Pray for special intentions.
   

Prayer for Grace for our Country

Dear Father united to Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present, celebrated around the world, in the Holy Spirit. We offer up all we do united to the Mass. We unite in one mind and one heart as members of the mystical body of Christ, with Christ our head in the pure and holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, through the powerful intercession of Mary with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory, and we beg for the saving grace, for our country, the United States. Please help us. We further pray for unity to always do the will of God in love. We spread the Blood of Jesus on the leaders and people of the United States and cast the devil into hell. We consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and all our dioceses, and beg for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God help us. We pray for our families, the priests, the Church and the world. In the Name of Jesus please hear us, we pray. We pray for our president and leaders. We pray that we are united as one nation under God to work together in love as God wants.  

February 9, 2022

Mysteries of Light

The Baptism of Jesus

1. Matthew 3: 13-17

Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him, with the words, ‘It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.’ Then John gave in to him. And when Jesus had been baptised he at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’ 
 

2. Jesus is Servant of the Father. Jesus comes to establish justice in the world.

3. Jesus is the Light of the world. Jesus is the light to the nations.

4. Jesus comes to set the captives free.

5. The sky is thrown open and the voice of the Father is heard
    "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

6. Jesus is the perfect servant. ‘You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ Matthew 5:48

7. At the baptism of Jesus, God the Father announced Jesus as the "Son" of God, His Son.

8. John said "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me".

9. Jesus' answer is: "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."
    "It is necessary to do God's will", Fr. Joe says.

10. Mathew 3:11

I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
 

This is a mystery. Pope John Paul II made it this Luminous mystery of the rosary.

(Fr. Joe says)
Luke tells us specifically that the Spirit, "came down in visible form of a dove."
The Spirit of God was there, all along, in Jesus, He is one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

The Wedding Feast of Cana

1. John 2: 1-10  

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. And they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the feast had all been used, and the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said, ‘Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’  There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water,’ and they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the president of the feast.’ They did this; the president tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew—the president of the feast called the bridegroom and said, ‘Everyone serves good wine first and the worse wine when the guests are well wined; but you have kept the best wine till now.’ 

2. Mary and Jesus went to the wedding Feast at Cana. Jesus worked the first miracle of His public life at Mary's powerful intercession.

3. Jesus is a Divine Person, He wanted to always do what was pleasing to His Father.
Jesus was always faithful and pleasing to His Father.

4. Jesus showed us how to promote the Kingdom of God: by loving and obeying the Father's will, we help in the building of the Father's Kingdom when we live in love and obey our heavenly Father.

5. The beginning of Jesus' ministry began at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordon.
These Mysteries of Light are so important into studying Jesus' life. We have a free will, Jesus always obeyed the heavenly Father's will.

6. In Baptism God gives us a sharing in His life. When we cultivate our relationship with the Holy Spirit, He infuses in our intellect the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, counsel, and understanding. The more we are filled with God's grace (His life in us), the easier and easier it becomes to follow Jesus.

7. Jesus began working miracles in His public life at the Wedding of Cana, He continued to serve and to love until He went to the cross. Jesus is the heavenly Father's Son, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Jesus showed us the way. We are to follow Jesus' teachings, His way, His life given obeying His Father and living in love.

8. God calls us His beloved sons and daughters, God gives us baptism, we need to live the life of following Jesus. We are commissioned in baptism to go out and spread the Good News.

9. Jesus came and performed miracles, He turned water into wine at the wedding Feast of Cana. Jesus came to open the eyes of the Blind. Jesus is the Light of the world. These Mysteries of Jesus began His public life.

10. Dear Jesus help us to follow You in peace and love and spread the Good News as we live more and more our calling in baptism as sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. Amen.

 

Building of the Kingdom of God

1. 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28

In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first-fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

2. In the new homily book of Fr. Joe's from 2005 he tells this story:

There was an artist who wanted to create a statue of Christ the King, He started working on a clay model, picturing Christ with arms upraised, his head back and a joyful expression on his face. It was a triumphant Christ, much like the picture of Christ St. Paul gives us in today's second reading. But when the artist went to bed it started raining and the moist air blowing in the window made the clay in his statue began to sag. When the artist saw his statue in the morning, Christ's arms were down, his head was bowed, his shoulders drooped and the expression on His face was sad. In the first reading he is the powerful Christ, acting as shepherd of his people caring for them. In the Gospel He is the judge. But in the Gospel He identifies with the poor and the thirsty and the hungry, the stranger and naked, the sick and imprisoned and he tells us "just as you did it for one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me".

3. God created us to know, love and serve our God and to love others as ourselves.

4. Most Christians realize, Fr. Joe says, that we are to help others, but we are to love and praise and honor and serve our God. He is our God!!! He deserves reverence, gratitude, and awe!!! God must be first; the first commandment tells us this.

5. Listen to the Gloria (at Mass) and sing it with a sincere heart - God deserve this.

6. God is all holy, Pray the Holy, Holy (at Mass) from the heart or sing it with great meaning - It is our duty to praise and worship God.

7. If Christ is King, do we not owe Him honor and praise and thanksgiving!!!

8. We cannot make up our own rules. The devil wants people to make themselves a false god. The devil wants dominance, to rule. God must be first. this is His order. When God is not first it is disorder. Adam and Eve sinned, they put themselves above God. We suffer today because sin entered the world. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve: death and disease, disorder, disharmony entered the world.

9. There is power over us, God is All Powerful, He can tell us how to live, He can give us His Law to live by. God has given us the 10 Commandments.

10. Fr. Joe says, "When we honor Him as our King, we commit ourselves to faithfully, following Him, the only path that will lead to sharing in His glory and in His kingdom someday. Amen"

 

The Transfiguration

1. Luke 9: 28-36

   Now about eight days after this had been said, he took with him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they woke up and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what he was saying. As he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
 

2. Before the transfiguration Jesus told the Apostles about His Passion and death.
Jesus told them that those who follow Him will suffer too.
He said "whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me". When He came down the mountain He predicted His death.

3. Fr. Joe said that Jesus, he felt, Jesus was telling Peter, James and John, that death would not defeat Him, but in spite of the suffering and death, it would all end in glory.

4. It is all going to end all right - read the last page in the Bible.

5. Jesus' crucifixion led to the resurrection, this is the pascal mystery.

6. Fr. Joe says, "He tells us if we trust Him, believe Him, remain with Him and follow Him, our own crosses and suffering will end in glory."

7. Fr. Joe says: "Faith is the primary and basic lesson we all have to learn in our dealings with God."

8. We can receive special moments on our spiritual journey that remind us how elated these Apostles must have been to see Jesus in the brightest light like this, transfigured. Peter wanted to stay there. It was like an ecstasy.

9. Faith is a virtue, and we receive the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and charity in baptism.

10. When those special moments when God touches our soul very deeply wear off, we must realize they were gifts, and thank God for them, and ask Him to increase our faith to believe when we do not have special moments when we feel Him very close to us.
God wants us to trust in Him.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus we place our trust in You!!!
 

 

 

The Institution of the Eucharist

1. Words from the Last Supper: "This is My Body, this is My Blood."

2. Matthew 26: 26-29

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ he said, ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’
 

3. Song: I Love You Jesus

 

4. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.

5. The Mass is the sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present.

6. In Baptism we receive a sharing in Divine Life.

7. Through the pierced side of Jesus flowed Blood and water - Water for baptism, Blood for the Eucharist.

       8. Jesus gives us a sharing in His life in Baptism and He feeds this life with Himself in the Eucharist. Jesus is truly present in the
         Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

       9. Through Jesus' pierced side the Church was born.

      10. The Church is the Body of Christ.

            Sing song: A Song from Jesus

 

            Sing song: Your Presence Pervades My Soul