St. Kateri Tekakwitha July 14th

 Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha known as Lily of the Mohawks, who was born in 1656 in northern New York State, near Auriesville near where St. Isaac Jogues and companions were martyred.

When she was four years old, her Christian mother, an Algonquin and her father a pagan Mohawk chief died of small pox. The disease also attacked Kateri and scarred her face and injured her eyesight. Because of her poor vision, Kateri was named "Tekakwitha", which means "she who bumps into things."

She was adopted by her two aunt and an uncle. Due to Jesuit priests, she converted to Catholicism as a teenager and was baptized at the age of 20. Persecuted for her faith, she stayed firm in it.

She spent much of her time in the woods and was considered a mystic. She made a vow of virginity and asked to become a nun, but was not allowed because she was not European. Two years later, she escaped to Canada to live in a settlement of Christian Indians near Montreal and in the Christian colony she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care of the sick and aged and helped missionaries convert Indians to the Christian faith.

Every morning in the bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at 4am. She remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and Jesus Crucified. When she died April 7th, 1680 at the age of 24, witnesses who attended her death, said her body glowed and the scars on her face disappeared and became like that of a healthy child.

In 2006, a 6-year-old boy cut his lip during a basketball game in Washington state. Jake Finkbonner developed a flesh-eating bacteria. Over the next few weeks, it destroyed his lips, cheeks and forehead. Doctors told the family the boy was going to die. The family's priest asked his congregation to pray to Kateri on Jake's behalf. A representative from the Society of Blessed Kateri placed a pendant of Kateri on the boy's pillow. The next day, the infection stopped progressing and Jake recovered. Investigators from the Vatican approved the miracle attributed to Kateri's intervention. She was canonized in 2012. As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us ask Saint Kateri to intercede for the American Indians. May they have child like trust, in imitation of the Indian who bumped into things and is called the lily of the Mowhawks.

15th Tuesday- Towns Fail to Repent - When Jesus Walks Among Them

 In the Gospel today, Jesus reproaches the towns, which failed to repent, even though most of His mighty deeds had been done in them. He goes even farther by stating, “If the mighty deeds had been done in your midst, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day”. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, even though Abraham wanted it spared.

However, the towns of Bethsaida, and Chorazin and Capernaum (the city where Peter lived and where Jesus healed the paralytic lowered through the roof) failed to repent even though these two cities received the extra ordinary grace of having Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, walk in their midst, work miracles of healing, and spoke about the Kingdom of heaven.

Today, Jesus does not physically walk among us, because He has ascended into heaven. However, He is here, with us, in the Eucharist. He comes down from heaven, here on the altar, and comes to dwell physically in us, in Holy Communion. St. Alphonsus Ligouri, said that Our Lord stays with us, in Holy Communion for about 15 minutes. How many Old Testament people, such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Samson, would have been elated to come to the sacrifice of the Mass, the greatest of all miracles, and to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Or to hear Our Lord’s words in the Gospels, or come, to adore Him in tabernacle, where He patiently waits for us.

Now, as Our Lord becomes present, on the altar, and as we prepare to receive Him in Holy Communion, let us thank Him for the gift of Himself in the Eucharist, and for every grace and gift, He has bestowed upon us. And may we not be like the villages, which failed to repent.

15th Monday- Jesus Came to Bring Division

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter, more than me is not worthy of me.”

The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or anything else above God is a form of idolatry. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give Him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or any relative.

Jesus said, He did not come to bring peace, but rather division. Some say, it’s better to go along with family members even if what they are saying or doing goes against what we believe in order to keep peace in the family. Such as attend an invalid wedding. Or lie about something going on in the family in order to keep peace. Yet, this is really a false peace. It may prevent arguments and fighting, but we won’t have peace with our conscience or peace with God.

But what about peace in one’s heart and peace with God. And what about the word of Jesus, “Whoever does not take up His cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.”

Our Lord sets before His disciples the one goal in life that is worth any sacrifice and that goal is the will of God which leads to everlasting life, peace, and joy with God. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do?

As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us pray for the gift of courage, that we may stand up for Jesus, stand up for the Church, and stand up for what we believe. And always strive to do God’s will in all things, because if we put Him first, we will possess Him forever in heaven.

15th Sunday, Year B Amos & Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Scapular

 I want everyone to listen very closely to today’s homily because in the homily, I am going talk about the importance of fire insurance.

The first reading was from the book of the prophet Amos. From the time of king Saul, prophets had gathered in guilds and were employees of the king. But Amos said he does not come from a “company of prophets”. He was a sheep breeder and God called him. From then on, prophets who followed Amos, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called directly from God. They were not “professional” prophets. Many career prophets in the time of Amos softened their message to win the king’s favor, so they were not really speaking on behalf of God. That is why the priest Amaziah told Amos he should earn his bread by prophesying elsewhere. He wasn’t going to pay a prophet who condemned the king! But God had given Amos a message, and God expected him to deliver it and he did.

Amos denounced Israel, who had lost its way due to injustice and idolatry, the worship of false idols. They were living luxurious lives while neglecting the poor: He said, “Those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge upon their couches; Eating lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall.” Amos prophesied the overthrow of the sanctuary, the fall of the royal house, and the captivity of the people. He boldly indicts kings, priests and leaders. In response to his prophesying, by speaking on behalf of God, the priest Amaziah drove him from the sanctuary saying, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!”

Through Amos the Lord tried to bring Israel to repentance, but to no avail. They rejected Amos and so rejected God’s warnings, which would bring His divine justice upon themselves.

A prophet is one who speaks on behalf of God to the people.

Jesus Himself was the prophet of prophets, the greatest of all prophets. He spoke on behalf of God, because He is God. Our Lord fulfilled all the prophesies from the Old Testament. The first thing Jesus said when He began His public ministry was "Repent and believe in the Gospel". He began as a prophet calling people to repentance and come to God. He predicted Jerusalem would be destroyed, which occurred in 70AD. He predicted where & how he would die and that He would rise. He said, “Behold, we are going to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18-19)

Since the time of Jesus, over the centuries God sent the Virgin Mary as a prophet as well. We are familiar with Our Lady of Fatima, who predicted an end to World War I and said if the people would not repent another war would break out, (World War II). She asked for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and said Russia would spread her errors (communism) and cause nations to be annihilated. But, Mary said, “In the end, Her Immaculate Heart would triumph.” In the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima on Oct. 13^th of 1917, Mary appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the scapular.

700 years earlier, the Virgin Mary came as a prophet to the Carmelite order in the 1200’s. During that time, the Carmelite Order had difficulty in adapting to European living, there was disagreement within the Order, the plague greatly diminished their numbers and demoralized the remaining members and they were persecuted by harassing secular clergy.

In 1247, at the age of 82, Simon Stock was elected the sixth superior-general of the Carmelites. He and the monks had recourse to the Blessed Virgin in the year 1251. Our Lady responded by an apparition to Simon Stock on July 16th, in 1251 as he knelt in prayer. Mary appeared holding the Child Jesus in one arm and the brown scapular in the other, saying, "Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire …. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace."

On January 13^th, 1252 the Order received a letter of protection from Pope Innocent IV, defending them the danger of harassment and the order had peace as Mary predicted and soon the Carmelite Order began to flourish.

The long brown scapular hangs over the front and back of the religious men and women Carmelites. The faithful wanting to take part in the promise, began to wear it, but it was too long and got caught during their labor. Over time, the scapular became small enough for everyone to wear without hindering their work.

According to Pope John XXII, the Blessed Virgin gave him the following message in a vision related to those who wear the Brown Scapular: Mary said, "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday (Sabbath) after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."

Based on Church tradition, three conditions need to be fulfilled to obtain the benefits of this Privilege and the Scapular: 1. Wear the Brown Scapular, 2. Observe chastity according to one’s state in life, 3. And pray the Rosary.

In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular.

After Mass, we will enroll everyone from 3^rd grade up in the scapular. For children who have not made their first Communion, they will be enrolled in the scapular, when they make their 1^st Communion.

I strongly encourage everyone to wear your scapular regularly and to trust the Virgin Mary will watch over and protect you and help you to get to heaven.

For truly the brown scapular is fire insurance, as Mary said, “Those who wear it, will not suffer eternal fire.” Mary also promises to deliver from the purifying fires of purgatory, all those who wear the scapular, the Saturday after they die.

July 9th St. Augustine Zhao Rong & Companions

Today is the memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, and his companion 119 martyrs who were martyred over the centuries in China.

Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China's relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly.

It was in 1648, Blessed Francis Fernández de Capillas, a Dominican priest was killed. After having imprisoned and tortured him, they beheaded him while he recited with others-- the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

44 years later, in 1692, the Emperor K'ang Hsi issued the first decree of religious liberty by virtue of which all his subjects could follow the Christian religion and all the missionaries could preach in his vast domains. Unfortunately, the difficult question of rites used for the sacraments irritated the Emperor K'ang Hsi and he began a persecution, which resulted in missionaries and faithful lay people being killed, and many churches destroyed.

Another persecution began in the 1800’s, Augustine Zhao Rong, a Chinese solider accompanied Bishop John Gabriel of the Paris Foreign Mission Society to his martyrdom in Beijing. This event greatly influenced Augustine, who was then baptized and not long after his baptism was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815. Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian."

Today, Christians in China are undergoing a terrible persecution with many being tortured, killed or imprisoned. They force women into having abortions and the government is destroying Catholic churches. To make matters worse, the Vatican came up with an agreement with the Chinese government, which has resulted in many underground Catholics feeling betrayed by the Church and a greater persecution has begun due to the agreement.

Today, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for the conversion of the Chinese people and pray Our Lord will give us the faith to shed our blood for Him in imitation of the Chinese martyrs, whose memorial we celebrate today.

14th Thursday Joseph an Image of Jesus

Have you ever had something really bad happen to you and then later you discovered something very good would come out of it? That’s what happened in the first reading. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, but later would become the governor over a large territory and because of that, the whole known world would come to him during a time of famine in order to have food to eat.

Joseph said, “I am your brother, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”

God used the terrible event of betrayal by his own brothers and then having to live as a slave for years, before Joseph would finally see the day, when all that suffering bore fruit. Amazingly, he was not bitter towards his brothers, but rather saw God’s hand in using his misfortune to save lives.

Joseph is an image of Jesus. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver and Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and Jesus was betrayed by one of His apostles. Joseph had a cloak of many colors, Jesus had a seamless garment they divided among them. Joseph was sold into slavery, Jesus would save mankind from the slavery of sin. Joseph was thrown into a hole and its believed after Jesus was arrested, Our Lord was placed in an underground dungeon. Joseph would become responsible for saving lives during a famine and Jesus would be responsible for saving souls, for the spiritually famished. Pharaoh told everyone to come to Joseph for all their needs. God the Father wants all to come to Jesus for their needs. Joseph forgave his brothers and Jesus forgave all of our sins.

It was really for the sake of saving souls, God sent His Son ahead of us, but He had terrible sufferings to endure including His Passion that preceded His victory through His Resurrection. Something terribly bad happened to Jesus, but it was for the sake of saving us from our sin. Joseph fed the people with food so they would not die. Jesus feeds us with His flesh, “The Bread from Heaven.”, so that those who eat His flesh and drink His blood we will live forever.

14th Wednesday "Go to Joseph"

 In the first reading today, Joseph met his brothers, after many years. Recall years earlier, they had sold him into slavery for 30 pieces of silver because they were jealous of him for enjoying his father’s favor. Due to the famine, the brothers out of desperation, came to get some grain, from the governor, who happened to be their brother. But they didn’t recognize him. Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to “go to Joseph” and do whatever he told them.

Every first Wednesday of the month is dedicated to a different Joseph, St. Joseph, the spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus. Some images of St. Joseph have the Latin words, “Ita ad Joseph”, which means “go to Joseph”, the same words are taken from the reading for today, as the people were to go to Joseph of the Old Testament for all their needs.

The Virgin Mary is the greatest of all saints and St. Joseph is the second greatest of all saints. Joseph intimately knew Jesus and most likely lived with Our Lord for 30 years before Joseph died. We should go to Joseph for whatever we need, just as we go to Mary for whatever we need. They are great intercessors.

Fr. Donald Calloway wrote a book called Consecration to St. Joseph, which is 33 days of spiritual exercises and you can read about a different wonder of St. Joseph every day. Then on the last day, consecrate yourself to him.

I encourage you to purchase the book and do the consecration. St. Joseph was the best spouse, and the best foster father. He is an image of God the Father. His life of virtue and his holiness can help us to become a saint.

Since today is the first Wednesday of the month, ask St. Joseph for whatever you need. What are you going to ask Joseph? Be bold, and ask. God wants us to turn to the saints for their help, so he can glorify them. It ad Joseph, Go to Joseph!

St. Maria Goretti, July 6th

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Maria Goretti, born in Italy in 1890. When she was 11, she made her first Holy Communion. The priest’s message to the first communicants before their first Holy Communion, was, “purity at all costs”. Less than two months later, Maria, put these words into practice, when Alessandro Serenelli, a 19-year-old man, made advances toward her. On July 5, 1902, while Maria’s mother was working in the field, Alessandro came to Maria with a knife. Although she fought with all her strength, he stabbed her 14 times. Before she died he told the priest she forgave Alesandro.

He was arrested & put in jail and would remain there for 30 years. 8 years after his arrest, one night he had a dream in which he saw Maria, in a field of flowers, holding out some white lilies to him. In 1910, he wrote a letter to the bishop, begging pardon for his sin. The Christmas Eve after he was released from prison, he went to visit Maria’s mother to beg pardon. That night, both attended Midnight Mass. He would later attend her canonization. May St. Maria Goretti help us to forgive those who hurt us and through the intercession of Virgin Most Pure, obtain for us the grace of purity, and live the words of the priest, to the first Communicants, “purity at all costs”.

14th Monday, Raising From the Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14th Sunday Homily Mary's Perpetual Virginity

What does it mean, Mary was a perpetual virgin? After all, we call Mary, the Virgin Mary. Simply speaking, it means, Mary was a virgin before, and after the birth of Jesus and was a virgin when assumed into heaven. In another words, She never had any other children, except Jesus, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and never had relations with Joseph. Mary’s Perpetual Virginity is a dogma of the faith, we are obligated to believe.

But today’s Gospel said, “Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” When non-Catholics interpret this scripture outside of tradition, without knowing how the word “brother” is used in the bible, one could think Jesus had at least four brothers and sisters as well. However, later in Mark’s Gospel we find out who the real mother of James and Joses was at the crucifixion, it states, “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, the younger, and of Joses, and Salome.” (15:40). The mother of James and Joses was a different Mary. In the bible, the word “brother” can also mean “cousin” or “relative”. For example, in Genesis, Abraham called his nephew Lot --“brethren”. He said, “Let there be no quarrel between me and you.. for we are brethren.” (Gen. 13:8) Abraham was not calling his nephew his blood brother. At the time of Jesus the Jews would call near relatives “brethren” or “brothers”.

Did you know Martin Luther believed in Mary’s Perpetual Virginity. He said, “It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin…Christ, we believe came forth from a womb left perfectly intact.” However, overtime, the Lutherans would reject their founder’s belief in Mary’s Perpetual Virginity.

The early Church fathers speak about Mary was a Perpetual Virgin. St. John Damascus (384AD) said, “The ever-virgin One thus remains even after the birth still virgin, having never at any time up till death consorted with a man.” St. Peter Chrysologus (Born in 406) said, “The Virgin She conceives, the Virgin brings forth Her Child, and She remains a Virgin.”

Sometimes, non-Catholics will quote Matthew, who said, “And he (Joseph) knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son. (Matt. 1:25) Non-Catholics will say, Matthew says they had no children till Jesus was born, so they had other children after Jesus was born. But St. Jerome explains Matthew used the word “until” to mean “up to the moment” of Jesus conception in order to accentuate the conception of Jesus was miraculous and therefore does not refer to what happened after His birth. St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, (1 Corinthians 15:25) gives us another example, “For he (Christ) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. “Until” here does not mean Christ’s reign will end as Luke 1:33 says, “he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Even priests in their homilies call the people brothers and sisters. But you are not our real blood brothers and sisters. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Brothers and sisters, let us thank God for Mary’s Perpetual Virginity and thank God for our country’s independence and for all who have died to make us free, and let us ask the ever Virgin Mary to protect our country from the evils of Marxism, communism and socialism, which threaten our freedom. If we take Mary’s Rosary in hand, She will defeat these evils attacking our country.

And so through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God bless and protect the USA!

 

W