26th Sunday - Rich Man & Lazarus

 

In the Gospel today, we have the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the poor man. St. Augustine in a sermon speaks about this parable, he said, “...in the Gospel it said: “Father Abraham, send Lazarus, let him dip his finger in water and drip it on my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!” How afraid we felt of something of the same sort happening to us after this life, and our pleading in vain for relief! There is no room, you see, for putting things right when this life is over. When an athlete’s beaten in the stadium, can he hope to compete outside the stadium in order to try again for the prize he has lost?

So what then? If we were afraid, if we were shocked and shaken to the core, let us change our ways while there is yet time, that is a fruitful fear. We beat our (chests) when our consciences prick us with our consciousness of sin. What we are beating is something inside—some bad, evil intention or desire; let it only burst out in confession, and there will perhaps be nothing left to prick our consciences. Let all our sins burst out in confession. So let none of us, brothers and sisters, be ashamed of confessing sins; to lie down signifies humility. Notice how they change places. When the painful difficulty of confessing has passed, there comes the rewarding refreshment of merits; the angels will come and carry up this sore-ridden man and lay him in Abraham’s bosom, that is to say in eternal rest.”

St. Augustine helps us to see this event in the context of Confession, by saying we should confess our failure to help the poor.

Jesus gave the apostles and their successors, the authority to forgive sins. When He appeared to them after He rose from the dead Our Lord said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23) By these words, Jesus gave them and the bishops and priests after them, the power and authority to forgive sins. From the beginning of Christianity unto today, Christians have always confessed their sins to a priest. It was not until the Protestant rebellion in the 1500’s some Christians, who left the Catholic Church, stopped confessing to a priest. Imagine that, for the first 1,500 years of Christianity, all Christians confessed their sins to priests.

The early Church fathers mention confessing sins to a priest. For example, in the year 248 AD, Origen said, "[A final method of forgiveness], albeit hard and laborious [is] the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner...does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord." St. Cyprian of Carthage in 251 AD, which is 1,750 years ago, said, "Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who...confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience...” St. Augustine, whose sermon I just read, was born in 354 and died in 430, spoke about Confession. We can see Christians from the beginning up to today, have gone to confession to priests.

Here are some reasons why we should confess our sins to a priest. Most importantly, it is what Jesus commanded of the early Christians.  By hearing the priest say the words of absolution, we have certainty our sins are forgiven because the priest says so. Some say, they want to confess their sins to God alone. It is true, we should tell our sins to God everyday, and especially right after we have committed them. But, do we know God has forgiven us? Jesus wants us to confess our sins to God—through the priest. Jesus, in the priest, forgives our mortal and venial sins. The Church states we must confess our mortal sins to a priest. Since “God is everywhere”, He is also therefore especially in the priest, through sacrament of Holy Orders.

Only in Confession do we receive sacramental grace and there is a real washing away of sin. Through the sacraments, we come in contact with Jesus.

Something you may be unaware is that sacramental grace in Confession gives us extra graces to overcome sin. So the more often we go to confession, the easier it is to avoid sin.

It is good for us psychologically- (mentally healthy) to confess our sins to another person. When confessing our sins to a priest, it avoids the hiding of sins from our self. In confession, one confronts their own sins and is not so apt to hide them from one self. When we confess our sins out in the open, the sin, and the devil, loses its hold, and we gain power over the sin.

Confessing our sins to a priest helps us to grow in humility, by admitting what we have done. We avoid pride, the root of many sins.

By confessing, we become more sorry- It’s easy to say we are sorry when we are not in the presence of the person, whom we are apologizing, but it touches our heart even more, when we tell the person, who is (God) that we are sorry, when tell Him who we directly offended.

In Confession, we receive advice from the priest on how to overcome our sins. We can’t give our own advice when confessing our sins at home.

In Confession, we receive a penance. The priest gives us a penance to make up to a certain degree for our sins. Have you ever given yourself a penance, after you told God, you were sorry for sinning? Yet, penance makes up for our sins.

If we can’t do other sacraments our self- why do we think we can confess our sins and receive forgiveness by our self? Each of us can’t offer our own Mass, we can’t baptize our self, nor anoint our selves, nor preside at our own wedding. We can’t confirm our self. We receive sacramental grace, through the help of a priest.

Through Confession, we have greater peace. And it makes us feel good when we have done so. Many people say they feel a burden lifted after Confession. They feel free and happy.

I found a confession story on the Internet. It’s from an anonymous woman in Rochester, Minnesota. She said, “It had been 30 years since my last Confession.  I knew I needed to return to Confession, but I was afraid.  Where would I start?  It had been so long. But because I was also attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist I knew I needed to make a decision soon.  I knew it was wrong to continue to receive the Eucharist after being away from Confession for so long.  I was searching for the right opportunity, but my fear of going back to the sacrament was very strong.

  I knew this was the time God had chosen for me. I chose not to do a face to face Confession.  The priest was kind and helpful.  The burden of carrying my sins that I was ashamed to confess for so many years had been lifted.  It was a time of great thankfulness to God for providing the right opportunity for me.  God knows us so well.  Since that return to the Sacrament of Confession about 10 years ago, she said, I have been faithful in going to Confession on a regular basis.  I usually make my Confession every month or six weeks.  It has been a source of great healing for me from past sins.  It has lessened temptations and brought me closer to Jesus and my Catholic faith.  It has inspired me to reach out now to others to share my experience so others need not be afraid.  It is such a blessing to receive this sacrament each and every time.  We are so fortunate as Catholic Christians to have this great gift available to us.  The Lord is truly kind and merciful!”  From Anonymous, Rochester, MN.

My friends, if its been a long time since you have been to confession, don’t worry, the priest can help you. He can help you examine your conscience by going through the 10 commandments and asking yes or no questions, then if he misses something, you should tell him. Its a simple and easy way to go to confession and removes the fear that goes with it. Or you can make a list of sins, and bring it with you to confession, this way you don’t to try to remember everything.

Dear parish family, come to the sacrament of mercy. Once you regularly walk through the door of mercy every month, you will see how it will change your attitude and your way of life. You will become a happier person; a more kind and loving person, because you will have recognized, the poor man at your door step, was yourself all along, whose wounds to your soul needed to be healed by God’s mercy. Once, you confess your sins, your eyes will be open to see the needs of the poor and others around you.

And all you had to do, all along was allow Jesus to give your soul, His mercy through the priest, in Confession, and in return, at the end of your life, you will avoid the agony of the flames. Rather, your soul will be refreshed in the living water in the bosom of the Father’s house (heaven). Ask the Virgin Mary, the refuge of sinners to give you the grace to come to Jesus often to experience His loving and tender mercy.

St. Padre Pio - Sept. 23rd

 

Today is the feast of St. Padre Pio, who was born May 25^th of 1887 in Italy and given the name Francisco.  A very devout young boy at the age 5, he told his parents he wanted to be consecrated to God.  As a young boy he tended sheep with his peasant parents.  His family daily attended Mass and he served as an altar boy of his local parish.  As a young child he was known for taking on penances and his mother scolded him for sleeping on a stone floor.  He was able to see guardian angels, and he spoke with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. He was sickly as a child. At the age of 15, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. He took the name of "Pio" in honor of Pope Pius I. On September 20, Padre Pio was hearing confessions when he felt pain in his hands and feet. He noticed the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands and feet. The wounds smelled of roses. He was seen levitating in the air, and was capable of performing miracles.

One man who was born with one leg shorter than the other came to Padre Pio in Confession. When the Confession was over, Padre Pio took his fist and hit him on the top of his head. The man said, “Padre Pio, why did you hit me on the top of my head?” Padre Pio didn’t say anything and as the man walked away, he realized both legs were now the same length.

He bilocated (physically in more than one place at time).  He was falsely accused and forbidden from offering public Masses and hearing confessions, but he never complained. Three years later, he was exonerated by the pope.  Greater than the miracles and mystical event during his life was his greatest virtue, his silent obedience to the his superiors and Church representatives. He had the ability to read souls (to know the sins of people). His Masses would last often times hours at a time. When offering the Mass it was though he suffered the Passion of Jesus. He built a hospital for the sick in San Giovanni Rotondo.  He died Sept. 23^rd of 1968 and was canonized in 2000.  After his death his wounds disappeared and today he remains incorrupt. Padre Pio, pray for us!

St. Matthew - Sept. 21st

 

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

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

Through the eyes of mercy, and knowing full well of Matthew’s sinful lifestyle, Jesus saw the sinful misery of his life and chose Him to be one of His apostles.

One day, while Matthew was working at the customs post, most likely at a booth for collecting taxes on inter-regional trade, Jesus came up to him, and said, “Follow me”. Immediately understanding the love and mercy of Jesus, it brought him to full repentance.

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

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

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

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

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

Who is the True Pope?

Mark Mallett discusses controversies about Pope Francis's election and Pope Benedict's resignation.

Click picture or this link: "Who Is the True Pope?"

Tuesday - Mary Always Did God's Will

 

 “My mother and my brothers are those, who hear the word of God, and act on it.”

Our Lord uses these words for a double purpose. The first purpose is to praise His Mother for always doing God’s will because She heard the Word of God and always acted on it. The Virgin Mary never once sinned in Her life and always did the Father’s will perfectly. When She heard the angel Gabriel speaking on behalf of God, She acted on it and said, “Be it done unto me, according to thy word.” And at that moment the Holy Spirit came down upon Her, Jesus entered Her womb and She became the Mother of God. Her whole life was a constant yes, Jesus, the Eternal Word. She most especially did God’s will, as She faithfully stood at the foot of the Cross. In Her Heart, She understood it was God’s will to be with Her Son in His great moment of suffering and to bear that pain in Her Heart. She acted on it by being faithful to Him in the most difficult manner possible, watching Her Son be tortured and killed on the Cross.

The second purpose for Jesus using these words is to let all know that anyone who hears the Word of God and acts on it, are His mother and brothers to Our Lord because they are imitating the Virgin Mary. Our Lord wants us to imitate His Mother in doing God’s will. He wants us to come to know God’s will and act on it.

We know God’s will by the ordinary duties of our state in life. For example its God’s will that spouses be the best spouse they can be; parents to be the best parents they can be; children to be the best children; brothers and sisters to do the best they can in their life; the same is true for those who have a job, to do our job to the best of our ability; at home to keep the house clean; to take care of our health; to also do God’s will in our spiritual life such as to daily pray; to attend Mass on Sunday; daily read scripture, to learn about our faith; to be a good Christian; for every Christian to be a faithful son and daughter of the Church by following the rules and teachings of the Church as the Church desires of us. To forgive others and to be a good disciple of the Lord following the way of life He points out to us.
God’s will is easily seen in the ordinary duties of our state of life. God wants us to do the best of everything for love of Him because by doing so, we are hearing the Word of God and acting on it.

Today, if we want to be the spiritual members of Jesus’ family (brothers, sisters and mothers of Jesus), let us do our best to act on the Word of God by following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Eternal Word, always seeking His will and performing it with love, care, attention, no matter the sacrifice.

As St. Elizabeth Ann Seton used to say: “The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is his will.”

25th Sunday Year C - Mary Mediatrix of All Grace

 

Is Jesus the only mediator between God and man, or can everyone mediate by their prayers?

In the second reading today, St. Paul said, “There is ….one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” However, he also indicates that anyone can mediate because St. Paul asked that, "….supplications prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men".

So, how can there be one mediator-- if everyone can mediate by their prayers, intercessions and supplications? Pope St. John Paul II answered this question by saying, “Are not prayers a form of mediation? Indeed, according to St Paul, the unique mediation of Christ is meant to encourage other dependent, ministerial forms of mediation. By proclaiming the uniqueness of Christ’s mediation, the Apostle (Paul) intends only to exclude any autonomous or rival mediation, and not other forms compatible with the infinite value of the Savior’s work.”

By the words of Pope St. John Paul II we understand that anyone can mediate on behalf of others, yet He makes it clear Jesus has a unique mediation in which all others are dependent. This one mediation occurred when, as St. Paul states, “when Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all.” No one, not anyone, not even Mary, could give themselves for us as a ransom for all. Only Jesus, who is God, paid the price of our redemption, by His death on the Cross.

Yet, Jesus has so willed-- that all of us participate in His one mediation, though in a small way, through our prayers, petition and supplications. Our prayers mediate on behalf of others to help them in their needs, whether physical, spiritual or emotional needs. Jesus wants us to pray for others and for our own needs that why He said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened.”

Many of us mediate, by our prayers for the sick, asking God to heal them or to help them to endure their suffering. We mediate by our prayers, when we pray for our families and loved ones asking God to help them stay close to Him. We mediate for peace in the world, for the poor, the homeless, for our soldiers, for the souls in purgatory, etc…

The Church also teaches that the saints in heaven, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, can mediate on our behalf by their prayers, petitions and supplications. One example of the saints mediating in heaven is a current investigation of a purported miracle involving Chase Kear, through the prayers of Fr. Kapaun. Thousands of people asked Fr. Kapaun to intercede due to a pole vaulting accident that crushed his skull. Doctors said he most likely would not live and if he would live, he would be severely disabled. And now he is perfectly fine. If it is declared a miracle, then Fr. Kapaun will have mediated a special grace given by God, to the young man from Colwich. If future saints can mediate for us, how much more will Mary’s prayers, petitions and supplications help us?

The Blessed Virgin Mary mediates every grace given to us by God whether we know it or not, whether we ask it of Her or not. Mary never ceases to pray for Her children and She is the one through whom every grace flows. Pope Pius IX, quoted St. Bernard, who said, “God wills that every grace should come to us through Her.” Pope Benedict XV, stated, “It has pleased God to grant us all graces through the intercession of Mary”.

Because every grace comes to us through Mary’s intercession, She has the title of Mediatrix of All Graces. Though it is currently not on the Church calendar, Holy Mother Church established the Feast of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace in 1921 and Vatican II Council referred to Mary as Mediatrix in its document called Lumen Gentium. Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict have both referred to Mary as Mediatrix.

So what does it mean to us that Mary is the Mediatrix of All Graces? If the prayers of the saints and our prayers can make a difference in the lives of others, how much more can Mary’s intercession make a difference, especially since She mediates every grace that comes to us from God. In another words, what ever we ask of God, we should ask it of Mary. The next time someone says, “Will you pray for me?” You can say, “Yes, I will pray for you, and I will ask Mary to mediate on your behalf, because every grace comes through Her intercession.”

Do we have problems in our marriage, ask Mary. Financial difficulties, ask Mary. A friend suffering from addiction, ask Mary. If we have trouble in our relationships, ask Mary. If we want to overcome a particular sin, ask Mary. If we need a job, ask Mary. If have health problems and need strength to endure them, ask Mary.

If you are a young person struggling with Algebra or some other class or teacher ask Mary. When I was in seminary I became very ill from a medicine I took. I had terrible abdominal pain and could not study for a Latin test that I had the next day. In the morning, I prayed to Mary asking her to help me on my test and consecrated it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Just before the class, I studied six Latin words and memorized them. Then when I went to take the test, those were the only six words on the whole test and ended up getting an A+. While other seminarians stayed up late studying and tried to memorize many more words and didn’t do so well as I. Mary interceded for me.

If we have family members, who have fallen away from the Church, ask Mary. If we desire an end to wars, if we want peace among nations, if we anything, no matter what, we should ask Mary, especially by adding our petitions to Her petitions before we pray our daily Rosary.

“O Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, we ask you to mediate by your prayers, petitions and supplications on our behalf. We believe every grace comes through you and from your Son, Jesus, the one mediator between God and man. We entrust all our needs, all our cares and concerns, all our worries, everything to you. O Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us, who have recourse to thee!”

Stigmata of St. Francis - Sept. 17th

 

Today is the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Bonaventure describes what happened to St. Francis. He said, “On the morning of the feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, as he was praying in a secret and solitary place on the mountain, Francis beheld a seraph with six wings all afire, descending to him from the heights of heaven. As the seraph flew with great swiftness towards the man of God, there appeared amid the wings the form of one crucified, with his hands and feet stretched out and fixed to the cross. Two wings rose above the head, two were stretched forth in flight, and two veiled the whole body.”

“St. Francis understood the vision as a revelation of the Lord and that it was being presented to his eyes by Divine Providence so that the friend of Christ might be transformed into Christ crucified, not through martyrdom of the flesh, but through a spiritual holocaust.” “The vision, disappearing, left behind it a marvelous fire in the heart of Francis, and no less wonderful token impressed on his flesh. For there began immediately to appear in his hands and in his feet something like nails as he had just seen them in the vision of the Crucified. The heads of the nails in the hands and feet were round and black, and the points were somewhat long and bent, as if they had been turned back. On the right side, as if it had been pierced by a lance, was the mark of a red wound, from which blood often flowed and stained his tunic."

We come to know through the biography of St. Bonaventure, that St. Francis was a great lover of the Cross and God rewarded him for his deep love by permitting him to suffer even more for Jesus. St. Francis gives us an example of how we should all have great compassion for Christ Crucified and be willing to suffer for Jesus no matter the cost, so that we may be transformed into an image of Jesus.

Today, let us ask St. Francis of Assisi to intercede for us and ask him to help us embrace our sufferings and crosses that we may even choose to love to suffer for Jesus in response to Our Lord’s great love for us.

24th Friday - Women Who Followed Jesus

In the Gospel today, the 12 apostles and some women followed Jesus when He want about preaching the Good News and the provided resources for His needs.

We know three names of the women, Joanna, who was the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza, Susanna, who we don’t know anything about, and Mary Magdalene, who the Gospel tells us, Jesus cast out 7 demons. It also states there were other women were freed of their infirmities and from demons.

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Some saints speculate that the seven demons which departed from Mary Magdalene were associated with the 7 capital sins: lust, anger, pride, sloth, intemperance, envy and greed. After being forgiven by Jesus and delivered from these demons, she tagged along Jesus and was at the foot of the Cross. Our Lord rewarded her for her deep repentance, faith and love by appearing to her first, even before the 12 apostles. Its believed she live a life as a hermit after Jesus ascended into heaven.

So there is hope for every sinner, that God’s mercy can triumph in the heart of every sinner and even make them a great saint.

Our Lady of Sorrows - Sept. 15th

 

Today is the memorial of the Our Lady of Sorrows. Each of Her seven sorrows was a moment She cried, because She loved Her Son Jesus with a motherly Heart.

Mary’s first sorrow. When the Child Jesus was presented in the temple, how great was the shock to Mary's Heart at hearing the sorrowful words, from holy Simeon, who said, “And a sword shall pierce your heart.”

The second sorrow of Mary. The flight into Egypt. Consider the sharp sorrow which Mary felt when, St. Joseph being warned by an angel, they had to flee by night in order to preserve her beloved Child from the slaughter decreed by Herod.

The third sorrow of Mary. Joseph and Mary’s loss of Jesus in the temple. For three days they searched for Him not knowing if He was dead or alive or captured by marauders. How dread was the grief of Mary, when She saw She had lost her beloved Son! And as if to increase Her sorrow, when She sought Him diligently among Her kinsfolk and acquaintances, She could not find Him.

The fourth sorrow of Mary. Mary meets Her beloved Son as He carried His Cross. Bearing His Cross, wounded, torn by stripes, crowned with thorns, streaming with blood. Consider the grief of the blessed Virgin thus beholding her Son! Who would not weep at seeing this Mother's grief?

The fifth sorrow of Mary. See the sacrifice of the body of Jesus hanging from the Cross with His Mother standing beneath Him. As She stood at the foot of the cross, pierced by the sword of sorrow, She turned Her eyes on Him, until She knew He lived no longer and had resigned His spirit to His Eternal Father. And to hear the words of Jesus, “Woman, behold thy son.”, would have struck Her Heart knowing John would replace Her beloved son.

The sixth sorrow of Mary. Consider the most bitter sorrow which rent the soul of Mary, when She saw the dead body of Her dear Jesus on laying on Her knees, covered with blood, all torn with deep wounds.

The seventh sorrow of Mary. Consider the sighs which burst from Mary's sad heart when She saw Her beloved Jesus laid within the tomb. She gazed a last time on the lifeless body of her Son, and when the great stone was rolled to the door of the sepulcher, oh, then indeed Her heart seemed torn from her body!

Have you ever wondered what Mary was thinking when She stood at the foot of the Cross. St. Bernard gives us an insight into Mary’s Heart. He said, “Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if He could die in body, could She not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since His.

My friends, all seven sorrows of Mary were moments, which She would have cried because of how much Her only Son, Jesus, suffered. Today, let us resolve to comfort the Sorrowful Heart of Mary by meditating on Her Seven Sorrows and entering into Her great love for Jesus.

Triumph of the Cross - Sept. 14th

 

 Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The public veneration of the Cross of Christ originated in the fourth century, beginning with the miraculous discovery of the cross on September 14, 326, by Saint Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine. Out of an aversion to Christianity, pagans who worshiped idols had done all in their power to conceal the place where it lay, and where Jesus was buried. They heaped upon His sepulcher (tomb) a great quantity of stones and rubbish, besides building a temple to Venus. They also erected a statue to Jupiter in the place where Jesus rose from the dead.

Helena ordered the profane building to be pulled down, the statues to be broken in pieces, and the rubbish to be removed; and upon digging to a great depth, they discovered the Holy Sepulcher, and near it three crosses; also the nails which had pierced our Savior’s body, and the title which had been affixed to his cross.

By this discovery they understood that one of the three crosses was that of Jesus and that the other two belonged to the two who were crucified with Jesus. The title was found separate from the cross.

The three crosses were carried in procession to the bed of a woman, who was at the point of death. The touch of the first two had no effect, but when the woman was touched, with the last Cross, the woman suddenly got better. St. Helena wanted to check for herself if this was the True Cross, so she asked that a man, who was already dead and buried, be taken to the Cross. And when he came in contact with the Cross, he became alive.

St. Andrew Crete said, “The cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation– very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it He freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world. The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as His triumph.”

And let us not forget, that His Mother Mary stood beneath Her Son’s Cross. May we contemplate in our heart what She endured gazing upon Her crucified Son.

Holy Name of Mary - Sept. 12th

 

Today we celebrate a feast that was originally celebrated in Spain in 1513, though honor for the holy name of Mary extends to the early church, and to the angels themselves.  The feast of the holy name of Mary was dropped from the liturgical calendar in 1969, but was reestablished by Pope John Paul II.

The Church celebrates the memorial of the Holy Name of Mary shortly after her birthday on September 8, just like we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus shortly after Christmas.

In accordance with Jewish custom Our Lady’s parents named her eight days after her birth.

In the litany of the divine praises, which we pray at benediction, the church proclaims, “Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother”. 

We show honor to the name of Mary, because no doubt, Our Lord himself honored his mother.  And so we honor the name of our mother, Mary, mother of all Christians, holiest of creatures, the queen of heaven earth.

When we pronounce her name, we affirm her power, we implore her aid, and place ourselves under her protection.  And we should pronounce her name, often: in times of temptation to seek her aid in confronting sin; in times of trial and difficulty to seek her help and prayers in bearing our cross; and like a child pointing out something delightful or beautiful to his mother, pronouncing her name in times of joy and thanksgiving throughout the day.  When we speak her name with love, we imitate our Lord Jesus.

The directives for the liturgy instruct us to bow our heads in reverence at the name of Jesus, at the name of Mary, and at the name of the Saint of the Day when they are mentioned in the prayers of the liturgy.

It is a privilege to know and to be able to call upon with Love the name of Mary.  At her name demons flee and angels rejoice.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he gave Mary to us to be our mother.  May all who call upon the holy name of Mary, our mother, have confidence in her protection and receive comfort and strength for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

There is a hymn called Mary the Dawn, in the Office of Readings, which priests, religious and some laypeople sing. In every line, is the name of Mary. I will close with the words from the hymn.

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;

Mary the Gate, Christ the Heav’nly Way!

Mary the Root, Christ the Mystic Vine;

Mary the Grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the Wheat, Christ the Living Bread;

Mary the Rose, Christ the Rose Blood-red!

Mary the Font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;

Mary the Chalice, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the Temple, Christ the Temple’s Lord;

Mary the Shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the Beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest;

Mary the Mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the Mother, Christ the Mother’s Son.

Both ever blest while endless ages run.

24th Sunday, God's Infinite Mercy

 

All of the readings today speak of God’s mercy. In the first reading, God threatens to destroy the Hebrew people because they created a molten calf and began to worship it. But Moses implored God’s mercy, sparing their destruction.

The responsorial psalm asks for God’s mercy and reveals His compassion by washing away sin and guilt.

The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul states Jesus came to the world to save sinners and Paul considers himself the worst of sinners, but was mercifully treated so in him, Jesus might display His patience as an example for those who come to believe in Him.

In the Gospel, tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus, when the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus responded by telling them the parable of the prodigal son.

After spending years away from his family and spending half of his family’s inheritance, and sleeping with prostitutes, he finally realizes his sinfulness, and decided to come home, and say to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” And so, he decided to return home to be with his father.

What would was he thinking on his way back home? He must have thought his father would be angry, as well as his brother. Perhaps, he thought his father would give him a good scolding. Maybe his father would turn him away, and tell him to fend for himself; after all, he had enough money to live on, for the rest of his life. Maybe he thought his father might disown him, after all, the property had been in the family for generations. He must have slowly walked back, with his head hanging down, and in fear and trembling, not knowing what to expect.

But, Jesus reveals God the Father’s mercy is infinite. In the great distance, as the son was coming home, the father caught a glimpse of him, coming over the horizon. The father wipes his tear filled eyes, perhaps thinking in the distance, it was a mirage, or a stranger. But no--, he recognizes his son,-- his heart leaps, and he is moved with compassion. Years of worry and sorrow, turn into joy and excitement. The elderly father runs, in flight,--- dashing with all his might-- for the darkened figure. From the depth of his heart, he cries, out, “My son, My son”, “It is I your father!”

When they meet, the son confesses saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as one of your workers.” The father’s heart is touched by his plea for mercy. He embraced him, because “he who was lost has now been found”.

As tears of the father fall from his cheeks, he embraces his son, and kisses him. He puts a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet and a robe. When they return to the house, he threw a great feast to celebrate the return of his son, who was lost, and now has been found.

Jesus told the parable to the scribes and Pharisees, so they may see, God’s infinite mercy and love toward sinners. And that God Himself rejoices over one repentant sinner. He wanted them to understand sinners are not be scorned, or avoided, but rather loved and forgiven. Our Blessed Lord wanted them to understand God, the Father, is filled with joy, as He runs toward the repentant sinner. As Father, God is loving, and merciful, slow to anger, full of love, kind and compassionate, and rich in mercy. God’s forgiveness towards sinners is unfathomable.

What would you do, to the person, who captured your son, tortured him, killed him, and then, after he was dead, stabbed his heart with a spear? How would feel? Could you forgive? Would you want revenge?

If God was going to destroy the Hebrew people for worshiping a calf, how much more would God want to destroy those who crucified and killed His Son? By our sins, we all participated in the killing of Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father.

In the movie the Passion of Christ, there is a scene after Jesus died, a teardrop from God the Father, falls from heaven. And when it hits the ground, there was a great earthquake? The hand of the Father was stayed, as a great act of mercy.

The saints and ordinary people show us the beauty and power of mercy in forgiving others. St. Maria Goretti, a 12 year old girl, forgave Alessandro who stabbed her 14 times. Maria’s mother forgave him and even went to Midnight Mass with him after he was released from prison. St. Pope John Paul II went to the prison cell to forgive Ali Agca who shot him. Immaculee Ibbgaza forgave the man who killed her parents and brothers and many from her tribe during the Rwanda genocide. Americans had to forgive the terrorists of 911, who killed over 2000 innocent people. If these people, by the grace of God, can forgive each other, how much more abundant is God’s infinite and endless mercy?

Bernard Nathanson, a Jewish man, and former abortionist, was responsible for the deaths of 60,000 unborn infants, repented of all of his sins, and became Catholic. Through the waters of baptism, God not only forgave his original sin, but forgave all of his personal sins and the punishment due to his sins. So if he would have died immediately after baptism, he would have went straight to heaven. How incredible is God’s mercy!

Abby Johnson, a baptized Christian, was the director of Planned Parenthood, an abortion clinic in Texas. She had two abortions and was responsible for helping many obtain abortions. But, when she became Catholic, confessed her sins, and received Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday, God not only forgave all her sins, but all the punishment due to them. All washed away in the ocean of God’s mercy.

Jesus told St. Faustina, the greater the sinner, the greater the right one has to God’s mercy. In a vision, she saw an angel coming down from heaven to destroy a city in Poland, due to the sin of abortion. However, when she prayed, “Eternal Father, I offer you the body, blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”, the angel lost its power, and returned back to heaven. With this prayer from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Jesus gave to her and us, it prevented God from destroying the city in Poland. She pleaded for God’s mercy offering the suffering and death of Jesus in atonement, and obtained mercy, for the people of her country.

God’s mercy is for everyone. We need to have confidence in God’s mercy, that no matter how many sins or how grievous they are, God will forgive.

The image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who finds the lost sheep and carries it home rejoicing, touches our heart, because we experience God’s infinite mercy in confession. When we make the effort to go to confession, God the Father runs with all His might to embrace us. And once we confessed our sins, He wants us to celebrate with a feast, because, we who were lost in sin, have now been found and forgiven.

We should go to confession monthly or if we committed a mortal sin, we should confess as soon as possible, by running to Jesus to receive His mercy. We should bring our children to confession regularly. Many children won’t go to confession on their own, because they need the example and encouragement of their parents.

We teach our young children how to clean their room, how to do homework, how to play games and sports, but especially need to teach them how to practice their Catholic faith, so they will have all the help the need to get to heaven later in life.

The greatest task of parents is to help their children to get to heaven. We need to take seriously our obligation to help them receive God’s loving and tender mercy.

It is wonderful so many families come to Mass regularly, but we need to also bring them to confession. Put it on your calendar. Then once a month, the family goes to confession together. We put school activities on our schedules, and family activities, but our spiritual activities are more important. Put God’s unfathomable mercy on your schedule. As Jesus said, “What profit would it be to win the whole world, and lose our soul in the process?”

It is difficult for some to confess their sins. Its embarrassing. And it takes humility. But, this is what Jesus asked of Christians from the beginning of the Church unto today. We have physical strength to do well in sports and mental strength to get good grades. We also need courage to have spiritual strength to come to Jesus in Confession. What good is it if we are strong in the secular life, but weak as wimps in our spiritual life.

In Confession, not only do we receive forgiveness for our sins, but God heals our soul, and we receive grace to overcome sins. The more often we go to Confession, the happier we become. The more peace we have. The closer we stay to Jesus. Confession prevents us from falling into mortal sin. Every sin, no matter how small hurts Jesus. Every sin weakens our relationship with God. Mortal sin destroys our relationship with God, and if we die unrepentant, with a mortal sin on our soul, we choose to go to hell for all eternity.

We cannot understand how merciful God is unless we know what God is saving us from, which is hell. Committing just one mortal sin (missing Mass on Sunday, pornography, adultery, etc..) and dying unrepentant, the person will go to hell forever. This is what Jesus is saving us from. This is what those two brown doors do, they save souls from going to hell and help them to go to heaven.

Jesus described hell as a place where the wicked will be cast into an eternal fire, that burns and punishes eternally. He said in hell there is wailing and grinding of teeth. When we commit just one mortal sin, we risk losing heaven forever.

But, God’s mercy is available in Confession before every Mass during the week and on weekends. Don’t let pride keep you and your children from coming to the font of mercy. Come to confession often and tell Jesus you are sorry for hurting Him by your sins.

Here in our church, we have this beautiful divine mercy image and we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy either before or after every Mass, but what good are these things, if our soul and the souls of our children do not receive God’s mercy in confession regularly? We pray for mercy, but we are refusing to receive it. Open your heart to God’s mercy. Come and experience the love and compassion of Jesus.

Today, let us ask Mary, the Mother of Mercy, who stood at the foot of the Cross, to pray for the lost sheep to come to their senses-- by running to Confession, and may all of us go to confession regularly, and, say to God our loving and merciful Father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and earth, I do not deserve to be your child, but only your servant.”

In response, the Father will give us His infinite mercy and from His cheeks will fall tears of joy. And all of heaven will rejoice, as Jesus said, “the angels in heaven rejoice over one repentant sinner.”

St. Peter Claver - Sept. 9th

 

 Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Peter Claver, a Spanish Jesuit, who followed his call to the missions. He was born in 1580 and was ordained a priest in 1616 in Columbia, which was the center of the slave trade in South America. He worked among the African slaves brought there, which was as many as 10,000 a year.

St. Peter devoted his life to relieving their misery, with medicine and food, and was zealously concerned for their spiritual welfare. He offered them an authentic Christian witness, teaching them religious and moral truths. It is said that over a period of 40 years, he instructed and baptized over 30,000 slaves. He was sick and exhausted during the last four years of his life.

From one of his letters, he wrote the following. “Yesterday, May 30, 1627, on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, numerous blacks, brought from the rivers of Africa, disembarked from a large ship. We had to force our way through the crowd until we reached the sick. Large numbers of the sick were lying on the wet ground, or rather in puddles of mud. To prevent excessive dampness, someone had thought of building up a mound with a mixture of tiles and broken pieces of bricks. This, then was their couch, a very uncomfortable one, not only for that reason, but especially because they were naked, without any clothing to protect them. The joy in their eyes as they looked at us was something to see. After this, we began an elementary instruction about baptism, that is, the wonderful effects of the sacrament on body and soul. When by their answers to our questions, they showed they had sufficiently understood this, we went on to a more extensive instruction, namely about one God… Finally, when they appeared sufficiently prepared, we declared the mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Passion. Showing them Christ fastened to the Cross, as He is depicted on the baptismal font.. we led them in reciting an act of contrition in their own language.”

Do you know what Peter Claver gave to every person he baptized? A scapular of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As we prepare to receive the Eucharist, we pray through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “God of mercy and love, you offer all peoples the dignity of sharing in your life. By the example and prayers of Saint Peter Claver, strengthen us to overcome all racial hatreds, and to love each other as brothers and sisters.”

Birth of the Virgin Mary - Sept. 8th

 

 Today, there are parents in heaven who are celebrating the Birth of their daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary were righteous. Her father was from the royal house of David, her mother, St. Anne came from the priestly class of Aaron. However, the holy couple’s one great sorrow was that they had no children.

Blessed Virgin Mary Herself was foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and He shall be called Emmanuel, meaning God with us.” And also by the prophet Micah, who states, “Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when She who is to give birth has borne.”

The source of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150. According to this account, Anne and Joachim are infertile but prayed for a child. The tradition is that the couple was childless until an angel appeared to Anne and told her that she would conceive. They receive the promise of a child that will advance God's plan of salvation for the world.

Its also believed an angel appeared to Joachim. The angel may have said, “Joachim, rejoice! God has heard your prayer and your wife Anne, shall conceive and give birth to a daughter, whose nativity will become joy for the entire world.”

When the Jews were not be able to have a child, it was considered a sign of God’s rejection; a public disgrace. However, in the Old Testament there are many cases God intervened to show His favor. Isaac was born from the childless Sarah. Samuel from the childless Hannah. John the Baptist from the barren Elizabeth. And so God, blessed Joachim and Anne in their old age with a providential daughter destined to become the Mother of God. Only in the womb of St. Anne, did God create a human being without original sin.

St. Anthony of Padua in one of his sermons speaks eloquently of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He said, “There is a legend that a certain holy man, while devoutly praying, heard the angels in heaven singing a sweet melody. When a year had passed, he heard the angels [once again], on the same day. He asked the Lord to show him the meaning of this; and received the reply, that on that day, blessed Mary was born, and for Her Nativity the angels in heaven gave praise to God. That is why the birthday of the glorious Virgin is celebrated on this day. The purity of her birth is expressed by ‘the glory of the stars’.

Liturgically Mary’s birth is celebrated 9 months after we celebrate Her Immaculate Conception.

Today, let us celebrate the feast of birthday of Mary. May we sing and rejoice with the angels and be glad because God, who is almighty, has done great things for Her and through Her-- for us!

St. Joseph Sorrows - First Wednesday

 

 On this first Wednesday of the month, we honor St. Joseph. Did you know he has 7 joys and 7 sorrows? The tradition stems from a popular story about two Franciscans who were caught in a storm, as narrated in the 19th-century book Annals of Saint Joseph. Two Fathers of the Franciscan order were sailing along the coast of Flanders, when a terrible tempest arose, which sank the vessel, with its three hundred passengers. The two Fathers had sufficient presence of mind to seize hold of a plank, upon which they were tossed to and fro upon the waves, for three days and nights. In their danger and affliction, their whole recourse was to St. Joseph, begging his assistance in their sad condition. St. Joseph appeared to them and helped them all reach a safe harbor. Then the saint “advised them daily to recite the Our Father and Hail Mary seven times, in memory of his seven dolors or griefs, and of his seven joys, and then disappeared.”

Today, I will speak about the 7 sorrows of St. Joseph. Here they are as recorded in the 19th-century devotional book The Glories of the Catholic Church and also in Sacred Scripture.

First Sorrow: The Doubt of St. Joseph. But Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not wishing to expose her to reproach, was minded to put her away privately. (Matt. 1:19) at finding that his honored Lady and amiable spouse had conceived, and at the idea of being obliged by the law to forsake her.
Second Sorrow: The Poverty of Jesus’s birth. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
(Luke 2:7) at not being able to find lodging in the city of Bethlehem for the King and Queen of heaven, and at seeing Jesus lying shivering on a little straw in a manger, between two animals—His only shelter from the cold, there being no room for Him in the inn.
Third Sorrow: The Circumcision And when eight days were fulfilled for his circumcision, his name was called Jesus, the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21) at seeing the divine infant suffer and shed so much of His precious blood in the painful ceremony of His circumcision, when he was but eight days old.
Fourth Sorrow: The Prophecy of Simeon And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, “Behold this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And your own soul a sword shall pierce. (Luke 2:34) at hearing, on the day of the purification, the prophecy of holy Simeon, that the child should be an object of contradiction and persecution, and that a sword of sorrow should pierce Mary’s heart.
Fifth Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt. So he arose and took the child and his mother by night and withdrew into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14) his flight into Egypt with the child and His Mother, in the darkness of the night, and in the depth of winter, to escape the persecution raised by Herod against the adorable infant.
Sixth Sorrow: The Return from Egypt. But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee. (Matt. 2:22) on his return from Egypt, hearing that Archelaus, more cruel still, reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither, and being warned in sleep retired into Galilee.
Seventh Sorrow: The Loss of the Child Jesus. And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him. (Luke 2:45) in the celebrated pilgrimage to Jerusalem, not finding the child Jesus, his only solace, among his acquaintance, he sought Him three days, sorrowing for His loss.
V. Pray for us, O holy Joseph.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray.
O God, Who in Your ineffable Providence did vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Today, may we regularly pray to St. Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary, trusting as the foster father of Jesus, he will present our petitions to Our Divine Savior, asking Jesus on our behalf to hear and answer our prayers.

23rd Tuesday - Prayer

 

 In today’s Gospel, we read that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and spent all night in prayer to God. On the following day, He chose the twelve Apostles.

With His example, the Master taught us the need for prayer. He repeated over and over again that is necessary to pray and not lose heart. When we recollect ourselves for prayer, we place ourselves at the source of living waters. There we find peace and strength necessary to continue, with joy and optimism along our path of life.

We do much good for the Church and for the world by our prayer. It is has been said that those who truly pray are like columns of the world, the props and supports without which everything would collapse. St. John of the Cross taught, “…even if it seems that nothing is happening, a little of this pure love is more precious before God and the soul, and does greater good for the Church, than all other works put together.”

Precisely, because prayer makes us strong in the face of difficulties, it helps us to sanctify our work, to give good example in our deeds, and to deal cordially and appreciate those whom live and work with us.

In prayer, we discover the urgency that is all the more pressing the further from God many in the world have become. St. Teresa of Avila echoed the words of a very learned man, who said, “the souls who do not have a life of prayer are like a ‘paralyzed’ or crippled body, which although it has feet and hands, cannot use them.”

Prayer is necessary to love the Lord more and more, so as to never to be separated from Him, without it, the soul falls into lukewarmness, loses its joy and the strength to do good. St. John Vianney used to say that all the evils that oppress us on earth come precisely from not praying, or from not praying well.

Today, let us resolve to imitate the woman of prayer, the Blessed Virgin Mary. May we resolve to turn to God with love and trust through our mental prayer, through our vocal prayers, and through those brief aspirations that come to mind, and let us have the joy of living our life close to Jesus, truly present here in the tabernacle, and whom we adore in Adoration, who enjoys our every thought and our ever sigh to be with Him, who loves us so much!

Mother Teresa of Calcutta - Sept. 5th

 

Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa of Calcutta making her a saint of the Catholic Church in Sept 2016.  Her birth name was Agnes Bojaxhiu. She born on Aug. 26^th in 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, of Albanian heritage. Her father, a local businessman died when she was eight years old, leaving her with her mother, a devoutly religious woman. At the age of 18, Agnes left home in 1928, for the Loreto Convent in Dublin, Ireland, where she was admitted as a postulant, and received the name of Teresa, after St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Agnes was sent by the Loreto order to India and arrived in Calcutta in 1929. Upon her arrival, she joined the Loreto novitiate in Darjeeling. She made her final profession as a sister of Loreto on May 24^th, 1937. While living in Calcutta during the 1930s and '40s, she taught in St. Mary's Bengali Medium School.

On Sept. 11^th of 1946, on a train journey from Calcutta, Mother Teresa received what she termed the "call within a call," which was to give rise to the Missionaries of Charity Sisters, Brothers, Fathers, and Co-Workers. The content of the inspiration is revealed in the aim and mission she would give to her new institute: "to quench the infinite thirst of Jesus on the cross for love and souls" by "laboring at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor." The sisters would later receive permission to take a fourth vow of serving the poorest of the poor.

On October 7, 1950, the new congregation of the Missionaries of Charity was officially established. When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, there were 158 foundations. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, despite increasing health problems, Mother Teresa traveled across the world for the profession of novices, opening new houses, and service to the poor and disaster-stricken. New communities were founded in South Africa, Albania, Cuba, and Iraq. By 1997, the Sisters numbered nearly 4,000 members, and were established in almost 600 foundations in 123 countries of the world.

After traveling to Rome, New York, and Washington, in a weak state of health, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta in July of 1997. At 9:30 PM, Sept. 5^th, Mother Teresa died at the Motherhouse. Her dear friend, Pope Saint John Paul II would later beatify her.

The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25 give us 6 out of 7 of the Corporal Works of Mercy, which we will be judged at the moment of our death. Jesus said, “When I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was naked you clothed me. When I was ill or in prison you visited me.” The 7^th Work of Mercy is found in the Book of Tobit, to bury the dead. Jesus also said, “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do unto me.”

Mother Teresa discovered God’s call to quench the thirst of Jesus on the Cross, by serving the poorest of the poor. Her mission began when she took the first dying man off the street to help him die a peaceful death. She couldn’t help but see Jesus dying within the poor and wanted the dying man to know he is loved. Throughout her life, she opened houses for the many ways in which people suffer: houses for the handicapped, houses for the homeless, houses for the dying, houses for AIDS Victims, houses for abandoned children.

When I was a seminarian I went to Calcutta during the summer to work with Mother Teresa’s sisters. I saw a building three times the size of the parish center completely full of cribs with abandoned babies in every crib. As I walked by each crib, the children would cry because they wanted affection. They wanted a mother and a father to hold them. I went to Kalighat, the house of dying, and saw how the sisters heroically remove maggots from the flesh of dying people. I worked in the house for handicapped and saw people of all ages rejected by society because they were missing an arm or a leg or had Down syndrome. Mother Teresa’s sisters were there to show every person that their life has meaning, that they have dignity and that they are loved.

Today, let us pray to St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, that we may grow in our love of the poor and see Jesus in the disguise of the poorest of the poor and be willing to open our heart to help them in any way we can.