6th Sunday - Our Hope is in the Lord

    "Blessed are those who hope in the Lord!"    

Today’s readings are about the virtue of hope. The object of hope is eternal life and the means of obtaining it. There is a desire for our supreme happiness which is God. Faith shows us God alone can satisfy our every desire and happiness. Our ultimate happiness is the possession of God. Hope unites us to God by detaching us from worldly goods. God alone is sufficient for our happiness. Once we understand this, our hearts break away from earthly things and move toward Him like iron towards a magnet. Our hope should always be directed toward God and our home in heaven.

If we place our hope in the wrong things we can find our self not turning to God or trusting Him as we ought.

When covid started, out of fear many turned to the government or to pharmaceutical companies to prevent people from dying. The government acted as sort of a savior to save people from dying. Vaccines that weren’t tested were rushed and we gave up our ability to know before hand possible side effects. We gave up the ability to hold pharmaceuticals liable for side effects and death. Many were forced to take an experimental vaccine and violate their conscience or lose their jobs. We did all this out of fear and hoping the government would save us from dying.

According to the VAERS website, “Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System”, a computer system that doctors use to report side effects and deaths due to vaccines in the US, the covid vaccines may have caused at least 23,615 deaths, 127,855 hospitalizations, 13,787 Bells palsy, 42,260 permanently disabled, 12,069 heart attacks, 32,436 Mycarditits (inflammation of the heart), 3,991 miscarriages, and many other adverse reactions. There is a total of 1,103,891 adverse reports. ⁱ

Senator Ron Johnson wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Defense on Jan. 24^th after he met with military doctors, who reported these staggering increases in our US service personnel: (high blood pressure) – 2,181% increase, Diseases of the nervous system – 1,048% increase, Multiple sclerosis – 680% increase, Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs – 624% increase, Breast cancer – 487% increase, Female infertility – 472% increase, Pulmonary embolism – 468% increase, Migraines – 452% increase, Ovarian dysfunction – 437% increase, Tachycardia (very high heart rate) – 302% increase. ⁱⁱ

And the FDA and CDC is calling the vaccine safe? It is unethical to not inform people about the great number of adverse reactions from the covid vaccines. I did hospital ministry visiting patients everyday before and during covid. I saw at least 1000 Catholic covid patients in a year and half. I saw about 5000 Catholic non-covid patients. So I can say I have experience is listening to patients, observing what goes on in the hospitals. Some of my own family members have had side effects. My sister’s husband’s brother’s wife became paralyzed immediately after taking the vaccine. A month ago, my niece who is pregnant collapsed and passed out 30 min. after taking the vaccine. Yesterday, she had a miscarriage. So this is safe?

Did you know that whenever a vaccine was being tested-- if more than 50 people died from the vaccine during the testing, the testing was discontinued.ⁱⁱⁱ However, with covid vaccines, at least 27,000 (counting miscarriages) have died from the vaccine and they still call it safe?

    If there is salmonella poisoning due to lettuce and 5 people have died in various states, all the lettuce from that company is destroyed. But if you have 27,000 people die from a vaccine, its considered safe. Does that make any sense?

My aunt who is in a nursing home in LaCrosse has had the vaccine and all boosters and she has had covid 3 times! A parishioner who was from St. Francis parish in Wichita was vaccinated and he died of covid. The vaccinated and the unvaccinated can get covid and give covid to others, so why do some places require proof of taking the vaccine? Does this make any sense?

In Great Britain, Scotland, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, the infection rate is higher among the vaccinated than the non-vaccinated. ^iv

Did you know the director of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros does not recommend giving any covid shots to children. ^v16,000 physicians and medical scientists around the world recently signed a declaration publicly declaring that healthy children should not be vaccinated for covid 19. Colette Martin, a practicing nurse of 17 years, at a Louisiana health and welfare hearing in December 2021 said she and her colleagues have witnessed “terrifying” reactions to the COVID shots among children including blood clots, heart attacks, encephalopathy (damage to the brain) and arrhythmias (irregular heart beat).^vi As of Dec. 17^th at least 48 children have died in the US from taking the vaccine.^vii Our children are our future. We need to protect them.

The US government is not permitting doctors to prescribe off label medicines, which other countries have proven to work. Off label means prescribing a medicine not normally used to address a particular illness, but is an approved medicine. It is unheard of that the government does not allow doctors to prescribe off label medicines. Why not with covid patients? There is legislation in Kansas that would permit doctors to prescribe medicines.^viii There are pharmacies in Wichita that will not fill off a doctor’s prescription if they believe the medicine is for a covid patient.

A nurse from a Kansas hospital told me when a patient dies in the hospital she works, even if the patient never had covid nor even tested positive, she is required to record the patient as a covid death because the government pays the hospital for every covid death. It is unethical to force employees to make false medical record reports or risk losing their jobs. The hospitals also get paid by the government for a covid patient in ICU and get more money if the patient is on a ventilator. ^ix Hospitals are not taking into consideration their employees who had covid and now have natural immunity, according doctors is better than any vaccine and so they will fire them unless they are vaccinated. 

According to Dr. Vladimir Zelinko,^x Dr. Sheri Tenpenny and Dr. Peter McCullough and other doctors-- covid vaccines damage the immune system and we become immune compromised so much that it causes AIDS, which means the body is unable to fight off ordinary illnesses such as infections and diseases and people will soon die of ordinary illnesses the body used to fight off.

The point is--- we have all been duped. We trusted in our government and in pharmaceuticals who used aborted babies to either create or test covid vaccines. It is unethical to take away God given freedoms and rights to decide for our self, own medical care. It is unethical to force people to go against their conscience or lose their job. It is unethical to not have have a choice to refuse a vaccine that does more harm than good. There is something diabolical about all this. We have to pray for and forgive those who have harmed innocent people.

I heard a priest recently say, if you love your people tell them the truth. I am not a doctor nor a nurse, but as a priest I have the duty to point out unethical and immoral things in order to protect the people whom God has entrusted to my care. I want to protect you from physical and spiritual harm.

My friends, we have to place our hope in Jesus, our only Savior and place our hope in our final end which is eternity and not place our hope in human beings or institutions. As Jeremiah said, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose hear turns away from the Lord.”

Hope reminds us we are in a passing world. All the things we own will someday become nothing. Our body will eventually die and go to the earth, but if our hope is in heaven-- we will someday possess God, who is everything, than we have nothing to fear. Every time we come to Mass we possess God in Holy Communion, a foretaste of heaven.

The prophet Jeremiah said, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” If we have hope in heaven and believe that God will take care of us, then no matter being poor or sad or if we are persecuted or hated, we have nothing to fear.

Jesus is our perfect and best friend. Only Jesus is with us our entire life. Even if we lose everything, our home, our health, our family, or our life, there is one thing we will not lose is Jesus, because our hope is in Him and only He can bring us from this life to the life of heaven.

Today, let us turn to Mary, the Mother of hope and ask Her to help us to not be afraid, but to trust Her Son, and in all difficult circumstances cry out: “Jesus I Trust in You.”

i  https://openvaers.com/covid-data

ii  https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/services/files/FB6DDD42-4755-4FDC-BEE9-50E402911E02

iii Dr. Robert Malone, founder Mrna

iv https://gloria.tv/post/bSwZcqhsVKFo4qsHTF3WPiJNP

v https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/12/22/tedros-says-countries-killing-kids-with-boosters/

vi https://rumble.com/vs4yp8-nurse-collette-martin-children-are-having-terrifying-reactions-to-the-covid.html

 vii  https://edwardpentin.co.uk/vaticans-pontifical-academy-for-life-pushes-child-vaccination-despite-documented-deaths-soon-after-jab/

viii SB 381 Kansas Legislation

ix  https://www.barnhardt.biz/2021/12/23/huge-black-letter-law-massively-financially-incentivizing-hospitals-to-poison-and-kill-covid-patients-found-save-and-share-aggressively/

x https://bigleaguepolitics.substack.com/p/dr-zelenko-on-endless-boosters-and

Feb. 11th - Our Lady of Lourdes

 

                                                     Live Video from Lourdes

 Today, we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. On February 11^th, 1858, when Bernadette was 14 yrs. old, she, her sister and a friend went looking for wood-- in a meadow, near “the River Gave". While in front of the Grotto of Massibiele she heard "a noise like a gust of wind", but "none of the trees were moving". Bernadette describes what she saw: “I saw a Lady in white. I was a little frightened, and thinking I was seeing things (an illusion), I rubbed my eyes, but in vain…. The Lady took up the Rosary, She held in her hands and She made the Sign of the Cross. I tried again to make it and this time I could. My great fear went “away” as soon as I made the Sign of the Cross. I knelt down, and said the Rosary before this beautiful Lady.” This was the first apparition of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes.

The Grotto was called the "pigs' shelter" because pigs fed in the area—and took shelter there. It was here the Virgin Mary, dressed in white, appeared as a sign of total purity.

During the third apparition Feb. 18^th, the Virgin Mary spoke the first time. Bernadette held out a sheet of paper and a pencil so she might write her name, but the Lady replied: "what I have to say to you does not have to be written down". This was an extraordinary statement which meant the Virgin Mary wanted a personal relationship with Her. Mary then said, "Would you do me the kindness of coming here for 15 days?" Bernadette was overwhelmed because it was the first time anyone addressed her in a formal way.

Our Lady then said, "I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.” Mary was stating we cannot find true happiness in a world of violence, lies, impurity, greed, and war. But, someday we hope to enter the heavenly world of love, peace and joy.

During the first seven apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Bernadette had a radiant face with joy and happiness. However, between the eighth and twelfth apparitions her face became sad and sorrowful. She moved on her knees to the back of the Grotto, kissed the disgusting ground used by pigs, ate the grass, and took mud in her hands and smeared her face.

At the ninth Apparition, "the Lady" asked Bernadette again to scrape the ground in the "pigs’ shelter", saying, "Go to the spring, drink of it and wash yourself there". At first the water was muddy but then it became clear. The spring of water would prove to be miraculous.

Bernadette then told those around her that Our Lady said, "Penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners". By penance we understand to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. We pray for sinners that they may turn away from sin and turn toward God.

During the 13^th apparition, Our Lady said to Bernadette: "Go, tell the priests to come here in procession and build a chapel here." Processions would begin because of the miracles and many people, who would come to be healed in the water. A chapel would be built in response to Our Lady’s request and to give people confession and the Holy Eucharist.

On March 25^th, the day of the sixteenth apparition, Bernadette went again to the Grotto. The parish priest asked her to ask the Lady her name. When she had done so, Our Lady said, ("I am the Immaculate Conception"). Bernadette did not understand, but repeated the words to the astonished priest. The words were a reminder of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed four years earlier in 1854.

Since the beginning of the apparitions until today, there have been over 7,000 miraculous recoveries attributed to Our Lady of Lourdes. However, the Church has only officially approved 70 medical miracles since 2018. The miracles have been dramatic ranging from paralytics who have walked, pilgrims cured of blindness, cancer tumors disappeared and multiple sclerosis healed.

More importantly, with the millions of pilgrims, who go there every year, there has been untold spiritual healings, which have occurred –causing deep and lasting conversions.

The apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes are reminder for us to be pure in imitation of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. To pray the rosary everyday. To pray for the conversion of sinners and to do penance for them. To live a life of humility as St. Bernadette who ate grass, washed her face in mud, and drank dirty water. They remind us that we can only find our true happiness in heaven—not in this world.

And they also remind us that Our Lady wants a personal relationship with Her. If we don’t have a relationship with Mary,---- during Lent, we should try to speak to Mary everyday as we would speak to Our Mother. She is really with us, loves us and wants to help us to get to heaven. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us, who have recourse to thee!

1973 Movie - The Catholics (Latin Mass)

 

   

A serious flaw of the movie is that at its end, there is a claim that a Church Council declares the Eucharist is not a miracle and not the true body and blood of Christ. However, a Church Council when approved by the Pope can never make such a claim contrary to Scripture and Tradition because a Church Council is protected by infallibility with regard to the proclamation of faith and morals.  A synod can error in faith and morals, but not a Church Council because synods do not have the protection of infallibility. The movie is fiction and should be taken that way, but is thought provoking.

Does This Make Sense?

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

Feb. 10th - St. Scholastica

 

It’s been kinda dry this winter. We haven’t had much rain or snow. We need moisture.

Have you ever prayed for rain? Farmers most likely pray for rain every spring, because they want the wheat, corn, and milo to grow in the fields. There is a saint, perhaps, they should pray to, if they want rain.

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Scholastica. She was the sister of the monk, St. Benedict. When she prayed for rain, God answered her prayers. Here is a true story about her and her brother.

One day she invited her brother over to her home, for a visit. After they talked most of the day, it was getting late in the evening, when her brother, St. Benedict wanted to leave to return to the place he lived. But, St. Scholastica wanted to continue to talk to her brother, and so wanted to stay up late talking about Jesus, and spiritual things. However, he was tired and really wanted to leave. So, she joined her hands together on the table, in prayer, and laid her head upon her hands, and began to pray. Suddenly there were brilliant flashes of lightening and thunder, and it began to rain very hard. It rained so hard, her brother was unable to leave. St. Benedict told his sister, “May God forgive you sister. What have you done?” She answered, “Well, I asked you, and you would not listen; so I asked my God, and He did listen.” “So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to the place where you stay.” But he was unable to leave, and so the brother and sister talked all night long, about Jesus, and spiritual things. St. Scholastica’s prayer was answered by God, so she and her brother could talk about holy things.

So, if you ever want it to rain, or a whole bunch of snow, you can pray to St. Scholastica.

St. Scholastica, pray for us, that we may desire to grow in holiness talking about Jesus and spiritual things to others and intercede for us for the moisture we need for our crops, animals and livelihood.

5th Sunday - Fishers of Men

 

In the Gospel today, Jesus got into a boat belonging to Simon Peter. And asked him to push the boat out onto the lake. Why would Jesus get into a boat and ask Peter to put out a short distance from the shore? It was a practical thing to do because of the large crowd. While on the shore, not everyone could see or hear Him, but by getting into a boat, it was much easier for all to see and hear.

Peter’s boat represents the Church, and Peter would become the head of the Church as the Vicar of Christ and helmsmen of the Church. We have heard the phrase, the bark of Peter. The bark is symbolic of the Church. After Jesus finished speaking, He asked Peter to throw out the nets into the deep water and they caught such a large number of fish the two boats were on the verge of sinking. When Peter saw this, he fell to his knees saying, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus then told Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. Our Lord’s words that Peter would be catching men, would come to fruition especially on Pentecost.

Recall after the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles in the form of fire and wind, Peter boldly proclaimed, all needed to repent and be baptized, whom they had crucified. And that day, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles baptized three thousand souls. Through Peter many would be caught for the kingdom and become members of the church and so now the Church, the boat, is filled with men, women and children (the fish). The early Christians used the sign of a fish, as a secret way people new they were Christian.

Later, Peter and all the apostles would hear confessions, baptize men, women and children, anoint the sick, offer the Mass and impart the other sacraments. I would like to use St. Mark and St. Peter as an example.

St. Peter sent Mark to Egypt to preach the Gospel. Mark was so successful in his teaching thousands of idols were thrown from their altars, and numberless heathens adopted the true faith. Mark increased the number of the faithful by his preaching, his holy life and by the many miracles he had performed on people. He was truly a fisher of men. He governed the church there for 19 years until idol worshipers attacked him when he was offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass. They bound him and dragged through the streets killing him.

When Peter offered Mass, he would sit in a wooden chair and the people would carry his chair from place to place so whenever Peter offered Mass, he would sit in it. It was called the chair of Peter. Today, this chair is located in St. Peter’s basilica encased in bronze and has the symbolic meaning that when the pope speaks from the Chair of St. Peter, he manifests his God given authority to bind and loosen with regard to faith or morals. The chair is proof Peter offered Mass.

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, he saw the Lord seated on a lofty throne and Seraphim angels stationed above, and the angels cried out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts! All the earth is filled with your glory!” During the Holy Holy Holy myriads of angels came down from heaven to surround the altar and fill the church. The Mass is the most sublime action of a priest. For truly at Mass, heaven is opened and we join the angels and saints in heaven worshiping the Lord on His lofty throne. At Mass Calvary is re-presented on the altar and we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Just imagine the same power God gave to the apostles, he gave to the priests today. And Jesus does all this through the priest.

At Mass by human hands and a human voice of the priest Jesus changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. What an incredible gift! St. Francis of Assisi said, “Let the heavens shake and the earth tremble, when God, the Son of the living God becomes present on the altar in the hands of the priest.”

Through the hands of a priest, children and adults are baptized and Jesus in Confession forgives mortal and venial sins by the words of absolution and blessing of a priest. Oh the incredible mercy of God in the confessional or when a 90 year old is baptized just before she dies. Jesus imparts his graces and mercy through priests today in a silent by by incredibly powerful way.

When a priest is ordained, he can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me!” Through an ordained man, Jesus performs these actions and sacramental grace is given to God’s people in every time and place.

Every priest is a sinner, who is trying to be a saint. Every priest has faults and failings and at times says or does things that can offend others just like everyone else, and so they are just like the apostles. Peter denied Jesus three times. James and John wanted to call down fire and destroy those who rejected Jesus and they wanted to sit at the right hand of Jesus and the other apostles became jealous of them. But Jesus chooses human beings with faults and failings to do His divine work among us today. In my experience, when a priest does or says something that may hurt others, people very easily forgive, because they realize priests are human.

As a young boy, when I went fishing with my father. I never would have thought I would be a fisher of men. I remember the first fish I caught as a child was a big fish and even today its the largest fish I ever caught. When ever St. John Vianney heard the confession of a penitent who hadn’t been to confession for years, he would say, “I caught a big fish.” Priests are fishers of men.

As a young priest, I estimated number of confessions I heard in first 3 years from ordination, which was 5000 confessions. Just imagine how many more confessions in nearly 18 years. St. Maximilian recorded all his sacraments and once ordained, I too began to keep track of the number of Masses, weddings and baptisms. Since my ordination, I offered 8941 Masses, performed 391 baptisms and officiated 68 weddings. I gave anointing of the sick to about 10,000 people. All of these sacramental graces are occasions Jesus touched the lives and souls of people and their families. To each and every person God did wonderful things through me. How humbling to see the action of Jesus! By just reflecting upon my life as a priest, I can clearly see God’s love for His people. Jesus is the one who works through priests to manifest His power, His love, His mercy, His graces to world hungering for these things.

When I was young, I wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to be an athlete, or be able to sing or to play a musical instrument and later become a business manger and grocery store owner. But later I discovered God’s ways are much better than mine and if we do His will, we will be happy because the almighty can do great things for us and through us to others. A priest makes a difference in the world by helping people to get to heaven. The priesthood...what a beautiful and grace filled life of giving oneself in the service of God and His people. God continues to call young men to the priesthood. Jesus is saying to young boys, “Don’t be afraid! Come follow me and I will make you a fisher of men.” We have very outstanding and fine boys in our parish. Very virtuous. There are two boys from our parish who have told me they thought about becoming a priest. Pray for them, that they may discover God’s will for them.

Today, let us pray for vocations to the priesthood and to religious life, especially from our parish. Jesus is calling some young men and boys to be become fisher’s of men. Let us ask the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the eternal high priest and mother of priests, to open the hearts and minds of boys and young men to follow Jesus as one of His disciples.

Feb. 5th St. Agatha

Today is the memorial of St Agatha. As a young girl, Agatha dedicated herself to God. She was a virgin, who was martyred for her faith. It is believed, she was the daughter of a distinguished family. She was an incredibly beautiful young woman. Because of her beauty, the Senator Quintansius, who was madly in love with her, persecuted her. Agatha spurned his proposals, and so maintained her Christian faith. She was put in a house of prostitution, but was steadfast in maintaining her purity. She was then subjected to many cruel tortures including being placed on a rack and burned with torches.

She even had her breasts cut off but was consoled in a vision by St. Peter, who miraculously healed her. St. Methodius, said, “she is the bride bretrothed to one husband, Christ. A true virgin, she wore the glow of pure conscience and the crimson of the Lamb’s blood for her cosmetics. Agatha’s name means good. She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. She was also given as a gift of God, the source of all goodness to her bridegroom, Christ, and to us.” St. Methodius explains that she continues to be good to us as she triumphs through her divine miracles.

She lived in Sicily, Italy and after her martyrdom was buried near a local church. About a year after her death, a miracle was reported due to her prayers from heaven. As a young girl she used to wear a veil. After her death, people would go to the church to see her veil, which was kept in the church.

A nearby Volcano began to erupt causing red hot lava to flow. The lava headed toward the city and threatened to destroy all the homes by fire. The people believed Agatha was a saint and was in heaven with Jesus. So they took her veil and marched in procession toward the lava. They held the veil near the lava and a miracle happened. The lava suddenly stopped flowing and the city was saved. The people believed it was a miracle and understood it was because Agatha asked Jesus in heaven to spare the city.

Today, pray to St. Agatha, whose name means “good” and ask her to help you to be good everyday.

Feb. 3rd St. Blase

Today, we bless throats—because it’s the memorial of St. Blasé, bishop and martyr. He devoted his earlier life to the study of philosophy, and afterwards became a physician. In the practice of his profession, he saw so much, the miseries of life, and the hollowness of worldly pleasures, that he resolved to spend the rest of his days in the service of God.

Therefore, from being a healer of body, he became a physician of souls, as a priest. And then retired for a time to a cavern where he remained in prayer.

When the bishop of Sebaste died, St. Blase, much to the joy of the inhabitants of that city, was chosen to succeed him. He at once began to instruct his people, as much by his example, as by his words. Many miracles attested to his great virtues and sanctity. From all parts, the people came flocking to him for the cure of bodily and spiritual sickness.

When the governor of Cappadocia began a persecution by order of the Emperor Licinius, Saint Blase was taken into custody. After interrogation, and a severe scourging, he was taken to prison. While in custody, a mother’s only child was dying of a throat disease, and so, she threw herself at his feet, and implored his intercession. Touched at her grief, he offered up his prayers, and the child was cured.

St. Blase was brought before the governor again for further questioning, and once again was whipped-- while tied to a pillar. He was spared from drowning when thrown into a lake, but the governor ordered that he be beheaded.

In the year 316, at the execution site, he prayed aloud to God for his persecutors. In his prayer, he told those around him, that once he had died, to ask for his prayers, as they did during his lifetime.

Just before his death, Our Lord appeared to him, and said in a voice, which all bystanders heard, ---that his prayer was granted.

Since that time, people would often invoke his intercession, especially in cases of all kinds of throat problems.

Today, on this feast of St. Blasé, let us pray, that through the intercession of Saint Blase, bishop and martyr, God may deliver us free from every disease of the throat, and from every other illness.

Feb. 2nd - Presentation of Jesus

 

 “And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter His Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”

Today Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Jesus, “the light to the nations and the glory of Israel” arrives in the Temple in the arms of His Mother Mary. According to Jewish law, the first-born male had to be presented to the Lord forty days after his birth.

It was also the rite of purification for mothers who had just given birth. After giving birth, women were considered unclean and could not worship in the temple or touch sacred objects until they were first purified by having a lamb or a pair of turtle doves or pigeons sacrificed. Since Mary and Joseph were poor they offered pigeons or turtle doves.

The circumstances of Mary’s Immaculate Conception and the miraculous birth of Jesus did not render Her impure, but She obediently followed the law out of humility.

The presentation of Jesus in the temple was public redemption for any first born son of any other tribe other than the tribe of Levi. The parents would symbolically give their son to God and buy him back by a small monetary offering.

Due to action of the Holy Spirit, Simeon and Anna are the only people who recognize the Messiah in what appeared to be an ordinary Infant.

Simeon prophesied Jesus would be a sign of contradiction and that now was the time for Simeon to die, since he finally saw his salvation in the form of child who would someday bring about the salvation of all those who were longing for it. He sees Jesus as the light to the nations for the glory of the people Israel.

But with His glorious entry into the Temple, the sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ’s perfect and unique oblation on the Cross, which will impart the salvation God has “prepared in the presence of all peoples”. And so, as the Light came in the world, and departed the world, the tears of His Mother fell upon the ground in sorrow. The result of the sword piercing the Virgin Mary, would be the cause of the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed.

In today’s responsorial psalm the Church recalls, how the Jewish people celebrated the entrance of the Ark of the Covenant, and these words fitting apply to Jesus the New and Everlasting Covenant entering the Temple, “O gates lift up your heads; grow higher ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory.”

Today is also commonly called “Candle Mass Day”, in which is customary to bless candles for the church and also for the faithful. Lit candles represent Jesus, the light of the world and light to the nations entering the temple for the first time in His sacred humanity as a child. The candles of wax remind us of Mary, whose spotless virginity gave forth to the world, the everlasting Light, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The flame from the candles therefore symbolizes Christ, who said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me walks not in darkness.” The lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendor, of the one who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil, and to make the whole universe, radiant with the brilliance of His eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ. The Mother of God, the most Pure Virgin, carried the true light in Her arms and brought Him to those who lay in darkness.

As Holy Mother Church blesses the candles today, She prays that the Holy Spirit may enlighten all of us, and so inflamed with His charity, we may truly recognize, faithfully love, and courageously serve God.

Through Mary, the Mother of the Light, may we bring the light of Christ to the world, by all we meet and may the action of the sword that pierced Her soul reveal the thoughts of the hearts of many.

Touched by Grace Movie

 Movie about persons with Down syndrome

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFoURg1Y6o