21st Sunday - "A Hard Saying" - Eucharistic Adoration

In the Gospel today, many of the disciples of Jesus said, “This is a hard saying; who can accept it?”. What was the hard saying difficult to accept? Jesus had said, “I am the bread of life, He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever.” They took His words literally and so could not understand “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” They thought He was talking about eating His flesh after His death (cannibalism) but He was talking about eating the flesh of a live person, Himself. Our Lord had not yet established the Mass or the Eucharist, so it would have been confusing to the disciples, but Jesus demanded faith. He meant these words literally because if He meant it symbolically, He would have had an obligation to prevent them from leaving believing something about Him was not true. Jesus allowed them to no longer follow Him because He expected faith from His disciples and to believe He really wanted them to eat His flesh and drink His Blood.

 You have faith and believe you will eat His flesh and drink His blood otherwise you would not be here today. What would you do if Jesus walked in our church today, grabbed a chair and sat in front of the altar? And anyone could come to ask Him any question and get the perfect answer. Or the sick could come, ask for a healing and be healed. I just read a news article about a couple who carried their sick baby to church and knelt down before Jesus in adoration asking Our Lord to heal their child. What wonderful faith!

During Eucharistic Adoration, Jesus is not in a chair, but in a gold object called a monstrance. When we adore Him in adoration, we should speak to Him from the Heart and especially thanking Him. We can ask for healing, for graces to help us carry our cross, to change the hearts of loved one and pray for enemies too. When in adoration, we can talk to Jesus and tell Him what's going on in our life. Look at Jesus and tell Him our problems. To tell Him about what causes us to be sad and our life difficulties. If we are depressed, He gives us hope. If we are lonely, He give us companionship. We grow rapidly in holiness and virtue. We grow in greater love of God and neighbor. We receive inspirations to help us make decisions. We commit less sins. Spending time with Jesus in adoration, we become more thankful. We learn everything we have comes from God and accept our sufferings. We don’t have to do much, we just need to be present to Jesus and just by being in His presence we are blessed.

Here are some true stories about how Jesus in adoration chapels changed the lives of ordinary people.

A grandmother by the name of Kimberly and her three grandchildren went through RCIA. Two months after the children became Catholic, as they were praying in the Adoration Chapel, the 12 yr. old boy saw Jesus come out of the Host and stand in front of the altar. Jesus was wearing a white garment, a gold sash, a golden crown on His head and had a scepter in His hand. Jesus told the boy, “Remove your shoes and tell the others to do the same. Tell the priest, to tell the people to remove their shoes before they come into the Adoration Chapel. It is their choice if the want to remove their shoes. This ground is Holy because I am standing on it before you.” When he told his grandmother and sisters to remove their shoes, they did as he requested because they noticed he was seeing something.

In Hays, Kansas, a non-Catholic man needed a new heart. One of his Catholic friends went to the Adoration Chapel to pray for him. Just as he finished his Holy Hour, he received a phone call and was asked to take his friend to a hospital, because waiting for him was a new heart.

Also in Hays, a grandmother was in the adoration chapel praying for her 10 year old grandson, so he would not get hurt because he was helping with the wheat harvest. During her Holy Hour, the boy was accidentally ran over by a wheat truck. The family feared the worse because the truck ran over the boy’s body. Taken by ambulance to the emergency room, he had CT scans, Xrays and other tests, all of which indicated he was completely fine except for a few scrapes. All believed it was a miracle attributed to his grandmother asking Jesus in the Eucharist, to protect her grandson.

Several years ago, woman’s teenage son was going to commit suicide, but in the middle of the night, he went to an adoration chapel to pray and never went through with it. Jesus in the Eucharist inspired him to tell his mother and so because of Adoration, his life was saved.

Kathy signed up for a weekly Holy Hour. Every week, she prayed her husband Gary would become Catholic and her adult son, Cody would grow in his faith. Gary and Cody, on their own—without her saying anything--joined RCIA classes. Gary became Catholic and Cody was confirmed at the Easter Vigil. Today, they pray a Holy Hour every week together.

In San Antonio, Texas a teenage girl was going to have an abortion. Her Catholic friend tried to talk her out of it, but to no avail. She went to an adoration chapel at night and prayed for her pregnant friend begging Jesus to spare the life of the baby. The next day at the abortion clinic, just before the procedure, the girl changed her mind and kept the baby.

John had drinking problem and rarely came to Mass. But, during Sign-up weekend, he happened to come to Mass and signed up for a Holy Hour. Over a period of a few months, he began to attend Mass regularly. He became an usher and helped make pancakes at the parish. He attended AA meetings and stopped drinking. Adoration changed his life.

In Wichita, Patrick was about 30 years old, when he was walking down an alley late at night, he was shot to death by a robber. His mother had difficulty forgiving the killer, until she came to Jesus in the adoration chapel. Because of adoration, she forgave the killer and because she forgave him, a flood of graces caused her whole family to forgive.

Patty from St. Michael’s in Mulvane, Kansas was pregnant with her 7th child. She was fearful of the delivery and sent a letter to me while I was at seminary asking me to pray for her, so she would have a quick and easy delivery. I made a Holy Hour at the seminary chapel for her intention and sent her a note with the date and hour it was made. A few weeks later, she wrote back saying, she gave birth to her son, Andrew, during the exact time I prayed the Holy Hour saying, “I couldn’t believe it. I barely made it to the hospital and gave birth within 15 minutes. There was hardly any pain and it was a quick delivery.”

Neal, a boy who was a sophomore in High School at Council Grove signed up for a Holy Hour. His parents were skeptical as to whether or not he would keep his hour. But he did. He was faithful to his weekly holy hour before school and rode his bike whether it was raining or snowing.

All these stories and many more help us to know Jesus is really and truly in the Eucharist and wants us to come to Him and with all the problems in the world and in the Church, Jesus wants everyone to make a weekly Holy Hour with Him. He wants families to come together to adore Him.

For example, at Church of the Resurrection in Wichita, the George family comes to the adoration chapel every night at 9pm with their 6 children-- ages 4 years old to 16 to pray their night prayers together. Some read the bible, others pray the rosary, some do spiritual reading, others pray quietly the entire time. How beautiful to see a family come to Jesus every night before they go to bed. 

In addition to bringing our families to Jesus in adoration, Our Lord also gives each of us the opportunity to be alone with Him. I am sure at times parents would love to have their individual quiet time, away from the family, away from work. Everyone needs quiet time.

Won’t you-- “Come away by yourself to a lonely place and rest awhile.” Why not spend that lonely place with Jesus in adoration? And rest with Him. Sign up-weekend is just a few weeks away. Pray about it.

Let us pray, “O Jesus, give us the grace to come to you in adoration and spend an hour with you every week. O Mary, help us to pray to Jesus, Your Son, and to love Him, as you loved Him. Amen.”

20th Week Friday - I Love God! But How Much?

 In the Gospel today, Jesus responds to the question by the Pharisee who said, “Teacher which commandment is the law is the greatest?” Our Lord said, “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He then said, “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Most everyone will say, “I love God.” But how much do we really love Him? Do we love Him with all our heart, all our soul and with all our mind? Most agree we fall short of that. But how can we tell, how much we love God?

First of all, we show our love for God, by how well respect Him and worship Him, recalling that He is everything and we are nothing and we fear to offend Him, out of love for Him. We show our love for God by doing His will in our daily life. We show God we love Him, by not offending Him through sin. And finally, one of the best ways to show how much we love God is by how well we love our neighbor. If we love our neighbor as our self, we would treat others the way we would want to be treated. We would see Jesus in everyone, especially within the poor, the handicapped, the elderly and within those we live with.

When we think of love, we think of two different symbols . The first symbol is the heart and especially the Hearts of Jesus of Jesus and Mary. The second symbol is the Cross—because on the Cross, Jesus laid down His life for us and it was on the Cross, His Heart was pierced. 

 Today let us resolve to love God with all our heart, mind and soul and love our neighbor as our self. And may we turn to the Cross to see love revealed and turn to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary asking them to help us to love.

20th Thursday "The Wedding Feast"

 In the Gospel today, the parable seems hard to understand. What is the marriage feast Jesus is referring to? What is the garment that is needed to attend the wedding feast?

St. Gregory, the Great, says, “The marriage is the wedding of Christ and His Church.” He states the garment necessary to attend the wedding feast is the virtue of charity. A person, who goes to the wedding feast, without the wedding garment is someone, who believes in the Church, but does not have charity.

The wedding garment signifies dispositions a person needs for entering the kingdom of heaven. Even if he belongs to the Church, if he does not have these dispositions, he will be condemned and thrown out when God judges all mankind, because they are not worthy to come to the feast of heaven. These dispositions essentially mean responding to the grace God desires to give us.

May we come to the banquet of the Lamb, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, with the disposition of charity, and receive Jesus in the Eucharist, with a heart opened and ready to respond to every grace, so that when we enter into the Kingdom of the Father, we will sit at the heavenly marriage feast, and gaze upon Our Lord, and His Mother Mary forever in heaven.

20th Wednesday "First Will Be Last & Last Will Be First"

 “The last will be first, and the first will be last”. Today’s parable is addressed to the Jewish people (the first), whom God called at an early hour, centuries before Jesus came. Now that He has arrived, the Gentiles (the last) are also called—with an equal right, to form the part of the new people of God, the Church.

At first sight, laborers of the first hour seem to have a genuine grievance—because they do not realize, that to have a job in the Lord’s vineyard is a divine gift and privilege given by the giver. Jesus leaves us no doubt, that although He calls us to follow in different ways, all receive the same reward—heaven.

I have met people who attended daily Mass their whole life from the time they were a child until they died in old age. Imagine receiving Holy Communion everyday, going to confession every 2 weeks and living for over 80 years. He or she will have a special place in heaven.

But have you ever known someone who never attended church their whole life, but on their death bed had a conversion and was baptized, receiving Holy Communion and the Last Rites and then the person dies just a few days later? I have but it is rare. When that person was baptized the sins of their whole life was washed away and they didn't even need to go to confession.

Is it fair both persons (one is the faithful their whole life) and the unfaithful, except at the end) are able to go to heaven? Yes, its fair because heaven is a gift.

However, the faithful person will have merited a great crown of glory, but the one who didn’t go to church will have made it, but will not receive the glory God intended for their soul had they lived a life of faithfulness to the Lord.

As one who did hospital ministry for four years, I can tell you there are some who are first that will be last, and last who will be first. But many times the last will not even be last, because they showed no interest in this life loving God or neighbor, and not doing what it takes to follow the narrow path to heaven.

The majority of people die as they lived their life. If they never attended church, never went to confession, they will care little or nothing about their own salvation. I had people tell me, I don’t care if I go to heaven or not. Some have even said they want to go to hell just weeks before they died. How sad.

Its dangerous being un-churched. They risk losing heaven forever. Some will not want to confess or want Holy Communion even when they are dying. Though we can’t judge their soul, will they be admitted to heaven, if they never prayed or lived as a Christian?

Today let u s pray for those who are last, that they may receive the grace to be first and let us rejoice in those who follow the Lord their whole life and likewise rejoice in those who will obtain salvation even if its at the last minute.

20th Tuesday "Eye of a Needle"

 In the Gospel today Our Lord said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than who is rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 

 Was Jesus referring here to a needle and thread? No! Rather, “The needle’s eye” was the name given to a small passage that existed in Jerusalem’s wall. The gate of the city was closed ate dusk, and those who came after the gate was closed had to use the well guarded “needle’s eye.” A person could walk easily through this narrow opening, but the camel could not easily make it. One would either have to leave his camel behind or unload the camel with all its baggage. And then to try to force the camel through the “needle’s eye” was an ordeal especially if the camel didn’t want to squat down to go through the low gate.

Therefore, as difficult as it is to get a camel through the eye of the needle gate would it be for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus wanted them to give up everything including their family, their land, their jobs, their riches and material possessions. He was warning them being attached to riches could hinder them from entering into the kingdom of heaven.

Our Lord promises His apostles, by giving up everything, they will sit on the 12 thrones in heaven and will have more houses, brothers and sisters and children and lands in the kingdom of heaven.

They need to leave everything behind and keep their eyes and heart on the kingdom of heaven and all will be given to them.

May the Virgin of the poor, pray for us and inspire us to be detached from the things of the world and attached to God alone.

Aug. 15th - Assumption of Mary

This weekend, we celebrate the Assumption of Mary. St. Alphonsus Ligouri, describes the assumption. He said, “the apostles, had gathered around the bed of Our Lady because She had informed them that Her earthly time had ended and that She was going to heaven. When all the apostles had arrived, She died and then was assumed in heaven before their eyes.” He said, “Then the host of angels came in choirs, to meet Her, as if to be ready for the great triumph with which they were to accompany Her to paradise. That great soul, that beautiful dove of the Lord, was then loosened from the bands of this life; and She entered into the glory of the blessed”.

In the Old Testament, David brought the ark of the covenant to the place he prepared for it. Once the ark was placed in the tent the people of Israel rejoiced playing musical instruments and offered up burnt offerings. This is symbolic of Mary’s assumption into heaven.

The book of Revelation states, “God’s temple was opened, and the ark of His covenant could be seen in the temple”. “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun and moon under Her feet, and on Her head a crown of twelve stars.” Just as David and the people of Israel rejoiced at the entrance of the ark in the tent, so the new Israel (heaven), all of heaven (the angels and saints) rejoiced at the entrance of Mary, when She is assumed into heaven and crowned with twelve stars.

The book of Revelation said, “the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child. But the woman fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.” Mary’s womb was a safe haven for unborn baby Jesus. Her womb was “blessed” because Jesus dwelt in it. Mary’s womb was the ark for Jesus, who is the new and everlasting covenant. And once Jesus was born, Mary protected and nurtured the Child Jesus. Mary and Joseph fled into Egypt to protect the Child from Herod, who wanted to kill Him.

Mary’s Immaculate Heart is a safe haven for Her spiritual children. Through consecration to Her Immaculate Heart, She protects us from the dragon who wants to harm us. As her spiritual children, we can hide in the ark of Her Immaculate Heart.

Today, at the end of Mass we will have the opportunity to consecrate our selves, our families, our children, our marriage, our bills, our parish, our problems, our organizations: the altar society, PSR, Eucharistic Adoration, RCIA, our work, our relationships and anything and everything to Her and allow Her to help us in all our needs to the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

To consecrate means to make holy. When we are baptized, we are consecrated to God, made holy and belong to Him. We become one of God’s children. When one is baptized, we profess our faith and renounce Satan, all his works and all his empty promises.

St. Louis de Montfort said, when we consecrate our selves to Mary, we are renewing our baptismal promises by renouncing sin and re-dedicating our self to God and so by consecrating our selves to Mary, we allow Her to protect us from the devil and his minions. We hide within Her Heart as a shelter from temptations and the storms of life. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we give Her permission help us and bring us closer to God, which makes us holy. As She always did God’s will and never sinned, She will help us to do God’s will and avoid sin by watching over and protecting our families and our parish.

God wants us every Catholic to have a devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and encourages us to turn to them. We know this because of the angel’s appearance to the children of Fatima. The angel told the children, “The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications.” and the angel also said, “The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy for you!”

I believe, the kinds of statues in each church are put their by God’s providence. So I believe God wants our parish to have a devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

St. Maximilian Kolbe said “by dedicating ourselves to (Mary) we become in Her hands instruments of God’s mercy as She was such an instrument in God’s hands. We should let our selves be guided and led by Mary and rest quiet and secure in Her hands. She will watch out for us, provide for us, answer our needs of body and spirit; She will dissolve all our difficulties and worries.”

By consecrating our self the Heart of Jesus, we become one with Him. We belong to Him. We allow Him to use us to accomplish His will in our life. We surrender everything to Him in gratitude for all He has done for us. Our heart will grow with a burning desire to love Jesus evermore and to love others with His Heart.

By consecrating our self to St. Joseph, we allow him to protect our home, as he protected the home of the Holy Family. He will help fathers to be good fathers. Husbands to be good husbands. We allow him to protect our possessions, as he protected God’s most precious possession, Jesus. He will help us in our work, protect our church, as he protects the universal Church. He will help us to be obedient, just, holy and virtuous in every way like he was in his life.

If you have a problem or a decision, consecrate it to the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and watch them act. The hearts are attentive to our supplications.

At times the consecration can be short for example we can say, “Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph I give this problem to you. Help me.”

Dear parish family, if we live our life united to the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we can be assured, when we die, we will first meet Jesus at our judgment and by the merits of the three hearts, we will enter the joys of heaven and rejoice with the angels who welcomed Mary when She was assumed into heaven. May the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, be our protection and our salvation.

Aug. 12th - St. Jane de Frances Chantel

 Today, we celebrate the memorial of Jane Frances de Chantel, wife, mother and consecrated religious sister. Born at Dijon in 1572, into a prominent family, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, received an excellent education. At the age of 20, she married the Baron de Chantal, who was an officer in the army of Henry IV.

She suffered the loss of three children, who died soon after birth. She then gave birth to 3 girls and a boy.

Once when her husband was away, someone commented about her modest clothing even while her husband was gone. And she replied, “The eyes which I want to please are a hundred miles from here.” She was happily married for 8 yrs. until left a widow with her four children, when her husband was killed in a hunting accident. In 1604, she heard St. Francis de Sales preach and placed herself under his spiritual direction. The both became instrumental in founding her new congregation.

After her children were raised, she established the congregation of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known today as the Visitation Sisters. The Visitation Sisters are well known due to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who had visions of Our Lord’s Sacred Heart. Before her death in 1641, 86 houses were established.

For many years, St. Jane suffered great interior trials with the utmost resignation, while she labored to extend her newly founded Congregation. Today, let us turn to St. Jane and ask her to help us persevere through interior and exterior trials.

Aug. 11th - St. Clare of Assisi

Today is the memorial of St. Clare, the patron of television. Even before Clare was born it was revealed to her mother, that her unborn daughter would become a light to the world. As a young girl she was favored with personal beauty and a charming personality. She was interested in the poor and frequently denied herself things in order to give what she could to the poor. She loved prayer and her sweetest delight was her deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

When she was 18, she heard St. Francis preach in the cathedral of Assisi during Lent of 1212. His words on contempt of the world and penance, and in particular the holy example he set, affected Clare such that she felt God was calling her to lead a similar life in seclusion in a convent.

On March 18^th, 1212, on Palm Sunday, St. Francis and some of his followers came with lighted candles to meet her in the little chapel of Our Lady of the Angels. She came wearing her richest garments. Before the altar she joyfully removed her beautiful head-dress, and St. Francis cut off her hair and covered her head with a veil. In place of her rich garments, she received a coarse penitential garb and was girded with a white cord. After she took the habit, her father wanting her to be married, furiously attempted to drag her home. With the help of St. Francis, she co-founded the Poor Clares. Her own sister, Agnes, became a nun in her convent.

Due to her prayers, there are episodes of multiplications of loaves and of bottles of oil that appeared in the convent when there was none before.

In 1240, she turned away an attack by Saracen (Muslim) soldiers who broke into the convent cloister. She held a monstrance with a Host, and from the Host a ray of light came from the Eucharist, frightening off the attacking soldiers.

Once when she was sick in bed and unable to attend Christmas Midnight Mass, while in bed, she was able to see the Mass and heard the priest’s homily. When the sisters returned after Mass, she said she saw the beautiful Midnight Mass and re-told them the homily they had just heard. And for this reason she is the patron of television today.

St. Clare lived a very deep life of poverty. Today, let us ask St. Clare to help us to be detached from material things, so that we may be attached to Jesus alone. May her prayers help us to come to a great devotion to Our Lord in the Sacred Host and may she continue to inspire many more vocations to the religious life.

Aug. 10th - St. Lawrence the Deacon

 Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence, the deacon of Rome, who was one of the greatest saints in the third century. His name is in Eucharistic Prayer 1 of the Roman Canon. He was in charge of distributing alms to the poor. Two stories show his holiness and sense of humor.

The first story is about the treasures of Rome. After the government executed Pope Sixtus II, it wanted to confiscate all the treasures of the Church. The government told Lawrence to hand over the treasures. He said it would take a couple of days. When it was time to bring the “treasures” of the Church—he had many of the poor, the downtrodden and the outcasts of Rome, whom he considered the “treasures” of the Church, stand before the government officials. The government was not amused and ordered Lawrence to be executed.

The second story involves his sense of humor during his martyrdom. He was roasted alive on the gridiron. While enduring torture, as the flames were beginning to consume his body, he said to his tortures, “Turn me over. I’m done on this side.”

Lawrence is the patron of catechumens and comedians. As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary together with St. Lawrence to help many non-Catholics to become Catholic. And may we also have a sense of humor in times of pain and suffering.

19th Sunday, Perpetual Adoration

 In the Gospel Jesus said, “This is the bread come down from heaven. So that a man may eat it and not die…Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.” Jesus also said, “My flesh is real food. My blood is real drink.” These are not symbols but reality.

The Church describes the Eucharist as the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. In another words, everything of His divine nature is present and everything of His human nature is present in the Eucharist. To put it frankly, the Eucharist is Jesus in His resurrected body. It is not Jesus in the bread. That is what non-Catholics believe. No, Catholics believe the bread and wine are totally changed into the living person of Jesus.

Holy Communion is the most special time we have on earth with God. We are united to Jesus and He is united to us. We can’t have Communion all day, saints tell us the Holy Communion lasts from 10 min. to 30 min., but Jesus remains here with us in the tabernacle. The remaining Hosts are placed in the tabernacle for the sick and home bound. The tabernacle is also here so people may spend time with Jesus and adore Him. Over the centuries, a consecrated Host was placed in a metal object called a monstrance, so people can gaze upon and look at the Host with eyes of faith. It is really Jesus. Its called Adoration because we adore Jesus with love, who is hidden beneath the appearance of bread.

The lay practice of adoration formally began in Avignon, France on September 11, 1226. To celebrate and give thanks for the victory over the Albigensians, King Louis VII of France asked the Bishop of Avignon to have the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The throng of adorers was so great the bishop decided to have the adoration continue day & night. Adoration chapels began to keep watch with Jesus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So that someone is always gazing upon and adoring Jesus with love.

Then in 1264, the feast of Corpus Christi was established due to a Eucharistic miracle, when a Host began to bleed in the hands of a doubting priest in Bolsena, Italy.

But It was not until after the Council of Trent in the 1500's, when adoration chapels began to spread all over the world. During the Protestant Rebellion, church lootings and desecrations of the Blessed Sacrament were common. Faithful Catholics made reparation to God by keeping a loving vigil before Him, around the clock. This is what is needed today with so many who receive the Eucharist sacrilegiously.

At La Crosse, Wisconsin, there is a convent that has had Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for 140 years. Through fires, floods and war, adoration has continued. In 1923, the convent caught fire and sisters in the chapel continued to pray in adoration despite the raging fire outside. The fire was rapidly spreading, but when it got to the entrance of the chapel, the fire suddenly stopped. One of the sisters had placed a statue of St. Michael at the entrance of the chapel and prayed he would protect the chapel.

Most large parishes in the diocese of Wichita have perpetual adoration. Our parish is too small to have continuous adoration for 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. But we can have continuous adoration all day and night for 1 to 2 days depending upon how many sign up.

In our parish starting in Sept., Jesus in the Eucharist will be on the altar in a monstrance beginning every Sunday after Mass and parishioners will have the opportunity of signing up to spend an hour with Jesus. It will be your own personal hour. And this will continue every week throughout the year. One person will be with Jesus for an hour from 9am until 10am. Then from 10am until 11am another person will come to adore Jesus. And this will continue day and night until the last person is finished. Jesus is never left alone. 

We will come before Him to thank Him, to pray for our needs and the needs of others, to make reparation and to just sit and love Him. 

More graces are poured out during the night hours then any other. I like to tell people, those who adore Jesus at night are His “specials” and He takes care of them in a special way.

There will be a sign-in book with phone numbers of each adorer. If you need to be away you can switch with someone or ask a family member or friend to take your place. I have seen non-Catholic spouses substitute and then later become Catholic.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori…wrote: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. St. John Vianney said, “We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity!”

Pope St Paul VI said, “Perpetual Adoration extends its influence far beyond the individual adorers, touching their homes and families and reaching out to the parish community and beyond!” Just imagine, when someone is adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, not only does Jesus touch the heart of person adoring Him, but also touches their home, their family, the parish and the entire world. How awesome is that?

St. Peter of Alcantra said,”Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them!” My parishioners, isn’t there something you want to ask Jesus? Our Lord wants to answer your prayers, but He wants you to come in faith and ask Him while you gaze upon Him.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “In order to convert America and save the world, what we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer!”

We see the terrible strife our country and the world is enduring. The horrible rioting last year, the fear of covid, abortion, euthanasia, murders in large cities. Government policies taking away our freedom. Drugs and broken families.

But adoration will convert hearts. Jesus revealed to St. Faustina at Adoration that “beneath these rays (from the Eucharist) a heart will be warmed even if it were like a block of ice; or hard as rock.”

We also see turmoil in our own Catholic church, with bishops against bishops and confusion. But Pope St. Paul VI said, “You should take up as your own cause a Holy Hour of Adoration so that Peace and Unity can be brought about in the Church!”

Here at Holy Trinity, we are working on making adoration safe and easy for anyone who wants to come. You can pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, read the bible, and pray to Jesus in silence pouring your heart out before the Lord who listens to you, loves you and can answer your prayers.

The group from our parish organizing Eucharistic Adoration has set a tentative date for Sept. 12^th sign-up day and Sept. 19^th when Eucharistic Adoration will begin in our parish.

Listen to the words of Pope St. John Paul II who said, “Jesus Himself is calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each Week!” Will you respond?

Immediately after Mass, come to the parish hall for a 30 min video on Perpetual Adoration and enjoy coffee and doughnuts.

Aug. 6th - Feast of the Transfiguration

 What a grace for Peter, James and John to see Jesus transfigured as His face shown like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white.

The three apostles got a preview of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead and His glory in heaven. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven.

Moses and Elijah also appeared and spoke with Jesus. Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai and Elijah is considered the greatest of the prophets. Our Lord is the fulfillment of the law and the long awaited savior prophesied by the Old Testament Prophets.

The Blessed Trinity is revealed when the Father spoke from the cloud and said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

The Lord revealed His glory to help them endure the scandal of the Cross. Jesus had to go to Calvary before He could be glorified by His Father on the day of His resurrection.

On this feast of the Transfiguration, may we see the beauty and value of suffering and believe to suffer is truly the power behind our success in gaining heaven. During those difficult moments, may we remember the glorious things the Lord has done for us, and seek the future glory of heaven. The Virgin Mary will help us to endure our future crosses to come.

Aug. 5th Dedication of St. Mary Major (Our Lady of the Snow)

 What if I told you, “It’s going to snow today.” Surely, you would think I was crazy. But that’s exactly what happened. In the 4th century, there was a rich man and the pope who both dreamt that the Blessed Virgin Mary said it would snow in Rome on Aug. 5th.

Today we celebrate the memorial St. Mary Major, the oldest Church dedicated in the West to the Mother of God located in Rome. Today is also called the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows because of a miraculous snow.

The wealthy man prayed to the Blessed Virgin, to guide him, so that he would know what he was to do with his money. So in the early hours of Aug. 5^th, in separate dreams, Our Lady told both the Pope, as well as the wealthy man, to build a church in Her honor, in the place where snow was to appear that morning. That same morning snow miraculously appeared on the site where the church was to be built.

The Church was first called the Liberian basilica, after Pope Liberius. However, since the dogma of Mary, the Mother of God, was promulgated by the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Church was then dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of God.

Today, the relics of the original manger in which Jesus from Bethlehem are now located in this magnificent church in Rome.

Aug. 4th St. John Vianney

 Today is the memorial of St. John Marie Vianney, the patron of parish priests.

After attending seminary, but with great difficulty with studies, especially Latin, he found himself before a seminary review board. The Vicar General, Father Courbon, asked these questions about John Vianney: Is he pious? Has a devotion to Our Lady? Does he know how to say the rosary? The answer to all questions was, “yes”, and so, he said, “I will summon him for ordination and the grace of God will do the rest.” Three years after ordination, he was transferred to Ars.

When he was near Ars, he happened to come across a young boy. He told the boy, “You show me the way to Ars, I will show you the way to heaven.”

When he arrived, he discovered a run down church and rectory. The people were ignorant of their faith and the town had become noted for its revelry, drinking and dancing. Few people were interested in coming to His Masses. He began to visit every home in his parish to find out where the people were in their faith.

When he would offer Mass, he would open the doors of the church, so that people passing by would hear what he had to say. He warned them over and over that if they continued the way they were going, they would end up in hell. But he also explained to them the great love of God and His infinite mercy in confession.

Eventually, the people tried to get rid of him, and signed a petition, asking the bishop to transfer him. St. John Vianney in his humble way asked to sign in it too.

Ironically, after many years, the people and grown to love and cherish their parish priest. But, he believed God wanted him to be in a monastery, doing penance for his sins. So, he left the little town of Ars, only for the people of the town to find him and bring him back.

He gave Catechism classes to children, and opened an orphanage. He did severe penances, fasted everyday. He lived a very poor life, often eating only potatoes, but encouraged wealthy parishioners to purchase expensive vestments, statues, and a tabernacle, and spent lots of money remodeling the church with magnificent altars of the saints. He believed Our Lord deserved the best.

God gave him the ability to read the hearts, which caused him to spend 13 to 17 hours in the confessional. People from all over Europe traveled to Ars so that he would hear their confessions. Because of the many conversions, the devil reeked havoc on him, often times, making loud noises, and physically attacked him. One time the devil even set his bed on fire.

St. John Marie had a tremendous love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and had apparitions of Our Lady. He also had a deep devotion to the Blessed Eucharist, and spent hours praying before Our Lord in the tabernacle. At the end of every homily, he would point to the tabernacle and say, “There is Jesus, who loves you so much!”

He died in 1859, was canonized in 1925, and in 1929 declared patron of parish priests. 42 years after the death of St. John Marie Vianney, his body was exhumed, and found incorrupt, with his heart perfectly preserved. The following words of St. John Vianney seem prophetic. “The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus. When you see the priest, think of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

18th Tuesday "Take My Hand"

 Think about this for a minute. Suppose you were on a boat being tossed by the wind and the waves and there were cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening. You were frightened because it is night time and the boat begins to take on water. Then suddenly you see Jesus come toward you on the water. He reaches out His hand and says “Come. Get out of the boat and walk on the water. Keep your eyes on me. Take my hand.” Your thinking, I can’t do this, but then you do as you are told, you get out of the boat and begin to walk on the water. You are looking at Jesus and He is looking at you. You think, “I’m walking on water. I’m walking on water.” But suddenly you feel the wind blowing and the waves crashing against your legs and you begin to look around and then suddenly you begin to sink. You hear Jesus say, “Look at me. Take my hand”, then suddenly you’re in the boat and the wind dies down and waves become smaller and smaller.

Now suppose you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, or leukemia, or the doctor tells you, you need a quadruple by-pass. Then you picture Jesus in your mind walking up to you and saying, “Come. Get out of the boat and walk. Don’t allow your fears to control you. Keep your eyes on me and take my hand.”

You begin to take chemo, your hair falls out. You become nauseated and become sicker and sicker. Or you had your by-pass surgery, but now you are on the vent and the doctor won’t take the vent out because you can’t breathe well. Day after day, you keep hoping today will be day I am no longer nauseated or I will be off the vent.

Then the words of Jesus come to mind, “Come. Get out of the boat and walk. Don’t allow your fears to control you. Keep your eyes on me and take my hand.”

Then you realize it doesn’t matter if you get better or not. It doesn’t matter if the vent doesn’t come out. You close your eyes and you see Jesus. You are holding His hand. Everything is white and peaceful. You no longer have pain. You can breathe easily and you begin to see the most beautiful place you ever seen. No more storms, no more fears, no more worries. Everything is just fine.

You kept your eyes on Jesus. You held His hand. You kept the faith. And He calmed the storm and now you are with Him forever. Amen.

18th Monday "Heart Moved with Pity"

 In the Gospel today, it said, “When He disembarked and saw the vast crowd, His Heart was moved with pity for them, and He cured their sick.”

There are several reasons why the Heart of Jesus was moved for pity when He saw the crowd. We can certainly presume one of the main reasons was because the people were hungry and that is why He fed them by multiplying the loaves and the fish. Another reason would have been, the result of seeing the sick who came for healing and that is why He cured them.

Another Gospel says, “His Heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” In that case, we could see Jesus came to be their shepherd, to proclaim the Gospel in order to help them to get to heaven. When He first started His public ministry, He told the people, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” So a shepherd also helps the sheep to come to know they are sinners and need to repent, because He came to save sinners. A spiritual shepherd helps the sheep to get to heaven and so helps the sheep to follow the “narrow path” toward heaven and to not take the easy road. He would also say, “If you want to be my disciple, take up your cross and follow me.”

When we think of a heart, we think of love. And so Jesus reveals His love most especially by His dying for us on the Cross as He said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. And it was on the Cross, His Heart was pierced. Today let us contemplate the mystery of the Heart of Jesus and how His pity for us, moves His Heart to relieve the miseries of our life.