Nov. 22nd - St. Cecilia

St. Cecilia, the martyr and the patroness of music, whose memorial we celebrate, sings in heaven before Jesus, the Lamb of God.

A native of Rome, she made a vow of virginity as a child. Despite her vow of virginity, her parents forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. After she told him of her vow of virginity, she was still able to maintain the vow while married. At her wedding, when the musicians played their instruments, she sang with all her heart to God, her divine spouse. She told her husband, that an angel is watching over her virginity, and that if he wanted to see the angel, he too should be baptized. Because of the deep love of Christ and her holy virtues, her husband and his brother became Christian. And once he was baptized, he saw the angel. From her childhood until her death, she bravely denied the worship of false gods. She helped the poor and did many deeds of mercy. Her husband and his brother were martyred, followed by St. Cecilia, a few days later. She was placed in hot steam for three days, but was miraculously not affected. The executioner struck her three times with the blade, but she did not die immediately. And do today, statues of the virgin martyr, show her lying down with a large gash on her throat. Although she died in the early 2^nd century, her body continues to be incorrupt and is located in a church in Rome. Her name is in the Roman Canon, which is Eucharistic prayer 1 of the Mass.

Just as St. Therese is patroness of the missions, although she was never a missionary, St. Cecilia, is the patroness of music, although she never played musical instruments. However, at the sound of musical instruments, the virgin, Cecilia, sang in her heart continually, as an outpouring of love to God, Her Divine Spouse.

Today, even though there are some of us who may never have played a musical instrument we can be just like St. Cecilia and do everything for the love of God and in this way, when we enter the gates of heaven, we will sing with the choir of angels forever.

 

Christ the King

 

This weekend is the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. Jesus is king of heaven and earth. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we pray that His kingdom come as it is in heaven. Jesus wants to rule over our hearts, our families, our lives, our parish, our nation and the whole world.

In this time of history, mankind is turning away for Jesus. Instead of allowing God to rule over us, mankind wants to rule over himself. We are created in the image and likeness of God. But today, man thinks we are created in the image and likeness of man. Man has chosen to be the center of the universe. Mankind turns to man or to the government or to science to solve all his problems and so what is happening man is glorifying himself.

We create babies in a test tube. We think we are the master of life and so we choose to kill unwanted unborn babies. If we don’t want to live anymore, we choose euthanasia. If we don’t like if we are a man, we become a woman, or a woman thinks she can become a man through transgender surgery. Parents want to choose the gender of their unborn child using ethical means. We think we can define what marriage is-- but God is the author of marriage between a man and woman. Not between 2 men or between 2 women. All of this is mankind’s rejection of God and making man as though he was a god. That he can choose his own morality and choose his own sex or define marriage and choose his own children or reject his children for the sake of economics for career purposes. By doing all this we reject God as our Lord and ruler over our life. But we have to remember God is God and we are not.

A few years ago Halstead won the state basketball championship. I was the pastor of Sacred Heart in Halstead. As the season started, due to the persuasion of a Catholic mother, whose son was a player, and altar server, the whole team mostly non-Catholics, came to the church with their non-Catholic coach and we consecrated the team to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A year later, that same boy, whose mother persuaded the team to consecrate the team to the Heart of Jesus made the winning championship shot. But after the game he was missing. The family could not find where he went. Finally, he came home and his parents asked him where he had been. He said after the game he immediately went to church to thank Jesus in the tabernacle for their winning season and allowing him to make the winning basket at the game. He said Jesus deserves the credit. This is a remarkable illustration of how the team placed God first and the Lord rewarded them with winning the championship. What most people did not know is that at the beginning of the first year half of the players, mostly the star players quit, because they didn’t like their new coach. Everyone thought the team would never win any games. But the remaining boys trusted the Lord by handing the team over to Jesus and they were rewarded.

Here is another example. Let me ask you some questions. When you get covid, who do you go to first, your doctor. When you have a tooth ache, who do you go to first? A dentist. If you have martial problems, who do you go to first? A marriage counselor. When you need money who do you go to first? The banker.

But these are not the correct answers to all these questions. This is proof, mankind has rejected the need for God and does not allow the Lord to rule over us. Rather in all these cases we should go to God first, then we go to the doctor, the dentist, the banker, or the marriage counselor. All of these people are gifts from God: the doctor, the dentist, the banker, the marriage counselor, but God wants us to come to Him first. So who should we first go to--when we need anything? God!

If we are sick we should first ask God to heal us and then ask God to help the doctor to heal us.

When I did hospital ministry over the last four years, I would always ask patients to pray to God for healing. Some said they didn’t think they should pray to God to be healed because they thought it was selfish to pray for one self. But they didn’t have a problem going to a doctor and asking the doctor for help.

Since 1995 I have had lactose intolerance. My colon was damaged due to a reaction to an antibiotic eventually taken off the market. I went to many doctors, but to no avail. That is until 2 years ago, I decided to do what I told patients to do, to pray to God for healing. Not once in 25 yrs. did I ever ask God to heal my colon. But in Feb. of 2020, I prayed and God healed my colon. Now I can eat cheese or drink milk with no problem. Praise God! Thank you Jesus for healing me! Just think it took me 25 years to ask God to heal me. I had not allowed Him to be the Lord of my life and my health.

God wants to lavish His gifts on us and to use those gifts for His glory and honor and for the good of our neighbor. I encourage you to turn to God for everything and realize everything you have is a gift from God. And how will you use those gifts. Will you share them?

How can you and your family allow Jesus to be king of your family, home, life and health? Ask a priest to come to your house and bless it. Consecrate your family to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Pray together as a family everyday. It takes less than 5 min. Do it every day before going to bed. Put a Bible in a prominent place, perhaps near a statue of Mary with a Rosary on the table and that is where you will gather as a family to pray. Start by reading a short passage from the life of Jesus, then each person will say what they want to pray for, or what they are thankful for, then pray one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. That’s all there is to it. But its powerful. As time goes on add a decade of the Rosary and then eventually do a daily Rosary together.

At the end of Mass everyone will receive a free New Testament bible. This is my gift to you. Our Lady wants us to daily read the bible, but we each need a bible to read. Everyone who can read should read a short bible story about Jesus every day. You will come to know Him better and you will love Him more.

Today allow Jesus to be the King and Lord of your life, your family, your heart, your health. Place God first and everything will be given to you. God will lavish His gifts upon you, so you can share your gifts with others.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, king of heaven and earth, I have failed to allow you to be king of my heart, my family and my life. But today, I hand everything over to you-- the championship game, money, health, my job, my marriage, my life. I want you to be the King and center of everything, help me to always first come to you no matter my needs and I ask Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth to grant me the grace to be faithful to you forever. Amen.

Examination of Conscience -- Illumination of Conscience

 

  

Printable Version: Illumination of Conscience - Deep Examination of Conscience

Sins commonly committed but rarely confessed. A Deep Examination of Conscience.

1. I am the Lord Your God, you shall not have strange gods before me. Superstitious is lack of trust in God’s providence. Even though you say you don’t believe in horoscope or astrology or fortune cookies, if you read them, you are still giving them credence. If you don’t believe them, why read them?

Not Protecting Your Children from movies, videos, games, books: from violence, murder, drugs, sexual activity

Wicca or White Magic or Movies with occult characters, Pokémon, or Baughman or children’s games with casting spells

Ougi board- is a channel for and opens the player up to demonic activity. Kids can now do ougi board on their i-phones. Games like Charlie Charlie are dangerous

Cardinal Ratzinger on Harry Potter Books- Kuby wrote a letter to Cardinal Ratzinger the head of the CDF, “the books corrupt the hearts of the young, preventing them from developing a properly ordered sense of good and evil, thus harming their relationship with God while that relationship is still in its infancy.” The cardinal, future Pope Benedict responded saying, “it is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.”

YOGA- Pope Benedict, Pope Francis, Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Johnette Bankevich condemn yoga– Bishop Carerra, the archbishop of Mexico city in a pastoral letter said, “However much proponents insist that these techniques are valuable as methods, and imply no teaching contrary to Christianity, the techniques in themselves . . . in their own context, the postures and exercises, are designed for their specific religious purpose. Even when they are carried out within a Christian atmosphere, the intrinsic meaning of these gestures remains intact.” So even if you think you’re stretching your back, if you’re using the Sun Stretch to do so, whether you intend to or not, you’re still posing in a position of worship to the Sun god because that’s what this pose was designed to do. It was never designed as a back stretch.

Genuflecting out of habit without thinking why we are doing so. We should intentionally look at the tabernacle and with love and respect to Jesus in the Eucharist say a prayer as we genuflect.

Receiving Holy Communion carelessly by allowing particles of the Sacred Host to fall to the ground when receiving on the hand. The normal way the Church desires everyone to receive Communion is on the tongue. It’s a permission to receive on the hand. It’s an indult. After receiving Communion on the hand we are to pick up the tiny particles on the hand and consume them. Every particle, no matter how small is the whole and entire person of Jesus Christ. And to purposely allow them to fall to the ground is sinful. Due to the pandemic bishops are recommending people receive in the hand. Church law is Communion on the tongue. Therefore we have a right to receive on the tongue.

Parents not helping your children to respect the Sacred Host when they receive Holy Communion. Parents are responsible for particles of the Host that fall to the ground when their child receives on the hand.

Not praying to Jesus or thanking Him after receiving Him in Holy Communion. Did you know according to Canon Law it’s a mortal sin for a priest to not make a thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion? So what about lay people? What is your obligation? According to saints union with Jesus in Communion lasts 10 to 30 minutes. Leaving Mass early after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion is at least a venial sin. When you return to your pew --are praying to Jesus who just came inside your soul or are you texting someone or looking around in the church?

It is seriously sinful to not fast one hour before receiving Holy Communion such as such as drinking coffee or eating candy or chewing gum (diabetics serious reason can use food or juice to raise blood sugar and so food becomes medicine and so not sinful)

Spiritual Reading and Learning About the Faith.

Not reading the Bible or the Catechism or Spiritual reading. Not encouraging your children to read the bible or help them to know the faith. Not talking to your children about the faith.

Not giving God credit for all the good He does through us.

We are to use the talents and gifts He has given us and not using them wisely for His glory or to help others can be selfish.

Failing to daily pray to God. Adore, Confess, Thanks, Praying for your needs and the needs of others, praying with the heart, asking God for advice

2. Thou Shall Not Take God’s Name in Vain. Saying “Oh my God” is taking God’s name in vain and disrespectful to God. We can say “Oh God, I love you” out of devotion, but we should not say “O God” in vain manner offends God. Or saying the name of Jesus out of shock or as an expression rather than out of love is sinful. Any sort of cussing using foul language or saying dirty jokes. If we watch a movie or video or listen to the radio taking God’s name in vain, we share in its sinfulness.

3. Remember to Keep the Sabbath Holy. Missing Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Why is about only 1/3 of Catholics or less come to Mass on Holy Days of obligation? And if that’s the case, why is it that only a handful come to confession before receiving Holy Communion? To purposely miss Mass without a serious reason on a Sunday or Holy day is mortally sinful (except during the pandemic)

If we fail to go to Mass, we fail to bring our children to Mass, preventing them from receiving Jesus in Holy Communion and being present at the Holy Sacrifice and hearing the Word of God. So if we miss Sunday Mass 5 times in a year, that’s 5 times we failed to allow our children to be present at the Holy Sacrifice, to the hear the Word of God and to receive Holy Communion.

Working on Sunday un-necessarily such as painting the house, mowing the yard, doing laundry or shopping. Going to youth sporting events instead of attending Mass.

4. Honor Your Father and Mother. Dishonor our parents by speaking negatively about them, by revealing their faults or sins to others. By not visiting them or calling them. Not taking care of them when they are no longer able to care for themselves.

Failing to teach children to pray or teach them about God or to live a moral life.

Men failing to be the spiritual head of the family and failing to lead the family in prayer. They are to protect the children from pornography, bad movies and videos, bad friendships, failing to be involved in the lives of our children. Fathers help their daughters to wear modest clothing and teach their sons to respect women.

Divorced fathers can fail to communicate with or spend time with their children.

Workaholics who spend unnecessary time working when they could be at home.

Failing to discipline children and let them do what they want can cause them to have behavior problems and not learn self-discipline.

5. Thou shall not Kill.

Abortion. While in seminary Bernard Nathanson, an abortionist, came to the seminary to give a talk. He admitted to killing over 60,000 babies and God forgave all his sins and the punishment due to his sins when he was baptized in into the Catholic faith. If God can forgive an abortionist who killed thousands of unborn children, He can forgive a young unwed mother who was confused and pushed into it by her boyfriend or parents and was told a lie, that it was just a blog of tissue, when in fact it was a baby. But God is infinitely merciful. He will forgive. After Confession, we can still feel guilty, which is called false guilt because confession washes away the sin and the guilt. The organization Project Rachel can help heal the after effects of abortion.

Voting for a pro-abortion candidate, while the candidate is pro-life is a serious sin, requiring confession before receiving Holy Communion. Failing to pray for an end to abortion and failing to help end abortion is sinful.

Husbands and wives who argue and fight --scandalize their children by fighting in their presence. Slamming doors, throwing things.

Verbally Abusive. Employers can be verbally abusive to employees or spouses to each other or to their children. Putting each other down, calling each other names.

Losing one’s temper, physically hitting a child or a spouse is seriously sinful. Spanking may not sinful, when it’s done without anger and if the child was warned in advance and if would not cause bruising.

It’s good to confess impatience, but be specific as to what you mean. Are you impatient by thoughts only or by being impatient with your words and so snap or yell at others (which should also be confessed).

Parents who scream at their children, rather than using self-control and discipline.

Lack of Thanksgiving- Not being grateful, complaining- negative attitude.

Gluttony- over eating food to gain so much weight to the point of causing serious health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure is sinful. Eating foods that are not good for one’s health can be sinful.

Smoking,- harms your lungs and high risk of getting cancer.

Getting drunk or drinking in excess or driving while intoxicated.

Taking marijuana and drugs causes one to lose the ability to reason properly, which is sinful.

Driving Excessive Speeds in your vehicle places your life and others at risk. Road Rage.

To be selfish in conversation – Not Listening to other person speaking and talking excessively about yourself.

Vanity- Spending hours putting on makeup, doing fingernails, working one one’s hair. Excessive concern for one’s appearance. There was a hospital staff member who was hospitalized. When I entered her room, I didn’t recognize her because she had no makeup on. She honestly looked better without makeup.

It’s sinful to not accept our personal appearance. Some want to be taller, others shorter, others skinnier, others physically bigger. Some wish they had a different color of hair, or some don’t want to lose their hair etc… wearing toupees or wigs.

Did you know some cosmetics in European countries are made from aborted fetuses? As far as to whether or not these are sold in the USA, I don’t know. Wasting money on expensive hair styles, face lifts and cosmetic surgeries or implants is not God’s will and the money could be used to help those who have no food and the poor.

For men and women they can view physical appearance as an excessive desire to have attention, to feel loved and use their appearance to get attention. To gloat in the mirror or to be envious of the appearance of others is sinful. Wasting money on excessive clothes or taking protein supplements, for what purpose?

Not exercising or doing excessive exorcise. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and as St. Paul says does not belong to us, but to God. We are stewards of our body and our health. Some men and boys go to the gym to build muscles (rather than for exercise) for the sake of girls looking at them is vanity.

Un-forgiveness. Failing to forgive. Resentfulness.

Wishing bad things will happen to others.

Trying to control others, willfulness. Perfectionism. Some people think everything must done in a perfect way, which is prideful.

Pride manifests itself in so many ways, such as arrogance, self-righteousness, thinking oneself is better than others. Failing to forgive the bad behavior of others can be the result of pride too.

Self-hate. Putting oneself down.

Self-mutilation by excessive piercings or piercings of tongue and nose. Tattoos, (injecting ink into skin).

Self-pity, no one loves me, no one calls me, no pays attention to me

6. Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery, being unfaithful to spouse by texting or calling another person secretly, or being unfaithful to your marital vow by viewing pornography or looking with lust at anyone including your spouse. Unhealthy emotional attachment to another person, whom one is not married.

Cohabitation and sex before marriage is seriously sinful and also scandalous behavior because it can give young people the idea its okay.

Homosexual fantasies is sinful when one willfully embraces them. Homosexual actions or having a homosexual partner.

Selfishly using your spouse for your own sexual pleasure, rather than giving yourself to your spouse with the marital embrace so the experience is most pleasing to them. Birth Control causes men to use women for their own pleasure.

Watching movies with sexual activity.

Women who wear immodest clothing revealing cleavage, or tight clothing or short dresses or skirts and it is even more sinful to do so while at Church because the church is the house of God and because it can distract others from worshiping God and cause them to sin in their mind.

Men can wear inappropriate clothing -Tight shirts so ladies can see their muscles.

Men and Women Wearing shorts to Mass or Eucharistic adoration is inappropriate because it shows a lack respect and reverence towards Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and can distract others.

Watching soap operas and reading romance novels, can lead to lustful thoughts and fantasies.

Vasectomy or a tubal ligation. Tells no to God if He wants to bring a child into the world. It seriously harms healthy organs. The use of birth control and sterilization is a lack of trust in God and His plan for marriage.

Birth Control-- 98% of all Catholic women have used contraception sometime in their life. CDC says 65% of all women 15 to 49 currently use birth control. So if that’s the case, how is it nearly every woman from age 15 to 49, who attends Mass receives Holy Communion? Does that mean all women who use birth control do not attend Mass? Or does it mean all those who are using contraception are also receiving Communion. These are two grievous sins rarely confessed. If one is using Birth Control and fails to confess it in confession, then one is receiving Holy Communion sacrilegiously. If a woman is using contraception and attending Mass she should not receive Holy Communion until she discontinues using it.

Did you know the IUD, the patch and the pill can all cause the death of a baby? It takes about 5 days for a newly conceived child to move down the fallopian tube and into the womb. While using these forms of birth control, the tiny child will die because it is unable to attach to the womb due to irritation from the device or the chemical. So the mother conceives a child without even knowing it and has caused them to die by using birth control. If you have used birth control, you most likely unknowingly caused the death of some of your children. Even though we may not have known this was the case, we consented to all the effects of taking birth control when we began to use it. And we were knowingly doing something we know was against Church teaching. However, God is infinitely merciful and does not want to condemn us, rather He wants us to come to Him in confession and get that sin off our soul and give us peace. He desires we follow His plan of marriage for us by spacing children using Natural Family Planning, which is 99% effective and so more effective than birth control.

If you committed a mortal sin such as using birth control or missing Mass on Sunday or Holy days (outside of the pandemic), willfully watching pornography or masturbating or committing adultery or having sex before marriage, etc.. and did not confess the serious sin before you received Holy Communion, you committed a sacrilegious communion and did not receive any grace whatsoever from Communion. But rather deeply offend and hurt Jesus in the Eucharist.

Purposely withholding a serious sin in confession, none of your sins are forgiven and all confessions after that until that one sin is finally confessed and then one should confess all serious sins since that first invalid confession.

7. Thou shall not steal. Gambling in itself is not sinful, but when one wastes money that could be used for a better purpose such as helping the poor, it can become sinful.

Stealing objects of inheritance, money, furniture etc..

Cheating on taxes.

Laziness-- wasting time watching TV or the internet and phone when we could be spending more time in prayer or with others.

Failing to Help the Poor- especially own family and community

8. Thou shall not bare false witness. When we commit a white lie, we can do it because we don’t want to hurt another’s feelings, or the truth may make us look bad. But we forget, when we lie, we hurt the feelings of Jesus, and deny Him, who is the Truth.

Giving the silent treatment to spouse or relative can be grievous. Refusing to talk to someone for years.

9. Covet your neighbor’s wife. Wishing you were married to someone who is married already.

10. Covet your neighbors’ goods. Envying others rather than being grateful for their gifts or being jealous of others to their detriment.

Materialism. Wasting money on unnecessary items. Not helping the poor. Not donating to the Church and charitable organizations. Not using one’s time, talent and treasure for the glory and honor of God and for love of our neighbor.

God is infinitely merciful. The ordinary way God want us to forgive us-- is through the sacrament of Confession. We are required to confess all mortal sins at least once a year.

Some priests tell people they only need to confess mortal sins and this can cause some to think they don’t need to ever confess venial sins. But, the Catechism #1458 states, “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins will help form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as He is merciful:”

To commit a mortal sin, three things must be present. It must be grave matter, we know its grave matter and we must give full consent. So if one of the three is lacking, then we don’t commit a mortal sin. But we still commit a venial sin.

Every sin hurts God, hurts our neighbor (the mystical body of Christ) and our own soul. We must see sin in light of our relationship with Jesus. When we sin, we hurt Jesus and so we should never willfully commit any sin, because we love Jesus and don’t want to hurt our relationship with Him. But if we do sin, we immediately tell Jesus we are sorry and will do better because we love Him.

God’s Mercy

“The greater the sinner, the greater one has right to God’s mercy” is what Jesus told St. Faustina. Jesus wants us to have confidence in His Mercy. We are to trust Him and pray for mercy for our self and the whole world. Once we confessed our sins, we should not repeat them again in confession because by doing so is a lack of trust in God’s mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday

We can be confident, that if we make a good confession during Lent and receive Holy Communion, while in the state of grace on the Sunday after Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), not only will God forgive all our sins, but the punishment due to all our sins. This past year, most could not receive Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday.

We can also receive a plenary indulgence anytime during the year. But to gain a plenary indulgence, we must be detached from all sin, must go to confession and receive Holy Communion while in the state of grace and also perform a deed (as approved by the Church), such as making the Stations of the Cross, or praying the Rosary before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament or praying the Rosary as a group.

Regular Monthly Confession- God is infinitely merciful and wants to forgive our sins. We should go to confession at least monthly and if we commit a mortal sin to go to confession right away. By delaying confession after committing a serious sin, are we truly sorry we seriously offended Jesus?

Finally, I would like to encourage you to get “Fire Insurance” by wearing the Scapular. Because Our Lady promised, those who wear the scapular will not suffer eternal fire. We must also live a faithful Christian life of chastity, and daily pray the Rosary and be enrolled in the scapular. Our Lady promises those who die wearing the scapular the first Saturday after they die, will go to heaven.

And if we are dying or might die due to a serious illness or serious surgery, we should ask for the Apostolic Pardon which is part of anointing of the sick. It too washes away all punishment due to sin.

Daily Examine of Conscience

Daily examine your conscience, perhaps at the end of the day and then make an Act of Contrition.

A good way to prepare for confession is ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you of our sins.

Regularly meditate on the Passion of Jesus, which will help you to be truly sorry for your sins and you will begin to understand how your sins hurt Jesus.

And if any time you realize you have sinned, tell Jesus right away, you are sorry, and this well help you to grow in your love and personal relationship with Him.

May we entrust our self, our temptations, the source of our sins and all our future confessions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, because Simeon prophesied to Mary at the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, “a sword will pierce your own soul—so that the secret thoughts of many, will be laid bare.” And She will prepare us for our confessions and especially for the moment of our judgment when all will be revealed in the light of truth. She can and also will prepare us for an “Illumination of Conscience” if that would occur in our life.

33rd Friday

 

In the Gospel Jesus drove out those who were selling things in the temple area and He said it was making His Father’s house, a den of thieves. What was actually happening was people were selling doves and changing money from Jewish money to Roman money, so they could purchase animals that could be used for sacrifice, which was necessary. But they were doing it in the temple, rather than outside of the temple. The money changers were cheating the people during the exchange of money, which was repulsive to God and to even do so in His Father’s house.

Our Lord had just anger. An anger which is the result of an injustice. First it was an injustice to His Father, but it was also an injustice to the people who were being cheated.

If I had to imagine what kind of things Our Lord would be displeased with regard to churches today. I think the greatest offensive in God’s house are people who receive Holy Communion sacrilegiously, due to some mortal sin they committed, but out of fear, or out laziness, or don’t confess their moral sins before receiving Holy Communion.

Fridays are always a reminder for to make reparation for sins committed against the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. Today, let us pray God will inspire all those who have offended Our Lord by receiving Holy Communion unworthily, will come to Jesus in confession and ask pardon and mercy.

And let us ask the Virgin Mary, to keep our hearts pure, so that they may be fitting temples for the King, who comes to dwell within our hearts in Holy Communion.

 

Jesus Wept

          

  "U.S. bishops dodge rebuke of Biden in statement on communion"The doctrine does not mention Joe Biden or any politician who supports abortion by name nor comment on whether public figures should receive communion." Politico

 “Catholic bishops approve document that falls short of denying Communion to Biden or other politicians who support abortion rights.” CNN

Today's Gospel

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
 because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

Can. 915 "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."

 Cardinal Ratzinger, in his memorandum entitled "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion - General Principles," said without ambiguity: "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it" when warning and counsel given to the manifest sinner "have not had their effect."

 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly to accept the document “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church" during the morning session of the fall USCCB meeting on Nov. 17, 2021.The vote, which is held in a secret electronic ballot, was 222 in favor to eight against, with three abstentions. Catholic News Agency

                      222 to 8  (3 abstained)

 Luke 18:8 “But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth?”

"Catholic Bishops Avoid Confrontation With Biden Over Communion." New York Times

"U.S. Catholic bishops pass communion document without direct rebuke of Biden" Reuters

"U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approves Communion document without singling out politicians who back abortion rights" Washington Post

Nov. 18th -St. Rose Duchesne

 

 Born on Aug. 29, 1769, in Grenoble, France, Rose Duchesne was the second of eight children. Five of the six sisters would become visitation sisters.

She briefly joined the Grenoble Visitation sisters until the government closed all women’s religious communities due to the Enlightenment.

After a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Francis Regis in 1800, she resolved to dedicate her life to the teaching of the poor. She and four nuns adopted a new name “Daughters of the Propagation of the Faith” on Mar. 3, 1803, and the following year sought admission into the Society of the Sacred Heart, founded by Madeleine-Sophie Barat.

In 1817 Louis DuBourg, bishop of Louisiana visited France. Because of the urgent plea for missionaries and a personal meeting between the bishop and Mother Barat, permission was obtained for Mother Duchesne and her first nuns to go to America. After spending 10 weeks at sea, the missionaries landed in the US on May 25 in 1818. They stayed with the Ursulines at New Orleans for several weeks before heading by boat to St. Louis. The bishop ordered the sisters to take up residence at St. Charles Missouri.

After Pope Gregory XVII urged the society to engage in missionary activity among the Native Americans, three sisters were appointed to this task. Due to her advanced years, Mother Duchesne was not chosen. The intercession of her priest friend called Mother Duchesne to be included. Their destination was a Potawatomi Indian village at Sugar Creek, KS.

Mother Duchesne arrived in Sugar Creek in July of 1841. Her age, her inability to master the Native tongue, and her ill health, combined to limit her material support she could offer to the missionary effort. She spent long hours nursing sick tribe members and the reputation of her sanctity grew. The Indians called her “woman who prays always”, in honor of her extensive periods of time she spent kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.

After being sent to St. Louis by her superiors, she died Nov. 18, 1852 having attained her eighty-third year.

Mother Duchesne’s remains were interred in the community cemetery at St. Charles. After lying in the ground for three years, encased in a plain wooden coffin, her body was exhumed and the corpse was found to be incorrupt at this time, although later it decomposed. Mother Rose Duchesne was beatified in 1940 and in 1988 was pronounced a saint of the Church by Pope St. John Paul II. Today, if we have never prayed to St. Rose of Duchesne, a saint who walked, worked and prayed in Kansas, let us beseech her to help us to pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

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Nov. 17th - St. Elizabeth of Hungary

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Elizabeth was daughter of the noble king of Hungary, and was of noble lineage, but her greatest nobility was her faith and religion than by her right noble lineage. For when she was yet but five years old she would often go to the church to pray, and would invite her young friends to come as well. As she grew in age, she grew in devotion, and chose the blessed Virgin as her lady and her advocate, and Saint John the Evangelist to be her protector of her virginity.

At the age of 14, she married Louis IV, and they had three children. Elizabeth is said to have stolen bread, which she gave to the poor and later distributed grain during famines. It is believed once when she met her husband unexpectedly on one of her charitable errands; the loaves of bread she was carrying were miraculously changed into roses. This transformation convinced him of the worthiness of her kind endeavors. He had been chastising her for donating to the poor.

When she was 20 yrs. old, just after giving birth to her third child, her husband died. Due to his death, she moved to Germany and there she renounced all her goods and gave them to the poor, for whom she founded a hospital. She began to follow the way of St. Francis of Assisi, in his whole hearted life of poverty. She dedicated herself to serving the most underprivileged and died at the young age of 24. After her death, she would become one of the patrons of the Third Order of St. Francis.

St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of bakers, countesses, death of children, falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides. Her symbols are alms, flowers, bread, the poor, and a pitcher.

Today, let us pray to Elizabeth, may we seek to grow in our devotion to Mary ask St. John to watch over our purity, and to always be aware of the needs of the poor and help them in any way we can.

33rd Tues. Zacchaeus

 

When I went to Medjugorje about 6 years ago, a large number of people gathered around a visionary, who was going to have an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary on the side of a hill. The number of people was so great, many could not even see the side of the hill where the visionary was going to have her vision. As I was leaving, another priest and I noticed a short man, who had climbed a tree and was laying on one of the branches. He was rewarded for his ingenuity, by getting closer than 90% of the people who came. He had clear view of the event. I pointed to the man in the tree and said, “Zacchaeus” and both of us chuckled.

Zaccheus wanted to meet Jesus even if it looked ridiculous in the eyes of the world. He climbed up a tree not to get the attention of Jesus, but see Him personally.

There are many ways we experience Jesus at Mass. We experience Jesus in those sitting near us in the pew. We experience Jesus in the priest, who is ordained and who acts on behalf of Jesus, especially through the sacraments. We experience the words of Jesus through the Word of God, the Gospel and homily. With the eyes of faith, we see Him at the moment the bread is changed into His real and true presence. To the eyes of the world it looks ridiculous to kneel before what appears to be bread but in fact is the risen Jesus. We experience His tender love when we receive Him in Holy Communion.

We can also learn from Zacchaeus is he didn’t let the people’s perception of him block his way nor stop him to see Jesus. As a tax-collector, he couldn’t avoid the common perception that he was a cheater, a traitor for the Jews, an extortionist. He wanted to get to know Jesus and he wanted to change his life.

Listen to Jesus’ words ‘Come down and I will have dinner at your house.’ This is a call for us to make a place for Jesus in our homes, in our lives, in our hearts. This means we let God in our life. This means we look to God for answers to the questions in life.

Today, let us turn to the Virgin Mary and ask Her to help us to make an effort to see Jesus around us, to accept the way God created us and make a place in our home for Jesus, for by doing these three things, Zacchaeus will be a good example for us in getting to know and love Jesus.

 

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Nov. 15th - St. Albert the Great

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Albert the Great. He was born in 1206 in Germany. His father was a military lord in the army of Emperor Frederick II.

Albert joined the Dominican Order, the Order of Preachers and studied and taught philosophy in Cologne and Paris, where he became one of the most famous philosophers of his day. He was known as the "teacher of everything there is to know," and was a scientist long before the age of science. His works were extremely extensive. Besides biblical and theological works and sermons, he also had treatises on logic, metaphysics, ethics and science. His interests included physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, physiology, geography, geology, and botany.

St. Albert always knew that all of his wisdom and knowledge came from God, and out of humility, he always thanked God for these special gifts.

After several teaching assignments in his order, he came in 1241 to the University of Paris, where he lectured in theology. There he gathered around him a small band of young theologians, the chief of whom was St. Thomas Aquinas his greatest pupil.

In 1260, he was appointed bishop of Regensburg. In his latter years, he resided in Cologne, took part in the Council of Lyons in 1274, and in his old age traveled to Paris to defend the teaching of his student Thomas Aquinas.

It was in Cologne that his reputation as a scientist grew. He carried on experiments in chemistry and physics in his makeshift laboratory and built up a collection of plants, insects, and chemical compounds that gave substance to his reputation. He was friend and adviser to popes, bishops, kings, and statesmen and made his own unique contribution to the learning of his age.

He died November 15, 1280 and is buried in St. Andrea's Church in that city. He was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1931 by Pope Pius XI. His writings are remarkable for their exact scientific knowledge, and for that reason he has been made the patron saint of scientists.

 

33rd Sunday - Medjugorje 10 Secrets

 

In the Gospel for today, Our Lord describes what it will be like before His Second Coming. “In those days after the tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

There is a short book written in 1884 by a priest, Rev. P. Huchede, who taught in a seminary. Its entitled Antichrist. It explains that these events are both literal and symbolic. The author said for example the sun will be darkened is symbolic of the Church being eclipsed. It will not be a light in the world as though the world has overcome the Church. And he said the stars falling from the sky represent (bishops who are fallen from grace). A different commentary from the St. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible said these events are only symbolic and represent a shock to the world.

I spoke about Medjugorje several times, where the Virgin Mary is allegedly appearing. The Church has not given approval of the apparitions, but has not condemned them either and we may believe them, as long as we adhere to any future pronouncement by the Church on the apparitions. This week I would like to explain what we know about the 10 Secrets, given to some of the visionaries. Not all of them have received all 10 secrets but they will.

Some believe its possible the Virgin Mary's appearances have something to do with Second Coming of Jesus. But what we do know is the Virgin Mary told the visionaries She would impart to Ten Secrets to them. Our Lady said after the first two secrets She will leave a permanent sign on apparition hill where She first appeared. All the secrets are for the world.

Mirjana was the first visionary to receive all ten secrets. Our Lady has given her the responsibility of revealing the secrets. Mirjana knows the day and date of each of the secrets. Our Lady told Mirjana to choose a priest to reveal the secrets to the world. Mirjana chose Father Petar Ljubicic. Ten days before the first secret is to be revealed, Father Petar will be given a parchment containing the Ten Secrets. When he receives the parchment, he will only be able to read the first secret. During the ten days, Father Petar, along with Mirjana are to spend the first seven days in fasting and prayer. Three days before the event takes place, he is to announce it to the world. At the proper time, he will be able to see and read the second secret, and then the third, etc., according to the schedule of Heaven. Mirjana said that Father Petar doesn’t have the right to choose whether to say or not to say them. He accepted this mission and he has to fulfill that according to God’s Will.

Fr. Peter has spoken to Miriana about the secrets. He said the first three secrets are encouragements from God.

In an interview with Mirjana, she said, the first secret “will not be a pleasant thing” It will be “something people will hear about for a long time” “The first secret will make abundant talk about oneself” and therefore will not need many explanations to precede it. It will be something, “that everyone, everywhere, will immediately hear of it”. During the appearance of October 25, 1985 Mirjana saw the first secret as if they were images projected on slides: “This shook me more than anything else. This was, of course, due to seeing the first secret. If people saw the first secret, as was shown to me yesterday, everyone would certainly be shocked enough to look at themselves and everything around them in a completely new way.“

Mirjana told P. Petar the day after the vision. “It will last for a while. It will be visible, it is necessary to shake the world a little. It will cause the world to stop and think.”

Without knowing for certain and by using the words of Miriana it would seem it is possible, the first secret would be something like an illumination of conscience, where the person will see all their sins and how their sins have negatively affected others and its purpose would be to help the person to try to lead a different life more in accord the way God wants each person to live.

The third secret will be a visible, lasting sign that will be miraculously on Apparition Hill. The visionaries say they have seen this sign in a vision. It is very beautiful, permanent and indestructible. It will be given in Medjugorje for all humanity and many miracles will be connected with it.

Five of the visionaries know the date on which the sign will occur: all of them stress that this period until the appearance of the visible sign, is a period of grace and for the strengthening of faith. Everyone will see that human hands will not have made it. People will be able to photograph and film the sign, but in order to comprehend it and experience it with the heart, they will need to come to Medjugorje seeing it live with the eyes will be far more beautiful. After the sign it will be difficult for even the most skeptic atheists to doubt the existence of God and the authenticity of the apparitions.

Mirjana and Vicka have stated part of the seventh secret no longer exists. It was something evil, but due to the prayers and fasting it has been averted. That’s why the Virgin Mary is stressing to now pray and fast to decrease some of the future chastisements.

The night and tenth secrets are serious. They concern chastisement for the sins of the world. Punishment is inevitable, for we cannot expect the whole world to be converted. The punishment can be diminished by prayer and penance, but it cannot be eliminated.

Three of the visionaries, Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov, have all ten secrets and no longer see Our Lady on a daily basis. Ivan, Marija and Vicka, each have 9 secrets and still see Our Lady on a daily basis.

Miriana said this about the 10 Secrets and what the Virgin Mary is doing. “Our Lady is planning on changing the world. She did not come to announce our destruction. She came to save us and with Her Son, She will triumph over evil. If our Mother promises to defeat evil then what do we have to fear.”

I would like to encourage you to fast on Wed. and Fri., to pray the Rosary daily and to read the bible daily. To go to Confession monthly, to pray with the heart and to attend Mass as often as you are able. And continue to open your hearts to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration when you make your Holy Hour. This way, you and your family will be prepared and not worry about the future, but rather will trust that Mary will walk with us and hold us by the hand each day.

Finally, next Saturday at 6:30pm, I will give a presentation on the 2^nd Coming of Jesus, the Antichrist, the three days of darkness and the illumination of conscience at the parish hall. Hot dogs and chips will be provided.

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