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July 3, 2017 - Feast of St. Thomas Apostle

Today's Readings

Ephesians 2: 19-22

So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow–citizens with the holy people of God and part of God’s household. You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built up into a dwelling–place of God in the Spirit.

Psalm 117: 1-2

Alleluia!
Praise Yahweh, all nations,
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending.

John 20: 24-29

    Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord,’ but he answered, ‘Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving any more but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

    You believe because you can see me.
    Blessed are those who have not seen
        and yet believe.

R. Faith – we pray for greater faith
to do what God calls us to do.

                    Yesterday Fr. Joe gave a homily
                about being sent. That when you
                are sent by God – that those a person
                is sent to, should treat them as
                they would if the person who
                sent them came himself.

                    Elisha was a prophet and
                sent by God. A person should
                treat the prophet with the
                respect God wants when He sends
                a person with a message.

                    I know that God gave us
                the beautiful image in Clearwater,
                Mary has appeared to deliver a
                message. In January, 1997 God the Father
                gave this message.

Excerpt from January 18, 1997

God the Father: ...Mary appeared at Fatima to warn you, the sinful children, how they were offending God, but you did not listen. The war did not change the hearts of many evil men.

I warn you through My beloved daughter, Mary. You did not heed her warnings. Disobedience against the Mother I gave you displeases Me greatly. Mary is the Mother of all children. Mary is a gift from Me, but you are willful and abuse the gift I send you.

You do not make reparation to her Immaculate Heart; you continue to offend her. I will not tolerate the deeds of evil men any longer.

My plan will unfold. Any disobedience to these messages given by Me, My Son, or your Mother Mary will cause Me great displeasure. end of excerpt

                R. God sent prophets all through
                salvation history to deliver a
                message for God and they
                persecuted the prophets.

                    The message was a gift. Like
                Jesus said once – if I warn you
                and you refuse the message
                it doesn't mean I won't let
                happen what I was warning
                you about – it will happen
                anyway, the warning was a gift.

Mary was sent at Fatima –

Excerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima

by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

July 13, 1917

    "During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." ⁽¹¹⁾

    "During this same July apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She told them:

    "You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

    "The war (World War I, then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light [January 2, 1938], know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. ⁽¹²⁾

    "To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....

    "But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world." ⁽¹³⁾

11. For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted to
    Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven (Rockford: TAN
    Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983). pp.3-4.
12. Ibid., pp.4-5.
13. Ibid., p.5.

R. This message was given as
a warning 100 years ago –

We have not listened.

Look what they did to Jesus –

Matthew 10: 22

You will be universally hated on account of my name; but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Acts 12: 1-3

It was about this time that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the church. He had James the brother of John beheaded, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well.

1 Thessalonians 2: 13-16

Another reason why we continually thank God for you is that as soon as you heard the word that we brought you as God's message, you welcomed it for what it really is, not the word of any human being, but God's word, a power that is working among you believers. For you, my brothers, have modelled yourselves on the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea, in that you have suffered the same treatment from your own countrymen as they have had from the Jews, who put the Lord Jesus to death, and the prophets too, and persecuted us also. Their conduct does not please God, and makes them the enemies of the whole human race, because they are hindering us from preaching to gentiles to save them. Thus all the time they are reaching the full extent of their iniquity, but retribution has finally overtaken them.

Jeremiah 26: 8

When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that Yahweh had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets and all the people seized hold of him and said, ‘You will die for this!

2 Corinthians 11: 23-26

Are they servants of Christ? I speak in utter folly -- I am too, and more than they are: I have done more work, I have been in prison more, I have been flogged more severely, many times exposed to death. Five times I have been given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews; three times I have been beaten with sticks; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked, and once I have been in the open sea for a night and a day; continually travelling, I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from brigands, in danger from my own people and in danger from the gentiles, in danger in the towns and in danger in the open country, in danger at sea and in danger from people masquerading as brothers;

Hebrews 11: 32-39

What more shall I say? There is not time for me to give an account of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, or of David, Samuel and the prophets. These were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what was upright and earned the promises. They could keep a lion's mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders. Some returned to their wives from the dead by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusing release so that they would rise again to a better life. Some had to bear being pilloried and flogged, or even chained up in prison. They were stoned, or sawn in half, or killed by the sword; they were homeless, and wore only the skins of sheep and goats; they were in want and hardship, and maltreated. They were too good for the world and they wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and ravines. These all won acknowledgment through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised,

Acts 9: 4-5

He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the answer came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Matthew 11: 25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Matthew 21: 33-46

Parable of the wicked tenants

‘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.’

    When they heard his parables, the chief priests and the scribes realised he was speaking about them, but though they would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on him as a prophet.

Excerpt from Response in Christ, by Father Edward Carter, S.J.

        2. The Church in Relation to Christ in His Threefold Mission

        a) Christ as Prophet

The historical Christ was the central figure in the long list of God's prophets who have assumed such a vital role throughout the course of salvation history. As Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah and the rest of the Old Testament prophets were the spokesmen for Yahweh, so most perfectly is Christ the spokesman for His Father. A prophet, then, in terms of salvation history is a specially commissioned teacher sent by God to His People. What is the task of the prophet? His role is in some way to reveal God and God's plan for man's salvation and sanctification.

    Christ accomplished the task of the prophet in an eminently perfect manner. Through His unique words of wisdom He made a deep impression upon His hearers: "Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes." (Mt 7:28-29). Through this teaching Christ gradually revealed the nature of God. He revealed this nature, not only as It is in Itself, but also as It is in Its relationship to men. Above all, He taught men the love and mercy which their Heavenly Father has for them. He did this in a manner which was radically adapted to their understanding, using the language and mode of speech which was familiar to them. Through the use of the most simple story Christ would often bring out the most sublime truths concerning God. His story of the Prodigal Son as given in St. Luke is an exquisite, graphic presentation of the loving and merciful attitude of God toward the repentant sinner.

    Yet Christ did not reveal the Father and the Father's plan only through word. He also did so through His actions. At times the events of His life were a more eloquent revelation than His words. The crucified Christ, as He hangs in silence upon the cross, speaks volumes to the world concerning the love and mercy of God, the justice of God, and the heinousness of sin. In short, it is the total person of Christ in all His words, actions, gestures – in everything – who reveals the Father to men.¹ This revelation of the Father includes within itself God's desire for man's response. For God does not reveal Himself in Christ to man for any empty purpose. God tells us He loves us, that He gives Himself to us in Christ, and that He wants us to respond with a love of our own as we live the way Our Father wants us to live: in Christ, Who is the way, the truth and the life.

    The Church, the People of God, is destined to continue Christ's prophetic, revelatory office.² The most obvious way she does this is through her official teaching mission. Primarily through the pope and the bishops, the Church has the responsibility of continually presenting the message of Christ in a manner which is relevant to the men of various ages. Yet it is not only the pope and the other bishops who accomplish this teaching mission. The theologian, the priest in the pulpit, the teacher of religion and theology, the mother and father educating their children according to the principles of Christ – all such people offer examples of the various ways in which the members of the People of God contribute to the continuation of Christ's prophetic or teaching office.

    There is another manner in which the entire People of God contribute to the Church's teaching mission. The official teachers in the Church, namely the pope and bishops, depend to a considerable extent upon how the Holy Spirit is operating within the entire People of God. The People of God in their universal grasp of matters relating to faith and morals assist the official teachers of the Church in their duty of correctly projecting the truth of Christ to the Church and world. An example of this is contained in the procedure which preceded the definition of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII speaks about this procedure: ". . . We considered it opportune to ask all Our venerable brethren in the episcopate directly and authoritatively, that each of them should make known to Us his mind in a formal statement. Hence, We gave them Our letter 'Deiparae Virginis Mariae', a letter in which these words are contained: 'Do you, Venerable Brethren, in your outstanding wisdom and prudence, judge that the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin can be proposed and defined as a dogma of faith? Do you, with your clergy and people, desire it? ' "³

    Consequently, we see the soundness of the newly discovered dialogue within the Church. The more open are the lines of communication between the pope and the bishops of the world, between bishops and their priests, between priests and their people, between religious superiors and subjects, the better is the possibility that the truth of Christ the teacher will more perfectly permeate the entire life of the People of God, and ultimately the life of the world.

    We have said that the historical Christ taught the truth of God not only through His words, but through His actions, His attitude, His gestures. In brief, He taught through everything He was and did. So it must be with the Church. The Church continues the teaching mission of Christ, not only through her verbal and written teaching, but also through her actions and attitude, and, summarily, through her total being as it is visible to men.

    We see, consequently, why the Church must concretely show her concern for the poor, the oppressed, the one who suffers from racial prejudice. The truth which the Church preaches concerning social justice must become incarnated in the visible, concrete action she undertakes for such a cause. Since the Church is the continuation of Christ, she must act as He did. Christ not only told men that He loved them, He proved that love in a concrete, tangible, incarnate manner.

    It is entirely appropriate that Christians be present at demonstrations concerned with a true and just cause, even though, of course, they are not usually representing the Church in an official capacity. The witness of priests, religious and laity demonstrating for racial justice is a powerful witness of the truth of Christ that all men are created equal. Sometimes such action is much more effective in projecting to the world the Church's concern for the racially oppressed than are the pastoral letters of bishops regarding racial equality.

    Every member of the People of God is called upon to continue the teaching mission of Christ. The baptized Christian is incorporated into Christ who is prophet, king and priest. This incorporation is further perfected through confirmation. Therefore each member within the Church receives a real share in the prophetic, kingly and priestly mission of Christ. In relation to our present topic concerning Christ as prophet or teacher, no member of the Church can excuse himself from carrying forward this particular mission of Christ. Some of the various possibilities open to all within the Church have already been suggested. We now emphasize a constant and ever available opportunity which is present to all, namely, the witness of a truly Christian life. A life constantly lived according to the truth and example of Christ is a powerful, persuasive witness to Christ and His message. Perhaps because there are too few such Christian witnesses, Christianity has failed to make the desired imprint upon civilization. For it is only when mankind sees the truth of Christ concretely lived out by Christians that such truth has the power to draw men to Christ and His Church in any great numbers.⁴

          b) Christ as King

Vatican II reminds us that Christ is not only prophet, but also king: "Christ, becoming obedient even unto death and because of this exalted by the Father. . . , entered into the glory of His kingdom. To Him all things are made subject until he subjects himself and all created things to the Father that God may be all in all."⁵

     Through His Incarnation, Christ as man became king over creation. In assuming a human nature, He united to Himself man and also the material creation below man. In the words of Teilhard de Chardin, Christ is the physical center of the Universe.⁶ Through His redemptive sacrifice, which is the culminating act of His Incarnation, Christ strengthened His title as king.

     Christ has redeemed man, and as a consequence of man's redemption, the whole physical universe has been redeemed.⁷ The appropriateness of nonrational creation being redeemed together with man himself is evident. In God's original act of creation He gave man dominion over material creation. This part of creation was meant to serve man in his quest for happiness here and hereafter. With the intrusion of sin into God's creation, man and nonrational creation were both affected. Through his misuse of God's creation by sin, man not only puts disorder into himself, but also into the creation which he misuses.

     Christ's redemption is meant to restore the disarray caused by man's sinfulness. Christ through His redemptive grace desires to heal more and more the sinfulness of man as this affects man himself and man's relationship to the material universe. Christ as king wants His redemptive grace to spread out and touch deeply man and the physical universe. With grace man relates properly to the material universe, for he more and more brings the material universe back to its role in God's creation, namely, that it serve man in achieving his temporal and eternal happiness. What is man's happiness? Because of the Incarnation, there is now only one destiny for man both here and hereafter. That destiny is a supernatural one in Christ. The material universe, through Christ's redemptive Incarnation, has therefore entered into this supernatural structure. Man and the physical universe have both been marked with the blood of Christ. More and more they are to be Christianized, that is, ever more perfectly drawn into the supernatural order established by Christ and centered in Him.

     To extend this kingly influence of Christ over creation is the task now of both Christ and His Church. We have long been aware that this means deepening and extending Christ's kingdom as regards man himself. But we are just beginning to realize what it means to extend His kingdom to everything which pertains to man. Vatican II, in opening up the Church to everything which is good in the world, has impressed upon us the fact that the Church, in prolonging Christ's kingly mission, must be deeply involved not only with man himself, but with everything which is of authentic concern to man. The council unmistakably tells us this: "The faithful, therefore, must learn the deepest meaning and the value of all creation, as well as its role in the harmonious praise of God. They must assist each other to live holier lives even in their secular occupations. In this way the world may be permeated by the spirit of Christ and it may more effectively fulfill its purpose in justice, charity and peace."⁸

     All within the Church are called to extend the influence of Christ as king. Each member of the People of God has a share in this kingly mission. Each must fulfill his role according to his vocation, talents, opportunities and graces. But fulfill his role he must. No one but the individual Christian in question can fulfill the particular role which God has intended for that individual. The Christian's quest for holiness is thus intimately connected with his response to Christ the king. The more ideally each Christian responds to this call of Christ, the more the entire Church can fulfill her mission of continuing Christ's kingly mission. This mission consists in imprinting the name of Jesus Christ more deeply upon the entire universe, men and matter alike.

c) Christ as Priest

Christ is prophet, king, and, finally, He is priest. Consequently, the Church must prolong the priestly mission of Christ as well as His prophetic and kingly offices. But because of the centrality of Christ's priestly office in His own life and that of His Church, this theme will receive detailed treatment in the chapter devoted exclusively to the liturgy.

________
         1. Cf. R. Latourelle, The Theology of Revelation (New York: Alba House, 1966), p. 359.
         2. For a contemporary, creative approach to the Church's prophetic office, cf. H. Nouwen, Creative Ministry (New York: Doubleday, 1971), pp. 1-40.
         3. Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, cited in The Encyclicals of a Century (Boston: Daughters of St. Paul), pp. 386-387.
         4. Cf. Edward Schillebeeckx, Christ the Sacrament of the Encounter with God (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1963), p. 209.           5. Constitution on the Church, No. 36.
         6. Cf. Christopher Mooney, Teilhard de Chardin and the Mystery of Christ (New York: Harper & Row, 1966), pp. 70-103.
         7. Cf. S. Lyonnet, "The Redemption of the Universe" in The Church, compiled at the Canisianum, Innsbruck (New York: Kenedy, 1963), pp. 136-156.
         8. Constitution on the Church, No. 36.

^{^{Given

October 29, 2016



R.
Please spread blessed holy water

(You can also mix Jesus and Mary water

with your blessed Holy Water if you have it.)

in your yard, around your house,

in the state you live in.


    And ask God to bless your state


Ask God to bless the United States

Pray all prayers through the intercession of

Our Lady of CLEAR – WATER.

Ask the Lady of CLEAR - WATER

to help with the blessed water.

Mary has appeared to me for 22 years,

in Ohio and Florida.}}

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                Given March 21, 2014

                R. Pray for These Things

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                    Ed, Jimmy, Steve, a special couple, Rosie & all involved.
               21) 2 babies and moms.
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