem the capital of the world. 6. Claim to be God & force people to worship him (2Thess 2:4) 7. He will have statues of himself set up for people to worship 8. He will persecute Christians (Rev. 13:7) (The Great Persecution). 9. He will abolish the Mass (Dan. 12:11) 10. He will start a new religion and create a false church (Catherine Emmerich) 11. He will be extremely intelligent, and will have eloquence, and possess perfect knowledge of every art, and know all scriptures. History of the Anti-Christ 12. He will work false wonders (2 Thess 2:9-10) such as calling down fire from heaven, cast out demons. He will supposedly die and come back to life, but he will not have really died. (Rev. 13:12). He will appear to heal the sick, but they will be false miracles. 13. He will control the World Economy – “Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” (Rev. 13:16-17). 14. He will kill Enoch and Elijah who will return as prophets. (Rev. 11:8). 15. The Antichrist will be destroyed by Jesus at His Second Coming. 16. The Antichrist’s number is 666. Letters of alphabet are 666 when translated. Nero was like an Antichrist his number was 666.

According to the book, History of the Antichrist by Rev. P Huchede, pg. 24) written in 1884, a professor of the Theology at the Grand Seminary Laval, France, the Antichrist will be preceded by the false prophet. “The Antichrist adores Satan and the false prophet glorifies the Antichrist. He will communicate his power of working miracles to others, who will go into different countries and cities to gain new proselytes by human and diabolic means in the power. There shall rise up false christs and false prophets and they shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible the elect. They blaspheme the majesty of God and despise all true authority.”

What I am going to tell you is private revelation, that has been approved by the Church and does not contradict her teachings, meaning we may choose to believe it or not believe it.

St. Hildegard an abbess of a monastery lived from 1098 to 1179 was declared a doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict in 2012. Her work was discovered by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) and Pope Blessed Eugenius III (1088-1153), both of whom regarded it as divinely inspired, her reputation as a prophet began to spread throughout Christendom. She writes about the mother of the anti-Christ and also the anti-Christ. St. Hildegard said,

After the birth of the anti-Christ heretics will preach their false doctrines undisturbed resulting in Christians having doubts about their holy Catholic faith. After his birth false teachers and doctrines will appear followed by wars, famines and pestilence.

Just like his mother, the boy will be “nurtured by the Devil’s arts (occult practices). His mother will seldom let anyone see him, yet through “magic arts”, and will gain the love of the people for him. When he reaches manhood, he will publicly announce a hostile doctrine on religion, “clearly perverse” (Chap. 26).

This inaugurates his gradual rise to international fame and power. The strategy he uses to achieve his goal of world domination is to align himself with “…kings, dukes, princes, and the rich” (Chap. 27). To accomplish this he employs his knowledge of the “Devil’s arts”, to deceive people into supporting him.

He will allure and attract the people to himself by granting them complete exception from observance of all divine and ecclesiastical commandments by forgiving their sins and requiring only of them their belief in his divinity.

He performs a series of miraculous events that appear supernatural, but in reality are only apparently so. Much of this, we are told, will center on an illusive ability to manipulate the climate. The Antichrist will “…bring forth fire and lightnings from heaven, and raise thunders and hailstorms.” All of these, she explains, will only be “illusions” (Chap. 27).

He will seem to cause people to get ill and then miraculously heal them. He will even raise the dead. Hildegard explains how he can accomplish this. A corpse, whose soul is in the hands of the Devil, will move as if alive, but remain dead. We are reminded again by Hildegard that this will be permitted by God, but she adds that it will only be allowed to occur a few times. He will also appear to cast out demons (Chap. 27).

She said, At this point there will be two types of response to the Antichrist by the public: those who fully believe in him and follow him, and those who admire and believe in him, but also want to retain and continue practicing their Christian faith. The latter group will suddenly fall sick by the hand of the Antichrist. Doctors and medicines will be of no help and the Antichrist will generously offer to miraculously cure them. Many accept his offer of healing and once cured, they are moved to abandon their faith and follow him exclusively (Chap. 27). In other words, the Antichrist will be able provide an antidote for an illness, but by accepting it, people will begin to follow the anti-Christ and reject Jesus.

“And he will acquire for himself many peoples, telling them to do their own will and not restrain themselves by vigils and fasting; he will tell them that they need only love their God, Whom he will pretend to be” (Chap. 30).

Hildegard adds that he will encourage sexual immorality and people will feel fortunate to be living at this time, regarding earlier generations of Christians as fools for their formality, religiosity, and ignorance of God’s love.

At this point he will prohibit baptism and the sacraments, and will “throw out” the gospel of Christ. He will open his mouth and preach contradiction. He will say Jesus of Nazareth is not the Son of God, only a deceiver, who gave Himself out as God; and the Church instituted by Him is only superstition. He will say, “the true Christ has come in his person” “I am the savior of the world”. He grant entire freedom from the commandments of God and the Church and permit everyone who lives as his passions dictate. By doing this, he hopes to be acknowledged as a deliverer from the yoke, and as the cause of prosperity in the world. Religion he will endeavor to make convenient. He will say, that you need not fast or embitter your life by renunciation. He will preach free love. He will scorn all that is holy. He will condemn humility and extol doctrines of pride. He will tear down that which God taught in the Old and New Testament, and maintain sin and vice are not are not sin and vice.

This is when his greatest deception occurs: he will arrange to be run through by a sword and die; he will be covered by a shroud, and then falsely rise from the dead. The will amaze his followers and his power will increase. He will produce a document that he claims will be for the salvation of souls, but in reality, Hildegard tells us, it is a “dire curse” (Chap. 31).

Hildegard adds a message, not addressed to people of the twelfth-century, but to those living in the last days.

Brothers and sisters, with these understandings, may we grow closer to Jesus Christ. May we not fear nor be despondent. May we instead live our lives more worthy of being called Catholic. Especially in this atheistic world, where God is put aside more than ever. We are charged with a special mission by Jesus Christ Himself to evangelize and share His teachings with everyone.

Since God is more powerful than all of hell, we should never be afraid of the imminent coming of the anti-Christ, but instead should put our trust in God, because He is our strength and support. Let us also not forget to pray and do penance that will help us in becoming good followers of Jesus.  

We can fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, read a small portion of Scripture daily, pray the Rosary daily, attend Mass as often as we are able, confess monthly, spend time in Adoration, and live a life in union with Jesus, for by doing these things we will stay close to Our Lord and if the anti-Christ would come in our time, we will surely be safe with Jesus, the one and only Savior.

May every knee bow before the holy name of Jesus. And may we take refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray Her Rosary everyday as a family, and She will protect us and keep us close to Her Son.

St Hildegard’s Revealing Vision of the Antichrist – The Five Beasts

St. Hildengard reveals eery revelations about the Antichrist’s Mother, and how she will help Him!

St. Catherine Laboure - Miraculous Medal (Nov 27th - 28th)

Today, Nov 27th we celebrate the feast of the Miraculous Medal and tomorrow we celebrate the memorial of St. Catherine Laboure. Born in 1806, Catherine’s birth name was Zoe Laboure.

She was the 9^th child of eleven and was the only child in her family to not go to school and she didn’t learn to read and write. Her mother died when Zoé was 8, and when her elder sister, Louisa, left home to become a Sister of Charity, the duties of housekeeper and helper to her father fell upon her. From the time of her first Communion at Saint Remy, Catherine became a mystic. From the age of 14 or so, she heard the call to the religious life.

At age 18 Catherine had her first mystical experience. It was in the form of a dream of an old priest (who was a stranger to her,) that she assisted during a Mass in the dream. Four years later Catherine asked her father for permission to enter religious life. Her father flatly refused. A year later while in a visiting parlor of the Hospital de Saint-Sauveur in Chatillon, Catherine recognized the old priest from her dreams in a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul and knew God meant her to be a Sister of Charity. Her father finally allowed her to join the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in 1830.

She took the name Catherine, and after her postulancy was sent to the convent in the Rue du Bac at Paris, where she arrived four days before the translation of the relics of St. Vincent from Notre-Dame to the Lazarist church.

On the eve of the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, July 19, the Superior spoke to the novices about the virtues of their Holy Founder and gave each of them a piece of cloth from his surplice. Catherine earnestly prayed to Saint Vincent that she might with her own eyes see the Mother of God.

She was convinced that she would see the Blessed Virgin Mary that very night; and in her conviction, Catherine fell asleep. Before long, she was awakened by a brilliant light and the voice of a child. "Sister Laboure, come to the Chapel; the Blessed Virgin awaits you." Catherine replied: "We shall be discovered."

The little child smiled, "Do not be uneasy; it is half past eleven, everyone is sleeping... come, I am waiting for you." She rose quickly and dressed. The hall lights were burning. The locked chapel door swung open at the angel's touch. Amazed, Catherine found the Chapel ablaze with lights as if prepared for midnight Mass. Quickly she knelt at the communion rail, and suddenly, she heard the rustle of a silk dress... the Blessed Virgin, in a blaze of glory, sat in the director's chair. The angel whispered: "The Blessed Mother wishes to speak with you."

Catherine rose, knelt beside the Blessed Mother and rested her hands in the Virgin's lap.

Our Lady told Catherine she would have to undertake a difficult task and also, it is said, spoke of the future and the violent death of an archbishop of Paris forty years later.

On November 27, Our Lady again appeared to Sister Catherine in the same chapel, in the form of a picture and as it were standing on a globe with shafts of light streaming from her hands towards it, surrounded by the words: "O Mary, conceived free from sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!" Then the picture turned about, and sister Catherine saw on the reverse side a capital M, with a cross above it and two hearts, one crowned with thorns and the other pierced with a sword, below. And she seemed to herself to hear a voice telling her to have a medal struck representing these things, and promising that all who wore it with devotion should receive great graces by the intercession of the Mother of God. This or a similar vision was repeated in the following month and on several other occasions up to September 1831.

Sister Catherine confided in her confessor, and he, after making very careful investigations, was given permission by the archbishop of Paris, to have the medal struck. In June 1832 the first 1500 were issued. Originally called the “Medal of the Immaculate Conception”, it later became known to Catholics throughout the world as "miraculous".

The archbishop of Paris instituted a canonical inquiry into the alleged visions in 1836. The precautions she had taken to keep herself unknown, the promise she had wrung from her confessor not to tell anybody who she was, the secrecy she had kept towards everyone except her confessor, her constant unwillingness to appear before an ecclesiastical authority, account for this inquiry not being extended to the young sister herself. The tribunal decided in favor of the authenticity of the visions, taking into consideration the circumstances, the character of the sister concerned, and the prudent and level-headedness of her confessor.

The popularity of the medal increased daily, especially after the conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne in 1842. He was a Jew who, having reluctantly agreed to wear the medal, and then consequently received a vision of our Lady in the church of Sant' Andrea delle Frate at Rome, whereupon he became a Christian and was later ordained a priest and became founder of a religious congregation, the Fathers and Sisters of Zion.

I met Zachary King in Wichita. He was a Baptist man who became a satanic high priest and through the miraculous medal. As a satanic high priest he assisted with and did abortions. However, one day someone gave him a miraculous medal and the moment he took it, he immediately had a vision of the Virgin Mary. At that moment, he gave up being a satanic follower and also knew he had to become Catholic. He became Catholic and since goes around giving talks throughout the United States warning people about the danger of the occult and satanism and also speaks about the power of the miraculous medal.

When I went on vacation to South Dakota a few years ago, as I was walking out of my motel room, a man was painting the exterior of the building. He walked up to me and said, “I used to be Catholic. After some discussion, I invited him to return to the Church and go to confession.” He said, “I will never go to confession. I don’t believe in it.” I handed him a miraculous medal and told him I would pray for him. He put it around his neck. The next day, when I returned to my motel, he walked up to me and said he wanted to return to Mass and said he wanted to go to confession.

The power of miraculous medal is amazing. I have also seen how Our Lady uses the medal in parishes to bring back fallen away Catholics. So, if you know of anyone who is fallen away or who is not living a good lifestyle. Give them a miraculous medal and ask them to wear it. Its an innocent little medal, but Our Lady uses it in a powerful way.

This vision of Ratisbonne was also subject of a canonical inquiry and the reports of this were extensively used in the process of beatification of Catherine Labouré, of whose personal life very little is recorded. Her Superiors spoke of her as "rather insignificant", "matter-of-fact and unexcitable", "cold, almost apathetic".

From 1831 until her death on December 31, 1876, she lived unobtrusively among the community as portress, in charge of the poultry, and looking after the aged. Not until eight months before her death, did she speak to anyone except her confessor of the extraordinary graces she had received, and then she revealed them only to her superior. Her funeral was the occasion of an outburst of popular veneration, and a child of twelve, crippled from birth was instantaneously cured at her grave. St. Catherine Labouré was canonized in 1947, and Nov. 28^th was appointed as her feast day. Today, her body is incorrupt is encased in glass.

When we think of the saints, we often forget that they were ordinary people, who lived extra ordinary lives, often times in a hidden way. Their lives were simple, yet profound.

I would like to close with a quote from St. Catherine on the subject of prayer. St. Catherine once said, "Whenever I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him, Lord I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do. If He gives me some task, I am content and I thank him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell him about my pains and joys, and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him plainly and simply. "

Today may we strive to do as St. Catherine Laboure in prayer, to approach God plainly and simply, knowing if we speak to Him and if we listen, He will speak to us.

Christ the King, Year B

This weekend is the Solemnity of Christ the King. Next Sunday begins Advent in preparation for Christmas. Today, first, we will see Our Lord’s kingship in scripture. Then we will see how Jesus, our Eucharistic King, deserves respect and reverence and how we are to defend His kingdom and help bring about His kingdom.

In the first reading the prophet Daniel, who lived 500 years before Jesus’ birth, spoke about the future kingship of Jesus, especially with regard to Our Lord’s Second Coming. He said, “I saw one like the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, that shall not be taken away and His kingship shall not be destroyed.”

The responsorial psalm, written by King David, who lived about 1000 years before Jesus was born describes the Kingship of Jesus. It states, “The Lord is king, He is robed in majesty.”

The second reading likewise speaks about the kingship of Jesus. It states “…Jesus is the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.”

Even before the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel announced Jesus would be a king. The angel said to Mary, “He will be given the throne of David” and “His kingdom will not end”. The Jews expected the Messiah to be a king, who would rule over the house of David forever and it was fulfilled in Jesus.

After Jesus was born, the wise men following the star, ended up before King Herod wondering, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” And they even prostrated themselves in adoration as they gave the infant Jesus gifts for a king: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Later when Jesus began His public ministry, He taught His followers to pray the Our Father, so His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. At another time He said, “…the Kingdom of God is among you” and “the kingdom of God is within you.”

And there were times Our Lord gave parables to explain the kingdom, such as a mustard seed to explain the growth of His kingdom on earth. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey, the people laid palm branches on the ground which was customary when a king entered Jerusalem.

When our Divine Savior was arrested and brought before Pilate they told Pilate, “We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ a king.” Pilate questioned Jesus about His Kingship. Pilate said, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” Then Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

When Pilate had Jesus scourged, the soldiers mocked Him as a king. They put a crown of thorns on Him in imitation of a king’s golden crown. They placed on Him a royal cloak and gave Him a scepter, which kings would use and they ridiculed His Kingship, saying “Hail King of the Jews.” And when Jesus was crucified, the sign above His head read, “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”. The good thief professed Our Lord’s kingship, when He said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of Father on His glorious throne. Today on earth, the kingdom of God is seen most clearly here in the Church. Every church is a temple of the Lord. The word “basilica” means kingdom. The King of Kings is in the temple, the basilica, the church in every tabernacle. When we come to church and leave church, we genuflect to the King in the Eucharist. During Mass we kneel and we do this because our faith tells us we are in the presence of the King of heaven and earth. We keel during the consecration because the King of Heaven and earth comes upon the altar. Before we receive Holy Communion, the Church requires everyone to show a sign of reverence, such as a bow of the head, the sign of the Cross or a genuflection and in some cases people receive Jesus in the Eucharist kneeling at altar rails.

Some receive Communion on the tongue and others on the hand. It is most reverent to receive the Eucharist on the tongue as an act of humility.

We should come often to the King at Mass to implore gifts from Him, for our loved ones who are ill and gifts for ourselves to help us endure the crosses of life. In response, Jesus, the King bestows them with generosity and love to all who come to His throne.

In the Old Testament, the king’s mother was the queen. That’s why the mother of Jesus is considered a queen. Some approach the queen for a favor because they are afraid to directly ask the king who may deny their request and they know the king is more apt to answer the queen’s prayers. And She will do it with tenderness, love, eloquence, and the persistence of a mother.

That is what we should do too. Come to the queen of heaven and earth, and She will ask the King for whatever we need.

Our sins cause the King of Heaven to be crucified, to endure His Passion. But we have the opportunity of treating the King of Heaven and Earth with love, respect and reverence, by the way we treat others, the way we treat our self and the way we treat Jesus in the Eucharist.

We deeply offend and hurt the King when we commit mortal sin. But Jesus is the King of Mercy and desires we come to the throne of His mercy in Confession. If we wonder why our prayers aren’t answered, it may be because we are in the state of mortal sin and Jesus won’t answer our prayers, until we are first reconciled with Him by asking for Him to pardon us. We can block graces that Jesus wants to give us, if have a grudge and fail to forgive someone. But, once we forgive and go to Confession, allowing Jesus the King of mercy to forgive us, the graces flow from the Heart of the King into our measly heart.

We should prepare to receive Jesus in Communion by going to confession monthly, seeking His clemency and His mercy. This way, when he comes into the temple of our heart, He will have a worthy throne to rest.

We can also make our home fit for a king, by allowing Jesus to be the Lord of our life, our family and our job and not be afraid to be a soldier in the king’s army. We are to defend the King and His kingdom.

Blessed Miguel Pro, whose feast day is Nov. 23^rd, was a priest, He served underground Catholics in a time of persecution in Mexico by secretly hearing confessions, offering Mass and driving his bicycle all over Mexico City to give out Communion because the Mass and the sacraments were forbidden. By giving out the sacraments, Fr. Miguel helped bring about God’s kingdom in the hearts of those who went to Confession and received Holy Communion. He was eventually captured and just before the firing squad shot him, with outstretched arms, he shouted, “Vivi Christo Rey.” “Long live Christ the King.”

About a month ago, during a political rally, Luke Polaske and Grant Beth, two students at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, yelled, “Christ is King” and “Jesus is Lord” to a politician who was promoting abortion. The two were then pushed, shoved and cursed. As they were being escorted out of the rally, the politician waved at them and said, “You guys are at the wrong rally.” These young men were not afraid of defending Jesus, the King and they were willing to suffer as Jesus suffered. It also revealed the disdain that some politicians have for Christianity.

We are called to worship, honor and adore to Jesus in the Eucharist-- as the King of heaven and earth and we are called to help bring about God’s kingdom, by defending the King and His kingdom and helping it to grow by making more disciples and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel.

May the Virgin Mary, the mother of the King, the Queen of heaven and earth give us a true love and reverence for the King, and may His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.