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Thursday, July 3, 2025

  Rachel’s Corner ·           Tom Cruise , born on July 3, 1962, is a world-famous actor known for his roles in action-packed movies. He sta...

Iceman's 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 33

Iceman's 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory Day 33
Start March 19 for Easter ending (Easter)

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Mark, Chapter 6, Verse 49-50
49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 50 They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”

Christ compels us to be not afraid. Bravery, Nerve, Pluck, Valor, Daring, Audacity, Mettle and lastly resolution are all synonyms for courage. Which word strikes your heart? For me it is resolution. For I am determined not to invalidate Christ's sacrifice for me, I will not stop trying to become the vision He has for me; I am resolute. No matter how many times I fall I will get up; I will not stop. I will remember that the journey before a man tries the measure of his heart long before it tests the strength of his legs. I will remember that a man’s life is likening unto a lake with no outlet: which has no life. Life giving water is always moving and giving of itself. Man to be truly a creature of God must give of his essence and run to the sound of battle for the Kingdom of God.


Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Visitation of Mary

The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. (Zeph 3:15)

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:10)

Christ asks us to not be afraid; remember that those who are controlled by the devil are always deathly afraid. Therefore trust in Him and remember that according to the Talmud God says to us: With thy very wounds I will heal thee. If you are unhappy it is because of sin therefore seek the healing that Christ gives in the sacrament of confession and receive joyfully the Holy Eucharist.

Visitation of Mary[1]

This day is called the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because on it Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, whom, as the angel had told her, God had blessed with a son in her old age.I have always thought that on this occasion the reason Elizabeth was so enlivened at the leaping of John in her womb was because as an older pregnant woman she may have feared that John was stillborn? Is it possible that John the Baptist was Jesus’s first miracle? It is an interesting thought.

Explanation of the Canticle

In this hymn Mary with joy praises God, the Lord, that He has regarded her humility, and made her to be the Mother of His only-begotten Son, wherefore she should be called blessed by all generations; and she declares the truths and mysteries which the incarnation brought to light. The mercy of God, namely, reaches from generation to generation to them that fear Him. He scatters the thoughts of the proud, and puts down from their seats the mighty; but He exalts the humble. He fills those who hunger for justice with good things, but those who think themselves rich He sends away empty. He receives all true Israelites, and performs in them the promises which He gave to the fathers. This hymn is repeated by the Church every day at Vespers, in praise of the work of redemption, begun by the incarnation of the Son of God in Mary. Would that every Christian, since he becomes one only by Christ being, as it were, born in him, might share those feelings which the Blessed Virgin and Mother has expressed in this hymn of praise, and, with the Church, daily praise God for the mystery of the incarnation







[1] Goffine Devout Instructions, 1896



Monday, May 30, 2016 Memorial Day

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away. (Mk. 12:12)

One way you can show you don't fear the crowd is to make the sign of the cross at every meal and say grace before eating; no matter where you are.

Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 35-36
35 While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 36 Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

This is the message of the gospel: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” All who believe in Christ for their salvation have access to Him at any time.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day and we honor those who have paid the supreme sacrifice of devotion watching our nation. Pray today for the souls of those taken in battle. In the communion of saints it is our duty; no our honor to pray for the souls of those in our company who have died; especially those who have passed through the valley of fear in the heat of battle.

Memorial Day, first established in 1866 to honor Union soldiers of the Civil War, is now a day set aside to remember all of the American soldiers who have died in war in the subsequent 15 decades -- about 1.2 million in all. This number, while representing a tremendous loss, pales in comparison to the number of war-related deaths globally for the same time period. Estimates run from 60 to 85 million for the number of lives lost during World War II alone.[1]

While stationed in Mons, Belgium there is the legend of the Angels of Mons, where it was reported the British soldiers were saved by heavenly forces.

One thing is certain: There are no atheists in foxholes.

To honor our fallen let us stop what we are doing at 1500 hrs (3 pm) and offer the Divine Mercy Prayer for those who have fallen in service of our nation.



Sunday, May 29, 2016 Saint Joan of Arc Eve

Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 33
The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.

The woman in the chapter had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years and was ritually unclean by Jewish laws.

An unclean person in general had to avoid that which was holy and take steps to return to a state of cleanness. Uncleanness placed a person in a "dangerous" condition under threat of divine retribution, even death, if the person approached the sanctuary. Uncleanness could lead to expulsion of the land's inhabitants and its peril lingered upon those who did not undergo purification. Bodily discharges (blood for women, semen for men) represented a temporary loss of strength and life and movement toward death. Because decaying corpses discharged, so natural bodily discharges were reminders of sin and death. Physical imperfections representing a movement from "life" toward "death" moved a person ritually away from God who was associated with life. Purification rituals symbolized movement from death toward life and accordingly involved blood, the color red, and spring (lit. "living") water, all symbols of life.[1]

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ also being clean took this woman uncleanliness and gave her his Holiness. Indeed she was filled with wonder and awe.

This day emulate our Lord by reflecting and living the prayer of St. Francis.

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

Corpus Christi[2]
Day of Wreaths

In some places of Europe Corpus Christi is known as the Day of wreaths. Exquisite wreaths of flowers are used in the pageants, either perched on banners, houses, and arches that stretch over the street, or worn by the participants of the procession. The monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament could also be adorned with a bouquet of flowers. After the solemnities these beautiful decorations would be taken home as keepsakes and posted over gardens and fields for blessing and protection.
Hymns

Special mention must be made of the exquisite hymns written by St. Thomas Aquinas for this feast and their subsequent popularity. Aquinas wrote four: Verbum Supernum Prodiens (for Lauds), Pange Lingua Gloriosi (Vespers), Sacris Solemniis (Matins), and Lauda Sion Salvatoris (Mass sequence). Parts of these, in turn, were used as separate hymns. The famous Tantum ergo Sacramentum used at Benediction is taken from Pange Lingua and O salutaris hostia is taken from Verbum Supernum, while Panis Angelicus is taken from Sacris Solemniis. These hymns have become cherished treasures of Catholic devotion and worship and should be sung with gusto on this great feast.



[1] http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/clean-unclean.html.

Saturday, May 28, 2016 Corpus Christi Eve

Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 15:
As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear.

Perhaps St. Jude refers to a type of Holy fear we have when we witness the greatness of God as mention in this verse. “On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23)


Corpus Christi[1]

Medieval piety is famous, among other things, for its mystery plays, theatrical pieces held after Mass on great feast days that dramatized the lesson or mystery of the day. These effective didactic tools were enormously popular, but perhaps none so much as those held on Corpus Christi. Shakespeare gives an oblique allusion to them when he has Prince Hamlet speak of the Termagant, a violent, overbearing woman in long robes who appeared often in these productions (Hamlet III.ii). Favorite medieval saints, such as George and Margaret, would often be the protagonists, though the details and plot varied from place to place. Perhaps the most famous of these plays are the Autos Sacramentales (Plays of the Sacrament) by Fr. Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1681).

Patron of Mountaineers[2]

Historically today is the feast of St. Bernard of Montjoux, an Italian churchman, founder of the Alpine hospices of Saint Bernard. He is most famous for the hospices he built on the summits of passes over the Alps. Many pilgrims from France and Germany would travel over the Alps on their way to Rome, but it was always a possibility that one would die from freezing along the way. In the 9th century a system of hospices had been attempted, but had lapsed long before Bernard's time. Bernard's hospices in the 11th century were placed under the care of clerics and laymen and were well equipped for the reception of all travelers. A now-famous breed of dogs, known for its endurance in high altitude and cold, was named in honor of this saint. Bernard's life has been the focus of many romantic plays and stories. Many of us may remember childhood stories of St. Bernard dogs coming to the rescue of stranded or injured victims on Alpine slopes. The dogs almost always seem to have a cask of Brandy attached to their collars and when the victims were revived by a good drink the dogs would lead them to safety.



Hiking

Today I will be leading a spiritual hike you are invited but if you cannot I ask all my readers to add their prayers for Meek and humble souls as requested by our Lord via Saint Faustina.

Ninth Day"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." 

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. 


Friday, May 27, 2016

I ask your prayers for my wife Mary who's birthday today is.

Matthew, Chapter 28, verse 8
8 Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others. 
Marianne Williamson.

Corpus Christi[1]

Feast of Corpus Christi, in the U.S., said on the Sunday rather than the Thursday after the Feast of the Holy Trinity. An adoration of the Food that sustains us on our post-Pentecostal pilgrimage and "the pledge of our future glory"

At the age of sixteen, a humble Belgian girl began having visions of a bright moon marred by a small black spot. After years of seeing this perplexing portent, Jesus Christ appeared to her and revealed its meaning. The moon, He told her, represented the Church calendar, and the black spot the absence of a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. That nun was St. Juliana, Prioress of Mont Cornillon (1258), and the Feast she was commissioned by our Lord to promote was the feast of Corpus Christi.

Even before its universal promotion in 1314, Corpus Christi was one of the grandest feasts of the Roman rite. At the request of Pope Urban IV (d. 1264), the Mass proper’s and divine office for this day were composed or arranged by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose teaching on the Real Presence was so profound that the figure of Jesus Christ once descended from a crucifix and declared to him, "Thou hast written well of me, Thomas." The mastery with which Aquinas weaves together the scriptural, poetic, and theological texts of this feast amply corroborates this conclusion.

Processions & Pageants

Though Maundy Thursday is in a sense the primary feast of the Blessed Sacrament, Corpus Christi allows the faithful to specially reflect on and give thanks for the Eucharist. Hence there arose a number of observances centered on Eucharistic adoration. The most conspicuous of these is the splendid Corpus Christi procession. This public profession of the Catholic teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament was solemnly encouraged by the Council of Trent: there is even an indulgence attached to all who participate in it. By the 1600s, the procession on Corpus Christi had become the most famous of the year. Long parades of faithful walk with the Blessed Sacrament (carried in a monstrance by the priest) while church bells peal and bands play. In Latin countries, the streets are blanketed with boughs and flowers, often elaborately woven together. Sometimes a variation on the custom of Stations is employed (see Stational Churches, etc.), where the procession stops at several points for benediction and adoration.

By its very nature, the Corpus Christi procession encouraged pageantry. In addition to the grandeur mentioned above, vivid symbolic reenactments of various teachings became a part of the procession. During the height of baroque piety, people impersonating demons would run along aside the Blessed Sacrament, pantomiming their fright and fear of the Real Presence. Others would dress as ancients gods and goddesses to symbolize how even the pagan past must rise and pay homage to Christ. Still others would carry all sorts of representations of sacred history: Moses and the serpent, David and Goliath, the Easter lamb, the Blessed Virgin, etc. But the most popular of all these was the custom of having children dress as angels. Appearing in white (with or without wings), these boys and girls would precede the Blessed Sacrament as symbols of the nine choirs of heavenly hosts who ever adore the Panis Angelicum, the Bread of Angels.

At Holy Trinity German Church, the Corpus Christi procession was the most important of the year. One witness to the procession of 1851 wrote:

The girls, clad in white, with lilies in their hands, groups of symbolic figures, with banner and flags, the boys with staffs and rods, all the associations of the parish with their signs and symbols and burning candles, finally the flower-strewing little children preceding the clergy -- all these made a fantastic impression (from Holy Trinity German Catholic Church of Boston: A Way of Life, Robert J. Sauer (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing, 1994), p. 49)



Today the German battleship Bismarck sunk, WWII, 1941

HIKING

Saturday I will be leading a spiritual hike you are invited but if you cannot I ask all my readers to add their prayers for Meek and humble souls as requested by our Lord via Saint Faustina.

Ninth Day"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy." 

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. 




Thursday, May 26, 2016 Traditional Feast of Corpus Christi

Matthew, Chapter 28, Verse 4-5
4 The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. 5 Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.

Have you ever been so afraid that you lost consciousness? I must admit I have not; however once when praying intently I distinctly heard the singing of angelic voices that scared me so bad I hid and prayed it stop, which it did. Yet it is not impossible for this to happen.

Extreme pain, fear, or stress may bring on fainting. This type of fainting is caused by overstimulation of the vagus nerve, a nerve connected to the brain that helps control breathing and circulation. In addition, a person who stands still or erect for too long may faint. This type of fainting occurs because blood pools in the leg veins, reducing the amount that is available for the heart to pump to the brain. This type of fainting is quite common in older people or those taking drugs to treat high blood pressure.[1]

The Law of Victory[2]

Jesus raised several people from the dead, but in each case differed from His own resurrection. Those people would eventually die again. But Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. He defeated mankind’s greatest enemy: death. All other problems are problems because they kill us. Once Jesus defeated death, His followers could operate in total security. No struggle is too big for God. No question is unanswerable. No problem is too difficult. The resurrection of Christ trumpeted good news from the graveyard! Jesus in spite of the evil influence of Satan on men practiced the Law of Victory, decisively defeating even death itself.

The Law of Victory: Leaders find a way for the team to win.  ~ John C. Maxwell

Leaders make things happen. They are unwilling to accept failure as their reality and choose to do all humanly possible (and sometimes even more) to achieve victory. Not just for themselves, but for their teams. Leaders live and breathe success. Leaders are resilient. They don’t feed off of the past, but choose to move forward toward the next victory. Leaders are achievers. Leaders are winners. Leaders understand that they don’t need to win every battle to be victorious. They are patient and understand that victory sometimes takes time and often even sacrifices.[3]

Have courage He has risen and He has sent His Mother Mary to help us in the end times. Do not be perplexed and remember Our Lady said, “In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!”[4]

Traditional Corpus Christi[5]

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: My flesh is meat indeed and My blood is drink indeed he that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father so he that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live forever.

Why did Jesus say, this is the bread that came down from heaven? He wished thereby to teach the Jews that the bread which He would give them, like the manna, came down from heaven, and was, indeed, the only true bread from heaven. The manna was but a type, and could only prolong the life of the body. The type was now to be fulfilled; the bread that He was about to give them would impart to them eternal life, and this bread would be His flesh, Himself, Who truly came from heaven, to redeem mankind, and to bring them to life everlasting. Jesus calls His flesh bread, partly on account of its likeness to the manna, partly on account of its effect; for as bread nourishes the body, and sustains the earthly life, so the body of Christ, in the Holy Sacrament, nourishes the soul, and imparts to it, continually, a new, divine, and everlasting life.

What is the Holy Sacrament of the Altar? It is that sacrament in which, after the words of its institution have been spoken by the priest, Jesus Christ is present, whole and entire, in His Godhead and in His manhood, under the appearance of bread and wine.

When and how did Jesus institute this sacrament? At the Last Supper; In the night, before He was betrayed, He took bread, and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, Take and eat, for this is My body which will be given for you. In the same manner, He took the chalice and said, Take and drink, for this chalice is the new covenant in My blood. Do this as often as you drink from it in commemoration of Me.

What did Jesus affect by these words? He changed bread and wine into His most precious body and blood.

Has He given to others the power to do the same? Yes; He gave this power to His apostles and their successors, the bishops and priests, in these words: Do this in commemoration of Me.

What takes place at the words of consecration? Bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and only the outward appearances of bread and wine remain.

How is Jesus present in the Most Holy Sacrament? He is present, truly, really, and substantially, in His divinity and humanity, in flesh and blood, in body and soul, under the appearances of bread and wine.

Why do we believe this? 1. Because the words of Jesus do not reasonably admit of any other meaning: since by them we see (a) that Jesus gave His disciples a certain nourishment which they were to eat ; (b) that this nourishment was bread and wine to all appearances, but Jesus called the bread His body, which was afterwards to be sacrificed for us, and the wine His blood, which was to be shed for us: this food consequently was not bread and wine, but, under the appearance of bread and wine, was indeed His body and blood; since what He gave for our redemption was not bread and wine, but His true body and His true blood; (c) that as the body and blood of Jesus were inseparable from His soul and divinity, He gave Himself up for our nourishment, whole and undivided, as He hung, bled, and died upon the cross; (d) that He commanded what He had done to be continued until He should come again (1 Cor. xi. 26), that is, until the end of the world; and that He, (e) on account of this being His testament, and the New Law, was not at liberty to speak figuratively, but plainly and distinctly. 2. Because the apostles preached this very doctrine. 3. Because the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of truth, has thus constantly taught, from the apostles times down to the present day, as the oldest Councils and the Holy Fathers unanimously testify.

Why is communion given only in one kind? 1. The Church gives Holy Communion only under one kind, to guard against abuses; as, for example, the spilling of the wine; 2. In opposition to those who hold that communion can only be received under both kinds, to hold fast the true doctrine, which is that Christ, whole and undivided, the entire sacrament, is received under one kind. The truth of this doctrine is plain from this, that where the living body of Christ is, there is the whole Christ; that Christ promises eternal life to him who eats this bread alone (John vi. 59); and finally, that there is no divine law which commands the receiving of this sacrament under both kinds.

Art Linkletter died on this day in 2010.



[2] John Maxwell, the Maxwell Leadership Bible.
[4] Third apparition, Fatima, July 13, 1917.
[5] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896





Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Matthew, Chapter 27, Verse 54
54 The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”

Naturally we fear darkness and are terrified when the very ground we stand on moves. Yet in this case the greatest gift of Christ was the movement of a toughened soldier’s heart.

Truly, this was the Son of God![1]

Every believer carries a measure of the guilt for Jesus’ death. If it were not for our willful disobedience to God’s perfect Law, we would have no need of a Savior. We acknowledge in song that it was our hands that drove the spikes into His’ and sometimes speak about driving the nails into Jesus’ hands every time we sin. We speak figuratively, of course, knowing that although we were not present at the time of His death, we bear the guilt of providing the need for His death. In the Bible we are given a brief glimpse of a man who was present while Jesus was nailed to the tree. This man was a Roman centurion, a commander of over 100 soldiers of the Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened soldier and commanded a detachment of what were most likely Syrian-born soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men endured.
It is likely that this man was present from the time Jesus was brought before Pilate right until the Lord’s body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus’ arrest the night before His crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have ordered his men to beat Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion. The centurion is mentioned in three of the four gospel accounts. He is mentioned not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier. He is mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous transformation that occurred immediately after the death of one of his prisoners.
Having seen so many crucifixions, the centurion knew what to expect from prisoners. Most people who were sentenced to be crucified were criminals, brigands, thieves and murderers. He had heard countless men scream in agony while being whipped and plead for their lives before Pilate. From their crosses he had heard them shout curses to men below and blasphemies to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either side of Jesus was all too common, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus as he hung between them. Perhaps it was during this time that the centurion began to notice that there was something different about Jesus. Where most men cursed and swore, Jesus, as His hands were nailed to the wood, cried out for God to forgive those who were causing His suffering. Or maybe He noticed the tender mercy in Jesus’ voice when He spoke to the penitent thief beside Him, promising that the same day he would be with Jesus in paradise. Perhaps he was amazed that during such suffering Jesus could look down at His mother and ensure that her future was secure by telling John to take care of her. Certainly three hours of darkness that accompanied Jesus’ suffering would have marked this as an execution unlike any other.
We can only guess when the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly when He knew with full certainty. Just before He died, Jesus cried out “It is finished.” Immediately after that He said “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” At that very moment Jesus died. At that same moment a violent earthquake shook the land with such ferocity that rocks were split. Matthew tells us “when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Luke expands on this saying “when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
And just like that, the man who presided over Jesus’ execution, the man who ordered the nails to be driven into His hands and feet, became the first person to become a believer after Jesus’ death.
Watch the film, "Risen." Today I ask your prayers for my son Vincent Michael who's name means Conqueror; who is like God; and that he may fulfill the essence of his name. 



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Matthew, Chapter 25, verse 24-25:
24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’

Christ is always trying to draw us away from fear to having a relationship of love and peace with the Trinity. For if we live our faith in fear we will be like the person who buried his only talent. We must if filled with the love of Christ go forth bravely to build Christ’s Kingdom in our own spheres of influence and in our way of being. 

The church recognizes that fear slowly creeps into our lives and therefore makes changes in the liturgy to renew us and avoid sinfulness. We are a priestly people and as such we should also during these days reflect and pray asking our Lord on how he wants us to use our time, talent and treasure.

Ask our Lord how he wants you to spend your time during this season assisting our priests today.

Australia and Our Lady Help of Christians[1]

When Cardinal Patrick Moran  of Sydney wrote his History of the Catholic Church in Australia, he recalled the laying of the foundation stone of what was to become the first cathedral in this land. His eminence declared: "Who was the patron selected by the people and their newly arrived pastor, Father Therry, for the Mother Church? Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, under the special invocation of Help of Christians, was chosen patroness. In choosing Mary, the young Church was following a sure Catholic instinct. But why the particular title of Help of Christians?

Events had happened in Europe only several years earlier, and this no doubt was still fresh in people's minds. Napoleon Bonaparte had jailed Pope Pius VI who died in goal, after which Pope Pius VII was elected. Just a short time later, he too was jailed by Napoleon, who kept him prisoner at Fontainbleau, 35 miles from Paris. The Holy Father vowed to God that, if he were restored he would institute a special feast in honour of Mary. Military reverses forced Napoleon to release the Pope, and on May 24th  1814, Pius VII returned in triumph to Rome. Twelve months later, the Pope decreed that the feast of Mary Help of Christians, be kept on the 24th of May.

Australia became the first nation in the world to have, Mary, Help of Christians as Patroness: the first church to celebrate May 24th on a national scale (elsewhere the feast was restricted to Rome and specified places); and the first country to have a mother-cathedral under the same title.


Mary Help of Christians patroness of Australia and of the Military Ordinariate (Feast: 24th May)
Almighty God, deepen in our hearts our love of Mary Help of Christians. Through her prayers and under her protection, may the light of Christ shine over our land. May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace. Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens. Bless especially the men and women of the Australian Defense Force and their families. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.


Monday, May 23, 2016

He gives food to those who fear him, he remembers his covenant forever. (Psalm 111:5)

Matthew, Chapter 21, verse 46:
46 And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

They also feared the crowds because of Jesus. Fear is a natural reaction and when we fear something we naturally do one of five things. We either: fight, run away, do nothing, compromise or grow. The whole of the bible are stories of people both good and bad making choices. Some of people’s choices were good and some were evil; but it was always the spirit of God that urged men to make choices that caused growth in humankind; to create a Kingdom of God on earth.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus were marked by the priests and elders for death because they threatened their power over the people which they feared. Like savage beasts they killed anything that got in their way.

According to John Maxwell[1] leaders lose their right to selfishness and must take the lives of others into account before their own. They must testify to the truth and tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. They must tell people where they have to go to grow the Kingdom and not where they desire to go.

Christ came not only to restore the Israelites but all of mankind into His Kingdom: The Kingdom of God. Leaders in the Kingdom must fear not and lead from principle rather than from reaction.





[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, p 1072-1073

Trinity Sunday, May 22, 2016

Matthew, Chapter 21, verse 26:
26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.”

The chief priests and the elders of the people were master politicians during Christ’s time. Some of them were faithful in thought word and deed, but many were as Christ pointed out like marble sepulchers which are pretty on the outside but inside full of death and rottenness within. Many of them put on the airs of piety but in reality were agnostic in nature. 

Here we see the priest and elders were afraid of the people. I think in our time a similar thing occurred with Saint John Paul II’s struggle with communism in Poland. John Paul was a John the Baptist of his time. Poles like the Jews of the Baptists time identified with John Paul and were hungry for a chance to cleanse themselves of the compromises they had to make to live under the rule of the communist’s. I believe John the Baptist message to have been very similar to John Paul’s.

 “He told them to be good, not to compromise themselves, to stick by one another, to be fearless, and that God is the only source of goodness, the only standard of conduct. 'Be not afraid,' he said. Millions shouted in response, 'We want God! We want God! We want God!' The regime cowered. Had the Pope chosen to turn his soft power into the hard variety, the regime might have been drowned in blood. Instead, the Pope simply led the Polish people to desert their rulers by affirming solidarity with one another. The Communists managed to hold on as despots a decade longer. But as political leaders, they were finished. Visiting his native Poland in 1979, Pope John Paul II struck what turned out to be a mortal blow to its Communist regime, to the Soviet Empire, [and] ultimately to Communism."[1]

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity[2]

Sunday is dedicated to the worship of the Triune God, and is called accordingly the Lord s day; but the first Sunday after Pentecost is appointed by the Church a special feast of the Most Holy Trinity, because this mystery, as the fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, began at once to be preached by the apostles, as soon as they had been enlightened and strengthened by the descent of the Holy Ghost.

What thoughts and affections should occupy our minds on this feast?

Although the mystery of the Trinity is incomprehensible to us, we must consider:

1. That God would cease to be God, if our limited understanding were capable of penetrating the substance of nature.

2. The mystery of the Blessed Trinity, though incomprehensible to our intellect, is yet not without fruit in our hearts. The records of revelation show us God the Father as our Creator, God the Son as our Redeemer, God the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier; and should not this move us to a child-like gratitude towards the blessed Trinity? In praise of the Most Holy Trinity, the Church sings at the Introit of the Mass, Blessed be the Holy Trinity and undivided Unity; we will give glory to Him, because He hath shown His mercy to us. O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is Thy name in all the earth.

When we are filled with the essence of Christ we fear neither man nor demon.

Trinity Sunday[3]

After the Son revealed His relation to the Father through Good Friday and Easter, and the Spirit revealed Himself at Pentecost, the most Holy Trinity can now be fully worshipped. Though the mystery of the Holy Trinity is the greatest dogma of the Christian faith and the Feast of the Holy Trinity one of the beloved annual feasts of Christianity, there are not many customs or rituals quintessentially associated with this day. It has always been the custom, however, to keep this day with great reverence and solemnity. Festivals after Mass featuring thunderous preachers and thunderous bands aroused their listeners to joyful heights, while Holy Trinity Confraternities (which were once very influential) would sponsor special events and devotions on this their name day.
Superstition also ascribed great powers to the weather on Holy Trinity Sunday, regardless of what it was: "Trinity rain" was considered as healthy as "Trinity sunshine."






[1] Angelo M. Codevilla, "Political Warfare: A Set of Means for Achieving Political Ends", in Waller, ed., Strategic Influence: Public Diplomacy, Counterpropaganda and Political Warfare (IWP Press, 2008.)
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions
[3] http://www.holytrinitygerman.org/postpentecostcustoms.htm#Trinity_Sunday

Ember Saturday, May 21, 2016 ARMED FORCES DAY

Matthew, Chapter 17, verse 5-8
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

The apostles during the transfiguration heard the voice of the Father; saw the light of the Holy Spirit and were touched by the Son of God, Christ the messiah. They fully experienced the triune God which empowered them for the trial ahead.

The Most Blessed Trinity[1]

Who is God? God is an infinite being, of all possible perfections, the most sublime and excellent of all goods, existing from all eternity, and containing within Himself the principle of His own being and substance from Whom all other things have received their existence and life, “for of Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things” (Rom. xi. 36).

What is the blessed Trinity? It is this one God, Who is one in nature and threefold in person, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Is each of these persons God? Yes, for each possesses the divine nature and substance.

Is any of these three persons older, more powerful, or greater than another? No, they are all three, from eternity, equal in power, sublimity, and majesty, and must therefore be equally adored.

From Whom is the Father? From Himself, before all eternity.

From Whom is God the Son? The Son is begotten of the Father before all ages.

From Whom is God the Holy Ghost? He proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Ember Saturday[2]

Ember Days in the Liturgical Year Today


In 1966, Pope Paul VI’s apostolic constitution, Paenitemini, which addressed and altered feasting regulations, excluded Ember Days as days of fast and abstinence. In 1969, the liturgical reforms altered how they are observed in parishes:

On rogation and ember days the practice of the Church is to offer prayers to the Lord for the needs of all people, especially for the productivity of the earth and for human labor, and to make public thanksgiving. In order to adapt the rogation and ember days to various regions and the different needs of the faithful, the conferences of bishops should arrange the time and plan of their celebration. Consequently, the competent authority should lay down norms, in view of local conditions, on extending such celebrations over one or several days and on repeating them during the year. On each day of these celebrations the Mass should be one of the votive Masses for various needs and occasions that is best suited to the intentions of the petitioners.”

General Norms for the Liturgical Year Calendar, Apostolic Letter of Pope Paul VI

Today do some act of mercy toward those who are in need.

Hiking

Today I will be leading a spiritual hike you are invited but if you cannot I ask all my readers to add their prayers for Meek and humble souls as requested by our Lord via Saint Faustina.

Eighth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."  

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.


Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.


Armed Forces Day History[3]

Armed Forces Day is a day to recognize members of the Armed Forces that are currently serving. In 1947, the Armed Forces of the US were united under one department which was renamed the Department of Defense. In 1949, President Harry S. Truman supported the creation of a day for the nation to unite in support and recognition or our military members and their families. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced that Armed Forces Day would take the place of other individual branch celebrations, and all branches of the military would be honored this single day.  Armed Forces Day takes place on the third Saturday in May.

Armed Forces Day Facts & Quotes

  • According to the US Dept. of Defense, as of 2013, there are 1,387,493 personnel serving in active duty in the United States; 1,259,000 are serving in the different reserve branches.
  • As of September 2011, there were just over 214,000 women serving in active duty.  That is 14.6% of all active duty personnel.
One of the best ways to keep peace is to be prepared for war. - General George Washington

Armed Forces Day Top Events and Things to Do

  • Attend a parade or a military air show.
  • Send a care package to military personnel stationed overseas. Free flat-rate boxes are available at USPS. Use these to mail to military bases for a low cost.
  • Fly the American Flag.
  • Visit a local Veteran's Hospital or Nursing Home to show your gratitude.
  • Honor Military Working Dogs by donating to the ASPCA or other charitable organizations that protect and serve these heroic animals.