3rd Sunday of Advent- Jesus, the Messiah Has Come to Save Us

 

In the Gospel today, while John the Baptist was in prison, John's disciples came to visit him. He told them to go to Jesus, and ask Him a question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" The question really means, “Are You the Messiah, who will come to save us?”

The Jews were looking for the Messiah, who would come to save them from their sins and reconcile them back to God. But, during the time of Jesus, and even today, some Jews thought the Messiah would be a military leader, who would save the Jewish people from their enemies. But this idea is not scriptural. This wrong idea is why many Jews today reject Jesus.

Jesus declared Himself the Messiah when He responded, "Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

The prophet Isiah, who lived 800 years before Jesus predicted what the Messiah would do, "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy." (Isiah chapter 35:4-6)

The Jewish people expected the Messiah to work these kinds of miracles, and so, by Jesus pointing them out, He was telling John's disciples, He is the Messiah.

Through every generation Jesus continues to physically heal, but first and foremost, to save people from their sins.

Here are some real-life examples of Jesus causing the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk.

Bruno from Brazil was born deaf in his left ear. One day, in 2007, he learned about Isidoro Zorzano through the Opus Dei website, and he decided to pray to him. A month later, on April 4, 2007, when his alarm went off, he realized through the intercession of Isidoro Zorzano he could hear. Pope Francis declared Isidoro venerable.

Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun of Perpetual Adoration, who founded EWTN, was miraculously healed of the leg and back pain that had hobbled her for 40 years due to a floor buffer accident. Jesus healed her through the mystic, who came to visit Our Lady of the Angels Monastery near Birmingham, Ala., where EWTN is headquartered. Mother and mystic Paola Albertini prayed the Rosary together on Jan. 28, 1998. When Paola came out of the vision, Mother Angelica could walk without crutches and braces, raised her arms in triumph and even danced. After the healing Mother Angelica cautioned that others with physical pain and illness should not necessarily expect miraculous healing. Instead, she said that when medical means cannot produce healing, people should “offer up” their pain “as a way of saving souls.” And she added: "I think we forget that the Rosary is powerful."

A few months after I was ordained in 2004, when I was giving Communion to the home bound, I went to the house of a lady in her 90's. She told me that she was going blind in her eyes, but she said, she asked Jesus to not let her go blind before she dies. She said she started a novena to St. Lucy, who is the patron for the healing of eyes. The following week, when I went to visit her, she said she happened to have an eye appointment on the last of the 9-day novena. On that day, the doctor prescribed her a new medicine called "Lucere". The woman said her vision actually improved and she believed St. Lucy interceded to Jesus for her, so that Our Lord could keep her eyesight.

In a previous homily, I told you about Andre, an 8-month-old boy, who had Leukemia. When I was pastor of Sacred Heart in Halstead, Andre's parents, Zach and Melanie, were beside themselves and in terrible anguish. Melanie phoned and asked me to anoint her baby, I replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't because the Church desires that anointing of the sick be given to only those who are of the age of reason." I said, "Come to my office, and we can pray for little Andre." When they arrived, we prayed the prayer to Fr. Kapaun, and they immediately left for a doctor appointment. After running lab tests, the results came back normal. The doctor said the child no longer had Leukemia. Some believe Jesus healed the child through the intercession of Fr. Kapaun.

Besides Jesus raising Lazarus back to life, the little girl who died, and also the young boy being carried out in a coffin, Jesus raises the dead through saints: St. Dominic, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Patrick, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin de Porres, and many other saints, God used them to bring the dead back to life.

Today, Jesus continues to work miracles as the Messiah. He fulfills the prophet Isaiah's prophecy, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy."

More importantly than physical healings, Jesus, the Messiah, came to save us from our sins. It is infinitely more important for our soul to be healed from sin, than for our bodies to be healed. That is why before Jesus healed the paralytic, he said, "My child, your sins are forgiven." Then he said, "So that you may know the Son of Man has power to forgive sins, I say to you, take up your mat and go home." First his soul was healed, then the paralytic was physically healed.

Jesus first and foremost wants to heal the soul and then, if it's His will, He can also heal the body. But in order to be physically healed, we should first have all our sins forgiven and forgive all those who hurt us. How can God heal us, if we are not sorry for our sins and if we haven't forgiven others? What good would it be, if our body was healed, but our soul wasn't and then we were to die and lose our soul forever?

Jesus not only saves us through the forgiveness of our sins in Confession, He also wants to make us holy through trials and sufferings.

St. Padre Pio said, "God neither wants, nor is able, to save and sanctify us without the Cross. The more He calls a soul to Himself, the more He sanctifies it by means of the Cross. By suffering we are able to give something to God. The gift of pain, and suffering is a big thing and cannot be accomplished in Paradise."

Saint Therese said, "Sufferings greatly help to detach us from this earth, they make us look higher than this world. It is such joy to think that for each little pain borne with joy, I shall love God more through eternity."

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

My friends, Jesus is the Messiah, who has come to reconcile us back to God, save us from our sins, help us to grow in holiness, and on occasion heal us physically to help us grow in faith. He also came to help us embrace our sufferings and crosses to help us get to heaven.

Jesus always, at all times wants to heal us spiritually, by saving us from our sins and helping us to endure our suffering. We are all sinners and in need of being saved.

Over the centuries, how many billions of people had their sins washed away in the ocean of God's mercy by Jesus the Messiah. O, the multitude who suffered everything and anything out of love for Jesus, because He saved them from their sins and by the sufferings and pains they endured, their souls were made ready for paradise, our eternal home in heaven.

Immaculate Conception - December 8th

A terrible fire occurred in Colorado, January of 2022, destroying 1000 homes. When Tom and Kat Greany returned home, they found it completely destroyed. Yet a statue of the Virgin Mary was unharmed.

Tom said, "When we arrived at our home... all but five of 55 homes in our neighborhood were completely destroyed. When we climbed down into the smoldering rubble of what had been our home, almost nothing was recognizable. A few pots and pans. Twisted steel I-beams, disconnected from the foundation, had fallen onto the ash. On our front porch we could see the crumbled concrete of the foundation, bricks strewn about. And the beautiful designer front doors themselves melted into a twisted ball. But Mary remained. Covered by black soot on the right half of the statue’s body, the Marian image was unscathed. Bricks appeared to have fallen all around; some probably even hit the statue. But it didn’t even fall over. At the feet of the statue, beneath the debris, are many heart-shaped stones that Kat and I have collected on our many hikes, reminding us that we have consecrated our lives to Jesus through Mary and that her Immaculate Heart and his Sacred Heart will protect and sustain us through anything. The statue is a symbol. Amid the smoldering ruins that hours earlier had been an inferno, Mary remained — as she will in our lives, interceding for us through the darkest of times, praying for us to Jesus Christ, her Son, Our Lord and Savior. It stings to look at our home, all of its contents lost. The Christmas giving we had celebrated with our sons went up in smoke, along with everything else they and we owned."

Tom said, "But through the loss of the home, He gave us an opportunity to experience His comfort through the intercession of His Mother — our mother, Mary. We were blessed to be together, safely away; and to get our cars safely out. And no one can take the faith that is rooted deeply within us, fed by signs such as this, that the Holy Family is not only with us, they’re looking out for us. They love us, and they care. They pray for us. And they pray for the world in these dark times we live in. I had asked for only one thing for Christmas: that the Lord would make my family holy. Maybe that starts with stripping away our possessions and becoming fully reliant on him."

My friends, the statue that was unharmed in Colorado is Our Lady of Grace, which depicts the Virgin Mary standing on the earth with her foot on the head of the serpent. The statue represents the woman in Genesis, who will crush the head of the serpent. Mary is the predicted woman, who will be at enmity with the devil because She is sinless. Just as the Virgin Mary was untouched by sin, the statue of Mary was untouched by fire.

Why was Mary conceived without original sin? If you could create your Mother, wouldn't you make Her perfect, and so, Jesus made His Mother, preserved Her from sin. Our Lord also wanted to enter the world in a pure and sinless womb. And just as Eve was sinless, when She was created, so Mary is created sinless to be the new Eve, as the woman foretold in Genesis. Mary was created sinless and never sinned in Her life, so as to be a Mother most pure, spotless and advocate who will pray for us, Her children. At all times, She stands with us, especially in our distress and dark times. As a mother, Mary comforts us and guides us to Her Son Jesus.

Let us have confidence in our sweet Mother and ask Her to intercede for us and give us the graces we need to live a life of holiness and purity of heart, in imitation of Her Immaculate Heart. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us, who have recourse to thee.

Our Lady of Hope: Amid 1,000 Colorado Houses Destroyed by Fire, Virgin Mary Statue Stands Unscathed| National Catholic Register

2nd Sunday of Advent, Repent of Modernism

 

In the Gospel today, John the Baptist reproached the leaders of the Jewish people, the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them to repentance saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

In every generation, there are different philosophies, world views, and heresies that come up in the Church. On the surface they seem attractive, especially since they are less demanding. Today, some leaders of the Church need to come to repentance for promoting the heresy of modernism.

Modernism is basing one’s religion on one’s emotions and feelings and so their beliefs are constantly changing; modernism falsely supposes dogmas can be changed by novel ideas, according to the times. Modernism therefore rejects objective truths. However, something that has always been true, cannot someday be not true. Modernists want to change doctrine, but doctrine can never be changed because it comes to us from Jesus and the Apostles, through the Bible and Sacred Tradition. Divine revelation is unchanging and will be passed on until Christ comes again. The fullness of revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life.

    Pope St. Pius X said, "It is an error to believe that Christ did not teach a determined body of doctrine applicable to all times and all men, but rather inaugerated a religous movement adapted or to be adapted to different times and places."

Here are some modernist ideas of today: In the history of the Church, women have never been ordained deacons or priests. A modernist wants to make it happen. However, in 1994, Saint Pope John Paul II said, "it is impossible for women to be ordained Catholic priests, since the decision to ordain only men came from Christ Himself". Pope John Paul II concluded the Church's law prohibiting women's ordination can never be changed. In fact, if a priest participates in a woman's ordination, he could be excommunicated, which is what happened to Fr. Roy Bourgeois in 2008.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider said, “An example of how modernism affects us today, is that some think the Catholic doctrine of homosexuality must change. The Church has always taught homosexual acts are intrinsically in themselves evil. There are some today, who think homosexuality can now be viewed positively, but this is false. Truth does not change.”

As mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, those with unwanted affliction of the inclination are to carry their cross living a life of purity and virtue.

Modernists reinterpret scripture to mean something that it has never meant before. For example, a modernist no longer believes in the miracles of Jesus. A modernist would say Jesus never really multiplied loaves and fish. Rather, the people just shared their food. But the Church's teaching is that Jesus worked a real miracle multiplying loaves and fish. St. Cyril of Alexandria (376 to 444) explains what Christians have always believed. He said, “The feeding of the multitudes in the desert by Christ is worthy of all admiration. But it is also profitable in another way. We can plainly see that these new miracles are in harmony with those of ancient times.”

Some modernists say, Jesus never worked the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish. But why is it that God multiplied food through saints such as St. Anthony of Padua, St. Dominic, St. Clare, Blessed Father Solanus Casey, etc.. It would be ridiculous to say Jesus didn't work miracles, but saints can because Jesus does it through them.

A modernist places abortion on the same moral equivalence as the death penalty, immigration and global warming. But, abortion causes millions of deaths every year. Whereas combining deaths by the death penalty, immigration and global warming is minutely small.

When those who have had an abortion, later come to the anguish of their decision can find comfort and consolation in the Heart of Jesus through confession and support.

Scripture and tradition as well as the Church's magisterium have always said a person in the state of mortal sin, may not receive Holy Communion. But a modernist thinks it is no longer sinful to receive Jesus in Holy Communion sacrilegiously because times have changed.

So, how do we combat modernism and all heresies All heresies can be destroyed by the Holy Rosary, including modernism. By meditating on the life of Jesus and His supernatural power over created things, it helps prove the divine origin of the Christian religion. This is one of the reasons why we should meditate on the miracles of Jesus.

While praying the Rosary, we gaze upon the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries. But we can also meditate on His miracles, by praying the Rosary of Miracles: Jesus healing of the paralytic, multiplying the fish and loaves, walking on water, freeing the possessed, raising of Lazarus from the dead.

When we pray Hail Marys and meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, our soul is touched by grace and truth, and truth sets us free. When we gaze upon the mysteries of the Rosary, we contemplate unchanging truths. Truths that bring about our salvation, based on Jesus, who is the Truth. Meditation on the truths of our faith touch our intellect and our soul with objective supernatural knowledge, which is unchanging.

St. Cyril of Jersualem said, “In learning and professing the faith, you must accept and retain only the Church’s present tradition, confirmed as it is by the Scriptures... For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you have now received, let him be accursed in your sight. That is why, my brothers, you must consider and preserve the traditions you are now receiving. Inscribe them across your heart. Observe them scrupulously, so that no enemy may rob any of you in an idle and heedless moment; let no heretic deprive you of what has been given to you. Faith is rather like depositing in a bank the money entrusted to you, and God will surely demand an account of what you have deposited. In the words of the Apostle: I charge you before the God who gives life to all things, and before Christ who bore witness under Pontius Pilate in a splendid declaration, to keep unblemished this faith you have received, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have now been given life’s great treasure; when he comes the Lord will ask for what he has entrusted to you.”

My friends, if you pray the Rosary everyday, you won’t be swayed by changing times and heresies, because you are firmly grounded in Jesus. 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, the Church, and will be safe.

If you want to help others to remain firm on the foundation on the Church, rather than novel ideas that change with the time, introduce the Rosary to them. Tell them, how through the Rosary, Jesus and His teachings will help them stay strong in their faith.

When we pray the Rosary, the Blessed Virgin Mary prays for us. She will help us to remain firm in our faith and keep us close to Jesus and His truths revealed to us.

Make your Advent special by daily praying the Rosary, including the Rosary of Miracles.

1st Sunday of Advent - Rapture, Preparing for Christmas

 

Advent is a time to prepare for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus and to prepare for His 2nd Coming.

The Gospel today Jesus said, "Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left."

Many Protestants believe the "taken" are the faithful who are raptured away, and the unfortunate sinners are "left behind". They also think the rapture will be secret and before the great persecution, only the elect will not the great persecution caused by the anti-Christ.

But is their really such a thing as a rapture, when one will be taken and another left behind? Will the rapture be in secret? Will it occur before the great tribulation or at the moment of the Second Coming of Jesus?

Catholics believe no one is exempt from the great persecution. No one is exempt from suffering from the anti-Christ. We believe Jesus does not come twice, but once. His coming will not be in secret, but rather for everyone to see. And His 2nd Coming will coincide with the General Judgment. Catholics believe that when Our Divine Lord comes on the clouds of heaven, everyone will be caught up to meet Him in the air and we will all receive our recompense whether good or bad as to the good deeds we did or failed to do. We will all get a new resurrected body. All in heaven and in hell will get a new resurrected body. Those in hell their resurrected body will add to their torment, but those in heaven, it will add to their glory.

  St. Cyril of Jerusalem explains the meaning of "one will be taken and the other left." He said, “…Those who are taken"….confess their good deeds before the Father in heaven, and their "works follow them" while those who are "left" are those who are passed over because, despite their great titles or impressive speech, "had no charity" (did no charitable deeds) and thus have no reward from God.” So we will be judged by our deeds of mercy. The truth is-- the Protestant rapture theory is a false doctrine. The idea never existed until the 1800’s when John Nelson Darby, a member of the Plymouth Brethren Congregation, began to heavily promote his idea of a secret rapture.

How are we to prepare for the coming of Jesus and the celebration of His birth at Christmas? Here are some examples.

Accept the cross-- First pray that God will take it away, and at the same time accept it, out of love for Jesus. We can offer up the pain and suffering of our cross for others. Whether it's illness, or a difficult job situation, or a problem that never seems to go away, ask the Lord to help you to endure it. We can give Jesus the gift of accepting our suffering.

Prayer. Daily make time to pray. You can come to pray before Jesus in the tabernacle to make a Holy Hour or short visits.

Decide to daily pray the Rosary, especially as a family. If you personally already pray one Rosary, pray 2 or 3 rosaries a day.

The family can gather every night 5 min before bed. Each person mentioning one particular intention or something you are thankful for, and then pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

Read a short paragraph from the Bible and meditate on it. Do some spiritual reading such as read the Catechism of the Catholic Church or read lives of the saints. We can give Jesus the gift of learning more about Our Lord and His Church.

Visit and Call. Go to visit someone in a nursing home, or someone who is home bound. Call a family member or friend whom you haven’t talked to in a long time.

Forgive. Perhaps there is someone you haven’t talked to for a long time because you are holding a grudge. Give Jesus the gift of forgiving someone who hurt you.

Attend Mass during the week. In addition to Sunday Mass, come to a weekday Mass and give Jesus the gift of allowing Him to come into your heart in Holy Communion.

Stop Wasting Time on the Computer. Instead of Facebook, call or speak to others in person.

Help a Neighbor. Rake leaves, remove snow or do a good deed for others. Give an anonymous donation or a food basket to a needy family.

Confession. There are most likely some who haven’t been to confession for a long time. How beautiful will your gift be to give Jesus, the gift of a truly repentant heart. Resolve to confess monthly, by giving Jesus the gift of overcoming your fear of confession and to regularly confess our venial sins.

Give Jesus the daily practice of a particular virtue or try to avoid a particular sin. We can practice patience, or try not to gossip, or to try to practice humility. If we have a negative attitude, put others down and complain about everything. Maybe try to have a grateful heart and positive attitude and give heartfelt compliments to others.

Young husbands and wives, you can give Jesus, the gift of being open to life, by giving up contraception and making the commitment to take Natural Family Planning Classes.

Parents once a week spend time with your children, playing board games or cards.

Children, be obedient to your parents, and do your homework without being told. We can give Jesus the gift of loving our family more by spending more time with our family.

Create a group to go Christmas Caroling to the homes of the elderly. By doing these things, you will give Jesus the gift of making Him the reason for the season.

In conclusion, you can make Advent like a little Lent, make sacrifices and do penance. Deny yourself chocolate, or candy or your favorite food.

What will you give the baby Jesus for Christmas? How will you spend your Advent? How will you prepare for Christmas and the 2nd coming of Jesus? Do as St. Cyril said which was to do deeds of charity and acts of mercy and you will be very well prepared. Let us ask the Virgin Mary to enter into mystery of Her preparation for the birth of Jesus and Our Lord’s second coming.

Christ the King - Martyrs

                       

This weekend is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Solemnity of Christ the King. In 1925, Pope Pius XI introduced the feast in response to the rise of secularism, atheism, fascist dictators and political turmoil in the early 20th century. The abuse of power is what led to its introduction—using power in the opposite way that Jesus used His power.

For example, during the Mexico revolution, from 1910 to 1920, the government wanted to extinguish the influence of the Catholic Church throughout the country. They started executing priests, seizing the Catholic Church's property, and closing religious schools and convents, in accordance with anti-clerical laws that were written into the Mexican Constitution. People from many of the central and western states in Mexico rebelled against the government in defense of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Miguel Pro, a priest, and Jose Sanchez, a 14 year old boy, were martyred both bearing witness to Christ the King.

Fr. Miguel Pro had a great love for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and had great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Despite his illness and the fierce persecution from the government, which forbid all worship, he continued to minister to the faithful with great courage and zeal. He disguised himself as a layman, so he could administer the sacraments secretly. By wearing regular clothes, he was able to go about the city giving 1,300 Holy Communion in a single day. Despite the danger of getting caught by police, he continued to administer the sacraments and was arrested several times.

In 1927, a bomb exploded, aimed at killing the president. Although Fr. Miguel had nothing to do with it, he blamed for it and was arrested. He had no trial, but was condemned to death. Just before his death, as he stood before a firing squad, with arms outstretched, his last words were, “Vivo Christo Rey”, “Long live Christ the King”.

St. Jose Luis Sánchez del Río was born in 1913 in Mexico. Jose loved his faith and grew up with a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was 12-years-old when the Cristero War began in Mexico and was allowed to become the flag-bearer for the troop.

On January 25, 1928, Jose was captured by the government troops and imprisoned in the sacristy of the local church. During his captivity, Jose was ordered to renounce his faith in Christ. Even under the threat of death, he refused. He was forced to watch the hanging of another Cristero. Instead of breaking his resolve, Jose encouraged the man, telling him they would meet again soon in Heaven.

During his time in captivity, he prayed the rosary daily and wrote a letter to his mother. He told her he was ready to fulfill the will of God.

On February 10, 1928, after realizing they would not break Jose's faith, the government troops cut the bottom of his feet and forced him to walk around the town toward the cemetery. As he walked in great pain he recited the rosary, prayed for his enemies, and sang songs to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

They told him that if he shouted, "Death to Christ the King," they would spare his life. Instead, Jose shouted, "I will never give in. Viva Cristo Rey y Santa Maria de Guadalupe! (Long Live Christ the King and Holy Mary of Guadalupe!)."

They transferred Jose to a building close to where he was being held and told his family that he would be shot. One of his aunts brought him Holy Communion. At the age of 14, Jose was shot and died as a martyr. St. José Luis Sánchez del Río was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis canonized him on October 16, 2016.

Both martyrs proclaimed Jesus Christ the King. But Our Lord was not a worldly king. He was not a military leader. Rather, Jesus is the King of heaven and earth, but He was not given a royal cloak, but mocked when given a scarlet military cloak. He was not crowned with a golden crown, but was crowned with a crown of thorns. He was not given a royal scepter, but a reed was placed in His hands. Rather than bowing out of reverence, the soldiers bowed to their knees mocking Jesus, saying “All Hail, King of the Jews”. While Jesus was on the Cross, the soldiers said, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” As King, He did not issue any decrees, but a decree was nailed above His head, which read, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews”.

Since Our Lord's Kingship is exercised through service, by laying down His life for us out of love, then it stands to reason we allow Jesus to rule over us serving His kingdom by doing God’s will in our life. The feast was established as a sign against all those who at that time seeking to absolutize their own political ideologies, and the Church boldly insists that no earthly power, no particular political system, or military dictatorship is ever absolute. Rather, only God is eternal and only the Kingdom of God is absolute.

Every family should place Christ the King as their center of their lives. We do this first and foremost by attending Mass together as a family. In homes families pray before meals and more and more families are praying the Rosary together. When a family prays the Rosary together, wonderful and beautiful things will happen. There is so much pain, suffering, hurt feelings and unforgiveness in families and individuals. However, through the family Rosary, God through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, will help families to love, to forgive each other and practice sacrifice and virtue.

We need to take Christ wherever we go. A number of restaurants and businesses in Lyons, Hutchinson, Newton, and Wichita display a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe or a Crucifix and high schools throughout the US are starting Christian organizations at their schools. By doing these things proclaiming Christ the King.

May God's kingdom on earth come as it is heaven, through Jesus Christ the King and Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth.

33rd Sunday - 10 Signs Before Second Coming of Jesus

 

Every year just before Advent and sometimes in the first weeks of Advent the Church focuses on the Second Coming of Jesus. The purpose of Advent is to prepare for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus and prepare for the Second Coming.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, not Catechism of the Catholic Church, gives us 9 Signs that will precede the 2^nd Coming of Jesus. I will add an additional sign that comes from the Catechism.

In the Gospel today, Jesus gives three of the 10 signs. He says there will be 1. wars, 2. earthquakes, plagues and famines and 3 a great persecution. The signs I will list are in no particular order.

1. Extraordinary Perturbations of Nature - Perturbations means nature is perturbed and acts violently. Jesus said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in places. There will be awesome sights and mighty sings will come from the sky.”(Matt. 24:6-7)

2. General Preaching of the Christian Religion Throughout the Earth. "And this Gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come." (Matthew 24:14) Saint Pope John Paul II said the Gospel has been preached to all the world.

3. Great Apostasy – Apostasy is the abandonment of the faith. St. Paul speaks about apostasy in the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 2:3), “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first. And that man of sin be revealed. The son of perdition.” The “falling away” means falling away from the faith (apostasy). Today many have fallen away from the faith, including leaders of the Church. Cardinal Burke said, ‘No matter what we are asked to suffer, we must remain with Him (Jesus), even if those in the highest positions of authority in the Church should abandon Him, should commit the grievous crime of apostasy from the Catholic faith..”

4. Great Persecution. The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover (pass from death to new life), when she will follow her Lord in His death and Resurrection. Before Christ's 2nd coming the Church must pass through a final trial. During the great persecution many will suffer and be martyred for the faith. The book of Revelation speaks about how Christians will not be able to buy or sell food, “And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.” I’m going to give you an idea that is popular today with regard what could happen. We could surmise due to a world wide economic collapse, there would be one world monetary system. No longer individual countries with their own money. Instead, through communism, a card or a microchip would given to every person to purchase food or obtain healthcare, but to obtain it, one must deny their faith joining one world religion, that denies Jesus.

5. Reign of the Antichrist – In (2 Thessalonians 2:3) “The man of sin" is the Antichrist. He will rise against Christ to seduce the nations. “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” (Daniel 12:11) The “daily sacrifice” means the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be abolished.

The Antichrist will work false miracles: physically heal, change the weather, raise a person from the dead. But they will be illusions and done by human or natural means, but will fool many.

The Antichrist will create a religious deception offering an apparent solution to their problems at the price of denying their faith (apostasy) and cause the great persecution against Christians.

6. Return of Enoch and Elijah. Fathers of the Church believed these two men, who never died, are reserved for the last times to be precursors of the Second Coming. Saint Mechtilda of Hackeborn (d. 1298) said, “Enoch and Elijah will expose the devilish trickery of the Antichrist to the people. As a consequence he will put them to death. For three and one-half days their bodies will be exposed to insults and the followers of Antichrist will presume that all danger is now past, but suddenly the bodies of the two prophets will move, rise and gaze on the crowd and begin to praise God. A great earthquake, similar to that at Christ's resurrection, will take place: Jerusalem will be partially destroyed and thousands killed. Then a voice from heaven will call out "Ascend," whereupon the prophets will ascend into heaven, resulting in the conversion of many. The Antichrist will reign thirty days after their ascension."

7. The Conversion of the Jews. Saint Paul said, "For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, . . . that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel should be saved…” (Romans 11:25-26) Jews will follow the Antichrist thinking he is the messiah, but later discover Jesus in the true Messiah and so convert to Christianity.

8. Universal Conflagration. Saint Peter speaks about Conflagration (a catastrophic fire on the earth). “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar and the elements will be dissolved by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.” (2 Peter 3:10) Conflagration is a fire that renews creation and does not destroy it.

9. Son of Man Appearing in the Heavens. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30) In the sky appears the Cross our Savior died or a wonderful cross of light. Saint Faustina Kowalska (d.1938) said, “All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the Cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time.”

10. Trumpet of Resurrection. St. Paul said, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”(Thessalonians 4:16) The living and dead will receive their resurrected bodies, including those in heaven and in hell. When all receive their resurrected body, then will come, the Last Judgment, when the sins of everyone in the world will be revealed for all to see.

Jesus said, “And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather (his) elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” (Mark 13:26-27).

Will the 2^nd Coming happen in our lifetime? Nobody knows the day nor the hour, but Signs help us to be ready. Jesus told St. Faustina the Divine Mercy devotion was to prepare for His Second Coming. He said, “You will prepare the world for My final coming”. (Diary 429) “Speak to the world about My mercy... It is a sign for the end times.”

In every age, we can believe Jesus is coming in our time. Saints have done so too, especially St. Vincent Ferrer, who is the apostle of the apocalypse. He preached on the 2^nd Coming of Jesus telling people Jesus is coming soon, which resulted in the conversion of thousands. Was he wrong? Yes, he was wrong in the fact Jesus’ Second Coming did not come, but he was right in the fact each would have their own personal judgment when they die.

To prepare for the Second Coming, the messages of Our Lady in Medjugorje will help us to be ready. We should daily repent of our sins, and go to Confession monthly, spend personal prayer time with Jesus, turn our life over to Him, live a life doing good for others, attend daily Mass, pray the Rosary everyday, fast on Wednesday and Friday, daily read a short paragraph from the bible, spend time every week in Eucharistic Adoration, and be ready to suffer for our faith, even to the point of dying for it.

If we have Jesus, we have nothing to fear. However, we should fear sins, because only sins can keep us from being with Jesus forever in heaven.

May the Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, Co-redemptrix and Queen of peace watch over all our families and keep us close to Jesus Her Son, so that we may be ready for whatever may happen in the future and live each day as though it was our last.

Dedication of St. John Lateran, Nov 9th

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica, which is the cathedral of Rome. There is an inscription on the outside of the basilica, that says, “The holy church of the Lateran, mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.”

The Lateran family donated the land to build the church. After the church was constructed by the emperor Constantine and given to pope Sylvester I, it was consecrated in 324. The pope lived at the Lateran palace for about 1000 yrs, before moving to St. Peter’s Basilica. The church also possesses the relics of the heads of Peter and Paul and the holy table our Lord used at the Last Supper.

Many think that St. Peter’s Basilica is the Cathedral of Rome, but it’s not. It’s St. John Lateran and has the bishop of Rome’s chair called the cathedra.

We celebrate the dedication of the physical structure of the Lateran Basilica, not only because because it is the first papal residence, not only because the pope resided there for 1000 yrs., not only because its the mother of all Christian churches, not only because its the Cathedral of Rome because but most importantly, because of who is in the Church. Our Lord Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist now resides in the Lateran Basilica and every Catholic church in the world.

In the second reading today, St. Paul said, “Do you not know you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”

Today’s feast is a reminder that our body, like that of a church, is a temple, which belongs to God. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and because of that we should treat our body with respect. It does not belong to us, it belongs to the Lord. So when we purposely harm our body, we are harming God’s temple.

Surgeries such as face lifts, or if a man or woman gets sterilized, to not have children is harmful to the body. Hysterectomies, although they cause sterilization, are not sinful, because the purpose of getting a hysterectomy due to a medical problem.

Excessive piercing is not treating our body with respect. Overeating and eating excessive sweets can cause obesity and diabetes. If we don’t take care of our health, we are not treating the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. If we fail to take medicine, it can cause premature death. Due to vanity and a poor self-image one can exercise excessively to have a body that will draw attention to others. Some don’t exercise to remain healthy. Regular bathing keeps our body clean and healthy avoiding viruses, and bacteria.

Smoking harms our lungs (my father, my uncle George and my brother-in-law John, all died from lung cancer). Excessive drinking of alcohol can damage the liver, social problems, fractured families and the loss of one’s job.

Taking drugs like marijuana or meth are sinful because they impair judgment. Side effects of marijuana include: permanent brain difficulties such as the inability to control emotions, impaired memory and attention, reduced IQ, difficulty with problem-solving and decision-making, increased risk of psychosis, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, addiction, mood swings, paranoia and hallucinations and hormonal imbalances in women.

More important than physical care of the body is the care of the soul. Whereby we avoid sin, especially mortal sin.

What would your body be like if you bathed only twice a year or bathed only once a month? Pew! And so, what is your soul like, if you confess only once or twice a year.

Saints have a way of saying shocking yet honest things. Saint Padre Pio, known for his mystical experiences and stigmata, once encountered a man confessing lustful sins, describing the spiritual stench as “the smell of a rotting corpse.”

St. Catherine complained to the Pope that “in the Vatican (a place which should have been a paradise of heavenly virtues)-there was instead a stench of all the vices of Hell." The Pontiff was bewildered about the statement and how the Saint knew of such a condition, when she had been in Rome only a few days. St. Catherine responded, “to the honor of Almighty God I dare to say that I could smell the sins being committed in the Roman Court better when I was in Siena, where I was born, than the people who committed them and are still committing them today.”

Saint John Vianney, said “Confession is the soul's bath. Just, as even a clean glass needs to be washed occasionally.”

By coming to Mass today, we recognize our need to drive those things in our heart, which prevent the temple of our soul from truly being the Father’s house. We need to be like Jesus, and have holy zeal, to drive out the sheep, oxen, and money changers within our heart (which are our sins). Our soul must always be in the state of grace when we receive Holy Communion (meaning there can’t be a mortal sin on our soul) and if there is we should first go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion.

St. Padre Pio asked all his penitents to confess weekly. The Virgin Mary at Medjugorje said to confess monthly, attend daily Mass to receive Holy Communion, pray the Rosary daily, and read a short paragraph from the bible daily.

My friends, when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we become living tabernacles. And we need to be conscience of the indwelling of God in our soul, for by doing this, we will treat our body and our soul with respect.

Today, let us honor St. John Lateran Church, the mother church of all Christians, and with zeal strive to make our soul immaculate in imitation of Mary, the image and model of the Church. By confessing regularly and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion often, Our Lord will find within us a palace, a little tabernacle, and a home He can dwell.

St. Caesarius of Arles said, “My fellow Christians, let us celebrate with joy the Dedication of St. John Lateran church and also God’s temple in our heart. May we not destroy the living temples of God in ourselves by works of evil. Whenever we come to church, we must prepare our hearts to be as beautiful as we expect this church to be. Do you wish to find this basilica immaculately clean? Then do not soil your soul with the filth of sins. Do you wish this basilica to be full of light? God too wishes that your soul be not in darkness, but that the light of good works shine in us, so that he who dwells in the heavens will be glorified. Just as you enter this church building, so God wishes to enter into your soul, for he promised: I shall live in them, and I shall walk the corridors of their hearts.”