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Category Archives: Latin Mass

The demons’ 3 methods

February 14, 2016 1:28 pm ⋅
1st Sunday of Lent
Friends in Christ.
One day a while back, I was looking on-line for a priest alb – that’s the white vestment we wear under the chasuble – so I checked out some at an on-line store for priests; later that week, I was looking up the weather online, and in the advertisements to the right, there was an alb !  I was quite surprised. Speaking to someone about this, they tell me that the advertisers collect information on what you are looking at, to keep track of what interests you, so that they can tempt you with just the right product.
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Well, thinking about this, this is exactly what the devil does with us. He collects, over the years, a record of our past actions and interests; and so he knows which temptations might work on us. He has different types of temptations for different people.
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In the devil’s army, there are three groups of demons who fight on the front lines.[i] One group is composed of specialists, who tempt us with sensual desires; another group tempts us to greed; and the others are specialists in pride. These are the three leading attacks of the demons, all the others follow after these.
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Today in the Gospel, we see the temptations that Jesus underwent in the desert. Why did Jesus undergo this? He wanted to show us that we can also be victorious over the devil’s temptations.
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Christ is fasting in the desert, and so the devil tempts him: ‘turn these stones into bread,’ then you can eat all you want! He could easily do it if he wanted to. And he is soooo hungry from fasting – but instead, he shoos away the devil by saying, ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’
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So that was a sensual temptation; sensual temptations are those of the body: we wish to eat too much, gluttony; we are tempted to sexual desire or impure thoughts; laziness, lying around, oversleeping; or to drink too much, get drunk. (By the way, it is a mortal sin to get drunk [ii])
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So, sensual temptations, of the body – this is one of the 3 main types of temptation. Our Lord shows us by his example, that we should immediately shoo away such things and tell the devil to get lost! As the saints tell us, in the area of sensual temptation, the victor, – the winner – is the one who runs away. If we have an impure thought for example, we must not ponder it at all, but immediately pray, and turn our mind to something else.
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Overeating, oversleeping, wasting our time – all of this leads to many other sins, including impure sins. Christ shows us that an important way to fight sensual sins is by fasting – by eating less, which we do during Lent.
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In the 2nd temptation of Christ, the devil shows Our Lord all the kingdoms of the world; the vast wealth of the world. ‘All this can be yours,’ he says.
It is true: if Christ had wished, he could have made himself a king with any riches he wanted: diamonds, rubies, luxury palaces, beautiful clothes – Here is the temptation of greed. We are tempted to fill our heart with created things, with material things, and this is an endless program.
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If you meet people who live in the 3rd world, in poverty, you will find they are often very happy. The suicide rate among young people is very high in the US and Europe – but very low in poor countries. The more we try to fill our heart with material things, the less happy we are, they leave us empty, because what we need, is God.
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Some people are obsessed with material things; those shoes that she wants – she can’t stop thinking about them – ‘I must have them!!’ This is to make them into a god. Then we have bowed down to Satan. But this is why it is good to give up something for Lent, it strengthens us.
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The 3rd temptation of Christ is pride. ‘Then the devil led him up high, to the parapet of the temple, and said, jump off of here and have the angels save you. It will impress everyone to see this amazing event.’ Pride tempts us to show off, to think we are better than others.
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Pride can be interior, as in those who act as victims and are always seeking pity or attention; or pride can be exterior, like those who are pompous or braggarts.
You know, I don’t understand people who put a bumper sticker ’26.2’ on their car, maybe you’ve seen them. It means they’ve run a marathon, which is 26.2 miles. So, what is all this bragging about? Nothing against marathoners, but I never see bumper stickers that say ‘I earned a PhD, or I bench-pressed 500 pounds.’ It all seems rather vain.
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Garrigou-Lagrange says, we must not praise ourselves; by so doing, we soil ourselves. People praise themselves, when they think they are not sufficiently praised by others, but this makes us look ridiculous, and we lose the merit of our good actions. The antidote to pride is humility. Humility today is one of the rarest, but most beautiful virtues.
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We see therefore that there are three chief groups of demons against us, and after them follow the whole army of the Enemy with their temptations. They have studied us, and they use their methods – but as Jesus demonstrates, with his strength, united to him, we can easily conquer the Enemy.
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We are beginning Lent; we do some self-denial, we go to confession; it is the time to battle our demons and go against our weaknesses and desires. But we should do it with confidence. St. Paul tells us that if we do it with the Lord, ‘God will speedily crush Satan under our feet.’
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May the Blessed Virgin help us this Lent, to obtain many victories over the Enemy for the glory and praise of God.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Duzdik]

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[i] Philokalia, p. 38

[ii]  Thomas Aquinas says: ‘To take more meat or drink than is necessary belongs to the vice of gluttony, which is not always a mortal sin, but knowingly to take too much drink to the point of being drunk, is a mortal sin. Summa theological, Q. 150 a2.  Also, scripture says that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. 1 Cor 6:10

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Where is God? (Latin Mass)

February 7, 2016 3:21 pm ⋅
Quinquagesima Sunday
Friends in Christ, I was recently at a recollection for priests, and after lunch we watched a clip from a movie that had been out recently, called ‘God is not dead.’ What happens in it is, on the first day of a college class on philosophy, a professor, who is an atheist, tells all the students to write on a sheet of paper, ‘God is dead,’ and sign it. This means, he says, that God does not exist, it was only an idea that once was in people’s minds. If they sign it, he says, they will not have to cover that subject in class, which means students will get a higher grade.
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Student after student immediately begin signing the paper; every one of them, signing their name to ‘atheism’ in order to get an easier grade; except for one young man, Josh. The teacher asks him: why haven’t you signed it? With the class looking at him, he says, ‘Because I’m a Christian.’ The teacher tries to intimidate and embarrass him, but he won’t budge; so he is told that he will then have to get up in front of the class over the next weeks, and defend the idea that there is a God. ‘However, says the professor, You will fail.’
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Friends in Christ, this was only a movie, but nevertheless, in schools and in many places, there IS intimidation of we Christians; I have heard of this even in a local high school; unbelievers will often use their position of authority to push an agenda. I showed this part of the movie to our 8th grade, and it was agreed, that in that situation, all of us would have to do what Josh did, even if it would mean a poor grade in an important class.
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I don’t know how many students would sign on to atheism in order to get a grade, but it is true that today, a large number of young people are full of doubts about their faith.
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Alexis de Tocqueville said, that people who live in a democracy resist complex ideas; we are so busy, we are most interested in that ‘things work’-  results; we have little time to think about big ideas, like the meaning of life, like theology, or who is God – Modern society is about what will get results.
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And so when we see various religions out there, and big moral questions of the day – many people do not want to wrestle with learning more about their faith, or think about hard questions; we resist thinking about why Christ is different from other religious leaders – we resist thinking deeply, because this will create tension in our lifestyle and our relations with others.
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With so many things going on, it is far easier to push God out and just keep on with our romantic relationship, our entertainment, our day-to-day activities. It’s kind of interesting: little kids will sometimes admit in confession: ‘Father, I spend too much time with technology.’ But this we adults do too! We are busy with so many things, today, now; and we want to feel comfortable and ‘at home’ in this world with our activities; but God complicates that.
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To admit God into our heart means that we have to re-think whether I am living according to His will; it would mean that we would have to sometimes be unpopular, or take a stand, like the student in the movie. If we considered ourself a Christian, we would stand out, and this would be uncomfortable; we would have to take time away from the things we enjoy – to pray; and finally, by pushing God from our mind, we avoid being reminded that our true home is in the next life, not this life; we wish to avoid facing the fact that this life will end, just as it has for every other person. ‘Well, we say, it’s just a lot easier to live without God.’
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Friends, we can play this mind-game that so many are playing; rationalizing, busying ourselves so much in order to keep those inconvenient ideas of God far away. But unfortunately, a voice continues to speak from inside. We try to push that voice out, but the voice keeps prodding us. That voice is Jesus. That voice still loves us, and is calling.
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It is no coincidence that among many young people there is a despair – a despair of finding real happiness. It is directly related to this distancing of ourselves from God.
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We see in the gospel today this blind man seeking out Jesus; this man is a sign of the blind of the world who are groping in the darkness, unable to see Christ, unable to find God. But this man, he cries out: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.’ The man’s heart was full of humility, aware of his misery; and with this outlook, he calls on the Lord, ‘Have mercy.’
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In some ways, this reminds us of St. Peter’s response when he recognized the Divine nature of Christ: ‘Falling on his knees he said, depart from me, for I am a sinner.’
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Friends, our faith cannot come alive – we cannot encounter the Living God and see how he will change our life into joy – without humility and an admission of our sinfulness and our need for the Lord.
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This Wednesday we will begin the season of Lent. These weeks will be a time for us to seek that voice of God who even we ourselves have sometimes stifled. Lent is a time to say ‘no’ to the distractions and to ‘gods’ that have taken over our heart. But really, Lent is a time to find God.
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How do we find him? Like so many sinners who met Christ: on our knees; we must have humility, we must admit that we are sinners. When we recognize our littleness, then our eyes will see God’s greatness and his goodness.
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May the Blessed Virgin guide us in these days ahead; Mary, pray for us, that this Lent, we will find the great treasure: the joy of following Jesus Christ.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Alphonsus]

Posted in: Latin Mass

A great marriage

January 17, 2016 4:59 pm ⋅
Beloved in Jesus Christ, some people I know, like to read the whole Bible from start to finish, it may take a year to do it; if you do that, you will notice something interesting: the bible begins with a marriage, and ends with a marriage. For example, in the beginning, there, is Adam his wife Eve – the first married couple. Then at the very end of the bible in the Book of Revelation, we read of a great marriage between the ‘Lamb’, Jesus Christ, and his Bride, the Church.
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This image of a marriage, we will find, winds it’s way through the whole story of our salvation. In fact, the prophets[i] often spoke of God’s relationship to his people as that of a Bridegroom and his Bride. They said that because the people had wandered after false gods and sin, unfaithful to the Lord, they were like an unfaithful Bride. But the message was always the same: God will not give up on us.
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The story of our salvation therefore, is the story of the Bridegroom who comes down from heaven to rescue his bride and bring her to his home in heaven. That is why Jesus is called the Bridegroom many times; and that is why the Church is called the Bride of Christ.
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Today in the Gospel, we encounter Jesus at the beginning of his public life, and interestingly, he is there at – a wedding! The way that St. John writes his gospel is very interesting. He says that at Cana, it is a wedding; he doesn’t mention who the bride or groom are, but he does mention Jesus, and Mary and the Apostles. The 12 apostles represent the Church, and we know that Mary is a sign of the Church.
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Christ will do then his first miracle, he will change water into wine. Now it seems that he had not intended to do this miracle; Mary tells him: ‘Son, they are out of wine!’ But Our Lord responds: ‘My hour has not yet come.’ The hour for miracles hasn’t come yet – nevertheless, his mother thinks it’s time. She tells the servants: ‘Just do whatever he tells you.’ And so, Our Lord does change water into wine.
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On Christmas we celebrated the coming of the Savior into the world; today we see this Wedding, which really shows us that the Bridegroom, Jesus, has come down from heaven for us – for his Bride, the Church.
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In ancient times, when there would be an engagement for marriage, the groom went over to the bride’s house for a meeting. The agreement to marry was finally decided when the groom poured – a cup of wine. At Cana, Mary speaks for the Apostles, the Church; ‘They have no wine,’ she says. Does the Groom pour a cup of wine, to agree with the marriage? Not just a cup. Jesus, produces 150 gallons of miraculous wine!
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What can we learn from Cana? First, we see that Jesus is the Bridegroom of our soul, and what will a groom not do for his dear spouse? He will go to any extreme to help us. In many old prayers and prayer books, they often spoke of Jesus as ‘the Bridegroom of the soul,’ emphasizing this nuptial intimacy between our heart and Christ’s; I think we should still pray this way sometimes.
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The Lord loves each faithful soul as if it were alone in the world, and if the person is willing, this Groom will make his Spouse as beautiful as possible, with graces and blessings. Jesus knows each one of us individually and he desires our salvation. He came and died for you and for me. There is not one detail of our life which was not foreseen by this Divine Bridegroom. As Psalm 139 says: ‘Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I stand…. you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’
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Our Beloved knows everything about us from even before we were made, and he is working for our good, seeking us out, assisting each of us in every action of life. Fr. Joseph Schryvers says:[ii] For those who seek the Lord, God’s effort toward us knows no limits. He will use every event in our life, every difficulty, even our own weaknesses, to our advantage; no obstacle can stop him from guiding us – if we seek him. Jesus the Bridegroom therefore is working to save us and sanctify us 24 hours a day; all that is needed is that we say yes to his proposal, and throw ourself into his arms.
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This is the first message of the wedding at Cana. The other is this: Christ has given us a Mother to speak on our behalf. A Mother who intercedes for us. Our non-Catholic friends sometimes say, ‘why do you pray to Mary?’ ‘Why do you ask her to help you?’ I say: ‘I don’t know! Ask the Bible! Ask God, he gave her to us! Maybe Jesus wants to share his glory with his Mom; maybe Jesus wants people to love and call on his Mother? On earth, good sons love it when people praise their mother, and they listen to the desires of their mother. Good sons do that.
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St. Alphonsus says, that when Mary asked for the water to be made wine, it seemed that the time for miracles had not yet come, for Jesus said, ‘my hour has not yet come?’ And yet Mary, as if the favor had already been granted, told the attendants to do whatever he said. But how could this be? The time for working miracles seemed to not be part of the Divine Plan of God. Yet from all eternity, God had also decreed, that nothing should ever be refused from the Mother of Christ. Mary will intercede with Jesus on our behalf.
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In Germany there was a man who fell into serious sin; because of shame, he was unwilling to confess it, tormented in his conscience, he thought of ending his life. That night, in his sleep, he felt a lady shake his arm, and heard a voice say: ‘go to confession.’ The next night, he again heard the same voice calling him. He went to the Church, yet in his stubbornness, he said he’d rather die than confess that sin. But before going home he prayed before an image of the Blessed Virgin. No sooner had he knelt down, than he found himself quite changed. He immediately arose, called a priest and made an entire confession of his sins. He would often say, that he never felt such joy, as on that day.
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Cana teaches us that we should often go to Mary, because she will always bring us the blessings of Jesus.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Augustine]

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[i] Especially Isiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea

[ii] The Gift of Oneself, p. 18

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

No Salvation outside the Church

January 3, 2016 5:15 pm ⋅
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Beloved in Jesus Christ,
In the 1930’s, a Jesuit priest was a rising star in American Catholicism, his name was Fr. Leonard Feeney. Having written numerous books and articles, in 1942 he became director of the famous St. Benedict center at Cambridge.  
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Soon however, a change began to take place in him. He refused to allow other priests to be involved at the Center, everything became, ‘his way or the highway.’ In 1947, he started teaching the students that no one could be saved who was not a baptized member of the Catholic Church. For him, Baptism by Blood and Baptism by Desire were false teachings. (see footnote) In his opinion, all those who have never been baptized with water would end in the fire of hell, including those who have never heard of Jesus Christ.  
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In 1952 he was twice summoned to appear in Rome to explain his teachings, but he refused to go. Having been expelled from the Jesuit Order, he was excommunicated by the Church.
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Friends in Christ, there IS a doctrine of the Faith which says: there is ‘No salvation outside the Church,’[i] but what do we mean by this doctrine?  
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We begin by recalling the words of St. Peter today in Acts of the Apostles: ‘Of this Jesus, who was crucified,’ he says –  ‘There is no other name under heaven, by which we may be saved.’ Among all the peoples in the history of the world, all races, religions, nationalities, everything –  anyone who makes it to heaven, anyone who is saved –  is saved because of Jesus Christ; Christ is the only ladder by which humanity can reach divinity. Trying to get to heaven without Jesus is like trying to jump high enough to get to the moon. Jesus is the only Name by which one can be saved, and so today, in the Tridentine calendar, we celebrate a special feast for this:  the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.   
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I am not here to say whether Buddha or Mohammed or  Guru Nanak (Sikhism) or Jakob Ammann (Amish)  or any founders of religions were good people or not; but if any of them, or any other person is saved, it is by the Incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the document Dominus Jesus, issued by the Church in 2000, it re-states clearly that while admitting that other religions sometimes possess elements of the truth, the mystery of [Christ’s] incarnation, death and resurrection is the sole and universal source of salvation for all humanity; Christ is the universal mediator for the whole world.   
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Some will say that we Catholics are saved through Jesus, but that the Holy Spirit works in other ways with other people; but the Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of Jesus!, and his action cannot be placed outside that of Christ.  There is a single Trinitarian economy of salvation, because God is Father of all human beings, and God is ONE.  
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The Lord Jesus has given us the Holy Church and the sacraments, as the ordinary means for reaching heaven.  ‘This is my plan,’ he says. Be baptized, follow my teachings, Eat my Body, Confess your sins.’ And so, if we know about God’s plan, the plan that he has for us, well then we better follow it!  Christ was quite strong on this point. He said if people ‘refuse to listen even to the Church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.’ (Matt 18:17)  It will certainly be a worse judgment for a Catholic who knows God’s plan for salvation, and ignores it, than for a person who simply didn’t know. 
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Can the Lord work in people outside of the visible elements of the Catholic Church? Yes, he can.  The Good Thief was never baptized with water, and yet Jesus told him, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’  
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Here is what St. Thomas Aquinas says:[ii] There are three kinds of baptism: baptism of water, baptism of blood, and baptism of Spirit (he also calls it ‘Repentance’).  ‘Consequently, a man may, without baptism of water, receive the sacramental effect from Christ’s Passion, in so far as he is conformed to Christ by suffering for him. ‘In the same way, a man receives the effect of baptism by the power of the Holy Ghost, in as much as his heart is moved by the Holy Ghost to believe in, and love God, and to repent of his sins, and this is called baptism of repentance.’ We today would call it baptism of desire.  
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So what about Abraham and Moses and Isaiah and such people of old? St. Thomas taught that they had implicit faith in Christ.[iii] He says that the fathers of old were justified by faith in Christ’s passion just as we are.  ‘The fathers of old had faith in the future passion of Christ, which was able to justify them.’  
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Now God insists that we follow his plan, his sacraments, but he himself is not bound by the sacraments.  The Lord however, does not want us to sit around guessing who might be saved or not, he wants us to spread the gospel! Go! Baptize all the nations!  We shouldn’t try to guess who else will be saved – we don’t even know how many Catholics will be saved. St. Peter says it: ‘If it is hard for even the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’[iv]  
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What we DO know, is that anyone who IS saved, is saved through Jesus Christ, and his Church.  The Catechism says that the saving work of Christ is active in the Church’s sacraments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ. (CCC 774) The Church is Christ’s instrument for the salvation of all. (776)  
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On our altars each day, the Mysteries of our salvation are poured out to a thirsty world. The atoning sacrifice of Our Lord is made present  and in this way, applied to the world today, and especially to us in the household of God. As we read today: ‘there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we may be saved.’ The Church is Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church and Christ are one. We can therefore say, ‘there is no salvation without the Church;’ to be saved, a person must in some way be connected to Christ’s Church.   
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There is an old children’s catechism that has a nice picture: a great ship is in the sea, heading forward – that’s the Church. But there are people, in the rough sea, swimming, struggling; they are trying to hold onto ropes, tied to the Mother ship. These are the people who, perhaps in darkness, who are trying to follow God;  in some way they can be attached to the Church.   
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But that’s them. What about us?  We have our hands full with our own spiritual warfare daily! Temptations can pound us and hound us. So let us follow the example of the saints, and in times of temptation, call on the Holy Name of Jesus. St. Hesychios says, ‘the demons will be dispersed at once, if we lash the enemy with the name of Jesus.’  
Jesus help me; Jesus guide me; Jesus save me; and may the Mother of Jesus pray for each of us.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John Vianney]

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Note: Baptism by blood refers to those who give their life for Christ, even though they may not have been baptized yet. A number of the early martyrs were among this group, as well as others through the centuries. Baptism by Desire is when a person, desiring baptism but unable to receive it yet, dies; many believe this also applies to those who implicitly desire baptism, if they knew about it, by the fact that they try to follow God’s will, do what is right in their life, and repent of their sins as they know them.

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[i] See Catechism of the Catholic Church, #846, and book by Stravinkas, No salvation outside the church.

[ii] Summa Theologica, under Baptism, Q66 a11

[iii] Summa Q 62 a6

[iv] 1 Peter 4:18

Posted in: Latin Mass

A Light into the gloom

December 24, 2015 10:16 pm ⋅
Christmas
‘I bring you tidings of great joy. For a Savior has been born to you.’
This is what the angels said to the shepherds, and so I say it to you, ‘A Savior has been born to us, who is Christ the Lord.’
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Beloved in Jesus Christ, we have arrived at Christmas, when God has come into the world, to live among us, to live with us, to save us.
In the Holy Gospel of St. Luke, if you go and read chapter 3, there it speaks of the circumstances of those ancient days, when Christ was born. He says, ‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar–when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee,….and during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas….’ The Holy Bible tells us the situation of the world then.
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‘It was the reign of Tiberius Caesar.’
This was the Roman Emperor, who cultivated the idea that the emperor was a god, and should be worshiped. Caesar, this dark and gloomy figure, sitting on the throne of the world. – Yuck.
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The govenor of Judea was Pontius Pilate.
This was the man who had Christ scourged and crucified. A letter of complaint was once issued against him: ‘The governor is a gruesome, obstinate man. He is corrupt and predatory; he abuses the people and is executing countless people without trial.’ This was the man who, in order to finance an aqueduct system, simply stole the money from the synogogues. He had only one priority in life: himself.
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St. Luke further tells us, that at that time Herod was tetrarch of Galilee. Herod was an arrogant, blood-thirsty beast; a self-indugent hedonist, he wasted all his energy on his own passions. He killed his father-in-law, several of his 9 wives, and two of his own sons; and to put an end to the Christ-child, he ordered the murder of the little children of Bethlehem.
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At that time also, St. Luke tells us that it was during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas. Annas was a poor excuse for a priest; having lost his position, he used his political influence to keep his sons in the office. Caiphas was a back-stabbing, evil person, who discovered one thing: religion as a means to power.
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Friends, this was the historic situation – the state of the world then. Was there really, a more hopeless-feeling time of history? And into all of this – God stepped into the world. ‘And the angel said unto them, “fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord.’
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The Son of God did not come down from heaven to wipe out the Herods and Caesars and Pilates of the world. He comes down from heaven silently, in peace, quietly; a Light into a dark world.
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That Light was in Mary, the Holy Virgin, and it came to St. Joseph. The Light spread – to shepherds and wise men, and it would come to many disciples and apostles. It was a healing Light. But it was quiet.
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Our Lord did not come down from heaven only once, 2000 years ago; he is in this world today. He is born on our altars at Holy Mass, his Light dwells in our hearts and in our souls, in our bodies and in our minds, if we invite him. He dwells silently, in peace.
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God knows what the world is like. He sees the violence and hatred; he sees charlatans leading people to perversion and sin; God knows about the creeps and the terrorists, yet he lives silently in every Christian, in tranquility and peace.
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Friends, the world needs the Light of peace. This is a special Peace, it is the Peace of God. It comes in only one way: doing the will of God, in Faith. If we are living in every detail, the will of God, to the praise of God, then that great peace of Christ will enliven us with his joy.
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St. Francis de Sales says, the worst thing that can happen to us is sin; but the 2nd worst thing that can happen, is anxiety, or worry. Regardless of the external, troubling events of our time; regardless of the external events of our own situation – we do God’s will now, today, this hour – what Christ wants, come what may – and then we have peace.

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‘Lord, you want me to be perfectly honest, then I will, come what may.
‘You want me to show charity, even to my enemies, I will.
‘You want me to be pure and good with my body, I will.
‘You want me to trust you, and not to worry – then I will.
And then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will dwell in our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus our Lord – as St. Paul says.
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Just before his Passion, Our Lord said: ‘I have told you these things that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have affliction; but take courage, I have overcome the world.’
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If we are doing God’s will daily, praying, Holy Mass, confessing our sins, living for God’s glory – the peace of Christ will flood our hearts and minds.
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It is true, in the world we have affliction, but as the Lord has said: ‘Take courage, I have overcome the world.’
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In these coming days of the glorious Christmas season, let us ask the Blessed Virgin to pray for us;
Mary, help us to hold onto the Light of Christ, and in these days to come, experience the joy and peace of this Christ-Child, who is born to us.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas]

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Shock: God became Man

December 20, 2015 8:22 am ⋅
4th Sunday of Advent
Beloved in Jesus Christ,[i] 
back in the 4th century, there lived an old hermit named Abba Abraham; he was a man of prayer, living a simple life as a monk in the desert. Now it so happened that his brother died, leaving Abraham’s niece Maria, in need of care. He therefore arranged for her to live nearby him in her own little hut. To his delight, the girl embraced this simple life. She came to love prayer and the things of God.
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Now there was a certain man who used to visit Abraham, pretending to want spiritual advice; but his heart became impassioned for Maria; for a full year he softened her up with his cunning words, until one day he seduced her and defiled her. Maria, who had tried to be a woman of prayer, was sickened at her sin, and wept day and night. Feeling hopeless, she fled to another city, and in desparation, began to live as a prostitute.
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For years, Abraham never knew what had become of his niece; but one day, news was brought to him of her circumstance. Immediately, he called for a horse and asked for the clothes of a soldier, so that he might find her without being recognized. He put on the clothes and a large hat to hide his face. He wore this style of clothes, so that he might save his niece, and then he made haste for that city.
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When he arrived at the brothel, he asked for her, and went to her room pretending to be a customer. He could hardly hold back the tears when he saw her dressed as a harlot. But sitting down on the bed, he revealed his identity; for the whole night, in tears and sobs, he taught her of the mercy of God; she brightened up, seeing that there really was hope of God’s forgiveness; then he said to her, ‘let us go out of here together,’ and they went home. Maria returned to her life of prayer, and God even gave her the gift of healing, such that many would go to her to be healed of their illness.
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Friends in Christ, There are only 5 more days until Christmas, the event that changed the world. The Lord in heaven saw us as sinners, lost and hopeless; we, who have given ourselves over in harlotry to other gods and to our sins. But in order to save us, the Son of God dressed in our human nature and journeyed to a far land to live among sinners, in order to rescue us.
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We can compare God’s action to that of Abrahm rescuing his niece, but the event of Christmas is much more profound even than that. St. Leo says that the Son of God could have sanctified us by his infinite power in some other way, but the Creator of the Universe deigned in his infinite goodness, to unite his divine nature to the nature of a servant and be born into time.
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When I think of this – when we think of this – how overwhelming to see this love of our Creator for us. And this is what overwhelmed Mary, to whom came her Maker, to participate in human life. ‘How can this be?, she asks the angel.  And when she visited Elizabeth also, Elizabeth was overwhelmed with what God was doing.      ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb. ‘How can this happen,’ she said.
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That the Creator would choose to do this – enter into our life, is an example of the humility of God, his lowering of himself down to us. St. Paul tells us: ‘[The Lord has] emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men.’
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So when people think, ‘God just doesn’t understand what I am going through,’ or when people distance themselves from God, who they think is Light-Years away in another universe – those who live a life of quiet desperation, alone and Godless – the truth is that this Creator of ours has taken a keen interest in the most intimate concerns of our heart.
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‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.’ This is what St. Paul says. ‘Therefore he was made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful high priest, to make atonement for us.’
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I was looking on-line recently, and I saw that once a British skeptic of the 19th century said, ‘three words should be carved over all church doors: ‘Important, if true.’
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There are plenty of skeptics today, and people who have lost their faith –
They should be at least as honest as that British skeptic: ‘Important, if true.’ If God really has entered his own creation, taken on our life, and suffered and died for each person – this God, who knows and loves us; then the consequence is enormous: we have to give him our whole life. We owe him everything. There is no other adequate response.
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The secular world wants to enjoy a happy holiday with all the lights and decorations and presents to brighten up winter. They want Christmas without Christ. But they refuse to face directly, the claim of the season. If this claim is false, then Christmas is not to be celebrated, but reviled. But if this claim is true, it means their life must completely change.
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This claim: First, that the Son of God exists: the ‘Word,’ as we call him. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’
And the second claim:  that this Son of God, the Word, actually entered our life, walked the earth, and dwells with us today. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’
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‘Important, if true.’
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The lack of faith today leads to a morose languor, a depletion of joy hanging over our towns like a depressing smog. Let us then – let’s we ourselves marvel again at the feast that’s coming up: when the Son of God, seeing our poor lives left heaven and came in disguise among us, to rescue us; when he put on flesh to save us.
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Mary, pray for us, that in this holy season our own lives may radiate an unshakable faith, a hope in the truth of Christmas; and bring the Light of hope to our world.
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‘Important, if true.’
Yes. It is very important – because it is true.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Joseph]

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[i] Harlots of the Desert, p. 97

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Who are you?

December 13, 2015 7:05 pm ⋅
3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
Beloved in Jesus Christ, at every Passover, the Jewish people reserve a cup of wine  and a place setting, for the arrival of Elijah. It was believed that the prophet Elijah would come again at the time of the Messiah.  The ancient rabbis had written a great deal about it.  The tradition was so strong, that at seder meals, and even to this day, not only is a cup of wine poured for Elijah, but the door is left standing open for his coming. Also, in the concluding ceremony of the Sabbath, an appeal is made to God, that Elijah would arrive during the next week.  ‘Let him come quickly,’ says the prayer,  ‘let him come with the messiah.’  
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But this expectation of Elijah preparing the way was no idle tradition. The prophet Malachi who lived centuries before Christ, wrote:  ‘Lo I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the Lord comes,  to turn hearts of children to their fathers. Lo, I will send you Elijah.    
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So knowing this, the people asked John the Baptist:  Who are you? And he said, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, Are you Elijah?  Now John DID wear a leather belt and a garment of camel’s hair as did Elijah.  But the truth would be, that it was not Elijah himself who would come,  but one in the spirit of Elijah; John, out of humility, says ‘I am not he.’  
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Thousands of years of preparation and prophecy, had foretold the Savior.  The long line of prophets, and writings, and symbols  were about to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.   John was too humble to say that he fulfilled the last prophecy; but in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Christ says so: ‘And he said to them, the prophets and the Law prophesied until John the Baptist;  and if you can accept it, he is Elijah, who was to come.   
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And so John the Baptist stood at the pinnacle of prophecy,  at the very gate of the New Covenant.  John the Baptist stands as the dividing line between the Old Law and the New Law. As Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah closes the Old Testament,  John appears, at the opening of the New Testament.   
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‘Who are you?,’ they asked John.  In his humility, he could not give a theological answer, of how he is the forerunner to the Savior – no. He could only say, ‘I am not even worthy to undo the strap of his sandal.’  
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The question they posed to John can be answered by us as well:  ‘Who are you?’ Each of us will face that truth one day before our Maker; this question will cut through all the layers of delusion and rationalization; only what is real will be seen; and if we are honest, this should be a fearful thought.  
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‘Who are you?’ This question will not only ask what we have said, what we have done, and with what motives we did things; it will go straight to who we are.  ‘Who am I – really?’    
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A friend of mine says he was at someone’s home, a Catholic. It was a very nice home, high quality. But he said, ‘there was not a single image of faith there, not a crucifix, no image of Mary, there were no meal prayers said; he said, ‘I wonder what really motivates that family,  it didn’t seem to be God.’  
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Advent is a time to look inside, to honestly ask that question of ourselves: ‘Who are you?’ ‘Who am I?’ Can I say, ‘I am a Christian.’  Can we say that our motives and thoughts and dealings with others, are driven by our love of God?   
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The North American martyr St. Isaac Jogues was tortured by Mohawk Indians,  but he escaped and was sent back to France.  He said to his superior: “Father, the tortures were very great,  but God is greater. I want whatever the Lord wants.’  And he went back again. His life was simply about God, come what may.  
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‘Who are you?’ – this will one day be asked of us by the most powerful Creator, and our destiny will be decided not by how we answer, but by what is evident.     
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In this life we wear many masks.  There is the external mask we wear so that others think we are something,  concealing our dark shadows or even leading a double-life.  And there are the internal masks that we wear to deceive ourselves:  the mask of rationalizing what we do and how we are.  
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Psychologists tell us that we build up around our mind –  we create an elaborate world-view –  in order to protect and pacify our conscience. We distance ourself from reality.  
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We make many compromises. Basing decisions on what can be gained,  instead of what is right –  acting for the sake of popularity or approval –  building layers around us,  complicating the truth of who we are, and separating ourselves from reality.   
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We’ve maybe met people who are always scheming and calculating so that whatever they do is to their advantage.  This kind of a life is joyless, with no foundation, one big deception.    
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John the Baptist is presented to us during Advent, as an example of one who was not afraid of what others say; he spoke truth – it got him into trouble, he was killed for it; but he was a free man in the Lord, livingin perfect reality and truth.  
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These last days preparing for Christmas call us to remove from our lives all that is not authentic. Removing the facades and poses that complicate us, but that also make us fake, and certainly not free.  
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Life in Jesus Christ – is life in reality, knowing our true selves, and then living as authentic disciples of the Lord.  It’s true, we’ve often tangled and complicated our life, but we can go to Mary! Mary has been called the ‘Untier of knots,’  so we can ask her to untie the knots in our life, that we may be more authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Josemaria Escriva]

 

Posted in: Latin Mass

Advent for us

December 6, 2015 6:52 pm ⋅
2nd Sunday of Advent
Beloved in Jesus Christ,
During the horror of Naziism during World War II in Germany, there emerged a truly heroic figure, a priest by the name of Fr. Alfred Delp. He was pastor of a parish in Munich, and an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime; quietly, he led a Resistance movement, and was arrested in 1944. After 6 months in prison, he was martyred by hanging.
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While in prison, he was able to write secretly some beautiful meditations on small scraps of paper that were smuggled out in the laundry. Not only during his prison time, but in all of his preaching, one of his favorite subjects was that of Advent, the time we are in today. In 1942 during a Holy Hour, he says: ‘These fateful days have hit us all hard, and we feel it. We want something more than this suffering and wory and visible distress that we have been going through.’
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Now he is talking about life under the Nazi’s, but I’m sure that those words might resonate with us today. There is more than enough to make us worried, or angry, or frustrated with the way the world seems to be going. But in all of those horrible years of the War, when Fr. Delp could have been arrested at anytime, he said: ‘Advent means remembering the freedom of God, and then abandoning ourselves to the divine unpredictability.’[i]
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God’s deep intention is to keep pursing us; pursing each person until he ‘gives’, until we freely give him our freedom, beyond our own desires or worries or crosses. St. Bernard, in an Advent homily says ‘Christ is our rest and consolation; therefore, keep God’s word and let it take possesion of your desires and your whole way of life.’ Allowing God to take posession of our life is not an easy thing, but as the saints tell us, it is the only way to true freedom.
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During this holy season, as we try to be more contemplative, we see that God is not only asking us to give him our whole heart, but we see that God is pursing us, chasing us down, as it were. Francis Thompson wrote a poem about this, of how God is pursuing us, the Hound of Heaven:
‘I fled from Him, down nights and days;
I fled from Him, down arches of the years,
of my own mind and in my tears – I hid from Him.’
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We hide from God in our own Will. He can’t get there. But if God is seeking us, then let him find us.
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Today John the Baptist’s disciples come to Jesus; he says: ‘What did you come out to the desert to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what did you come to see? This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my Angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.’  
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Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ; you say, ‘but Christ has already come!’ yes. There was that lost world before Christianity; lost in sin and idolatry and death and despair – with no hope, and Christ came. But isn’t that a description of much of our world today as well, without Christ. And it is emblematic of ourselves at times: dark and lost.
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These days are days to throw ourselves into the arms of God, and for once, to trust him and his plan. Even in our best moments, we often just check with God to see if our plans fit in ok with his.[ii] But it should really be the other way around. When the cross is in front of us, or fears paralyze us, or anger confounds us, maybe we can begin to seek the peace of embracing and suffering over the reality of the world.
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We mentioned Fr. Delp. Writing from prison, he recalled when once a good person gave him an Advent banner with an angel announcing the Good News.[iii] He says, ‘A bomb destroyed the angel. A bomb killed the good person, the terror of this time would not be bearable except for the promises of Advent.’
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For us, Advent is a time to be found by God, but he needs some silence, the Lord needs us to give him some quiet, to work in us. The 1st week of Advent spoke of the end of the world, signs in stars and moon, ‘the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ This was to shake us – to shake us into reality. God is seeking to be close to us, he is asking for freedom to work in us; to give him our heart and our will; not in worry or resistance or defiance, but in docility.
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Think of the 1st Advent – what if Mary had not given her ‘fiat,’ her yes to the angel?[iv] What if in the desire for an untroubled life, this Virgin would have said, ‘no, I’m not up to this. I pass.’ Sure, God could have then found another way to save us. But what about Mary? Her life would have been pathetically empty, not even close to the potential God had offered her. She would never have become the Mother of all, and Queen of heaven.
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Following God’s will in our life is not an ‘accessory’ or an ‘add-on,’ any more than the training of an athlete is a mere ‘bonus’; following God’s will is essential to our becoming fulfilled.
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‘I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe. Plans to give you a future full of hope.’ (Jer 29:11)
Advent is a time to put our trust in God. To abandon ourselves to the Divine unpredictability.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Blessed Bartolo Longo]

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[i] Advent of the Heart – Alfred Delp, p. 81. Ideas in this homily are from this book.

[ii] p. 69

[iii] p. 26

[iv] see p. 83

Posted in: Latin Mass

Our humble lives

November 15, 2015 2:00 pm ⋅
6th Sunday after Epiphany Resumed
Beloved in the Lord, in the year 404AD there lived a holy monk named Telemachus. He was a hermit of the desert, a man of prayer, but at one point he felt that God wanted him to go to Rome. There, the gladiator games were continuing – the source of blood-lust and evil in which people reveled. The Catholic faith was by this time, legal, but it was evident that many were still living pagan lives.
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When Telemachus saw the horror of the gladiator games, men fighting each other and killing each other to the roar of the crowd – he was horrified. He jumped from his seat right into the arena, and stood between the gladiators. He was tossed aside, but he went back again, and then a sword appeared – and then he was dead. The massive crowd suddenly stood silent: A holy man was dead. Something happened that day in Rome, because after that day, there were never again, any more gladiator games.
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Friends in Christ, Jesus speaks today by way of parables, of the effects that our one, little life can have. The tiny mustard seed seems insignificant, but it becomes a huge tree. and yeast by itself, seems trivial, but it produces a great effect.
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Most of us will not be Senators or Presidents or St. Paul’s or Padre Pio’s; we are ordinary people; yet as people of faith, we believe that each of our lives, lived fully for Christ, possesses an enormous capacity to influence this world. This is the irony of the life of a cloistered nun for example: ‘What good is their life?’, the world asks. A young woman, Veronica Payne from our own parish, made her temporary vows last month – cloistered life. But we know, and she knows, that the life of grace, although hidden, has great effects.
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Who affects the world more, the CEO of General Motors, or the mother, who is daily teaching her children, to be God-fearing? The Statesman in the halls of congress, or a nun? This is what Our Lord is showing us today; just as a little yeast is placed in the dough – you can’t even see it when it is mixed in – yet it leavens the whole mass, it produces quite an effect. Our Lord is saying that there must be no discouragement, his followers must serve, each in his place, doing his own part. As it is said, Paul planted, Apollos watered, but it is God who gives the growth.
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Masters of the spiritual life have noticed that the more our lives are hidden in humility, the more effective they can be. St. Josemaria urges us to ‘hide and disappear.’ “Don’t wish to be like the gold weather-vane on top of a great building: however much it shines it adds nothing to the strength of the building. Rather be like an old stone block hidden in the foundation, underground, where no one can see you: because of you the house will not fall.”
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Generally, we each underestimate how much God can do with our life, even if, and especially if, our actions are hidden. Dom Chautard wrote a whole book on this subject: The Soul of the Apostolate. His point which, appears on every page, is that it is not a flurry of activity and constant busyness that will build God’s kingdom; our actions must be based on a real interior life; prayer must be the foundation for us, and then our work will flourish and bring many results.
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Our Lord wants us to be the catalyst for good in our own circle of influence. And we do this by daily prayer, and choosing the path of holiness and humility at every step. We don’t know where each step will lead us, but God does. A group of young people from many nations were discussing different methods whereby missionaries could spread the gospel. And then a girl from Africa spoke: ‘When we want to take the faith to another village, we don’t have methods or systems. We send a Christian family to live in that village, and they make the village Christian by living there.’
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We have to have our methods and our institutions to spread the faith, for sure; but it nearly always comes down to each person’s silent life which becomes a cause of grace for others. And in this way, the Kingdom of God grows, imperceptibly.
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Our Lord tells of the mustard seed. A mustard seed is so tiny – 500 of them weigh just one gram – but as Christ says, it grows into a veritable tree such that that the birds of the air come and make their nests in it’s branches. The Great Tree is Jesus Christ, and we are to build our nests in his branches, twig by twig by twig.
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St. Frances de Sales says, that in the Castle of a prince, you will find little birds kept in colored cages, and they give pleasure to their master. But God does not cage up birds for pleasure. His birds live in the wild, in nests, and like prayers each day, they sing their praises to God. Birds come from nests, but prayers come from us. And the Lord wants us to live in his arms and build our little nests quietly, constructed of prayers and good works.
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No one should ever underestimate the value of his life or be discouraged; each soul is precious to God, and capable of enormous good.
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Let’s ask Mary then to help us. May this heavenly Mother urge us on, to believe and to know, that our humble lives are really able to bring about great good.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Paul]

Posted in: Latin Mass

All Saints Day

November 1, 2015 5:46 pm ⋅
All Saints Day
Beloved in Jesus Christ, at every Mass, there comes the point after the Lord’s Prayer, when the priest breaks the large Host into 3 pieces, one of which is placed into the chalice. What is the meaning of these 3 parts of the Sacred Host?
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According[i] to Thomas Aquinas, Pope Sergius, and others, since the Host is the Body of Christ, one of the pieces represents the Church on earth, another, represents the Church in Purgatory, and the 3rd part, placed into the Chalice represents the glorious Church in heaven. The entire Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, is composed of the Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant.
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We on earth continue the battle in the spiritual life, with many enemies, seen and unseen; we are in the spiritual combat for souls, for our soul, for heaven: and this is the Church Militant. Those who are in Purgatory, expiating their sins, being purified for heaven, this is the Church Suffering, those who are helped by our prayers, and who help us.
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Today’s great Feast has us look to the Church Triumphant. Today is All Saints Day. The saints have won the victory and now rejoice in heaven. In the Book of Revelation today, St. John gives us this vision of the glory of heaven: ‘And I saw a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, and peoples, standing before the throne in the sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands – [the palm was a sign of victory] ‘with palms in their hands they cried with a loud voice, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Blessing, and glory, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever.’
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The saints are rejoicing in heaven, praising God, and interceding for us as well. They have won the victory, and these great saints are an example for us. If we are tempted to fear, in the fight for our souls, we should look to these heroic models who fought hard to be virtuous in this life, and to find glory in the next.
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St. Antony of Egypt says,[ii] ‘those who compete in the Olympics are not crowned after achieving victory over their first opponent, or their second, or third, but only after they have defeated every one of their competitors. In the same way, he says, all who wish to be crowned by God must train their souls to be disciplined, and conquer all their temptations: greed, lust, envy, anger, vanity, and all the rest.
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If we feel discouraged over our battle with our failings, God has given us many great examples to help us. There are saints who died to protect their purity, such as St. Maria Goretti or St. Agatha, and there are saints who repented, and overcame their impurity. There are saints who had brilliant minds and used them to preach the gospel; and there are saints who could not even read.
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St. Alphonsus says that in heaven we will find two groups of saints praising God: the innocent ones, and the penitents; the Saint Teresa’s and St. Barbara’s – the innocent ones; and the St. Augustine’s and the St. Camillus’s, who repented. We have all the models we need, to give us hope in this warfare, this fight for holiness.
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There was once a man named Ignatius who wanted to be great in the world; he was a soldier, and dreamed of fame and honors. But in battle, his leg was shattered by a cannon ball, he spent a long time recovering in the hospital. There, they gave him some books to read about the saints, it’s all they had. While he read those books, he thought: ‘Why could I not do what St Francis did, or St Dominic? ‘The saints did these things, then I will too.’ And he did. And he was St. Ignatius of Loyola.
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Today therefore, is a day to look to our friends the saints for inspiration, who had to follow Christ each day, resisting temptation, praying, beginning again, the same as us.
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Tomorrow is All Souls Day. We pray for those in Purgatory, that they be purified of their sins and reach heaven. We can obtain a plenary Indulgence tomorrow for someone in Purgatory; we do this by visiting a Church and praying the Our Father and the Apostles Creed. And pray for the Pope. Confession within 20 days, and receive Holy Communion.
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We can also obtain a Plenary indulgence for a Holy Soul from today, November 1st, to November 8th, by visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead.
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During many days of the Liturgical year, we remember one of the saints at Mass, almost every day; the saint’s feast day usually coincides with their death, because what matters for us, is not if we have fallen or committed sins, as long as we have repented and turned our life back to Jesus Christ. What matters, is who and what we are at our death. Are we a friend of God at the end. So the saint’s feast days are usually the day of their death.
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The Blessed Virgin however, has a feast day on her birthday; this is because Mary was born a saint, she was born ‘full of grace.’ The grace of the Blessed Virgin exceeds not only each saint, but all the angels and saints put together. And so as we show our devotion to the saints today, above all, we give our heart to Mary, Queen of the saints.
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May the Lord help us to become saints, one day at a time, until our last breath on earth.
To the most Holy and undivided Trinity, to the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified; to the spotless maternity of the most Blessed and glorious ever-virgin Mary, and to the whole assembly of Saints, be everlasting praise, honor, power, and glory, from every creature, and to us forgiveness of all our sins. Forever and ever.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John Vianney]

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[i] Summa Theologica, III, Q. 83 a5

[ii] Philokalia, p. 340

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays