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Sundays | Thy Sins are forgiven | Page 6

Category Archives: Sundays

Confirmation – sacrament of the Holy Spirit

May 3, 2015 1:53 pm ⋅
5th Sunday after Easter
Beloved in Jesus Christ, the first reading today is from the Acts of the Apostles. During this Easter season, we have been reading a lot from the Acts of the Apostles, it is the story of the early Church. By reading this great book, we can get some insights into the early Church.
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For example, in Acts chapter 8, it tells us that there were some people who had only been baptized, but they had never received the Holy Spirit, so the apostles went there, laid hands on them and prayed, and they received the Holy Spirit. The same thing happened in Acts chapter 19; some people were baptized, and in a separate action, St. Paul, praying, laid hands on them, and it says ‘they received the Holy Spirit.’
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We can see from these events, that in addition to baptism, a separate action is necessary, for a person to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit; the east calls this ‘chrismation,’ we call it Confirmation. The Sacrament of Confirmation is one of the 7 sacraments of the Church, and as we have seen, it has been the practice of the faith since the time of the Apostles.
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Confirmation really completes baptism, and we might say that it is the ‘sacrament of the Holy Spirit.’ In the early church, it was a common practice, that after a person was baptized by the bishop, he would then immediately receive Confirmation, even a baby. But as the Church grew quickly, the bishop was not able to be there for every baptism, and so the custom began that the priest would baptize, and then later the bishop would come and administer Confirmation.
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When the bishop does this, hands are laid on the person, a prayer calls down the Holy Spirit, and then the person is anointed with Sacred Chrism. Sacred Chrism is one of the 3 oils used in the sacraments. The three oils are: the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and Sacred Chrism.
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Sacred Chrism is used in the 3 sacraments that permanently change you: baptism, confirmation, and holy orders. You can only receive these sacraments once, because a permanent change occurs in your soul. In baptism, you are permanently made into a Christian, a child of God, a member of the Church, and that can never be changed. Even if you become a bad Christian, ignore the faith, or worse – you are still a child of God, a member of the Church. When a man is ordained a priest, he is permanently a priest, it can never be changed. Even if he would become a loser priest or even suspended by the bishop, he’s still a priest.
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So what is the permanent change in a person who receives Confirmation? We can say that if in baptism the person became a child of God, in Confirmation the person becomes a soldier of God. This means we are given a new strength of the Holy Spirit to stand up for Christ, to defend the Holy Faith, to be a witness. By baptism we are a child, by confirmation a mature and brave Christian. A child is not expected to defend their home, but an adult is. A confirmed Catholic is expected to always stand up for the true teachings of Holy Mother Church.
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These days, we often have chances to speak about the true moral way of life – even when such words are not popular. Confirmation gives us an increase in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit for the express purpose of standing for Christ, even if it would mean giving our life. We see this in the middle east, many people giving their life for Christ.
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I was thinking about all the martyrs who gave their life. St. Lucy came to mind, she was in such a situation. She was brought before the proconsul and ordered to give up her faith; she was required to comply with the law of the Empire.
But Lucy responded: ‘You obey your master’s laws, I shall obey the laws of my God.’
Proconsul: ‘I will have you tortured to death.’
Lucy: ‘I am ready for every torture. I offer myself to the Lord.’
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And so she did. It was the power of the Holy Spirit, alive in her, that gave her the strength to stand for Christ, giving her life. Her name is mentioned to this very day in the 1st Eucharistic prayer – because she is an example for us. We need the power of Confirmation, these Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to help us be strong and true Catholics in the midst of a confused and even hostile society.
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A young woman told me that in her high school, one of her teachers is an atheist, and is always finding little ways to criticize the Catholic Church, distorting history lessons, and even making up lies. She said, ‘Father, I was not going to take that, I spoke up and told him he was wrong.’
‘And you got away with that?,’ I asked.
‘Father, I’m the smartest in my class!’
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This is the power of the Holy Spirit. In just a few weeks we will celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the entire Church. We must all act by the movement of the Holy Spirit. As we read today in the Acts of the Apostles, even though great pressure was being put on the Church – even though the authorities were trying to silence the faith – it says that ‘with the consolation of the Holy Spirit, the Church continued to grow,’ — as it still does today.
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We are to be other Christs in this world, other Jesus’s. By the power of the Sacraments we are strengthened to live the Christ life, even when it is counter-cultural, when it is not popular. Jesus tells us in the gospel, that he is like a vine, like a grapevine, for example. We are the branches of that vine. But for the branches to live, and grow, and produce fruit, we need the sap and the nutrients coming from the main vine. We need the power of the Holy Spirit flowing from Christ into our souls, for power.
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Although we receive the Holy Spirit in our souls at baptism, we receive a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, with new graces, at our Confirmation. But we must act on these graces for them to become fruitful, we must pray daily, to remain connected to the vine, that is Christ.
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St. Paul sums up our role in today’s world. ‘Be blameless and innocent children of God,’ he says, ‘in the mist of a twisted and perverse generation, for among them you must shine like stars in the world.’
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We must shine like stars. It isn’t always easy.
But if our commitment to the Lord’s way is sometimes weak, we can always call on another advocate who will help us: Mary.
Mary is known as the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and if we remain close to her, she will help us to remain faithful to God. In ancient times, if a sailor was losing his way and it was getting dark, he could look for that special star, by which he could be guided to port. Mary has been called the Star of the Sea. In old paintings, you will often see a single star on her veil. She is the star who keeps us on the right path, keeps us close to the Holy Spirit, if we ask her.
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O Mary, star of the sea, pray for me.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Agatha]

Posted in: Sundays

A Quiz on the Resurrection

April 12, 2015 12:29 pm ⋅
Sunday after Easter
‘And he said to Thomas, “Come, put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it in my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.’
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Friends in Christ, Thomas the Apostle, was not with the others when Jesus showed them that he is alive. Later, when they told Thomas, he just couldn’t believe it. After that brutal and final death of the Lord? After he was buried in the tomb? Impossible! Impossible that he is alive!
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But those others no doubt told him, ‘Thomas, remember, Jesus told us that he would one day be crucified, and then rise up. We had forgotten that he said that, but he has done it.’ ‘No. I won’t believe it unless I can touch him!, and that’s final.’
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Well, as we read, Christ DID show himself to Thomas, and even told him to come and touch him. He said, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, be not unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God!” In fact, this is what many people whisper at Mass, when the priest holds up the Host and the chalice, ‘My Lord and my God,’ echoing Thomas’ words of faith. There has been a partial indulgence attached to that.
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We are told in the gospel that this experience of St. Thomas was for our benefit, so that even we, who were not there, would believe. This then, is a major part of our Catholic Faith: the resurrection of Jesus, and our own resurrection.
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When I was thinking about this, I thought to bring a quiz here today. So here are 8 questions for us to answer.
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1. T/F – God’s plan for us is to do what Jesus did: rise from the dead at the End of the World. T
(In fact, Jesus said, ‘The Hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God. They who have done good shall come forth unto resurrection of life; and they who have done evil unto resurrection of judgment.’)
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2. T/F – Our resurrected body will not have any defects, and will be filled with beauty and radiance. T
(As St. Paul says, he will transform our lowly bodies to be like his own, glorious body. So, no defects or problems.)
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3. T/F – Our resurrected bodies will not be real bodies, but will only have the appearance of a body. F
(Today in the Gospel, Jesus told Thomas to touch him, to show him his true, physical body and dispel any doubts. He even appeared another time to them, and when they shout they were seeing a ‘spirit’ or a ghost, he upbraided them and even ate food in his presence.)
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4. T/F – There will be some suffering in heaven, but not too much. F
(God will return us to the original state of happiness of the first man and woman: the way we were meant to be. No sadness or problems.)
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5. T/F – Our resurrected body will be able to move quickly and easily over vast distances in heaven. T
(In the resurrection, Jesus was able to visit many different people in different places, going there simply by his will. At times, the saints also could bi-locate for example; for us in the resurrection this will be common.)
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6. T/F – The wicked people in hell will not have their bodies. F
(The damned will also rise; Jesus says this in John, chapter 5. So when we think of people being tortured in hell, it will be in their bodies. But they will not be glorified bodies.)
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7.   T/F – Jesus was able to visit his apostles even though the door was locked. In the resurrection, we also will be able to pass through a locked door or a solid object. T
(St. Thomas Aquinas calls this power ‘Subtlety.’ In the glorified body, the soul will have complete dominion over the body. We will not be limited by time or space.)
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8. T/F We will rise in the same bodies we have now? T.
This is because our soul is uniquely linked to our body. We are unique individuals. But we must not think however, that our resurrected bodies will need to use the same molecules that are in our cells now. Even now, our body’s molecules are changing all the time.
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The world ahead will be an adventure. If we think that experiences of life are exciting – riding on an airplane, or a rollercoaster – having your first child, going to Hawaii – if these events are thrilling, wait until we are resurrected from the dead. That will be the ultimate adventure.
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St. Thomas was lacking in Faith until he saw Jesus and touched him; but we ourselves DO have faith; in the world to come however, we will not need faith at all, because we will see in the flesh, all that God has done for us.
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May the blessed Virgin pray for us; Mary, help us; help us to always have a strong and joyful faith in the promises of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of the dead in the life of the world to come. Amen.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Thomas Aquinas]

Fr. Luke Winkelmann
Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

The Resurrection of the Dead

April 5, 2015 11:51 am ⋅

Easter

‘He is not here; but go, tell his disciples that he goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see him as he told you.’
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Beloved in Jesus Christ,
today is Easter, the day that Our Lord conquers death, and sin, and Satan. 
He leads the way for us;
we walk in the Lord’s footsteps in this life, sharing in his life; we die, but we have this promise of being resurrected, alive on the Last Day, in the world to come.
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Our dear Lord had once told his apostles, ‘You will see me again; and on that day, you will rejoice.’ The horrors of Christ’s death, followed by the surprise of his resurrection, produced the most profound joy in those apostles.
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When the women had told them that Jesus was alive, they first called it nonsense. It was an idea that was too good to be true. And even when they saw the Lord, it says: ‘They disbelieved and marveled for joy!’
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The most cruel, horrid, humiliating defeat one day – the most glorious resurrection, three days later. This is the surprise of joy that God wishes for us as well, on the Last Day.
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A young woman missed her deceased mother very much – one night, she had a dream, that coming home, she found her mother there, in the kitchen cooking. ‘I was embracing my mother,’ she said. I was so happy, I was so happy!’ ‘When I awoke, I knew it was a dream, but I cherish that dream; I cherish and remember it, because I know it will be true one day.’
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Easter is the greatest feast of the year because it makes life worth living, it gives us hope; it is the meaning and the goal of our entire religion. It is the whole reason Jesus came into the world, to make it possible for each of us to be forgiven of our sins, and to one day be resurrected, alive, with all those we love – with God – in heaven.
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A few years back, we were concluding the burial prayers at the cemetery for an older lady; naturally, the prayers speak often of the Resurrection of the Body, but most people do not think about it. Afterward, a mother and her children walked over to chat; it turns out that the deceased was a very dear aunt to the children, Aunt Anne.
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They looked up at me with their sad little hearts, so I decided to tell them the Gospel. I said, ‘Do you kids want to know a secret?’ They did.  I said, ‘Look out at this vast cemetery; you see those thousands of graves and tombs there?’ Their eyes scanned the rolling hills, the myriad of tombstones.
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‘Those graves are all people who are waiting. And on the Last Day, Jesus is going to wake everyone up and have them go to paradise with him, and it will be the happiest day in the world. One boy asked me: ‘Aunt Anne too?’ ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘Aunt Anne too.’ And they were very happy, because they had Faith. They were happy, because it was the first time they had heard the greatest teaching of the Catholic Faith.
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It is the magnificent promise that Jesus makes to us, to his faithful disciples; it is when hope will be turned into joy; our entire life is rushing toward this goal.
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May the Blessed Virgin pray for us; Mary, pray for us, to always have this great faith in the resurrection of the Body, and the life of the world to come.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Philomena]

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Jesus and the Donkey – Palm Sunday

March 29, 2015 10:52 am ⋅
Palm Sunday
Friends in Christ, this is Palm Sunday. We remember today, Our Lord Jesus, riding up to Jerusalem on the donkey, and this was a kingly symbol which had been foretold by Zechariah. (9:9)
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It says in the Holy Gospel of St. Mark, that this donkey had never been ridden before. So this should give us pause. If you take a donkey, or a horse, that has never been ridden on, and you get on it, what happens?   It bucks you off!!
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A little 5th grade girl who is a horse rider – I asked her about this – She said, ‘Father, donkeys are worse than horses, if they aren’t trained, they buck like mad.
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So what’s with this? Jesus gets on, and rides nice and smoothly into Jerusalem.
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Also, if you take a donkey or a horse into a crowd that is cheering and yelling and waving branches hysterically, what happens? That animal is spooked, and goes wild! Even well-trained police-horses, in crowds, wear blinders to keep them from getting nervous. So what gives? Jesus rides this donkey that no one has ever ridden, into a wild crowd, and it is calm as anything.
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It’s because that donkey’s creator is riding him. Jesus is Lord of all creatures, of all the earth, of all creation – and he comes as king. This is the same Lord who told Peter to cast his net and he would catch fish. And all those fish obey the command of Jesus and go right into his net. This is the Lord of all creation, riding into Jerusalem.
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People think that he is the Messiah, the King, who will crush the Romans and make their nation great, in a worldly way. But this Savior will do something different. He has come to die, to save us.
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The true King. What does he want? He wants to take back the earth. The world has been under the power of Satan since the fall of Adam and Eve. Jesus wants it back. He wants us back, who have been under the dominion of this cruel tyrant.
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We will see this drama played out this week. We will see how, with great sacrifice, Jesus Christ defeats the devil. Let’s walk with him in the Sacred Triduum this week. It is by the Passion that we get to Easter, it is through the cross that we find the resurrection.

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St. Alphonsus, pray for us.

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Holy Purity

March 15, 2015 12:19 pm ⋅
4th Sunday of Lent
‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.’
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Beloved in Christ, Our Lord Jesus, has come into the world for one reason: to save us from our sins. This great event we will soon re-live during Holy Week.
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But we are pained in our soul, because even though we see the love of Christ, on that cross – we nevertheless frequently prefer sin. ‘The light came into the world, but men preferred the darkness.’
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The Devil tries to bring us into the darkness in many ways, but one of the ways he deceives many, is by taking away our Holy Purity, and that is our subject for today.
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Many people these days find it difficult to keep a pure mind and heart.
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 and peace 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 of this, because of God’s life in us, his holy grace.
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Everyone has weaknesses, temptations to turn from the Light and be drawn into the darkness. 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, ‘Doctor, 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, because God never allows us to be tempted beyond our strength.
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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 into 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 – no more temptation! 
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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.
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 2nd 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 soon. After all, that’s why Jesus died on the cross, to save us from our sins.
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And the 3rd 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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We all have temptations. For those who are tempted by sins of the Flesh, 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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Posted in: Sundays

Abraham, Isaac, and Christ

March 1, 2015 2:26 pm ⋅
2nd Sunday of Lent
Beloved in Jesus Christ,
2000 years before the birth of Christ, Abraham obeyed a call by God to sacrifice his beloved Son, Isaac. No event of the Old Testament has been written about more by the ancient Jewish rabbis, than that one.[i] They knew that this mysterious event of Abraham offering his son, was somehow connected to the coming Messiah. But it has puzzled so-many people through history.
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It is said that this was to test Abraham’s Faith. But why would God do this, ask a father to sacrifice his son? What does it mean? Well, the events of the Old Testament are recorded for the very purpose of pointing to the Savior to come, and the Sacrifice of Isaac is no exception.
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Here are the facts: Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son. In those days, the sacrifice, usually an animal, was killed and then burned, as an offering to God. So, Abraham and Isaac go up the hill to sacrifice; Isaac carries the wood for it on his shoulders up the hill. On their way up, Isaac asks, ‘Father, where is the lamb for sacrifice?’ ‘God will provide the lamb,’ he replied.
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When they reach the top of the hill, Isaac seems to realize that HE is to be the sacrifice, but he accepts it; he is bound with rope and as Abraham raises the knife to sacrifice his son, an angel from heaven says ‘Stop, do not harm the boy.’ Nevertheless, Abraham wanted to offer something to God; he saw a ram with its head, caught in a thorn bush, and so he offers the lamb in place of his son.
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So what does this story mean? Well, Abraham is to offer his only beloved son, and this is an image of God the Father, who will offer his only Beloved Son, Jesus. As Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice up the hill, so did Jesus carry the wood of the cross up the hill of Calvary. Isaac is a symbol – a type of Jesus. Isaac is tied and bound with rope, and it is no coincidence, that the Gospel tells us that Jesus was also ‘bound,’ and led away to be crucified.
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Now since this was a sign of the Messiah to come, the angel stops it and says, don’t continue. Isaac gets to live. But in place of Isaac, there is this ram that Abraham offers in his place, just as the true Lamb of God, Jesus, dies for us. That lamb had it’s head caught in a thorn bush, because as we know, Jesus had a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. The meaning of this event therefore, is that it is a sign of the coming Savior, who will die for our sins.
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Now there is something more interesting here as well. It is often said that this was a test of Abraham’s Faith, But faith in what? What did Abraham believe in, that would make him do this? Well, many of the ancient rabbis actually believed that Isaac WAS sacrificed and immediately came back to life. Rabbi Eliezer was one of the greatest rabbis of the 1st century. He says: “When the knife touched Isaac, his soul departed, but when he heard the angel say ‘Stop,’ his soul returned, and Isaac arose. Isaac then believed that in the future the dead will rise.’
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So did Abraham believe, that even if he killed his son, God would raise him up again, alive, to fulfill his promise?[ii] It seems so, because before he took Isaac up the hill, he told the people, ‘Wait here, and we will return.’ ‘We’ will return. How could they both return, if he would sacrifice him? Only if God returned Isaac to life.
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St. Paul actually says the same thing in Hebrews. Heb 11:17 He says, ‘By faith Abraham reasoned that God had the power to raise up his son even from the dead, and so he received Isaac back as a sign of the resurrection to come.’
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The entire Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, was foretold in these remarkable events 4000 years ago. Abraham firmly believed that God could resurrect his son, this father, who brings his beloved son to die, this son, who carries the wood for his own death up the hill. The Lamb with head caught in the thorns; it was all a ‘dress-rehearsal’ for the events of our salvation.
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And it is perhaps a stunning fact, that where it all happened, that place, was what would become the hill of Calvary.
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Today, in the Transfiguration, Jesus, on another mountain, shows his disciples a glimpse of his glorious resurrection, and not only a glimpse of his own, but of our future as well. The faithful disciples of Christ will rise in glorified bodies; as Jesus said, ‘the just will shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father.’ This is our destiny, to be glorified like this in the world to come.
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It was foretold by signs, in the Old Testament, it is demonstrated by Jesus in his Resurrection, and it is promised to us, if we remain faithful. St. Paul says, the Lord will transform our lowly bodies to be like his own, glorious body.
We say it every Sunday in the Creed: I believe in the resurrection of the Body, and the life of the world to come.
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This 2nd Sunday of Lent, Mother Church has her children read this Gospel, about the Transfiguration, so that as we go through the sacrifices and challenge of Lent, we will keep our eyes fixed on the Easter joy ahead, on the glory of the life to come. If Lent is a symbol for the travails of this world, Easter is a sign of the joy of heaven.
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This life isn’t easy, but as Scripture says: ‘The sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us.
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The Old Testament pointed to our destiny, in the Transfiguration Jesus reveals it to us, and as if to spur us on the more, Mary has already arrived there.
In the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see in heaven, ‘a Woman clothed with the sun.’ That’s Mary; she’s clothed with the sun, with God’s divinity, and she’s praying for us and waiting for us, until we get there too.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Anthony of Padua]

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[i] The ancient manuscripts of the Talmud and Mishna call it, the ‘Binding of Isaac.’

[ii] God had promised Abraham years before, that all of his grandchildren and progeny would come through Isaac. How could this happen if he killed him? Only if he trusted that God would bring him back to life.

 

Posted in: Latin Mass, Sundays

Beginning Lent

February 22, 2015 3:05 pm ⋅
1st Sunday of Lent
Friends in Christ, in today’s first reading, we read about Noah and the Ark. This story tells us that because there was so much sin in the world, there would be a flood; God would begin a new creation. Noah warned all the wicked people, but they did not listen, even after it began to rain.
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So Noah and his family stayed safely in the ark as the waters rose; the ark was raised up and carried on the water during the storm. 40 days it rained and rained. When the rain had stopped, Noah sent out a dove to see if there was any land, there was. And so Noah and his family were able to go out of the ark; and they were very happy in the new creation, a whole new beginning without any evil.
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Friends in the Lord, this event was remarkable for sure, but it was also a sign in the holy bible to teach us. What do we learn?
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Noah is the Just Man who saves his family, and so he is a sign of Jesus who will save us. His family is a sign of all of us, and the ark in which they are kept safe signifies the Church. The evil people who lived then, who were against Noah, they represent the devils. The dove sent out signifies the Holy Spirit who leads us to the New Creation; and the New Creation is a sign of heaven, our goal.
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So then, just as Noah guided his family in the ark, Jesus guides us, his family, in the Church. That ark was tossed in the storm for 40 days; so too, we begin Lent which is for 40 days.
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St. Augustine teaches, that the period of Lent symbolizes this present life, with all of its trials, suffering, and temptations; Easter represents the next life: heaven.
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This life has many difficulties, but if we persevere and fight against our temptations, we will reach the New Creation, the Eternal Easter of heaven. Lent is the time when we really try to become a better Christian; we do some penances, give alms, and pray more.
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Many people do some kind of mortification for Lent. Children sometimes give up candy for lent, or their favorite video game. One boy I know is going to sleep on the hard floor instead of his bed all of Lent, as a sacrifice. Some people give up coffee, or television, or desert. In any case, it is good to commit to some kind of a sacrifice, and really stick with it. Of course the most important thing to give up is our sins!
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We see Jesus in the gospel today is in the desert, and he fights against Satan’s temptations. He is teaching us to do the same, to fight against our favorite sin. St. Alphonsus says that if we don’t deny ourselves legitimate things sometimes, we won’t have the strength to say ‘no’ to temptation.
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Noah’s family made it to the New Creation because they stayed in the ark during the storm. We must stay in the Church then, with Jesus the captain of our ship; the devil keeps trying to pull us out of the ship by sin, So? Let us do battle this Lent against this fool.
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And one of the best helps in fighting temptation, is to call on the Blessed Virgin. St. Thomas of Villanova says, when we are tempted by the devil, we should imitate little chickens, which as soon as they perceive approaching danger, they run under the wings of their mother. When we feel temptation, we should run to the arms of Our Mother Mary, and then she will keep us ever-faithful to Jesus.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Dudzek]

Posted in: Sundays

The Corporal Works of Mercy

February 15, 2015 9:57 pm ⋅
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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 leper who comes to Jesus; no one wanted to ever touch a leper. But Christ stretches out his hand and touches him: “I do will it. Be made clean; and the leprosy left him immediately. 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.

Posted in: Sundays

Catechesis on Baptism

January 11, 2015 5:34 pm ⋅
Baptism of the Lord
Beloved in Jesus Christ,[i] when we enter a Church, the 1st thing we do is bless ourselves with Holy Water. Why? Well, holy water does bring us protection and wards off the demons. But Holy Water is also a sign: A sign of our Baptism. Just as we sign ourselves with water before physically entering the Church, so does the sacrament of baptism allow us supernaturally to enter the Church. Baptism is the door to the Church, it is the door to salvation.
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Today we celebrate the Baptism of The Lord. Jesus Christ, who is perfect God and perfect Man, did not need to be baptized.[ii] In fact, John said, it is you who really should be baptizing me ! But Jesus does this as an example for us.
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The Son of God was born into the world, he took on our life. Jesus was born, he grew up, he worked, he suffered, and died. Then he rose in his glorified Body and ascended to Paradise. Well, we follow him – we are followers of Christ. We grow and work and suffer in our life, we will die and be buried – and we will rise in our glorified bodies and ascend to Paradise. What happens to Jesus is supposed to happen to us.
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But how can we do this, how can we live this Divine Life? We need supernatural power. As Christ came into this world to share our human nature, we humans must share in his Divine nature. So the Lord gives us baptism, that we may enter into the Divine Life of God.
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What happens in baptism? really 3 things. Firstly, Original sin is washed away. We came into the world lacking grace, this is the state of Original Sin. But washed in baptism, we are cleansed of original sin, and brought into the family of God. We are ‘regenerated.’
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We in baptism, become sons and daughters of God by adoption. Adoption is real, and can never be undone. You can never be ‘unbaptized.’ You can leave your family, reject your family, but you can never stop being a member of the family of God.
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Perhaps the most wonderful thing that happens in baptism, is that the Holy Spirit takes up his life in our soul. We become a living temple of the Holy Spirit. And here is the beginning of greatness, of growth in holiness.
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Our protestant friends make a grave mistake when they say that baptism is merely a sign of faith. This is false. Baptism actually produces a supernatural change in our soul, elevates us to the supernatural organism. The apostles and the first Christians believed this, just as we do to this very day, and that is why Jesus says that baptism is necessary for salvation.[iii] ‘Unless you are born again in water and the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.’[iv] When the people had repented of their sins, they asked St. Peter, what shall we do? ‘Be baptized every one of you, he said. Save yourselves from this evil generation.[v]
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Baptism is so essential for salvation, that the Church urges us to baptize our children promptly; canon law says: ‘parents are obliged to have infants baptized in the first few weeks.’ Can 867  Therefore, we must never play fast and loose with our children’s salvation; we must never delay baptism for months and months, in order to arrange a party or wait for relatives.
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Some say, ‘we’ll allow our child to decide when he grows up to be baptized. But baptism is not a decision to join a club or an organization, it’s adoption. If we adopt a baby, we don’t leave it in the yard until it decides whether to join our family, it would die. We don’t let our kids wait until they grow up to decide for themselves whether to go to school. In baptism, they are adopted into God’s family, and given Life.
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Now as a baby, that Divine Life at baptism is a seed, waiting to grow. But when the child gets to be about 7 years old, the age of reason, he starts to make decisions of right and wrong. This child can begin to cooperate with God’s grace, or not. If that child, each step of the way, tries to do what he is prompted to do by grace, trying to be good – he or she will grow up to become great – to become a saint who will shine in this world. If the person at some point chooses serious sin instead – then they lose the Divine Life in their soul. They lose sanctifying grace.
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Does God give up on those who fall into serious sin? No. He has given us the rescue sacrament: Confession. Confessing serious sins to the priest restores the Divine Life and allows that Christian to be happy again and grow in holiness.
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Some people say they want to be ‘born-again’ Christians, and leave their sins behind. Well, that is what Confession is for heaven’s sake! That is how we are ‘born-again,’ we begin again.
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Now the normal minister of baptism is the priest or deacon. But because baptism is so essential for salvation, in an emergency anyone can baptize. If there is an emergency – if you are at the mall and a person collapses, and they are dying, and they say: I want to be baptized – what do you do? What if a baby is dying and there’s no time for a priest, what do you do? You get some water – it does not have to be holy water, and pour it on their head – and say: I baptized you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
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What if a person wants to be baptized but cannot? They receive baptism by desire. If a person is in RCIA, preparing to be baptized at Easter, and they die before they can, they have received baptism by desire.[vi]
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What is baptism by blood? When a person gives their life for Christ as a martyr – even if not baptized, they have been baptized in their own blood for Christ.[vii]
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Jesus leads the way; he shows us that we must be baptized, and then follow in his way, as a disciple.
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We ask the dear Blessed Virgin to help us be great disciples; help us Mary, to follow Jesus in his way; because if we do, we will follow him, right up to heaven.

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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas]

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[i] This homily had to be shortened due to a speaker at Mass.

[ii] St. Maximus says, says that Jesus was baptized, not to become holy,

but to make water holy, so that we may come to share in his Divine Life.  Brev I, p. 613.

[iii] Mark 16:16

[iv] John 3:5; He who believes and is baptized will be saved: Acts 2:37

[vi] This is like the person is serious sin on his way to confession,

who gets hit by a car – his intention to confess is accepted by God.

[vii] By the way, why should we take the name of a saint at baptism?

So that saint will pray for and help us,

and ever be a friend and example for us.

 

Posted in: Sundays

Let us Adore and Praise Him

January 4, 2015 1:26 pm ⋅
Epiphany 
Beloved in the Lord Jesus, today we celebrate Epiphany.
We read today of these 3 Kings, or Magi. They had made a long journey, coming from the East; they were pagans, Gentiles – they did not follow or even know the teachings of Moses, or Abraham, or the Old Testament – nothing.
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Yet they were given, by means of a Star, a certain gift of Faith; and so they traveled a long way, to Bethlehem – for what purpose?
Well, it says what their purpose was; when they arrived they said: ‘We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’ So their entire purpose in this journey, was to adore the Newborn Savior, to do him homage. 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. But this is why the Magi traveled so very far, to adore Him.
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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, present in our tabernacle, at Mass, in our chapel – 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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Jesus is seeking adorers. It’s not as if he needs our worship, no – it is because WE need it.
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Let’s speak today of 3 reasons that we need to be, like the Magi, adorers of the Lord.
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.
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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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If we remind ourself 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 problem, 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 2nd 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.
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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 3rd 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. Against all odds, God’s people were victorious against the Midianites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, the Greeks, and so many others, because in praising and glorifying God – in trusting in Him rather than in their own power – the Lord would fight for them and they would succeed.
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Yes, those things were written about worldly battles and successes, but they are symbolic of spiritual and personal struggles.
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We see those simple Magi, who put their trust in Jesus, who came for one purpose: to adore him – the Lord protected them from Herod who had sought to kill them, and guided them to return by a safer route.
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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]

 

Posted in: Sundays