Ash Wednesday

 

A Deep Examination of Conscience Click this Link

Lent it a time to reflect upon ways we can draw closer to Jesus and remember life is short because we are dust and to dust we shall return. We can draw closer to Jesus, through prayer, fasting, alms giving and repentance.

Through prayer we speak heart to heart with Jesus. Every day we should spend at least 10 to 15 min. in prayer. The Holy Rosary prayed once a day meditating of the lives of Jesus and Mary helps us to experience His eternal events in our mind and soul. Everyday we can read sacred scripture and think about and meditate on God’s interactions with His people. Even if its just a short paragraph about an event in the life of Jesus, we receive unimaginable graces. Spending an hour in adoration once a week, Jesus gives us special graces and helps us in our daily life. During adoration, we can gaze upon the face of Christ and listen to His voice in the silence of our heart. The greatest prayer is the Holy Mass and so we should come to Mass during the week as often as possible and receive Jesus in Holy Communion. At the Mass we are present at the Holy Sacrifice and receive unimaginable graces from it.

By fasting we deny our self nourishment which helps us to love and care about the poor who don’t always have food to eat. Fasting helps us to control our appetite, so we deny our self unnecessary pleasures. Fasting causes us to hunger for Jesus, the Bread of Life in the Eucharist. Fasting is powerful against evil and temptations. Fasting strengthens our will so we can more easily turn away from sin. Fasting not only cleanses our body, but especially our soul. In addition to abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and during Fridays of Lent, it would be good to fast once or twice a week.

Jesus wants us to give alms to the poor. When ever helping the poor, we should first look to those in our own family and community that could use financial help. It is also important to help the larger church in other places like homeless shelters or soup kitchens. Remember what Jesus said, “What you do the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” So when we help the poor, we are truly helping Jesus in disguise of the poor.

In the second reading, St. Paul said, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” These words are often used to explain how a priest is “another Christ”, which means he is an ambassador of Christ with regard to reconciling us with God through the sacrament of confession. All of us should confess our sins monthly. To confess once a month and from here on afterward to confess every month regularly, this way, when its time to go to our judgment, we will have few sins on our soul and not spend much time in purgatory. It also can help prevent us from dying with a mortal sin on our soul, which will cause us to lose heaven forever.

When a priest places ashes on the forehead he has two choices he could say. One choice is: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Or he can say, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” By acknowledging our body came from dust and to dust we shall return, it reminds us, to be prepared for our judgment. All of us will die and every day we should live as though it is our last which means to live a life of charity and also to be sorry for our sins. To repent and believe in the Gospel, means to confess our sins frequently and to live our life in accord as a Christian should live by the manner in which we believe in the Gospel. We should live by what we believe.

Dear friends let us resolve to make this a holy Lent. Through prayer, fasting, alms giving and by turning away from sin and turning towards Jesus living out the Gospel, we will have a fruitful Lent.

As a reminder today is day of fasting and abstinence. We are to not eat meat and also to eat only one meal, and if necessary two smaller meals that don’t equal a meal. Pope Francis has asked Catholics to offer today’s fast for peace in the Ukraine. Let us ask Our heavenly Mother to help us to carry our cross and walk with us to Calvary, so that we may rise with Jesus from the tomb on Easter.

8th Tuesday - "We Have Left Everything to Follow You"

 

 In the Gospel today, Peter said to Jesus, “We have left everything and followed you.” When he said this, he must have wanted to remind the Lord of his great love for Him and all that he gave up to be one of His followers.

They left everything behind, including his family such as his brothers, sisters--- and for Peter, he even left his wife behind in order to follow Jesus. Recall that he left behind his fishing business. His brother Andrew also was one of his fishing partners and he too began to follow Jesus. Peter was actually wealthy because of his fishing business. Near the Sea of Galilee in Caphernaum archaeologists unearthed the home in which Peter lived. It was rather large compared to other homes during his time.

When seminarians and religious brothers and sisters begin to follow Jesus, they leave behind their family, their friends, their job and also give up having a spouse and children. Because priests and religious follow Jesus as one of His disciples, they are live in such a way, they give up worldly desires and ambitions always seeking the kingdom of heaven instead.

What Jesus said to Peter applies to priests and religious today. Our Lord said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers and sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age and eternal life in the next.”

That is why priests are called father and religious sisters are looked upon as mother, because everyone becomes their sons and daughters and once in heaven, saints like Padre Pio, still have those on earth as their spiritual children.

Today, let us pray young men and women, may they come to realize that even though they have given up everything to follow Jesus, they are blessed not only in this life, but especially in the life to come.

8th Monday - Rich Young Man & Jesus

 

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a young man ran up, knelt down before Him, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good, No one is good, but God alone.”

How moving, that this young man ran up to Jesus, and knelt before Him! The act of kneeling down before someone is a sign of great respect, but did the young man, see Jesus only as a human being, rather than God?

When Our Lord said, “Why do you call me good, No one is good, but God alone.” It sounds like Jesus really didn’t want the young man to call Him good, because only God is good, and so, some say, Jesus is denying His divinity. Far be it! This is completely wrong! Rather, Jesus told the young man, that Our Lord is good, not because He is a good man, but, because He Himself is God, who is goodness itself. If the young man wants to attain eternal life, He must see in Jesus, not just a good teacher, but the divine Savior, the only Master, the only one who, because He is God, is goodness itself.

Let’s closely examine what happened. First of all, this man had great respect for Jesus because when He came up to Jesus, He knelt down before Our Lord. The man also seemed sincere, as He wanted to know how to gain eternal life. Besides having respect, being sincere, he also was righteous, because He kept all the commandments since his youth.

And Jesus did something many would have loved to experience. Our Lord “looked at him and loved him.” The rich young man was able to see the love of Jesus in Our Lord’s face. And finally, Jesus even wanted the man to follow him. But the man lacked one thing; he was attached to his material possessions.

Our Lord told Him, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” But the man refused. St. Mark tells us what happened: “At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

How true it is that many do not follow Jesus, because they are attached to possessions. This is a reminder to all of us to be detached from material things so that we can be attached to God alone, knowing every gift we have comes from God and if we use His gifts for God’s glory and honor and for the good of the poor, we will ensure we are following Jesus.

In the Eucharist, we follow Him, walk in His path, stand by His side, and remain in His love. As we prepare to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to turn our hearts to contemplate the face of Christ, so that His radiant face, may gaze upon the depths of our soul.

8th Sunday - Open Mouth Insert Foot

 

Today we will focus on our speech, the words we speak. In the first reading, Sirach said, “...one’s speech discloses the bent of one’s mind” and “Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then people are tested.” And in the Gospel we heard, “From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks”.

Our words reveal what’s important to us, what is at the forefront of our thoughts and desires. During the day our heart is filled with many different things: gratitude, worry, trust, frustration, anger, fear, ambition, or love. One minute we can be filled with joy and happiness. Then if something bad happens, we can become afraid or angry. Later in the day, our heart can be moved to pity for someone we see who is suffering. Throughout the day we have a wide range of emotions, which can affect the way we think and the words we speak.

Before Adam and Eve committed the original sin, they could perfectly control their emotions. But after the fall, they and everyone after them no longer have complete mastery over what we think and what we do. Its difficult at times to control our fears, or anger, or sadness. All of us struggle. We are all human. No one can perfectly control their emotions. Emotions in themselves are neutral and they can be used for a good purpose. For example the emotion of anger over an injustice can move us to do something to rectify the injustice, so the circumstance becomes just. Our when our heart is moved with pity at the sight of a poor person, we are moved by love to help them and others in their poverty.

If we allow our will to choose to control what we think and what we say, we will practice virtue. If we don’t allow our will to choose to control what we think or what we say, we can end up saying and doing really wrong things or say things that are hurtful to others, because it is then we allow our emotions to control us. Sometimes we don’t think before we speak.

We can see in scripture times when some of the apostles acted more out of emotion than out of reason. When the storm came up on the lake and the apostles cried out in fear, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” This event revealed their lack of faith and trust in times of turmoil. They allowed their fear to treat Jesus as though He didn’t care.

When Jesus was suffering His agony in garden, all apostles fled out of fear when He was arrested. On a different occasion, James and John were so angry, they wanted to call down fire on those who rejected Jesus. Our Lord even nicknamed them “sons of thunder”. Jesus wanted to teach them its better to pray for them, rather than to harm them.

You have heard the expression, “open mouth, insert foot”. At times, we can accidentally say the wrong thing, which can offend others or embarrass our self. This phrase comes from a disease called foot and mouth disease. Mostly children get the disease, but adults can get it as well. It comes from kissing or hugging or touching your feet and then your mouth. The virus causes blisters in the mouth, rash and a fever. Try to think about the last time you opened your mouth and inserted your foot saying something embarrassing to you or to others.

Sometimes we can say things that are not so smart such as when Peter told Jesus to not go to Jerusalem to avoid being killed. But he is corrected, when Our Lord said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Or during the transfiguration, when Peter said, “Lord, it is good we are here. Let us build three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter wasn’t thinking before he spoke at either of these occasions.
We are human. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. No one ever does everything perfect, except of course Jesus and Mary, who were perfect and never suffered from original sin.

We are influenced by what happens to us, by our experiences of life and we react to them by our emotions and feelings. And if we are careful, we can react more out of reason and virtue, rather than out of emotion or just not thinking before speaking.

When someone loses their temper or fails the control to their words, we should have in mind a thought of charity towards them and say, “Been there, done that! I know what that’s like. I will say a prayer for them because they acted more out of emotion than of reason. Or they just weren’t thinking.” Or if we lose our temper with our spouse or children, immediately afterwards, we can act out of humility and forgiveness, by admitting we done wrong. For example, we can say to our spouse or children, “I’m sorry I lost my temper. I didn’t mean what I said, I acted more out of emotion than what I really think. Please forgive me.” By doing this, we give good example to others especially children, so they too learn to apologize and ask for forgiveness when they also make mistakes.

If we fail to control our words, due to habit of gossiping or cussing or if we say uncharitable words, we can look to the book of James for advice. He said, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?”

Most importantly, when we sin or commit some sort of mistake in our speech or actions or in our thoughts, we should immediately tell Jesus we are sorry, because He too is offended. Yet, if we come to Him in humility and love asking for forgiveness, we will trust in His mercy.

For example, one day, St. Faustina made a sincere resolution to not lapse into some fault. But later in the day, she did it anyway. She said she went to the chapel and fell at the feet of Jesus (in the Eucharist), and apologized to the Lord. She then heard these words, “If it hadn’t been for this small perfection, you wouldn’t have come to Me. Know as often as you come to me, humbling yourself and asking My forgiveness, I pour out superabundance of graces on your soul, and your imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your humility. You lose nothing, but gain much.” #1293

As we begin Lent this coming week on Ash Wednesday, let us resolve to control our emotions, thoughts and words. Though we can never perfectly control them, as long as we try, we will grow in virtue, and become more merciful to others, truly loving them and forgiving them and ask pardon, when we hurt them. And most importantly, we should come to Jesus, confess what we have done and ask Him for His forgiveness, trusting in His mercy. Knowing if, we ask Him for help, He will help us overcome our sins and our faults. And if we turn to the Virgin Mary, our advocate and our Mother, She will intercede for us because She truly is the refuge of sinners.

7th Friday - Real Marriage vs Homosexual Non-marriage

  

 In the Gospel, Our Lord speaks about marriage and He quotes from the book of Genesis. Jesus said, “…from the very beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Marriage is a mutual self-gift. On the wedding day, each spouse totally gives oneself to the other. Both mutually promise to live all the days of their life in sickness, and in health, for richer for poorer, in good times and in bad. This promise lasts until death, until do they part. Marriage is designed, so that each person helps the other, on their journey toward heaven. Every day from the moment of the marriage until death, they are called lay down their life, for the sake of the other, and to give themselves totally to the other.

Marriage is a reflection of the mutual self-gift of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father gives Himself totally to the Son. Jesus gives Himself totally to the Father, and the love between them is so great, that there is another person, who is the Holy Spirit, who totally gives Himself to the Father and the Son.

Today, there are some who are advocating homosexual marriage. But homosexual marriage is no marriage at all because there can not be a total gift of one self to the other. And there can be no children-the fruit of total gift of oneself. It is also clear in scripture that homosexual acts are serious sins. Recall that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians said, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals."

Pope John Paul II spoke about marriage. He said, “Marriage, which under-girds the institution of the family, is constituted by the covenant whereby "a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life", and which "of its own very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children". He said, “Only such a union can be recognized and ratified as a "marriage" in society. Other interpersonal unions which do not fulfill the above conditions cannot be recognized, despite certain growing trends which represent a serious threat to the future of the family and of society itself.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said, “Marriage is a basic human and social institution. Though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate from either the church or state, but from God. Therefore, neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. Marriage, whose nature and purposes are established by God, can only be the union of a man and a woman and must remain such in law. In a manner unlike any other relationship, marriage makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society, especially through the procreation and education of children. The union of husband and wife becomes, over a lifetime, a great good for themselves, their family, communities, and society. Marriage is a gift to be cherished and protected.”

We need to also remember those who suffer from homosexual inclinations often times cannot help these kinds of thoughts. The Church teaches that homosexual acts are gravely sinful. One who has these tendencies are to strive to live chaste lives, to turn away from these kinds of thoughts. Only when one embraces a sinful thought does it become a personal sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in 2358 “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.” And CCC 2359 states: “Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”

We pray Mary and Joseph will intercede for families and help us to defend the true meaning of marriage and pray for those who suffer from homosexual inclinations.

Feb. 23rd - St. Polycarp

 

 Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Polycarp.

About the year 80 AD, when Polycarp was very young, he embraced Christianity and became a disciple of St. John the Apostle, who made him the bishop of Smynra. One of his most famous disciples was St. Irenaeus. In the writings of St. Irenaeus, he states that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle, and that Polycarp knew people, who had seen Jesus.

About the year 158, Polycarp went to Rome to consult with the pope, about the Easter celebration, because there was a difference between the East and the West. It was agreed at that both the East and West Church, could follow their own custom of celebrating Easter.

Due a persecution of Christians, he was arrested, and brought before the proconsul. Because he refused to deny Jesus Christ, he was sentenced to be burned to death.

In a letter about his martyrdom it states, “When they tried to fasten him with nails, he said, “Let me as I am. The One who gives me strength to endure the fire, will also give me strength to stay quite on the pyre, even without the precaution of nails.” So, they did not fix with nails, but only fastened him instead. Looking up to heaven, he prayed, “May I be received among the martyrs in your presence today, as a rich and pleasing sacrifice.” When he had finished the prayer, the officials lit the fire. But, when a great flame burst out, it became like a dome, encircling his body. His body became like baked bread, and not like burnt flesh. So sweet a fragrance came from him…that it was like that of burning incense.”

Because he was not burned, one of the executioners pierced him with a sword, which caused his death and resulted in such a great amount of blood, that it extinguished the fire. His body was then later burned, and his bones were collected by Christians, to be preserved, in a church in Rome.

And so, we pray, that through the prayers of St. Polycarp, we may share in Christ’s cup of suffering, and some day rise to eternal life, praising God with Mary, and all the angels and saints, together with the glorious company of martyrs.

Movie: St. Mary Mazzarello - House of Happiness

 

Rated G- Should be rated SG for Super Good for children and especially girls. The story of the life St. Mary Mazzarello. This is an amazingly good Catholic movie. Many times the Holy Mass is shown and its importance.  St. Mary founds the religious order of the Daughters of Our Lady Help of Christians, the female version of the Salesians, founded by St. John Bosco. No commercials!!!!

Every Catholic should watch it.

Feb. 22nd - Chair of St. Peter

               

 Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Did you know that St. Peter sat in a real wooden chair, when he acted as leader of the Church? Everyone knew it was his chair, and no one else, ever sat in it. His chair was important, because whoever sat in the chair had the authority, to be the head of the Catholic Church. His chair was preserved over the years, and people used to come to see the chair. The wooden chair was eventually put inside bronze metal, so that it would be protected from falling apart, and was kept at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The bishop’s chair at the Cathedral is called a “cathedra” and only the bishop sits in it. St. Peter’s chair and the bishop’s chair are both chairs, which are a sign of authority, which comes from God.

Jesus told Peter, “I will give 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.” With these words Jesus gave Peter the authority and the power, to be the head of the Church. Whatever Peter says, with regard to faith and morals will be the same as though, Jesus Himself said it.

Therefore, the wooden chair of St. Peter, reminds us of the authority and power of St. Peter, and the authority and power of the other popes, who sat in his chair, to make decisions for the Church, on behalf of Jesus. It is the chair of vicar of Christ, as head of the Church.

According to Vatican I, the first Vatican Council in the 1800’s, papal in fallibility occurs only when the pope defines a particular dogma binding all the people of the whole universal Church to believe with regard to faith and morals only.

The pope is human just like all of us and he can make mistakes and error in faith and morals in his writings and sermons and talks outside of the times he definitively declares something binding for all the faithful to believe in faith and morals.

But if the pope would declare a particular dogma of the faith binding all Catholics to believe, we trust Jesus Himself will be acting and speaking through him.

Today, let us ask Mary to help Pope Francis to fulfill his duties from the chair of St. Peter as God desires of him.

Feb. 21st - St. Peter Damien

   

Today the Church commemorates St. Peter Damien, bishop, monk and doctor of the Church. He was born in the year 1007, and died in 1072. As a boy, he once found a coin and thought for some time, about how he might spend his unexpected treasure. When the idea occurred to him, that he might have a Mass offered for his father, he dropped his visions of pleasure, and gave the coin to a priest, to offer a Mass. Also, as a youth, he wore a hair shirt, and did must fasting and prayer. He helped the poor, often providing meals, and serving them himself. He became a teacher, but in his late twenties, he entered a monastic hermitage. He loved quiet and solitude.

He later received the nickname, “Monitor of the popes” because they often sought his advice. He was made bishop and cardinal, under Pope Stephen the 9^th. He convinced the emperor Henry IV, to not divorce and subsequently became a very good emperor. He eventually repeatedly appealed to popes requesting that he resign as bishop and cardinal, because he wanted to live, as a simple monk. It was finally granted just two years before his death.

St. Peter Damien tried to relate the Cross of Christ, to the virtues in order to teach about them. He speaks of the Cross, as representing faith, hope and charity. The part of the Cross, which is planted in the earth, is faith, which is the foundation of our religion. The top of the Cross, reaching to heaven, stands for hope. The twin arms of the Cross, are the love of God, and the love of neighbor.

With regard to Christmas, he said, “There was a star in the sky, a star on the earth, and the sun in the crib. The star in the sky was that which shone (upon the earth), the (star) on the earth, was the Virgin Mary, the sun in the crib, was Christ the Lord”.

And, in one of his sermons about the Blessed Virgin Mary, he said,

“My Lord is sweet, and my Lady is sweet, because He, my God, is merciful and she, my Lady, is the door of mercy. May She lead us, as the Mother to the Son, as the daughter to the Father, as the bride to the groom, who is forever blessed. Amen!

St. Peter Damien, pray for us, that we may love Our Blessed Lord, and Our Sweet Lady, as you, O most Holy Saint of God!

7th Sunday - Religious Vocation

 

Today, I would like to welcome the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We have with us Sister Cecilia Marie and Sister Mary Guadalupe, both teach at Holy Trinity High school in Hutchinson. They have come here to speak to our youth about vocations to religious life during PSR time. I would suspect this is the first time most of the children have ever seen a religious sister wearing a habit.

Several weeks ago at Mass, I explained the priesthood and what that entailed. Today, I will speak about religious life, where they live in community and will take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The second reading speaks of the first man, Adam and Jesus as the second Adam. The first man, Adam, was earthly, while the second Adam, Jesus is heavenly. When God created Adam, He later wanted to give Adam a helpmate, so God created Eve and the two become one, which was the first marriage. Marriage is total giving oneself of one person of the opposite sex to the other, with a commitment to being faithful to each other unto death. Its a permanent life long commitment of sacrificial love.

Adam and Eve eventually fell by their disobedience to God when they took the forbidden fruit. And since then, all humanity waited for the promised a redeemer when God told the serpent, “I will make enmity between you and the woman, between Her seed your seed. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” Here God is speaking about a new Adam, who would restore God’s friendship with mankind. But God is also speaking about a new woman too. Eve certainly couldn’t be an enmity with the devil, since she gave into the serpent’s ploy. So who is the new woman, the new Eve?

If Jesus is the new Adam, then Mary is the new Eve. Just as Eve was created sinless, Mary was conceived without sin, but unlike Eve, was always obedient. Mary never sinned Her entire life.

Jesus and Mary lived lives of poverty, chastity and obedience and religious men and women are called to imitate them.

With regard to obedience, St. Ireneaus said, ‘The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosened by the obedience of Mary.’ When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, She was obedient to Her call to become the Mother of God. Throughout Her entire life, Mary was obedient to God and always did His will.

Jesus, the new Adam, was obedient to His earthly parents, as we learn when they found Him in the temple. Jesus was obedient even to death, as St. Paul said, “Taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And found in human form He humbled Himself and become obedient unto death, even death on a Cross.” The obedience of Jesus, undid the disobedience of Adam and opened heaven for us, where as heaven was closed due to Adam.

With regard to poverty, the Holy Family lived poverty. Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem. He would later say, “the Son of man, has no place to lay His head.”

With regard to chastity, Jesus never married. Rather, He lived a life of celibacy and chastity and the Virgin Mary, even though She was married to St. Joseph both Her and Joseph lived together in chastity. Mary was a perpetual virgin, never having relations with Joseph. Mary is the pure and Immaculate Virgin.

When religious sisters or brothers take vows of poverty chastity and obedience, they are imitating the lives and virtues of Jesus and Mary and are witnesses of the kingdom of God. They point us to heaven because they are images of Jesus, the new Adam and Mary, the new Eve.

Religious sisters and brothers give up spouses, married life and children as a sacrifice out of love for Jesus. They give themselves totally to God with an undivided heart. Everything is given to God as a sacrifice of love. They own no material things. Out of simplicity and poverty, they wear the same habit. They have no spouse and no children. Yet, Jesus promises those who give up spouses and children will receive many more in this life and the next. This is certainly true even in this life as women religious become spiritual mothers to everyone and priests become spiritual fathers to all.

They give up even their own will choosing to do God’s will in all things, being obedient to their superior, who stands in the place of God. They conform not only their actions, but their mind to God’s will in all things, by being obedient.

Religious sacrifice themselves by their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, for the conversion of sinners, to make reparation for sins and help many obtain salvation by their penance, mortification and denying themselves by taking up their cross and following Jesus.

When religious sisters take their final profession, many receive a wedding ring because they become a bride of Christ. So religious sisters do get married. They get married to God. They are living images of the Virgin Mary, who was poor, chaste and obedient to God in all things.

Once when I went to Medjugorje, I went up apparition hill at night. At the top of the mountain the statue of the Virgin Mary was lit up by a few flood lights and people come at night to pray. As I was seated on a rock and praying, out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman hovering over some rocks and glowing. I could see her veil and long dress as she kept coming closer and closer to me. She seemed to glide over the rocks. I was astonished by what I saw and my heart began to race. I kept trying to cry out, “Look, its the Virgin Mary!” But no words came from my mouth. But as the glowing woman came closer, I realized it wasn’t the Virgin Mary. It was a religious sister whose face was lit up by her phone as she was stepping up and down on the rocks, which made it appear as though she was floating. This event reminded me how religious sisters images of the Virgin Mary. But more importantly, they imitate Her virtues. While they do not have an earthly spouse, they have a heavenly one and everyone calls them sister and mother as they are spiritual mother to everyone, as the Virgin Mary is mother of us all.

Each religious order has its own charism and its own apostolate. A charism is what sets the community apart from other religious communities such as their way of life, their devotions and emphasis. Such as Eucharistic devotion and devotion to Mary.

An apostolate is the work or activity the community does, such as making hosts for Mass or taking care of the homeless.

There are active communities and contemplative communities. Active communities go out into the world (such as teachers, nurses, taking care of the poor). There are contemplative communities, who primarily pray and are not out in the world, but are often cloistered living in an enclosed area. Some women cloistered include the Carmelites or the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. For men, Benedictines, Carmelites and Cathusians are cloistered.

A monk is man who lives in a cloistered monastery. A religious brother or friar lives in a convent or friary. A religious sister lives in a convent, while a nun lives in a cloistered monastery.

For men, Franciscans may take care of the homeless and run a soup kitchen. Dominican men are preachers and teachers. Benedictines are monks who pray and work. There are great number of different kinds of communities and apostolates.

Today, let us imitate Jesus, the new Adam and Mary the new Eve, for by doing so, we undo the knots of our disobedience and make reparation for our sins, by striving to obey God in all things, out love for Him, who has loved us. And let us pray for those God is calling to become a religious brother or sister or a priest, that they may hear God’s voice saying, “Come and follow me!”

Feb 17th - Seven Servites

 

Today, we celebrate the commemoration of the Seven Servites, a confraternity of religious men.

On the Feast of the Assumption, August, 15th 1233, these seven young men, with other members of the Laudesi, having confessed and received Holy Communion, were each and all making their thanksgiving after Mass. Each, unknown to those about them, fell into an ecstasy. Each seemed to himself surrounded by supernatural light, in the midst of which Our Lady appeared to them accompanied by angels, who spoke to each of them the words; “Leave the world, retire together into solitude, that you may fight against yourselves, and live wholly for God. You will thus experience heavenly consolations. My protection and assistance will never fail you.”

The vision faded, the congregation dispersed, only the Seven remained, each meditating what the vision might mean. Bonfilius Monaldi, as the eldest, broke the silence, telling what had befallen him, saying he was ready to obey Our Lady’s call. Each recounted the same experiences, and resolve. As Monaldi had been the first to speak, so it was decided that he must be the first to act; they looked to him for guidance. He decided to seek counsel of their director, James of Poggibonsi, who concluded that was no mere fancy of pious youths, but in fact, a call from their Mother, manifesting to them the will of God, to obey without hesitation.

Some of these men were engaged in business, some in offices of state, four had family ties, which it was not easy to break, especially since the Church suffers no married man or woman to enter into religion unless the other party to the marriage contract does so too. It is believed that the two wives who still lived became afterwards Tertiaries of the Order; at any rate the conditions were at the time fulfilled, all social and worldly arrangements were made; and by the eighth of September, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, they were free to obey, they had stripped themselves of all that bound them to the world.

Meantime, and while waiting to know the further will of God, Monaldi and their director sketched out a plan of community life. They adopted a habit of gray wool, with a leather cincture, and found a house just outside the city walls, where they might pass much of their time in solitude and prayer, yet near enough to the city to give an example to those they had so lately left. All this was done with the approval of the Bishop; it was merely a question of certain men living a mortified life in community; he granted permission to James to live with them as their chaplain, to celebrate Mass in their oratory, and to reserve the Blessed Sacrament.

Their appearance drew a crowd of sympathizers, who, recognizing their great renunciation and sanctity, pressed to touch their garments, to kiss their hands and entreat their blessing. Suddenly, from the midst of the crowd, were heard the voices of children who cried: “See, the Servants of Mary.” The same exclamation was made still more wonderfully on the following thirteenth of January, when a child only five months old, spoke for the first time in crying said, “Mother, those are Mary’s Servants, give them an alms.” The child’s name was Philip Benizi, who afterwards became one of the greatest Saints of the Order and its superior general.

The community became instrument in helping the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows to be added to the Church calendar as they prayed often the 7 Sorrows of Mary.

The seven sorrows are as follows: 1 The presentation of Jesus in the temple (when Mary was told a sword would pierce Her Heart); 2 the Flight into Egypt; 3 the Loss of Jesus for three days; 4 Mary meets Jesus on the way of the Cross; 5 Mary stands at the Foot of the Cross; 6 Jesus is taken down from the Cross and placed in Mary’s arms and 7 Jesus is placed into the tomb.

Today, I would like to encourage you to learn and pray the 7 Sorrows of Mary, also called the Servite Rosary. Many special graces are given to those who pray it.