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.

19th Sunday, Treasure in the Heart

Did you know 30% of our entire congregation is under the age of 18, and because of that I will try on occasion address our youth during homilies, so they can see how the Gospel is applied to their young life too.

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

The money bags that will not wear out, Jesus is talking about are spiritual invisible bags with acts of charity and love towards others. When one fails to help the poor, or fails to give alms, one is seeking the treasures of this world and not the treasures of heaven.

There is miracle attributed to St. Anthony of Padua with regard to treasure. The funeral of a rich man was being celebrated with great pomp in a city in Tuscany. Anthony was present and is said to have commented that the dead man did not deserve such honor, since he had exploited and oppressed the poor. Saint Anthony said, “His heart is in his moneybox”, echoing our Lord’s words that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be too”.

Following Anthony’s words, a surgeon was called in, who cut open the dead body and found no heart! A little later, when the family opened the dead man’s treasure chest, there was his heart! As a result, the dead man was not buried in the splendid mausoleum he had prepared for himself, but in a cave by the river.

How do we store up treasure in our heart for heaven? Jesus made it clear that those who have given up everything to follow him will be rewarded for what they have done, and the repayment will come not only in the next life, but in this one, at an astonishing rate of interest: “a hundredfold now in this time... and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30).

Religious brothers and sisters, who take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience give up everything to follow Christ closely.

Jesus said, “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Our Lord warned that one should not delay in doing what the Master wants and begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk. If the servant knew the Master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with His will but acted in a way deserving a severe beating shall be beaten. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

These words of Jesus remind us to use our God given talents, gifts, and treasure for others and the more gifts, talents and treasure we have the greater accountability we will have of them. By abusing them, and by serious sins, we will be held accountable and receive a severe beating for failing to do will of God and squandering what the Lord has given us for selfish purposes.

This beating can either refer to purgatory or to hell. A light beating means one will be punished in purgatory for what they failed to do for others. A severe beating may refer to someone who grievously failed to help others and knowingly failed to do God’s will.

How can young people store up treasure in heaven? We can turn to young saints for their example in storing spiritual treasure from heaven in their heart.

St. Anthony of the desert was a young boy, he gave away his wealth to the poor and then began to live in the desert as a hermit and later founded the first men’s religious order.

St. Joan of Arc became the leader of an army at the age of 17. She was burned at the stake, as a martyr at the age of 19. She gave her life in service of God and her country of France.

The three children of Fatima, Francisco, Lucia and Jacinta gave away their food to poor children and out of penance wore a rope around their waist. Francisco and Jacinta are now canonized saints and Lucia may be canonized someday.

When St. Therese of Lisieux was 14, she had a conversion on Christmas day. She said Jesus came into her heart and converted her, taking her selfish immaturity and banishing it forever.

By the time Blessed Carlo Acutis was 15, he developed the International Eucharistic Miracle display, using his computer. He a personal rule to never waste a single moment. He will be canonized this year.

At the age of 16, Chiara Luce was a young women’s tennis player. She felt pain in her arm, and it was discovered she had cancer in her arm. She immediately offered up her suffering for the salvation of souls, especially young people. She was beatified in 2010.

José Sánchez del Río, was martyred at the age of 14 in Mexico. The government put him to death for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith.

At the age of 14, Saint Dominic Savio risked his life helping the sick in a hospital during a plague and ended up dying from the disease.

When Saint Tarscius was 12, he sent by his bishop to give Holy Communion to Catholics unjustly imprisoned. A group of boys attempted to steal the Hosts from him, but he refused to give the sacred pyx containing the hosts and was martyred.

St. Peter Damien, as a boy, 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. 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.

St. John Bosco wrote a book, RoadMap to Heaven. He said the first virtue for youth is obedience to one’s parents and so the heart of a child can be filled with love by honoring and obeying one’s parents.

He said, “Honor your father and mother.” What is it to honor them? “It is to obey, respect and assist them.” He said, “When they command you to do something, do it promptly without showing any opposition. Do not obey as those who shrug their shoulders, shake their heads… These children offend their parents and even God Himself, who commands you through them to do this or that.

“Though almighty, Our Savior taught us to obey, subjecting Himself in all things to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, a humble carpenter. He obeyed His heavenly Father unto death by dying on the Cross. You too must respect your father and mother and never do anything without their permission. Do not show impatience in their presence or reveal their faults.” He said, “One day young Luigi Comollo had to stay away from home longer than his parents allowed. However, he arrived home weeping and humbly asked forgiveness for in involuntary disobedience. You must assist your parents in their needs. Pray to God for them every morning and evening, that He may grant them every spiritual and temporal good.”

Today, let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us have a heart filled with treasure, that is doing God’s will in all things, helping the poor and for those who are young, to obey and respect your parents and you will store up treasure in heaven.

St. Dominic - August 8th

 

Today is the feast of St. Dominic, who was born in Spain, in 1170. When his mother was pregnant with him, she had a dream where she saw a dog with a torch of fire in his mouth. Then St. Dominic of Silos told her that he would light a fire throughout the world and would be watchdogs of the Lord, who would defend the truth. Later, it became understood the word Dominic is associated with “Domine” “canes”, which means “hounds of the Lord” or “dogs of the Lord”.

As a student, he sold his books to feed the poor in a famine and offered himself in ransom for a slave. At the age of twenty-five he became superior of the Canons Regular of Osma and accompanied his Bishop to France. There his heart was broken by the ravages of the Albigensian heresy, and his life was henceforth devoted to the conversion of heretics and the defense of the Faith. For this end he established his threefold religious Order.

One day, a ball of fire came from the sky and landed in the place where he was to build a monastery for Dominican sisters. The convent for nuns was founded first, to rescue young girls from heresy and crime. Girls he converted from heresy became the first Dominican sisters.

Then a company of apostolic men gathered around him and became the Order of Friar Preachers. He would eventually send these friars to important centers of learning such as universities.

Lastly came the Tertiaries, persons of both sexes living in the world. God blessed the new Order, and France, Italy, Spain, and England welcomed the Preaching Friars.

Our Lady took them under her special protection and whispered to St. Dominic as he preached. It was in 1208, while St. Dominic knelt in the little chapel of Notre Dame de la Prouille, and implored the great Mother of God to save the Church, and help him convert Albigensians, which had no success. Our Lady appeared to him, gave him the Rosary, and bade him go forth and preach. She gave him the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries and told him to preach the Rosary. With beads in hand, he revived the courage of the Catholic troops, led them to victory against overwhelming numbers, and finally crushed the heresy.

The Battle of Muret occurred just several years after the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic instructing him to preach the Rosary. The crusaders had a mere 800 men. They spent the night praying the rosary for victory under the direction of Saint Dominic, and in the morning, all went to confession and Holy Communion. The opposing armies, numbering over 20,000, indulged in a night of drunkenness and debauchery. St. Dominic went to a church to pray the Rosary for victory, while they went into battle. The next morning, the Catholics rushed on the disorganized bands of heretics. The battle was completed in less than twenty minutes, and thousands of the heretical sympathizers met their end on the battlefield. St. Dominic warred by prayer, while the men raised their arms in battle. The locals built the first chapel dedicated to the Rosary as an act of thanksgiving for the victory at Muret.

St. Dominic used to wear a cord around his waist, until he met St. Francis of Assisi, who used to wear a belt. The two switched so that Dominicans wore a belt and Franciscans would wear a cord.

The friars were sent to beg for food and were able to obtain bread, but they met poor people on their way back to the monastery. When they arrived, they told Dominic that they had given all they had to the poor. Dominic ordered the friars to sit down for a meal, though they had no food. Once all had gathered, two angels came with bread for all to eat.

St. Dominic nights were spent in prayer; and, though pure as a virgin, thrice before morning broke, he scourged himself to blood. His words rescued countless souls, and three times raised the dead to life.

One day, Dominic had a vision of Saints Peter and Paul. Peter gave him a staff and Paul gave him a book, believed to be either the Gospels or the constitution of the order.

He died on August 6, 1221, at the age of fifty-one, he gave up his soul to God.

The Dominicans also called the Order of Preachers and are known today for teaching in schools and giving retreats in parishes. The most famous Dominican is St. Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the greatest minds with regard to theology and philosophy in the history of the Church. He wrote many books including, a compendium of all of the main theological teachings of the Catholic Church used as introductory texts for students of theology and philosophy called the Summa Theologica.

I encourage you to pray as many rosaries as possible. A few days ago, we began a Rosary of Novena to Our Lady ending on August 15^th, the Assumption of Mary, for non-Catholics to become Catholic. We trust Our Lady will intercede for us and bring many into the Catholic Church through the Rosary.

18th Sunday, Year C Treasure of Heaven

 

The readings today are about the passing things of the world verses the riches of heaven. In the first reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes written by King Solomon, he spoke about earthly things as vanity. “Vanity of vanities, says, Qoheleth, vanity of vanities. All Things are vanity.”

Solomon gives us profound insight. Most everything that the world holds up to be of some importance is nothing, but vanity.

Recall that “the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said: Whatever you ask I shall give you.” Solomon responded, “Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?” The Lord was pleased by Solomon’s request. So God said to him: “Because you asked for this—you did not ask for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies—but you asked for discernment to know what is right—. I now do as you request. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that there has never been anyone like you until now, nor after you will there be anyone to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for: I give you such riches and glory that among kings there will be no one like you all your days.”

Solomon was given the gift of wisdom like no one ever had before him. God also gave him worldly riches, which he did not even ask for.

Wisdom is the gift to be able to see the things of God and their use for God and others. However, despite Solomon being the wisest man, he ends up losing everything.

Solomon himself demonstrates this weakness of human nature perhaps better that anyone. He was a man who, in his younger years, was blessed with many graces, great spiritual insight, wisdom beyond anyone who ever lived, and even the grace of divine inspiration to write Sacred Scripture. He served the Lord, built the temple, and dedicated his life to the service of God and the people entrusted to his care.

However, Solomon got caught up in the gifts God had given him, rather than in God who gave the gifts. He gave himself over to stockpiling money and material goods. He gave himself over to the cravings of the flesh, and to the worship of false gods. From being the wisest man dedicated to serving God, he became a fool and sought pleasure and power violating God and His holy Laws.

Here is a true story. A woman (Mary—not her real name) and her husband (Bob—not his real name) were not able to have children. Because they had no children, they were able to build their own house and had a motor home and would go out to the lake often. They also saved hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

They used their money primarily for their self. Although they were nice people, they gave no money to organizations, nor relatives, nor anyone who was poor in their community.

In fact, Mary’s mother, lived in a one bedroom home. And during the winter, because she was so poor, she slept on a cot in the only room with the gas furnace and she hung up blankets by each of the door ways from the room, so the rest of the house was cold. She did this so she could afford the monthly gas payments. Yet, her daughter Mary and her husband Bob never held her with her financial difficulties.

Bob died in 2011 at the age of 82 and his wife lived another 11 years, until Mary died at the age of 84. She developed dementia, and so one of her nieces admitted her into an assisted living center.

One day, there was a water-line break in her apartment. Mary temporarily moved to another unit, until it was repaired. When she returned to her apartment, all her diamond rings were missing. It was presumed either the workers stole them or the elderly woman misplaced them.

A year later, Mary was admitted to a long term nursing home. Family members came to see her, but the niece took care of her needs and would not allow other family members to help the elderly woman. Before entering the nursing home, the niece had her aunt sign over her home, her car, and her bank account in her name, she said, “So the nursing home wouldn’t get her wealth”.

A few years later, the elderly woman died. The niece who took care of her aunt, was seen wearing her aunt’s diamond rings. She bought a new home in another city, so one of her daughters could live there.

The moral of the true story is, if you store up for yourself your own wealth, failing to help others in need, a relative may steal your wealth, and end up using it for his or her self, and so the greed of the aunt and uncle was passed to her niece.

How much different would this true story be, if the couple helped others. Perhaps their good example would have inspired the niece to be generous too.

However, the uncle and aunt and the niece, rather than storing up riches in heaven, stored up material things.

St. Paul in the second reading said “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” He said, “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”

The Gospel tells us to not be concerned about earthly possessions nor to seek wealth for the sake of wealth only to store more for the sake of storing it or to not waste time with the worldly things of pleasure: to eat, drink and be merry, because we do not know when our earthly life will end. God said to the rich man, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom- will they belong?” Jesus then said, “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves, but are not rich in the matters of God.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1723) says, “The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement - however beneficial it may be - such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love: All bow down before wealth. Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second. . . .

Extra wealth for one’s own sake can be a stumbling block to heaven, because God wants those who have-- to help those who have not. Jesus said, “What you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”

Solomon was given wisdom to see the things of this world come from God and are to be used for God and others. But, he lost his wisdom, and so did the elderly woman, her husband and their niece. They traded their wisdom for the riches of the world, and not for the riches of God.

Let us pray for wisdom in using the gifts God has given us, for His glory, and the good of our neighbor, for by doing so, we will be storing up treasure in heaven. May the Virgin Mary, the seat of wisdom help us seek the greatest treasure, Jesus Christ, and possess Him forever in heaven.