Medjugorje Talk

Medjugorje is nestled in a valley in the country called Bosnia Herzegovina, which was part of former Yugoslavia. The largest mountain near Medjugorje there is a large stone cross constructed in 1933 in honor of 1900 years after the death of Jesus. Back then, the local people carried the water and cement up the rocky mountain to create the large cross that overlooks the valley. Every year near the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross Sept. 14th, the entire village climbs the mountain to have Mass on an altar next to the Cross. Most people, young and old will journey up the rocky mountain barefoot for penance. Its impressive to see so many people doing penance for their sins and the sins of others.

Below the mountain in the valley is St. James Church. The people in the area are very faithful Catholics and most all attend daily Mass. Because there are thousands of pilgrims who come to Mass, the Mass is celebrated outdoors under a large canopy over the altar. There are various Masses through the day for the various different countries in their language and these Masses are in the JP II center.

The international Mass at St. James starts at 6pm. The Mass is prayed in the local language of the people. The prayers of the Mass are prayed in Latin so all the priests can concelebrate. To prepare for Mass confessions begin at 5pm. There are priests from all over the world who hear confessions in their native language. Polish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, English are just a few. The priest will place a sign with the language he is able to hear confessions. The confessionals on each side of the church and priests also hear confessions on benches and using chairs. At 5:40pm, everyone stops praying the Rosary and the church bells are rung when the Virgin Mary is appearing to some of the visionaries usually in their homes. After about 5 min. the people continue to pray the rosary. After Mass they pray 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Marys and 7 Glory be’s for peace-- then another Rosary followed by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To the east of the church is the hill of apparitions where the Virgin Mary began to appear to 6 children in June of 1981. The Virgin Mary’s messages were peace, reconciliation with God and neighbor. To Pray from the heart, to attend daily Mass, to Fast on Wed. and Friday, to read the bible, daily pray three mysteries of the Rosary and to have Eucharistic Adoration. The children who are now adults, have been examined and tested during many apparitions. Every test has always concluded they are seeing something. Every 2^nd of the month, the Virgin Mary gives a message for the world. There are 10 secrets which will all be eventually revealed before Mirjana before she dies. One of secrets Mary promises to leave a permanent sign on the location of the first apparition. Some secrets will encourage the people in their faith while other secrets are punishments by God for the sins of the world. The Virgin has said to not wait to convert before the secrets are revealed because by then-- for many-- it will be too late.

The parish has (veneration) of the cross every Friday. People gaze and pray before the cross for an hour as hymns are sung and a priest will give a meditation on the cross.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays the parish has a Eucharistic Holy Hour at night at 7pm after Mass. Anywhere between 2,000 to 10,000 people will come to adore Jesus in adoration.

If I could describe Medjugorje with one word, I would say “Peace”. It could be felt wherever I went. I felt at home there. While I was there I was able to let all difficulties and problems go trusting Mary would take care of them. I went to confession several times in Medjugorje. One of the things that touched me the most was I felt like Mary loved me personally. All of us think about God loving us, but we don’t really think about our spiritual Mother loving us and this was my experience. I felt this was my personal message, that Mary truly loved me and She loves You!

Some highlights of the trip include being the main celebrant of the English speaking 10am Mass and I gave the homily. There were about 800 people in attendance. Mostly from Ireland, Great Britain and the US. Another highlight was hearing confessions. I heard confessions 3 evenings from 3 to 5 hours each night. They were the most beautiful confessions. Its wonderful to hear confessions of people from all over the world. There is a grace given to those who go there to open their hearts and confess sins they failed to confess from the past.

As a group we went up apparition hill and prayed the Rosary at each mystery on the way up. I also went up apparition hill several times by myself to pray including one time at night. The people keep respectful silence near the apparition site. During the night when I came by myself, I was surprised to see many couples (husbands and wives and or boyfriend and girl friends). I think they saw it romantic to be there at night in the presence of the Virgin Mary. Her statue was lit up by lights at night.

On another day, we went up Cross mountain and I lead the Stations of the Cross as we climbed the mountain. The mountain is very steep and rocky. Some from our group trekked up the mountain barefoot. Just before the last station a very popular priest, Fr. Slavko instrumental in helping the parish during the beginnings of the apparitions died on the mountain there about 10 years ago. The Cenaculo group of young men have a treatment house in Medjugorje. They are men are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. They carried a 2 ton rock from the bottom of the hill to the place where he died as a memorial to him. Many people believe someday Fr. Slavko become a saint and we went to the cemetery and prayed at his tomb.

On Sept. 30th about 10 priests, myself and about 20 lay people were present during an apparition of Ivan at his personal chapel. As the apparition started, I immediately felt as though a burden was taken off my shoulders. During the apparition I prayed for all of you and especially for the intentions of those who asked me to pray give them to Our Lady. As the apparition continued, I slowly had a greater peace. It was a beautiful experience. I felt so honored to be in what I believe was the presence of Our Lady.

My group went to Jakov’s talk, but I didn’t go because I would not have been able to make my daily Holy Hour and so during the talk I prayed in the adoration chapel. I have his talk on a CD.

We attended the outdoor Holy Hour. Every day I either prayed at the outdoor Holy Hour, or the Adoration Chapel or in the church of St. James or the chapel of the two Hearts at the hotel.

On the feast of St. Faustina, on Oct. 5th, our group went to the Divine Mercy chapel, which is about 15 minutes from Medjugorje and we were chosen to have Mass at the 3 o'clock hour and just before Mass we prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy. I offered the Mass and gave the homily. After Mass we venerated a relic of St. Faustina and also Pope St. John Paul II. The custodian of the divine mercy chapel gave a talk explaining the history of the miraculous icon associated with the healing of a Ugo Festa from Italy. He had multiple sclerosis. When praying before the image, he saw Jesus stretch out his arms and stood before him. Ugo was immediately miraculously healed.

Miranja’s house is sort of like a hotel and she waits on tables for the people come to stay at her house. Our group leader brought us to her house and we shook hands with her.

I was able to offer Mass and be the main celebrant at Sirki Briege, the Franciscan monastery the place where 20 Franciscans were martyred. We went to the underground cave where they died. The Communists asked the Franciscans to spit at the crucifix and remove their habits and if they did they would live. But all refused. They were shot, but some didn’t die immediately. The Franciscans were set afire and some were burned alive.

The food at the hotel was homemade and very delicious. They had homemade wine from grapes from their fields near Medjugorje. The wine had an alcohol content of 12%. I never tasted it since I don’t like alcohol.

There was a group from Canadians who were native Indians from Canada. Despite their age, I was impressed at their ability to climb apparition hill and also Cross Mountain. There was a couple from Texas, one from California and one from Russia. There was 19 of us in our group.

My trip was paid for by benefactors. I have a rosary and a picture of Mary with the messages on the back for each of you. The children should have all received a rosary at PSR last week. If they were not in attendance, the PSR teacher has the Rosary for them. The rosaries were blessed by myself. They were placed near the apparition and Ivan said Mary blessed them. At 2pm on Sunday, I will give a presentation on Medjugorje which includes photos I took.

We need to remember the apparitions are alleged at this point and not approved by the Church. But most likely they will be, especially since they have been occurring for 40 years and have never been condemned.

The Church permits us to follow the messages at this time and has declared Medjugorje is a Marian shrine. Today, let us pray each of us will grow in our faith, will become better Catholics and grow in our love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who loves you!

We should pray to Her asking for Her motherly intercession in all our needs.

29th Sunday Drink Chalice & Baptism

 The cross is the central theme of today’s readings. The prophet Isaiah from the first reading prophesies about the sufferings of the Jesus, the messiah. The reading said, “The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.. ...through his suffering, my servant shall justify many and their guilt he shall bear.” And the Gospel subtly speaks about the passion and death of Jesus as well as the future sufferings of James and John.

Just before James and John asked Jesus if each could sit at the side of Jesus in heaven, Our Lord had told the apostles, “Behold, we are going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribe and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles, and they will mock Him, and spit upon Him and scourge Him, and kill Him; after three days He will rise.” Jesus just told His disciples about His upcoming passion and death, and now James and John wanted to get ahead of the other apostles and each sit one on the right and the other on the left of Jesus in heaven, which caused the other apostles to become indignant. They must not understood what Jesus was trying to tell them. Then Our Lord then once again alludes to His upcoming passion and death saying, “Can you drink the cup the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They respond, “We can.” And Jesus then said, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and the baptism with which you are baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

What is Jesus referring to when he is speaking of drinking the “chalice He will drink” and the “baptism He will receive”? In the Old Testament, to drink from the chalice meant to drink of the sufferings. To drink it to the dregs meant to consume all of the cup of suffering out of love for a cause or a person. Jesus reveals His cup of suffering during His agony in the garden. He said to His Father, “Let this chalice pass from me, but not my will, thy will be done.” Our Lord was willing to suffer for His Father and “give His life as a ransom for many”. Jesus was willing to suffer and die for us. He warned the apostles those who want to be first must be the slave of all. Recall St. Paul’s words to the Philippians, “Though He was in the form of God, did not deem equality with God, something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men, and found in human state, humbled Himself and became obedient, even to death on a cross.”

When we hear the word “baptism”, we immediately think of waters flowing over the head of child or an adult which makes them a disciple of Christ. Jesus was not referring to the physical flowing of water over someone. Rather, He was referring to immersion into suffering and the dying to oneself for the sake of others and being immersed in one’s own suffering and blood. His baptism was His immersion into His bloody passion and death. So when James and John said responded saying, “Can you drink the cup that I drink and the be baptized in the baptism, I am to be baptized?” they didn’t understand what He was asking, but out of love for Him wanted to do what ever He asked even to giving up their life and dying for Jesus.

Historically we know James returned to Palestine in 44 AD and drank that chalice with the Lord, in full. He was the first Apostle to be martyred by order of Herod Agrippa. The word martyr means witness. In both his life and his death, James was such a witness.

John was not martyred but they tried to kill him by boiling him in oil, but he was miraculously unharmed. His life was a witness to his discipleship with Jesus as well as his writings of the Gospel of John, the letters of St. John and the Book of Revelation. The Virgin Mary lived with him until She was assumed into heaven.

Today’s readings therefore remind us of the love Jesus has for us and through His suffering and death on the Cross, He would justify many and take upon our guilt. He also wanted His apostles to imitate His humility, His service and His self emptying and even be prepared to die because of it.

Christians—are therefore called to be a witness as a disciple, to drink the cup of suffering and be prepared to even suffer persecution and death for our faith as a witness.

May we not seek to be first or greater than others, but rather seek to serve and not be served, so as to be the slave of all. May the Virgin Mary, pray for us so we will embrace our crosses and stand fast at the foot of the Cross, even unto death, by our immersion into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, it will bring us to the joys of heaven, and though we may not sit at His right or His left in heaven, at least we will be there with Him forever.

Oct. 15th - St. Teresa of Avila

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, who was born in 1515 in Spain. She comes from a family of twelve children. Teresa’s mother died when she was only fourteen years old. Teresa wrote, “As soon as I began to understand how great a loss, I had sustained by losing her, I was very much afflicted; and so I went before an image of Our Blessed Lady, and besought her with many tears that she would vouchsafe to be my mother.”

Teresa ran away from home to secretly join a Carmelite monastery. After a serious illness, she began to read a spiritual book, which helped her to develop mental prayer, and at times attained, “the prayer of union”. She began to have mystical experiences, and even levitated into the air above the ground. On one occasion, she became mystically married to Christ. When this happened, she had a vision of angel, who appeared to her holding a golden dart; at the end of the point was fire. She felt the angel thrust the dart into her heart, several times, and when the angel withdrew the dart, it left her on fire with a great love of God.

In 1560, the idea first emerged of a new Carmel, where the Rule could be followed more closely, and this was realized two years later when the monastery of St. Joseph was founded without any endowments and "following the Primitive Rule. And so, for 15 years she engaged in founding new monasteries of the Carmelite Order. She also aided St. John of the Cross in reforming the men’s order. Her sisters lived a very poor life, in silence, and were discalced (they didn’t wear shoes).

She wrote her own autobiography, a book called the Way of Perfection and another book called the Interior Castle. In her autobiography she mentions the importance of meditating on the humanity of Jesus. She said, “Going into the oratory one day, I saw an image, some workers had brought in, to put into storage. It depicted the wounded Christ and was so true a rendering of the unspeakable horror, of what took place for our sake, that it moved me to visualize Him that way from that moment on. I felt so ungrateful for those wounds that my heart seemed to split in half within me. I threw myself down near Him weeping bitter tears, and begged Him to strengthen me once and for all so that I might not offend Him again.”

Her books brought about great insight into the mystery of prayer, and eventually helped her to be proclaimed a doctor of the Church.

Throughout her life, she suffered from ailments that baffled doctors. Despite her ill health, she founded seventeen monasteries. Most journeys to build the convents were done by traveling in a cart by mule over extremely poor roads. On one occasion, it is believed she fell from the cart and remarked, “If you treat your spouse this way, it’s no wonder you have so few friends.”

Her health deteriorated rapidly on one of her journeys. She told one of the sisters, “Alas, my daughter, I have reached the house of death.” She was given the sacrament of anointing of the sick. She sat up to receive her last Holy Communion, exclaiming, “O my Lord, now is the time that we shall see each other!” and she died in the arms Anne, her companion on the journey. She died on Oct. 4^th, but her feast day is celebrated on Oct. 15^th. She is often pictured with a heart, an arrow and a book.

St. Teresa of Avila, help us to pray, that we may be drawn ever nearer to Jesus, your spouse!

28th Sunday, Medjugorje (Rich Young Man)

Some of you are interested in hearing about my trip to Medjugorje. I decided to hold off on explaining that until next week. Rather, this week I will give a brief history of the alleged apparitions and explain how Medjugorje played an important role in me becoming a priest.

The alleged apparations have not been officially approved by the Church. In June of 1981, Mary began to appear to 6 children with messages for the world. She identified Herself as the Queen of Peace. Her messages were to pray for peace in the heart, in the family and in the world. She said prayer and fasting can avert war and suspend the laws of nature. She asked people to return to God. She said to confess monthly, attend Sunday Mass and daily Mass regularly; Pray all three mysteries of the Rosary daily; Read the bible everyday; Pray with the Heart and Fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

10 years later to the exact day when the apparitions started, the Balkan war broke out and many people died. The result of the war ended Yugoslavia as a country as many of the nations declared their independence. Communism fell and people were once again able to practice their faith.

Because the apparitions continued and due to the controversy of the bishop and their local Franciscans, a Vatican commission was sent to Medjugorje to investigate. The commission voted 15 out of 17 in favor of the first seven apparitions as authentic. The remaining apparitions they were evenly split and the pope will eventually declare the apparitions authentic or not.

I would like to briefly explain how the alleged apparitions have affected me years ago. Back in 1990, my grandmother suffered a heart condition and needed a pacemaker. I went to visit her in the hospital in Great Bend and by God’s providence, her children (my father, aunts, uncle) and some cousins were there. Little did any of us know, it was time for her to depart from this life. As she was lying in the hospital bed, I told her I would pray a rosary for her, but I didn’t know how to pray it. I had learned as a child, but later forgot. About an hour later she suddenly took a turn for the worse and ended up dying before all of us.

Later that year, I heard about the alleged apparitions of Mary and the messages: 1. confess monthly. 2. Attend Sunday Mass and daily Mass regularly 3. Pray all three mysteries of the Rosary daily, 4. Read the bible daily 5. Pray with the Heart. 6. Fast on Wednesday and Friday. At this time in my life, when I was in my 20’s, I was not attending Mass nor had I been to confession for years. At the beginning of the year, I made my confession and then began to live the messages of Our Lady: attending Mass regularly including weekday Masses, reading the bible, fasting on Wed. and Friday and I learned how to pray the Rosary and prayed the first one for my grandmother.

The following year, in 1991, I went to Medjugorje. While in Medjugorje, a priest in confession suggested I pray and ask God if He was calling me to become a priest. Unfortunately, I wasn’t interested at all. I wanted to be married and have a large family. I wanted to finish my degree at Fort Hays State and I wanted to be wealthy. I had plans to be the owner of a grocery store chain. I wanted a new car because I was tired of my old cars breaking down all the time and I wanted the prestige of it too. But God had other plans. While in Medjugorje, I prayed and asked Our Lady and St. Francis of Assisi for help in coming to know if I was called to be a priest. And they answered my prayers. It was in Medjugorje, for the first time, I thought I was called to be priest, but I would need to give up the idea of worldly riches. St. Francis of Assisi gave the example I needed of being willing to give up everything and to be willing to live a life not attached to worldly things, so that I could become a disciple of Jesus. St. Francis was a rich young man, whose father was a wealthy merchant, but Francis gave up everything to follow Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, the rich young man’s heart is stirred by an interior grace to know what is needed to gain eternal life. He said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Our Lord reminded him it is necessary to gain eternal life by keeping the commandments. The man responds saying he kept all the commandments from his childhood. He was enlightened by grace to come to know there is more to gaining heaven then keeping the commandments. The man was a good man because lived a moral life since his youth. Jesus desiring to call the young man to something greater and giving him the opportunity to respond with generosity, looked at him with love. Can you imagine Jesus looking at you with love? Who could resist the loving face of Jesus asking you to do something?

Then Jesus asked the young man to become one of His disciples. He told him, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” But the man’s face fell and he went away sad because he had many possessions and did not want to part with them. Because his heart is tied to his possessions, even the prospect of gaining eternal life fails to conquer his affections for them. He did not obey the grace welling up within him. Had the young man gave up his wealth and followed Jesus, he would now be a saint in heaven. If he gave up his possessions, he would have been assured of gazing on the face of Jesus forever in heaven.

Listen to the words of St. Paul to Timothy with regard to riches. He said, “We brought nothing into this world, nor have we the power to take anything out. If we have food and clothing we have all that we need. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have come to grief amid great pain.”

The man in today’s Gospel, walked away sad because he valued his possessions greater than helping the poor, rather than having treasure in heaven.

Is there a lack of vocations to the priesthood due to the love of money and possessions? The young man refused to become a disciple of Jesus because he refused to give up his possessions. Certainly there is a natural desire to have a family too, which is good. But Our Lord calls His disciples to make that sacrifice as well.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord we have given up everything.” He had given up his wife, his family and his fishing business. Peter was wealthy owner of a fishing business and so he had to give up his riches to become an apostle.

And Jesus responded saying, ““Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come.”

It is not easy to give up a wife, children and a family as well as a comfortable life, but our treasure is in heaven. This world is passing away and all that is within it, will turn to nothing. Instead we will have the joy of having eternal life with many mothers, sisters, and children and lands in paradise. Over the next few weeks, I will explain about my current trip. At the end of Mass, I will hand out pictures of Mary with the messages on the back and ask that you pray about responding to the messages in your daily life.

Let us pray to Our Lady:

O Mary, Queen of Peace, grant that we may all be good disciples of Jesus living our life in harmony with they way God desires of us and help us to be detached from the things of this world and to be attached to God alone. Help us to know we have a Mother in heaven who loves us and intercedes for us, as Your children. Amen.

28th Sunday "Looking at the Face of Jesus"

 In today’s Gospel, the rich young man’s heart is stirred by an interior grace to know what is needed to gain eternal life. He said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Our Lord reminded him it is necessary to gain eternal life by keeping the commandments. The man responds saying he kept all the commandments from his childhood. He was enlightened by grace to come to know there is more to gaining heaven then keeping the commandments. The man was a good man because had had been living a moral life since his youth. Jesus desiring to call the young man to something greater and giving him the opportunity to respond with generosity, looked at him with love. Can you imagine Jesus looking at you with love? Who could resist the loving face of Jesus asking you to do something?

Then Jesus asks the young man to become one of His disciples. He told him, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” How many young men would love to hear the words of Jesus, “Come, follow me?” Today, we cannot see Jesus face to face nor audibly hear the voice telling us to do something. This young man, not only saw Jesus look at him with love, he verbally heard the words of Jesus, “Come, follow me.”

But the man’s face fell and he went away sad because he had many possessions and did not want to part with them. Because his heart is tied to his possessions, even the prospect of gaining eternal life fails to conquer his affections for them. He did not obey the grace welling up within him. Had the young man despised his wealth and followed Jesus, he would now be a saint in heaven, and even renowned on earth. If he gave up his possessions, he would have been assured of gazing on the face of Jesus forever in heaven.

Listen to the words of St. Paul to Timothy with regard to the desire of riches. “We brought nothing into this world, nor have we the power to take anything out. If we have food and clothing we have all that we need. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have come to grief amid great pain.”

The man walked away sad because he valued his possessions greater than helping the poor, which would cause him to have treasure in heaven.

Recall Peter had a wife when Jesus called him to be a disciple. He gave up his wife and his fishing business, which is why Peter said, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Peter probably said this because he wanted to remind the Lord of the sacrifices he and the other apostles endured to be a follower and he wanted to know what they would receive for giving up everything. Jesus responded saying, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come.” Peter would know the meaning of persecutions. He would be arrested and put in jail and then released by an angel and then later recaptured and crucified upside down on Vatican Hill.

From the very beginning of the Church, the Lord wanted His close disciples (bishops and priests) to be celibate and live poverty in imitation of Him, who “was poor, that we may be rich in the kingdom of heaven”. If one lives a life of celibacy, he gives himself totally to the Lord with an undivided heart. Jesus wanted His bishops and priests to be detached from worldly things and especially help the poor.

Today, the world is in great need of disciples fully and totally committed to Jesus Christ. The disciple is no better than the master, which is why Jesus reminded His apostles, they would suffer persecution for being a disciple. Any man today who is called to be a priest cannot be a halfhearted. He must be totally committed to preach Jesus and His truth in season and out of season. The priest cannot fear what people will think, he must say what is difficult in order to protect the people from evil and help them to get to heaven. For example, he must tell the people that to use birth control is a mortal sin, and it requires confession before receiving Holy Communion, otherwise we receive the Eucharist sacrilegiously. It’s difficult to say hard things, but we do it out of love for the people to help them to get to heaven.

Bishops and priests are to be Jesus to the people, comforting them when they lose a loved one, rejoicing at their wedding, celebrating a baptism, supporting them when they go through trials, giving them peace in confession, teaching the truths of the faith. And O how incredibly humbling it is to know that when the priest takes bread and wine in his hands and says the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, that Almighty God changes them into the body and blood of our Lord. Can you imagine through my hands the Lord makes present Calvary on the altar and then Jesus spiritually feeds His lambs in Holy Communion? What power given to a mere mortal.

For any young man discerning God’s call, Jesus must be the center of his life and stay close to Him with frequent confession, come to Mass to receive Jesus in Communion as often as possible, and develop a deep prayer life—praying frequently before Jesus in the tabernacle. And not only strive to keep the commandments, but be willing to give up everything for love of Jesus and the Gospel including a wife, children, a career and possessions.

Is there a young man here today, who Jesus is calling to be a close disciple? Has he stirred within your heart a yearning for higher perfection, as a priest? Listen to the words of Jesus, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, then come, follow me.” And for those of us who are already poor and may even be in debt, like me when I was called, we don’t have to worry about giving away possessions because we don’t have any and we can just get up and follow Jesus now. 

May you turn to the Virgin Mary in heaven and ask Her to help you to give yourself totally to Jesus and follow Him, who looks upon you with love.

Vaccine Information

Unvaccinated can get Covid. Vaccinated can get Covid. 

Why are the Non Vaccinated treated differently?

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Medjugorje 26th Thursday

The Virgin Mary was the first and greatest of all disciples. I can remember a few years ago reading that some mystic believed that Mary was able to pray before She was born because She had heightened use of Her faculties due to being free from original sin. While we don’t know if that is true or not, we do know unborn children can feel things, such as pain and their heart can even beat in a simultaneous fashion with their mothers as seen on sonograms. So they sense their mother’s joy and fears. We know for sure Mary presented Herself at the temple at the age of 3 desiring to do God’s will and making a vow of perpetual virginity.

Mary was the greatest and first disciple of Jesus because She always chose to do God’s will and never once sinned in Her life. Remember the woman who said to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb who bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” And Jesus responded, “No, rather, blessed who those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Mary heard the word of God and kept it because Her Son is the Eternal Word and spoke it and therefore Mary always kept the word of God by doing His will perfectly.

In the Gospel, Jesus sent out the 72 disciples to prepare His way. He said, “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” He went on to tell His Apostles before His ascension to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So it is through baptism, we all became disciples of Jesus and we are all sent. Mary became a disciple of the Lord at the moment of Her Immaculate Conception, just as we became a disciple the moment we are baptized and original sin is washed away.

So what is it that makes a good disciple? We turn to Mary to know. As I said one who does God’s will in their life. It is also God’s will to avoid sin, which Mary did perfectly. It is God’s will for us to grow in holiness. Mary was the holiest creature God created. Sh was holier than all the angels and saints combined.

A disciple of Jesus first sits and listens and adores Our Lord the teacher. Mary adored Jesus in Her womb. Mary was the first to adore the face of Jesus when He was born. Mary was the first to pray to Jesus and listen to Jesus and meditate on His every action which She did every day for the first 30 years of His life because She lived with Him.

Mary knew Sacred Scripture and pondered it with Her Heart. She pondered every word and action of Jesus. So for one to be a disciple of Jesus one must sit at His feet in Eucharistic Adoration. To adore His face with eyes of faith in the Eucharist. To spend a regular hour in Eucharistic Adoration every week and as Bishop Fulton Sheen told priests and seminarians to daily make a Holy Hour with Jesus.

A good disciple of Jesus will ponder and meditate daily Sacred Scripture reading the bible every day. For one who is ignorant of Scripture is ignorant of Christ. A good disciple of Jesus will pray Hail Marys with the lips and meditate on the mysteries of the life of Jesus while praying the Rosary often and so think about Jesus and ponder Him with Mary’s eyes and Heart.

But we can’t be perfect like Mary. We all fall short. The saints give us hope because they were sinners and had faults. The apostles were jealous of each other and wanted to be better than the others. Peter denied Jesus three times. St. Jerome had angry outbursts all his life. But did lots of penance. St. Augustine caroused with women and even fathered a child out of wedlock. St. Francis of Assisi was given into revelry before his conversion. St. Monica had a problem with drinking when she was young. But all of them allowed their weaknesses to help them grow in holiness and humility. The disciple will take up his cross daily striving for virtue.

Many of you come here with trouble hearts seeking consolation and the help of our Mother. With the mandates, with fear of covid and fear of government tyranny, and problems in our Church, we come to our Mother as a child runs to his mother when scared.

And what does Mary do? She picks us up as She would a crying child and suddenly the fear vanishes, because we trust the Mother will take care of everything. Mary took care of all the needs of Jesus. She nursed Him. She changed His diapers. She washed His clothes, She fed Him. She cleaned His house and taught Him to read and write and Jewish customs.

She became the Mother of us all at the foot of the Cross when John took Her into his home and where She endured the pain and agony of watching Her Son die such a horrible death. Mary is therefore with us in our daily life in our ordinary things we do. And She is especially with us in our suffering and will be with us now and the hour of our death.

After Jesus died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, what is the tradition of the Church, but that the Apostles came to Mary often, to seek Her Motherly help. To feel tenderness in times of sorrow and distress. They came seeking Her advice and Her prayers and surely She helped form the early Church and encouraged them in the apostolic ministries.

What happened to the early disciples? Because they lived their life with Jesus and came to Mary, it prepared them for their own suffering, to bear witness to Him and His teachings. They knew that while they were going to die for love of Jesus and His Church the Mother would not abandon Her children. She would stand beneath their cross and would comfort them by Her presence. And then when it was time for them to enter enteral life, She would come---with Her Son, to take them to their judgment, and then to the place that has been prepared for them in the Father’s house.

Let us turn to our Mother seeking Her help. “O lovely lady, dressed in blue, teach me to pray, when I am distressed and sorrowful, hold me close to thy breast. Love me, kiss me, hold me tenderly. Pray for me, that I may stay close to Your Son in the Eucharist. O lovely lady, dressed in blue, teach me to be a disciple, to read about Him in Scripture, and ponder His life while praying Your Rosary, to confess our sins monthly. And O lovely lady, dressed in blue, keep me close to thy Most Pure Heart and when its time for my life to depart stand beneath my cross and through my eyes may be filled with tears, I will be consoled that you, O Lady will take me home to the place of my rest, with God the Father, Son and Spirit blessed, and this my lady is my fond request. Amen.”

26th Sunday- Jealousy & Envy

 What is the difference between envy and jealousy? Jealousy wants to guard what one possesses (or wants to possess) and to keep others from having it. This was the case in the first reading and also the Gospel.

Envy resents what the other person has and may even want to harm them because of it.

In the first reading, there was an outpouring of the spirit on the seventy elders who were with Moses. But there were some who were not present in the camp, yet the spirit came down upon them as well and they began prophesying. Eldad and Medad asked Moses to stop them. But Moses responded, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets.” They didn’t want others to have what they had.

Jealousy is also what the Apostles had in today’s Gospel. They tried to prevent someone from casting out demons because he was not of their company.

In both the first reading and also the Gospel, they wanted to guard what they possessed and keep others from having it.

Envy, on the other hand resents another person’s good fortune and may even end up harming another person due to it. By the envy of the devil, death entered into the world. Because God accepted the sacrifice of Abel, rather than his brother Cain, Cain killed his brother out of envy. Saul was envious of David’s success in killing many more Philistines than Saul and so sold Saul wanted to kill him. Jacob’s sons envied their brother Joseph because he was his father’s favorite and so him into slavery. Herod was envious of the Child Jesus, who was the king of the Jews, and so Herod wanted to kill Him to prevent Jesus taking away his earthly kingdom, though Our Lord had no intention of doing so. Since Jesus healed many and even raised Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees seeing that the “whole world has gone after Him.” were envious of Our Lord and wanted Him put to death. Pilate handed Jesus over to be put to death, due to envy of the chief priests because the people were no longer listening to them anymore.

Christ died at the hands of envious men that He might deliver men from the same envy that nailed Him to the cross.

Can you think of examples of envy in your life. At school one can envy the popular kid, so you try to make others not like him by saying lies about him. Or if a co-worker get promoted so try to get the boss to see all their faults.

As Christians we should practice the opposite virtue from the sin we struggle with. So what are the opposite virtues of envy and jealousy?
The opposite of envy is kindness. So rather than being resentful we wish the best for the other person. Our love for someone should be without bias or spite. God blesses each of us in different ways. Look upon your life the ways God has blessed you, rather than counting the ways God “hasn’t” blessed you.

With regard to jealousy the opposite is generosity. We should be glad and rejoice that others have the same or greater gifts than we do and we should thank God for His generosity towards them. We should allow others to do what we are doing and help others to learn the things we have learned to help them in such a way that they would even do better than us, and we would rejoice in their success.

There is never a good reason to be envious, because one is always sad at the outcome of others and may even want harm to come upon them.

Saint Anselm of Canterbury teaches that our ultimate joy in heaven will be increased by the absence of envy: He said, “If anyone else whom you love as much as yourself possessed the same blessedness, your joy would be doubled because you would rejoice as much for him as for yourself.”

Today, let us pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and ask Her to help us to be kind and generous towards everyone, to wish what is best for them and thank God for the gifts He has given them and given us and so avoid the sins of envy and jealousy, so we will rejoice in the blessedness of the saints in heaven, who will rejoice in blessedness of everyone.

25th Friday - Solitude

 In the very first sentence of today’s Gospel it says that Jesus was praying in solitude. We can examine this one sentence to see the importance of what Jesus did. When we pray, there can be many distractions around us, including family, television or radio or even pets. That’s why is best for us if we go to pray in solitude. Eucharistic Adoration is the place where many of us find that solitude, so that we are alone with God. Solitude helps us to focus more easily on the Lord and His promptings of the Holy Spirit. We can listen better to God’s silent voice within our heart, when we are alone with Him. The Church is also a very silent place to pray and if we are unable to come to church, we can go to our room, close the door and kneel down by our bed. Other places of solitude include a lake or a fishing pond or somewhere out in the country. Today, let us resolve to go to regularly to a quite, out of the way place to be with God in solitude and may we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and ask Her to help us to listen to the voice of God, when we are alone with Him.

Sept. 23rd - St. Padre Pio

Today is the feast of St. Padre Pio, who was born May 25^th of 1887 in Italy and given the name Francisco.  A very devout young boy at the age 5, he told his parents he wanted to be consecrated to God.  As a young boy he tended sheep with his peasant parents.  His family daily attended Mass and he served as an altar boy of his local parish.  As a young child he was known for taking on penances and his mother scolded him for sleeping on a stone floor.  He was able to see guardian angels, spoke with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. He was sickly as a child. At the age of 15, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. He took the name of "Pio" in honor of Pope Pius I. On September 20, Padre Pio was hearing confessions when he felt pain in his hands and feet. He noticed the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands and feet. The wounds smelled of roses. He was seen levitating in the air, and was capable of performing miracles. He bilocated (physically in more than one place at time).  He was falsely accused and forbidden from offering public Masses and hearing confessions, but he never complained. Three years later, he was exonerated by the pope.  He had the ability to read souls (to know the sins of people). His Masses would last often times hours at a time. When offering the Mass it was though he suffered the Passion of Jesus. He built a hospital for the sick in San Giovani Rotundo.  He died Sept. 23^rd of 1968 and was canonized in 2000.  Padre Pio, pray for us!

 

Wed. 25th Week- Trust in God's Providence

I’m sure most of you have gone on vacations to different places. While we are on vacation, we are on a journey. Some of you may have went to Kansas City to World’s of Fun, or to watch the Kansas City Royals or Kansas City Chiefs, others may have went to the Ozarks in Branson Missouri, still others may have went out to the lake to go camping. In order for us to go to these places, we need to travel, usually by car, and maybe by airplane. When we travel, we need to take things with us, like food, clothes and money in order to stay in a motel, or we may bring with us a tent, with a lantern and pillow if we sleep outside in a tent. Children who go to school carry a backpack in order to help take our books or perhaps their lunch.

Jesus told his disciples something that was rather surprising, He said, “Take nothing on your journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money.” Back then, they didn’t have cars or airplanes, and most people didn’t even have a horse to ride. Most people walked from place to place. It would take days to walk from city to city and the journey was not easy. The reason why Jesus told His disciples to take nothing on their journey was because He wanted them to trust God would provide everything they needed. Jesus is NOT telling us to NOT carry backpacks. He telling us to NOT take food or money, when we go on a journey. Jesus is trying to tell us to trust Him and He will take care of all our needs. He provides our food, clothing, home, and everything we need. If we need anything, we should pray to Jesus, trusting He will provide all we need. The Mother of Jesus always trusted God would provide all that She needed as She cared for the baby Jesus. May we ask Mary to help us to trust in God’ providence and pray to God for everything we need.

Sept. 21st - St. Matthew, Martyred When Offering Mass

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, who followed Jesus. Born in Capernaum, he was the son of Alpheus. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, he is called “Levi”. He is the author of the Gospel of Matthew, which was originally written in Aramaic and then translated into Greek. Raised was raise as a Jew.

Before Our Divine Lord would call him to follow Him, he worked as a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised by many of the Jews, because they often cheated the people out of their money and because they worked for King Herod. Matthew most likely was very wealthy because he probably cheated many people out of money.

One day, while Matthew was working at the customs post, most likely at a booth for collecting taxes on interregional trade, Jesus came up to him, and said, “Follow me”.

Matthew was so excited, because Jesus asked him to follow him, that he invited Our Lord to eat supper at his house, and to meet his friends, who were tax collectors and sinners. Matthew must have been overjoyed, because He discovered that Our Lord believed in him.

Can you imagine all the great sinners that would have been at the feast? Most likely Matthew would have introduced Jesus to everyone and announced that He was going to change His life and give up cheating other people. And those who were the great sinners would have felt welcomed because Jesus did not disdain them, but rather came among them, to be with them. How many at the feast would later become baptized Christians because Jesus stooped down to their level to be with them, despite their sinfulness.

After Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, Saint Matthew is said to have preached the Gospel to the Jews for as many as 15 years, though it is uncertain where he preached. Some believe that it was in Persia or Ethiopia.

There is a tradition, that one of Matthew’s greatest miracles was to bring back to life the king's daughter. And because of this miracle, he converted the king and his wife together with the whole country to the faith of Christ. When the king died, his successor Hirtacus wished to marry the daughter of the former king; but she had made a vow of virginity. Since the vow had been taken through Matthew's influence, Hirtacus had Matthew killed while celebrating Mass. It was on the 21st of September Matthew's apostolic work was crowned with the glory of martyrdom.

Matthew is the patron of Accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, money managers, stock brokers, and tax collectors. Today, may we turn to St. Matthew and ask him to help us to to follow Jesus. May his example of prompt and complete obedience inspire us to care not what others think, but do what we believe the Lord desires of us.

 

Sept. 20th - Sts Andrew Kim & Paul Hasang & Companions

 Today is the memorial of St. Andrew Kim and St Paul Hasang and companions, who were Korean martyrs. During persecutions from 1839 through 1867 one hundred and three Christians gave their lives as martyrs. Among the martyrs were a priest, Father Andrew Kim, and a layman by the name of Paul Hasang. Also martyred were bishops and priests, but most martyred were laymen and women, married and unmarried, men, women, young people, children and the elderly. All of them suffered greatly for the faith. By their blood they consecrated the rich beginnings of the Church in Korea.

Before his death, Fr. Andrew Kim gave an exhortation to the faithful. He said, “Dearest brothers and sisters: when He was in the world, the Lord Jesus bore countless sorrows and by His own passion and death founded the Church; now He gives it increase through the sufferings of His faithful. No matter how fiercely the powers of this world oppress and oppose the Church, they will never bring it down. Ever since His ascension and from the time of the apostles to the present, the Lord Jesus has made His Church grow even in the midst of tribulation.

For the last fifty or sixty years, ever since the coming of the Church in Korea, the faithful have suffered persecution over and over again. Persecution still rages and as a result many who are friends in the household of faith, myself among them, have been thrown into prison and like you are experiencing severe distress.

Hold fast, then, to the will of God and with all your heart fight the good fight under the leadership of Jesus; conquer again the diabolical power of this world that Christ has already vanquished. I beg you not to fail to love one another, but to support one another and to stand fast until the Lord mercifully delivers us from the trials.

As we are all near the final ordeal, I urge you to remain steadfast in faith, so that at last we will all reach heaven and there rejoice together. I embrace you all in love.”

Today, through the intercession of Our Lady Queen of Peace, let us pray for the Church in Korea, that it may prosper and grow to bring about a true and lasting peace in the hearts of the Korean people, and may we come to understand and imitate the love of Christ, which the Korean martyrs, so eloquently bear witness by the shedding of their blood.

25th Sunday "Servants of All Including Children"

In the Gospel, Jesus told His apostles, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His death the Son of Man will rise.” Shockingly, Our Lord just told them He was going to suffer and die and now they are discussing among themselves who was the greatest? Goodness, they certainly didn’t understand what He meant. In order to help them understand, Jesus told them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” But then it seems like Jesus changes the subject. But He really didn’t. The Gospel said, “Then taking a child and placing it in their midst, and putting His arms around it, He said, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

First Jesus tells His apostles, they are to be the last of all and servant of all and now He tells them to receive children, but why?

When Our Lord told them, He was going to suffer and die and then rise three days later, He was telling them HOW to be the servant of all and the last of all. By Jesus’ suffering and death and being treated as the least and by His willingness to suffer and die for all of us, He serves all. Jesus is the servant of us all. He said, “...the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) And this is how the apostles and us are expected to be servants.

Jesus used the example of spending time with children, as way He wanted them and us to be a servant. In the time of Jesus, children were considered a nuisance, who were the least. To take time to just be with children, to listen to them, to play with them, to teach them to work, to teach them virtue, and how to pray is being a servant to them. There is the sacrifice of time. How sad when a child wants to talk to the parent and is told, “Leave me alone, I’m busy”.

Jesus wants you to be a servant to your children. School teachers and PSR teachers are very good servants of children. But most importantly, parents are the best servants of children. To be a servant of all, includes everyone, to visit the elderly, to take of the poor, to pray for all those in need, to take time to be with children is being a servant.

And when we come to adore, Jesus, we become a servant of Him, who wants our love, our time, our sacrifice of being with Him. Jesus wants us to bring our children to be with Him, and this is being a servant to children and Jesus. It doesn’t matter if little children squirm and fuss and cry during adoration. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.”

During Eucharistic Adoration, all of us should be servants of unborn children, to pray for their protection, pray for their mothers and fathers, who can be tempted to have an abortion. And pray for healing for those who made the terrible mistake. Jesus is rich in mercy. He loves each and everyone of us, most especially children. May our adoration never cease and may the Virgin Mary, keep us close to Her Eucharistic Son to teach us to be last of all and servants of all.

24th Week Friday "Joanna"

 We don’t know much about Joanna, but we can glean a few things from this brief mention of her in today’s Gospel. It’s likely that she was well-off. Her husband, Chuza, was Herod’s steward, which means he managed all of Herod’s assets and property—a well-paying, important job to be sure. Joanna seemed to be a rather enterprising, independent woman herself. At least she was independent woman herself. At least she was independent enough to feel free to spend her money on supporting Jesus in His ministry. So imagine this wealthy, self-sufficient woman making the transition from a comfortable home to a life on the road. Imagine her giving up her own servants and instead devoting herself to serving Jesus. Imagine too the risk she was taking. Remember, it was Herod, her husband’s employer, who had arrested Jesus’ kinsman John and had him beheaded. It was Herod who was fascinated by Jesus and who ultimately would hand Him over to Pilate. How would Jesus’ other disciples react to her joining their ranks? But Joanna was so moved by Jesus that she willingly embraced a difficult and dangerous life in order to follow Jesus. He had already experienced His healing touch, but it wasn’t enough just to be restored and set free. She wanted to learn from Him. She wanted to know God the way He did. She probably had many opportunities to go back and resume her old life, but remained steadfast. Even when the disciples deserted Jesus in Gethsemane, Joanna stayed; she was one of a very small number of disciples who followed Him all the way to Calvary, which St. Luke speaks about at Our Lord’s burial.

In a way, we are all like Joanna. We may not want to give up our comfort in order to pray or to the people around us. We may feel ill-equipped to be a true disciple. We may feel as if we don’t fit in. But as Jesus welcomed Joanna and made a place for her, He will do the same for you. You might tell Him, “It’s hard to follow You.”, but He responds, “I know; let me help you.” You might say, “I don’t belong.”, but He answers, “You are always welcome in my house.” Don’t ever disqualify yourself! You can make a difference. ‘Lord Jesus, make me your disciple.”

Sept. 16th - Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian

 Today we celebrate the martyrs St. Cornelius, Pope and St. Cyprian, bishop, both of whom are honored in the Roman Canon. In the third century, there was controversy over the sacrament of confession. The Novatian heretics absolutely denied forgiveness to apostate Christians. Cornelius and Cyprian took the middle ground and insisted apostates could obtain forgiveness, but had to do rigorous penance. Pope Cornelius was forced into exile and died of harsh treatment in the year 253.

Here is the account of the martyrdom of St. Cyprian:

“On the morning of the 14th of September, a great crowd gathered at the Villa Sexti, in accordance with the order of the governor Galerius Maximus. That same day the governor commanded Bishop Cyprian to be brought before him for trial. After Cyprian was brought in, the governor asked him, "Are you Thascius Cyprian?" The bishop replied, "Yes, I am." The governor Galerius Maximus said, "You have set yourself up as an enemy of the gods of Rome and our religious practices. You have been discovered as the author and leader of these heinous crimes, and will consequently be held forth as an example for all those who have followed you in your crime. By your blood the law shall be confirmed." Next he read the sentence from a tablet. "It is decided that Cyprian should die by the sword." Cyprian responded, "Thanks be to God!" After the sentence was passed, a crowd of his fellow Christians said, "We should also be killed with him!" There arose an uproar among the Christians, and a great mob followed after him. Cyrprian was then brought out to the grounds of the Villa Sexti, where, taking off his outer cloak and kneeling on the ground, he fell before the Lord in prayer. He removed his dalmatic and gave it to the deacons, and then stood erect while waiting for the executioner. When the executioner arrived, Cyprian told his friends to give the man 25 gold pieces. The most blessed martyr Cyprian suffered on the 14th of September under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, in the reign of our true Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong honor and glory forever. Amen.”

St. Cyprian was the first African bishop to be martyred, he was beheaded in 258.

Both Cornelius and Cyprian are inspiring examples of dedication to the pastoral ministry, and a constant witness to Christ in their suffering. Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, Our Lady of Unity, we ask for the “courage to work for the unity of the Church and to embrace all of the teachings of our Holy Mother the Church.”