November 14, 2009

  

Wisdom 18: 14-16

When peaceful silence lay over all,
and night had run the half of her swift course,
down from the heavens, from the royal throne,
leapt your all-powerful Word
like a pitiless warrior into the heart of a land doomed to destruction.
Carrying your unambiguous command like a sharp sword,
it stood, and filled the universe with death;
though standing on the earth, it touched the sky.

 

Wisdom 19: 6-9

For the whole creation, submissive to your commands,
had its very nature re–created,
so that your children should be preserved from harm.
Overshadowing the camp there was the cloud;
where there had been water, dry land was seen to rise;
the Red Sea became an unimpeded way, 
the tempestuous waves, a green plain;
sheltered by your hand, the whole nation passed across,
gazing at these amazing prodigies.
They were like horses at pasture,
they skipped like lambs,
singing your praises, Lord, their deliverer.

  

Luke 18: 1-8

Then he told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town,’ he said, ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for anyone. In the same town there was also a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, "I want justice from you against my enemy!" For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, "Even though I have neither fear of God nor respect for any human person, I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face." ’ 

    And the Lord said, ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if they keep calling to him day and night even though he still delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

 

                    God allowed the Israelites to
                escape the Egyptians at the Red Sea and
                they should remember it was
                God who freed them — it was not
                themselves —

                    In the Gospel we have the nagging
                woman —

                    God is all powerful —
                    God created me out of love
                    God wants me to recognize my
                        dependence on Him —

                The Israelites prayed for liberation
                    and many died in slavery,
                    but in God's time He answers
                    us — He answers us in His
                    time

                Through prayer our faith is
                    increased

                Look at the end of the Gospel —
                    will God find faith?

                We pray to God He will help us
                    persevere

                We do God's will
                We trust God —
                We do what God wants —
                Not what we want —

                God fills our needs —

                We seek happiness in God and
                    we love —
                    we always trust God —
                    we live to serve God
    

 

 

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
 

Daniel 12: 1-3

‘At that time Michael will arise–the great Prince, defender of your people. That will be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared–all those whose names are found written in the Book.

‘Of those who are sleeping in the Land of Dust, many will awaken, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightness, as bright as stars for all eternity.

 

  Hebrews 10: 11-14

Every priest stands at his duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking away sins. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his seat for ever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting till his enemies are made his footstool. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all who are sanctified.

 

Mark 13: 24-32

'But in those days, after that time of distress, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will come falling out of the sky and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send the angels to gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of the sky.

'Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, right at the gates. In truth I tell you, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 'But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; no one but the Father.

 

November 19, 2006 

INTRODUCTION – (Daniel 12, 1-3; Hebrews 10, 11-14. 18; Mark 13, 24-32) The Greek word “apocalypsis” means revealing something or making something fully known.  There are many passages in the Bible that are apocalyptic in nature.  Most were written during a time when God’s people were being persecuted. They gave hope to God’s people during those times that if they remained faithful to God they would be victorious in the end.  The last book of the Bible is called the Book of Revelation. It is also called the Apocalypse because that is the word with which the book begins.  Today we hear another example of apocalyptic writing in the Book of Daniel.    Today’s first reading was composed about 165 years before Christ during the time when the Syrians were trying to obliterate the Jewish religion.  During this painful historical time, any books from the Hebrew Scriptures that could be found were burned, the temple was turned into a temple to the Greek god, Zeus, and any Jews who refused to offer sacrifice to pagan gods were put to death.  This passage contains a clear belief in the resurrection of the body by the year 165 BC. 

HOMILY – There was an old monk dying in a little country monastery.  The monks living with him knew he was dying and so they tried to make him as comfortable as possible.  One of the things they did for him was to give him a little warm milk each day with a little brandy mixed into it.  This seemed to calm him down.  When he was getting ready to breathe his last, they asked him if he had any last words for them.  He said: “brothers, whatever you do, don’t ever get rid of that cow.” 

There was a funeral director who regularly ended his letters with the words: “Eventually yours.” 

We’re all headed toward that day when we’re going to meet our maker.  It’s a time very few people, especially those who are younger, care to hear about or think about.  But as the year comes to an end, the Church takes this occasion to make us aware that our life in this world will come to an end someday too.  Or as one of my friends often says: “everything has a beginning, a middle and an end.”  In reminding us of these things, the Church is not trying to depress us. It is trying to keep us in touch with reality.  The reality is God has better plans for us than for us to spend a few short years in this life, and then for that to be the end for us.  “You are my inheritance, O Lord” is our psalm refrain.  In other words, God created us to be with him.  God showed us through his Son the way to get there. 

I explained earlier that our first reading was an example of apocalyptic writing giving the Jews hope as they suffered through a time of great persecution.  The passage today from St. Mark’s gospel is also an example of apocalyptic writing.  Mark’s gospel was written during the early Christian persecutions.  Like all apocalyptic writing it tells us the time of suffering will be short and those who are faithful to God will emerge victorious. 

We know time is relative.  Christmas will be here in a little more than a month.  Most of us are running around frantically thinking how can it come so quickly.  For a six year old child, it probably seems like it will never get here.  To say the time of suffering will be short is relative.  How short is short?  Sometimes when we’re suffering it seems to go on forever and we get discouraged.  Compared to eternity, though, it will be very short.  In the meantime, we have the sacraments and Jesus’ word to sustain us.  His words will never pass away.  It is our sure rock. 

Jesus’ statement that “This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place” is a confusing one.  Earlier in this chapter from Mark, Jesus had been talking about the destruction of the Temple and some of his thoughts about that catastrophic event got mixed in with his prediction of his second coming.  I’m sure in the minds of the early Christians the end of the Temple and of Jerusalem would have been happening at the same time that the world was coming to an end, and then Jesus would come the second time in glory.  There is something else Jesus said that indicates the second coming would not happen in the near future.  He said that when he came the second time in glory he would gather his elect from the ends of the earth.  Jesus’ words would not spread to the ends of the earth for a number of centuries. 

Tribulation and suffering will not last forever and if we are faithful to the Lord, he will bring us into a springtime of new life that will never end.  We must not let anything discourage us, but keep watch and be ready for we do not know when the Lord will tell us he’s ready for us. 

(I skipped this in later Masses and added some of these thoughts in an adlibbed fashion to the second last paragraph: In St. Mark’s gospel, two events are confused with one another: the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the end of the world along with Jesus’ second coming.  Mark was writing to a people who expected it to happen all at the same time and that it would happen very soon.  Several times in the gospels, Jesus warned his followers they would risk suffering and death if they were loyal to him.  By the time Mark was writing, the early Church was experiencing first hand what Jesus prophesized.  Peter and Paul probably had been put to death by this time.  The apocalyptic message in today’s gospel sounds gloomy and foreboding, but if we look at it closer it proclaims good news:  The Son of Man will come to rescue his people.  He will gather them from the four corners of the earth to himself.  Jesus tells us just as the branches of the fig tree starting to grow green and tender is a sign that winter is over, so when trouble and suffering come upon us, know that it will soon be over and spring will come.  And it will be a springtime bringing new life that will go on forever.  In the verses just before and right after our gospel Jesus tells his followers to be on guard, be alert.  We never know when any of these things will happen.)

 

 

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Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass - 24	Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass - 24	Sorrowful Mother w/glass - 24
I Heart - Ivory w/glass - 24	I Heart of Mary w/glass - 24	Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass - 24
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Fatima w/glass - 18	Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 18	Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 27

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Limpias	St. Jude	Divine Mercy
Holy Family	Angel	St. Philomena
Pieta - Marble	Pieta - Color	Holy Family
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Holy Family	24"	$180
Limpias	24"	$125
St. Anthony	24"	$125
St. Claire	24"	$125
St. Francis	24"	$125
St. Joseph	24"	$125
St. Jude	24"	$125
St. Padre Pio	24"	$125
St. Therese	24"	$125
Divine Mercy	22"	$125
Angel	22"	$100
St. Philomena	20"	$100
St. Philomena	16"	$65
St. Joseph	18"	$65
St. Francis	18"	$65
St. Anthony	18"	$65
St. Rita	18"	$65
St. Therese	18"	$65
Pieta - Color	15"	$75
Pieta - Marble	15"	$75
Holy Family	12"	$60
St. Padre Pio - standing	12"	$40
St. Padre Pio - sitting	8"	$50
St. Rita	12"	$40
Divine Mercy	12"	$40
St. Claire	12"	$40
Limpias	8"	$25
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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass	24"	$500
Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass	24"	$500
Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass	24"	$500
Infant of Prague w/glass	24"	$500
Our Lady of Grace w/glass	24"	$500
Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass	24"	$500
Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass	24"	$500
Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass	24"	$500
Sorrowful Mother w/glass	24"	$500
Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass	18"	$300
Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass	18"	$300
Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass	18"	$300
Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass	18"	$300
Our Lady of Grace w/glass	18"	$300
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass	18"	$300
Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass	12"	$200
Fatima w/glass	11"	$150
Fatima w/glass	18"	$250
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass	12"	$160
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass	15"	$200
Pilgrim Virgin w/glass	18"	$250
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July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

  

 

  

 

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