Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Posted on February 15, 2018 by mikatsa6

 

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As we enter into this season of Lent, crossing the threshold, if you will, we are called to remember that we are mere dust…a particle so small and insignificant on its own…a lifeless spec, void of blood and bones….

As the priest makes the smudge of a cross with black ashes on our foreheads, he whispers the words, “Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris,” which translates into: “Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return.” (this phrase is taken from the book of Genesis) With the humble acceptance of this action we are called to remember that without God, we have no breath…That without God we have no life…We live because He breathes His Life into each us.… He gives our matter, our physical form, its eternal depth… We are formed in His hands from the moment of our conception… before then, even…”Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you,” ( Jeremiah 1:5) Ash Wednesday reminds us that it is because of God that we have life, and without Him, we have nothing… We are nothing.

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Today is a reminder to the Faithful, that even though we are made of dust… formed out of the sin of Adam, marked with the stain of our first parents… with Christ, we have been redeemed. Through no merit of our own, we have been saved. We are reminded that because of God’s goodness… God’s unfathomable mercy…. we have been transformed. And now, with the promise of God’s salvation, we need to understand that there is more to us than our flesh and bones … Sure, our bodies shall return to dust when we die, because once they are empty, they belong to the earth…. but our souls…our souls… they belong to God!

As the first day of this period of Lent, Ash Wednesday is the perfect way to begin this healing of our souls. With these forty days the Church has given us guidelines…a perimeter of sorts… with fasting, penance, prayers and alms giving. These coming days before Easter should be marked with conversion. We need to put ourselves back on track. We need to use this time as a means of mending and repairing any damage we may have done by becoming comfortable with sin. A sure way to remove this comfort is by fasting and doing penance.  Throughout the centuries the saints have understood the importance of  fasting and depriving themselves of physical satisfactions. St. Francis de Sales wrote: “Fasting and abstinence strengthens our spirit as it mortifies our flesh and our sensuality. It raises our soul to God.”

This detachment from material goods, and this purposeful time of prayer, helps purify us from our sins…When we remove these distractions…we are more apt to find God. And when we do, we are likely to find that perhaps there is no better proof of love…True Love…than a smudge of black ashes in a cross on our foreheads… a visible sign to the world, that yes, there is a God…who came and died for us because He loves us very much.

 

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The Holy Face of Jesus and Shrove Tuesday

Posted on February 13, 2018 by mikatsa6

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Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and here we are, once again staring into what some would refer to as the dark days of Lent. It is a period of forty days of fasting, prayer and alms giving.  As Catholics, we are called to do without….to sacrifice…there is no meat on the Fridays of Lent and several days of fasting. It is a stark contrast from the ways of the world, in which we are constantly told that we deserve the best, that we are better than this or that… For many, this period of days is a step out of the normal everyday sense of self satisfaction ….During lent we are called to embrace our Crosses… more so than normal. We are called to fast, so that we may be hungry…so that we can gain an appetite for the Lord. We are reminded that we are not put upon this earth to satisfy our every want and desire. It is a period of repentance. But instead of viewing it as long drawn out days of bleakness…let us begin this day by looking at the Holy Face of Jesus.

Today is recognized as Shrove Tuesday. It is also the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus. Of course the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus dates back into ancient times, with the appearance of  special Masses being offered in the fourteenth century. There have been many saints who reflected and wrote devotions honoring this observance. But back in 1958, Pope Pius XII made it official. He decreed that this Feast should be celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Even though there have been many reformers who would try to do away with such devotions, many dioceses throughout the world still hold special masses for this feast, this devotion. Pope John Paul II, even reiterated this message in 1986, and had a Mass celebrated for the feast.

So today as we prepare ourselves for this coming Lenten journey, let us begin by meditating upon the Most Holy Face of Jesus…asking Him for His guidance…His love, and His mercy, in all things, so that we may make this our best lent ever… dying to ourselves, so that He may fill us with Himself.

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE

O Jesus, Who in Thy bitter Passion didst become “the most abject of men, a man of sorrows,” I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead … but now it has become for me as if it were the Face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy Infinite Love and I am consumed with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men.

The tears which well up abundantly in Thy Sacred Eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, Whose adorable Face ravished my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy Divine Image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.  (St Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face)

 

 

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Our Lady of Lourdes – “I Am The Immaculate Conception”

Posted on February 13, 2018 by mikatsa6

Our-Lady-of-Lourdes cloud

In the Traditional Catholic Church, February 11th is recognized as the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It celebrates the first of eighteen visits that began in 1858 and  occurred in Lourdes France, in which the Blessed Mother appeared to a simple young girl, Bernadette Soubirous. During these visits, the Blessed Mother instructed Bernadette to dig in the mud, which revealed a miraculous spring. The Blessed Mother also told Bernadette that she wished that a Church be built on the site.

On one visit when Bernadette asked the Blessed Mother who She was, the Blessed Mother replied, “I  Am the Immaculate Conception.” Revealing a title which the Church had declared as Dogma only four short years prior to these visits. A title that proved, that in fact, the Blessed Mother was actually appearing in the small village, as there was no way that an unschooled young girl would ever have called the Blessed Mother that name on her own accord.

In the Church, it has always been recognized that the Blessed Mother was conceived without the stain of original sin…that she was ‘Immaculately conceived’ in the womb of her own mother. The Church teaches that Mary was kept free from all actual or personal sin, by a special grace from the Lord. Because the Lord knows all things, He knew  that He would have to redeem mankind from their sins by sending His Only Begotten Son to die for them, God created His Mother, Mary, pure and free from any stain of sin…She was the spotless tabernacle in which Jesus would reside…It makes perfect sense. If you were God and wanted to send your Son into a world marked with sin, would you send Him in a dirty, spotted vessel…or would you use the cleanest…Most Holy, untarnished vessel? Well, that is exactly what the Lord did with Mary. He created her to be spotless…pure and Most Holy.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe who was martyred in Auschwitz,  in the year 1941, developed a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, particularly in regard to Her Immaculate Conception. He understood that the Blessed Mother was the way to fight all heresies…He realized, after all, that it was She who would crush the head of Satan…   “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she will crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Immaculate conception halo

Saint Maximilian Kolbe created an an association which reflects this notion in its very name: the Militia Immaculatae. He understood the absolute importance of her role in the salvation of mankind. Much of his writing dealt with Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. When speaking about Mary he said,

“The creature most completely filled with God Himself, was the Immaculate, who never contracted the slightest stain of sin, who never departed in the least from God’s will. United with the Holy Spirit as His spouse, She is one with God in an incomparably more perfect way than can be predicted of any other creature.”

In prayer, he often contemplated her words to young Bernadette for many years. ‘How could She describe Herself as the Immaculate Conception, and not as the One who was Immaculately Conceived?‘ It was a theological question that would puzzle him almost to the end of his life. But there is grace, and shortly before his arrest he had scribbled down some notes as to what it all meant. In a moment of God’s revealing goodness, Maximilian had came to understand that Mary was indeed the ‘created‘ Immaculate Conception, so that She would be able to become the Mother of God through the work of the ‘uncreated‘ Immaculate Conception, which was the Holy Spirit.  Kolbe explained that, everything that exists outside of God, depends upon God in every way…every created thing is in Truth an effect of the ‘Primal Cause.’

In other words, the conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mother, with the power of the Holy Spirit is eternal. And because Mary was conceived without sin by the same power of the Holy Spirit…she was completely conformed to his Will…and by the singular grace of her Immaculate Conception, she is totally receptive to God’s love. But her importance did not end with Christ’s birth…that was, in a way, just a part of the beginning. We know that God intended for her to be the Mother of all men, as shown when Jesus, hanging from the Cross, tells His beloved disciple John, “Behold your Mother.” (John 19:26) He was giving His Mother to all of the Faithful. Then if one needs more proof, we know that when Her physical life was over, she did not die, but rather, she was Assumed, body and soul, into Heaven, where She now resides with God the Father …God the Son…and God the Holy Spirit. She remains the living, human conduit for the graces that the Holy Spirit wishes to distribute to us.

And Kolbe goes on to say:

“The Holy Spirit manifest his share in the word of Redemption through the Immaculate Virgin, who, although she is a person entirely distinct from Him, is so intimately associated with Him, that our minds cannot understand it. So, while their union is not of the same order as the hypostatic union linking the human and divine natures in Christ, it remains true to say that Mary’s action is the very action of the Holy Spirit.“

                                                     –Miles Immaculatae, I, by Kolbe, 1938

Unfortunately, so many Christians and even many Catholics don’t understand this role of Mary. They feel that somehow this elevates Mary into a position in which she doesn’t belong…but that is so far from the Truth. Pope John Paul II echoed Saint Maximilian Kolbe when he wrote in 1985,

“the Immaculate Conception does not mean only an exaltation of Mary, as if she had been transported outside of all those who have received the inheritance of the  stain of our first parents. On the contrary, it means her insertion into the very center of the spiritual combat, of this “enmity” that in the course of human history places the Prince of Darkness” and the “Father of Lies” in opposition of the Woman and her Seed.

Through the words of the Book of Genesis, we see Mary Immaculate in all the realism of her election. We see her at the culminating moment of this “enmity”: at the foot of the Cross of Christ on Calvary. There “She will crush your head and you will strike Her heel.”

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Throughout the history of the world the Blessed Mother has come to help guide mankind closer to her Son. When there is an error spreading through the world, she comes like a Light, guiding us back along the path which leads us closer to Jesus. She has given us different tools to help us on our way. The rosary being one of the most important. She even taught the young Bernadette to pray the rosary for conversion of sinners. We still have the rosary today. It is still as effective as it was then. It is one of the most important ways we have of turning our world away from the destructive path it is headed…but we must pray it….everyday…

The Blessed Mother continues to be an example for all mankind. She was created out of God’s pure love….and she loves her Son, with a completeness that is beyond our comprehension, and yet, She continues to avail herself to mankind so that they too, may grow to love Him with a deep intimacy as well.  With a Most compassionate heart, She  wishes for us to love Him with all of our beings. She is tender and caring…often times it is said that she is the reason that God has withheld His just punishment from this evil world. She has come, over the course of this world’s history and has asked us to pray… asked us to allow ourselves to grow closer to her Son. With the rosary, we have an opportunity to do something really special…we have an opportunity to do something really grand…the time for making excuses is gone. We must unite ourselves with the Immaculate Heart of Mary….and love the Sacred Heart of Jesus…with all of our mind, all of our body….all of our being. As we prepare ourselves for this coming Lent, let us resolve to hold nothing back… let’s give it all back to Him…for His greater Glory. Amen.

 

 

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Praying to End Human Trafficking – Saint Josephine Bakhita

Posted on February 8, 2018 by mikatsa6

The scourge of human trafficking is a real threat to women and children all over the world, particularly in countries where women are still treated as subclass humans. It used to be a problem that was far away, a problem that happened in poor countries on the other side of the world, but not anymore. Unfortunately it is spreading right here at home in the good ole’ United States of America. People who have no value for the sanctity of life have created the perfect environment for this type of behavior to flourish and spread.  When we allow people to decide if a child should live or die, when a society pushes abortion as a right, treating the unborn baby as subhuman…these are the fruits that will be reaped.

Many young women in the middle east are kidnapped by Muslims and sold into slavery every day. Some of these girls are as young as nine years old. They are sold for labor, and for sex. It is quite disturbing. Even here in our own homeland, people are selling children for exploitation or personal gain. Drug addicted parents have been caught selling their sweet little children to scumbags for sexual acts, so they can support their drug habit. There is something wrong with a society that falls so far, that parents won’t even protect their young children from the monsters of the world.

There are roughly 20.9  million human trafficking victims worldwide, and in the United States last year there were over 4,000 victims. But so often, victims do not report the crime. Many of them are afraid that they will be punished for the crime of prostitution. Unfortunately, many of these women and girls are forced into silence by pimps who threaten them with violence or threaten them by telling them that they will go to jail for prostitution. It is a dismal circle of violence and hopelessness for many of these victims. They are trapped, many of them feel like they have no way out. It is a vicious cycle that often offers no way of escape, except death.

As Christians we need to pray for these children…for these girls and these women. Even if we can do nothing else, they at least deserve that much from us.  We have an obligation to bring them into our hearts and pray for them. Many of these young girls live in godless homes and have little hope…we have to be that hope. We have to carry the Light of Christ everywhere…even if it threatens our comfort zone…even if it makes us uncomfortable or sad. God expects great things from us. He created each of us for greatness. If you need a push in the right direction, you need to look no further than today’s saint, Saint Josephine Bakhita.

Josephine Bakhita was born into a wealthy Sudanese family in the late 1860’s. When she was just seven years old, Muslim slave traders captured her. She was sold and resold into the sex slave market while she was still a child. She was beat and abused at the hands of these men. A few years later she was bought by a Catholic Italian Consul General. He did not abuse her, either physically or sexually. Living with him and his family, she was finally able to have a bit of happiness.  They treated her with respect and she was able to feel like a part of their family as she cared for their children. When the family moved back to Italy, she begged to go with them.

Bakhita

She was treated very well in Italy and grew to love the country.  She became a  Catholic Christian in the year 1890, and took the name Josephine as a symbol of her new life. In 1893, she entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice Italy. She lived with them for the next fifty years.

Even though she had endured much suffering and abuse at the hands of her captors, when she became a religious sister, she had a most pleasant demeanor and was very comforting to those she served. She was eager to always help with any task, often taking on the menial tasks that others avoided. She had a very warm continence and was the subject of a book that was published in 1930. After which, she was often sought after for speaking engagements. Any monies she earned she used to support the poor.

Her terrible ordeal did not tarnish her soul. As a matter of fact, she once said:

“If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me
and even those who tortured me,
I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen,
I would not be a Christian and Religious today…”

Even though she was not a Christian at the beginning of her ordeal, she was able, with God’s grace, to look at the world, look at the events of her life, with the eyes of one who trusts in the Lord. Even though she suffered at the hands of men and endured terrible pains, she was able to see that God had a purpose for her. She could see that He had indeed created her for great things. She carried her sufferings as a Cross that united her to Christ. She once said:

“I can truly say that it was a miracle I did not die,
because the Lord has destined me for greater things…”
Saint josephine bakhita

So today, as we contemplate the life of this brave woman, let us remember our sisters who are still being captured and imprisoned in these hellish traps. Let us actively work to end this horrible crime against humanity. If we can offer our prayers for these women who suffer, or perhaps volunteer or donate funding, we can help ease the suffering of so many, who have lost hope. We can bring the Light of Christ into these dark corners of the world and help these women…these girls realize what Saint Josephine was able to realize…that there is a God, and He loves them very much.

Let us pray for them, that God’s grace will reach them, and that even in their darkest hours they may know that there is hope. On this day, which has been designated as the International Day of Prayer to Stop Human Trafficking, let us vow to not forget these women who are often used and abused and treated without the dignity they deserve. And perhaps, with God’s goodness and grace…we may be able to help these women…these girls… realize that in fact they were created for far greater things.

Prayer to End Human Trafficking

O Lord, you said you came: “to set the captives free.”
In our world young men and women who are trafficked are modern day slaves.
Help these young people not to lose hope.
Give the grace for elected officials to grow in awareness of and to take active steps to eradicate this horror.
Teach them not to prosecute the victims of trafficking but to bring to justice those who perpetrate this crime.
Lord, give the grace of conversion to those who mistreat unfortunates for their own personal gain.
May demand decrease as people realize that prostitution is a crime against human dignity, forced upon these people, who are more victim than anything else.
May the awareness of this horrendous crime spread throughout the world and may many join the efforts to stop trafficking and help the victims begin anew, filled with hope.

We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

~  Sr. Veronica Piccone, MSC

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Feast of Saint Blaise

Posted on February 6, 2018 by mikatsa6

As we begin this shortest month of the year, we have already started off with several feast days as well as the secular holiday of ground hog’s day, a day in which many hold their breath to see if some fat groundhog will see its shadow or not. But in the Catholic Church, the aim is a bit higher, and already this first week we have celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple which takes place on the same day as the Purification of the Blessed Mother and is also celebrated as the Feast of Candlemas. It has been a busy week. Finally, with this first weekend well under way, we come to the Feast of Saint Blaise.

Saint Blaise was a well educated physician who lived in the 3rd century. When the Bishop of  Sebaste in Armenia died, Blaise was chosen to replace him. It was a time in which terrible persecutions were being doled out for the Christians living there. The persecutions continued to worsen under the reign of the Governor Licinius.  When soldiers were sent to gather all the Christians, God sent a message to Blaise to run into the wilderness, so as to escape imprisonment. Blaise obeyed and went into the woods where he found a cave in which he was able to continue serving the Christian faithful.

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There are many stories surrounding this Saint including his connection with wild animals. Once a village woman had witnessed a wolf snatch a young piglet from her lot. She chased it through the woods and came upon the saint. She told him what had happened where upon he immediately scolded the wolf for stealing. Without hesitating, the wolf released the piglet and disappeared into the forest. Word spread through out the village that not only did the saint care for the Faithful but for all of God’s creatures as well.

In fact, when the governor’s soldiers were out searching for Saint Blaise, they found  a cave surrounded by many animals which were sick and suffering. As they peered into the dark cave they witnessed Saint Blaise down among them, healing them. Instead of being awed, they captured him and took him to the governor who had him imprisoned.

While in prison, a woman who had heard of his miraculous ways, brought her young son who was suffering from a disease of the throat and asked Saint Blaise for his blessing. Some stories say that the young child had a fish bone stuck in his throat, but either way, as soon as the saint prayed for the young lad, he was healed. In thanksgiving for the cure, the woman brought candles to alleviate the cold and dampness that permeated the saint’s dark cell.

Soon Blaise stood before the judge. He was told that in order to secure his freedom, he must make an offering to the pagan gods of Rome and offer a pinch of incense to honor Caesar, and confess his loyalty to them instead of to the One True God. He refused to deny the Lord. So instead of gaining his freedom on earth, he was given the punishment of death. And then along with a group of religious women, he was cruelly tortured and beheaded.

Word spread about this miraculous Saint and he was often called upon in times of trouble. During the Middle Ages his fame grew and many of the Faithful developed a devotion to this holy saint. He is often represented in art with two candles blessing a young boy. He is also included in a listing of saints called the fourteen “Holy Helpers.” These are the holy men and women who could be counted on as intercessors for all manners of maladies. He was often called upon for protection from throat ailments, which often are the first sign of a more severe illness, such as an impending epidemic.

During the 14th century when a plague epidemic caused sudden and painful death, many died suddenly without the benefit of the sacraments. Perhaps born out of  their fear, many people sought the intercession of the saints to ease their sufferings. It was during this time that many  of the faithful developed a devotion to praying to the saints,  in particular, Saint Blaise. Due to the many reports of healing and intercession, he became the patron of those suffering from any illness, but particularly those ailments that affect the throat. Even to this day, the 3rd of February is when the priest will use two blessed candles in the shape of a cross and bless everyone’s throat for protection against disease and illness.

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As Catholics… as professed Christians, we do not mourn Saint Blaise’s earthly death. We know that this time on earth is but a brief moment of our eternal life, and like Blaise,  we must place our Trust in the Lord. We are living a time when Christianity is falling by the wayside. So many of the Truths that have been clung to and professed for years are now being denied. We are living in a day and age where we are expected to abandon the teachings of the Church and follow along with the cultural trends.  It seems that not a day goes by that we don’t hear of someone being punished for not embracing the humanistic ideologies that are moving through our societies. People are being condemned for their pro-life convictions and people are being persecuted for their stand on the sanctity of marriage. Unfortunately, it is only going to get worse. As these groups gain momentum, they tend to take on a more aggressive attitude towards those who do not accept these new ‘fangled truths,’ which are really lies..

We must understand that one day we may be facing the same kinds of persecution that Saint Blaise faced, and like him we must realize that even if we are faced with tyrannical leaders who threaten us with violence or even death, that we must stand firm in the Faith and like those before us, accept the promise of Christ and know that if we allow ourselves to be transformed through our own suffering and death, while holding fast to the Truth,  God will protect us from all harm. And even though we may never reach the status of a declared saint in the Holy Mother Church, that perhaps one day, we may be able to join with those who have gone before us, and find our place with God in heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What Makes a Good Christian – Saint John Bosco – January 31st

Posted on February 1, 2018 by mikatsa6

 

st. john bosco kneeling

In this day and age where many are falling away from the Faith at an alarming pace… particularly our young people, it would be a wise idea for us to read up on this holy saint, Saint John Bosco. He devoted his life to serving the Lord. Even back in his day he realized that many of the young boys were falling out of good grace with the Lord and that many of them were going to suffer the fires of hell if they did not amend their ways. He had many dreams in which God allowed him to be shown the future and what would be the fate of these boys if they did not amend their sinful ways.

As I was reading through the daily readings in The Magnificat, I came across the daily meditation which was written by Saint John Bosco. I thought it would be a good idea to print it here. We are living in a day and age where so many people have different ideas of what it means to be a good Christian. So much so, that the Truth often gets lost in the shuffle. Saint John Bosco was a priest who took it as his duty to teach the Faith to everyone. His primary goal in doing so was to save souls for the Lord. Please read the following excerpt, allowing yourself to meditate on the words of this holy saint. When you’re done, ask yourself…are you a good Christian? Do you think Saint John Bosco’s message is still relevant to us today? Let me know what you think. God bless.

The true Christian obeys his parents, his masters, and his superiors, because he recognizes in them if not God Himself, then those who take His place. The true Christian, whether eating or drinking, will imitate Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee and at Bethany. He will be sober and moderate, aware of other people’s needs, and more concerned with spiritual nourishment than with the material sustenance of his body.

The good Christian must deal with his friends as Jesus Christ dealt with Saint John and Lazarus. Let him love them in the Lord and for the Lord’s sake; let him confide to them the secrets of his heart, and, if they stray from the path of virtue, let him try his utmost to return them to the grace of God.

The true Christian must suffer privations and poverty with resignation, like Jesus Christ who did not even have a place to rest His head. He must learn how to endure adversity and calumnies, as Jesus endured the scribes and the Pharisees, leaving vindication to God. He must learn how to bear insults and abuse, as Jesus Christ did when his face was spat upon, slapped, and reviled in a thousand ways at the praetorium.

The true Christian must be ready to accept spiritual anguish, as Jesus did when betrayed by one of his disciples, denied by another, and abandoned by all.

The good Christian must be willing to accept patiently every persecution, sickness, and death itself, like Jesus Christ who- with a crown of thorns, lacerated by flogging, pierced by nails- gave up His soul serenely into the hands of His Heavenly Father. – Saint John Bosco

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How God’s Truth Led to the Conversion of St. Paul

Posted on January 29, 2018 by mikatsa6

 

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Unfortunately, we all seem to know someone who doesn’t like the Catholic Church. Either a little…or a lot. Some will even go as far as to say that they hate it. And honestly, they really might. So many people don’t like what they don’t understand. They say they don’t like how the Church is structured… or the hierarchy. Perhaps it is just the parish priest they don’t care for …or maybe they don’t like the pope. Some people don’t like giving their money to an institution that  has more wealth than them. I used to know someone who always hated parting with his money during the collection… he seemed to have a great disdain for tithing… Still others look at the Church and Her rules as an infringement on their freedoms. Yet, these are the very ones who do not know what freedom really is... they do not recognize the Truth....and how that Truth, really does set you free… Perhaps it’s the sacrament of confession that separates so many from the Catholic Church… After all, it does take a bit of humility to admit you’re wrong… and to confess your sins…and seek forgiveness…

The list of reasons is long, and the extent of the excuses are many. There are numerous reasons why people fall away… or turn away from the Faith…but perhaps, for no other reason more so than the sin of pride. Most people who turn away from God are full of themselves… They have their own ideas of what is right and wrong. They don’t want to be told what to do. They want to make their own decisions… They think they have no need for God. And they definitely don’t need a religious institution intruding in their affairs. They have themselves. They  have their pride. Like I have said before, it is nothing new. It is the same story over and over… Yet, God keeps calling them. God keeps proving to man that He is the Truth. That He is the Way. He knocks them off their high horse and forces them to face the Honest to Goodness Reality that He is the Truth. That’s exactly what happened with one of the holiest saints ever, St. Paul, or Saul, as he was called, before he got knocked off his high horse.

You see, Saul was a Jew who was educated to become a Pharisee, he observed Jewish Laws and Jewish traditions. He was very religious, and very strict in his observances… perhaps more so than any of his peers. But when God became Man, with the name of  Jesus Christ, and instituted His Church… the Catholic Church, Saul looked upon Christ as a blasphemer and at these followers of  Christ as heretics…he saw them as men who hid in shadows and conspired against the Jewish Faith… Which was his faith. He despised the fact that they chose to follow this so called Messiah. When, in his eyes, they would be better off preparing themselves for the coming of the true Messiah…the one that would re- establish the Kingdom of Judah. The One that would dominate and conquer. In Saul’s view, Jesus Christ had done none of this. In his view, Jesus Christ had failed.

In fact, Saul saw Jesus as an enemy of the Jew… After all, he had conquered none and worse yet, He had allowed Himself to be put to death on a Cross.  Saul felt that these Christians were deviating too far from the old laws… the old Jewish laws…and he didn’t like it. In fact, he hated it because it changed the faith he had known all of his life. And it incensed him…and his heart boiled over with hate… blinding him to the Truth. Because of this hatred, he grew to hate all Christians. He even plotted to kill them. And when Stephen, who was a Christian, was caught, and imprisoned, Saul was among the men who planned his death.  He was there as the first stones were thrown, killing Stephen, thus making him the first Christian martyred for the Faith.

Saul’s crimes didn’t end there. He spoke out against the teachings of Christ and  was  one of the worst blasphemers and enemies of Jesus’ newly founded Church. And he was self righteous about the whole affair. You see, in Saul’s mind, he was the good soldier…he was serving God how he wanted to serve Him, not how God wanted him to serve. But God is good and full of mercy and He knew that Saul had to be converted. And we read in the Book of Acts 9:3-9 the following:

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
– Acts 9:3-9

As Saul had headed for Damascus, he was full of his self pride. He was sure that everything he was doing against the Christians was what God wanted…His pride had blinded him to the Truth… and as he rode like a celebrated king upon his horse surrounded by his soldiers, he had no idea what God really wanted...then in a brief instant he got the surprise of his life.

For suddenly from out of the east, a huge ball of fire erupted in the sky, and with a thundering roar, a wall of bright light stretched before him… scorching his eyes… blinding him at once. He was thrown from his horse, dazed and confused, he hit the ground with a thud. His companions immediately ran to his aide…but Saul was muttering…As he lay on the dirt road, he appeared to be speaking to someone who they could not see. As Saul continued his muttering they looked around and saw no one. Had the fall damaged his head? He had lost his composure, and seemed to have lost his mind. His soldiers could not hear the voice that rattled Saul. They were not aware that God was speaking directly to Saul. They had no idea that it was God’s voice in the thunder. All they heard was the roar. They were unaware that God was there, knocking the pride right out of Saul, so that he could find his way back to the Lord. All they knew was that they were afraid…and that they had to help Saul get out of the road.

As the flash of light burst around Saul, he had heard a loud voice call to him unmistakably asking him: “Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute Me?”

The flash of light had been so intense that Saul could see nothing but flashes of white…and flashes of red…as if had been staring into the bright sun….he was blind! Immediately he was thrust from his ‘high horse’ and recognized the voice of God. Falling back to his knees he humbly asked, “Who art thou, Lord?”

With a clarity that could come from none other, God responded, “I Am that Jesus, Whom thou has persecuted.”

The Truth God spoke was pure…it was Light...It was as if Saul had been living in darkness his whole life and suddenly he could see the Light… He could see that he had been attacking the very God whom he claimed to love and adore. It was a very humiliating experience for Saul. And as he knelt on that dusty road to Damascus, Saul was made to realize that every time he punished a Christian…every time he shackled a follower of Christ…he was actually punishing Christ…he was actually shackling Christ. He felt the burden of the Truth as It pierced his heart like a sword…it pained him to the very core of his being…but it was still the Truth, and even though it pained Saul immensely it was still the Truth and it hurt.

saint paul on the roadAs he lay there in the road…a crumbled shell of his former prideful self, he felt himself drained of all his strength…all of his own power was seeped from him until he could do nothing but surrender to the love that had filled his heart. God had taken away everything… and then God replaced it with Everything! Saul was spent. Moaning, he cried out to the Lord,

“Lord, what will Thou have me do?”

God commanded Saul, “Arise, enter the city, and there it will be told thee what thou art to do.”

Submitting to the power of God, he lay there on the road. Like a humbled old man, his body was bent and ruined. He no longer resembled the boasting Pharisee he had been but a few moments ago. He could not even stand on his own power and had to be carried into Damascus like a poor and humbled beggar. He floundered about in complete darkness… his sight was gone…the pupils of his eyes burnt from the bright flash of Light… He was afraid… and the words he had heard from God filled him with much fear and trembling. As he was carried to a house and lay to rest upon a mat, he knew that all his former dreams were gone… Everything he had thought was true… were merely lies he had told himself to continue behaving the way he did.

His mind fell into a pit of darkness and if not for the great love of the Lord…he would have surely fallen into an abyss of utter despair! Even then, there were moments when he felt that God had left him, and as he suffered on his mat, while his family tried to care for his physical body, God was working on the conversion of his soul. It was painful. At moments, Saul thought he would surely die. But God is kind and merciful. He allowed Saul to see the errors of his ways, he showed him Who Jesus really was…He showed him what it meant to be a Christian. The Truth was revealed to Saul in such a way that his heart was converted forever. He was a changed man and would never be the same.

saint paul eyes

After three agonizing day in total darkness…when Saul was at the point where he felt himself  about to be completely crushed by the heaviness in his soul, he repented…and he turned to the Lord in complete humility…begging Him…for forgiveness. Then, falling asleep, he dreamt. In the dream he saw the figure of a man approaching him. The man touched his eyes…and the veil was removed…his sight was returned to him! The figure told him that God had chosen him to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There was much work to do…

Immediately he awoke, as he sat up he felt the scales fall from his eyes! God had not abandoned him. He was healed. And even though he had spent his years working to persecute the  Christians, God was now calling him to suffer persecution for Him. After being drug to the pits of darkness, and emptied of his pride and arrogance, Saul accepted his new vocation. He united himself to the Will of the Lord and worked tirelessly doing God’s work.

He worked to evangelize the Jewish people he had recently been a part of. He told them,

“I had come to persecute Him and to blaspheme Him; but now I have seen His power. He is the Lord, the Son of God. Be Baptized, if you wish to be saved. Jesus is the Christ.”

Later, Saul changed his name to Paul and went on to become one of the most important figures in the Apostolic Age. He traveled extensively. He built Churches and preached the Truth that in fact,  Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. He wrote many epistles and over half of books in the Acts of the Apostles were written by St. Paul. He continued to work tirelessly for the conversion of many throughout the lands. He was captured and imprisoned in Rome. Finally,he suffered martyrdom under the reign of Emperor Nero.

As we contemplate the conversion of Saint Paul, let us pray that we may always be open to God and His Truth in our life. We may think we are doing what God wants, we may feel that we are on the ‘right path,’ or that we can find happiness deep inside our own souls. But that is only true if we allow God to empty us of ourselves…This can be a painful experience… one that takes a lifetime to accomplish….But we must humbly ask… beg Him… to convert us… and to fill us with Himself.

 

 

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Marching for Life – January 22nd

Posted on January 23, 2018 by mikatsa6
pictures from canon christmas - jan. 2018 334.JPG

March for Life – St. Augustine 2018

This year marks the 45th year of legalized abortion throughout the United States from Roe vs. Wade…it is a sad reminder that our legal system… The system put in place to protect the citizens of the United States... and often proclaimed to be one of the best in the world…has failed to protect millions of unborn babies from being ripped apart and killed. Regardless of the countless lies…. There is nothing in this law that protects anyone. It is a law that sanctions the murder of the innocent. Herod would be proud.

“Thou shall not kill...” Do you recognize this? It’s one of the Ten Commandments. As Catholics… as Christians…we are obligated to follow God’s laws. We are obligated to March. Not just on the 22nd…not just in St. Augustine or up in Washington D.C. No, we are called to March into the battle fields every day. Our cities and towns are filled with abortion mills where they prey upon those who are often confused and hopeless… offering them a violent way out… a way that only further damages the soul. If you have been paying attention to the news, you know that these places have been caught selling the actual body parts of the babies they have aborted…and throwing the other parts away like trash… We need to march the sidewalks around these hell holes …offering prayers and counseling…. It’s really quite barbaric to  think that this atrocity is protected by law…

We are lied to and told that these abortion laws protect women… empower them somehow… But the Truth is…There is nothing empowering about having a human life ripped from your body.  Abortion kills babies…Abortion hurts women. That is the horrible truth. These very women who are hurt, are often abandoned once the abortion is done… Many wind up in hospitals…many wind up depressed….they are suffering… we need to march with them… Comfort them with Christ’s love and compassion, allowing God to be our guiding voice. We have to be strong. Who else will stand up to this evil?  We had better pray.

Of course there are pro-life clinics where young women can turn to for real help when they are faced with a ‘crisis’ pregnancy… These places do great work, but they are often in dire need of funding and volunteers. This is another marching ground we should frequent…The world is a violent place for the innocent… the devil is preying on the vulnerable and young…we need to march…we need to become a voice for the voiceless as well as Light for the hopeless…There is a world of hurt out there waiting for help… waiting for hope.

This will be a difficult task… but we are the army of God. We are His Church Militant upon the earth. And if we truly want to end this atrocity we must march…not only on this day of remembrance… No, we must put on our boots…and we must march everyday for life.

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Following the Straight and Arrow – Saint Sebastian – January 20th

Posted on January 23, 2018 by mikatsa6

There have been some pretty tough times in the history of the Catholic Church, perhaps none so much as the the period known as the Great Persecution, which happened under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Wanting to renew the worship of Roman gods, he was determined to put an end to Christianity and return the people to their former pagan ways. As a means of achieving this end, Christians under his rule were persecuted more severely than at any other time. Many were forced to make sacrifices to pagan gods, and when they refused, they were tortured, beaten and killed… it was a very difficult time to be Christian. Yet it is precisely at difficult times like these, that God will pour His Spirit into just souls that are willing to give Him everything… willing to use the very blood that runs through their veins in order to condition the land so that the Faith may flourish and grow, spreading to others…That brings us to Saint Sebastian, and how he used the gift of his life to convert many others to the Christian Faith.

Sebastian was the son of Christian parents. His father was a noble man, so Sebastian had all the comforts that his family’s nobility could afford. By the time he was a young adult he had seen plenty of Christians persecuted.  Even though he had an aversion to military life, he joined the Roman Imperial Army so that he could minister to the prisoners. He also saw it as an opportunity to try and convert the Roman soldiers. Of course, throughout it all, he would remain under the guise of being the perfect pagan… one could argue that he was the ultimate undercover operative for Christ.

 

Sebastian had a gift for healing and could often bring healing to those who suffered, just by praying over them, and doing the Sign of the Cross. Because of this gift, his reputation spread. With God’s influence, he was even able to convert the Governor of Rome, Chromatius. Not only was he a successful undercover agent for the Lord, he had a strong work ethic and was promoted to Captain in the Praetorian Guard.  He was tasked with the specific duty of being the personal body guard of Emperor Diocletian. And for awhile, things went along as usual…so well, that Diocletian even developed a fondness for Sebastian… never suspecting that Sebastian was leading a double life… as a devout Christian pretending to be the perfect pagan. But after Sebastian healed a woman who had been mute, Sebastian’s cover was blown and Diocletain learned that one of his most trusted guards was in fact a Christian. This outraged the Emperor, not only was he furious that Sebastian was a Christian, he was also mad that Sebastian had been able to gain his confidence while living this double life, and working against his plans of returning Rome to her former pagan glory....

st-sebastian-1651.jpg

The devil strains every nerve to secure the souls which belong to Christ. We should not grudge our toil in wresting them from Satan and giving them back to God.- Saint Sebastian

Letting his pride guide him, he demanded that Sebastian immediately be put to death. He had his soldiers strip Sebastian of his clothing and then had him tied to a tree. He ordered the soldiers to shoot arrows into Sebastian…hoping to inflict tremendous pain into his once trusted companion. It seems that the Emperor was trying to choose a most agonizing way for Sebastian to be killed.

After the Roman soldiers had used Sebastian as a target for their archery…and he hung from the tree, seemingly lifeless... the soldiers left his body tied where it was and returned to the Emperor to tell him that Sebastian was dead. After his body was abandoned, a woman named Irene came to remove the body for burial, but to her great surprise, Sebastian was still breathing. She immediately called for help and gathered up his damaged body and carried him to her house where she nursed him back to health.saint sebastian and saint irene

Instead of hiding from the Emperor, as soon as Sebastian was able, he went to find Diocletian and let him know what he thought of his cruelty. He hid in a passageway, and as Diocletian approached, he stepped into the emperor’s path, startling the Emperor who momentarily fell into a state of shock at seeing Sebastian, whom he thought had died. But once he recovered, he ordered that Sebastian be put to death again, this time he ordered that he be clubbed to death. The guards seized the willing martyr and led him to his death. Clubbing him in a public square so that all could see…and more importantly so that all could verify that he was in fact dead.

sebastian being clubbed

After Sebastian was clubbed and his death was verified, his body was thrown into the sewers that ran along the city. After the Romans left, a Christian woman named Lucia, retrieved his body from the filthy sewers and buried it near near the catacombs under Rome. About eighty years after his death his remains were moved again, this time a cathedral was erected over his burial site, it is one of the seven principal Churches in Rome.

Saint Sebastian is often invoked for protection against the plague. Because in Roman times, the people thought that the petulance was being shot down from the heavens by angry gods who were shooting arrows of disease into the people. Millions of people were affected by the plague and died. In their desperation,the people constructed an altar and prayed for Saint Sebastian’s intercession, almost immediately the great plague came to a miraculous end. Saint Sebastian’s intercession has proven quite powerful for many areas that suffered from the plague, so much so, that he is often sought after in hopes that his intercession with God, will save the ravaged lands from the dreaded plague.

Saint Sebastian lived his life as a true soldier for the Lord. Oftentimes risking great danger or the threat of death to bring God’s hope and healing to those who were suffering in prisons. It takes great courage to constantly be putting oneself in such close contact with danger. It shows us that Saint Sebastian was totally committed to doing God’s Will in all things. We may never have to risk as much, but as Christians we should always be looking for ways to spread God’s Word. We should be actively working to  convert and comfort those who have lost their way…those who have lost their hope. It may make us uncomfortable at first… but just think, if Saint Sebastian was able to give it all back to the Lord… just what might God want from us?

 

 

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Saint Anthony Abbot – The Rich Man and the Kingdom of God

Posted on January 18, 2018 by mikatsa6

Matthew 19: 16-22

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
19 honor your father and mother,’and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
How many times have you heard this Gospel, or one of the other Gospels that are a variation of the  same story? Quite a few, I suppose…we all have, if we attend Mass, or even if we just read the Gospels. It seems to be one that comes up several times in the Liturgical year. It has an important message for us. We are reminded that we are not to seek our treasures of this world…but rather, seek those things that we shall find in the next… However, many of us do spend much of our lives working to  accumulate many earthly treasures, things we want…not out of necessity, but out of desire. Most of these ‘treasures’ we’d rather not give up… And unfortunately, many of us easily identify with the young man’s dilemma, and understand why it was such a difficult choice.
Do you ever ask yourself how easy it would be to walk away  from Jesus’ challenge? Do you ever think about how you would honestly respond if  Jesus found you at home with all of your belongings and actually asked you to give away everything. What if He came tonight and wanted you walk away from all of your possessions…Unfortunately, many of us would respond in the same way as the young wealthy man. After all, our things our important to us…. we have worked hard for them…we have spent not only our time and our money, but also our energy accumulating them…Some of us, measure our self worth by our stuff….Surely, Jesus doesn’t expect us to give away everything….. does He?
anthony abbot saint
Saint Anthony thought so, and when his parents died when he was around 18 years old, he heard the Gospel of Matthew read during Mass… At once, he was inspired not only to say he was a Christian... he wanted to become a Christian as well…Just like the one Jesus spoke about in the Gospel. When  his parents died, Antony inherited over 300 hundred acres of land and a sizeable about of money. Almost immediately, he gave to the poor; most of what was left to him, selling the house and land, keeping just enough to make sure that his younger sister would be well cared for at a nearby convent. But Anthony himself wandered out to the desert and found his home there, alone with the wild, harsh elements and the animals. He prayed and fasted surviving on bread and water. He worked hard and devoted his life to living entirely for the Lord. He wanted to live the challenge Jesus had given the rich young man … and he did.
Even though Anthony was trying to live a prayerful life, he was often attacked by demons and devils who tried unsuccessfully to drive him away from his devotion to the Lord. The devil cannot stand when a person dedicates themselves to the Lord, and St. Anthony suffered much at the hands of the evil one. He tried to seduce him with pleasures, and when that didn’t work he attacked his ego…and his mind. At one point, he was even physically beat and thrown around by demons. It was a tough battle for Anthony, but with constant prayer, he was able to over come the temptations that were laid before him. At one point he was so exhausted that he cried out to God, asking Him why he did not save him. It was then that God replied to the saint, that He had been with him all along, but He was watching him do battle, and since he had succeeded, that God would never abandon him.
Anthony continued to live an ascetic lifestyle, which means he practiced self denial, often fasting and denying himself any comfort. He lived alone for many years, separating himself from the world and all of her distractions. Moving every so often as to escape the crowds of people who searched for him, wanting to imitate him. Although after living in the desert for many years, he heard about Saint Paul and went to find him. When he found St. Paul, the two men talked and shared stories with one another. At some point a black crow flew over head and dropped a  loaf of bread for the men to eat. Saint Anthony was astonished to hear that this crow came every day, and brought St. Paul a half a loaf of bread for him to eat, but this day he had brought a whole loaf for the men to share.
saints anthony and paul
Saint Anthony enjoyed his time with the Saint and planned to visit him again, but when he arrived at St. Paul’s cave the next day, he found that Saint Paul had died while in prayer…saddened, St. Anthony cried out to the Lord, wondering how he would bury his friend. At his cries, he immediately heard a loud roar from outside, as he ran outside to see what was making the noise and was met by two lions. Though they were rather large in size, they were as gentle as lambs, and intended Saint Anthony no harm. The two lions dug a whole so that he could bury St. Paul and disappeared.
Saint Anthony continued to live an austere monastic life in the desert, depriving himself of human companionship and worldly pleasures for many more years. Finally reaching his just reward when he was over one hundred years old. He died on January 17th where he lived as a hermit in Mount Qolzoum. On his tomb, which is now the object of veneration by the faithful, a church and a monastery were built; his relics were brought to Constantinople in 635, then to France between the 9th and 10th centuries.
As we contemplate the life of this holy saint, and meditate on the message that prompted him to leave all of his belongings behind… we must realize that the message found in Matthew’s Gospel  is not just an abstract idea… but a call meant for each and every one of us… Not just those saints of old… In our desire to simplify our life, we should read more about these austere men who lived their days united to God. We should be looking into the lives of Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Paul, not only for inspiration, but for intercession as well. That with God’s mercy and grace, we may somehow gain St. Anthony’s zeal for a simpler, more  unencumbered relationship with God… a relationship that is void of the many worldly distractions that occupy so much of our daily lives. And that with God’s help, we too, may respond to His call with the same level of enthusiasm that St. Anthony had when he left his worldly treasures, and walked the path that would eventually lead to his eternal reward… instead of walking the path of the young man who could not leave his possessions behind. Let us pray for the courage to follow the Lord, regardless of the cost.
Prayer from Catholic Novena Prayer to Saint Anthony

St. Anthony the Abbot, the ancient and noble saint, we honor you as our intercessor and model of Christian love and total abandonment. In your love and dedication to the Lord, you left everything and followed our Lord to the desert.

The Church honors you greatly for your devout and austere way of life; a life dedicated to God and humanity. By your devotion to the master, you vanquished the evil one and with your eloquence, you rebuffed the heretics.

Because of your close friendship with God, the early church invoked your intercession with great benefit for the salvation of souls and against the onslaught of all kinds of diseases and sicknesses.

May we who strive to follow the same Lord and Master, have your special intercession and help against the onslaught of the evil one and against all temptations of the flesh, sicknesses, epidemics and pandemics and every kind of division and heresies, both within and against the Church of God and be able to lead a life of close union with Jesus our Lord.  Pray that we may be a true witness to the grace of Baptism, renewed at every Eucharistic encounter and respond to His constant call and invitation by leading a life of austerity and self sacrifice, a life dedicated and devoted to God and His holy will. we ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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