Latin Mass: 1st Sunday of Advent
Beloved in the Lord Jesus, today we begin Advent, this time of waiting for the Coming of Christ. The Mass today brings to our mind the TWO comings of the Lord: His first coming as an Infant in Bethlehem, and his 2nd coming in Power at the end of the world.
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Many seem to think that the 2nd coming and the end of the world are getting near, but we don’t know when. Nevertheless, Jesus says that we should live as always being prepared. Our Lord says, ‘Be watchful and alert![i] ‘You do not know when the time will come.’
.
So we should always be living the best that we can, because the end of our life or the End of the world could come anytime.
Today we consider the 2nd Coming and the End of the world. So let’s today restate those things that we know for sure about it.
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The End, will involve a sequence of 6 major events. These can be seen in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and also in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, and other books on doctrine.[ii]] The first sign of the End is that the Gospel will have been preached to the whole world. Our Lord has said, ‘the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world….and then the end will come.’[iii]
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Has the Gospel been sufficiently preached to the whole world today? Probably not yet, there are many who do not really know Jesus Christ or his Church. It is not uncommon now to meet a 15 year old young person who has never been baptized – they’d like to know Jesus and the way of salvation.
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A 2nd sign of the End times, is that many Jewish people will accept Christ as the Messiah, and enter the Faith. St. Paul speaks of this in Romans, Chapter 11, and this will be an important sign, as the Catechism teaches.
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The 3rd event that signals the coming End, is the appearance of the Anti-christ, who will lead a cruel persecution against the Church, and many will fall away.
Who this will be is unknown, but the attraction to his promises will be very great. The Catechism says, ‘it will be a religious deception, offering men an apparent solution to their problems, at the price of apostasy.’ St. Paul: ‘Let no one deceive you, for the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed.’[iv]
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Now for those who stand firm in the Truth, this persecution will be very great. But whether we are present at that time or not, Our Lord urges us to live today, now – live our life in faithfulness to God.
.
Are we faithful under pressure? We urge our young people to refuse peer pressure – are we resisting peer pressure? When our neighbor announces that her daughter has moved in with her boyfriend, do we smile in friendly agreement in order to get along?
When a co-worker tells an impure joke, do we laugh in order to be accepted, for fear that we might be called – a Christian?
When the whole world is carried away by false ideas of marriage, do we take an unpopular stand?
.
In Iraq, a group of Christian kids were told by ISIS, ‘Convert, say the words! or die. ‘No,’ was the answer from these children. ‘We love Jesus.’ And all their heads were chopped off.
.
They withstood the greatest test, but do we stand up for the teachings of Christ in far easier tests? If we cannot resist the pagan world today, we will be no match at all for the Anti-christ.
.
The 4th event leading to the end of the world is the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. It will be during a dark time of persecution when Jesus will return: ‘On the earth, distress of nations, men withering away for fear. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and majesty.’[v]
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A young girl said, the End of the world makes me nervous, Father. I said, listen, it will be a bad day for the wicked, but a great day for we faithful Christians. Say in a few years, you are at home. You are doing your homework in your room at night, when suddenly, the windows are bright, sunlight is pouring into your room at 9pm; ‘What is happening?, you think.’ Then your mother calls from outside: ‘Gale, come out, come out and see!’ And you run outside, and you have never seen your mother so happy – you look into the sky, and there is Jesus coming in glory! And you too, are filled with an unexplained happiness.
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‘And then they shall see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.’[vi]
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‘The word ‘Advent’ means ‘Coming.’ This season is preparation for Christmas, which was the first coming of Christ, but we are also reminded today of the 2nd coming, when Christ will come, not as a meek child, but as a Judge.
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The 5th event then, is the resurrection of the dead, and Judgment. The dead will all be resurrected, and together we will face the General Judgment of all.
‘The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, they who have done good, shall come forth to resurrection of life, they who have done evil, unto resurrection of judgment.’[vii]
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For us, who have stood firm in Faith, it will be a great and joyful day. If we are still alive at the 2nd Coming, we will be there; but if we have died, we will be resurrected, and we will be there too!
St. Paul describes it: ‘We who live, who survive until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ will rise up first.’[viii]
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The Judgment will be made. The Just, risen in glorified bodies, the wicked in hideous bodies to hell. And finally, the End of the world – this universe, obliterated, we will enter the New Creation: Paradise.
‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away…. And he who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’[ix]
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May the Blessed Virgin pray for us;
Mary, pray for us, that we will always be preparing ourselves to meet our Savior;
always ready, for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Mary, niece of Abraham]
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[i] Mark 13:33
[ii] These events are nicely explained in ‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’ by Ludwig Ott.
[iii] Matt 24:14
[iv] 2 Thess 2:3
[v] Luke 21:25
[vi] Luke 21:28
[vii] John 5:28
[viii] 1 Thess 4:15
[ix] Rev 21:1
1st Sunday of Advent
Beloved in the Lord Jesus, today we begin Advent, this time of waiting for the Coming of Christ. The Mass today brings to our mind the TWO comings of the Lord: His first coming as an Infant in Bethlehem, and his 2nd coming in Power at the end of the world.
.
Many seem to think that the 2nd coming and the end of the world are getting near, but we don’t know when. Nevertheless, Jesus says that we should live as always being prepared. Our Lord says, ‘Be watchful and alert![i] ‘You do not know when the time will come.’
.
So we should always be living the best that we can, because the end of our life or the End of the world could come anytime.
Today we consider the 2nd Coming and the End of the world. So let’s today restate those things that we know for sure about it.
.
The End, will involve a sequence of 6 major events. These can be seen in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and also in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, and other books on doctrine.[ii]] The first sign of the End is that the Gospel will have been preached to the whole world. Our Lord has said, ‘the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world….and then the end will come.’[iii]
.
Has the Gospel been sufficiently preached to the whole world today? Probably not yet, there are many who do not really know Jesus Christ or his Church. It is not uncommon now to meet a 15 year old young person who has never been baptized – they’d like to know Jesus and the way of salvation.
.
A 2nd sign of the End times, is that many Jewish people will accept Christ as the Messiah, and enter the Faith. St. Paul speaks of this in Romans, Chapter 11, and this will be an important sign, as the Catechism teaches.
.
The 3rd event that signals the coming End, is the appearance of the Anti-christ, who will lead a cruel persecution against the Church, and many will fall away.
Who this will be is unknown, but the attraction to his promises will be very great. The Catechism says, ‘it will be a religious deception, offering men an apparent solution to their problems, at the price of apostasy.’ St. Paul: ‘Let no one deceive you, for the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed.’[iv]
.
Now for those who stand firm in the Truth, this persecution will be very great. But whether we are present at that time or not, Our Lord urges us to live today, now – live our life in faithfulness to God.
.
Are we faithful under pressure? We urge our young people to refuse peer pressure – are we resisting peer pressure? When our neighbor announces that her daughter has moved in with her boyfriend, do we smile in friendly agreement in order to get along?
When a co-worker tells an impure joke, do we laugh in order to be accepted, for fear that we might be called – a Christian?
When the whole world is carried away by false ideas of marriage, do we take an unpopular stand?
.
In Iraq, a group of Christian kids were told by ISIS, ‘Convert, say the words! or die. ‘No,’ was the answer from these children. ‘We love Jesus.’ And all their heads were chopped off.
.
They withstood the greatest test, but do we stand up for the teachings of Christ in far easier tests? If we cannot resist the pagan world today, we will be no match at all for the Anti-christ.
.
The 4th event leading to the end of the world is the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. It will be during a dark time of persecution when Jesus will return: ‘On the earth, distress of nations, men withering away for fear. And then they shall see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and majesty.’[v]
.
A young girl said, the End of the world makes me nervous, Father. I said, listen, it will be a bad day for the wicked, but a great day for we faithful Christians. Say in a few years, you are at home. You are doing your homework in your room at night, when suddenly, the windows are bright, sunlight is pouring into your room at 9pm; ‘What is happening?, you think.’ Then your mother calls from outside: ‘Gale, come out, come out and see!’ And you run outside, and you have never seen your mother so happy – you look into the sky, and there is Jesus coming in glory! And you too, are filled with an unexplained happiness.
.
‘And then they shall see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.’[vi]
.
‘The word ‘Advent’ means ‘Coming.’ This season is preparation for Christmas, which was the first coming of Christ, but we are also reminded today of the 2nd coming, when Christ will come, not as a meek child, but as a Judge.
.
The 5th event then, is the resurrection of the dead, and Judgment. The dead will all be resurrected, and together we will face the General Judgment of all.
‘The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, they who have done good, shall come forth to resurrection of life, they who have done evil, unto resurrection of judgment.’[vii]
.
For us, who have stood firm in Faith, it will be a great and joyful day. If we are still alive at the 2nd Coming, we will be there; but if we have died, we will be resurrected, and we will be there too!
St. Paul describes it: ‘We who live, who survive until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God will descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ will rise up first.’[viii]
.
The Judgment will be made. The Just, risen in glorified bodies, the wicked in hideous bodies to hell. And finally, the End of the world – this universe, obliterated, we will enter the New Creation: Paradise.
‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away…. And he who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’[ix]
.
May the Blessed Virgin pray for us;
Mary, pray for us, that we will always be preparing ourselves to meet our Savior;
always ready, for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
.
[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Mary, niece of Abraham]
.
[i] Mark 13:33
[ii] These events are nicely explained in ‘Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma’ by Ludwig Ott.
[iii] Matt 24:14
[iv] 2 Thess 2:3
[v] Luke 21:25
[vi] Luke 21:28
[vii] John 5:28
[viii] 1 Thess 4:15
[ix] Rev 21:1
Friends in the Lord, today we continue to read from the Book of Revelation, about the mysterious signs and symbols described by St. John.
John says that he saw an Angel come down from heaven who seized the serpent who is the Devil, and tied him up with a chain – for a thousand years. He says the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
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These texts have made many people wonder over the centuries, they are symbolic, and mysterious.
Our Lord describes the establishment of his kingdom as happening in two stages – his first coming when he demonstrates his power over the devil, and his second coming at the end of time, when that kingdom will be established in its finished form.
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Now there are some who read this at face value only, and say that Christ will return to rule the earth for a thousand years; this is called millenarianism, but this is a false interpretation. Like other numbers mentioned in scripture, this number is highly symbolic.
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St. Augustine explains it this way: According to him, this thousand years, or ‘millennium,’ covers the time between the incarnation of the Son of God, and his coming at the end of the world. So this is the time we are in now, awaiting the 2nd coming of Christ.
During this period, this millennial period of God’s kingdom, the activity of the devil is to some degree restricted, he is chained up. The devil is chained up, but like a mean, nasty, dog, he still lures us with his puppy eyes, lures us to come close to pet him. If we are foolish we will get bitten, and sometimes we do. But if we take care, and hold fast to the grace of Christ, and try to live a holy life, that chained devil cannot bite us.
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In the End he will be ‘let loose,’ and that will be the great tribulation of the Church before the end of the world. Christ reigns fully in that part of the Church already in heaven, the Triumphant Church, but he only reigns incompletely, in the Church on earth. The devil here is chained, but he still causes us some trouble. He will be unchained for the great tribulation, the great persecution by the Anti-christ, and many will be weak and turn from God;
but God-willing, We will stand firm in our Faith, and then will occur the glorious 2nd coming of Christ, and his final victory over the Enemy
Friends in Christ, today our country celebrates Thanksgiving. A number of people recently have complained about stores being opened and the mad shopping frenzy beginning today. The most often heard comment is: ‘It’s a day for families!’
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It is true that in this busy world, Thanksgiving seems to be a day when families actually are all home for a meal. The modern American household often has so many activities – kids sports, choir practice, night classes, bowling league – sometimes people say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ as they are grabbing a sandwich or a leg of chicken, and out the door!
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Today is an opportune day for us to ask the question: ‘Are we valuing the members of our family and nurturing our family in the way that God wishes?’
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Jesus says, ‘Your treasure is where your heart is.’ Well, if our family is our treasure, are we nurturing it rightly? Father Fernandez[i] says that to live family life properly we must spend time:
– Try to protect the family meal-time, so that every one can be together and speak in a relaxed way about everything.
– Take the time to celebrate family occasions and anniversaries.
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It isn’t enough to only have general good-will toward our family members, we must make it overt, we must SHOW our love for our children, spouse, and siblings. A home should not be lacking in hugs and kisses, and opportunities to just sit and talk.
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If you haven’t noticed, the family is under attack these days. The spirit of the world is trying to undermine the family. This is why the Holy Father is having a double-synod – on the family. It is why in the United States, we are hosting the World Meeting of Families. Mother Church knows that the family is the most critical foundation of society, and it is suffering. The best way of defending our family is by means of lots of human affection, and by making God present in our home.
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An extended family was having a very large celebration at a restaurant, their little girl goes to our school. The mother told me, ‘Father, I was so proud of my daughter. The waitress was bringing the food and everyone was starting to eat, when our 6 year old stood up and yelled ‘Stop!’ Everyone looked at her, and she said, ‘We have to pray.’
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Our children sometimes remind us, but really, we are supposed to be reminding them, to pray in the morning, at every meal, and how beautiful for a family to pray night prayers together at a home-altar shrine.
P
Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton was known as the Rosary Priest, promoting the family rosary as a means of sanctifying the home. It was he who always said: ‘The family that prays together stays together.’
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Perhaps this Thanksgiving Day we can think of how we can bring the love of God, and a lot more affection into our home.
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[i] Conversation with God, V3, p. 630
Friends in Christ, today is the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria. St. Catherine lived back in the 4th century, and she was known for her great mind and wisdom. She received a thorough education, and during her studies, she had a vision of Mary and the Holy Child, which led her to become a Catholic.
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When she was 18 she saw many Christians under threat of their life because of their faith. She boldly made her way to the emperor to speak to him. She told him that the gods they worship are nothing. And using her vast knowledge, she spoke of creation; the sun and moon, the stars, the earth and asked: how could all this come to be? Does this not point to God, who is Lord of all? We must adore this God and give him glory, she said. Then she taught him of the Incarnation: of Jesus Christ.
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He was overwhelmed with her knowledge and also with her beauty. But when the emperor saw that her arguments made sense, he became angry. He brought in all of his brilliant masters of logic to debate her. They said, ‘Have this maiden brought before us, she will be put to shame, for she has never met wise men like us before.’
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Catherine, having sought the help of God, used their own pagan teachings to subvert their arguments, convincing them that God indeed has become Man. Those men changed their minds, and became Christians on the spot; for this reason, they were executed by the Emperor. Catherine was then beaten with clubs, and shut up for 12 days in a dark cell.
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In her cell, angels appeared to her, and filled the place with a brilliant light. This was witnessed by the Queen herself, who came to visit Catherine in prison. They spoke late into the night of the things of God, and many soldiers who came to the cell lay at her feet listening.
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When the Emperor heard of this, he was furious. She was therefore to be tortured, by a special method. 4 wheels studded with iron saws and sharp, pointed nails would be set upon her to mangle and tear her to pieces. But when the machine was set upon her, the device shattered to pieces.
Catherine was finally sentenced to death by beheading, and there she raised her eyes to heaven saying: ‘O glory of virgins, Jesus good King, I ask you that anyone who honors my memory, may receive the benefit of your kindness. When she was beheaded, milk rather than blood flowed from her body. For years, an oil flowed also from her bones which healed many people.
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St. Catherine of Alexandria had a brilliant mind, but it was her heart of love which made her a saint.
Her symbol is a spiked wheel; she is the patron saint of philosophers, teachers, and girls.
Friends in Christ,[i] today is the Feast of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and the 117 martyrs of Vietnam. The Catholic Faith came to Vietnam in 1615, by Jesuit missionaries, but soon the king banned all foreign missionaries; and tried to make the people deny their faith. Catholics had to survive secretly. Over the centuries, several persecutions were launched, but the Faith continued to grow.
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Dung An Trân was born in 1795 to a poor, pagan family in North Vietnam. When he was 12, his family moved to Hanoi where his parents could find work, and there he met a catechist and also received assistance. He was educated in the Faith for 3 years, and was baptized Andrew Dung.
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After more studies including learning Latin, he himself became a catechist. He was chosen to study theology, and then ordained a priest. As a parish priest, he was tireless in his preaching. He often fasted and lived a very simple life of sacrifice; he was a good example for the people, and many were baptized. In 1835 Fr. Andrew was imprisoned under emperor Minh-Mang’s persecutions, but his parish collected donations and bought his freedom.
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To avoid persecutions he changed his name to Andrew Lac and moved to another city to continue his work. Arrested for the 3rd time, he was taken to Hanoi, where he and another priest were brutally tortured and then beheaded.
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In 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized 117 martyrs of Vietnam, who gave their lives for Christ during this persecution. There were 8 bishops, 50 priests, and 59 lay Catholics who laid down their life for Christ.
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One of those martyrs of Vietnam[ii] wrote a letter from prison to encourage the others. He says this:
I wish to tell you of the trials besetting me daily, that you may be inflamed with love for God. The prison here is a true image of everlasting hell: cruel tortures of every kind—shackles, iron chains, manacles— also hatred, swearing and curses. In the midst of these torments by the grace of God I am full of joy, because I am not alone—Christ is with me.
Aid me with your prayers, that I may have the strength to fight the good fight and finish the race. We may not again see each other in this life, but we will see each other in the world to come, where at the throne of the Lamb, we will exult forever in the joy of our triumph.’
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Martyrs are the seeds for Faith; today there are over 5 million Catholics in Vietnam.
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[i] The write-up here borrows largely from Saints of the Roman Calendar by Enzo Lodi, provided by Catholicculture.com.
[ii] From a letter of Saint Paul Le-Bao-Tinh sent to students of the Seminary of Ke-Vinh in 1843
Latin Mass: 24th or Last Sunday after Pentecost
Beloved in Jesus Christ, today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, and so the Gospel calls to mind the final destruction of this world; the End.
The scene is striking. Our Lord had just spent the whole day in the Temple[i] debating with the Scribes and Pharisees, but it was impossible to penetrate their stone hearts.
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As Christ was leaving there in the evening, with a heavy heart, his disciples, perhaps to lift his spirits, called his attention to the beauty of the Temple. ‘And as Jesus left and was going away, his disciples came forward to show him the buildings of the temple. But he said to them, ‘Do you see all these things? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’ The disciples were breathless with fear of what his words might mean.
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It was then that Christ spoke those shocking prophecies: the total destruction of the great Temple of Jerusalem, and the future destruction of the world.
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In the Holy Scriptures, we find that the earth – creation itself – is really seen as one giant temple. The Garden of Eden was described using some temple-imagery, the psalmist uses imagery to depict creation as a temple; creation, with Man at the top, possessing a mind and will – Man, who alone is able to offer everything in adoration to God.
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Now scholars tell us that the Temple of Jerusalem was really supposed to be a microcosm of this world, it was an image, if you will, of this world: The huge ‘sea’ of water, walls carved with flowers, a giant grape vine over the entrance; the blue veil in front of the Holy of Holies symbolized the sky, and beyond the sky, the Holy of Holies represented heaven.
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If it is then a sign of this universe, what does it mean if it is destroyed? A sign of the coming end of this world; and so, in one breath Our Lord speaks of both.
‘I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’ ‘This generation shall not pass away, until all these things have been accomplished.’ And so it was true – the shocking destruction of the temple took place in those people’s generation, just 37 years after Jesus’ prophecy.
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After it was burned to the ground, the greedy soldiers searching for the gold that melted from the fire, turned over every single stone to get it.
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But not just the end of the temple was prophesied; the world as well: ‘the day nor the hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,’ says the Lord. ‘People will be eating and drinking – partying away – as in the days of Noah.
‘You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; nation will rise against nation; there will be pestilence and famines and earthquakes. They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my names sake. And there will be a great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world.
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So Our Lord is speaking at once about the end of the Temple, and also the coming end of the world.
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I was at an airport, and a young Jewish man came over to talk. He was studying to be a Rabbi, and he recognized me as a Catholic priest.
‘This is a sad time for us, he said, ‘it is the ‘Three Weeks;’ the Bein ha-Metzarim.[ii] This is when we remember the destruction of the Temple. I said to him, Yes, the destruction of the temple in 70AD. But you know, we Christians have another understanding of this, not so sad.
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The temple was great and glorious, for sure, and it was the site of the sacrifices by the priests. But the temple was a sign, a pre-figurement, pointing to a new priesthood of Jesus, the Messiah – a new Sacrifice – and a New Temple.
Ezekiel prophesied an entirely new, glorious temple. And this glorious temple is in heaven, which the Jewish temple was preparing for.
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Destroyed? Only in the sense that it was a sign, preparing the way. That temple offered sheep and goats in sacrifice, but those pre-figured the True Sacrifice of the Messiah, which we renew on our altars today. The priesthood continues, the priesthood of Jesus – and at the Catholic Mass, we are participating in the praise of God in the Eternal Temple of heaven.
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We spoke some more, especially about the Jewish roots of our Faith. The Mass as fulfillment of Passover.
Then he said, ‘Father, almost no one knows, even few Jewish people know, that it was also at this time of the Three Weeks, that we believe Moses threw down and broke the 10 commandments because of sin.[iii] So we are mourning this too.
‘That’s VERY interesting,’ I told him. And I thanked him for the discussion, time to get on the plane, he was on a different flight.
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So I’m on the plane, sitting down, and the woman next to me says, ‘You’re a priest.’ ‘Yes,’ I said.
I’m Jewish!, she said. In fact, I have been doing research on my religion in Israel. Father, did you know that this is a very sad time for us? It is when the Temple was destroyed.
‘I said, yes. ‘And you know, it is very interesting, that it was also during this time, long ago, that Moses broke the 10 commandments.’ ‘How did you know that?!!!!!!’, she asked me!
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Friends, people today live as if the world will never end, as if THEY will never end. When I cover the subject of the End Times with the kids in school, one question I always ask is very simple: ‘True or false: This world will one day come to an end.’ True. Strangely, we have to be reminded of this.
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At the end of the Liturgical Year, Mother Church presents to us this subject, to be pondered: the End Times. Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple, which happened in the exact detail as he described it. So when he tells us that this world will end, it will. This world, this life – is temporary.
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Next week we will speak of what will be the signs of the End of the World, and the 2nd Coming. But this week, we remember our mortality; we know not when the world will end, nor when our life will end. So let’s live each day for the glory of God.
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As St. John Vianney used to day, ‘All the saints did not start out so well, but they ended well.’
May the Blessed Virgin help all of us, to end well.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Augustine]
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[i] A Parochial Course in Doctrinal Instructions, p. 540
[ii] The day the destruction of the Temple is remembered is Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av at the end of the Three Weeks.
[iii] The breaking of the 10 Commandments was on the first day of the Three Weeks, Tammuz 17.
Friends in Christ, today is the feast of St. Cecilia.
Cecilia was born in Rome in the 3rd century to an important family, her father being a senator. She had secretly consecrated her virginity to Christ, but her parents thinking she should marry a successful man, arranged for her to marry Valerian, but Valerian was a pagan and not a Christian.
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So on their wedding night she told her husband: “There is a secret I wish to tell you Valerian. I have an angel that loves me, who jealously guards my body, and if he finds that you touch my body with polluted love, he will certainly slay you. But if you love me in holy love, he will love you as he loves me.’
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Valerian insisted on seeing this angel. But she told him that he had to be baptized first. After being baptized “He found Cecilia praying in her room, and next to her the angel of the Lord. The angel handed to them a bouquet of red roses and white lilies.
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Inspired by them, Valerian’s brother, Tiburtius, also became a Christian.
Now at that time, it was illegal to be a Christian, and when it was found out, these two brothers were given the sentence of death. Helped by Cecelia’s prayers, their courage held, and both became martyrs for the Faith. The executioner was so impressed by their faith, that he too became baptized, and his whole family.
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The morning of their execution, Cecilia roused them saying “Arise, soldiers of Christ, throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” She was quoting St. Paul.
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Soon, the officers came for her too, but she refused to give up the Faith, and so was given the sentence of death. Seeing this beautiful maiden’s great Faith, over 400 persons were baptized that day.
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In her own beautiful home, she was locked inside the steam room, and the heat was turned up to suffocate her, but she said, ‘ it is cool in here!’
She was therefore ordered to be beheaded. There, in her home, an executioner three times tried to decapitate her with his sword, but he could not get her head cut all the way off. He ran away in fear, leaving her to die 3 days later in her own blood.
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While she was dying, she asked that her large home be made into a chapel, which it is to this very day. She was martyred in the year 230. One can still visit the bath where St. Cecilia was martyred. Its walls are adorned with beautiful paintings. and one shows the executioner raising his sword above Cecilia.
She is such a great martyr of the Church, that her name is in the first Eucharistic prayer. Her body never decayed! It was found 1400 years later to be beautiful and perfectly incorrupt.
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St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music, and she is often pictured with musical instruments.
Friends in Christ, today and in recent days, we have been reading from the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is many things, but one thing it is: it is liturgical. It is a vision by St. John on the Lord’s Day – Sunday. This is a vision he had, of what is happening in heaven – on Sunday. He describes 7 lampstands, that is, candlesticks – there were 7 lampstands in the temple; how is it that he sees elements of the temple, yet he is looking into heaven – on Sunday? He is seeing the true temple, the true worship of God, which is in heaven.
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St. Paul says[i] that the temple on earth was only a copy, an image, of the true temple in heaven, where God is worshipped. At Mass we are as it were, ‘acting out’ the heavenly worship of God, participating in this heavenly worship. The book of Revelation was influenced by the Mass, and the Mass likewise, has been influenced by the Book of Revelation.
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Think about a big Mass, with the bishop and many priests concelebrating around the altar – in vestments. There are 7 candles as in the temple; the choir, up in the choir loft sings as if angels in heaven. John says: I looked up, and behold, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and a voice that said- on Sunday: ‘Come up here!’ There in heaven, is One sitting on a great throne in marvelous beauty – it is God. He sees 24 presbyters – that is, priests. They are worshipping God, and they are clothed in vestments.
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So we see the priests, 12 of the Old Law, and 12 of the New Law, worshipping God. We see One like a son of man, clothed with a garment reaching to the ankles and girt about with a golden sash.
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Also, four living creatures are worshipping God: one looking like a lion, one like an ox, one like a man, and another like an eagle. These come from Ezekiel, but the ancients also saw these figures, as symbolizing the four evangelists, authors of the Gospels.
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At Mass we have the reading of the Gospels: ‘Worthy are you to receive the scroll and break open its seals. The Book of the Gospel is opened. Servers are there with incense: ‘And the bowls filled with incense are the prayers of the holy ones.’
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On our altar, we see the ‘Lamb, standing yet slain.’ Jesus is slain, yet he lives, as we offer the ‘Living Sacrifice of Praise.’
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In 987, a Russian Prince sent out envoys to find the most noble religion they could. Having attended Holy Mass at the great Church of Hagia Sophia, they reported back to him: ‘In that place, we did not know whether we were in heaven or on earth.’
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At Holy Mass, we really approach heaven, and are invited in: ‘And I looked, and behold a door was standing open in heaven, and the voice said: Come up here!
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[i] Hebrews 8:5, 9:24
Friends in Christ, today we honor the two great Basilica’s in Rome of St. Peter and St. Paul. If you ever go to Rome, these are ‘must-sees:’ St. Peter’s, and St. Paul outside the walls.
St. Peter’s is sort of like ‘home’ for us. The heart of this great church is the tomb of St. Peter, below the main altar.
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As modern times approached, skeptics started to say that surely that was no tomb of Peter under there, how could the Church make that claim.
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So in the 1940’s, the Pope allowed excavations to be conducted under the Church. A surprising discovery was that the tomb of Peter contained various bones of various people, and even animal bones. The remains of Peter seemed to not be there. Was the Church wrong all these years? So more excavations began.
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We know that Peter was martyred in Nero’s Circus, near the present site of the Basilica. He was buried a short distance away in a small cemetery. In the course of the centuries monuments and chapels were built over his grave. In the excavations in the 1940’s, elements of these cemeteries were discovered under St. Peters basilica, but where were his bones?
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Now there was a significant wall in the area of the tomb of Peter, the famous ‘red wall’, as archeologists called it, dating back to the 3rd century. Covering the surface of the wall was an enormous amount of Christian writing, as if devoted faithful had passed here many times. The writings on the wall contain themes of victory, and there are the names of Christ, of Mary, and – many times, the name Petrus, Petrus, Petrus, on that wall. Inside the red wall was discovered a secret hiding place, lined with rich marble, hollowed out in the wall and hidden. There, wrapped in rich, purple cloth interwoven with gold – were bones! These unique bones were of a man, of sturdy build, 60 – 70 years old. The valuable purple cloth with gold, used to wrap them, shows that it was a person of high dignity.
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Finally, the bones of this particular man were intact, except – there were no feet. Missing feet, why? We remember from tradition, that Peter was crucified upside down. ‘I am not worthy to die like Christ, said Peter.’ So he was crucified upside down, and the removal of such a body in haste would probably involve cutting off the feet.
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The tomb with other bones was likely a diversion, so that enemies would not know the real location of the bones of St. Peter; only the Faithful knew that they were really there, in the ‘red wall.’
On June 26, 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that the relics of St. Peter had been found.
