Rosa Mystica, July 13th - Newly Approved Apparitions of Montichiari, Italy

 

About a week ago, the Vatican approved an apparition in Montichiari, Italy and today, July 13th is the feast of Rosa Mystica. There are 7 apparitions that occurred in 1947 and there were 3 miraculous healings.

The first apparition took place in the Spring of 1947 in the chapel of the local hospital. Pierina Gilli was praying in the chapel of the hospital when Our Lady appeared to her in a vision. She wore a violet dress and a white veil around her head and was surrounded by a magnificent light. But she appeared sad with tears in her eyes. Pierina noticed that Her heart was pierced with three swords, and Mary said “Prayer, Sacrifice and Penance” and was silent.

The swords were interpreted as – first sword represented the unworthy celebration of Holy Mass and Holy Communion being received in an unworthy manner. The second sword was for unfaithfulness of priests and religious and the third sword represented betrayal of faith.

The second apparition was on July 13^th 1947. This time Our Lady appeared to Pierina in a white dress adorned with three beautiful roses in white, red and yellow colors that were in place of the three swords. The roses were interpreted as - the white rose represented the spirit of prayer, the red rose represented the spirit of sacrifice and the yellow rose represented the spirit of penance and conversion. 

Pierina asked Our Lady who she was and she smiled and replied: "I am the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of all of you. Our Lord sends me to bring a new Marian Devotion to all religious orders and institutes, male and female, and to the priests of this world. I promise to protect those religious orders and institutes who will venerate me in this special way, increase their vocations, and achieve a greater striving for saintliness among the servants of God."
"I wish that the 13th of each month be celebrated as a Marian Day. Special prayers are to be said during the preceding twelve days." Our Lady continued: - "On this day I shall pour out vocational holiness and abundant graces on those religious orders and spiritual institutes who have honored me specially." "I wish that 13th July be celebrated each year in honor of the 'Rosa Mystica' (the Mystical Rose)"
Pierina asked whether a miracle would follow. Our Lady replied: "The most evident miracle will be this: Those who have given their souls to God - the religious who, for a long time now, have become indifferent thus betraying their vocation and as a result of their offenses have brought about the punishments and persecutions which are raging against the Church at the present time - will stop to offend Our Lord. They will again lead a life according to the original spirit of their saintly founders."

The third vision took place on October 22, 1947 in the chapel of the hospital, in the presence of many staff members, doctors, and lay people from the town. This time, Our Lady requested that the desired devotion be realized, and said: "I have placed myself as the Mediatrix between my Divine son and mankind, especially for the souls consecrated to God. Tired of the continuous offenses, He already wanted to dispense His justice."

Before leaving, Our Lady said: "Live out of love!"

The fourth vision took place on November 16, 1947 in the Basilica of Montichiari in the presence of lay people and priests. Pierina heard the words: "Our Lord can no longer watch the many grievous sins against purity. He wants to send a flood of punishments. I have interceded that He may be merciful once more! Therefore, I ask for prayer and penance to atone for these sins."

Pierina replied to Our Lady's request with a willing "Yes".

The Blessed Virgin added: "I lovingly ask the priests to express their great love and stop the people from committing those sins. Whoever will atone for those sins, will receive my blessing and graces." Pierina asked Our Lady "Will He then pardon us?" and she replied: "Yes, as long as these sins are no longer committed."

Our Lady appeared once more to Pierina in the Basilica of Montichiari on November 22^nd 1947 in the presence of several people, and asked her to make the Sign of the Cross four times with her tongue on the tiles in the center of the church. Our Lady then descended onto the spot where Peirina made the sign of the crosses with her tongue, and said:

"I descend on this place, for many great conversions will happen here. - And in a sad voice continued: - The Christians of your Italian nation belong to those who offend most my Divine Son Jesus through their sins of unchastity. Our Lord demands, therefore, prayer, generous sacrifices and penance."

Pierina asked: "What do we have to do to fulfill your demands for prayer and penance?" Our Lady replied full of tenderness: "Prayer". After a short pause, She explained: "Penance means to accept every day all the little crosses and the duties too, in the spirit of penance."

She promised solemnly: "On the 8th December, at noon, I shall appear again here in the Basilica. It will be the Hour of Grace. This Hour of Grace will produce great and numerous conversions. Hardened and cold hearts resembling this marble will be touched by divine Grace, and they will become faithful to Our Lord in loyal love."
The sixth vision was on December 07, 1947 at the Basilica of Montichiari. Three people were present including the confessor of Pierina. Our Lady, wore a white cloak which was held by a boy at the right-hand side, and by a girl on the left-hand side. Our Lady said: "I shall show my heart tomorrow of which the people know so little. In Fatima I asked that the devotion to my heart be spread. I wanted to bring my heart into Christian families in Bonate (near Bergamo, Italy). Here, in Montichiari, I wish to be venerated as the 'Rosa Mystica' as already indicated so often, together with the devotion to my heart which must be specially practiced in religious institutes so that they may obtain more graces through my motherly heart."

Our Lady then confided a secret to Pierina with the promise that She would tell her the time for the secret to be made public. Pierina wanted to know who the children were. Our Lady replied: "Jacinta and Francisco; they will help you in your trials and sufferings. They too, suffered. I wish from you the simplicity and goodness of these two children." Our Lady then spread out Her arms as a sign of Her protection, lifted Her eyes to Heaven and disappeared with the words: "Praised be the Lord!"

The last and final apparition occurred on the feast day of The Immaculate Conception, December 8^th 1947 countless priests and lay people were present in the Basilica. Pierina entered the Basilica and knelt in the center of the church, just where the other apparitions had taken place. During the recitation of the Holy Rosary, Pierina called out: "O, Our Lady!" Great silence ensued!

Our Lady appeared on a large white staircase, decorated with white, red and yellow roses. She said with a smile: "I am the Immaculate Conception. I am Mary, full of grace, Mother of My Divine Son Jesus Christ. Through my coming to Montichiari, I wish to be known as the 'Rosa Mystica'. It is my wish that every year, on 8th December, at noon, the 'Hour of Grace for the world' be celebrated. Many divine and bodily graces will be received through this devotion. Our Lord, my Divine Son Jesus, will send His overflowing mercy if good people will pray continuously for their sinful brothers. One should very soon notify the Holy Father of the Church, Pope Pius XII, that it is my wish that the 'Hour of Grace for the world' be made known and spread throughout the world. If anyone is unable to visit his church, yet will pray at noon at home, he will also receive graces through me. Whoever prays on these tiles and weeps tears of penance, will find a secure heavenly ladder and receive protection and grace through my motherly heart."

Then Our Lady showed Pierina her heart and said: - "Look at this heart which loves mankind so very much, but most people only shower offenses upon it. If the good and the bad unite in prayer they will obtain mercy and peace through this heart. The Lord is still protecting the good and is holding back a great punishment because of my intercession."

Our Lady smiled again and went on: - "Soon one will recognize the greatness of this Hour of Grace." When Pierina saw that Our Lady was going to depart, she said: "Dear Lady, I thank you! Bless my homeland Italy and the whole world, but especially the Holy Father, the priests, the religious, and the sinners."

Our Lady replied: "I have already prepared a flood of graces for all the children who listen to my words and keep them in their hearts." She assured Pierina that she would return at a suitable time when the Secret entrusted to her, would be made public through the Ecclesiastical authority.
On that day two miraculous cures occurred in the Basilica; a young boy, six years old, Ugo Senici who suffered from polio and had not been able to stand or walk suddenly ran around and jumped up and down excitedly. Another miracle reported was of a 26-year-old woman Teresina Magli, who had suffered for nine years from severe tuberculosis and was not able to speak a word, suddenly sang out a spontaneous song of praise in a loud voice. A third miraculous cure also happened during the same time as the other two, involving a mentally disturbed 36-year-old woman, Lauriana Zamboni, who was healed at home while her family members were praying for her inside Montichiari's Basilica.

Today, let us give thanks to God for the approved apparitions of the Virgin Mary, under the title of Rosa Mystica and let us pray, sacrifice and do penance for priests, that through Mary’s intercession, there will be flowering of vocations and a renewal of the priesthood in the Church and may Mary, the Mediatrix of All Grace flood the world with an ocean of Graces, on Dec 8^th, during the Hour of Grace at 12 noon.

15th Sunday, Authority Over Unclean Spirits

 

In the Gospel today, we witness the power and authority of Jesus given to His apostles. Over the centuries, God gave His power and authority to saints and ordinary priests.

Our Lord sent His twelve apostles out in twos. Jesus told them not to take gold or silver, or copper for their belts, no sack or second tunic, or sandals or walking staff, but what do these words mean? Why would Jesus not want them to take extra clothes, or money, sandals or a walking staff?

He told them these things, so that they would be free to go from place to place and not be worried about things they had to take with them. He wanted them to trust in His divine providence by letting them know, God would provide for all their needs, wherever they went.

We too should trust that God will take care of all of our needs, not only our housing, food and clothing, but most importantly He will take care of our spiritual needs. But we need to trust Him.

One of the main messages of Jesus through St. Faustina, was to trust Jesus. Our Lord indicated to her that something that hurt Him the most was the lack of trust people had in Him, especially those who are consecrated to Him, such as priests and religious sisters.

The apostles and later bishops and priests appointed by their bishop are given authority over unclean spirits

as exorcists, and they would expel demons from the possessed.

Saint Benedict drove out a demon from a man by beating him with a rod. He is known for his power over evil spirits. Today, the St. Benedict medal is exorcised by priests with a special blessing and the medal is very helpful in keeping demons away. Everyone should wear a St. Benedict medal and place it in various places in our home. Some exorcists recommend burying Benedict medals at the four corners of your property.

Saint Dominic placed a rosary around a possessed persons neck and the demon was expelled.

It is well known St. Padre Pio and St. John Vianney were physically attacked by evils spirits especially because they were so successful in taking people from the grasp of the enemy.

Many plagued by demons pray to St. Gemma Galgani, who bore the stigmata, to be delivered from evil spirits.

St. Joseph has a title, terror of demons. He is the guardian and protector of Holy Mother Church and protected the infant Jesus from Herod’s soldiers, who wanted to kill Him. When you find yourself feeling overcome by the trials of life, turn to St. Joseph. He was a man who, in his earthly life, never succumbed to "vain terrors." He remained ever grounded in faith, ever attuned to the will of God in his life. From Heaven, he stands as a go-to saint to help you when forces beyond your control - including demonic forces - seek to unsettle you and pull you toward despair and ruin.
The Virgin Mary is the human being that evil spirits can’t stand the most. When Mary comes, evil spirits flee. Mary’s power comes from Her humility. Mary is the Virgin Most powerful and She has the role of crushing the head of the serpent. She is the woman who is at enmity with the devil. We should call upon Mary when we are tempted and consecrate our self to Her regularly.

St. Michael the archangel is especially noted for protection against evil spirits. We pray the prayer at the end of every Mass and whenever you are tempted pray say that prayer and ask him to come and protect you. When Lucifer refused to serve God, St. Michael a mere archangel rose up to defend God saying, “Who is like God?” St. Michael led the army of good angels to cast Lucifer (Satan) and the bad angels out of heaven.

Our guardian angels have the task of protecting and guarding us from evil spirits and helping us to grow in our love of God, we should pray to our guardian angel every day.

The apostles anointed many who were sick and cured them. And they preached repentance.

When I was doing hospital ministry in Tulsa, one of the patients told me a story about what happened when he was hospitalized and anointed by a priest in Florida.

While in Florida, in ICU, his heart stopped. The doctors began CPR because he “flat lined”. The priest came during this crisis and anointed him. Right when the priest anointed him, the man sat up in bed, opened his eyes, looked around and his heart begins to beat normally. The priest was so shocked, he jumped back and hit his head against the wall. And the doctor cried out, “You were dead! You were dead! And now you came back to life!”

The man believed, Jesus, through the priest healed him by the sacrament of anointing of the sick. The sacrament of the sick is noted for three purposes. 1. It is used to give graces to the sick to help them persevere in their suffering. 2. It forgives their sins when they are unconscious or unable to confess their sins. 3. Jesus can immediately physically heal a sick person, if it would help the person on their road to salvation.

Today, let us trust in God’s providence to provide for all our needs. And let us pray to the saints asking their intersession to deliver us from evil spirits and may we seek to be anointed when our life is in danger, to receive the graces and healing God desires to give us.

O Mary, Virgin Most Powerful, pray for us.

St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us.

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

All you holy Apostles, pray for us.

Our Guardian Angels, pray for us

St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Dominic, pray for us

St. John Vianney, pray for us

St. Padre Pio, pray for us

St. Gemma Galgani, pray for us.

14th Sunday, No Salvation Outside the Church "The Church is Necessary for Salvation"

 

Do Not tell your non-catholic friends, that unless they become Catholic, they can’t go to heaven!

Do Not tell your non-catholic friends, that unless they become Catholic, they can’t go to heaven!

Example 1: A child is baptized as an Episcopalian, but when the child is 4 years old, she dies from leukemia. Since she never became Catholic, would she go to heaven? Yes.

Example 2: A 50 year old down-syndrome man is told that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ, and he is told about the 7 sacraments, the 10 commandments, but due to his mental capacity, he doesn’t understand what you mean. He dies from a heart attack, will God allow him to enter heaven, if he never even knew what sin was? Yes.

Example 3: A 25 year old man is Baptist. He has Catholic friends, who told him that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ. He takes the classes to become Catholic, and believes everything we believe, but when he finds out his family will be angry at him for becoming Catholic, he changes his mind. If he dies in a car accident, will he go to heaven? Most likely not. He knew the truth and refused to follow through due to fear and not placing God above family.

In the first reading, the Lord makes it clear Ezekiel is sent as a prophet to a rebellious people. In the Gospel, Jesus is the prophet of prophets, but those in His own native place and His own relatives, reject Him.

Today, if I come to you as a prophet, teaching, “Outside of the Church there is no salvation.” will you reject what I say? Some say it means you must be a card carrying Catholic to be saved. But there is a difference between “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” and “One must be a card carrying Catholic to be saved”.

St. Cyprian was first to teach “outside the Church, there is no salvation” when he was attempting to prevent people from leaving the Church and entering into schism. He wasn’t referring to aborigines, who never heard about Jesus or the Gospel.

In the 1940’s Fr. Leonard Feeney insisted all who don’t formally enter the Church and formally register in a parish will go to hell. Even if they never had a chance to hear there was a Church. He also erroneously thought unbaptized babies go to hell.

Feeney taught millions go to hell, even if not given a chance. It later became known as the Feeneyism heresy. Feeney makes God a monster and incredibly harsh.

The Holy Office in 1949 condemned this false view saying,"It is not always required that one be actually incorporated as a member of the Church, but this at least is required: that one adhere to it in wish and desire. It is not always necessary that this be explicit... but when a man labors under invincible ignorance, God accepts even an implicit will, called by that name because it is contained in the good disposition of soul in which a man wills to conform his will to the will of God."

God is not a monster. God is infinitely merciful, but He also is our judge and requires punishment for sin. But if one never sinned such as an infant, the Catechism #1261, states, "Let the little children come to me, and do not prevent them,", "[this] permits us to have hope that there is a way to salvation for infants who die without Baptism." All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.”

For those who have sinned, the document Lumen Gentium states, “For they who without their own fault do not know of the Gospel of Christ and His Church, but yet seek God with sincere heart, and try, under the influence of grace, to carry out His will in practice, known to them through the dictate of conscience, can attain eternal salvation."

Therefore, three things are necessary for those who do not explicitly join the Catholic Church and can attain eternal salvation 1. It must be through no fault of their own, do not know the fullness of Gospel. 2. They must seek the Gospel with sincerity of heart. 3. Under the influence of God’s grace, they must try to carry out His will in practice through the dictate of conscience. It seems, for a person to have all three may not be common. The average person, Catholic and non-Catholic goes through life not interested in learning more about their faith and live their life without practicing what they believe.

A more positive way of looking at this dogma is to say “No Salvation outside the Church” means “The Church is necessary for salvation” and those who through no fault of their own--don’t join the Church, and who try to carry out His will through their conscience, can be saved by the Church. But the ordinary manner of being saved is to be a member of the Catholic Church and receive the sacraments.

The Church also teaches, God can save outside the sacraments, but only in an extraordinary way. For example, baptism of desire (wanting to be baptized, but not in fact receiving it before death) or baptism of blood (dying for Jesus, as a martyr).

The ordinary way to be saved is to have faith in Jesus, be baptized, always attempt to do God’s will, receive the sacraments, and die in the state of grace. Jesus said, “Unless you are baptized you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” He also said, “Unless you eat the flesh and drink His blood of the Son of Man, you will have no life in you.”

But, when He said these words, He did not exclude other ways of being saved, such as baptism of desire and baptism of blood. Baptism by water and the Eucharist are necessary and the ordinary and easiest means to salvation.

In other words, every human being ever saved-- is only saved through Jesus and His Church and most of the time that is explicit. But since God is not limited in His grace and power, He can save through the Catholic Church and through Jesus in ways we don’t see or know. No one can obtain heaven without Jesus and His Church. We can’t separate Jesus from His body, the Church. They are one. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to Father, except through me.”

The Catholic Church is the only church founded by Jesus Christ. It is God’s will everyone become a member of the Catholic Church. Jesus founded the Church to teach and govern and lead all men to salvation. Everyone has a moral obligation to seek out and find the Church Jesus founded. If through serious fault or neglect, one does not seek it, one cannot go to heaven. Once he finds the fullness of truth in the Catholic Church, he must enter it, and strive to live up to its requirements, lest he be lost forever.

The easiest way for a person to be saved is to be directly saved by the Catholic Church and through the seven sacraments. Protestants have only two sacraments, baptism and matrimony. It is more difficult for them to be saved.

How sad it is for a non-Catholic, who was dying, and was never told about the Sacrament of the Sick to help them endure their sufferings. They were never told about Confession knowing for certain, they could have their sins forgiven. They were never told that they could receive Jesus in Holy Communion and were deprived of the sacraments, because no Catholic ever told them, about all these gifts. How sad for the person die without knowing the fullness of truth about Jesus and His Church, perhaps they would have become Catholic had they known the fullness of truth.

Catholics have an obligation to help their non-Catholic friends to obtain the easiest and most sure way of gaining heaven. Woe to us, who fail to help our non-Catholic friends the surest and easiest way to get to heaven.

Non-Catholics convinced their own sect is the true church, provided they are in the state of grace, repenting of their sins and truly attempt to do God’s will, are spiritual members of the Catholic Church by way of extension.

The actual members of the Church, have a major advantage over-- just her spiritual members. They can partake in the seven sacraments. Have their sins definitively and unmistakably forgiven in confession and can be truly united body and soul with Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.

Actual members can also be at peace on the promises, that Christ gave to St. Peter and his successors, that He would protect them from error in matters of faith and morals.

The spiritual members, who don’t explicitly join the Church, don’t have these advantages. How many non-Catholics are actually seeking the fullness of truth? That is where the danger lies. By serious neglect, of failing to discover the truth, they most likely will not be saved. This is where we must do what we can to help them to know the truth.

Jesus wills all to enter the Catholic Church and He wills all to confess His faith. He wants all to have the same benefits of the sacraments and to share in the graces that flow to her actual members, through His Church’s ministry. Catholics should realize the gifts they possess, and they should desire to more fully assure their neighbor’s salvation, by inviting them to become Catholic. We do our non-Catholic friends a disservice by not helping them to know the fullness of truth of what they could have, if they became Catholic.

Lumen Gentium, warns non-Catholics, they can be more easily lost. “…. often men, deceived by the Evil One, have become vain in their reasonings and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, serving the creature rather than the Creator. Or some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are exposed to final despair. Wherefore to promote the glory of God and procure the salvation of all of these, and mindful of the command of the Lord, "Preach the Gospel to every creature", the Church fosters the missions with care and attention.”

In conclusion, because only God knows if someone is ignorant of the truth, through no fault of their own, or whether or not, they are truly attempting to do God’s will, we can never judge another person’s soul or their eternal salvation.

We trust the words of St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, “This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6)

Don’t tell non-Catholics, they cannot go to heaven unless they become Catholic. Rather, help them to know God desires all to be Catholic. Invite them to join the Church Jesus founded to receive everything God has given to man to be saved. We have the 7 sacraments, we have the Virgin Mary, the saints, the fullness of truth revealed by God, we have the Magisterium of the Church which guides us to know moral and teachings to protect us from going into error.

May the Virgin Mary, the Star of Evangelization, make us witnesses to the truth, “There is no salvation outside the Church”, because “the Church is necessary for salvation”.

And those who are ignorant of it, through no fault of their own, who strive to do God’s will at all times and seek God with a sincere heart can obtain salvation. But the easiest and most sure way to obtain salvation is to be a member of the Catholic Church and live a life of grace through the sacraments.

St. Anthony Zaccaria

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of Anthony Mary Zaccaria, who was a priest and as a founder of a religious community of priests.

Anthony started a new order called the Clerics Regular, who today are called the Barnabites. He was born in 1502 of a noble family at Cremona, Italy and even in childhood gave signs of his future sanctity. Very early he was distinguished for his virtues, piety towards God, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and especially mercy towards the poor.

He studied philosophy at Parvia and then studied medicine at Padua. After gaining his degree in medicine, he returned home, where he came to know God had called him to the heal souls, rather than to heal bodies. He immediately began to study to become a priest.

While offering his first Mass after his ordination, the congregation saw him in a blaze of heavenly light and surrounded by angels. He then made it his chief care to labor for the salvation of souls. He received strangers, the poor and afflicted, with paternal charity, and consoled them with holy words and material assistance, so that his house was known as the refuge of the afflicted and he himself was called by his fellow-citizens an angel and the father of his country.

Thinking he would be able to do more for the Christian religion, if he had fellow men to start a religious order, two saintly men, Bartholomew Ferrari and James Morigia, helped him found at Milan a society of Clerks Regular, which he named after St. Paul because of his great love for the apostle.

His new religious order was approved by Clement VII, confirmed by Paul III, and soon spread through many lands. But he thought so humbly of himself that he would never be Superior of his own Order. So great was his patience that he endured with steadfastness the most terrible opposition to his religious order.

Such was his charity that he never ceased to exhort religious men to love God and priests to live after the manner of the apostles, and he organized many confraternities of married men and began a religious order of sisters called the Angelic Sisters.

He often carried the cross through the streets and public squares, together with his religious, and by his fervent prayers and exhortations brought wicked men back to the way of salvation.

It is noteworthy that out of love for Jesus crucified he would have the mystery of the cross brought to the mind of all by the ringing of a bell on Friday afternoons about vesper time.

The holy name of Jesus was ever on his lips, and in his writings, and as a true disciple of St Paul, he ever bore the mortification of Christ in his body.

He had a singular devotion to the Holy Eucharist, restored the custom of frequent communions, and is said to have introduced public Eucharistic Adoration of Forty Hours.

He was also enriched with the heavenly gifts of ecstasy, the gift of tears, the gift of knowledge of future things, and the secrets of hearts and power over the enemy of mankind. At length, after many labors, he fell grievously sick. He was taken to Cremona, and died there amid the tears of his religious brothers and in the embrace of his pious mother, whose approaching death he foretold.

At the hour of his death he was consoled by a vision of the apostles, and prophesied the future growth of his Society. The people began immediately to show their devotion to this saint on account of his great holiness and of his numerous miracles. He was canonized by Leo XIII, on Ascension Day, 1897.

St. Anthony was a powerful preacher and preached to some religious nuns who were not very faithful to their vocation. He courageously rebuked them in one of his sermons. Here is a portion of what he said to some religious sisters with regard to the first Commandment: “Moreover, my dear Sisters, you make idols when you conform yourselves to worldly people's way of life: you are fastidious, vegetables make you sick, fasting causes you headaches, early rising spoils your appetite. There is nothing, in fact, that suits you. O you wretches! Do you not know that "those who wear soft raiment are in kings' houses?" [Matt 11:8] Do you not know that the worldly are those who give free rein to every comfort of the body, and hate to suffer any discomfort?

Religious life is a cross to be carried a step at a time and in a steady fashion, "for your sake we face death all day long" [Ps 44:22], as the Apostles used to say [Rom 8:36]; and the Lord told us to take up our cross daily [Luke 9:23]. Are you disciples of Christ? Then, carry your cross, mortify your bodies with fasting and toiling, watch in prayer, spend your time helping your neighbor, nail yourselves to holy obedience never withdrawing from it. So, for Christ's sake, do not make any more idols.”

Today, let us give beseech the prayers of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria. May we imitate his love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to Jesus Crucified and to Our Lord’s true presence in the Eucharist and so enter the glory of heaven, when at last our day has come to be with Jesus forever in heaven.

13th Sunday, Death of Body - Death of Soul

 

 In the end, there are two things we cannot escape, death and taxes. But where did death come from? Did God make death? The first reading from the book of Wisdom states, “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living.”

If God didn’t make death, who did? The book of Wisdom states, “But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world..”

When the devil tricked Eve into taking the forbidden fruit, he said to her, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

She said, “God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” But the serpent lied saying “You will not die.” And when she took it, it caused the immediate death of her soul. She would later have physical death, but it never would have happened, had she obeyed God.

Original sin brought about not only death of the body, but also death of the soul. It also caused man to be separated from God, the loss of divine life of God within him, and the loss his friendship with God. But this is not what God intended. “God formed man to be imperishable; in the image of His own nature He made him”. (Wisdom 2:23)

In the Gospel today, the synagogue official fears his own daughter will die. He said, “My daughter is at the point of death.” He came to Jesus to prevent her death.

As Jesus was on the way to see the young girl, a woman who was afflicted for 12 yrs. with a hemorrhage, reached out to touch His clothing to be healed. She most likely did not want to suffer and may have been afraid she would die. Our Lord wanted her to live longer, to take away her suffering, and so, He healed her out of love.

After the woman was healed, people from the official’s house told Jairus, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding what they said, Our Lord and His disciples, followed Jairus to his home. When He arrived at the home, and knowing full well that the little girl was dead, Jesus said, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” Since Our Lord, knew beyond any doubt, that the little girl had died, why did He say she was sleeping? St. Bede explains stating, “To men’s eyes she was dead, she could not be awoken; in God’s eyes she was sleeping, for her soul was alive and was subject to God’s power, and her body was resting, awaiting the resurrection.”

Overcoming death, Jesus took the child by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you arise!” The girl became alive, arose and immediately walked around. The raising of the girl from death is a sign of our future resurrection and a sign of Our Lord’s power over death.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two kinds of death: Death of the body and death of the soul, both of which are the result of the original sin of Adam and Eve.

Since we do everything to prevent the death of the body, shouldn’t we also, do everything to prevent death of the soul? Jesus conquers death of the soul by way of baptism and confession.

By way of baptism, through God’s infinite mercy, original sin, and all sin, is washed away, and the soul is given life. But after baptism, if we fall into serious sin, the divine life of God is gone and the soul becomes dead. That’s why it’s called mortal-- because it causes death to the soul. But, God desires not the death of the sinner, but rather that he may be converted and live. And so, He gives us the sacrament of Confession. So how serious is death of the soul?

Spiritual writer Tanquery, said “When a man falls into grave sin, he is lost for himself and for God. It is the greatest tragedy that could befall him.” He is radically cut off from God by the total loss of divine life in his soul. Mortal sin is a greater disorder than the most disastrous catastrophe in the whole world. This is so, as St. Thomas Aquinas states, “the good of grace in a single soul is greater than the natural good of the whole universe.” The loss of this most precious grace, in a single soul by mortal sin--- O what a terrible tragedy!

The Council of Trent states, “all mortal sins, even those of thought, men are made into children of wrath and enemies of God.” None of us want to be an enemy of God, but this happens, when we commit a mortal sin. Mortal sin-- what a terrible tragedy!

Three things are necessary to commit a mortal sin: First, the sin itself must be objectively grave. Second, we must know it’s a serious sin. Third, we must give full consent. If all three are present, we whole-hardheartedly choose to commit a deadly sin.

Sin is an infinite offense against God, and as the Baltimore Catechism states, mortal sin crucifies Jesus. If we want to see the ugliness of mortal sin, just look at a Crucifix. Mortal sin is like giving our full consent to crucifying Jesus. Once He has died, ---we take the spear--- with the solider-- and thrust it-- into His Heart. Mortal sin-- O what a terrible tragedy!

Saint Pope John Paul II said, “With greater or lesser violence, with consequences of greater or lesser harm, every sin has repercussions on the entire ecclesial body and the whole human family.” In other words, every sin, even in the secret of the heart, hurts not only our self, and our relationship with God, but also it hurts the body of Christ, and the whole human family. Mortal sin, O what a terrible tragedy!

The death of the soul is an infinitely greater tragedy, than the death of the body. All of us will die someday. We don’t know how it will happen. Whether it is sudden, by a car accident, a heart attack, a stroke, or if it be slow, by a disease, cancer, or old age.. we know not. All of us must face the physical death of the body. But all of us-- do not have to face-- the death of the soul.

Death of the body is a terrible tragedy, but if our soul is alive with grace, those who died with Our Lord, who died for us, will live with Him forever.

But if death of the body occurs, when we have death of the soul, we will be separated from God, and from our family forever. To hear the words, “Depart from me unto the everlasting flames…” would be the greatest of all tragedies! Mortal sin, O what a terrible tragedy!

If we should find our self, as an enemy of God, separating our self from Him, destroying the divine life of God within us, freely choosing to crucify the Lord by committing mortal sin… Our Divine Lord patiently waits for us, and beckons us, to come to Him to receive His sacramental touch in the Confessional. With an open Heart, He loves us and forgives us! O God’s mercy, how glorious!

By His death on the Cross, Our Lord conquered death of body and death of soul, by His rising from the dead, He gives us life. And so, through the sacrament of confession, brought about from His Paschal Mystery, our soul is given life again. O God’s mercy, how immeasurable!

Jesus said, “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.” As Jesus gave life to the little girl, so at the end of the world all of our bodies will be given life and will rise. O God’s mercy, how powerful!

St. Faustina gives us a peek into God’s infinite mercy. Jesus said to her, “Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the immeasurable depths of My mercy.” (#1059) O God’s mercy, how unfathomable!

“When approach the confessional, know this, that I myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy.” “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full.” O God’s mercy, how incompehensible!

With the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, just as we would do everything to prevent the death of the body, let us resolve to do everything necessary to prevent the death of the soul, and in this way, when our body dies, we will truly live forever.

And may all of us go to confession frequently, to prevent mortal sin, so all that we will die to our sins, and so, rise out of the confessional stating, “O death where is your sting! O death where is your Victory! For truly Christ our life has conquered you!”

Peter & Paul Solemnity, June 29th

 

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. It’s actually a holy day of obligation in the universal Church, but not in the US.

How shocking it would be, if a pope was captured and put into jail? What would it have been for the early Church to hear that Peter was arrested and put into jail?

Popes beginning with Peter have suffered much as the leader of the Church.

In fact, 29 popes of the Catholic Church were martyred and 7 perhaps 8, additional popes were murdered.

Peter, who would become the first pope, was from Bethsaida in Galilee and owned a fishing business. He was married, but after receiving his call abandoned his wife and family to become a follower of Jesus.

Jesus would heal his mother-in-law, who was sick in bed with a fever.

Peter was poor and unlearned, but candid, eager and loving.

When he told Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you!” Jesus replied, “Truly, I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.”

When Jesus asked the apostles, “Who do they say the Son of Man is?” They responded, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus replied, “Who do you say I am?” It is then, only Peter announces His faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Only Peter made that declaration.

Jesus then told Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

These words signify that Peter is the one whom Jesus entrusted the Church and his successors will guide and the lead the Church, which Jesus Himself established. Peter will have the authority to rule over the Church with his role instructing and clarifying the faith and strengthening the faith of the people. Our Lord chose Peter to be the head of the Apostles and the Vicar of Christ on earth.

Peter had great faith as can be seen when he stepped out of the boat and began to walk on water towards Jesus.

Peter was one of Our Lord’s three intimate friends, with James and John, who witnessed events the other apostles did not, such as the Transfiguration, the raising of the dead girl back to life and His Agony in the Garden.

On the day of Pentecost, due to Peter’s sermon, 3,000 converted to the Christian faith.

After Pentecost, Peter stands out in full grandeur of his office. He fills the vacant office lost by Judas, when guided the apostles to replace him with Matthias.

Peter opens the Church to Gentiles and he founded and ruled the church of Antioch.

Ten years after the Ascension, he went to Rome. There he established his chair and for 25 years labored with St. Paul building up the great Roman Church.

Jesus told Peter what would happen to him. Our Lord said, “When you were young, you went where you would, but when you are old, you will go where you are taken." And by these words, He foretold Peter's death. He then said, "Follow me."

Now 25 years later, Peter is arrested and put into jail. In the early Church, it must have been shocking and word must have spread quickly when Peter, the first pope was arrested and put in jail. The Christians must have all gathered together and prayed for Peter to be released.
Then in the middle of the night, when Peter was asleep and fastened to the chains, an angel appeared to him. The angel caused the chains to break free and the door of the jail to open and then Peter escaped. Yet, years later, Peter, the first pope, would be captured again.

A pious Roman tradition, states that during the persecution of the emperor Nero, Peter set off to leave Rome. Just outside the gates of Rome, Jesus appeared to Peter carrying His Cross. Peter asked Him, “Where are you going, Lord?” In Latin, “Quo Vodis Domine?” Jesus responds, “To Rome, to let myself be crucified again.” Because of this, Peter returned to Rome, knowing he would be crucified, as Jesus would be crucified within him. Because he considered himself unworthy to die like his Master, when captured, Peter asked to be crucified upside down. Recent excavations, directly under the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, have discovered the bones of St. Peter, in a tomb. The Basilica was built over the site where Peter was martyred on top of Vatican Hill in 64 AD.

There have been many popes, who have been jailed over the centuries. For example, Pope Pius VII was arrested in 1809 and put into jail as well. When in jail, he smuggled a message out and asked all of Christianity to pray the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary for his release. And on May 24^th, of 1814, the pope was released. That is why the following year he established the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on May 24^th.

St. Paul was from Tarsus and his parents were Jewish. He studied under Gamaliel. While still young, Paul held the clothing of St. Stephen, who he encouraged to be stoned to death and was the first martyr for the faith. In his false zeal of the Pharisees at Jerusalem, Paul was responsible for arresting Christians (men, women and children).

Near Damascus, a great light struck him and he fell to the ground. Our Lord spoke to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The event causes him to become blind, but would later be healed by Ananias, whom the Lord told to pray over him.

Due to his conversion and as a new Christian, he sought to spread the Gospel to the limits of the world. For years, he labored preaching Christ Crucified.

St. Paul, became the apostle to the Gentiles and preached throughout most of the western world. He established many churches. Perils by land and by sea did not stop dampen his courage, nor toil or suffering prevented him of wanting to the win the world for Christ.

Before his martyrdom he left 14 epistles, providing the foundation for some of the Church’s doctrine. Through his writings, it is clear, he died to himself, so that Christ may live in him.

He was captured and sent to Rome for trial. During his house arrest in Rome, he wrote letters to the faithful, while others came to visit him. He was eventually, martyred about 3 yrs. after St. Peter in Rome.

A tradition, states that when he was beheaded, his head bounced three times, resulting in three springs of water. The location today is called (tre fontone) (three fountains). His body resides in a Basilica outside of Rome called, St. Paul, outside the wall.

On this Solemnity of Peter and Paul, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, to watch over and protect the Catholic Church from all heresy and division and may all Christians be inspired to pray for everyday for the Church, so that the Church may continue to guide and lead the faithful, through the Vicar of Christ and the college of bishops, who are the apostles today.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, the doctor of the Incarnation.

Born in 370, he succeeded his uncle, as bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, in 412. He battled against the heretic Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople. Nestorius falsely held that Jesus Christ, as only man was born of Mary, and that His divinity was acquired, after His human birth, because of His great merits. However, this is not true; rather Catholics believe Jesus is a divine person, with two natures, both human and divine. Jesus took upon His human nature in the womb of Mary, while maintaining His divinity, because as God, He never had a beginning.

St. Cyril presided over the great Council of Ephesus in 431, which condemned the false doctrines of Nestorius. The Council dogmatically declared Mary, the Mother of God. The title Mother of God meant that Mary gave birth to one person, the Divine Son of God, and not two persons in one, as Nestorius implied.

He stated what Christians believed, in the 300’s; Mary is the Mother of God. He said, “That anyone could doubt the right of the Holy Virgin to be called Mother of God fills me with astonishment. Surely, She must be the Mother of God, if Our Lord Jesus Christ is God, and She gave birth to Him. Our Lord’s disciples may not have used those exact words, but they delivered to us the belief those words enshrine, and this is also taught us by the holy fathers.”

St. Cyril quotes St. Athanasius, who said, “There have been many holy men, free from all sin. Jeremiah was sanctified in his mother’s womb, and John while still in the womb leaped for joy at the voice of Mary, the Mother of God.” “…Our Lord is nonetheless, the one true Son, both God and man..”

Today, a similar heresy exists among Protestants, who deny Mary is the Mother of God. They falsely think that Catholics believe, Mary is the Mother of God, as though She created God¹ in Her womb. As everyone knows Catholics certainly do not believe this!

Our response to this statement is the same as St. Cyril, “She must be the Mother of God, if Our Lord Jesus Christ is God, and She gave birth to Him.”

St. Cyril also had a deep faith and admiration for the Eucharist. In a sermon on the Eucharist, he said, “O tremendous mystery, O ineffable decision of the divine counsel, O humility which the mind cannot comprehend! O goodness that cannot be investigated! The Maker offers Himself to the good pleasure of His work. Life Itself gives Itself to mortals to eat and drink. “Come and eat my body, and drink the wine which I have mixed for you. I have prepared Myself as food and have set Myself before those who desire.”

And with regard to our union of Jesus in the Eucharist, He said, “He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me and I in him.” If into melted wax-- other wax is poured, the two are certain to get thoroughly mixed, one with the other. In the same way, he who receives the Body and Blood of the Lord is so united with Him-- that He is in Christ and Christ in him.”

Today, let pray to St. Cyril that he may inspire us to a greater love and devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

1 Cf Fr. Chacon, Beginning Apologetics, pg. 21