Confidence In Our Conquest

1st Sunday of Lent 2012
This is the season in which saints are made.  All these days demand from us a great desire for holiness.  The devil temps us to sin so we may be his pawn in revenge against God.  In the Gospel we see Christ tempted in the inauguration of His public life, the theme of which was combat with the devil and his servants.  Temptations come to us so that we may be made strong in the virtues where we are the weakest.  We will be invincible in the face of temptation if we never fail to ask confidently for God’s help.

Stations of the Cross is among the most ancient devotions of the Church.  Through it we make a spiritual pilgrimage to share in the sufferings of our Redeemer.  This practice developed from the imitation of the Blessed Mother who visited the places where her Divine Son suffered.  We should ask to see the stations through the eyes of the Virgin Mary so we may reap the greatest profits from this devotion.
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We the Penitents and Catechumens


Ash Wednesday 2012
The time leading up to the season of Lent is to help us follow the example of the catechumens and public sinners of the early Church.  The Sundays that comprise Septuagesima take to heart all that was in the mind of these two groups of people.

After God told Noah of His regret for creating mankind because of their rebellion, and after He destroyed the world with the deluge, he sent the dove with an olive branch to make peace with humanity.  It is important to remember that God desires not our damnation, but our salvation.

Many people dislike the season of Lent because they are forced to see their true sinful nature.  When we see ourselves in this way it should spur us to a deep detestation and a humble confession of our sins.  This humility is the recognition of the truth about ourselves.

The principal works of penance are prayer, especially the Holy Mass and mental prayer, spiritual reading, and the gift of alms.  If we can overcome one habit of sin through these works, we have made great progress towards sanctity..


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Penance in Charity

Sermon From
Quinquagesima Sunday 2012
There is no question on the Catholic Church’s stance regarding contraception and abortion, despite the attacks of the world on these moral teachings in our day.

We have had St. Paul as our retreat master preparing us for Lent, and now that we have spent this time and know the malice of our fallen nature, we are prepared to perform penances during the coming season in all charity.  We will need faith and love to carry our cross with Christ through Lent.  This is our chance to do battle with the help of Christ. God will never abandon us.
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The True Origin of Mankind

Sexagesima Sunday 2012
We must be on guard against the pseudoscience preached today in an attempt to undermine belief in God.  The teaching that the human soul is a more highly evolved version of the soul of a brute animal is false and is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Holy Scripture.  The Church has never denied the adaptation of animals to their environment, but there is no proof of evolution as it is taught by the enemies of the Church.

During this season it is important to understand the meaning of indulgences and how efficacious they are for our eternal welfare.
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Never Despair of the Mercy of God

Septuagesima Sunday 2012
St. Blaise was a bishop who was arrested during the early persecutions and was blessed with many favors by God.  Devotion to him has been very popular throughout the history of the Church and so the Church has devised a special blessing which invokes his intercession.

St. Agatha was close to the last of the martyrs.  She was unwilling to submit to sins of impurity under the greatest pressures and even endure terrible torture rather than give up her virtue.

When a woman gave birth under the Old Law, she was considered ritually unclean and because of this she was commanded to submit herself to the temple after one month for her purification.  Although Our Lady was not subject to this because of the miraculous birth, she submitted so she might have a greater union with us sinners.  It is also the day of the first of the great sorrows of her life in the prophecy of Simeon.

These Sundays before Lent are meant to help us know ourselves.  If we put out just a portion of the effort for our reward, which will last forever, that the sports stars put into their victory, we will be sure to triumph over this life.
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Dispel the Darkness of Our Minds

Feast of the Purification 2012
This is one of the most ancient feasts in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  God gave Moses the Law which instructed His chosen people to present their children to Him shortly after their birth.  Although Our Lord and His Holy Mother were not subject to this law, He submitted Himself freely to it as an example for us.  After Our Lord was presented to God, He was ritually ransomed back by His parents through the sacrifice they offered in the Temple.  The beautiful sacramental of the candle, which is distributed today, is a means of ridding our souls of sin through God’s grace.  As we pray that its light will dispel the darkness of our minds, we must continue to ask for the desire for Heaven and union with Our Lord.
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How Dare We Hold a Grudge

3rd Sunday after Epiphany 2012
This Epistle informs us that we should not imagine we are correct in all things.  Those who are wise know that they could be mistaken.  Also, we are instructed to avoid the desire for vengeance.  We must strive to be at peace with all men as much as possible – even our enemies.  St. Catherine of Genoa tells us that our love of God is measured by our love of neighbor.  By performing acts of charity towards our enemies, we obtain many graces for them.  Anyone who says that he loves God and hates his neighbor is a liar.  God shows love to us when we are His enemies through sin.  He offers His forgiveness to us before we are even sorry.
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He Was Sent To Heal Us

2nd Sunday after Epiphany 2012
We are in a new season of the Church which connects the time of the Nativity to the Paschal Mystery.  We must bring our attention, devotion, and especially fervent prayer to the Mass today.  The Church continues to celebrate the fact that God has become a man.  We have something the world lacks; we have hope.  We know that despite all we endure, God can fix everything in an instant, and all that He permits us to endure is for our good.  In the Gospel for today we see the power of the intercessory prayer of the Virgin Mary.  She speaks to us when she says to “do whatever He says.”  The transubstantiation which took place at Cana was not only a type of the Holy Eucharist, but also a foreshadowing of the transformation which must take place in each of our souls.
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The Care of the Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family 2012
During this season the same gift given to the Gentile nations through the Magi is once again given to us.  The divinity of Jesus Christ is demonstrated to each of us.  The events and mysteries of Our Lord’s early life are made present once again, as if we were there to witness them firsthand.

When the Gospel says that Jesus “increased in wisdom, age, and grace,” it refers to Our Lord in His human nature.  The human mind of Christ not only possessed the beatific vision but also all the secrets of nature.  Along with this, in His human mind He also had acquired, experiential knowledge and was capable of increasing in this knowledge.

St. Joseph trustingly followed God’s guidance throughout his life.  And just as he provided for all the needs of the Holy Family, St. Joseph has provided for the needs of our community which has put its special trust in him.
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The Historical Context of the Epiphany

First Friday Conference, January 2012

At the time of the Nativity of Christ many learned pagans were leaving the old, polytheistic beliefs.  This was an era in which the pagan world was searching for truth.  It was also soon after the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Hebrews.  During this pivotal moment in history the Incarnation took place.  There were two manifestations of the birth of Christ – one to the Jews by promise and the other to the Gentiles by privilege.  God sent a message to the Wise Men in a way that they would understand, with the use of a star.  Of all those who observed this mysterious star, only these few Magi had the courage to follow their vocation.  The prophecies of the coming Messias were known to the people of the East because of the Babylonian captivity and their fulfillment was recognized by the Wise Men.  The moment which changed the universe forever finally came, and the Savior was born.  Soon after St. Joseph found a house where the Holy Family could live.  It was here that the Magi met the Redeemer of the world and adored Him as representatives of all the Gentile nations.
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