St. Monica - August 27th (Miracles of the Rosary)

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Monica, the mother of the great St. Augustine. She was born about the year 332 in North Africa, of a Christian family. As soon as Monica had reached marriageable age, she married Patricius, who had a violent temper. The daily example of her gentleness and kindness finally had its rewards. A year before his death, he became a Christian. Her son, Augustine, spent time in youthful carousing, which caused his mother great anguish. She disapproved so strongly both of his loose living and of his acceptance of the popular heresy of Manichaeism. Augustine tried to convince her to give up her Christian faith. But Monica did not lose faith. She continually fasted, prayed, and wept on his behalf. She implored the local bishop for help to win him over. The bishop uttered the words, "Go now, I beg you; it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." The day of Augustine's conversion came when St. Ambrose baptized him on Easter.

Many of you like St. Monica pray, fast and weep over your family members who have fallen away from the Church.

The Rosary is known for many miracles and the greatest miracle of the Rosary are not the winning of wars, the saving of a life, the healing of a sick person, but the greatest miracle is conversion.

I stand here before you as a witness to the power of the Rosary. I never went to Confession from 2^nd or 3^rd grade until I was 27. For 20 years I didn’t go to Confession. While at the bedside of my dying grandmother, I promised to pray a Rosary for her and she died shortly thereafter. But, I didn’t know how to pray the Rosary. When I was a child about the age of 4 or 5 my mother had my siblings and I kneel before a statue of Mary and she taught us the Rosary. Yes, at that age we learned the prayers of the Rosary.

I knew the prayers of the Rosary but didn’t know how to pray it. At the age of 27, in 1991, I learned how to pray the Rosary by watching the International Rosary on EWTN as it was prayed by the little girl in the field. I learned the mysteries of the Rosary and how to meditate by watching the Rosary on TV. It was the Rosary that brought me to Confession. Whenever I meditated on the Sorrowful mysteries, I felt sorry for hurting Jesus for my sins. And when I heard about the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, I decided I would do what Mary requested. To daily pray the Rosary, to fast on Wed and Fri, pray with the heart, attend daily Mass and confess monthly. It was Jan 1^st of 1991, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, that I went to Confession. The Virgin Mary through the daily praying of Her Rosary, brought me to Confession and my life totally changed.

When we pray the Rosary, our soul is touched by graces to help bring about conversion. If you want a family member or friend to return to the Church, give them a Rosary, teach them how the pray the Rosary and pray it with them, then watch what the Blessed Mother will do.

I wrote a book on the Rosary called, “Miracles of the Rosary and the Rosary of Miracles”. In the book are many miracles associated with the Rosary.

Recall that when the Virgin Mary appeared St. Dominic in 1208 giving him the mysteries of the Rosary. He begged Our Lady for help because he had no success in converting the Albigensian heretics. But, Mary told Dominic to preach the Rosary and the mysteries of the Rosary and he would he successful. Thousands of fallen away Catholics came back to the Church due to the preaching of the Rosary.

Just five years later the Battle of Muret in 1213 occurred. Catholics were battling heretics. The night before the battle, the 20,000 heretics got drunk and partied, but a mere 800 Catholics prepared for the battle spiritually. Every soldier went to Confession, they all went to Mass and they all prayed the Rosary together. During the battle, St. Dominic prayed before a statue of the Virgin Mary in a nearby church and the battle was over quickly.

Other battles won by the Rosary include the battle of Lepanto on Oct 7^th in 1571 and the battle of Vienna in 1683. Our Lady of Fatima told the children on June 13^th, 1917, “Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war.” As World War II began, at St. Marks Parish in Kansas, Msgr. Hackenbroich started the devotion of saying the Rosary before Sunday Mass and ending Mass with the hymn, "Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers." By the time the war ended in 1945, 47 men from St. Mark’s had served and all came home. In thanksgiving for the safe return of the men, the grotto was built. No men from that parish have ever died during World War II, the Vietnam War or the Korean War because that parish prays the Rosary every day for their soldiers to come home safely.

I am sure, you know, Jan 28^th, 1998, Mother Angelica was healed after she & a mystic prayed the Rosary together.

This last December in my parish of Holy Trinity, a newborn infant, just 5 days old contracted the flu and a severe infection. The child was taken by ambulance to a Catholic hospital in Wichita. The child would not wake up for days and therefore was not eating. The worrisome parents Dave and Emily went to the chapel and prayed a Rosary together before Jesus in the tabernacle. And when they returned to the ICU room, their child Molly was awake and ready to eat.

Did you know Venerable Sister Maria Agreda, a poor Clare of the Immaculate Conception in Spain, appeared hundreds of times to American Indians in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. When she bi-located she brought with her rosaries and taught them how to pray the Rosary. Because of her 10,000 Indians became Catholic when priests came to those areas.

In 2005, a Rosary Novena praying the Seven Sorrows of Mary was prayed from May 16^th to May 24^th (Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians) to close an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. On the 9^th day of the Rosary Novena, the abortion clinic was closed.

A number of years ago, I went to the March For Life in Washington, DC. After vesting before Mass, I was bored, so I decided to pray the Rosary with the intention of hearing the Confessions of priests who were also in the sacristy area preparing for Mass. By the time I finished praying the Rosary, three priests asked me to hear their confessions.

On October 8 of 1871, was the great Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was the greatest fire tragedy in the history of the United States killing between 1,200-2,400. The fire roared towards the convent, chapel, and school near Champion. Local people fled to the Chapel where Sister Adele Brise and her companions were praying for Mary’s protection. Lifting the statue of Mary, they processed around the sanctuary, praying the Rosary and singing hymns to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. A steady rain extinguished the flames. Everything around the property was charred. But the fire came only to the fence of the land consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, containing the chapel, school and convent, where they were praying, and halted.

Several years ago, a non-Catholic family, Alex and Erin Flood and their children watched a movie on Fatima and began to daily pray the Rosary together. Due to the Rosary, the family converted two years ago, and became Catholic at St. Mary’s Parish in Newton, Kansas.

Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker, his wife and children daily pray the Rosary together. He said even though the children are less than 7 years old, the know the prayers in English and in Latin.

My dear friends pray the Rosary every day with your family and specifically for your family members who have fallen away and you will see Our Lady work miracles, especially the miracle of conversion. Draw close to Mary, pray the Rosary with love and reverence, and trust Our Lady and She will give peace in your hearts and in your family.

Pope Pius XI said, “If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."

Our Lady of Czestochowa August 26th- Rosary Effects

 

Today is the memorial of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The icon located in Poland is believed to be painted by St. Luke. It is our Lady holding the baby Jesus. It's called the Black Madonna due to the black soot from votive candles over years. In 1430, a man attempted to steal the icon. When he placed the image on his horse, the horse refuse to move. The man took his sword and slashed Our Lady’s face twice. On his 3^rd attempt, the man suddenly died.

In 1683, the Muslim Turks were coming to conquer Vienna with nearly 300,000 soldiers. Pope Innocent XI called the religious houses and churches to pray the Rosary. The King of Poland gathered a small army of 20,000 Catholic soldiers. Before going into battle he stopped and prayed at the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. They mounted a surprise attack on Sept 11^th and defeated the Muslim army on Sept 12^th, which is why Sept 12^th became the feast of the Holy Name of Mary.

In the first reading today of St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he states, “We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, by our very self as well, so dearly beloved had you come to us.”

This is what Jesus and Mary does when we pray the Rosary. They give their self to us, when we meditate and think about the mysteries of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.

Imagine for a moment, what the Virgin Mary thinks about each one of us. How She loves each of us individually as though we were Her only child. When Jesus was an infant, She nursed the baby Jesus, as gentle mother, and since we are Mary’s children, She nurses us a nursing mother cares for her children. But, how does She do that? Most especially, through the Holy Rosary.

When we pray the Rosary, Mary prays for us, now and until hour of our death. When we meditate on the sacred mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary, Mary pours many graces and gifts into our soul, through Her prayers and intercession. The Rosary is a double pray. We pray with our mind and we pray with our voice. This is why the Rosary is the second most powerful prayer, after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As we meditate on the mysteries with the backdrop of our voice praying Hail Marys, our soul is touched by grace. Because the events involve God, they have eternal effects on our soul. Listen to some of the many effects the Rosary has on our soul.

First, the meditations we pray are really the Gospel in miniature because it covers important events often called mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary. St. Louis de Montfort said, “A mystery is a sacred thing which is difficult to understand. The works of Our Lord Jesus Christ are all sacred and divine because He is God and man at one and the same time. The works of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary are very holy because She is the most perfect and the most pure of God’s creatures. The works of Our Lord and of His Blessed Mother can be rightly called mysteries because they are so full of wonders and all kinds of perfections and deep sublime truths which the Holy Spirit reveals to the humble and simple souls who honor these mysteries”.

When we meditate on a Rosary mystery, it becomes present to us. It increases our faith. We become more like Christ. We grow in virtue. God gives us insights into the mystery. We receive grace into our souls. We learn to imitate the virtue associated with the mystery. Our mind is reminded of the truth associated with the mystery. The Holy Spirit will reveal divine truths to simple souls, who think about the mystery with faith and love. When we meditate on the mystery, we avoid falling into error because we experience divine truth.

When we pray the Rosary, since Mary treasured all the mysteries in Her Heart, She will help us to meditate on them, so we too can treasure them in our heart. When we gaze upon the mysteries, we are gazing upon them with the eyes of Mary. We begin to love Jesus as Mary loves Jesus. We feel what Jesus feels. We see what Jesus sees.

When we are meditating on the mystery of the Rosary, allow the mystery to come alive in your mind. Be there at the mystery and participate in it. For example, when meditating on the Birth of Jesus, allow Mary to hand the baby Jesus to you and you hold Him in your arms. You see His smile and reach out your finger to touch His nose.

St. Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times. Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

St. Padre Pio prayed 35 Rosaries a day. How many rosaries can you pray in a day? Several years ago, when I was in an airplane flying over the ocean from Kansas to Medjugorje, I had a medical emergency. During that crisis, I prayed at least 14 rosaries. When we landed I was taken to a hospital and had surgery. It was through Our Lady’s intercession, and the Rosary, She saved my life.

How many rosaries can you pray in 20 minutes? One, right. Well, did you know you can pray 30 rosaries in 20 minutes. How is that possible to pray 30 rosaries in 20 minutes and without bilocating? St. Louis de Montfort said, “Somebody who says his Rosary alone only gains the merit of one Rosary, but if he says it together with thirty other people, he gains the merit of thirty Rosaries. This is the law of public prayer. How profitable, how advantageous this is!” 

To pray the Rosary with a group, you receive the same graces as the number of rosaries prayed with the group. Imagine what it would be like if prayed the Rosary at Lourdes, or Fatima or Medjugorje, when at times there are thousands of people praying the Rosary together. Imagine the power this has for families, if they were to daily pray the Rosary together. All those who pray the Rosary with the sisters here at the shrine receive tremendous graces.

In one of the alleged messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje, She asks families to daily pray the Rosary together. She also asked that we pray 3 rosaries a day (joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries).

Most people pray the Rosary too fast. If you pray the Rosary in less than 20 minutes, you are praying to fast. When we are praying the Rosary, remember we are praying to a person, and that person is the Virgin Mary.

Before praying the Rosary, mention your specific intentions to Our Lady asking Her to pray for them.

When you pray the Rosary in a group, or praying the Rosary before Jesus in the Eucharist, you can obtain a plenary indulgence. To gain an indulgence, you are to confess your sins 20 days before or after the day of the indulgence, pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the pope, receive Holy Communion and be detached from sin.

If you daily pray the Rosary in a group or before Jesus in the Eucharist, you can obtain a plenary indulgence for yourself or for a poor soul in purgatory every day. Today, turn to the Virgin Mary and ask Her to help you pray as many Rosaries a day as you can, trusting She will pray for us now and at hour of our death and will do so, as a “nursing mother cares for her children”.

St. Louis - August 25th

 

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Louis King of France. He was born in 1215. His mother was a very good Catholic and taught him the Catholic faith, and all about God’s heavenly kingdom. Louis often times would say “Death rather than mortal sin.” which is what his mother taught him.

His mother prepared him to be truly a holy king. He was crowned king when he was only 12 years old. Can you imagine a 6^th grader being made king of France? Even though he became king of France at the age of 12, his mother ran the actual ran the government until Louis was 22.

He was taught by Franciscan Friars and later became a Third Order Franciscan. 

Amidst the cares of government, he daily recited the Divine Office and attended two Masses everyday. In his kingly territory, he crushed the Albigensian heretics and forced them by stringent penalties to respect the Catholic faith. 

As king, he became gravely sick and made a promise to the Lord that if his health would improve, he would lead a crusade to free the Holy Land from Muslims, because they had taken control and pushed out Christians.

When he went with his army to fight the Muslims in the Holy Land, he was captured and taken prisoner. Despite being a prisoner, he continued to daily pray the Divine Office. While in prison, the Muslims said they would release him from prison, but only, if he denied Jesus. He refused to deny our Blessed Lord because He loved Him with all his heart, mind and soul.

While captive, a Muslim commander rushed into his tent brandishing a dagger red with blood after the killed the Sultan, and threatened to stab him also unless he would make him a knight. Louis calmly replied that no unbeliever could perform the duties of a Christian knight. Sometime later he was freed from prison due to his mother’s death.

Louis was a very good king. Even though, he had lots of money, as king, he used it wisely taking care of the poor.

He would not tolerate those who spoke filthy words, or permit people to say bad things of others. Once he said, “I would willingly have my own lips branded to root out blasphemy from my kingdom."

He was able to obtain the actual Crown of Thorns of Jesus, and built a Catholic Church in Paris, where he placed the Thorns.

Due to Muslims again taking over the Holy Land, he decided to start another Crusade to battle against them. While on the journey, some of his soldiers became ill. Because he visited them, he contracted the illness himself and died before he could go to the Holy Land.

St. Louis and his wife had 12 children, whom he daily prayed with. Before dying he wrote a beautiful letter to one of his sons, who would take over his throne upon his death.

In the letter, he states, “My dearest son, I exhort you above all else to love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with all your strength; there is no salvation apart from this. Keep yourself free from everything you know to be displeasing to God, that is, from every mortal sin. You must be willing to suffer any kind of martyrdom rather than commit a grievous sin. Be kindly disposed toward the poor, the wretched and afflicted; help them as much as you can and console them. Be just towards your subjects. Incline to the poor man’s side rather than to the rich man until you are certain where the truth lies. Be devoted and obedient to our mother, the Church of Rome, and to the supreme pontiff as your spiritual father. Work to eradicate all sin from your country, especially blasphemy and heresy. May the Blessed Trinity and all the saints protect you from all evil. May the Lord grant you the grace to do His will in such a way as to serve him and honor him; and after this life may we both meet to see, love and praise Him without end. Amen.”

Due to Muslims who took over the Holy Land, he started another crusade. In Tunisia, after his soldiers contracted a serious illness, Louis became sick and received Viaticum (Holy Communion for the last time) kneeling by his camp-bed, and gave up his life with the same joy that he had given all else for the honor of God.

The city of St. Louis Missouri is named after St. Louis, King of France. A few years ago, a mob tried to destroy the famous statue at St. Louis, however, faithful Catholics stood by the statue round the clock to protect it from being destroyed.

St. Louis gives us an example of faithfully fulfilling one’s state of life. As a Third Order Franciscan, he helps us to see the beauty of living a life of poverty, chastity and obedience and the virtue of loving God and country.

Today, may we be faithful to the Christian way of life God has called us and as patriots to our country.

May the Virgin Mary, guide us to fulfill our daily duties with joy and zeal to share our faith with others to help them obtain heaven. St. Louis, King of France, pray for us.

21st Sunday - Road to Heaven is Narrow

 

In the Gospel today, someone asked Jesus, “Lord will only a few people be saved?” He answered them with an answer that many would not want to hear. He said, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Jesus Himself is the narrow gate. Remember, what He told Thomas, the apostle, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus is the way. But not everyone will follow Jesus, the good Shepherd and His way.

Our Lord says something that shocked His listeners. He said, “After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then you stand outside knocking and saying, “Lord, open the door for us.” He will say in reply, “I do not know where you are from,’ and you will say, “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then He will say, “I do not know where are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers! And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.”

What Jesus is trying to tell His disciples, is that some of them, who eat with Him, who listen to His sermons and perhaps who have even seen Him work miracles, such as healing the sick or expelling demons, are not truly following Him. But rather, they come just to see and hear what He is doing. They were visibly with Him and listened to Him and maybe even liked what He said, but in practice, they were not true followers. They were not following the narrow way.

The Gentiles had to give up their pagan practices, such as burning incense to idols. Perhaps many had the habit of cursing and getting drunk. They were not changing their lives and this would have been true with the Jews too. 

The Jews enjoyed being with Jesus. They liked to hear His sermons, and watch Him heal people, but they were not ready to give up their sinful ways  and to truly believe Jesus is the Messiah. But, He warned them, that it was not good enough to eat and drink with Him, and to be in His company, they must also deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him, wholeheartedly.

They heard the fullness of truth about Him, and yet rejected what He asked them to do and therefore placed their souls in danger of going to hell.

Here are some quotes from some saints about the narrow gate that are astonishing. St. Francis Xavier said, 'Ah, how many souls lose Heaven and are cast into Hell!'

St. Leonard of Port Maurice said, 'Our chronicles relate an even more dreadful happening. One of our brothers, well-known for his doctrine and holiness, was preaching in Germany. He represented the ugliness of the sin of impurity-- so forceful that a woman fell dead of sorrow in front of everyone. Then, coming back to life, the woman said, "When I was presented before the Tribunal of God, sixty thousand people arrived at the same time from all parts of the world; out of that number, three were saved by going to Purgatory, and all the rest were damned.'

Pope Saint Gregory the Great said, 'There are many who arrive at the faith, but few that are led into the heavenly kingdom.'

Saint Jacinta Marto of Fatima said, 'So many people are going to die, and almost all of them are going to Hell! So many people falling into hell!'

St. Augustine said, 'It is certain that few are saved.'

St. Justin the martyr said, 'The majority of men shall not see God, excepting those who live justly, purified by righteousness and by every other virtue.'

Sister Lucia of Fatima said, 'Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved”.

St. Benedict Labore said, 'Yes, indeed, many will be damned; few will be saved.'

St. Anthony Mary Claret said, 'A multitude of souls fall into the depths of Hell, and it is of the faith that all who die in mortal sin are condemned for ever and ever. According to statistics, approximately 80,000 persons die every day. How many of these will die in mortal sin, and how many will be condemned! For, as their lives have been, so also will be their end.'

St. Regimius of Rheims said, “With the exception of those who die in childhood, most men will be damned.

St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Philip Neri, St. John of the Cross, St. John Vianney, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, Ven. Mary Agreda, and many others say the majority go to hell and few are saved.

When Our Lady of Fatima showed the three children the vision of hell, it caused them to offer many sacrifices and do penance for sermons. Out of penance, the children tied a rope around their waist, but the Virgin Mary told them to take it off at night when they go to bed. In another words, it pleased God that they were sacrificing themselves for others. The children also gave their food to poor children, while they themselves went hungry. Their desire for everyone to go to heaven and the horror of hell moved their hearts to truly love others and help them salvation.

With these sobering words from the saints. We cannot judge the other heart of another person, but we can see by their actions, we need to pray for them.

Holy Mother Church wants to keep us from hypocrisy—to ensure we live by what we believe and so she give us rules, restrictions and requirements and we follow them with love.

Today, let us strive to unite our heart to our actions to practice the virtue of religion to follow that the narrow path to have a repentant heart filled with grace and love. The faith we profess must be lived. Our actions speak louder than our words. Otherwise, as Pope John Paul II said, if we profess our faith and don’t live as one redeemed, it is “practical atheism.”

May words of the saints cause us to pray for the conversion of sinners, offer sacrifices for them, and for us, may we frequent the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion, in this way we will choose the narrow road trusting if we persevere to the end, we will be counted with the few and not the many who will be lost. All of us are human, we are all sinners, but we trust in God's mercy as Psalm 13 says, "My hope O Lord, is in your mercy." The Lord is constantly offering His infinite mercy to everyone. We need to trust in God’s mercy. Our Lord opens wide His Heart to bestow His mercy.

O Jesus, our savior, we can do nothing good without your help and grace. Help us to always be faithful to you in our words, our actions and in our heart and we entrust our self to the Virgin Mary, as St. Anselm said, 'It is impossible to be saved, if we turn away from thee, O Mary.'

St. Rose of Lima - August 23rd

 

Today is the memorial of St. Rose of Lima, the patron of Peru, South America, and the Philippines. Her birth name was Isabel de Flores. She was born in Lima, Peru on April 20, 1586 and was the 11^th of 13 children.

Her father was a Puerto Rican, who had come to Peru in 1548 with the Spanish conquistadors. She received the name Rose when a housemaid, gazing upon her when she was still an infant, remarked: “She’s as lovely as a rose.” She was given that name at the time of confirmation. Her mother used to place a crown of roses on her head and had hoped her daughter would someday get married, but Rose had other plans.

She had a great devotion to St. Catherine of Sienna and a very special love of the Child Jesus. When she was 5 yrs. old she had asked the Child Jesus to teach her to read and write, which He did. She obtained cures from the Child Jesus for the sick.

Since she was beautiful, she didn’t want to tempt anyone by her beauty so she cut her hair and rubbed red pepper on her skin to make it appear blotchy.

Rose did not want have anything to do with vanity. A few years ago, I went to Medjugorje and was blessed to be with Maria, one of the visionaries when she had an apparition. Earlier in the day, some women from our group asked me a question. The said, “Is it vanity for women to wear make-up?” One of the women said that she permanently removed her eyes brows and had new ones tattooed in their place. I responded saying, “Tattooing eyebrows might be sinful. I am sure the Virgin Mary never wore make-up. Yes, I think to wear make-up is vanity. God created each person and each person is beautiful to Him.” I also said, “Men can suffer from vanity too. Rather than exercising for health, some spend many hours lifting weights, thinking they will impress women, so as to be enamored by their physical appearance.”

Some women didn’t like my answer, especially when I said I didn’t think women should wear make-up. One woman said, “But we want to be pretty for men”. And I said, “The deepest beauty is found in a woman’s soul.”

Then later, after the apparition, Maria gave a talk to the group, which she rarely does. Not knowing anything about our conversation, all of us were shocked to hear Maria say, “Ladies, you do not need to wear make-up. This is a worldly thing. We need to live for heaven.” Maria said, “Mary is the most beautiful woman She has ever seen. Her beauty comes from the virtues of Her soul.”

I was humbled by it all and felt the Virgin Mary Herself, defended what I said.

Saint Rose of Lima lived a life of penance, frequently fasted, didn’t eat meat, spent hours in prayer, mortified herself, flogged herself, wore a hair shirt, and served the poor.

She offered up her suffering as a way of atoning for the idolatry of her country, for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in purgatory.

When Rose was 20 years old, her mother encouraged her to get married and became extremely angry when Rose told her she made a vow of chastity at the age of 5.

She became a third order Dominican. On the day of her investiture, Jesus appeared to Rose under the guise of a sculptor and asked her to help him build a block of marble. The saint replied that she only knew how to sew and cook. Then Our Lord let her understand that the block of marble, still unformed and rough, was she herself, and that she ought to have patience and let herself be worked and smoothed so as to become the image of her divine Master, a precious stone in the eternal city of souls.

Rose built a cell in a remote corner of the garden and after a period of trial and desolation, received the joy of spiritual espousal to Christ. Jesus said to her, “Rose of my heart, be thou My bride.”

She died at the young age of 31 and is often pictured holding the Child Jesus and wearing a crown of roses.

Many of the saints had apparitions and visions of the Child Jesus and everyone knows Mother Angelica had a vision of the Child Jesus, who asked her to build a temple in His honor and that is why we are all here today attending Mass in this magnificent Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Our Lord and Our Lady appear only to humble souls. And these humble souls are nothing in the eyes of the world, but are exalted in heaven and crowned with glory for living a life of humility. As Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

My dear sisters and my dear friends, strive for the gift of humility and humble yourself, by accepting the way God created you and trust that the beauty of your soul is found in imitating the virtues of the Virgin Mary, and living a life of detachment from the world, so that we can be attached to God alone.

If we want to be humble, we only need to gaze upon the humility of Christ in the Eucharist.

St. Francis of Assisi spoke about the humility of God in the Eucharist. He told his friars:

“Kissing your feet, therefore, and with all the love of which I am capable, I implore all of you brothers to show all possible reverence and honor to the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in Whom that which is in heaven and on earth has been brought to peace and reconciled to almighty God . . . How holy, just and fitting must be he (the priest) who touches with his hands, receives in his heart and mouth, and offers to others to be received the One Who is not about to die but Who is to conquer and be glorified, upon Whom the angels longed to gaze . . . Let everyone be struck with fear, let the whole world tremble, and let the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest! O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! The Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under an ordinary piece of bread! Brothers, look at the humility of God, and pour out your hearts before Him! Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him! Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!”

Queenship of Mary - August 22nd

 

Today is the feast of the Queenship of Mary. To my right, here in this temple, dedicated to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament is a statue of Mary with a crown on Her head because She is the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Imagine for a moment Mary entering heaven. Scripture tells us, “God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.” “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Mary is the new ark of the covenant. Mary is the woman clothed with the sun with moon under Her feet and as Queen, on Her Head is a crown of twelve stars.

When entering the gates of heaven, Her body became suddenly glorified, as She received a transformed and resurrected body. Her clothes became dazzling and with an immense glow, Her veil, mantle, and dress are arrayed in gold, sparkling like the sun.

Though She knew the Trinity better than any human being, and perhaps, at times, had a tiny glimpse of heaven in one of Her ecstasies, She was immediately enamored and overcome by the beauty, the glory, the power and the majesty of God in heaven. Her eyes welled up in tears as She gazed upon the multitude of angels and saints, and, to Her shock and amazement, they all bow down in humble reverence to Her, the Queen.

There, next to Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven, is Her faithful spouse St. Joseph, whose glory shines for all to see. He appears in bodily form. Just as St. Francis de Sales suspected, his body did not undergo corruption and was assumed body and soul into paradise.

Jesus takes Mary’s hand and walks Her to the throne of God the Father. Upon arrival, She kneels before Him and bows. He takes Her left hand and lifts Her up. There, before Her, are three large golden thrones. On the left is the throne of God the Father, next to His is the throne of Jesus and to His left is the throne of Mary. The three take their seats and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, hovers above the three thrones. There is total silence in heaven, as all know the Father is about to speak.

Jesus and God the Father stand. Between the two, a royal crown studded with gems suddenly appears and is placed on the head of the Virgin. At the moment the crown is set, a burst of light comes forth from above and twelve stars appear and glisten like that of a giant halo.

The twelve stars above Her head apply to both the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel (original people of God), and the twelve apostles (renewed people of God). The twelve stars also represent Her Queenly dignity and Her rule over angels and saints.

She is clothed with the sun, meaning She is surrounded by God’s power and protection and shines with grace as the Mother of God. The moon under Her feet represents Her Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and Her power over created things.

The Father spoke and said, “Behold, O creatures of heaven, this is the handmaid of the Lord. The Queen of heaven and earth. She is my daughter, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Her and do whatever She says. In Her hand I place the scepter, in which I have bestowed my entire ocean of Mercy, from now unto eternity. Those who love, honor and ask for Her intercession will find a loving and caring Mother. She is the image and model of the Church founded by my Son. She is not only my daughter. She is the Mother of the Redeemer and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. What I say, I decree, unto eternity.”

The host of angels and saints sing the most beautiful and elegant hymns praising and giving thanks to God and the Virgin Mary. Exceedingly high notes are mixed with tones that correspond in perfect harmony. To those on earth, if the singing could be heard, it would cause ecstasies of rapture. “Praise to the Virgin! Praise to the Queen! Praise to the Blessed Trinity for whom She was created and has exalted above heaven and earth!”

When the angel Gabriel requested that Mary become the Mother of Jesus, it was at that moment She gave Her fiat, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me, according to thy word.”, She became the Queen of heaven and earth. If Jesus is the King of heaven and earth and of the whole universe, then Mary, as His Mother is the Queen of the Universe.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori said, “As the glorious Virgin Mary has been raised to the dignity of Mother of the King of Kings, it is not without reason that the Church honors Her, and wishes Her to be honored by all, with the glorious title of Queen.” Saint Athanasius said, “If the Son is a King, the Mother who begot Him is a Queen and Sovereign.”

St. Bernadine of Sienna said, “as many creatures as there are who serve God, so many they are who serve Mary: for as angels and men, and all things that are in heaven and on earth, are subject to the empire of God, so are they also under the dominion of Mary.”

Mary is called: Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Virgins, Queen of All Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen Assumed into heaven, Queen of Families, Queen of Peace, Queen of the Clergy, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Queen of Mercy, Queen of the Universe, and Queen of All Hearts.

“The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.” “All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters, her raiment threaded with gold; In embroidered apparel she is led to the king. The maids of her train are presented to the king. They are led in with glad and joyous acclaim; they enter the palace of the king.” (Psalm 45:14-16)

St. Augustine said, "This venerable day has dawned, the day that surpasses all the festivals of the saints, this most exalted and most solemn day on which the Blessed Virgin was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. On this day the queenly Virgin was exalted to the very throne of God the Father, and elevated to such a height that the angelic spirits are in admiration.”

What does a queen do, but intercede for her subjects. She has authority over the subjects of Her Son’s kingdom, which is God’s kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

If a subject finds himself or herself in trouble, and if the King refuses clemency, he has recourse to the Queen. This is the reason why Mary has the title Mother of Mercy and Queen of Mercy. When asking the King, if our prayer is not answered, go to the Queen. Bow down before Her and when kneeling look at Her beautiful face and know She loves you.

Our Lord Himself desires that we may grow in love of His Mother and that He may be glorified through Her intercessory prayers. He desires to honor Her, by showing us, that He refuses nothing through Her intercession. One learns to first approach the Queen before approaching the King.

After Mass, before leaving the temple, come to Your Mother and kneel before Her and ask the Queen of Heaven with a simple humble prayer for whatever your needs and intentions are. And trust, She will ask the King and He cannot refuse Her requests, because She is His Mother.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, 
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God!

Saint Bernard August 20th "The Memorare"

 

Today is the memorial of St. Bernard, doctor of the Church. He born in 1090 in France. He comes from a noble family of eight children. Four of them became beatified and one canonized. After the death of his mother, fearing temptations of the world, he resolved to embrace the newly established and austere institute of the Cistercian order. He entered the order in 1112 bringing thirty of his relatives with him, including five of his brothers-- his youngest brother and his widowed father followed later.

After receiving a monastic formation from St. Stephen Harding, he was sent in 1115 to begin a new monastery near Aube: Clairvaux, the Valley of Light. At the age of 25, he became the abbot.

He helped to bring about the healing of the papal schism which arose in 1130 with the election of the antipope Anacletus II. At the same time, he labored for peace and reconciliation between England and France. His influence mounted when his spiritual son was elected pope in 1145. At Pope Eugene III's command he preached the Second Crusade and sent vast armies on the road toward Jerusalem. Due to his preaching, St. Bernard of Clairvaux was instrumental in getting European leaders to commit to the Second Crusade. Bernard would later blame the failure of the Crusade on the sins of the Crusaders themselves.

Although he suffered from constant physical debility and had to govern a monastery that soon housed several hundred monks and was sending forth groups regularly to begin new monasteries (he personally saw to the establishment of sixty-five of the three hundred Cistercian monasteries founded during his thirty-eight years as abbot).

In his last years he rose from his sickbed and went into the Rhineland to defend the Jews against a savage persecution. He was a brilliant writer, and eloquent preacher. His sermons were so intense, one writer said, “He thinks like the Scriptures and speaks like them.” Bernard died at Clairvaux on Aug. 20^th, of 1153. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1174. Pope Pius VII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1830.

St. Bernard also had a great devotion to Our Eucharistic Lord. One day, he corrected a royal duke, who had banished two bishops from his region. During Mass, Bernard took the consecrated Host, placed it on the paten, and carried it to the back of the Church, where the duke was standing. Holding the Host above the paten before the man he said, “Now the Son of the Virgin, the Lord and Head of the Church which you persecute, comes in person to see if you will repent. Will you scorn Him as you scorned your servants?” The duke became terrified, fell on his face, and abandoned the schism.

St. Bernard greatly loved Our Lady. His sermons on the Blessed Virgin amount to a complete Mariology. He was an eloquent witness to Mary’s Assumption about 840 years before it was proclaimed a dogma. He likewise, spoke of Mary’s title, Mediatrix of All Graces. Dante called him, “Mary’s Faithful Bernard”.

He composed the famous prayer known as the Memorare, which holds immense beauty and significance. Due to his numerous commitments and travels, Saint Bernard spent little time in his monastery. However, on the occasions he was there, he would pass a statue of the Virgin Mary in the corridor and greet her with a simple "Good morning, Maria."

One morning, overwhelmed by his thoughts and responsibilities, Saint Bernard absentmindedly walked past the statue without offering his customary greeting. To his surprise, he heard a woman's voice saying, "Good morning, Bernard." Confused, Saint Bernard searched for the source of the voice through the monastery but found no one. Convinced that he had imagined it, he continued on his way and once again passed the statue, forgetting to greet it for the second time. Yet, once again, he heard the woman's voice wishing him a good morning.

Deeply moved and understanding the significance of these moments, Saint Bernard fell to his knees and, with tears in his eyes, spontaneously recited a prayer that has endured through the centuries as the Memorare. The Memorare is a prayer that Catholics still pray today, invoking the intercession and mercy of the Virgin Mary.

Let us pray the Memorare written by St. Bernard.

Remember, O gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection or implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided, inspired by this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother! To thee I come; before thee stand sinful and sorrowful, O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer them, Amen.

20th Sunday, Spreading the Fire of God's Love

Jesus said in the Gospel today, “I have come to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were blazing already.” Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to earth and how he wishes the kingdom of God were already established everywhere. The fire Jesus came to bring is the fire of love, the fire of hope. Bringing fire to the earth, doing anything good, is going to run into the opposition of evil. Jesus said, “There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress until it is over.” Baptism means going completely under the water. Spiritually, when one goes under water to be baptized, one dies to sin, to onself and to the world, but when one rises out of the water, one rises to live a new life of love, freedom from sin and unity with God.

Jesus described the opposition he received as a baptism which would ultimately end in his death. “There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress until it is over.” The devil exists so every attempt at good is attacked. Our Lord’s baptism of blood occurred on the Cross, when sin would be nailed to the Cross, but when He would rise from the tomb, He would bring about forgiveness for sinners, freedom to love and unity of faith.

The Gospel today says that attempts to do good will automatically cause division: Jesus said a household of five would be divided, three against two and two against three. The five in the house are the father, mother, son, daughter, and daughter-in-law.

It is interesting to note that the Gospel does not state that unity is the highest goal. Bringing fire to the earth is the highest goal. Standing up for what is right, working for justice and truth are higher aims than unity, and working for those aims will sometimes cause division. Jesus came to bring fire to the earth, the kingdom of God. As a result of it he would receive a baptism of distress, he would be crucified, and there would be division.

There are many Christians had the fire of God’s love and underwent a baptism of suffering as a result, helped spread that fire. Here are some examples.

In Hong Kong, several prominent Catholics have faced imprisonment for their activism and advocacy for democracy and freedom of speech, particularly in the context of the National Security law. Jimmy Lai, a media mogul and pro-democracy activist, has been imprisoned for several years and faces potential life imprisonment.

Additionally, Cardinal Joseph Zen, 93 year old, retired bishop and democracy advocate, was convicted for failing to register a fund that helped arrested protesters. These men desire that bring God’s love in the lives of people by defending freedom of speech.

Joan Bell, a 76-year-old Catholic and pro-life activist was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, for a rescue attempt at an abortion clinic in Washington, DC.

The fire of God’s love was great within her, and so, she was willing to help pregnant mothers. Her love for children caused her to do everything she could to help the unborn to have the opportunity for life.

In California, when Cathy Miller began her baking business she dedicated it to God and wanted to use her created gifts for His glory. As her business grew, she wanted to follow a moral standard based upon her faith. She refused to bake cakes for persons who wanted marijuana brownies, same-sex marriage cakes, or bachelorette party treats, or gory Halloween cakes. She said as a Christian they could violate her conscience. For refusing to bake a same-sex marriage cake, her heart was filled with the fire of love to stand as a witness to the beauty and truth of marriage between a man and woman and wanted to help a same-sex couple to come to know that true love of God is found in keeping God’s commandments, as Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” As a result of standing up for her Christian faith, she was terrorized by government leaders and taken to court many times over the years. However, the Supreme Court in 2018 said a person could refuse services for exorcising free religion.

Guy Gruters was a Catholic Vietnam prisoner of war for five years. During his time in the prison camp, he became very angry and unforgiving towards the communist soldiers who tortured him and the other prisoners. But, the fire of God’s love caused a prison camp to be ignited to forgive their enemies and boldly profess his faith and American identity. He explained how on Sundays, the prisoners would pray one Our Father, the 23^rd Psalm and the Pledge of Alliance when the camp bell would go off. A few years later, an American soldier decided to gather 40 to 50 Americans together and have a two hour Sunday service. They would sing the Star Spangled Banner and Amazing Grace, and soldiers who knew Bible stories would tell a scripture story. One of soldiers would preach to the group. One of the Communist leaders told them, “You know the rules, no God, no church, you don’t worship God, only silence, we torture and kill for those rules.” Because they kept singing, Communist soldiers took several American prisoners and torture them, but the remaining soldiers would continue singing. They would come and take more soldiers and torture them, but the group kept singing until all the soldiers were tortured, and when all returned, they continued singing because they valued their faith and their country. While in prison, Mr. Guters said when he began to daily pray the Rosary, it was then he was able to forgive those who tortured him. The fire of God’s love burned away his unforgiveness and he said what was once hell in the camp became heaven, because he was given the freedom to love.

When Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”, He was not refering to a physical fire, but a spiritual fire that flows from the Holy Spirit, that purifies from sin, turns one away from worldly ways, and spreads love and virtue.

The fire of God’s love causes division because it separates false unity based upon the worldly views and sin, from true unity based upon unity of faith, freedom and true love that flows from the Heart of God.

Today, will you spread the fire of God’s love at home, at work, with family, friends, neighbors, non-Catholics, confused Catholics and even enemies? Ask the Virgin Mary, to help you love as She loved Jesus and truly love our neighbor as our self, seeking first and foremost the greatest good of desiring everyone obtain heaven, which at times means causing division, so they too can spread the fire of God’s love.

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary - August 15th

 

Today, we join the angels and saints in heaven are rejoicing as Mary’s body and soul was assumed into heaven.

On Nov. 1st, 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary into heaven as a dogma of the faith—which has been the constant tradition of the Church from the very beginning. He said, “With the course of Her earthly life brought to completion, the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, was taken body and soul into celestial glory.”

St. Alphonsus Ligouri in one of his homilies describes what many Catholics believed in the 1700’s. He said, “The apostles had gathered around the bed of Our Lady because She had informed them that Her earthly time had ended and that She was going to heaven. When all the apostles had arrived, She died--- and then was assumed in heaven before their eyes.”

St. Alphonsus then describes what happened. He said, “Then the host of angels came in choirs, to meet Her, as if to be ready for the great triumph with which they were to accompany Her to paradise. That great soul, that beautiful dove of the Lord, was then loosened from the bands of this life; and She entered into the glory of the blessed”.

Perhaps, we can add to the words of St. Alphonsus Ligouri by imagining--- that when Mary died, She immediately beheld Her Son, who came down from heaven, took Her by the hand to escort His Mother to Her glorious throne and then crowned Her as Queen of Heaven and earth.

When Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven, Her Son, Jesus, immediately glorified her body, like that of His own at the resurrection.

When we die, our soul is separated from our body and it goes to its judgment. Our body remains here on earth to decay. The reason why our soul and body are separated at the moment of death, is because we suffer from original sin due to Adam and Eve and because we are sinners. At the end of the world, our soul will be reunited with our body and it will be glorified---- as Mary’s body was glorified--- when Her body and soul entered heaven at the moment of Her Assumption.

Mary’s Assumption is a reminder to us, what we will receive in the future. Mary received the beautiful grace of Her Assumption for many reasons. First and foremost because She was the Mother of Jesus, but also because Mary never suffered from original sin and never once committed any sin in Her life.

If we want to receive our glory in heaven, we need to be like Mary, we need to do our best to avoid sin and have nothing to do with sin. And we need to be like Jesus, who as a child totally placed His confidence in His Mother and was completely dependent upon Her to care for all His needs.

If a small child hurts his finger he runs to Mommy crying. All Mommy has to do is to kiss the finger and it is well again. Children know their mother loves them.

In the same way we look to Mary as our heavenly mother. She is the mother of us all. She is our mother who loves us and watches over us to protect us. She is the mother to whom we can tell every joy and every sorrow.

The reason for our great joy today as we celebrate Mary’s Assumption into heaven is because we are celebrating a great privilege given to our heavenly mother. And as our Mother, She will take us in Her arms and keep us safe from the dangers of life, especially sin and will help attain the glory that should be ours in heaven.

On this Glorious Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we turn to Mary, and ask her to help us to seek the glory of the kingdom of heaven.