October 2020 - Holy Hour for Priests - The devil hates holy priests

 

While St. Paul was certainly urging all Christians to live in a manner worthy of their calling, those words are certainly on our mind today and this evening as we pray and fast for priests. We pray and fast that they may live in a manner worthy of their calling.

St. Paul makes this urgent plea, because living in a manner worthy of one’s calling is not necessarily easy. It requires real effort for every Christian to practice humility, gentleness, and patience. It requires real effort to resist the temptations to indulge the ego, to lash out in harshness, to make excuses to speak and act impatiently. 

And since this is true for every Christian, it is true for priests. I’m not going to say the Christian life is harder for priests, or that our temptations are more numerous or more intense. But I will say that the devil hates priests and conspires to ruin priests. The devil makes special effort to tempt priests away from their ministry which is so vital to the Church.

Which again, is why, it is so good and important for us to pray for priests, to set aside special times throughout the week and throughout the year, to pray for priests. 

For the devil knows how much damage he can do to the church, to a parish, when he corrupts a priest, or when he wears away at a priest’s fortitude or patience. The devil knows the damage that can be done when a priest becomes discouraged in his vocation. 

And the devil knows just how much damage a good priest can do to the kingdom of evil. The devil once admitted to St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, that if there were three more priests like him in the world, the kingdom of Satan would be finished. So the devil will do everything he can to discourage priests, to tempt priests into not praying as they should, or obey their bishop as they should.

When priests live in a manner worthy of their calling—they become powerful instruments of God—conduits of grace into the lives of the Christian faithful. When they fail to live up to their calling—they can bring devastation, division, and great scandal.

On behalf of the priests of the Church—both living and deceased—I thank all of you for your prayers and fasting. We are supported, encouraged, protected, and fortified by your prayers in ways you cannot imagine. 

For priests who have caused scandal, we pray for healing. For priests who have lost their faith, we pray for renewal. For priests who have preached heresy, we pray that they may be corrected. For priests who are in mortal sin, we pray for their repentance. And for good priests that have touched our lives, who have brought us the comfort and consolation of the Sacraments, inspiration in their preaching, who have been icons of the Lord Jesus for us, we give thanks. We pray for the sanctification of all priests, that they may be a blessing to the Church, that they may deepen in the gifts they need for ministry and become ever-more effective instruments, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

June 1 2020 - Mary, Mother of the Church

Just in 2018, Holy Father Pope Francis instituted a new liturgical feast to be celebrated universally the Monday after Pentecost, in honor of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Church.

The day after we celebrate, the birthday of the Church, so to speak on Pentecost, we celebrate our Mother, who was present, praying for the apostles, as the Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Theologically, this title of Mary is not difficult to grasp. The members of the body of Christ are one with her head. She is the Mother of Christ the head of the Church, and so she must be the mother of all the members who are mystically united with Him. She is mother of both head and body, as all mothers are to their children.

Mary’s spiritual relationship to the members of the Church is evidenced in Our Lord’s proclamation from the cross. He gave Mary to be the Mother of all the disciples, when he said, “woman, behold your son.” And he commanded all of his disciples to love and honor her as a mother, when he said, “Behold, your mother.”

The title “Mother of the Church” is not new, but has been ascribed to Our Lady for centuries, recognizing Our Lady’s spiritual motherhood of all Christians, of all disciples, of all believers, of clergy and religious, married, single, and all the lay faithful.

As Mother prays constantly for her children from her place in heaven, as she did on Pentecost, as she no doubt did every day of her earthly life.

She no doubt prays that we may be open to all of those spiritual gifts we need, the gifts that God wants for us, for the spread of the Gospel and the building up of the Church. And I believe this is the deep reason Pope Francis placed this feast in proximity to Pentecost.

If we wish to be open to the gifts of the spirit and utilize-well the gifts of the Spirit, we need to honor and love Our Mother, for God chose her as an instrument of our redemption and sanctification. 

Today is a fitting day to offer a Rosary in Our Lady’s honor and to commit to cultivating our relationship with Our Blessed Mother daily, praying, through her, for the sanctification of the church, for the protection of the Church, and renewal of the Church especially in areas of the church that have grown stagnant, corrupt, fearful, or lifeless.

Pray for us, O holy mother of God, Mother of the Church, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

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To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, we recommend ourselves and the entire Church.

Guide and assist our Holy Father and our Bishops in their apostolic mission, and aid all who help them in their work.

Mother of the Church! Enlighten the People of God along the paths of faith, hope and love! You were given to us as a mother by your Divine Son at the moment of his redeeming death.

Remember us your children, support our prayers to God. Preserve our Faith, strengthen our Hope, increase our Charity.

Immaculate Heart! Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today.

From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, and from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.

That those who have died may share in the joy of life-everlasting; for our deceased family members, friends, and fellow parishioners, for all the poor souls in purgatory and for…Valentine & Sophie Reindle, for whom this Mass is offered.

Sept 26 2017 - Saints Cosmas and Damian - Offering the hours of the day to God

Saints Cosmas and Damien were twin brothers, born in the middle of the 3rd century. They both studied medicine in what is now modern-day Syria. They practiced their medical profession with not only great skill but great charity, offering their services for free to those who could not pay. They are the patron saints of physicians.

Since they were so prominent in the community, when the persecution of Diocletian swept through around the year 303, they were put to death, refusing to apostatize the faith.

As holy Christians and holy doctors, they remind us how important it is to offer the whole of our lives to the service of the Church. If we are doctors, to use our medical training for Christ, if we our lawyers, do use our legal expertise for Christ, if we are retirees, to use our time for Christ.

Many make use of their professional training and their time to make a name for themselves instead of service for Christ. The time we’ve been given is meant for our sanctification: whether we are a day- laborer or an expert in our field. As St. Paul says, “In whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

How we use our time matters for eternity. Christians are to be diligent, they should seek excellence in their work and true refreshment in their leisure, they should pursue virtue and the perfection of their character, subjecting every hour of the day to the Lord’s glory.

Whether we are spending 8 or 10 hours in the office, or able to spend warm autumn days in the garden, or sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, it’s not a bad idea to call to mind every hour our Christian identity, to dedicate that hour to God’s will over our own, to ask God to bless that hour for his purposes.

When our day is continually offered to God, the events of our day, even the hardships, can become opportunities for meeting Christ. We meet him in our labors, others can meet him, through us, because we have offered our hearts and minds and our diligence to Him.

As the Jews, in our first reading, returned from exile, rebuild the Temple to be a house for God to dwell, may the saints help us to build our lives, our bodies, minds, hearts and sufferings into a Temple where God is worshipped, adored, and served, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Through the intercession of Saints Cosmas and Damien, we pray that all doctors, nurses, medical professionals and health care workers may use their training for God’s glory, always respecting the dignity of every human life.
For an end to all medical techniques which violate human dignity, for an end to abortion, euthanasia, IVF, and the destruction of human embryos.
That the dignity of works may be respected by their employers and by the state, and for the unemployed and underemployed.
For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of September: “That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.” We pray to the Lord.
For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster and inclement weather, especially the people of Houston Texas, those who suffer from war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for those who struggle to live the call of Christian chastity, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.