Carry The Cross Bravely

September 14, 2020By

Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2020
We rejoice to be able to honor this feast day with a High Mass.  The chant was full of enthusiasm and devotion which is reminder of St. Augustine’s adage that “he who sings prays twice”.  This is an ancient feast commemorating the dedication in Jerusalem of the basilica on September 14, 335.  Also, it marked the day that St. Helena had found the true Cross. The cross was the worst form of capital punishment in the Roman world but on this day, after being sanctified by the Blood of Christ, it is worthy of exaltation as Our Lord promised in the Gospel.  Constantine began this process when he used the cross as the symbol of victory at the Milvian bridge.  Emperor Heraclius exalted the true Cross after recovering it from the infidels.  We, too, will be exalted with Christ if we carry our daily crosses well.
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The Mass Is Theocentric

August 2, 2020By

9th Sunday After Pentecost 2020
Conference After Mass
After the Epistle and Gospel, Father spoke about the care he received the last few weeks and his attendance at Mass and how much it is centered on God.  Then he spoke about today’s feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori who is the patron of moral theologians and who propagated the system of probabilism through his newly founded congregation and its priest members.  St. Alphonsus’ father opposed his vocation to the priesthood until he heard his son’s first sermon and then he approached him in sorrow and repentance for causing him difficulty in pursuing it.  St. Alphonsus wrote many devotional works, was the instrument of miracles and the example for other saints like St. Gerard Majella.
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Saint Anne

July 26, 2020By

8th Sunday After Pentecost 2020
This Sunday has the beautiful Epistle from St. Paul about how the Holy Ghost prays from inside the souls of the saints with the loving name of “Abba” for God the Father.  The challenging Gospel is a parable that Christ used to teach His followers to imitate the cleverness of worldlings in their use of material things for furthering their purposes.  Of course, Our Lord was not promoting their evil lives.  Also, although not celebrated today because of the Sunday, this is the feast of St. Anne and a wonderful opportunity to praise her and to learn more about the mother of the Virgin Mary.  Outside the pages of the New Testament, there is information about Our Lady’s parents and what kind of people they were.  These non-canonical writings give their names and stories about their lives which include anecdotes about their daughter and her Son.  We also hear about the ancient devotion of the faithful to Saint Anne and how it continues today, especially in the Canadian basilica built in her honor.
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Love God With All Your Heart

May 17, 2020By

5th Sunday after Easter
Today is also the feast of St. Paschal Baylon, the patron saint of Eucharistic Congresses because of his extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  Later this week is the fest of St. Rita who is a favorite patron of our community because of her intercession in obtaining the gift of ordination for our priests.  The Epistle today from St. James stresses the importance of doing good works and stands in opposition to the heresy of being saved by faith alone.  We must love God and do so by ridding ourselves of the terrible virus of sin.  The Blessed Virgin Mary is our ally in this and we should be practicing special devotion to her this month.  The Rosary is a perfect means of doing this and the standard prayer that our vocations have in common.
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Patron Of All

March 19, 2020By

Feast Of Saint Joseph 2020
St. Joseph is described as a just man in the Gospel which means he was deeply religious.  His virtues prepared him for his vocation to be the spouse of the Blessed Mother and foster father of the Son of God.  His fears after the Annunciation were about his own worthiness to fulfill his role in so Divine a mission.  The angel reassured St. Joseph and he never wavered in his loving fidelity to duty.  Unlike the Apostles, his job was to protect and to conceal the Savior until His hour had come.  His virginal paternity is a perfect reflection of that of God the Father.  St. Joseph fulfilled his roles as saint, husband, father and worker so that he truly is the patron of all.
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Why We Need A Redeemer

February 9, 2020By

Septuagesima Sunday 2020
After the story of St. Apollonia this sermon explains the meaning of St. Paul’s Epistle for this Sunday which marks a new liturgical season of Septuagesima and the beginning of the road to Easter.  St. Paul warns us not to presume on our merits. The scripture readings for this week remind us of many important truths concerning creation, Adam and Eve, the fall and its consequences and the promise of a Redeemer. The Gospel shows us God’s generosity towards us even up to the last moment.
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The Candle Shows The Beauty Of Christ

February 2, 2020By

Feast Of The Purification 2020
For only the second time in a couple of decades we are celebrating this wonderful feast of the Purification on a Sunday and this enables more of the faithful to participate in this sacred Liturgy and to hear the doctrines about this feast.  This ceremony is ancient, recorded in the fourth century by a holy pilgrim sister, Sylvia. It is celebrated in the same way today.  Christ, now forty days old, was presented in the temple and restored to His parents by their offering a gift in exchange for Him.  Also, the Blessed Mother submitted to the law, which was not intended for her, by her offering of doves for purification.  The first procession took place with Simeon and Anna joining the Holy Family and this is renewed by our procession with the candle, a sacramental which depicts the Son of God made man.
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One Word Can Make A Saint

January 19, 2020By

2nd Sunday after Epiphany 2020
The Liturgy is moving toward the redemptive aspect of the Incarnation.  We go with the true and certain knowledge of Christ’s divinity that is manifested to us during these days.  We pray and thereby know our Faith through the liturgical law that the law of prayer is the law of believing.  This Mass is full of such treasures that we must ask God to give them to us as He did give them to the shepherds and magi.  His first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana was a prelude to His final miracle at the Last Supper when He changed wine into His Precious Blood.
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The Holy Family & Silent Prayer

January 12, 2020By

Feast Of The Holy Family 2020
This feast celebrates the beautiful life that Jesus led in this world with His Holy Family.  The Epistle gives us the foundation of the Holy Family’s life together which is charity – the bond of perfection.  The Gospel teaches about Christ’s consciousness of His divine mission and how others observed His growth in wisdom, grace and age.  The sermon concludes with a meditation on silent prayer and why it is essential at Mass.
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We Will Bless Our Crosses

December 1, 2019By

1st Sunday Of Advent 2019
The feast of St. Nicholas on Friday is a celebration of an heroic early bishop whose acts of charity have been carried on to our day in the figure of Santa Claus.  Advent and the new liturgical year begin today and the Introit of the Mass is an appeal to beg God to protect us from the devil.  The Epistle gives the plan for this season – cast out the works of darkness and put on the armor of light in preparation for Christmas.  The Gospel continues the warning from last week about the end of the world and our facing God’s judgment.  We will be thankful on that day for all the merit gained through our struggles for salvation.
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