30th Sunday, Spiritually Blind & Abortion

 

The message for today is that spiritual blindness can be overcome, if we come to the Lord seeking to be healed.

A little background as to what happened in the first reading. Originally, the people of Israel rejected Jeremiah’s plea to follow the ways of the Lord, resulting in being taken captive into Babylon for 70 years.

When the time of their punishment concluded and when the people had finally repented, the Lord told the people, “Shout for joy for Jacob, exalt at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered His people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and lame in their midst. They departed with tears, but I will lead them to the brooks of water.”

They were spiritually blind, but after their punishment and exile, they finally were able to see the error of their ways and the Lord welcomes them back and allows them to return to the land of Israel.

The Gospel tells the story of Jesus curing the blind beggar. Bartimaeus was cured because of his faith and his willingness to come to Jesus. However, the question is, “who in the Gospel was spiritually blind?” Weren’t those who rebuked the blind man, actually blind?

Physical blindness is terrible, but spiritual blindness is worse! In the Gospel, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where he will be rejected by those who are spiritually blind. He will die because of them. The last stop before Jerusalem was Jericho, where He encounters the blind beggar and cures him. Jesus could cure physical blindness, but He cannot cure spiritual blindness unless a person wants to be cured! 

A few weeks ago, a candidate running for office sent out a mailer, characterizing Christians as being mean and judgmental towards those in favor of abortion. The mailer said, “You are not being asked to change your beliefs. You religion is not under attack. You are simply being asked to let people make their own decisions about their body, their religion, their love and so on. It doesn’t affect you. If you truly believe it is wrong then let God judge them and worry about your own sins instead. The good Lord didn’t send His Son into this world to condemn it. I certainly doubt He sent you to do it.”

On the mailer, there were two caricatures one with Jesus standing with a family with the words, Peace, Love, Tolerance. Another caricature showed an angry man holding a bible that said, “Believe like I do, or burn in hell!”

In response to the mailer, a non-Catholic pastor in Little River wrote an open letter in the Monitor Journal saying, “You write, “It doesn’t affect you.” That’s simply not true. You are advocating for public policies and public policies affects us all. Abortion denigrates our humanity. Marriage re-defined destroys the family. LGBTQ books in public and school libraries affect us all. Males pretending to be females playing women sports cheats ladies out of athletic opportunities. These kinds of leftist policies affect us all.”

The pastor made many other good points and then invited the candidate to visit with him and attend his church to get to know what Christians believe.

I would like to point out additional problems with what the candidate said. She said, “You are simply being asked to let people make their own decisions about their body, their religion, their love and so on.” But, by these words, she is not taking into consideration, the life and choices of the unborn child, with regard to his or her own body, his or her future, his or her religion and his or her love.

Another problem is that candidate doesn’t understand we may judge the words and actions of another, but we cannot judge their hearts. Christians aren’t judging the hearts of others by calling out actions or words not in accord with the common good of our human family and with God’s laws, such as “Thou shall not kill”. Everyone knows it’s wrong to kill an innocent person (unborn baby). We all know homosexual actions are unnatural and are not God’s will. The rejection of homosexual behavior is found in the Old and New Testament. In the Old Testament God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah due to the sin of homosexual actions. (Genesis 19:13)

In the New Testament, St. Paul said, “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. . . .” (Rom. 1:26–28, 32).

A Christian wants to help everyone to come to know and love Jesus and help them to avoid sin, because we desire everyone to go to heaven.

When Americans vote for a candidate, we should vote for the one who will do the least harm to our human family, our nation, and our community. We should vote for only those who by their words and actions will love, care for, and defend us and especially the most vulnerable. One who desires to kill a baby or who will promote sin, certainly isn’t encouraging love of neighbor and love of God. Abortion is the greatest issue in an election, because it is the greatest evil and harms our human family the most. Life is the foundation of all gifts given to us by God.

The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Right there in the Declaration of Independence it states, “All men are created equal.” Where are created equal?

We are all created equal in our mother’s womb.

It also states we can alter or abolish laws that effect our safety and happiness with regard to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is destructive to kill innocent children and support sins against true marriage (between a man and woman). Abortion is not safe for the unborn. Every woman who has had an abortion and every man who has helped participate in it, are not happy because it deeply harms them spiritually and emotionally.

But, God is infinitely merciful and will always forgive those who ask Him. God’s mercy is for everyone. Sometimes, we can make choices and not fully understand what we are doing or the consequences to our choices. But, God can work through our mistakes and He can overcome our sins. He loves us even when we sin. But, He hates sin because sin hurts Him and hurts us

The idea of rightly judging the behavior of others can be found throughout the New Testament. Jesus told the Jews, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).

To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way. So, when faced with the immoral behavior of others, how can we be sure to rightly judge behavior? In Jesus’ own words, we must start by taking the logs out of our own eyes—by making sure we are doing the best we can to live lives of good example. We must also strive to form our consciences correctly, so we know sin when we see it. Finally, we must not jump to conclusions about another person’s culpability in sin. Doing all this will help to ensure that our admonitions are seen as the loving actions we intend them to be—meant to help others live their lives in ways that are pleasing to God.

Those who advocate for sin, which harms the community, our nation, and the world, are spiritually blind. However, once they realize they are being held captive by sin, they will seek a Savior to free them.

Bartimaeus said, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you.” The man replied, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus said, “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” Let us pray God will open eyes and hearts to help us see our sins and discover what is true, beautiful, and good, most especially life.

29th Sunday, Medjugorje

 

What is heaven like?

When I was newly ordained and serving at St. Elizabeth Anne Seton in Wichita, I stopped by the 4^th grade classroom at their Catholic school and asked the children, if they have any questions. One boy raised his hand and said, “I have a question. Is there any sin in heaven?” I said, “No there is no sin in heaven.” He said, “Are you sure, there is no sin in heaven?” I said, “Yes, there is no sin in heaven.” He then said, “But didn’t the angels sin in heaven?” I was shocked at the depth of his question and replied, ‘Well, you are right, there was sin in heaven, when a 1/3 of the angels disobeyed God and were cast out. But, that was a one time event. Now there is no sin in heaven.”

He was a very good and smart kid. He was doing something most of us rarely do. He was wondering what heaven is like. Heaven is different then we think.

In the Gospel today, James and John wanted to sit and the right and left hand of Jesus in heaven. By asking that question, we can see they really love Jesus and want to be with Him in heaven. And this what we should all do. But, their motive for asking the question was most likely not as good as they thought and Jesus knowing their hearts would have saw right through why they asked the question. James & John were two the three Apostles with Peter, who were the most intimate friends of Jesus. They were with Jesus at the transfiguration and the raising of the little girl from the dead. But, perhaps their motive was they wanted the glory because they were His close friends. The other apostles became indignant, that they asked the question, because they were envious of them.

In the first reading, it explains how Jesus would give His life to justify many. “The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.” Jesus helps the apostles to know those next to Him in heaven, would have to also be crushed and give their life out love. He said, “Can you drink the cup I will drink or be baptized with the baptism I am to be baptized?” He was referring to the cup of His suffering and the baptism of blood speaking of His crucifixion where He would die and rise. He said, “Whoever wishes to be great, must be a servant of all”.

Have you heard of the movie Heaven is for Real? Its about an 8 year old boy, Colton Burpo, who had a near death experience and went to heaven. While in heaven he saw Jesus and he met his sister, who died by miscarriage, and who he never knew he had in heaven.

Don’t we all wish we could see heaven and see who is there and what goes on in heaven?

On June 24, 1981, two young girls were walking in the hamlet of Bijakovici in the parish of Medjugorje when a woman holding an infant appeared high on a hill among the boulders and brambles of Mount Podbrdo. Instinctively, they knew it was the Virgin Mary, but they did not approach Her. They and four other children felt called to return the next day, and Our Blessed Mother drew them to her, effortlessly transporting them up the mountain, over boulders and thorny bushes. The Blessed Mother introduced herself as the Queen of Peace. They fell to their knees and began to pray. She prayed with them and promised to return the next day.

The following day the 6 children Vicka who was 16, Ivanka 10, Maria 16, Ivan 15, Mirjana 15, Jokav 8, saw the Virgin Mary.

The first message of Mary was "Peace, peace, peace and only peace, peace must reign between God and man and between all people."

One of visionaries said that when they see the Virgin Mary, they don’t have any desire to be on earth, they just want to stay with Mary and be in heaven with Her.

On All Soul’s Day, Nov. 2^nd, 1981, the Seers – were gathered together except Ivan, and the Virgin Mary showed them heaven. Ivan would later have a vision of heaven.

They all have said that there are no words to describe the beauty of Heaven and if we knew what awaits us in Heaven, there are no difficulties or trials that we experience that won’t be worth eternal life in Heaven.

A reporter from Radio Maria, asked Vicka to describe heaven and she said, “It can’t be described. That is something beyond description. It is filled with some sort of beautiful light…people…flowers…angels…All is filled with some indescribable joy. Your heart stands still when you look at it.” She said, “Heaven is a vast space, and it has a brilliant light which does not leave it. It is a life which we do not know here on earth. We saw people dressed in gray, pink, and yellow robes. They were walking, praying, and singing. Small angels were flying above them. The Blessed Mother showed us how happy these people are.” Question: “How could you tell they were happy? Vicka: “You can see it on their faces. But it is impossible to describe with words the great happiness I saw in Heaven…In Paradise, when the Blessed Mother passed, everybody responded to Her, and She to them. There was a recognition between them…They were standing there communicating with Her, like in a tunnel, only it wasn’t exactly like a tunnel, but a tunnel is the closest comparison. People were praying, they were singing, they were looking…People in Heaven know the absolute fullness of a created being.” Question: “How long were you there? Vicka: “Maybe twenty minutes”. Question: “…Did the people talk to you?” Vicka: “It was very unusual. They were speaking, but I could not understand them…The people were in small groups. I was with Jakov and the Blessed Mother. We spoke to each other, but there was no communication with anyone else.” About the people there, the Blessed Mother only said to us, ‘You see how people who are in Heaven are happy?’”

When the reporter asked Marijana, what heaven was like, she said, “They were different from what we are like now. Perhaps they were all around 30 years of age…They were walking in a beautiful park. They have everything. They need or want nothing. They are totally full…They were dressed in the types of clothing that Jesus wore.”

All six children originally had daily apparitions and Mary is giving each of them 10 secrets, but at different times. Once they receive all secrets, the Virgin Mary discontinues seeing them daily, but will see them once or twice a year.

Vicka, Ivan, and Maria have received 9 secrets and continue to receive daily apparitions.

The other three received all 10 secrets and no longer see Mary daily.

Mirjana receives apparitions on March 18 each year. Ivanka, every year on June 25, the anniversary of the Medjugorje apparitions, and to Jakov, once a year on Christmas Day.

Our Lady told the seers that one day God would place a permanent indestructible “sign” on Apparition Hill to prove to non-believers that the apparitions took place.

The messages that our Blessed Mother has shared with the visionaries are messages of peace and love. Our Lady says God sent her to Medjugorje as an act of grace to remind us God exists, and He loves us. She comes as the Queen of Peace to bring the world back to her Son. She has given us five “stones”, or weapons, to combat evil and bring us closer to Jesus.

1. Pray with the heart. Pray Rosary every day with the family 2. Fast on Wed and Friday on bread and water. 3. Read scripture daily. 4. Eucharist -attend Mass daily and adore Jesus in Adoration. 5. Go to Confession monthly.

Through her miraculous works and messages, she longs to open our hearts to God and help us to reorient our lives towards His Church and the Sacraments. She said the time is short and soon God will punish the world through chastisements and Her call is urgent for people to return to God before its too late.

On Sept 19^th, 2024, this year, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the assent of Pope Francis, granted approval for devotion linked to Medjugorje, recognizing the abundant spiritual fruits received at the Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace without making a declaration on the supernatural character of the Marian apparitions. The DDF explained that “through the ‘nihil obstat’ (there is no obstacle to the faith) about a spiritual event, the faithful ‘are authorized to give it their adherence in a prudent manner.’

On the 25^th of every month the Virgin Mary gives a message to the world. Since the Vatican ruling, now when the messages are given, on the bottom of the message it states, “with ecclesiastical approval.”

The last message on Sept 25th, 2024, said, “Dear children, God has sent me among you, to love you and encourage you to prayer and conversion, for peace in you and in your families and in the world. Little children, do not forget that true peace comes only through prayer, from God Who is your peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Our Lady of Good Help, Oct 8th

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

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

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

Another miracle was associated with the Peshtigo Fire.

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

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

St. Denis, Martyr, October 9th

 

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

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

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

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