Michael, Gabriel, Raphael Archangels Sept 29th

 

Today is the feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

The history of the former feast of the Apparition of St. Michael is very remarkable. In the year 404, a wealthy man had a large herd of cattle grazing on Monte Gargano in Italy, not far from the once famous city of Siponto. One day a steer went astray from the herd and did not return with the rest of the cattle at the usual time. The owner and his hired men went in search of the steer, and finally found him on the summit of the mountain, lying at the entrance of a cave. The animal refused to leave the spot. At length the owner, exasperated by its stubbornness, took up his bow and sent an arrow toward it. However, the arrow whirled about in the air, and, coming directly toward the archer, wounded him.

All were frightened at this strange incident, and no one ventured to approach the place. They went directly to the Bishop of Siponto and related the incident to him. The holy prelate, after serious reflection, decided that there must be some mystery connected with it. He therefore prayed fervently that God's holy will, might be revealed. Thereupon St. Michael appeared to him in great splendor and said: “I am Michael, the Archangel, whoever stand before the Lord. I am keeping this place under my special protection. By this strange occurrence, I wish to remind men to celebrate the Divine service in my honor and that of all the Angels."

After this revelation, the Bishop and all the inhabitants of the place went up the mountain in solemn procession, and prayed to the Lord through the intercession of St. Michael. When they arrived at the cave, they found an entrance which led down a stairway. No one, however, ventured to enter, and they performed their devotions at the opening. After that many pilgrimages came to this spot.

Meantime, the Neapolitans decided to make war upon the inhabitants of Siponto and Benevento. The latter, at the advice of their Bishop, kept a three days' fast and called upon the assistance of the holy Archangel. During the night preceding the attack, the Archangel again appeared to the Bishop and told him that God had listened to their petitions, that in the fourth hour of the day they should courageously meet the enemy, and they would gain the victory.

As soon as the attack began, all Monte Gargano was violently shaken. The entire summit was enveloped in dark clouds, from which flashes of lightning, like fiery arrows, flew toward the enemy, who, in consequence, took to flight. In joy and gratitude, and amid devout prayer, the conquerors entered the sacred spot. They found the cavern to be perfectly formed for a church, which could hold about five hundred persons.

This cave had evidently been a place of refuge in which the early Christians had secretly held their services during times of persecution.

From a crevice in the rock, which formed the ceiling of this sanctuary, water dripped down upon the rocks. This water was very refreshing and most pleasant to the taste, and possessed healing properties. Many sick persons were instantly cured after drinking this water; others found health through the intercession of St. Michael. Many other miracles proved this place to be under the special protection of Heaven. Besides this subterranean church the Bishop erected another, in which the services were conducted by Canons Regular. This church still exists.

Today, let us ask Our Lady Queen of the Angels, to send St. Michael frequently to throughout the day. May we trust in his protection and care, knowing he will help us, especially when we have concerns about evil spirits.

26th Sunday, Lazarus & Help the Poor

 

Today’s readings are about a failure to love and care for our neighbors, due to selfishness.

Failing to love and care for one’s neighbor results in condemnation as can be seen in the first reading from the prophet Amos-- to the leaders of the people of Israel. He said, “Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall!” Because their hearts were closed and ignored the needs of the poor, all the while living a sumptuous life, God would send the people Israel into exile as a punishment.

The Gospel has a similar message. The rich man lived a sumptuous life, all the while ignoring the needs of the poor man, Lazarus, because he was selfish and had an uncaring heart. When the poor man dies, he is taken to the bosom of Abraham, but when the rich man dies, he is taken to the netherworld for punishment, for his lack of love and concern for the poor man, Lazarus.

Pope John Paul II explains why the rich man was punished. In his homily at Yankee stadium in 1979, he said, “The rich man was condemned because he did not pay attention to the other man. Because he failed to take notice of Lazarus, the person who sat at his door and who longed to eat the scraps from his table. Nowhere does Christ condemn the mere possession of earthly goods as such. Instead, he pronounces very harsh words against those who use their possessions in a selfish way, without paying attention to the needs of others.”

Today’s readings are awake up call for us. Not out of fear of punishment, but to examine how we love our neighbor. We need to look into our heart, but also to look around us at the needs of others. Are we using the material goods that God has given us—to help others? Or are we selfish with our goods? Do pay attention only to our own desires and needs, while failing to pay attention to the needs of the poor?

Don’t most of us desire things merely because we want them, rather than because we need them? Couldn’t all of us do a better job at opening the door of our heart to Lazarus? If the door of heart is open and we pay attention-- we will see Lazarus everywhere.

Lazarus is in our poor relative, who lost his job and can’t afford to pay his gas and electric bills. He is in the young woman at the Crisis Pregnancy center. He is the single working mother with children. He is in the divorced who suffer from loneliness and poverty. Lazarus is the poor soul in purgatory, who no one prays. Lazarus is the sick who carries a heavy cross. Lazarus is in those mourning the loss of a loved one.

The Catholic Church has a teaching called the principle of subsidiarity, which states that matters should be handled at the lowest level first. For example, when we help others, we are obligated to first take care of our own family members, then those from our parish, then those in our local community, and those in our country and finally those in foreign countries.

Do we financially support our relatives, those in the parish and, those in our local community.

But, what if we have little money to help others, how can we help Lazarus at our door? We can volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers or volunteer to help other charitable organizations. One of the best things, we can do to help the poor, is to pray for them, and pray that God will inspire those that can help them, to open their hearts.

Who actually is Lazarus? Obviously, Lazarus is every poor person. But whom does Lazarus represent? Matthew Chap. 25 explains who the person is--- in the context of the obligation of helping the poor in the light of the final judgment. Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him... He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me….., for what you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me. Then He will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.”

We see in this scripture, “Jesus is disguised in the poor”. Today, may we open our hearts to serve Jesus in the poor, by paying attention to the needs of others and helping them. And, when our earthly life will have ended, we will be carried by angels to rest in the bosom of God our Father in heaven, who will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”, you paid attention to the needs of others, you have opened your heart and so have loved much, come and enjoy the banquet prepared for you by my Father.

24th Friday Eucharist - Medjugorje

 

What is the role of Our Lady? Always Her primary role is the bring Her spiritual children to Her Son Jesus.

After the Rosary on Apparition Hill yesterday, as I was climbing down the pathway from the top, Ivan came by and I said his name, “Ivan!” He stopped and I said, “May I give you a blessing?” He smiled and nodded his head. I gave him a priestly blessing and he said, “Come tonight to my house!” I said, “What time?” He said, “4:45pm”. I said, “Okay, I’ll see you there.” He smiled and went down the hill in the most rapid manner like a goat.

When I arrived later at 4:45pm, the chapel at Ivan’s house, was filled with priests and there were about 7 religious sisters and brothers. We prayed the Rosary then he had an apparition that lasted about 5 minutes. During the apparition, I prayed for all of you, for the people of my parish, my family and godchildren, for Ivanna and her family.

After the Virgin Mary, Our Lady Queen of Peace departed, he explained what our Lady said, he said she prayed over the priests and prayed over our parishes and for each diocese from where the priest is from. She then said to the priests, “Open your parishes to perpetual adoration and they will be renewed.” Ivan said when She spoke about priests and religious, she always said, “My dear children, by beloved.”

In the US, there are many perpetual adoration chapels. My diocese of Wichita most every parish has either perpetual adoration or extended adoration. Some parishes are too small to have perpetual. When I was assigned to my parish of Holy Trinity, a very small parish with 60 families, I preached on Eucharistic Adoration on Sundays and then we started adoration. In fact, today is the 5^th anniversary of Sept 19^th of starting continuous adoration. We have adoration from Sunday after the 8am Mass until Tuesday morning at 7am. The people signed up for 42 continuous hours of adoration. Over 70% of all families signed up for a Holy Hour.

In the Gospel today, the apostles and other women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna followed Jesus wherever He went. He preached the kingdom of God and proclaimed the Good News. Just as they wanted to be with Jesus, we too can be in His physical presence.

In the Eucharist is truly Jesus in His resurrected body. Do you spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist? Do you go to your church on a regular basis to be with Jesus? Find a parish near you that has perpetual adoration. Look to see if they have an opening that you can sign up to make a Holy Hour with Jesus every week. Jesus told Peter, James and John during His agony in the garden, “Will you not spend one hour with me?”

During adoration Jesus touches our soul and heals our wounds (spiritual, emotional, and physical). Untold graces are poured out upon us when we are sitting before Jesus in adoration.

The word adoration means “to gaze upon someone with love.” One day, St. John Vianney saw a man sitting in his church. He noticed the man sitting there every day for hours. He walked up to the man and said, “What are you saying to Jesus as you sit here all day?” The man said, “Nothing, I just look at Him and He looks at me!”

A saint said, “When you make a Holy Hour many souls go to heaven, who otherwise would have gone to hell.” St Carlo Acutis said, “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.” He also said, “When we stand under the sun, we get sun tanned. If we spend time with Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament, we become holy.”

In the Eucharist Jesus longs for you to be with Him. When you go before Him, give Him your fears, worries and your heartaches. When are with Jesus ask Him for advice. Ask Him to touch the hearts of your family members, your friends and your enemies. And be sure to sit and listen to Jesus.

Pope Paul VI said, “When you make a Holy Hour, graces are poured out, not only on you, but your family, your parish and the entire world.”

When Our Lady comes as Queen of Peace, She wants to bring every person to Her Son, the King of Peace. Our Lady told priests when they start perpetual adoration their parishes will be renewed.

My friends, if you want peace in your heart, in your families and in the world, come and bow down in humble reverence before the King of Peace and allow yourself to be an instrument of peace. When you gaze upon the Eucharist you will gaze upon the humility of Christ. Jesus humbles Himself to take on the appearance of bread, but it's not bread at all. It is truly Jesus. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Let the world shake, let all mankind tremble, when the Son of God, God Himself becomes present in the hands of the priest. Look brothers at the humility of God! Humble yourself as Jesus humbled Himself. O sublime dignity. O humble sublimity.”

Finally, I would like to encourage you to give reverence to Jesus before Holy Communion by bowing your head, or genuflect or kneel. And pray about receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. Your tongue becomes a throne for the King and prevents Sacred Particles from falling to the ground when received on the hand. The Council of Trent taught that every particle of the Sacred Host is the true presence of Jesus.

Surely, the Virgin Mary received Jesus on the tongue from John the Apostle when She attended his Masses. After all, he took her into his home and as an apostle he offered Mass.

When we enter a Catholic Church, before going inside the pew, we are required to genuflect, not to the altar, but to Jesus in the tabernacle, because He as King of Heaven and Earth is truly present. We go down on our right knee, which by the way is reserved to God alone. When a man proposes to a girl to be his wife, he is to genuflect on his left knee, which is for human beings, but the right knee is reserved to God alone. Early Christians were killed for refusing to genuflect on their right knee to idols and/or images of the emperor, who claimed to be a god.

May Our Lady, help you to grow in love with Her Son in the Eucharist and spend time with Him in adoration and try to be with Him often as the apostles and the holy women in today’s Gospel.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, bring us to Jesus, You Son, the King of Peace, so as to receive Him daily at Mass and adore Him in Eucharistic Adoration. We have a tabernacle in the small chapel of Magnificat. There is Adoration next door at Oasis of Peace and there is a perpetual adoration chapel near St James Church, which has adoration from 2 to 4:30pm. How moving to see over 5000 pilgrims adore Jesus at night.

Let us give thanks to God for sending the Blessed Mother, the Queen of Peace, to us, here on earth, so as to draw all of us to Jesus, Her Son in the Eucharist, the King of Peace.

Triumph of the Cross (Sunday)

Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The public veneration of the Cross of Christ originated in the fourth century, beginning with the miraculous discovery of the cross on September 14, 326, by Saint Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine. Out of an aversion to Christianity, heathens had done all in their power to conceal the place where it lay, and where Jesus was buried. They heaped upon His sepulcher a great quantity of stones and rubbish, besides building a temple to Venus. They also erected a statue to Jupiter in the place where Jesus rose from the dead.

Helena ordered the profane building to be pulled down, the statues to be broken in pieces, and the rubbish to be removed; and upon digging to a great depth, they discovered the Holy Sepulcher, and near it three crosses; also the nails which had pierced our Savior’s body, and the title which had been affixed to his cross. By this discovery they understood that one of the three crosses was that of Jesus and that the other two belonged to the two who were crucified with Jesus. The title was found separate from the cross.

The three crosses were carried in procession to the bed of a woman, who was at the point of death. The touch of the first two had no effect, but when the woman was touched, with the last Cross, the woman suddenly got better. St. Helena wanted to check for herself if this was the True Cross, so she asked that a man, who was already dead and buried, be taken to the Cross. And when he came in contact with the Cross, he became alive.

St. John Chrysostom describes the incredible triumph of the Cross. He said, “You have observed His outstanding triumph, the splendid achievement of the cross. Now let me tell you something even more remarkable, the manner in which He gained His victory, and you will marvel all the more! Christ conquered the devil using the same means and the same weapons that the devil used to win. Let me tell you how this occurred.

The symbols of our fall were a virgin, a tree and death. The virgin was Eve (for she had not yet known man); then there was the tree; and death was Adam’s penalty. And again these three tokens of our destruction, the virgin, the tree and death, became the tokens of our victory. Instead of Eve there was Mary; instead of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the wood of the cross; instead of Adam’s death, the death of Christ.

Do you see then that the devil was defeated by the very means he used to conquer? By a tree the devil laid Adam low, and by a tree Christ defeated him... The first death condemned those who were born afterward, but the second death raised up even those who were born before… Do you now understand the victory and the way it was won?

Learn now how this victory was achieved without any labor or effort of our own. We bloodied no weapons, nor stood on the battle line, nor bore any wounds, nor saw any fighting, and yet we won the victory. It was the Lord’s combat, but ours was the crown. And since it is our victory, let us be like soldiers and raise joyous voices in song in praise of our achievement. Praising the Lord let us say: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’"

All this was the glorious result of the cross. The cross is our trophy raised against the demons, our sword against sin, and the sword Christ used to pierce the serpent. The cross is the Father’s will, the glory of the only-begotten, the joy of the Spirit, the pride of the angels, the guarantee of the Church, Paul’s boast, the bulwark of the saints, and the light of the entire world.”

Let us not forget, that His Mother Mary stood beneath Her Son’s Cross. May we contemplate in our heart what She endured gazing upon Her crucified Son.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Sept 8th

 

Today, September 8th, we are celebrating the Feast of the Birth of Mary. The Church celebrates three birthdays liturgically. The Birth of Jesus on Christmas. The Birth of John the Baptist on June 24th and the Birth of Mary, on Sept. 8th.

The Church celebrates Mary’s birthday liturgically, 9 months after Her Immaculate Conception is celebrated on Dec. 8th.

Today’s Feast provides us with an occasion for praise and thanksgiving in honor of the personal sanctity and vocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the mother of the Lord Jesus.
One may wonder, where was the Virgin Mary born? Since the Holy Bible does not provide us with the answer to that question, we have to turn to the early Church traditions to determine what the Christians believed in those days.
On tradition goes back to a writing around A.D. 580, that indicates the Blessed Virgin Mary was born in Bethlehem. The belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, educated and greeted by the angel in the Holy House of Loreto has been supported popes over the centuries. (Paul II, 1471; Julius II, 1507; Leo X, 1519; Paul III, 1535; Pius IV, 1565; Sixtus V, 1586; and Innocent XII, 1698.)

The prophecy that is found in the Old Testament Book of Micah is seen as being fulfilled in the Gospel of Matthew. "But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old." [Mic. 5:2; Mt. 2:6]
Also, the prophecy that is found in the Book of Isaiah is seen as being fulfilled in Matthew 1:23. "'Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel' which means, 'God is with us.'" [Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:23]
Matthew 1:25 tells us that Mary brought forth a Son, and He was named Jesus, the name given by the angel who appeared to Joseph. [Mt. 1:21]

The source of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150. According to this account, Anne and Joachim are infertile but prayed for a child. The tradition is that the couple was childless until an angel appeared to Anne and told her that she would conceive. They receive the promise of a child that will advance God's plan of salvation for the world.

It’s also believed an angel appeared to Joachim. The angel may have said, “Joachim, rejoice! God has heard your prayer and your wife Anne, shall conceive and give birth to a daughter, whose nativity will become joy for the entire world.”

When the Jews were not able to have a child, it was considered a sign of God’s rejection; a public disgrace. However, in the Old Testament there are many cases God intervened to show His favor. Isaac was born from the childless Sarah. Samuel from the childless Hannah. John the Baptist from the barren Elizabeth. And so God, blessed Joachim and Anne in their old age with a providential daughter destined to become the Mother of God. Only in the womb of St. Anne, did God create a human being without original sin.

Saint Augustine connects Mary’s birth with Jesus’ saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.” The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary’s Son as the dawn of our salvation, and asks for an increase of peace.

We can see every human birth as a call for new hope in the world. The love of two human beings has joined with God in his creative work. The loving parents have shown hope in a world filled with travail. The new child has the potential to be a channel of God’s love and peace to the world.

This is all true in a magnificent way in Mary. If Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s love, Mary is the foreshadowing of that love. If Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, Mary is its dawning.

Birthday celebrations bring happiness to the celebrant as well as to family and friends. Next to the birth of Jesus, Mary’s birth offers the greatest possible happiness to the world. Each time we celebrate her birth, we can confidently hope for an increase of peace in our hearts and in the world at large.

Today, let us celebrate the birth of Blessed Virgin Mary, by praying an extra Rosary for Her intention.

23rd Sunday - Place Jesus Above Everything

 

“What does God want me to do with my life?” is a question young people have before they go to college. Later in life, when we are at crossroad we can also ask the same question. The main answer to the question is actually simple. The Baltimore Catechism states, “We are to know God, to love God, and to serve Him in this world, and to be

happy with Him forever in heaven.”

We know we are to serve God by serving our family, helping those in the community, working at a specific kind of job we believe God wants us to do. If we are young it means what sports or activities does God want me to do? We should ask the Lord and then trust He will give an answer. To do God’s will also means to avoid sin and to live a life of virtue. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

But, how else can we know what God wants me to do?

“Who can know God’s counsel or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” asks the first reading from Wisdom. The reading concludes that God sent wisdom and “thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.” That wisdom sent by God is Jesus. Jesus is the Wisdom of God, the Revelation of God. So now when we want to know God’s counsel or conceive what the Lord intends is to listen to the words of Jesus. God has not left us in the dark. When we have to discern, we have the Wisdom of God in Jesus to guide us.

We see that Wisdom of God as Jesus gives three pieces of advice in the Gospel on what it means to be his disciple. The first advice for a would-be disciple of Jesus is to place Jesus first always, above everything, even family. Jesus uses the strong Jewish language that one cannot be his disciple without “hating” family members. Of course, Jesus does not literally mean to hate others. After all, he said we are to love our enemies and God wants us to honor our father and mother. What Jesus is asking is that we love Him more than our family.

Jesus wants us to have an undivided heart and purity of intention so as to give ourselves to Him. A spirit of detachment from everything gives us the freedom to commit ourselves to Jesus and to do whatever He desires of us.

The second piece of advice is that whoever does not carry his cross cannot be Jesus’ disciple. Everyone who heard Jesus knew what carrying a cross meant since crucifixion was the capital punishment used by the Roman.

We need to deny our self and deny our desires if we wish to follow Jesus. It is another way of repeating the first advice, to be detached from everything to be able to give ourselves to Christ. Whatever the particular cross is for each of us, notice that Jesus says to carry it after him. We are not alone, we are following Jesus with His cross.

The third piece of advice is to renounce all our possessions to follow Jesus. This is especially lived by those who enter religious life as nuns, sisters and religious brothers, who literally detach themselves from everything so that their only possession is Jesus.

For the rest of us, it means living the spirit of detachment remembering we cannot serve both God and mammon (wealth and riches).

So really all three pieces of advice Jesus is asking: to be free from everything so that we can give ourselves fully to Him. Jesus says his advice about detachment is for those who are thinking about on becoming His disciple, for those who are asking “What does God want me to do with my life?” Jesus said they must consider carefully before embarking on the life of a disciple if we are capable of making these sacrifices just like someone who builds a tower needs to work out if he can finish the tower and someone going to war needs to work out if it is worth it.

For those discerning a vocation to the priesthood, these words of Jesus challenge to be diligent in discerning properly like those in the parables today who had to discern building a tower or going to battle. While the Gospel today focuses on what we give up for Jesus, it is good to remember that what we gain is far more than what we give up.

Prayer is the food to give us strength to follow Jesus in the detached way he asks. Prayer is that daily companionship with Jesus when we actively put Jesus first, but not only then, it also strengthens us to put Jesus first for the rest of the day. Coming to daily Mass to receive Holy Communion, spending time in Eucharistic Adoration, confessing sins regularly, all play an important role in being a faithful disciple of Jesus and coming to know what God desires in my life.

Ask Mary to help you place Jesus above everything: school, sports, job, family and material things.

Take up your cross, renounce the things of the world and seek to be a faithful disciple. And if you want to know what specific thing God is asking of you, pray a Rosary Novena and the Virgin Mary will intercede and give you the grace to respond whole hardheartedly to know God, to love God, to serve God, so that you can be with Him forever in heaven.

Mostly taken from Fr. Tommy Lane's Homily

22nd Sunday - Good vs Bad Manners (Humility vs Pride)

 

                

This weekend, the readings today are about pride and humility. In the Magnificat for this Sunday’s Meditation, it quotes Pope Benedict who said, “...manners or good behavior cannot be separated from Christian morals, since Christianity cannot succeed where ordinary humanity is absent.” He said, “this is clear...in the book of Sirach,... in his instruction about good behavior, of the contrast between pride and humility and between self-glorification and readiness to love others. In the parable of choosing places at table, Jesus taught the deepest possible level. It is a parable of history of the world, in which the ruthless struggle for power has always taken place with little thought of the fate of others.”

In the Gospel parable Jesus said, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited and the host who invited you may say, “Give up your place to this man, and then you would proceed in embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, “My friend, move up to a higher position. Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions.”

We can say a lack of manners is a lack of respect which is pride. Good manners shows respect for God and others. It’s humility. Bad manners, by wanting to be seated in the place of honor is really a form of pride.

Let’s look at some examples of good manners verses bad manners. When anyone uses the restroom, it’s good manners to flush the toilet, wash your hands, throw the paper towel in the trash, and turn off the light when leaving. It’s bad manners to not flush the toilet, not wash your hands and to leave the light on. But, why? It shows a lack of respect to others who use the restroom after you. To come in and see a toilet not flushed. It's a lack of respect to not wash hands because due to germs what you touch can affect the health of others. It’s disrespectful to leave the light on because the business has to pay for the extra cost of electricity.

It’s bad manners for men and boys to wear a hat indoors, especially to not wear a hat in church because it is the house of God. To wear a hat in school or in a gymnasium, on an airplane or in a store shows a lack of respect for others. Women can wear hats or veils to Mass because of the ancient tradition that women cover their heads as an act of humility when in the presence of God. Women want to show God that He is more important than their appearance.

John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania senator, was greatly criticized for wearing shorts and a hoodie to the inauguration ceremony of the president. It showed bad manners, pride and a lack of respect for the office of president. It's like wearing shorts and t-shirt to a wedding or a funeral.

When I was in seminary, we were taught, that if we are seated, if a woman or an important person comes in the room, we are to stand to greet them. Failure to do so, shows a lack of good manners, a lack of respect. In Catholic schools, when the bishop or priest or principal visits a classroom, children stand up together to greet them.

When there is a social event, if there is no room to be seated, men and boys are to give their seat to older people, women, girls and especially pregnant women.

When dining with others, it’s good manners to wait until the last person receives their food before eating. It you are hosting a lunch or dinner, it’s good manners to have paper towels or napkins for those attending. When a guest comes to your home, offer them something to drink and tell them where the restroom is located in case they need it. When children play games or before eating, it is good manners and respectful for boys to allow the girls to go first.

When parents fail to teach children good manners, they are not teaching them to be respectful to others. Behind disrespect is pride. Pride causes one to think “I will not stand up for someone more important than I”. “I will not take off my hat out of respect for others”. “I will not dress up to a formal occasion or to church because no one will tell me what to do. I can treat others as though I am better than them. I can wear the clothes I want, when I want.”

Bad manners include talking back to or disobeying parents. Or interrupting others when they are speaking. It's bad manners to play with your phone or watch a video when someone is talking to you.

It is good manners for children to share their toys with brothers, sisters and friends. It is good manners to treat other children with respect as we would want to be treated.

It’s bad manners to make fun of other children, to put them down, to ridicule them. To give dirty looks, name calling, bumping against them, threatening harm, stealing their lunch or school supplies.

Today in schools there is cyberbullying where other children take photos of kids they don’t like, and they share them on Instagram or other social media. They make fun of their appearance and some even take disrespectful and improper photos and share them causing embarrassment.

To bully someone can be serious sin because it can cause the one who is being bullied to be isolated, feel alone, afraid to be with other children and not want to attend school. The child being bullied can develop depression and even think of suicide. The victim child can feel intense anger towards the bully. Bullying can cause the victim to lose friends and not feel part of the school or community. To feel unloved.

If bullying is severe, the bully may go to a juvenile detention center, (a jail for young people). The bully may to have to have a mental health evaluation and counseling.

Principals may suspend a bully from school or not be permitted to play sports or other school activities. The bully should be required to write a sincere letter of apology to every kid he or she bullied. If the threats are serious, parents can call police and a child could be arrested. If adults don’t take care of problems, young people may fight each other.

What do you do if you are the one being bullied? First, know that you are loved and cared about. But, you need to ask for help. Tell your parents, tell a teacher, tell a friend, tell a brother or sister, tell the principal. You can contact Instagram, and report inappropriate posting and they can block the abuser.

Those who bully not only have bad manners, not only are they being disrespectful, but they are also emotionally harming other children. Bullies act this way out of pride, because they think they are better than those they bully.

The remedy to all of this is good manners, treating every person with respect and love. When we are treating others with respect, we are really treating Jesus with respect. When we treat others disrespectfully, we are really treating Jesus disrespectfully. When we bully others, we really bullying Jesus. When we do a charitable act to others, we are doing it to Jesus. Our Lord said, “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do unto me.”

God loves each and every person and God wants us to love everyone. God wants bullies to repent; to ask Him for forgiveness and ask the people you hurt to forgive them.

If we have been mistreated, we forgive those who hurt us. We pray for them and ask God to help them come to repentance. To be truly sorry means to stop bad behaviors, apologize, and to love others as God loves us. 

How wonderful it would be if a bully and the victim would become friends and both show each other respect and love. What do you want to be known for? A person who is respectful with good manners and humility. Or a person who is disrespectful, with bad manners and prideful? The prideful will always end being humbled, while the humble will always be exalted. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself, will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself, will be exalted.”

St. Monica - August 27th (Miracles of the Rosary)

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Monica, the mother of the great St. Augustine. She was born about the year 332 in North Africa, of a Christian family. As soon as Monica had reached marriageable age, she married Patricius, who had a violent temper. The daily example of her gentleness and kindness finally had its rewards. A year before his death, he became a Christian. Her son, Augustine, spent time in youthful carousing, which caused his mother great anguish. She disapproved so strongly both of his loose living and of his acceptance of the popular heresy of Manichaeism. Augustine tried to convince her to give up her Christian faith. But Monica did not lose faith. She continually fasted, prayed, and wept on his behalf. She implored the local bishop for help to win him over. The bishop uttered the words, "Go now, I beg you; it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." The day of Augustine's conversion came when St. Ambrose baptized him on Easter.

Many of you like St. Monica pray, fast and weep over your family members who have fallen away from the Church.

The Rosary is known for many miracles and the greatest miracle of the Rosary are not the winning of wars, the saving of a life, the healing of a sick person, but the greatest miracle is conversion.

I stand here before you as a witness to the power of the Rosary. I never went to Confession from 2^nd or 3^rd grade until I was 27. For 20 years I didn’t go to Confession. While at the bedside of my dying grandmother, I promised to pray a Rosary for her and she died shortly thereafter. But, I didn’t know how to pray the Rosary. When I was a child about the age of 4 or 5 my mother had my siblings and I kneel before a statue of Mary and she taught us the Rosary. Yes, at that age we learned the prayers of the Rosary.

I knew the prayers of the Rosary but didn’t know how to pray it. At the age of 27, in 1991, I learned how to pray the Rosary by watching the International Rosary on EWTN as it was prayed by the little girl in the field. I learned the mysteries of the Rosary and how to meditate by watching the Rosary on TV. It was the Rosary that brought me to Confession. Whenever I meditated on the Sorrowful mysteries, I felt sorry for hurting Jesus for my sins. And when I heard about the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, I decided I would do what Mary requested. To daily pray the Rosary, to fast on Wed and Fri, pray with the heart, attend daily Mass and confess monthly. It was Jan 1^st of 1991, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, that I went to Confession. The Virgin Mary through the daily praying of Her Rosary, brought me to Confession and my life totally changed.

When we pray the Rosary, our soul is touched by graces to help bring about conversion. If you want a family member or friend to return to the Church, give them a Rosary, teach them how the pray the Rosary and pray it with them, then watch what the Blessed Mother will do.

I wrote a book on the Rosary called, “Miracles of the Rosary and the Rosary of Miracles”. In the book are many miracles associated with the Rosary.

Recall that when the Virgin Mary appeared St. Dominic in 1208 giving him the mysteries of the Rosary. He begged Our Lady for help because he had no success in converting the Albigensian heretics. But, Mary told Dominic to preach the Rosary and the mysteries of the Rosary and he would he successful. Thousands of fallen away Catholics came back to the Church due to the preaching of the Rosary.

Just five years later the Battle of Muret in 1213 occurred. Catholics were battling heretics. The night before the battle, the 20,000 heretics got drunk and partied, but a mere 800 Catholics prepared for the battle spiritually. Every soldier went to Confession, they all went to Mass and they all prayed the Rosary together. During the battle, St. Dominic prayed before a statue of the Virgin Mary in a nearby church and the battle was over quickly.

Other battles won by the Rosary include the battle of Lepanto on Oct 7^th in 1571 and the battle of Vienna in 1683. Our Lady of Fatima told the children on June 13^th, 1917, “Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war.” As World War II began, at St. Marks Parish in Kansas, Msgr. Hackenbroich started the devotion of saying the Rosary before Sunday Mass and ending Mass with the hymn, "Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers." By the time the war ended in 1945, 47 men from St. Mark’s had served and all came home. In thanksgiving for the safe return of the men, the grotto was built. No men from that parish have ever died during World War II, the Vietnam War or the Korean War because that parish prays the Rosary every day for their soldiers to come home safely.

I am sure, you know, Jan 28^th, 1998, Mother Angelica was healed after she & a mystic prayed the Rosary together.

This last December in my parish of Holy Trinity, a newborn infant, just 5 days old contracted the flu and a severe infection. The child was taken by ambulance to a Catholic hospital in Wichita. The child would not wake up for days and therefore was not eating. The worrisome parents Dave and Emily went to the chapel and prayed a Rosary together before Jesus in the tabernacle. And when they returned to the ICU room, their child Molly was awake and ready to eat.

Did you know Venerable Sister Maria Agreda, a poor Clare of the Immaculate Conception in Spain, appeared hundreds of times to American Indians in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. When she bi-located she brought with her rosaries and taught them how to pray the Rosary. Because of her 10,000 Indians became Catholic when priests came to those areas.

In 2005, a Rosary Novena praying the Seven Sorrows of Mary was prayed from May 16^th to May 24^th (Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians) to close an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. On the 9^th day of the Rosary Novena, the abortion clinic was closed.

A number of years ago, I went to the March For Life in Washington, DC. After vesting before Mass, I was bored, so I decided to pray the Rosary with the intention of hearing the Confessions of priests who were also in the sacristy area preparing for Mass. By the time I finished praying the Rosary, three priests asked me to hear their confessions.

On October 8 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. The fire roared towards the convent, chapel, and school near Champion. Local people 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. A steady rain extinguished the flames. Everything around the property was 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, and halted.

Several years ago, a non-Catholic family, Alex and Erin Flood and their children watched a movie on Fatima and began to daily pray the Rosary together. Due to the Rosary, the family converted two years ago, and became Catholic at St. Mary’s Parish in Newton, Kansas.

Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker, his wife and children daily pray the Rosary together. He said even though the children are less than 7 years old, the know the prayers in English and in Latin.

My dear friends pray the Rosary every day with your family and specifically for your family members who have fallen away and you will see Our Lady work miracles, especially the miracle of conversion. Draw close to Mary, pray the Rosary with love and reverence, and trust Our Lady and She will give peace in your hearts and in your family.

Pope Pius XI said, “If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."

Our Lady of Czestochowa August 26th- Rosary Effects

 

Today is the memorial of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The icon located in Poland is believed to be painted by St. Luke. It is our Lady holding the baby Jesus. It's called the Black Madonna due to the black soot from votive candles over years. In 1430, a man attempted to steal the icon. When he placed the image on his horse, the horse refuse to move. The man took his sword and slashed Our Lady’s face twice. On his 3^rd attempt, the man suddenly died.

In 1683, the Muslim Turks were coming to conquer Vienna with nearly 300,000 soldiers. Pope Innocent XI called the religious houses and churches to pray the Rosary. The King of Poland gathered a small army of 20,000 Catholic soldiers. Before going into battle he stopped and prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. They mounted a surprise attack on Sept 11^th and defeated the Muslim army on Sept 12^th, which is why Sept 12^th became the feast of the Holy Name of Mary.

In the first reading today of St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he states, “We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, by our very self as well, so dearly beloved had you come to us.”

This is what Jesus and Mary does when we pray the Rosary. They give their self to us, when we meditate and think about the mysteries of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

Imagine for a moment, what the Virgin Mary thinks about each one of us. How She loves each of us individually as though we were Her only child. When Jesus was an infant, She nursed the baby Jesus, as gentle mother, and since we are Mary’s children, She nurses us a nursing mother cares for her children. But, how does She do that? Most especially, through the Holy Rosary.

When we pray the Rosary, Mary prays for us, now and until hour of our death. When we meditate on the sacred mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary, Mary pours many graces and gifts into our soul, through Her prayers and intercession. The Rosary is a double pray. We pray with our mind and we pray with our voice. This is why the Rosary is the second most powerful prayer, after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As we meditate on the mysteries with the backdrop of our voice praying Hail Marys, our soul is touched by grace. Because the events involve God, they have eternal effects on our soul. Listen to some of the many effects the Rosary has on our soul.

First, the meditations we pray are really the Gospel in miniature because it covers important events often called mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary. St. Louis de Montfort said, “A mystery is a sacred thing which is difficult to understand. The works of Our Lord Jesus Christ are all sacred and divine because He is God and man at one and the same time. The works of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary are very holy because She is the most perfect and the most pure of God’s creatures. The works of Our Lord and of His Blessed Mother can be rightly called mysteries because they are so full of wonders and all kinds of perfections and deep sublime truths which the Holy Spirit reveals to the humble and simple souls who honor these mysteries”.

When we meditate on a Rosary mystery, it becomes present to us. It increases our faith. We become more like Christ. We grow in virtue. God gives us insights into the mystery. We receive grace into our souls. We learn to imitate the virtue associated with the mystery. Our mind is reminded of the truth associated with the mystery. The Holy Spirit will reveal divine truths to simple souls, who think about the mystery with faith and love. When we meditate on the mystery, we avoid falling into error because we experience divine truth.

When we pray the Rosary, since Mary treasured all the mysteries in Her Heart, She will help us to meditate on them, so we too can treasure them in our heart. When we gaze upon the mysteries, we are gazing upon them with the eyes of Mary. We begin to love Jesus as Mary loves Jesus. We feel what Jesus feels. We see what Jesus sees.

When we are meditating on the mystery of the Rosary, allow the mystery to come alive in your mind. Be there at the mystery and participate in it. For example, when meditating on the Birth of Jesus, allow Mary to hand the baby Jesus to you and you hold Him in your arms. You see His smile and reach out your finger to touch His nose.

St. Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times. Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

St. Padre Pio prayed 35 Rosaries a day. How many rosaries can you pray in a day? Several years ago, when I was in an airplane flying over the ocean from Kansas to Medjugorje, I had a medical emergency. During that crisis, I prayed at least 14 rosaries. When we landed I was taken to a hospital and had surgery. It was through Our Lady’s intercession, and the Rosary, She saved my life.

How many rosaries can you pray in 20 minutes? One, right. Well, did you know you can pray 30 rosaries in 20 minutes. How is that possible to pray 30 rosaries in 20 minutes and without bilocating? St. Louis de Montfort said, “Somebody who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of one Rosary, but if he says it together with thirty other people, he gains the merit of thirty Rosaries. This is the law of public prayer. How profitable, how advantageous this is!” 

To pray the Rosary with a group, you receive the same graces as the number of rosaries prayed with the group. Imagine what it would be like if prayed the Rosary at Lourdes, or Fatima or Medjugorje, when at times there are thousands of people praying the Rosary together. Imagine the power this has for families, if they were to daily pray the Rosary together. All those who pray the Rosary with the sisters here at the shrine receive tremendous graces.

In one of the alleged messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje, She asks families to daily pray the Rosary together. She also asked that we pray 3 rosaries a day (joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries).

Most people pray the Rosary too fast. If you pray the Rosary in less than 20 minutes, you are praying to fast. When we are praying the Rosary, remember we are praying to a person, and that person is the Virgin Mary.

Before praying the Rosary, mention your specific intentions to Our Lady asking Her to pray for them.

When you pray the Rosary in a group, or praying the Rosary before Jesus in the Eucharist, you can obtain a plenary indulgence. To gain an indulgence, you are to confess your sins 20 days before or after the day of the indulgence, pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the pope, receive Holy Communion and be detached from sin.

If you daily pray the Rosary in a group or before Jesus in the Eucharist, you can obtain a plenary indulgence for yourself or for a poor soul in purgatory every day. Today, turn to the Virgin Mary and ask Her to help you pray as many Rosaries a day as you can, trusting She will pray for us now and at hour of our death and will do so, as a “nursing mother cares for her children”.

St. Louis - August 25th

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Louis King of France. He was born in 1215. His mother was a very good Catholic and taught him the Catholic faith, and all about God’s heavenly kingdom. Louis often times would say “Death rather than mortal sin.” which is what his mother taught him.

His mother prepared him to be truly a holy king. He was crowned king when he was only 12 years old. Can you imagine a 6^th grader being made king of France? Even though he became king of France at the age of 12, his mother ran the actual ran the government until Louis was 22.

He was taught by Franciscan Friars and later became a Third Order Franciscan. 

Amidst the cares of government, he daily recited the Divine Office and attended two Masses everyday. In his kingly territory, he crushed the Albigensian heretics and forced them by stringent penalties to respect the Catholic faith. 

As king, he became gravely sick and made a promise to the Lord that if his health would improve, he would lead a crusade to free the Holy Land from Muslims, because they had taken control and pushed out Christians.

When he went with his army to fight the Muslims in the Holy Land, he was captured and taken prisoner. Despite being a prisoner, he continued to daily pray the Divine Office. While in prison, the Muslims said they would release him from prison, but only, if he denied Jesus. He refused to deny our Blessed Lord because He loved Him with all his heart, mind and soul.

While captive, a Muslim commander rushed into his tent brandishing a dagger red with blood after the killed the Sultan, and threatened to stab him also unless he would make him a knight. Louis calmly replied that no unbeliever could perform the duties of a Christian knight. Sometime later he was freed from prison due to his mother’s death.

Louis was a very good king. Even though, he had lots of money, as king, he used it wisely taking care of the poor.

He would not tolerate those who spoke filthy words, or permit people to say bad things of others. Once he said, “I would willingly have my own lips branded to root out blasphemy from my kingdom."

He was able to obtain the actual Crown of Thorns of Jesus, and built a Catholic Church in Paris, where he placed the Thorns.

Due to Muslims again taking over the Holy Land, he decided to start another Crusade to battle against them. While on the journey, some of his soldiers became ill. Because he visited them, he contracted the illness himself and died before he could go to the Holy Land.

St. Louis and his wife had 12 children, whom he daily prayed with. Before dying he wrote a beautiful letter to one of his sons, who would take over his throne upon his death.

In the letter, he states, “My dearest son, I exhort you above all else to love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with all your strength; there is no salvation apart from this. Keep yourself free from everything you know to be displeasing to God, that is, from every mortal sin. You must be willing to suffer any kind of martyrdom rather than commit a grievous sin. Be kindly disposed toward the poor, the wretched and afflicted; help them as much as you can and console them. Be just towards your subjects. Incline to the poor man’s side rather than to the rich man until you are certain where the truth lies. Be devoted and obedient to our mother, the Church of Rome, and to the supreme pontiff as your spiritual father. Work to eradicate all sin from your country, especially blasphemy and heresy. May the Blessed Trinity and all the saints protect you from all evil. May the Lord grant you the grace to do His will in such a way as to serve him and honor him; and after this life may we both meet to see, love and praise Him without end. Amen.”

Due to Muslims who took over the Holy Land, he started another crusade. In Tunisia, after his soldiers contracted a serious illness, Louis became sick and received Viaticum (Holy Communion for the last time) kneeling by his camp-bed, and gave up his life with the same joy that he had given all else for the honor of God.

The city of St. Louis Missouri is named after St. Louis, King of France. A few years ago, a mob tried to destroy the famous statue at St. Louis, however, faithful Catholics stood by the statue round the clock to protect it from being destroyed.

St. Louis gives us an example of faithfully fulfilling one’s state of life. As a Third Order Franciscan, he helps us to see the beauty of living a life of poverty, chastity and obedience and the virtue of loving God and country.

Today, may we be faithful to the Christian way of life God has called us and as patriots to our country.

May the Virgin Mary, guide us to fulfill our daily duties with joy and zeal to share our faith with others to help them obtain heaven. St. Louis, King of France, pray for us.