March 25 2022 - The Annunciation & The Gospel of Life

 27 years ago today, Pope St. John Paul II issued one of his most powerful encyclicals, Evangelium Vitae, latin for, the “Gospel of Life” written to reaffirm the value and inviolability of every human life and to appeal to all people to respect, protect, love, and serve every human life.

No doubt, it was no coincidence that he chose this Solemnity of the Annunciation for the encyclicals’ promulgation for as the Sainted Pope wrote: “The one who accepted "Life" in the name of all and for the sake of all was Mary, the Virgin Mother; she is thus most closely and personally associated with the Gospel of life. Mary's consent at the Annunciation and her motherhood stand at the very beginning of the mystery of life which Christ came to bestow on humanity (cf. Jn 10:10). Through her acceptance and loving care for the life of the Incarnate Word, human life has been rescued from condemnation to final and eternal death.”

The Solemnity of the Annunciation celebrates that moment in which the Virgin of Nazareth chose life, the moment in which life chose her, and the moment that life took flesh within her.

Life chose her. God, the Author of Life, chose her to become the Mother of Eternal Life. This is why St. John Paul draws the connection between the Annunciation and Good Friday. He writes, “The "yes" spoken on the day of the Annunciation reaches full maturity on the day of the Cross, when the time comes for Mary to receive and beget as her children all those who become disciples, pouring out upon them the saving love of her Son: "When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!' " (Jn 19:26).

The motherhood which begins at her Annunciation reaches full maturity, he says, when she becomes the Mother of all the living, all those brought to new life by the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

She said yes to be Christ’s Mother, and implicitly, she said yes to be our mother. And we are to become like her, instruments of life, bearers of life, evangelists for life.

Today, Holy Father Pope Francis invites us to join him in praying for life, that the life of Christ may touch and transform a very troubled part of our world, Russia and Ukraine. So, in just a few moments, in union with our Holy Father and the Bishops, I will recite the Act of Consecration, in a plea to God that life may prevail in our world and in our hearts.

May we be servants of life today and all days, by allowing the “fiat”—the “yes”—the acceptance of God’s will of Our Lady, to resound and resonate and be repeated in our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Act of Consecration

to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Basilica of Saint Peter

25 March 2022

          O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you.  As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you.  Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence!  You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

          Yet we have strayed from that path of peace.  We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars.  We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations.  We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.  We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns.  We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons.  We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home.  We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters.  We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves.  Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

          Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life.  He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity.  By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

          We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart.  We are your beloved children.  In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion.  At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort.  Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”  You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times.  In you we place our trust.  We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

          That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs.  To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3).  Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded.  We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace.  We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness.  How greatly we need your maternal help!

          Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

          O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts.  May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew.  Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace.  May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs.  May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land.  May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

          Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26).  In this way he entrusted each of us to you.  To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27).  Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history.  At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ.  The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

          Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

          Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen.

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That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That Mary’s maternal care and heavenly intercession will raise us to the moral greatness befitting true children of God.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For blessings on all expectant mothers, newborn infants, and young families.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws that permit the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.  Let us pray to the Lord.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord. 

January 1 2019 - Mary, Mother of God - "You are my mother now!"

In 1929, just 17 days short of his 9th birthday, the young Karol Wojtyla — the future Pope Saint John Paul II — entered his family home during the afternoon. His parents were very pious, and young Karol was accustomed to see his father — a strong soldier in the Polish army — praying on his knees on their parlor’s hardwood floor. That day, when the young Karol saw his father praying, he saw his dad’s knees bathing in a pool of tears.

“What’s wrong, Papa” the young future Pope asked his father. “Karol, your mother has died!” was his father’s answer. His mother had Emilia died in childbirth.

The eight year old ran out of his home to the local parish Church, which was actually right across the street from the Wojtyla apartment home. He entered the Church and ran up the aisle of the Church to a kneeler in front of a statue of Mary.  Tearfully, he said to her: “Blessed Lady, I don’t know why God took my mother home at the time he did. But I do know one thing: YOU are my mother now!”

“You are my mother now!” Today we celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. At the beginning of the civil year, when we ponder what time will bring in the upcoming year, the Church reminds us very strongly of what happened at the fullness of time. “When the fullness of time had come,” we hear in today’s second reading, “God sent his Son, born of a woman.”

“You are my mother now!” Those words would first have been said by Jesus.  This is an incredible mystery, that the second person of the Blessed Trinity, who take human flesh, and call one of his creatures, “his mother”. Mary bore God in her womb, and is thus rightly called “Theotokos” the God-bearer.  We profess this truth every time we pray the Hail Mary:  “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners”

“You are my mother now!” Those words were spoken by Saint John the Apostle.  For from the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home”. 

“You are my mother now!” These words are spoken now by every disciple. For Jesus gave Mary as mother in the order of grace to the whole Church. We know that Mary had an important role in the life of the early Church, the disciples gathered around her in prayer in the upper room at Pentecost. And Mary is the mother of the family Jesus established through his passion, death, and resurrection.  Jesus wants his disciples to have his Mother as our own so that she could raise us to be like her Son.  Through Baptism, we say along with Saint John and along with Jesus himself, “You are my mother now!”

Jesus says to each of us, “Behold your mother!” He wants and hopes that each of us will do what his first beloved disciple wisely did, and take Mary into our home, into our lives.

Pope Saint John Paul’s devotion to the Blessed Mother deeply impacted his life, his priesthood, and his papacy.  When he was made bishop of Krakow, he took as his episcopal motto the words: Totus Tuus ego sum, which is latin for “I am completely yours.”  The motto “Totus tuus” was taken from a prayer by Saint Louis Marie de Montfordt: "Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria." "I am completely yours, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart"

In giving one’s self to Mary you can trust that she will always lead you to Jesus.  In our sinfulness, Mary leads us to Christ’s mercy.  In our sorrows and sufferings, Mary leads us to the sweet comfort of her son.  In our joys, Mary leads us to magnify God.  When we turn to Mary in prayer, she leads us deeper into the mystery of God.  She helps us to overcome our vices and our selfishness.

Our mother comes in haste to our aid when we call upon her.  And she will always help us to be free from all that keeps us from loving her son as we should—to make haste in serving God’s kingdom. 
We celebrate this Feast of the Motherhood of Mary at the beginning of the Church year, not because the Church wants to make New Year’s morning more difficult for us, but because this title of Mary as Mother is of the utmost importance. The heart of Jesus was filled with love for His Mother, and our hearts must become like His. Love for Mother Mary does not detract from our Love of God, but magnifies it. Authentic love of Mother Mary deepens our gratitude for the for the role she played in Jesus’ life, for the role she continues to play in our salvation.

So deepen your love for her by Praying her Rosary. Bring flowers to her statues. Build shrines to her in your homes and workplaces. Teach your children songs in her honor. Imitate her virtue. Take as your personal motto for 2019, Totus Tuus, give yourself and all that is yours to her completely. You will not regret it. Invoke the sweet name of Mary, our mother often, fly to her protection, implore her help, and seek her intercession for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

April 28 2017 - St. Louis de Montfort - A more Marian Easter

The Easter Season feast of Louis Marie de Montfort provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the need for a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary if we truly wish to experience the fullness of Christian life.

Mary was intimately united with her divine Son, Jesus Christ, during his suffering and death. Scripture tells of Mary standing under the cross. Her unwavering love comes to a sort of fulfillment at the foot of the cross, when her crucified Son pronounces Mary to be the mother of his disciples, Mother of the Church.

Our Lord gave Mary as our Mother, so we do well to give ourselves to her. Totus tuus, I am completely yours Mary, was Louis's personal motto; centuries later Karol Wojtyla, who would become Pope John Paul II chose it as his episcopal motto, when he was first made the auxiliary bishop of Krakow in Poland.

"Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt. Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria." ("I am completely yours, and all that I have is yours. I take you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart")

We each do well to take “Totus tuus” as our own personal Easter Motto. She who was united to Christ her Son in his death, was also united to Him in his Resurrection. And she helps us to do the same. There is a tradition affirmed by Ambrose of Milan, Ignatius of Loyola, and, most recently, by Hans urs von Balthasar that Mary encountered and rejoices over the Risen Christ.

During the liturgies of the Easter Season, Mary is referred to as one who is filled with joy because of the resurrection of her divine Son. The Marian antiphon sung during the Easter season, Regina Coeli, also celebrates her joy: "O Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia! For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia! Has risen as he said, alleluia!"

A strong Marian devotion will help us experience the joy of this season and grow in the graces of this season.

In his book “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, which John Paul II carried with him and read often, Saint Louis wrote, “Mary is the fruitful Virgin, and in all the souls in which she comes to dwell she causes to flourish purity of heart and body, rightness of intention and abundance of good works. Do not imagine that Mary, the most fruitful of creatures who gave birth to a God, remains barren in a faithful soul. It will be she who makes the soul live incessantly for Jesus Christ, and will make Jesus live in the soul”.

May we continue to discover her maternal presence with us throughout our Easter celebrations, that we may know her joy and respond to God with her perfect faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For deeper Marian devotion amongst all Christians, that the Church may more deeply share in Mary’s Easter joy over the Resurrection of her Son.

For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation of love, and that all sorrowful mothers may know the consolation and peace of God.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world.
That from the moment of conception all children will be preserved from bodily harm; for the overturning of unjust laws permitting the destruction of innocent life; and that the minds of all may be enlightened to know the dignity of every human life.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Mary, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven

Divine Mercy Sunday 2017: The Facebook Killer and Mercy

As you may know, last Sunday, Cleveland became the center of national news again. Sadly, a 74-year old man, Robert Godwin Sr, was shot and killed while walking on a sidewalk in the Glenville neighborhood. His murderer posted a cellphone video of the shooting on his Facebook account, leading many media outlets, to dub him the "Facebook killer".

Well, this week, Mr. Godwin’s family appeared on television. And in front of the entire nation, they forgave the murderer. Speaking for the family, his daughter Tonya said, “Each one of us forgives the killer… I forgive you and love you, but most importantly,” she said, “God loves you. God can heal your mind and save your soul.” She says, We want the killer to know, “that God loves him, we love him. Yes we’re hurt, but we have to forgive him because the Bible says if we don’t then the heavenly father won’t forgive us.” Of course she is referring to Matthew chapter 6 verse 15 which says “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Mercy, forgiveness, healing. This is what we celebrate today on this Feast of Divine Mercy. And the Godwin family proclaimed this truth, lived this truth so beautifully this week.

God loves us. God can heal our minds and save our souls. God calls us to forgive, and by that act of forgiveness, we ourselves are forgiven.

Mr. Godwin's son, Robert Jr, echoed the sentiment shared by his sister. He said,  “One thing I do want to say [to the killer] is I forgive him. Because we are all sinners…I’m not happy with what you did, but I forgive you.”

Here is a family, devastated by the senseless death of a dear loved one, but filled with the mercy of God.

This is our vocation as Christians: to be filled with the Mercy of God. Mercy was at the heart of Good Friday, Mercy was at the Heart of Easter Sunday. Today’s Feast celebrates the mercy lavishly poured out upon us by God and the mercy we are in turn to pour out for others.

Today’s feast of Divine Mercy stems from a series of private revelations given by our Lord in the 1930’s to a simple Polish nun by the name of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska. Now canonized, St. Faustina recorded these private revelations in a diary of about 600 pages detailing a whole program of devotion to the mercy of Jesus Christ. Consider the Lord’s timing in appearing to St. Faustina! The 1930s was the beginning of an era of unparalleled cruelty of man toward his brother, it saw the rise of totalitarian atheistic governments and rampant materialism, and the trampling of basic human freedoms like the right to life.

So, Our Lord himself gave to the Church this special and important gift, right when we needed it, to help us survive an era of darkness—an era which continues still.

In the pages of St. Faustina’s diary we learn of the Image of Divine Mercy. The Lord explained how this image is to help us remember God’s mercy and the need to show mercy. I encourage you to place the image of Divine Mercy somewhere in your homes.

In the Diary, we hear about the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which the faithful should pray with great devotion: asking God to show mercy upon our troubled world. The Lord said to St. Faustina, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” So, we do well to pray the Chaplet. If you don’t know how to pray the Chaplet, I’ve just given you homework. Learn it and pray it. Don’t turn on a television until you’ve done your homework!

Also in the diary St. Faustina writes about the Hour of Mercy, how our Lord desires that every day at three o’clock, his death on the Cross—the supreme sign and source of God’s mercy—be recalled in prayer and devotion. Every day we should stop at 3pm, and thank God for the gift of our salvation.

St. Faustina records in numerous places in her diary Jesus’ desire that a liturgical feast be instituted in honor of his mercy on the second Sunday of Easter. Thanks to St. John Paul II who instituted this feast, we honor our Lord’s wishes today.

Finally, Jesus told St Faustina, "I demand from you deeds of mercy... You are to show deeds of mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere."

Always and everywhere. To terrorists, show mercy. To murdering facebook killers, show mercy. To annoying neighbors and inconsiderate drivers, show mercy.  To people who you disagree with 

politically, show mercy and patience. To people who betray your trust, show mercy. To rude shoppers at the grocery store, show mercy. To God’s poor ones who reach out to you for help, show mercy. For souls trapped in cycles of sin and souls in danger of hell, pray for mercy.  For bishops, priests, and religious who so often fail in our solemn duties, pray for mercy. For children whose parents do not raise them in the faith, pray for mercy. “Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” You and I will not have peace until we become people of mercy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.