Category Archives: Latin Mass

Latin Mass:  4th Sunday of Lent

Beloved in Jesus Christ,

today St. Paul speaks of the two sons of Abraham allegorically; one represents the person who is in the bondage of sin; the other signifies the one living in the freedom of Christ.

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The struggle between this bondage and freedom comes in many different ways, but one way, which is a struggle for many people, is in the struggle for Holy Purity.

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Holy Purity is the greatest gift that a man and woman can give to each other in marriage; without pure, wholesome love, marriage becomes corrupt.

Holy Purity is also the great gift of joy for single people living in the world. Keeping a courtship pure and good, is the difference between a restless, manipulative relationship, and a rewarding friendship.

Living as a single person, or married, or widowed in the freedom of Holy Purity, leads to an inner harmony and contentment of soul – all this, because of God’s life in us, his holy grace.

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Everyone has weaknesses; for those whose struggles are temptations of the flesh, Holy Purity is the Pearl of Great Price that Jesus describes in the Gospels; it is that prize for which we would sell all that we have to get.

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The Catholic psychologist Dr. Allers was speaking to an 18 year old young woman, who was plagued by a habit of sexual sins. Dr. Allers[i] mentioned the saints as a model to help her; the girl said, ‘if I were to be a saint, I would want to be a great saint!.’ So he asked her: ‘If you could give up your sexual sins, would you be able to become a great saint?’ She immediately answered, ‘yes!’

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Holy Purity is the Pearl of Great Price – it is worth striving for, and it IS achievable, even in this world.

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The devil tries to take away our purity in 3 cases. He tries to pollute married love by bringing lust between man and woman.

He tries to corrupt friendship between boys and girls, because he wants to ruin their hearts.

And he also wants to infect the daydreams and thoughts of single people, in order to lead them by the hand into the sewer.

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Dr. Kevin Majeres,[ii] who studies the psychology of addiction says, ‘Purity is always a victory – but if it is a victory, that means it usually follows a battle.’

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But the saints teach us how to win this battle: For St. Benedict, the devil once put in his imagination a woman whom he had seen before; he felt so tempted to sin, that he threw himself into a thorn bush. His bodily wounds cured the wounds of his soul immediately.

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St. Bernard, once looking into a girl’s beautiful face, felt such a strong temptation that he ran and plunged into the icy water of a nearby pond.

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Well if we ourselves wish to be victorious when the devil tempts us, we can’t be lazy – we must use some weapons.

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3 things we must do.

The first, is that we must avoid dangerous situations. A boy and a girl should enjoy each other’s company in public places, with groups of friends, and avoid being alone, until they are married or at least engaged. It is good for the boy or girl to speak to the other and say, ‘I want us to be pure and good, so that our friendship is happy. So let’s be careful.’

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We should block out bad websites with software on our computer or iphone. Avoid bad magazines or songs or bad friends.

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The 2^nd thing we must do, is immediately ask God’s help when we feel we are in danger.[iii] This takes practice, we must train ourselves to immediately say: ‘Jesus help me, Mary rescue me.’

Now we don’t pray that the temptation goes away; we pray that we will accept the suffering and endure it for God’s glory.

If we fall, we ask God’s pardon with the plan to go to Confession. After all, that’s why Jesus died on the cross, to save us from our sins.

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And the 3^rd thing we must do, is to avoid idle time; avoid daydreams, focus our attention on our work and duties. Those who treat addictions tell us that we must keep our mind on the real world, and not slip into the false world of daydreams. This is a strong help for people struggling with impurity or depression.

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We should remember that the Devil is like a coward, a bully. If we stand up to him, he will back down. Even terrible thoughts, are not sins if we resist – they are only temptations – which all the saints had.

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If a person has habitually given into impure sins, he has become an addict. Experts say that in this case, the chemical, Dopamine, in the brain has been stimulated too much, causing the addiction. In this case, the person must pass through a time of enduring more intense cravings, but these eventually fatigue and fall away.[iv] They will weaken, provided we don’t act on them.

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In the first weeks there are symptoms of withdrawal such as sadness, anxiety, or impatience, but this is a sign of progress. Surges in desire can’t last if we don’t act on them. If we weather the storm it will dissipate, and our passions will be reshaped in a healthy way.

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The key to victory is to outlast the temptation: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, an hour – soon it is weakened. The more desperate a desire seems, the closer it is to collapsing.

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Holy Purity is a state of peace; it is the Pearl of Great price, and it is possible for everyone.

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So let us give the Lord many victories over our temptations in these days leading to Easter. And let us never fail to call on the Blessed Virgin in our needs, because Mary will always help us be victorious, and to be beautiful and pure disciples, of Jesus Christ.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John of God]

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[i] The Psychology of Character, p. 315.

[ii] Some information used in this homily is from his website: Purityispossible.com

[iii] When a strong passion is formed, it is easy for an ‘automated script’ to begin to play, taking a person down the path of impurity, forgetting all of the consequences and even forgetting God. Experts call this ‘tunnel vision,’ and it must be broken off at once by directing our mind to prayer and other concrete activities.

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3rd Sunday of Lent

‘Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house shall fall upon house. He that is not with Me, is against Me.’

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Friends in the Lord, It is impossible to follow Jesus with a divided heart. If our house is the Catholic Faith given to us by Christ, then we cannot allow into the house of our heart, ideas or beliefs that contradict the Faith of Christ.

‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation, and house shall fall upon house.’

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We all know people who wish to say they are Catholic, but while they keep one foot in the Church, the other is in the world. Today we speak not of human weakness – sins that occur because of temptation or passion – we speak of temptation against Faith; of knowingly going against Faith.

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A young man recently told me – he didn’t ask – he told me – there is nothing wrong with gay marriage. This is a Catholic. He doesn’t seek truth from his religion, but from elsewhere. So yet again, I went through the explanations of the obvious, trying to appeal to his common sense, if not his religion.

– two boys can’t make a baby, I told him.

A man has half of a reproductive system, a woman has the other half; together, they form one reproductive system. Sexual love is ordered toward new life, it’s the purpose of marriage, family. This is not rocket science. Yes, sometimes the biology doesn’t work right, and a couple can’t have a child; but their gifts of sexuality are ORDERED toward children, this is their purpose. Our sexual faculties are meant for a purpose. If their use is not ordered toward new life, it is perversion. ‘There is no such thing as gay marriage,’ I told him.

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A look of shock swept his face. ‘What about all those people getting married?’ I reiterated: ‘The State can issue its papers, it doesn’t matter; such marriages don’t exist.’

‘You can’t be serious,’ he said, ‘those aren’t marriages?’

‘Those marriages are imaginary, make-believe,’ I said.

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Friends, I always leave such conversations sad; not because the world is crazy with crazy ideas, but because there is no Faith. The Church has always taught that Faith and Reason go together, they always match up. Yet today, the use of reason or logic seems to have no effect. I also read straight from the Holy Scriptures to this young man – no effect.

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I later spoke about this incident with my nephew, who is a very intelligent young man. I said, ‘Peter, I try to explain what seems so obvious to people, but the latest ideas have complete control over them. And they won’t listen to the clear teachings of holy scripture either. Nothing.

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He said to me, ‘Uncle, I’ve found the same thing in speaking with people, and I have concluded that the problem is, they need to decide if they are followers of Jesus Christ; in reality, most are not.

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I’ve thought about what he said, and I think he is correct. Reasoning and explanations, the Scriptures, can help strengthen Faith, but if there is no Faith, all the explanations in the world are meaningless, because their Faith is in something else.

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A strong Catholic for example, can listen to all kinds of explanations against the Faith, but he is completely unmoved by their arguments, why? Because he has Faith. Faith comes first. Faith is the ground for one’s world-view. If a person, deep-down, believes that the spirit of the world has it right, that the world knows the way of happiness – if the person, deep down thinks the Catholic Church needs to make changes to follow the REAL truth – the World – well then, that person has faith in the World, not in Christ. We can say that he has joined a new Denomination: the Church of the World. He has concluded that the Church of the World REALLY has the answers for happiness, and this faith underpins his whole view. That is the religion of the world, a different religion than Christianity, and they have joined it. Millions have joined it.

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George Weigel[i] says, that many explanations have been given for the collapse of Catholicism in the west; but the primary reason, is that many people ceased to believe that the Gospel is true. There are some who chose to reject only one teaching of the Catholic Faith – but in doing so, they lost their Faith entirely. By picking and choosing in matters of Faith, one allows the Evil spirit in. As the Lord says: ‘that spirit then brings 7 other spirits more wicked than the first, and the last state of that man is worse than the first.’ St. Augustine says, ‘a person will possess the Holy Spirit in proportion to his reverence and adhesion to the Church of Christ.’

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The core problem we have, is that many have switched their faith, and joined the Church of the World, and that faith is what informs their world-view. They really believe it.

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Cardinal Ratzinger[ii] in his Introduction to Christianity says, Faith is that firm ground upon which we choose to stand. Faith is our response to the Divine Word that has come into the world. It is our response to Jesus. Faith means knowing that what cannot be seen, is more real and important than what can be seen.

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The Church of the World teaches that what can be seen and experienced is all there is, and so the most important thing is that everyone should enjoy himself without restriction.

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We must pray for an invincible and supernatural Faith which will rule our life; then we will say with St. John, ‘This is the victory which overcomes the world: our Faith.

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‘What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?’ What does it profit a man to be accepted by his peers and praised, for conforming his opinions to the world, but to end in hell.

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At death, the Church of the World sends no ministers to comfort the dying. There is no comfort to be had. There is no future for them.

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But the dying Christian is blessed with Jesus and Mary there, who dwell with them and their Faith – their Faith in the world to come, which is waiting for them.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Mary Madelene]

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[i] Evangelical Catholicism, p. 51.

[ii] Introduction to Catholicism, p. 43.

Latin Mass: Quinquagesima Sunday

Friends in Christ, in 1864, a young missionary got his dream of being sent to the South Sea Islands. The ship carrying Father Damien de Veuster[i] arrived at the then-primitive Island of Hawaii. This energetic young man set out to build churches and chapels with his own hands, and taught the natives about Jesus. In 9 years, Father Damien had thriving congregations of converts.

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Then came the day in which he was present at a Mass offered by the bishop. The bishop spoke glowingly of all the efforts at bringing Christ to the people of the islands, but then his voice changed, and he spoke of more that must be done. He spoke of the dreaded island of Molokai. It was the island where everyone was sent who had come down with the horrid disease of leprosy. The bishop’s voice quivered – ‘those lepers need Christ,’ he said. No sooner had he paused in his speech than did 4 young priests, including Damien, spring to their feet and plead to be sent.

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The bishop’s eyes filled with tears as he gazed at those 4 young, earnest faces. The one chosen would never come back, and would certainly contract the dreaded illness. Damien pleaded his case, arguing that the other 3 were less experienced and could easily take over the churches he had already begun.   And so he was chosen.

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From the day he stood on the shore, and watched the ship sail away, his life became an embrace of the disfigured, the diseased, and the dying. He was not afraid to touch them and share his meals with them, because he knew that eventually he would have it anyway. He set to work building them huts, bathing their wounds, and sanctifying their souls. Yes, he anointed many who were dying, built many coffins, and buried people every day. But he built a community full of hope; he taught them that suffering was temporary, until heaven; he gave people a reason for living: Eternal Life.

Ultimately he did contract the disease; then he was able to say, ‘I also am one of you!’ St. Damien of Molakai was often called, the happiest missionary in the world.

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Friends in Christ, There are 7 Corporal Works of Mercy: Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, shelter the homeless, bury the dead, and visit the sick. These are ways that we are called to care for the bodily- that is, the ‘corporal’ needs of our neighbor. We cannot claim to be a Christian if we turn our back on those in need.

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There is a movie coming out soon called ‘Little boy;’ it is about a boy whose dad is away at war, he wants him home; he is told to pray that he comes home, to pray with faith, and the priest tells him to do the Corporal works of mercy which he tries to do perfectly, and this shows his faith. St. James says that we have real faith if we do these works of mercy.

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So: To feed the hungry:

Everyone needs food, so we have to help others. We can bring food to our food pantry, or we might know a family on our block that has a hard time making ends meet: ‘I got a great deal on all these eggs, here, we can’t use all of them.’ We can carry a food card in our wallet, to give people who approach us, and give to charities who fight starvation in other countries.

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To clothe the naked.

Everyone needs clothing. Many put clothes in our Vincent de Paul box, or give to other organizations. We could consider tithing 10% of our money; give 5% to the Church, and 5% to a good charity.

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Visit the imprisoned:

If we have a relative or neighbor in jail, we should go visit them, write to them. Our visit shows them that even though they have to pay for a crime, they are still loved by God. We could visit people in drug rehab or send them letters.

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Shelter the homeless:

Homeless shelters need financial support; homes for abused women or pregnancy help centers. But we should think too of the other ‘homeless.’ Neighbor kids who receive no affection in their home – invite them to stay for lunch, have a sleep-over, be one of those homes that the neighbor children love to be at.

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Bury the Dead:

We take off work to attend funerals; we have Masses offered, pray for our beloved dead, and visit their grave.

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Visit the sick:

In the Gospel today, we see this blind man comes to Jesus, and he says: ‘Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight. And immediately he saw and followed Him.

 But Our Lord did not heal every sick person on earth. Maybe he wants to teach us something, something about charity. Only when someone is sick, is there an opportunity for us to overcome our inconvenience and go visit him.

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Catholics used to be known for our care for the sick; it was our hallmark. Everyone knew that Catholics visited their sick friends in the hospital. But today this is not happening; I see many sick persons who are not visited. It is a scandal. It is a sin. It is a sign that the Christian faith is not in our homes or souls.

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‘And he will say to those on his left, depart from me into the everlasting fire, for I was hungry and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ (Matt 25:41)

To neglect those in need is to neglect Jesus.

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In 1367 Blessed John Colombini[ii] dedicated his life to helping the sick. One day he found a man half dead, covered with sores. Touched to the heart, he carried him home and put him in his own bed. But when he brought his wife to see the man, to their surprise, he was not there, only a heavenly fragrance filled the room. Later, Jesus appeared and thanked him, because he WAS that sick man.

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Works of mercy actually help us as well. In so acting, we become changed. Acts of charity destroy selfishness, and happiness grows in our heart. My mother used to say, ‘When you feel sad, do something nice for someone else;’ but she was only following Jesus words, who tells us ‘give, and you will receive,’ and it will be given back to you in abundance.

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At the cross, Mary gazed on the wounded Jesus, her Son;

‘Who will compassion him?, she asks.

Mary, we will compassion him. We will help those who are hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison, or homeless, or sick.

We will Mary, because when we do it for one of these, we are doing it for Thy Son.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Nicholas]

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[i] He may have been a Brother at this time, and then ordained a priest upon arriving at Hawaii.

[ii] from How to Comfort the Sick and the Dying, p. 21.

Latin Mass: Septuagesima Sunday

Beloved in Christ Jesus,[i]  today we are presented with this interesting Gospel, about the workers who came late to work, yet were paid the same as those who worked all day. Our Lord knew of course, that this would rankle the hearer; this payment method would not produce very good morale at a company – but Our Lord has something else in mind rather than business policy.

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Here is what St Gregory the Great says about this passage:

The morning of that workday represents the early beginning of the world, and so it represents the time from Adam up to Noah. The vineyard is God’s kingdom on earth, and the promised payment of one denarius represents salvation.

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God’s covenant with Adam, was the agreed-upon wage; Adam could not say that he did not know the reward which was promised. But the rest who came later – they had no contract with God and no covenant.

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The third hour of the day, is the period from Noah up to Abraham, the sixth hour, is from Abraham up to Moses, and the ninth hour is from Moses to the coming of Christ. So the workers at the third, sixth, and ninth hours represent the ancient Jewish people, chosen in the beginning, who served the Lord in his vineyard.

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But at the eleventh hour the Gentiles are called. Now these Gentiles for so many ages of the world did not labor for the Lord, they stood by idle. But notice what they say to the Master: ‘No one has hired us.  And it is true: neither the Patriarchs, nor Abraham, nor Noah, nor the prophets had ever come to the Gentiles to invite them. The Gentiles say: ‘No one has preached to us this way of life.; but finally the Gentiles are sent also, into the vineyard.

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When the time of payment comes, this is the end of the world. And so the Lord said to the steward – that is, to the Holy Spirit, ‘Call the laborers, and give them their wage. And so those who were called at the beginning of the world receive the same reward as those who came late. Thus says, St. Gregory the Great.

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It is certain that Jesus, in telling this parable, has in mind the Gentiles, who came later than the Jews to the Covenant. But it must also be true, that Christ has in mind something else. Our Lord is speaking of the calling given by God to each of us individually,[ii] pressing us, to labor during this life for his kingdom.

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The morning is our childhood, the 3^rd hour is our youth, the sixth hour is adulthood, the eleventh hour is old age. The Lord calls his laborers at all these various hours, and they should agree to work for him, because the wage, is salvation.

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Some are baptized into the Faith as infants; these are those called in the morning, and they must not put off laboring for the Lord in his vineyard – who knows it they will even be alive at the 11^th hour?

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They that are called at the 3^rd hour may be dead at the 6^th.  On the other hand, in his mercy, God calls some late in life; but if we should die at midday, that last call will not help us. Besides, God has not promised us a 2^nd call if we excuse ourselves from the first.

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Today in the old calendar, we begin this period of Septuagesima. If the time of Lent is a house, then Septuagesima is the porch. These weeks are the entry to Lent, a time to begin to think, and ask ourselves: ‘How have I been laboring for the Lord in his vineyard?’

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We have been so blessed, to be among the Gentiles called by Christ. And we have been blessed to be in the Lord’s Catholic Church. But have we been going to work in his vineyard?

We need the Lord’s help to build his Kingdom – laboring in our own souls for holiness – laboring also in the world for souls.

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And if we need the Lord’s help, we should also ask Mary’s help – a lady was near death and surrounded by a family of non-practicing children who saw no use for a priest. But the priest asked to speak to her alone, and they gladly left the room. As he spoke to her of the Lord and his mercy, she seemed uneasy, and her long distance from Christ made her feel despair. But then the priest mentioned that Mary was praying for her, and no sooner did he say ‘Mary,’ that did her face light up, and she blurted out ‘I love her!’ Well from there, the rest was easy, and she was reconciled to Christ.

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Mary, you lead us to Jesus, even if we come late; help us not to put off his call to work daily, in his vineyard.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Joseph]

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[i] See Catena, Matthew 20:1-16

[ii] Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Vol 4, p. 125.

Latin Mass: 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Beloved in Christ Jesus, in the year 350AD, a slave in Egypt was dismissed for theft and murder, and he became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed about spreading terror and violence. His name was Moses the Black. Having gotten into more trouble, he fled to the desert and took shelter with some monks in the desert. But he became very much captivated by their monastic life, and remarkably, he joined the community.

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Eventually he would become the spiritual leader, the Abbott. And this former criminal became known for his mercy. When a brother committed a fault and Moses was summoned to discuss what to do with the monk, he took a basket filled with sand, with a hole in it, the sand pouring out. ‘What is that for?, they asked. He replied, ‘My sins run out behind me, and so how can I judge the sins of another?’

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When he was 75 years old, word came that a group of renegades planned to attack the monastery. The brothers wanted to defend it, but Moses said no; he had them all retreat, while he and 7 others remained and greeted the invaders with open arms. All 8 were martyred; the final action of SAINT Moses the Black, a killer who became a saint.

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Friends in Christ, the 5^th Commandment is: ‘Thou shall not kill,’ and this is our subject today.

Killing was the first sin to occur after our expulsion from the Garden of Eden; it was the first prohibition God gave after the Flood. One person asked, ‘why do you Catholics still talk about the 10 commandments? That was the old law.’ Well, the commandments in fact, have not been discarded, but rather, amplified by Jesus Christ. In his Sermon on the Mount, the Lord makes clear, that the Christian is to live an entirely elevated spirit of the commandments.

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– ‘Thou shall not kill.’ I recently asked our students, what is the most common sin of killing in our country? One girl knew: abortion. And this we can say, is the saddest violation of this Law of God, because this is the killing of, not guilty or sinful people, but the killing of innocents. A million per year. It hardly need be said, that Catholics must be Pro-Life.

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But living the 5^th commandment means more than not killing. As Jesus told us: ‘You have heard it said by the ancients, ‘you shall not kill, but I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.’ And so, anger, hatred, fighting, bullying – these are against God’s law. The catechism of the Council of Trent says: [This precept] commands us to cherish sentiments of charity and friendship towards our enemies, to have peace with all men, and to endure with patience every inconvenience.

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This is an echo of St. Paul’s admonition today in the Epistle: He tells us that we should do good to our enemies, and heap hot coals of charity upon his head.’ ‘Revenge not yourselves,’ he says. Enemies are most easily converted by love, not revenge. Revenge should be no part of a Catholic heart. I remember how my mother used to get upset when everyone started to become ‘sue-happy,’ suing everyone. ‘This is not how a Christian lives,’ she used to say. Nothing is more disgusting than to hear a Catholic person demanding their rights, like some pagan. ‘I demand to be compensated for my injury. I will sue!’ Holy Scripture says: ‘The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves is a defeat for you. Why not rather just accept the wrong? Why not rather be cheated?’[i]

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Yes, maybe in some cases, if we are impoverished by medical bills, and the other party can afford to pay them, maybe we go to court. But not to get even, or to win 6 million dollars. In most cases, we offer up our troubles. ‘I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.’

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The 5^th commandment requires us to safeguard the lives of others, but also, within reason, we must take care of ourself. Of course suicide is against this Commandment, but we also must not abuse our body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit: gluttony, drunkenness, cutting, abuse of drugs – these are ways that we are not caring for our own body. But obsession with the body can become un-Christian as well; the Catechism warns against today’s ‘cult of the body;’ this fixation on physical perfection or obsession with diet and health.

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Extreme sports in which one’s life is needlessly put at risk is against the 5^th commandment.[ii] There must be a good reason to put our life at risk, such as caring for a person with a contagious disease, rescuing a person in danger, or a job that involves danger. But risking our life for love of speed[iii] or frivolous reasons is hardly Christian.

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Self-defense is certainly not against the 5^th Commandment, and it is possible that someone might die in our defending ourself, although we are not required to defend ourself. In the case of innocent persons, we are obliged to defend them, and this may mean stopping or even killing an attacker. The same is true in a Just War: a country has a right and duty to protect it’s citizens from an aggressor, eve n if it means the killing of an enemy.

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But the 5^th commandment is not just against harming a person in body, but also in soul. We wound persons in their soul by cruel or demeaning words, or by prejudice, or by humiliating them – and we wound others by bad example, because leading others into sin harms a person the most.

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In the New Law of Christ, the 5^th commandment is a command of peace, to bring peace where we are. As St. Paul says today: ‘Live in harmony with one another; live peaceably with all.’ And this is surely fulfilled in Jesus’ words: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’

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The great peacemaker is Mary. St. Bernardine says that after the Flood, God put a rainbow in the clouds; ‘Mary, he says, is this bow of eternal peace,’ seeking peace between God and man’ and man and man.

Help us Mary, to be apostles of peace, in our home and in our world, and so be worthy of the promises of Christ.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Therese]

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[i] Also: ‘Dare any of you … go to law before the unjust?’ 1 Cor 6:1

[ii] Moral Theology, Jone – Adelman, #208.

[iii] Catechism of the Catholic Church #2290

Latin Mass: Feast of the Holy Family

Beloved in the Lord , today in the Tridentine calendar, it is the feast of the Holy Family.

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When we look at the lives of the saints, we find that most of the saints learned how to be great disciples of Christ by the example of their parents. We know that the image of God that a child develops – the way that he sees God – is often a reflection of how he sees his parents growing up. If a child has a harsh, condemning image of God, it can be because his parents were very harsh. If a child believes that God is strong, kind, forgiving, and loving; it can be because his parents were this way.

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But this should be no surprise to us; in Ephesians chapter 5, St Paul explains that the love of husband and wife is an image of Christ’s love for his Bride, the Church. And we have said here before, that the love within the Holy Trinity Itself, of the Persons, is imaged in the family. This leads to the fearful conclusion, that parents REALLy need to love each other, not only for their sake, but for their children.

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Kids take it for granted that their parents will love them; what they are sometimes not sure of, is if mom will love dad, with all his defects, or that dad will love mom, with all her defects. This is what children need to know. This is why hatred between parents and divorce is devastating. Because their love is a sign of God’s love. Actually, they have no right to stop loving each other, no right, because God commands it. ‘Husbands, love your wives.’ (Eph 5) That’s a command. And this is something we have to learn to do. St. Paul says that the young women should be TAUGHT to love their husbands. ‘Older women, he says, must train the younger women to love their husbands.’ Titus 2:4

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Love is not a feeling, it is a decision. And for a Christian, it is not an option.

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With these synods on the family going on in Rome last October and the next, there is a lot of discussion about the family. In this regard, Cardinal Muller of the CDF, wrote a little book that I’ve been reading, ‘The Hope of the Family.’ He says, ‘Young people from the first moment of their lives have the right to experience the things that only the family can offer: the confidence that comes from being accepted and welcomed unconditionally by parents. ‘There is no better way,’ he says, of laying the groundwork for true hope in young people.’ p. 20

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Being unconditionally loved – this is the foundation that is so needed in the formation of the next generation. But the more marriages break down, the more difficult it is to believe in God’s love. p. 32

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We see the Holy Family today in this journey to the temple; with what solicitude Mary and Joseph search for the lost Child. They are not bickering with each other over how this happened, in fact, when they find Jesus, Mary says ‘Son, your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’ So even though Mary knew that Jesus’ real father is in heaven, and that she herself is superior in grace, out of respect she names Joseph first: ‘Your father and I have been searching for you.’

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In the coarse society of today, in which words are loud and blunt and without decorum, how much more must parents show the gentle respect necessary to illumine the home with charity?

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You know, we Americans are very big on ‘results.’ We might say, ‘the proof is in the pudding;’ Jesus himself says that things should be judged by their fruits. So let us ask: Over the past 50 years, what are the ‘fruits’ of the modern ideas about marriage? Millions of orphans of divorce, disoriented young people unsure of any stability in life; deep wounds, women in poverty; the ‘hook-up’ culture in which girls and boys learn to use each other; dangerously low birthrates which is altering entire cultures. Here are the fruits of this experiment.

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There has been much talk in the Church in the last 15 years about the ‘New Evangelization.’ A ‘re-evangelization’ of the world, re-introducing Christ to today’s society. There are many different kinds of efforts and programs and encyclicals and movements to that end, all good. But I’d like to return to Cardinal Muller’s book; they asked him this question, and his answer was that holy Christian marriage is the best way to evangelize.

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Young people today get married in this hedonistic society, believing what every one has told them: that this world is all there is; they have lost confidence in the future, convinced that their only goal in life is to maximize pleasure and acquire comforts and wealth, and look forward to the next vacation. Marriage is reduced to egotism for two.

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This false ideology has destroyed families and poisoned the joy of having children. If we are living only for comfort, then difficulties that come will require walking away from commitments.

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Evangelizing the world requires teaching the truth to families. We received life through the love of parents, we were happy when we were loved with such generosity. So when WE give ourselves in this way, we will be happy. ‘Give, and you will receive.’

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If I am made to see that this life is an arena for glorifying God, and that the New world lies ahead, well – I can cope with sickness, anger, loneliness, rejection, challenges of raising children, and all the rest. When things are hard, we ask ourselves, ‘Why am I doing this? What motivates my life? If I am doing all for the glory of God in this short life, I can patiently embrace all crosses.

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One reason it is so difficult for Christians to live out the truth of marriage today, is that they are trying to do it in isolation: ‘us against the world.’ But this is not the best way. Families need to be living this life along with other families.[i] New communities of Catholic families need to form, to help each other, compare notes on parenting, and allow friendship and shared values to blossom. In his famous book After Virtue, Alisdair MacIntyre says[ii] the way to recover a life of virtue has to be in community; virtues must be learned, lived, and reinforced in a community. That is why Catholic families must become friends, so that they and their children can grow up in Christian friendship.

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Some want to water-down the truth of marriage; but Christ did not come into the world to give a few ideas about going along with the status quo. He preached conversion of life, and this is why the Christian life is so demanding; demanding, but beautiful.

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We have to change course; the Church’s doctrine on marriage is the remedy.

May our Mother pray for Christian families. The world needs them and Jesus wants them.

Mary help us, to build happy and confident lives for our children, within the love of our family.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas]

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[i] The Hope of the family, p. 37: families cannot live ‘atomistically’

[ii] After Virtue, p. 263.

Latin Mass:  The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Beloved in Christ, today we commemorate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, and so the very short Gospel recalls the naming of Jesus, the Name first given by the Angel.

The name Jesus, means ‘God saves,’ and this is what we just celebrated at Christmas, God himself has come down from heaven to save us. That Child on the straw, is God Incarnate.

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The introit for the Mass today says that God has so exalted this name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bend. Knees bend in order to worship. St. Paul is saying, that Jesus must be worshiped, adored.

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In two days we will celebrate Epiphany in the Tridentine calendar; in the Novus Ordo it is moved to today, Sunday, and I see upstairs in the crib, the Wise Men have arrived!

Those 3 Magi traveled so far – it says they traveled for one reason: to adore. And so this is our subject today, adoration.

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The life of modern man, we may say, has in many ways become distant from God, but thankfully, Jesus Christ still has faithful followers such as ourselves.

We pray every day, we know this is critical to being a disciple – We pray upon rising, asking God’s help, and before bed. We pray for our family members, for the sick, for the world, the Pope, our bishop, the Church – many intentions, and our own needs and health as well.

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But I dare say that one thing we do not do enough of, is to adore the Lord, to extol him, to glorify Christ Jesus, and praise him. I think we are lacking in this, this spirit of adoration. Yet we are told that ‘every knee must bend’ at the Name of Jesus.

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God has put into the heart of man a need to adore our Creator, the need to praise and worship God; the NEED – to adore. This is part of the natural need of a human being. And yet for us sinners, how can we not adore, this Jesus who has fastened all our sins to the cross with is own hands?

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In the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 5, there is that famous scene where Christ encounters the woman at the well. She is going to the well because she is thirsty for water, but Jesus is there because he is thirsty for hearts. He says to her: ‘God is seeking adorers, who will worship in spirit and in truth.’ God looks down from heaven, and looks for adorers, he is seeking for them. Jesus, really present in our midst, is seeking adorers.

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Now there is no doubt that we adore the Lord Jesus, we praise him, in the prayers at Holy Mass; we adore the Lord implicitly in our devotions; and if we are doing our work for Christ, we are praising and adoring him even by the actions of life.

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But the Lord desires – and we need – to bring more into our life EXPLICIT expressions of adoration and praise, on our lips. These we call ‘Aspirations,’ which the saints made hundreds of times a day.

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I said, it is not just that God desires this, as if he needs our worship, no – it is because we need it.

Let’s speak today of 3 reasons that we need to be adorers of the Lord.

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1. The first reason is that adoration of God helps me keep my perspective. We have problems in life, we worry, our problems seem sometimes insoluble. If we become consumed with our problem, it seems enormous. But notice, the more that we adore and praise God, the smaller our problem seems.

Making aspirations, saying: ‘Lord, I praise you, I love you, I adore you. You are all-powerful, you have created the universe and the great planets and you made me and I exult you, I bless you, I glorify you! And you made heaven, that waits for me. Well…..

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Reminded of the kind of Lord we have, our problem shrinks. Psalm 46: God is my refuge and my strength, he is an ever-present help in distress…. ‘Cease striving,’ he says, ‘and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.’

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So when our problems seem too big, glorify God: ‘You are the Lord, there is no other.’ Adore the Lord on our walk, in our car, and in the kitchen. Praise God on our lips, with our words, in whispers: ‘Lord, you are greater than my problems, you are greater than this disappointment.’ So that is reason number 1 to praise and adore the Lord, it helps me keep my perspective.

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2. The 2^nd reason to adore and glorify God, is to maintain a spirit of gratitude. There are times when we forget who made us, how we got here; we are unhappy and ungrateful, because we did not get what we wanted for Christmas, or the job we sought; he did not ask me to marry him. But when we praise God, adore him, and bless him, for his mercy, for our life, for all that we are, there is a change that happens inside of us. The darkness turns to light.

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It is easy to fall into sadness and ingratitude, but if we praise God, we will enter his presence. The Holy Scriptures say: ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving.’ Are we to enter the presence of God as an ungrateful curmudgeon? no, we are to enter his gates with thanksgiving. St. Paul says, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances, this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ – 1 Thess 5:18

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So we are adorers of the Lord because:

1. It helps us keep our problems in perspective.

2. It maintains in us a spirit of gratitude.

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The 3^rd reason to adore, to extol the Lord, is that if we do, Jesus Christ will mobilize his army of angels to fight for us.

In case after case in the scriptures, we see that when the People of God worshipped and honored him, the Lord mobilized his army to fight for them. In their battles with the Philistines and Amalikites and the Greeks, and others; God gave them victories against all odds, because they were faithful. Of course these earthly victories are recorded to point to the spiritual: the battles and victories in our own, personal spiritual life.

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Let us adore, and praise, and exult the Lord every day of our life. If we do, it will

1. Help us keep our perspective, so that our problems do not overwhelm us.

2. It will help us to maintain a spirit of gratitude.

3. The Lord will mobilize his army to assist us in our needs.

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May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us every day, that on our lips will always be the praise and adoration of Our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John of God]

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Latin Mass: Sunday within the Christmas Octave

Beloved in Christ, today during this beautiful Octave of Christmas, the Gospel brings before our eyes this scene of the Child Jesus being brought to the Temple. Simeon is there who speaks words of prophecy; and this woman Anna is there also. It says that she was a widow who prayed day and night in the Temple, she was 84 years old.

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William Barclay, commenting on this passage says, old age often weakens the body, but even worse, it can weaken the life of our hearts, it depends on how we think of God. If we think of God as distant from us, we may become resentful or bitter as we age. But if we think of God as close to us and with us – if we see that his Providence guides everything we do – then old age can make us kinder, more sympathetic, and it can make us feel young.

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Once when I was with Cardinal George he said to me, ‘Old age takes it’s toll on a person, but a Christian is forever young because we live in Christ.’

The measure of a Christian life is not in years, it’s measured in another way. The Book of wisdom says: ‘The age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. (Wis 4:7)

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Today it is not hard to meet a young person – even in their 20’s – who seems to be tired, bitter, even jaded – it is as if he is 95 years old and worn down. What is missing? Like Simeon today, they need to have someone put a Divine Child in their arms: ‘Here, hold him! This is Jesus!’ When Christ is with us, we feel the vigor of a purposeful life.

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Older people sometimes say, ‘I just wish the Lord would take me, I’m tired.’

The Lord rather, wishes that you recover some of that youthfulness of heart; you are on a mission for Christ whether you are 20 or 90. ‘But what can I do, here in my bed?’ Pray. Sacrifice. This world needs intercessors very much, people to pray for this world.

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St. Dorotheus lived to be very old, yet in his heart, he was full of vigor for Christ. He attended the famous Council of Nicea at age 70; attending that great Council, that should be enough to cap off a lifetime; but no, he still had much to do; he wrote several books and then at 97 years of age, persecution forced him into exile. But the spirit of Jesus continued to drive him on; he worked tirelessly to preach the gospel until he was arrested and beaten to death for his Faith – as a martyr. A martyr – at 107 years old.

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A Christian is forever young.

St. Paul worked tirelessly for the Lord, trying to influence everyone he met, to bring them to Christ. Yet he wanted to be in heaven, and rest. ‘I’m torn between two desires’ he says; ‘I long to go and be with Christ, but for your sake, it is better that I continue to live.’ (Phil 1:23)

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In today’s Epistle we read: God sent His Son….that we might receive the adoption of sons. ‘God hath sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying: ‘Abba, Father.

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A friend was visiting in Palestine a while back, and he said ‘You will see people walking down the street, fathers with their children, and you hear often ‘Abba,’ ‘Abba.’ It means ‘Daddy,’ or ‘Papa.’ So when we are told in the Scriptures that we should call God our ‘Abba, Father,’ it means that we are really children of God. This is the spirit that will keep us young at heart, whether we are very old, or very young; a life lived in trust of Jesus keeps us from getting jaded or discouraged. We have that virtue of hope, and it will be contagious. St. Peter says: ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason for the hope that you have.’ (1 Peter 3:15)

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In his book ‘Through Wind and Waves’ Father Fernandez says, our faith should be that of a son or daughter of God; thus one is always cheerful and optimistic, never falling prey to anxiety.’ (p. 78)

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But being a child of God does not mean being ‘childish.’ Immaturity is from a lack of self-discipline. We cannot find simplicity of heart if our life is a tangle of desires and emotions, if we are guided only by our whims and our ego. (p. 81) A child of God is mature and his heart is clear and uncomplicated.

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But how young of a child should we be? Someone asked St. Josemaria that. ‘Be very little, he said, not more than 2 years old, 3 at the most!’ And remember, when you really are a child, you will be almighty – love will make you almighty.[i]

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Blessed Alvaro del Portillo was the kind of saint that always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile for everyone; it was the reason for his enormous influence with many people. When he was celebrating his 80’th birthday; he said, ‘I feel very young. How old you are is not so important, what matters is the youthfulness of sons and daughters of God, it is the youthfulness of lovers, those in love with God.[ii]

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The Gospel shows us today, that as the Holy Family approached the Temple, Jesus was safely carried in the arms of Mary. If we wish to be children of God ourselves, that is where we need to be too, in the arms of our Mother, who will make us just like Jesus.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Dudzik]

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[i] The Way, #875, 863, 868

[ii] Saxum, p. 219