15th Sunday Good Samaritan (Baby on the Sidewalk)

 

  

In the Gospel today, we have the parable of the man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, who was robbed, attacked and left half dead. As a result, he must have lost confidence in humanity. None of his fellow Jews, not a priest or Levite stopped to help him. However, a non-Jew, a Samaritan, stopped to help.

Jews and Samaritans had nothing to do with each other. So for a Samaritan to stop and help an injured Jew, rather than a fellow Jew, to help would have been a surprise to him.

The Good Samaritan brought healing not only to his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, but even more importantly the Good Samaritan poured love on the injured man’s psychological and emotional wound, of feeling rejected by those who should have helped him.

Love is just as important for healing, as bandages, oil and wine. The best medicine of all is love. If we don’t love those who need help, they remain wounded and hurt.

When I was a Seminarian, I went on a mission trip to Calcutta, India for a month during the summer. It was an amazing experience.

One day, in the hot weather, over a 100 degrees, I was walking down a busy sidewalk, when I ran across baby, about 6 months old, laying on the ground. The baby was laying on his back and crying. Everyone just kept walking past the baby, as though the child was not there. I wondered, “Where’s the mother of this baby?”. And, “Why is the baby just lying on the sidewalk?”

Mother Teresa’s sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, received abandoned babies from parents. They had a house for abandoned children, where they took care of them.

I didn’t know how to speak Hindi, the language of most of the people in the area. I didn’t know if I should pick up the baby and take it to the Missionaries of Charity.

Rather than picking up the baby, I decided to grab the attention of people walking by. So I waved at people and pointed to the baby. Some stopped, but nobody understood what I was trying to say. I kept saying, “There’s an abandoned baby on the sidewalk. The baby looks sick, he needs to be taken to Mother Teresa’s sisters. Can you help me?” Before long more and more people were gathered around me and the baby. I desperately tried to explain I found the baby alone on the sidewalk and the child looked sick and needed medical care.

Finally, a Hindu man, spoke English, said, “What’s going on here?” I told him, “I found the baby laying on the sidewalk and there was no mother to help the baby. He’s skinny and look like he needs medical care”. I suggested, we take the baby to the sisters for help. The man said, “You don’t realize what commotion you just caused. The people here thought you were trying to steal the baby and they were just about ready to attack you and beat you up.” He explained to the people my concern, and one by one, they all walked away.

Finally, about a half a block away, a woman with a water jug came. It was the baby’s mother. She had laid the baby on the sidewalk and walked half of a block to get some water from the hand pump well. I had no idea why she left the baby so far from where she went. The Hindu man who spoke English told the mother of the baby, that I suggested she take her child to the sisters for medical care, and she did.

When the scholar of the law tested Jesus by asking him, “Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus responded, saying, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” But to justify himself, the man asked, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Jesus knew the Jewish scholar of the law had nothing to do with Samaritans, but the Lord wanted to open his heart to love them, because everyone is to love their neighbor as themselves by helping anyone who may be injured, including Jews and Samaritans.

What are you doing to help pass the Value them Both Amendment?

We get busy with our every day life, we forget about some very important things going on around us. Everyday we should pray a Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the passing of the amendment. Are you daily praying the Fr. Kapaun prayer? Or are we like the Levite and priest and aren’t paying attention to those in need? If this amendment fails Kansas will become an abortion center for all of the United States and for a very long time. The Guttmacher Institute says that there will be a 1000% increase of abortions in Kansas if the amendment fails. The rural areas of Kansas are more pro-life than the larger cities like Kansas City, Lawrence and Wichita. Its going to be up to pray and out vote them.

Most certainly you care, if children in our state, are dying everyday by abortion. To help you understand the reality of abortion. A couple days ago, I received a text from a woman. She told me about a coordinator of Eucharistic Adoration in her parish, whose daughter is thinking about having an abortion. She’s 3 months pregnant. We need to be aware this happening now. The unborn child and her mother need your prayers now.

Allow the love within your heart, to motivate you to do something about it. Our prayers make a big difference. Let’s not allow unborn children to be abandoned, to abortionists. Let’s help pregnant mothers in crisis, to get the help they need. Let’s pour the wine and oil of your prayers on the hearts of those who are tempted to have an abortion, on those who support abortion and support unborn babies in danger of death. Offer the graces you receive from being at Mass, offer your Holy Communion, offer the graces from your Holy Hour to help them.

Pray for all these injured souls, for by doing so, love will flow from your heart. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as yourself. And, if we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, we will see Jesus in the disguise of the unborn and do something to help them. Voting is important, but it is much more important to love them all, by praying for them and by financially supporting crisis pregnancy centers. O Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, inspire us to love, as You love all Your children.

14th Monday - Raising the Dead

 

In the Gospel today, Jesus raised Jarius’ daughter from the dead. Recall also that He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, who had died four days earlier and whose body would have even had a stench to it. Jesus raised the son of a widow from Nain. Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” When Jesus died on the Cross, scripture tells us that saints who were dead, were raised to life and came out of the tombs. After Our Lord’s own death on the Cross, He raised Himself from the dead, to show us, He has power over death and power over life.

As Catholics we believe at the end of the world, there will be the resurrection of the dead, which we pray in the Apostle’s Creed. At the end of the world, whether anyone is living or dead, will receive a new resurrected body. And those who have died will rise out of the ground. All in heaven and even those in hell, he will receive their resurrected body. In heaven, it will be their glory, but those who are in hell, it will add to their torture.

Do you recall God used Elijah to raise a man from the dead? St. Peter raised a woman by the name of Dorcas from the dead. St. Paul raised a man from the dead, who fell out of a third story window.

Fr. Albert Hebert, wrote a book called Saints Who Raised the Dead, 400 True Stories. Some saints who have raised people from the dead include St. Francis Xavier, St. Patrick, St. Don Bosco, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Rose of Lima, St. Teresa of Avila, Blessed Margaret of Castello.

In Lisbon, Portugal, a boy called Parrisio decided to go on a boat trip with other boys, but without telling his parents. Suddenly, a violent storm breaks out and the boat capsizes. The older boys knew how to swim, managed to save themselves, but Parrisio drowned. Upon hearing this tragedy, the boy’s mother ran to the beach and pleaded with the sailors to recuperate the body. They lowered their nets and soon were able to draw out Parrisio’s lifeless body, which they gave to the desperate mother. On the next day the family wanted to take the body to church for the funeral and subsequent burial, but the mother did not allow this. She continued to pray to St. Anthony of Padua, promising that if her child were brought back to life she would consecrate him to the Franciscan Order. On the third day, in front of his parents and relatives, the boy suddenly awoke as though from a deep sleep; the mother’s prayers to the Lord, through the intercession of St. Anthony, had been answered. When he became older Parrisio entered the Franciscan Order.

In the United States, there was a miracle of raising a child from the dead, about 10 years ago, in 2011. A stillborn boy, from Goodfield, Illinois, was dead for 61 minutes and without any heartbeat, when his mother kept praying to Bishop Fulton Sheen and suddenly the boy’s heart began to beat. Today, the boy is 10 years old. This miracle of raising the boy from the dead through Fulton Sheen’s intercession has been approved by the Vatican, which will lead to his beatification.

Today, let us trust in God’s infinite power, that He can and will raise us all from the dead. May we turn to resurrected Jesus in the Eucharist and ask Him for special graces to help others to believe, that He truly is the Resurrection and the Life, and those who believe in Him, will live forever. As Our Lord said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever, and I will raise Him on the last day.”

14th Sunday - Roe vs Wade - Birth of a Nation

 

Isaiah the prophet said, “As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;”

This weekend we are celebrating the birth of our nation. In 1776, we became our own country. Our nation is 246 years old and in four years we will be celebrating 250 years. Our country has had many battles, but the greatest battle we have had, is the battle for human dignity.

We called Indians, savages, with no rights. We looked upon blacks, as slaves. Did you know at the beginning of our country, Catholics were unable to vote? It was not until 1919, women could vote. But worst of all, we could legally kill our own children. We looked at unborn babies as genetic material, blobs of tissue. Even up to the moment of birth, a child has no right to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness.

Indians are not humans. Blacks are not humans. Unborn babies are not humans. Good grief! Only the devil would come up with these lies and in our fallen nature, we believe them.

However, thanks be to God, last week Friday, June 24^th was a historic day for our nation. The overturning of Roe vs Wade was a victory for life and for human rights. On June 24^th every year its celebrated as the Birth of John the Baptist, but this year the feast was transferred to June 23^rd, because the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart fell on the 24^th. The day of the announcement was a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God.

On June 24^th, the Heart of Jesus was moved with compassion and chose to honor the birth of John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Solemnity of the Heart of Jesus.

Recall, at the Visitation, when John was an unborn baby in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth, he became aware of the unborn baby Jesus in the womb of Mary. Jesus was only 5 days from conception, because that’s how long it took for Mary to travel to the town if AinKarem, where she lived. Scripture tells, Mary went in haste to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was with child.

We know Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant when Mary and the unborn Jesus came to her. John the Baptist had a beating heart, but the divine Child Jesus did not. Our heart begins to beat about 5 ½ weeks after conception. Yet, He was not a blob of tissue. He was not just genetic material. Jesus is a divine person. He fully took on our human nature from the moment of His conception. The unborn Jesus in the womb of His Mother, just 5 days from conception, blessed John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth.

The prophet, Jeremiah, speaks of John the Baptist, when he said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” John the Baptist would be the prophet, who would prepare the way for the Lord by calling people to repentance. He was sanctified in the womb of his mother, due to the presence of the unborn Jesus in the womb of Mary.

By the birth of John the Baptist feast day, preceding the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, it is clearly a call to repentance. God in His wisdom, chose the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as the day He overturned Roe vs Wade. What He is surely telling us, is that His Heart is beating, throbbing and is open, to bestow His mercy on everyone.

He wants the world to know He loves us with an infinite and unfathomable love and is ready to embrace us by pouring out His mercy into the soul of every sinner. He wants to heal the brokenhearted girl, who is confused and hurting. She was told lies, such as its a blob of tissue, or she pressured into getting an abortion by her parents or boyfriend or school counselor or friend.

Jesus wants to heal every broken heart. Not only those who have had an abortion, but also the abortionists, the nurses and staff who work at an abortion clinic.

He wants us to heal the hearts of those who are confused and find themselves promoting the killing of unborn children. Many have been duped by the devil with the slogan, “My body, my choice.” But, what about the body of the baby? What about the choice of the baby? Why is there no love or compassion for another human being? For a mother’s own child?

Perhaps due to one’s family circumstances, not having the father at home, or a single mother who works, and so a child is alone at home and becomes confused because he or she is not experiencing love at home. Or maybe the person was verbally or physically abused by a parent.

And so later in life, these people who suffer from emotional wounds from their family life, finds themselves not understanding how to love. Their pain causes them to overly self-focused on their own hurts and therefore are blind to the needs of others, especially the unborn.

Sometimes, one’s life revolves around pleasing oneself, and not making sacrifices for others. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “It is poverty to decide a child must die, so that you may live as you wish.” To choose to have an abortion, to have a larger house, to travel places, to go to college, to be free, to do whatever we want, is unbridled selfishness and totally self-focused. One lacks self-gift and self-sacrifice.

The baby boy, whose birth, we celebrated last Thursday, John the Baptist, is calling our nation to repentance, and at the same time the love of the Heart of Jesus is present to bestow His mercy on everyone. Jesus shows us, by the wound in His Heart, how to love and to love is at times painful.

A heart that loves, endures pain. It suffers pain when seeing another suffer. Who can stand to watch anyone suffer? Our heart is moved to do something. So, Jesus’ Heart is moved with pity for us because many in our nation are suffering from sin, especially selfishness and abortion.

Jesus’ Heart is like what Isaiah the prophet speaks. “As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;” Out of love for us, Jesus wants to pick up those who are hurting from their own sins, and hold us near to His Heart. He wants to fondle us, in His lap, as a mother comforts her child.

There is a temptation to think, the more children I have, the less happier I will be. But the opposite is true. The more children we have, the bigger our heart grows. When we care for children, we learn to love in new ways. Rather, than serving and pleasing, me, myself and I, we learn to please our spouse, our children and most importantly, to please God. Our heart moves from selfishness to self-sacrifice.

Think about what it was like when you had your first child. Oh, the joy, the amazing experience of seeing another you. A new person, you helped bring into the world. But then, in the middle of the night is the crying. At first, we run to see what’s wrong. Is the child hungry? Did he wet his pants? Does he want be cuddled? Or is he sick? Soon our heart grows to feeling empathy for the child. We wonder what’s wrong. Do you have a tummy ache? Are you in pain? We are moved by compassion to see the misery of the child and to console him. We want to comfort the child, to caress the child, to kiss the child, to hug the child, because our heart grows to love.

But, as the child grows older, he learns by making a fuss, he can get what he wants. Then we have to teach discipline, to say no. It is loving to say no. To teach the child to sacrifice, rather than to obtain instant pleasure.

Parents learn to sacrifice themselves for their families. Imagine for a moment the father of the home, who works for 40 years at the same job, and the entire time he works there, he can’t stand his boss or his job, but he doesn’t complain. He just keeps showing up and doing his job. Why? Because, he loves his family, and wants to provide for them. He is willing to suffer for them.

Our country is blessed because of all our freedoms. But, we didn’t just wake up one morning and have them. Many Americans died for them. People died for the rights of Indians and for the rights of blacks. Are we willing to die for rights of unborn babies, so they can live the American dream. So they can have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The battle today is not in some foreign war. Its a battle in the womb. Its a spiritual battle caused by the forces of evil who hate human beings. But, Our divine Lord is here to pick up the pieces, by forgiving us, bestowing His mercy upon us, and loving us as His children.

A 33 day novena started on July 1^st and will go until Aug. 2^nd, the day of the election. During the novena everyone is asked to daily pray the Fr. Kapaun prayer. To daily pray the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to offer your Holy Communions, your graces at Mass, your time with Jesus during you Holy Hour for the unborn.

Catholics are the powerhouse of the world, because we have the sacraments and the saints. Only we have the physical presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. Our Church was founded by Christ. Its up to us, and through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to lead our country to defeat the ruler of this world, Satan. So pick up the sword of faith and fight for life.

I would like to close with a quote from Pope St. John the Paul II. “America you are beautiful . . . and blessed . . . . The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless. If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life.”

14th Sunday - Send Out 72 (Vocations)

 

Our Lord sent out seventy-two, whom He sent ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place Our Lord intended to visit. Jesus said, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Our Savior wanted the people to be ready to receive Him as Messiah and the announcement of the Gospel, which is why more disciples were needed to proclaim the kingdom of God. In every generation God provides the spiritual needs of the people by vocations to the priesthood because God’s flock needs shepherds to guide them.

The diocese of Wichita has a number of priests, while other dioceses do not. Our diocese is known for three aspects that draw vocations: Perpetual Adoration Chapels, Stewardship and Orthodoxy. Dioceses with these three elements have an abundance of vocations. But those who do not have adoration, stewardship or faithful priests-- have few vocations.

Eucharistic Adoration provides a place for many to come to Jesus for one hour a week, to receive graces from the Savior to live lives of charity and to be Christian witness and evangelizer in the world. In prayer young men hear the voice of Jesus calling Him to follow Him.

From adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, they are impelled to live lives of Stewardship using their gifts of time, talent and treasure-- out of love of God and to help their neighbor, especially the poor.

Priests are to imitate Jesus, who was poor, celibate, humble, prayerful, sacrificial, proclaim the truth of the Gospel and be loyal to His Church.

Our Lord wanted His disciples to be detached from the world and trust God to take care of all their needs. That’s why He said, “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals and greet no one along the way.” He did not want them to be bogged down by material things. He wanted them to live lives of poverty, in imitation of Himself, who was so poor, He was laid in a manger in Bethlehem at His birth and had no place to lay His head as an adult. He was buried in a stranger’s tomb.

He never married and expected His disciples to abandon their family and promised those who do would be rewarded in heaven. Priests sacrifice not having a wife and children to be unhindered in serving God’s people.

Our Lord’s humility is seen by way of emptying Himself on the Cross. His body and blood were given up for us that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Priests are to be humble witnesses of sacrificial love willing to lay down their life for their sheep.

Just as Jesus spent time in a lonely place to pray, priests spend time with Jesus in prayer before His true presence in the tabernacle or in Eucharistic Adoration, for their they come to the feet of the Master and learn from Him on how to care and tend their flock entrusted to them.

And Priests are to be Jesus in the world, to bring about the kingdom of peace, through the sacraments and through their preaching and teaching of the Gospel and so are faithful and loyal to the Church. When priests faithfully proclaim the truth about Jesus and His Church’s teachings and fearlessly “rock the boat” when needed, the people are nurtured by truth, to help them to live authentic Christian lives.

Parents have an obligation to help their children obtain heaven. They do that first by their good example, by helping their children to live out their Christian faith, by teaching their children about God and the Church and to help them make moral decisions in their life, so as to avoid sin and to practice virtue.

Parents can help their child achieve the plan in their life. God has chosen for them to help them to get to heaven. If God is calling a boy to become a priest someday, parents should support them in their decision, because by responding to God’s call, it will be surest way for the young boy to get to heaven. Parents, don’t be afraid to ask your sons to pray about whether or not he has a call to the priesthood. Many times, parents, family and friends can at times see something within them that causes them to think that perhaps he may have a vocation. There were times in my life, I had people who told me they thought I had a vocation to the priesthood, but at the time, I myself did not see it, that is until years later.

O Mary, Mother of Priests, pray for priests and for more vocations to the priesthood, especially in those areas which need them the most.

Roe vs Wade Overturned!

 

Click Image to see Beating Heart of Baby

 Hey! This blob of tissue looks like a baby!

 

These companies had already said they would cover expenses for employees who have to travel for an abortion:

• Starbucks
• Tesla
• Yelp
• Airbnb
• Neflix
• Patagonia
• DoorDash
• JP Morgan Chase
• Levi Strauss & Co
• PayPal
• Reddit

Box came out in support of women's healthcare rights and the company said it was “disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

On Friday after the Supreme Court decision was handed down to overturn Roe v. Wade these companies said they would cover travel costs:

• Disney
• Meta
• Dick's Sporting Goods
• Conde Nast
• Zillow
• Lyft
• Uber
• Buzzfeed

13th Sunday - "Follow Me"

 

 In the Gospel we have the advice given separately by Jesus to three individuals who wanted to follow Our Lord. Far from pressuring them to join His group, He even seemed to discourage them. The first was advised to count the cost before joining, as Christ had no fixed home.

His words to the second seem quite harsh: “Let the dead bury their dead,” meaning let the spiritually dead, bury their dead. Our Lord would have known the soul of his father was unrepentant before he died and the soul of the man who refused to follow Jesus was also spiritually dead. Because Jesus can read hearts, Our Divine Lord knew the man had no intentions of following Jesus. In another words, he lied saying that he wanted to first bury his father. So when Jesus said, “Let the dead bury the dead.” He wanted to bring the condition of the man’s soul to his attention for the purpose of attempting help him repent of his sins.

In another words, it was as though Jesus told the man, “Repent now and follow me. Otherwise, you will not repent at all and your soul will be lost.” The lesson is that if we are faced with a radical option and do not take it at once, it is less likely that we will do so later.

His reply to the third was also uncompromising: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is the right kind of person for the kingdom of God.” The fragile wooden plows of that time were in danger of breaking if they struck stones in the fields. Therefore the plowman had to keep his eyes on the ground ahead at all times. The commitment to his task as a disciple of Christ should be total at all times as well.

We wonder whether Jesus was trying to attract or to discourage followers, He was so blunt and forthright in spelling out the hardships it would involve. Jesus has called each one of us to follow him. ‘Follow me’ is a frequently repeated invitation.

He calls us, as well, to a personal relationship with Himself. We are invited to share in His life and in His interests. Discipleship and mission go hand in hand. Precisely because it is His mission it has to be carried out in His way. James and John were zealous but they wanted to do things their way. A fire and brimstone approach even towards opponents was unacceptable to Jesus, so He rebuked them. He had come as Savior, not as the leader of a punishment squad. Sometimes followers of Christ appear to be more like followers of the ‘sons of thunder’. We need the guidance of the Spirit to help us to clarify and to refine our understanding of discipleship.

Disciples must try to break free from false forms of security. The apostles abandoned the security of an established lifestyle in order to be with Jesus.

At an earlier time, Elisha had to set aside his security as a well-off farmer in order to serve with Elijah the prophet. ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me (etc.)’. How often could this person’s first response be our own? I will follow you but on my own terms. In other words, I will follow you, provided the cost is not too high. We can hardly criticize the would-be followers mentioned in the Gospel, since their response is often our own.

The fact is Jesus conveys a great sense of urgency. There is no time to haggle over terms and conditions. Consent must be unconditional. We need to repent, abandon our own ways of doing things and give a total ‘Yes,’ like Mary, our Blessed Mother. If we do that we can experience the fierce, inner joy of the Spirit which St Paul calls a “pledge,” a first installment of heavenly joy.

 

Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

 

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On December 10, 1925, The Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Child Jesus, appeared to Sr. Lucia in the Dorothean convent in Pontevedra, Spain, requesting the First Five Saturdays Devotion to make reparation for sins against Her Immaculate Heart.

Our Lady appeared holding Her Immaculate Heart, encircled with thorns. Then the Child Jesus said, "Have pity on the Heart of Your Most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of reparation."

The Blessed Mother then spoke: "I promise to assist at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who on the First Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep Me company for 15 minutes, while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to Me."

Our Lady also desired that Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart, otherwise Russia would spread her errors throughout the world. Few people understood what that meant because at that point Russia was traditionally very Catholic.

But not much long after the apparitions, Russia would succumb to communism and would help spread communism throughout the world.

Various popes consecrated the world to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, but none fulfilled Our Lady’s request until Pope John Paul II. The other popes did the consecration themselves and not in union with the bishops of the world.

Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13^th, 1981 on the anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. In 1984, Pope John Paul II in union with all the bishops of the world consecrated the world to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as many other countries suffering from communism. Sister Lucia has affirmed that the consecration was accepted.

This year, Pope Francis in union with all the bishops of the world consecrated Russia, the Ukraine and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25th (Solemnity of the Annunciation).

Jesus told Sr. Lucia that He desired that Mary’s heart be honored alongside His Sacred Heart. This would come to fruition when Pope John Paul II established today’s memorial the Saturday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Virgin Mary also asked Lucia to promote world devotion to Her Immaculate Heart and Lucia did so behind the cloistered monastery of the Carmelites until her death.

Our Lady desires that every person be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart. By consecrating ourselves to Her, we give Her permission to help us-- to do God’s will. She will do with us, as She did with Russia, She will protect us from evil and bring about peace within our hearts.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our refuge and may we consecrate ourselves to Her Immaculate Heart often, permitting Her motherly intercession to obtain every grace we need to allow the Sacred Heart of Jesus to live and reign in us.

Sacred Heart Solemnity

 

Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Because today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart it is also World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart consists in the veneration of the very Heart of God. Our Lord’s Heart is mentioned in scripture. St. John, the beloved apostle, rested his head against the Heart of Jesus at the Last Supper. He stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross and watched the Heart of Jesus pierced with a lance. When Jesus was about to feed the multitude by multiplying bread and fish, His Heart was moved with pity for the crowd. Our Lord described His Heart as being meek and humble.

While not explicitly in Sacred Scripture, we know Our Lord’s Heart began to beat for love us--while within Mary’s womb.

Devotion has existed from the early days of the Church, when Christians meditated on the pierced Heart of Jesus. And this devotion was spread by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who had a vision of the Lord on June 16th, 1675, in which she saw His Heart surrounded by flames of love, crowned with thorns and pierced with an open wound in which blood flowed and inside which appeared a cross.

Jesus said to her, “Behold this Heart which has so loved men, that It has spared nothing even to exhausting and consuming itself in order to testify to its love. In return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude by their irreverence and sacrileges by the coldness and contempt they have for me in this Sacrament of Love.” After Jesus said these words, he then told St. Margaret Mary, “What is most painful to Me," added the Savior, in a tone that went to the Sister's heart, "is that they are hearts consecrated to Me". What caused His Sacred Heart the most anguish was the ingratitude, irreverence and sacrilege from those consecrated to the Lord, meaning priests and religious. One of the main reasons Jesus established the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, was to make reparation to His Sacred Heart for those who should love Him in His true presence in the Eucharist.

Every Eucharistic miracle tested by which the Host turned to flesh has always concluded myocardium muscle from the Heart. The Eucharist is the Heart of Jesus.

Today, reparation needs to be made for the priest scandal, injuring so many children and their families. For bishops and cardinals who covered up the scandal. For priests who left the priesthood and the religious who left their orders, over the past 30 years. Reparation needs to be made for priests who fail to warn the laity of their obligation to confess their mortal sins prior to receiving Holy Communion, which results in sacrilegious Communions. Reparation needs to be made for churches with tabernacles no longer in the sanctuary of the church. Reparation needs to be made for priests who treat the liturgy as though it was their own, changing this and that-- at their every whim. Reparation needs to be made for priests and religious who no longer have any devotion to the Eucharist, but treat Him with ingratitude and irreverence.

On this day dedicated prayer for the sanctification of priests, I encourage you to pray a rosary today for all priests and another rosary for a particular priest. I would like to close with the prayer of St. Therese for Priests: O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields. for your tempted priests; for your lonely and desolate priests;  For your young priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in Purgatory. But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Nativity of John the Baptist -- June 23rd (this year)

 

 Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The birth of John the Baptist causes us to reflect upon the deep meaning of God’s special concern and mission for each person.

With reference to the future coming of John the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah states, “The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

Before the John the Baptist was born, even while he was in his mother’s womb, God gave him a name and mission. We know this especially when we hear about the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and said, “Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John.” The angel said, “Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. With the spirit of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom of the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.”

However, despite the appearance of the angel, Zechariah did not believe. And because he failed to believe, he would be unable to speak.

And so it happened, when Elizabeth gave birth to John, the people asked Zechariah what was the name to be given to the child. Elizabeth said the child’s name was to be “John”, but they refused to believe her. Because he was unable to speak, Zechariah wrote the name, “John” on the writing tablet. He immediately began to speak and then was inspired to say the beautiful Benedictus.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah then foretold the mission of his son, John the Baptist. He said, “You my child shall be called the prophet of the most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way to give the people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins.”

St. Luke states that the Blessed Virgin Mary went in haste to Her cousin Elizabeth and was present when John the Baptist was born. Just before his birth, the unborn John, recognized the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb and leapt with joy. Elizabeth also recognized that Mary was the Mother of the Lord.

John’s Nativity is significant, because Jesus and Mary were both present at his birth. John’s birth was significant because he received his name from God, through God’s messenger, the angel. John’s birth was significant because before he was born the Lord God gave him a mission.

Before we were born, God had a name and a mission for us. As the prophet Jeremiah said, “Before I formed you in your womb, I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations, I appointed you.”

Each one of us received a name when we were born. We also have the ability to receive another name at our Confirmation. And those who are religious received a new name when they became a novice.

A new name indicated God has a new mission for us. Those to whom we live with and the souls for whom we pray and offer our sacrifices-- belong to our mission in helping others to obtain their mission and receive the grace of salvation.

If each of us has a name and a mission before we are born, we can see how tender and loving God cares for each of us. We can come to understand that at the moment God created our soul, He desired that we be with Him forever in heaven.

How many unborn children die today, who never receive a name given by their parents, nor are they allowed to fulfill the mission for which they were created?

Every child conceived in his or her mother’s womb will be truly given a name and they will be able to fulfill their mission in which they were created to accomplish.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the unborn pray for us.

Saints Thomas More & John Fischer - June 22nd

 

Today, we celebrate memorial of the martyrs Saint John Fisher, and St. Thomas More. These two men laid down their lives for the unity of the Church, and for the sanctity of marriage.

In early 1500’s, King Henry the VIII wanted to divorce his wife Catherine, so that he could marry Anne, because he wanted her to be the royal successor to the throne, as Queen. St. John Fisher opposed the divorce, which was not permitted by the Catholic Church. He also resisted King Henry VIII’s interference with the Catholic Church in England. Most all of the other bishops of England gave in to King Henry’s wishes, but Bishop John Fisher would not. He refused to sign an oath, which would have acknowledged Henry and Anne, as lawful heir to the throne. King Henry VIII, declared himself, head the Catholic Church in England, and therefore separated the church in England from the Pope and universal Church.

The Catholic Church teaches divorce is not permitted, and marriage lasts until death do they part. The Church also teaches that the Pope is the head of the Church, not a king. And so the Pope wanted to show his approval of the bishop’s defense of the Church’s teachings and therefore, made John Fisher, a cardinal. Henry the VIII became angry with the Pope. This angered King Henry, and so he imprisoned the bishop in a Tower. And within a month, he had Bishop John Fisher beheaded.

Jesus warned His disciples by stating, “Beware of false prophets, who come in sheep clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them.” King Henry acted like an innocent sheep, declaring his own marriage invalid, declaring himself head of the Catholic Church in England, and declared his unlawful wife Anne, as rightful successor to the throne as queen. He became a ravenous wolf, because he divorced his wife Catherine, and because he caused many to be separated from the Catholic Church, as he demanded loyalty to himself as king, rather than loyalty to the Pope. He bore such bad fruit that the entire Catholic Church in England fell away from the one True Church founded by Jesus Christ.

St. Thomas More, who became chancellor of King Henry the VIII, also defended the Pope, and the life-long vow of marriage until death, do you part. He spent the rest of his life defending the authority of the Pope and sanctity of marriage. He refused to declare his allegiance to King Henry as head of the Church in England, and he too, like that of Bishop Fisher was imprisoned in a Tower. After being in prison for 15 months, and 9 months after St. John Fisher was executed, he was tried and convicted of treason. He told the court he could not go against his conscience and wished his judges that “We may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting salvation.” Just before he died, while at the scaffold, he said, “He was the King’s good servant, but God’s (servant) first.” He was then beheaded.

In our day, when divorce is so widespread and when people openly desire same-sex marriage, and when many will not follow the pope or the Church’s teaching, by following their own morality, such as contraception, let us pray ask St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More to intercede for us, that our country and the world will be protected from ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing, and that all will have a change of heart, so that all of us may meet together in God’s heavenly kingdom, with Mary our Mother, and all the angels and saints.

St. Aloysius - June 21st

 

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Aloysius, patron of Catholic youth. He is often pictured as a young man holding a crucifix, with an angelic face. Although artists make him appear wimpy, the young man was actually very strong willed.

His father wanted him to be a soldier, and so, as a child, Aloysius would roam about his father’s military camp, wearing soldier clothing. One day, he accidentally set off an explosion from ammunition, which caused many to think the castle was being attacked.

Though not old enough to know better, he began to speak the dirty language of the soldiers. However, at the age of 7, he had a conversion and wanted to give himself totally to God. At this young age, most of his time was spent in prayer, reading devotions from a prayer book, and disciplining his body. He caught malaria, which put an end to his playing soldier. And when his father returned from war, he noticed his son had changed, and now wanted to be religious brother, rather than a soldier.

During his time, murders and adultery were widespread. Immorality was the chief topic in conversations; like today, amusement games had impure and suggestive material.

Despite the immoral world around him, St. Aloysius vowed never to commit a mortal sin. And so, at the age of 10, he avoided silly and indecent games and kept his eyes cast down, as young women passed by. By disciplining his own innocent body, he made reparation for the impure sins of others.

At the age of 12, St. Aloysius received instruction on the Eucharist from his relative St. Charles Borremeo, and made his first Communion from him.

Determined to become a religious in the order of the Jesuits, one day, he went to receive Holy Communion in a Jesuit church, and knelt before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He distinctly heard an inner voice tell him, it was God’s will, he become a religious.

However, his father was opposed to it causing years of turmoil until he was finally told to leave the house. He left and went to a house on the outskirts of town. Worried about his son, his father sent a man sent to check on him. As the man peered into his room, he noticed Aloysius scourging himself. When his father heard that his son was scourging himself, he came to see his boy, and began to weep, as he saw his son’s bleeding back. With a change of heart, his father wrote a letter to the Jesuits, asking that his boy be received into the order. After entering the order, he was told to do less penance, but practiced humility, obedience and poverty, by his self-denial. He used to say, “I am a twisted piece of iron, I have entered religious life to get twisted straight.”

He began to study to become a priest. However, a famine and a plague swept through the city. Consequently, he began to beg for food for the many who were starving, and helped the many who were sick in the hospitals from the plague. Eventually he caught the plague and after 3 months, he joyfully prayed that his death would come soon. Three days before his death, he stated, “Were off, were off!” The provincial asked “We are off where?”, and he replied, “We are off to heaven, if my sins do not stop me!” He died, during the octave of Corpus Christi, at the young age of 23. Today, in the Liturgy of Hours, the Office of Readings has his beautiful letter to his mother, stating his death is near, but not to worry.

St. Therese, the little flower, said this about, St. Aloysius, “Look at St. Aloysius. God could have made him live long, to evangelize the nations. But He did not choose to do so, because He destined him for a far more fruitful mission. This young saint did much more good through dying, before he was twenty-four, than he would otherwise have done, if he had lived to be eighty. He is doing an apostolic work in heaven.” We know that these words of St. Therese would prophetically speak of her role as patron of missionaries, as she said, she would do her work in heaven.

Today, let us ask St. Aloysius, patron of Catholic Youth, to pray for all our youth of today, that their souls may be kept pure.

And, as St. Aloysius made reparation for the many sins of impurity, which engulfed his world, may we too, imitate this strong willed saint, by making reparation for these sins, which so offend, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Virgin Most Pure!

12th Monday - Stop Judging

 

 Stop judging that you may not be judged.

In the Gospel today, Jesus condemns any rash judgments that we make maliciously or carelessly about our neighbor’s behavior. He is condemning condemnatory judgment. To condemn someone is to make a judgment with regard to the state of his or her soul.

Let us give an example. Let’s suppose we begin a conversation with a friend who is grumpy. He makes negative comments about the weather, his job, his family, and his neighbors. Our first thought may be: “This person is sinning”, “This person has no charity in his heart.” “He does not know how to love.” “What an evil person!”

Just because a person is making negative comments, we cannot judge that he is sinning, or that he has no charity in his heart, or that he does not know how to love, or that he is an evil person. All of these are condemnatory judgments. The truth is we really do not know what is going on in his heart, or in his life. God is the only judge. He is a just, and merciful judge, who truly knows the heart. We have no authority to judge our neighbor.

Our Blessed Lord said, “For as you judge, so you will be judged.” Aren’t these words frightening? Another way of saying what Jesus said could be, “Do not judge others, that you not be judged by God”. In other words, if we condemn others, God will condemn us.

So what are we to do, if we meet someone who is grumpy, and makes negative comments about others? First; begin to pray silently for them, as we listen to them. Second; gently, make positive comments about the persons, he or she is negatively speaking. Third; we do not know what he is going through in his life. For example, he may be suffering greatly due to headache, or perhaps he recently lost a loved one, or maybe he just received bad news, or perhaps the stress of old age has become overwhelming to him or her, and so, the person is not thinking clearly.

Therefore, we should never think badly of anyone, not even if the words or conduct of the person gives us grounds for doing so. Let us therefore be slow to judge. Each person sees things from his own point of view. Each mind has its limitations, and often one’s eyes may be dimmed by powerful emotions, fears, or pain.

St. Augustine gave advice with regard to judging others. He said, “Try to acquire those virtues which you think your brothers lack, and you will no longer see their defects, because you will not have the (virtues) yourself.” 

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

May we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who never once sinned, and ask Her to help us to overcome rash judgment, that we may not be judged, by our condemnatory judgments, on the day of our judgment, and so enter into the joys of heaven.

Corpus Christi - Body of Christ

 

Today is Corpus Christi Sunday, meaning Body of Christ. In many churches throughout the world parishes have Eucharistic Processions and we will too will process down the streets of Little River at the end of Mass. There have been at least 126 Eucharistic Miracles that have occurred in various parts of the world and throughout the Christian history and have been authenticated by the Church. Today, I will speak about 7 Church approved Eucharistic Miracles.

The Miracle of Santarem - A woman living in Santarém, Portugal in the 13th was distressed that her husband was unfaithful to her, and she decided to consult a sorceress for help. The sorceress told her the price of her services was a consecrated host. She went to Mass at the Church of St. Stephen and received the Eucharist on her tongue, removed the Eucharist from her mouth, wrapped it in her veil, and headed to the door of the church. But before she got out, the host began to bleed. When she got home, she put the bloodied host in a trunk. That night, a miraculous light emanated from the trunk. She repented of what she had done and the next morning confessed to her priest. Her priest came and retrieved the host and took it back to the church. After an investigation and approval of the miracle, the church was renamed Church of the Holy Miracle, and the bloodied host remains on display to this day. About 10 years ago, when I went on a pilgrimage to Fatima, I was able to see the miracle first hand. Truly Amazing!

Miracle of Bolsena - In the year 1263 a priest from Prague was on route to Rome making a pilgrimage asking God for help to strengthen his faith since he was having doubts about his vocation. Along the way he stopped in Bolsena 70 miles north of Rome. While celebrating Mass there, as he raised the host during the consecration, the bread turned into flesh and began to bleed. The drops of blood fell onto the small white cloth on the altar, called the corporal. The following year, 1264, Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus, today’s feast, Corpus Christi. The Pope asked St Thomas Aquinas, living at that time, to write hymns for the feast. He wrote the Tantum Ergo and O Salutaris. That blood-stained corporal may still be seen in the Basilica of Orvieto north of Rome.

Miracle of Lanciano - The Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano, Italy, is probably the most famous Eucharistic miracle, which took place many centuries earlier, in the year 700. A monk who feared he was losing his vocation was celebrating Mass, and during the consecration the Host turned into flesh and the wine turned into blood. Despite the fact that the miracle took place almost 1300 years ago, you may still see the flesh in a monstrance which is exposed every day and the blood in a glass chalice. (The glass chalice is beneath the monstrance on the right.) The blood has congealed and is now in five clots in the glass chalice. In 1971 and 1981 a hospital laboratory tested the flesh and blood and discovered that the flesh is myocardium, which is heart muscular tissue, so we could say it is the heart of Jesus, the Sacred Heart, and the blood is of the blood group AB. In 1978 NASA scientists tested the blood on the Shroud of Turin and interestingly also discovered that it is of the blood group AB. The Sudarium, Face Cloth of Christ, in John 20:6 is also of the blood group AB.) Despite the fact that human flesh and blood should not have remained preserved for 1300 years the hospital lab tests found no trace of any preservatives. One final interesting point about the five blood clots in the chalice is that when you weigh one of them, it is the same weight as all five together, two of them together weigh the same as all five. In fact no matter what way you combine the blood clots individually or in a group to weigh them, they always weigh the same.  (This shows that the full Jesus is present in a particle of the Eucharist no matter how small.)

Miracle of Chirattakonam, India - On April 28th, 2001, there was Eucharistic adoration at St. Mary’s parish in Chirattakonam, India, when suddenly three red stains materialize on the Host. The priest didn’t know what to do and placed the host back into the tabernacle. A few days later he retrieved the host to examine it again, and the red stains had arranged themselves to look like the face of a man (Jesus?). He quickly found a photographer and had pictures taken of the host.

Christmas Eucharistic Miracle in 2013, Poland - In 2013, a Eucharistic miracle was approved by the Vatican. The local bishop in Poland, who made the official declaration said, “As the Bishop of Legnica, I hereby announce to the public and inform about an event that took place in the parish of St. Jack in Legnica which has the signs of the Eucharistic miracle. On 25th December, 2013 during the distribution of the Holy Communion, a consecrated Host fell to the floor and then was picked up and placed in a water-filled container (vasculum). Soon after, stains of the red color appeared. In the histopathological image, the fragments of tissue have been found containing the fragmented parts of the cross striated muscle. …(it) is most similar to the heart muscle with alterations that often appear during ….agony. The genetic researches indicate the human origin of the tissue.”

Eucharistic Miracle of St. Clare - Once, during an enemy attack against Assisi, while the army was approaching the gates, the fierce Saracens invaded San Damiano, entered the confines of the monastery and even the very cloister of the virgins. In terror, the voices of the nuns trembling with fear cried to their Mother, Saint Clare. Saint Clare, with a fearless heart, commanded them to lead her, sick as she was, to the enemy, preceded by a silver and ivory case in which the Body of Christ was kept with great devotion. And prostrating herself before the Lord, she spoke tearfully to her Christ: ‘Behold, my Lord, is it possible You want to deliver into the hands of pagans Your defenseless handmaids, whom I have taught out of love for You? I pray You, Lord, protect these Your handmaids whom I cannot now save by myself.’ Suddenly a voice like that of a child resounded in her ears from the tabernacle: ‘I will always protect you!’ ‘My Lord,’ she added, ‘if it is Your wish, protect also this city which is sustained by Your love.’ Christ replied, ‘It will have to undergo trials, but it will be defended by My protection.’ St. Clare raising a face bathed in tears, comforted the sisters: ‘I assure you, daughters, that you will suffer no evil; only have faith in Christ.’ A great light shone from the Eucharist which caused the Saracens to take flight and fled back over the walls they had scaled. And Clare immediately admonished those who heard the voice I spoke of above, telling them severely: ‘Take care not to tell anyone about that voice while I am still alive, dearest daughters.’”

Miracle of St. Anthony of Padua - St. Anthony of Padua lived during the 13th century and possessed a great zeal for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. One day Saint Anthony heard of a man in Rimini named named Bononillo who did not share the same belief. In fact, Bononillo openly mocked people who believed that Jesus was truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. St. Anthony tried his hardest to convince Bononillo with the proofs of scripture and argument, but discovered that the man was as stubborn as a mule. Then St. Anthony received an inspiration. He challenged the wealthy merchant, “If the mule you ride adored the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, would you believe in the truth of the Blessed Sacrament?” Bononillo agreed, but decided to raise the stakes. Bononillo would starve his mule for three days and then bring it to the town square. Saint Anthony would bring the Blessed Sacrament to that same square. The mule then would be put in front of a pile of hay and St. Anthony would stand a few yards away with the Blessed Sacrament. What happened next would decide the victor. Bononillo brought the mules favorite hay and and St. Anthony stood holding the Eucharistic Jesus in his hands. The mule walked up to St. Anthony and bowed down on bended knees before the Sacred Host, causing Bononillo to renounce the error of his ways and came back to the Church with a strengthened faith in the Holy Eucharist.

These Eucharistic Miracles point to the fact, that Jesus is really and truly present in the Sacred Host. We are so very fortunate to have continuous Eucharistic Adoration from Sunday after Mass until Tuesday just before Mass, which is a testament to the faith of the people of Holy Trinity in our Lord’s true presence in the Eucharist. How wonderful to see so many of you receive Jesus on the tongue out of reverence and love. No one from our parish leaves Mass early after receiving Communion, unlike many other parishes.

How beautiful it is to see parents who bring children during your Holy Hour. To adore Jesus as a family is powerful. And as the famous Fr. Peyton used to say, “The family that prays together, stays together.” One of the main reasons for having continuous Eucharistic Adoration is so that anyone during the day or night can come and be with Jesus. How many graces are flowing from our church and into the world, by your silent presence with Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Not only is your heart touched by grace, but so are the hearts of your family members, parishioners and the graces flow.

May Jesus in the Eucharist always be the very center and heart of our church, the center and heart of our faith, the center and heart of our parish, and the center and heart of the lives of each of us.

O Sacrament most holy,
O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving
Be every moment thine.