Given July 27, 2019 

                R. We need supernatural power.

                We need our priests celebrating Masses.

                We need people praying the Morning Offering
                    united to the Mass to offer up all they
                    do all day.

                Spread the blood of Jesus.

                Consecrate hearts to the Hearts of Jesus
                    and Mary.

                Cast the devil into hell.

                Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
 

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Exodus 17: 8-13

The Amalekites then came and attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Pick some men and tomorrow morning go out and engage Amalek. I, for my part, shall take my stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.’ Joshua did as Moses had told him and went out to engage Amalek, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek. But Moses’ arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, with Aaron and Hur supporting his arms on each side. Thus his arms remained unwavering till sunset, and Joshua defeated Amalek, putting their people to the sword.

   

Psalm 121: 1-8

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
    where is my help to come from?
My help comes from Yahweh
    who made heaven and earth.

May he save your foot from stumbling;
    may he, your guardian, not fall asleep!
You see — he neither sleeps nor slumbers,
    the guardian of Israel.

Yahweh is your guardian, your shade,
    Yahweh, at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you,
    nor the moon by night.

Yahweh guards you from all harm
    Yahweh guards your life,
Yahweh guards your comings and goings,
    henceforth and for ever.

 

2 Timothy 3: 14- 4:2

    You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures—from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be upright. This is how someone who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I charge you, in the name of his appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, give encouragement—but do all with patience and with care to instruct.

 

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?’

 

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time

October 16, 2016

INTRODUCTION – (Exodus 17, 8-13; 2 Timothy 3,14 – 4,2; Luke 18, 1-8) As Moses led God's people from slavery in Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land, they encountered numerous threats to their lives: the army of Pharaoh, the Reed Sea they had to cross, the lack of water and food in the desert. One such threat was opposition from those peoples whose lands they had to pass through to get where they were going. Today’s reading speaks of an attack by Amalek, a desert tribe living south of the Dead Sea. Moses positioned himself on a nearby hill to pray for success in battle. He prayed with his arms held high in petition. As long as he prayed, his prayer was powerful and effective. This story is an encouragement to us to persevere in our prayer, which is also the lesson in today’s gospel.

HOMILY – Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Einstein was a very intelligent man and his definition of insanity may be true in many instances. I’ve used this definition in counseling, especially with addictive behavior. But there are exceptions to Einstein’s definition of insanity. Jesus is giving us one exception in today’s gospel. The widow woman was in need of receiving a just settlement in a claim. She kept pleading with the judge that she be treated fairly, and eventually he gave in because he thought she might cause him some harm. In desperation the judge wanted to get rid of the widow, and her persistence paid off. Despite the wisdom of Albert Einstein, prayer is also something we cannot discontinue. Why is that? That is a question for which everyone wants the answer.

    “Why must we not stop praying, even and especially when it seems God is not listening?” Maybe what we are praying for is not good for us and God in his wisdom and love is protecting us. Maybe we will develop into spoiled children thinking we should always have our way. Maybe God wants to give us something better. Maybe if we are praying for someone else to change, which is a more complicated kind of prayer, God is trying to move them to a better place, but they are opposing God’s grace. My best answer is maybe God wants us to know that he is God and we are not. He wants us to stay aware of our fundamental relationship with God: that he is our Father and we are his children and we need him at all times. Now this is an important lesson that all of us have to learn. When we start thinking we are God, or we could do a better job than God does, then we get into big trouble. Adam and Eve could testify to that.

    God, it seems to us, runs his clock a little slower than we do. I believe having to wait for an answer to prayer accounts for about 90% of the reason why people don’t pray. Even if it’s not the exact blessing we have decided we need, every prayer will bring some blessing to us.

     I could talk a lot more about prayer, but I’m afraid it would get very complicated. Yet it’s not complicated at all. The simple answer of why we should keep on praying without growing tired is because that’s how Jesus tells us we should pray. Amen.

 

October 19, 2019

Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation

1. R. Each person has been given talents –
    a life time to bear fruit for
    the Kingdom.

2. Matthew 25: 14-30

‘It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness." Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness." Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back." But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good–for–nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

3. Matthew 21: 33-43

‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them thinking, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this is the Lord’s doing
and we marvel at it? 

‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’ 

4. Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her. 

5. Sing Song: The Angel Gabriel

6. Sing: See the Eyes That Look at Mary

7. Sing: Ava, Ava, Ava Maria

8. Sing: Veni Sancte Spiritus

9. Sing: Come Holy Spirit

10. A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb, the Bridegroom of the Soul

     Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.

 

The Visitation

1. Luke 1: 46-55

And Mary said:

My soul proclaims
    the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
    in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon
    the humiliation of his servant.
Yes, from now onwards
    all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty
    has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age
    to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm,
he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes
    from their thrones
        and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things,
    sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help
    of Israel his servant,
        mindful of his faithful love
—according to the promise
    he made to our ancestors—
of his mercy to Abraham
    and to his descendants for ever.

2. Sing: Hail Mary

3. Sing: Hail Mary

4. Sing: Hail Mary

5. Sing: Hail Mary

6. Sing: Hail Mary

7. Sing: Hail Mary

8. Sing: Hail Mary

9. Sing: Hail Mary

10. Sing: Hail Mary

 

The Birth of Jesus

1. Sing: Silent Night

2. Luke 2:1-7

Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census—the first—took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first–born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living–space.

3. Matthew 2: 1-12

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east asking, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem,
    in the land of Judah,
you are by no means the least
    among the leaders of Judah,
for from you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, ‘Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

4. Sing: We Three Kings

5. Sing: Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

6. Sing: What Child Is This

7. Sing: Little Drummer Boy

8. Sing: Do You Hear

9. Sing: O Holy Night

10. Sing: A Song from Jesus

 

The Presentation in the Temple

1. Sing: Little Baby Hands and Feet

 

2. Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary - February 22, 1995

1. The Prophecy of Simeon
Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus went to the temple. Simeon, the prophet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, met them and told Joseph and Mary of the great sufferings of Jesus and Mary. He told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart. From that point on, Mary ever remembered the prophecy of Simeon whenever she beheld her child. When she looked at His little body, even as an infant, she knew He would suffer. Every time she clothed Him and watched Him at play, her heart was torn in her chest as she knew what He would suffer. And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!

3. Second Sorrow

2. The Flight into Egypt
Joseph was told by the angel to flee. Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus had to flee because of what might happen to Jesus. They had to pack for a long stay. The child Jesus was so small! They left on their journey, hearts full of fear, trying to protect Jesus. They were forced to flee into Egypt.

4. Third Sorrow

 

3. Jesus Is Lost, In the Temple
Imagine the sufferings in Mary's heart when she realized the child Jesus was not with them. Think of how it would be to lose your child and not know where he was or if anything happened to him. With sorrow in their hearts, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to look for the child Jesus. And a sword, too, shall pierce your heart, O Mary!

 

5. Fourth Sorrow

4. Jesus Carries His Cross
Song: See the eyes that look at Mary, her tender infant child. See the child's Heart beat so tenderly, the Savior of the world!
See the eyes of Jesus and Mary as they met on Calvary. Mary's Heart knew Jesus' Heart so well! From the first moment of conception and throughout His life, Mary was so connected with Jesus and now she peered into His eyes. The crown of thorns adorned His Head! Blood ran down His face! A heavy cross on His back! Wounded, His whole body covered with bleeding wounds! And her whole life flashed before her, the life that she had spent with Jesus. This was the beloved child that she had held in her arms when Simeon told Mary that 'a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!'

6. Fifth Sorrow

5. Jesus Dies on the Cross
Mary stood under Jesus' cross as He was put to death. The child that she had held in her arms as Simeon prophesied, And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary! Now Jesus is dead on the cross! He gave His flesh, He gave His blood so that we might be with Him forever in heaven. He held not back. He gave His all. He calls out to us this day to see through the eyes of His mother as she appears and calls out with a Heart of great love, "Return to the love of my Son! He is with you this day. He remains with you, no less present than the day that He hung on the cross, in the Eucharist. He longs for you to come and be with Him. He is in your brother. How can you not love your brother when Jesus died for your brother?"

Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced with a lance. What came forth was blood and water, the sacramental life of the church. He lives with us this day in the Church. He gives to us His sacraments, the source of His life! He gives to us the Sacrament of Penance whereby any sin that we commit can be taken away through the priest. He wants us to be so close to Him! He gives us everything to be close to Him. But we see with such limited vision only those things that are right before our face, when the true reality is that which we don't see with our eyes, the reality of the invisible divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the consecrated Host! This is reality! This is our life! This is our power! This is God! And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!

7. Sixth Sorrow

6. Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
If we ever doubted for one second that we were loved, we could visualize the picture of Mary as she sat beneath the cross with the lifeless, battered, bruised and bloodied body of her Son in her arms, the same child that she held when Simeon prophesied her suffering. He gave His last breath. He gave the last beat of His Heart. He gave His all! This is the way He complied with the Will of the Father. He came to show us the way. He died in perfect peace. To His death He was in peace because He knew the Father's love. The Father loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for love of us! The Spirit descended upon the Virgin Mary and the Word was made flesh! The love of the Two Hearts! Such immense love beating for us!

In all love there is suffering. Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced with a lance. And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!

8. Seventh Sorrow

7. Jesus Is Locked in the Tomb
And now Jesus, His body lifeless, is locked in a tomb! What cold reality for Mary to realize that His body is now gone! A stone separated her from her Son!

He gave His last breath! He gave the last beat of His Heart for love of each one of us! And she comes to us this day with her sweet, beautiful voice and she asks us to go to her Son and love Him! How can we refuse Jesus who spread His arms and gave His life for each and every one of us? How can we not trust Him when He loved us so much that He allowed them to tear His flesh, to crown Him with piercing thorns and, lastly, to hang Him on a cross? He truly gave His life for us! He, truly God, is with us this day, the same as the day He died on the cross, in the tabernacle! And we take it so lightly! Death has no power over Him! Locked in the tomb for three days, He rose triumphant on the third day as He had foretold. He comes to give us life. He gives us the sacrament of Baptism that initiates us into His life, that makes us children of God and heirs of heaven if we remain in the state of grace. He asks two things: love of God and love of one another! He came to show us the way and His way is love. To His death on the cross He loved each one of us! He calls out to each one of us here today to be His soldiers, to march on a world that has forgotten God, that has forgotten what it is like to love! It is a battle to live in this world. But the battle is won with hearts that are filled with His love, empowered by the grace and might that He pours out in the Eucharist. He calls out for us to come to the Eucharist and to the tabernacle and be fed with His very flesh and blood. To feed on Divine Life, the greatest nourishment, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! This is the love He gives. This is the love He asks us to share.

9. Sing: The Rosary Song

10. Sing: Hail Mary Gentle Woman

 

The Finding in the Temple

1. Luke 2: 41-52

Every year his parents used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When the days of the feast were over and they set off home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was somewhere in the party, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere. 

    It happened that, three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’ He replied, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he meant. He went down with them then and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people.

2. Sing: Immaculate Mary

3. From Blue Book 9 - Excerpt from December 5, 1995

Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

Mary: We call out to you on the fifth day of the month to help to spread this movement across the world and to the children. I am Mary, your Mother. I am calling you to open your heart and help to lead many to me and my Son, to help all to consecrate their hearts daily to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I promise you, my little children, that there will be peace in this world, but many will suffer great trials and many will lose their souls. I am Mary, your Mother. I am calling. This is an urgent call for time is short. Many will lose their soul. Please – my little, lost children are suffering so in this world.

    1. Mary: The murder of the children in the womb of their mothers, my dear ones, this is a crime, the slaughter of innocent babies in the wombs of their own mother!

4. December 5, 1995 continues

    2. Mary: The children that were taught about sex at such an early age, young children—five and six years old—what do I say? Many have closed their eyes!

    3. Mary: How will little children know of the love of God? So many of the teachings that are being taught this day have turned to such evilness. I beg you from my motherly heart to reach the children, to be a mother to each child, to pray from your heart as you have never prayed before. Pray, my dear ones and reach the children, my little children. My heart bleeds for the children in America.

    4. Mary: Children of wealth — given such good things and look how they act!

December 5, 1995 continues

5. Mary: What more do I say? Many children will lose their souls. My Son is to be loved by the children. I am calling out to you to turn your hearts to love, to go to daily Mass and daily Communion. Die to yourselves and unite to the burning love of My Son, Jesus. At every Mass offer yourselves as a sacrifice united with My Son, Jesus. Pray to the Father and pray that you will be joined ever closer to the pure and tender Heart of my Son, Jesus.

6. R. Our beloved Jesus how we adore You and love You. You are the Almighty God, all worthy of all of our love. God created this vast universe and all of the creatures and look, look what man thinks - that he can take the life of a child, a life that God has given.

7. Mary: The darkness covered the earth and the light of the love of my Son was seen in the hearts of the children of the light. I am calling you to light up this darkened world, this world that has turned to sin. I am calling, I am pleading, I am sending out an urgent plea to help me to reach the children of America with the rosary and to go to the schools and to tell the children about the lives of Jesus and Mary. I am Mary, your Mother. The rosary is a mighty weapon against Satan. Satan prowls this earth looking for souls to devour. He is aimed at the youth, my little precious youth that do not even know of the love of my Son. Will you help spread His love to the little children in this world?

8. Mary: The Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph but many souls will be lost. What you do with your life this day to help me to spread the message of His love will make a difference to this hurting world. Do not be fooled by the false peace that you see for underneath there is much turmoil. Look into the hearts of your youth—look into their eyes, go to the schools and watch the youth.

9. Mary: Tell the children about the Mass and the Eucharist. Tell them of my Son, Jesus, who is truly present this day. This is the healing that the youth need—to come to Jesus in the Eucharist, to come to daily Mass. I am Mary, your Mother, I am calling out to you, my beloved ones to help me to spread the love of my Son to the children of America, for many will lose their souls for their serious sins.

10. Mary: This is a rosary from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Will you help spread these rosaries to this world? Many do not even know how to pray the rosary. The rosary is a powerful tool to use against Satan. I beg you to help spread the rosary to the souls of America.