A Good Homily for Sunday, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

and it was written by Fr. Daren

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Luke 12: 49 - 53

The Victory of Emily Rose

My family and I were aware that the move The Exorcism of Emily Rose was based on a true story. However, I was not aware of the details of this young woman's life and death. I encourage you to read Fr. Euteneurer's article from which the following is taken:

When The Exorcism of Emily Rose came out in 2005 most people were not aware that the movie was based on a true story of a young German woman named Anneliese Michel who was possessed for many years and died in 1976 at the age of 23 probably of the possession itself. Her heart-wrenching story is instructive, not so much about the nature of evil, but about how good can be brought out of so much evil, especially when offered for the spiritual benefit of others. I believe that Anneliese Michel’s faithful endurance of such demonic sufferings would qualify as truly heroic...

Learning to Cook From a Priest

Check out the entry I posted on my cooking blog

A big mahalo to Sunny of Faith and Country for sharing this.

Three Reasons the Church's Enemies Hate the Immaculate Conception

Picture source Joyce Images. Used by permission from Aida Yared.
Thanks for sharing Sue:

The following text is adapted from a lecture Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on June 15, 1973. It has been translated and edited for publication without his revision. Note, in this text, he uses the words Revolution and Counter-Revolution as he defined them in his book Revolution and Counter-Revolution. In this sense, the Revolution is a centuries-old process, motivated by pride and sensuality, and therefore egalitarianism and liberalism, that dominates the modern world and seeks to destroy Christian civilization. Counter-Revolutionaries are those dedicated to defeating this process and defending the rights of God. –Ed.

Article

Saintly Quote - Saint Jeanne de Chantal

Picture source: Franciscan Cards

Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.

Saint Jeanne de Chantal (1572-1641) whose Feast Day we celebrate today. Thanks Sue.

When Visiting a Blog Remember Your Party Manners

Picture source: This Site

Margaret Mary has an excellent post about visitors to blogs.

BTW, I must say that almost everyone who visits here have very good blog manners. Mahalo to you for that!

And, speaking of manners, I am curious about this and I'm directing this to other bloggers. I don't know about you but I get email requests all the time from folks who are looking for certain links, information, prayers, etc.. Even if I can't help them for whatever reason, I always respond.

The curious thing is, that only a small percentage of those folks ever say thank you.

Why? More than feeling slighted by this, I really am curious to know why. I know good manners are still important, are they not?

Saintly Quote

Picture source: Saint Boniface
Thanks Sue.

Let us stand fast in what is right, and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God's strengthening aid and say to him: "O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.

Saint Boniface (673-754)

St. Tarcisius and the Real Presence

Picture Source: THIS SITE

Mahalo Sue.

Saint Tarcisius, the boy martyr of the Holy Eucharist, is called the Patron Saint of First Communicants.

It was to young Tarcisius that the Blessed Sacrament was entrusted to be carried, as inconspicuously as possible, as Holy Viaticum to imprisoned Christians who had been condemned to death.

One day when Tarcisius refused to show them what he was carrying, a band of pagan Roman ruffians attacked him and beat him with sticks before stoning him to death.

When his assailants turned over Tarcisius' body and searched him, they could find no trace of the Most Blessed Sacrament either in his hands or on his clothing–Christ had miraculously disappeared. Christians took up the body of the young martyr and buried it with great respect in the cemetery of Callistus.

In the fourth century, Pope St. Damasus composed an epitaph for the young martyr's tomb which he had carefully restored and beautified.

The epitaph leaves no doubt that belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord's Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament was the same then as it is now.

"Christ's secret gifts by good Tarcisius borne, the mob profanely bade him to display; He rather gave his own limbs to be torn than Christ's celestial to mad dogs betray."

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Newsletter
March 1989
Source: My Daily Eucharist

Allah, God...the Same Thing?

Thanks Sue!

Bishop Martinus Muskens of Breda in The Netherlands has called upon Christians to begin calling God “Allah”. Bishop Muskens is confident this will promote better relations with Muslims and, after all, “God doesn’t really care how we address Him.”

Catholic Culture: A Rose by Any Other Name

The Danger of Criticizing Bishops and Priests

My friend Denise of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Exchange has posted a very good article by Father Thomas G. Morrow from which the following excerpts were taken: BTW, welcome back Denise!

...In response, Francis went to the priest’s home and knelt before him saying, “I don’t know whether these hands are stained as the other man says they are. [But] I do know that even if they are, that in no way lessens the power and effectiveness of the sacraments of God… That is why I kiss these hands out of respect for what they perform and out of respect for Him who gave His authority to them.” His challenger left in silence...

...It is not up to us to decide what is apt in the Mass, but the bishops. Surely, we should avoid doing something immoral, but besides that unlikely case, we should obediently follow the liturgy given to us by those chosen to do so. Whether we like a translation or not (and some seem to be lacking at times), we should accept and use what our superiors have given us. Far better to write a humble letter to the bishops than to change things on our own authority. And far better to pray for better translations...

It is long but so well worth reading!

Solemnity - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven Body and Soul

The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The feast is also God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended

From St. Michael's Center for the Blessed Virgin Mary

"The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven."

- Pope Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus

For more detailed information on this glorious feast day, be sure to visit Women for Faith and Family

"Saintly" Quote

Shared by Sue.

Prayer is not something accessory, it is not "optional," but rather a question of life or death.Only one who prays, that is, who entrusts himself to God with filial
love, can enter into eternal life, which is God himself.

Pope Benedict XVI (March 3, 2007)

Father Donald Calloway's Meditation on the Assumption

If you have ever read the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska you know that she was deeply in love with the Blessed Virgin Mary. There were so many ways that St. Faustina expressed her love for the Virgin Mary; through praying the rosary, celebrating Mary’s privileges, titles and liturgical feasts, through Marian novenas and Marian consecrations, and by other various forms of Marian devotion.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Diary of St. Faustina is that she especially loved and wrote about the privileges of Mary’s Immaculate Conception and her Assumption. Concerning the Assumption, St. Faustina made four specific entries on the actual day of the Solemnity of the Assumption in the years 1934-1937. These entries can help us to grow in our love and devotion to Mary as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption.

Click HERE top read the rest of Fr. Calloway's meditation.

Assumption Novena Begins Day 9

Painting by Murillo.

Thanks to Echair for sharing the following Novena which begins on August 6th and finishes on August 14th:

Novena Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Aug 6 - 15

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after
years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last
been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by
the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption
above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me
how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make
me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which
I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall
rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven.

From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to
you for help. I ask for this favor: (Mention your request).

When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the
presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all
eternity together with you.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...

Press Release - 20th anniversary of Mulieris Dignitatem

The following is from an email I received today from Genevieve Kineke:

+ Dear Friends in Christ:

It is our great joy to learn that the Pontifical Council for the Laity is encouraging the faithful worldwide to observe the 20th anniversary of Mulieris Dignitatem in the coming year. This Apostolic Letter (signed August 15th, 1988) was written by John Paul II to encourage women in their vocations, to highlight the essential feminine genius that they provide to the world, and to restore spiritual and physical motherhood to a culture that was quickly losing sight of the very meaning of nuptial love.

The Catholics of North America have been asked in particular to consider the document in light of one overarching theme: The Dignity of Women in a Technological and Consumeristic Society. To that effect, a website has been created in order to provide a comprehensive resource for those looking for ways to reflect on this timely anniversary. Dignityofwomen.com will point to books, speakers, study guides, and other initiatives that will bring the beauty of this document to as many people as possible, while constantly integrating suggestions, additions, and a bulletin board of events for women to access over the coming year.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in spreading the word, contacting the appropriate persons at the parish and diocesan level to alert them to this anniversary, fostering the publication of articles on the topic for various periodicals, encouraging local women to gather and discuss the theme in various settings, and to pray for the message in Mulieris Dignitatem to be studied and lived. This is also a marvelous opportunity to reach out to women of good will in other denominations and faiths, inviting them to prayerfully consider its themes and to see if common ground could be found. We invite qualified speakers to submit a request, and thereby add their names to the site. Similarly, relevant books and organizations are welcome to provide their links.

The timeliness of this observance cannot be overestimated. With debates raging over the nature of marriage, the sanctity of human life, the needs of children, and how the gifts of women are best promoted, what better way to form ourselves than by returning to the foundational questions of who women are and why the divine plan hinges on their cooperation.

Kindly help us share this good news with as many as you can and please pray with us for a fruitful observance. Any questions, suggestions, or submissions of resources should be sent to gskineke at] feminine-genius.com. May Our Lady, in whose fidelity the entire world rejoices, bless this coming year and all our efforts to understand the richness of the feminine vocation.

[addendum: I will be discussing this with Teresa Tomeo Wednesday morning on EWTN Radio at 9:45 EST]

Feast Day of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends..John 15:13





Oh where do I begin? There is so much I want to share about St. Maximilian Kolbe with you.

By now most of us know that Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest, a Franciscan. He was imprisoned in Auschwitz one of the notorious Nazi death camps and ultimately gave his life to save the life of a fellow prisoner. Note: With his love and devotion to our blessed Mother it is of no surprise that God chose to take him on the vigil of the Feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.

"Francis Gajowniczek, the man for whom Maximilian Kolbe gave his life, survived the war and was present at the 1971 beatification (blessing) ceremony of Father Kolbe. Gajowniczek died in 1995".

Source: My Hero

Through a Jewish website I found the following website dedicated to Father Kolbe. Click Here

One book I would highly recommend is a dual biography of a saint and a Nazi. Kolbe and the Kommandant: Two Worlds in Collision The following is from the book's introduction:

A most amazing story that not only reveals the life of a Saint - but the last days of none other than Auschwitz Kommandant Rudolph Hoess.

As a dual biography of a great saint and of one of the greatest criminals ever to scourge mankind, this book accomplishes what separate biographies of the two men could only suggest.

It shows the inevitable deadly collision of the two worlds that each represented, a collision that also produced unexpected atonement, conversion and healing.

In the process, this double biography reveals mankind's last real hope for deliverance from the crazed, satanic forces that still afflict it. Rarely has the conflict of the two opposing worlds been so dramatized and epitomized as in the stories of Maximilian Kolbe and Rudolph Hoess.

What elevates the story of Kolbe and Hoess to the level of an epic, is that both men were strikingly alike in their early lives and ideals. Both later became leaders who radically changed the lives of countless millions of people.

For most of us, it is hard to appreciate and believe that tremendous power of Kolbe's faith, love and life until precisely we see something of the "inconceivable darkness" that they overcame.

There is so much more to know about this amazing saint. One of the things that was of interest to our family because of Joey's nationality, is that Fr. Kolbe went to Japan to bring Christianity to the Japanese people.

He also started a magazine and organization (really soldiers dedicated to Mary Immaculate) in honor of the Blessed Mother, to whom he had a great devotion. That organization is the Militia Immaculata is not only still in existence but is currently flourishing. As I have mentioned on many occasions, our family has been a member of the Militia Immaculata for many years now. I hope you considering enrolling and consecrating yourselves and your family to Mary Immaculate through the Militia Immaculata.

Militia Immaculata Prayer of Marian Consecration
(Composed by St. Maximilian Kolbe)
Source: Women for Faith and Family

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, (name), a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet, humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you.

If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: "She will crush your head," and "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world." Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise you, O Sacred Virgin
R. Give me strength against your enemies

BTW, did you know that St. Maximilian also had a devotion to the Divine Mercy? That is why he along with St. Faustina and John Paul II are always mentioned by our family's in a little litany at the end of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

And lastly, a very happy 11th birthday to my nephew Carlos, who was blessed to be born on this great saint's feast day.

12 Steps to Avoid Purgatory

Engraving of Our Lady Queen of Heaven by Gustave Dore

The following is from Friends of the Poor Souls Blog

1. In every prayer you say, every Mass you hear, every Communion you receive, every good work you perform have the express intention of imploring God to grant you a holy and happy death and no Purgatory. Surely God will hear a prayer said with such confidence and perseverance.

2. Always wish to do God’s will. It is in every sense the best for you. When you do or seek anything that is not God’s will, you are sure to suffer. Say, therefore, fervently each time you recite the Our Father: Thy will be done.

3. Accept all the sufferings, sorrows, pains and disappointments of life, be they great or small, ill health, loss of goods, the death of your dear ones, heat or cold, rain or sunshine as coming from God. Bear them calmly and patiently for love of Him and in penance for your sins. Of course, one may use all his efforts to ward off trouble and pain, but when one cannot avoid it let him bear it patiently. Impatience and revolt make sufferings vastly greater and more difficult to bear.

4. The greatest act in Christ’s life was His Passion. As He had a Passion so each one of us has a Passion. Our Passion consists in the sufferings and labors of every day. Therefore, let us do our work, accept its disappointments and hardships and bear our pains in union with the Passion of Christ. We gain more merit by a little pain than by years of pleasure.

5. Forgive all injuries and offenses for in proportion, as we forgive others, God forgives us. Go to confession. This sacrament does more than “just” rid us of our sins; it gives us a tremendous increase in sanctifying grace. It wins for us a higher place in Heaven, with increased union with God. Each time we go to confession, we are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which might otherwise have befallen us. A devout confession helps us to hear the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and to hear and follow the advice of our guardian angels.

6. Avoid mortal sins, deliberate venial sins and break off bad habits. Then it will be relatively easy to satisfy God’s justice for sins of frailty. Above all avoid sins against charity and chastity in thought, word and deed for these sins are the reason why many souls are detained in Purgatory for a long time.

7. If afraid of doing too much work, do many little things, acts of kindness and charity, give the alms you can, don’t grumble or complain when things are not as you please, don’t complain of others, never refuse to do a favor for others when possible. These and such acts are a splendid penance.

8. Do all in your power for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Pray for them constantly, get others to do so, join the Friends of the Poor Souls and ask all those you know to do likewise. The Holy Souls will repay you most generously.

9. There is no more powerful way of obtaining from God a most holy and happy death than by weekly confession, daily Mass and daily communion. Masses may be arranged after or before someone’s death to expedite their time in Purgatory.

10. A daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament – if only for three or four minutes – is an easy way of obtaining the same grace. Kneel in the presence of Jesus with eyes fixed on the Tabernacle or Monstrance, sure that He is looking at you, then repeat little prayers like these: My Jesus, Mercy. My Jesus, have pity on me a sinner. My Jesus, I love you. My Jesus, give me a happy death.

11. Enroll in and wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “Whosoever dies clothed in this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” This is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Promise, made July 16, 1251 to St. Simon Stock. The Sabbatine Privilege is Mary’s promise to release from Purgatory soon after death all those who: 1) wear the brown scapular 2) observe chastity according to their state in life and 3) say the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary every day. To be eligible for this scapular promise, one must be enrolled in the Family of Carmel. This is a simple ceremony which takes only a moment and may be done by any Carmelite or duly authorized priest. Mary’s motherhood is not limited to Catholics. It is extended to all men. Many miracles of conversion have been wrought in favor of non-Catholics who have practiced the scapular devotion.

12. Use holy water. Holy water is a sacramental that remits venial sin. Because of the blessing attached to it, Holy Church strongly encourages its use upon her children especially when danger threatens such as fire, storms, sickness and other calamities. Every Catholic home should have a supply of holy water. Keep your soul beautifully pure in God’s sight by making the Sign of the Cross carefully while saying: “By this holy water and by Thy Precious Blood, wash away all my sins and the sins of the Poor Souls in Purgatory, O Lord”.

Thank you Sue for bringing this particular post to my attention. I may have posted it already previously, but even so, it's a good reminder.

The Prayer or Blessing Against Storms

Picture source: This Site

As Hurricane Flossie approaches the Hawaiian islands, I would ask that you join in praying the following:

BTW, here is a disaster preparedness checklist from the Honolulu Advertiser

And thanks to OLOGH, you can download a Hurricane Tracker

Jesus Christ, a King of Glory, has come in peace.
God became man, and the Word was made flesh.
Christ was born of a virgin.
Christ suffered.
Christ was crucified.
Christ died.
Christ rose from the dead.
Christ ascended into heaven.
Christ conquers.
Christ reigns.
Christ orders.
May Christ protect us from all storms and lightning. Christ went through their midst in peace and the word was made flesh. Christ is with us with Mary.
Flee, you enemy spirits, because the Lion of the Generation of Judah, the Root of David, has won. Holy God. Holy Powerful God. Holy Immortal God. Have mercy on us. Amen.

This prayer originated in a convent and church in Lisbon, Portugal. Pope Innocent III, 1198-1216, ordered it published. From the Pieta prayerbook

11 Reasons to Pray a Public Square Rosary

The following is from TFP Rosary Campaign and shared by Sue Cifelli. It's not too late to plan a public square Rosary on October 13th...The 90th Anniversary of Fatima.

1. A special occasion: It is always good to pray the Rosary at home or in Church. But the 90 year anniversary of Fatima is an extraordinary feast day. The Public Square Rosary is a special celebration, a historic moment to proclaim the message of Fatima and honor Our Lady.

2. The Miracle of the Sun was public: On October 13, 1917, Our Lady performed a miracle witnessed by 70,000 people, including atheists, communists and anti-Catholics. Some of them converted. The Public Square Rosary Rallies will remind the man on the street in 2007 that conversion is possible.

3. Reach fallen away Catholics: According to research, only 28% of Catholics go to Church in America.1 The Public Square Rosary is a great way to reach the 72% non-practicing Catholics – 46 million people. If they see you praying in the street, they will be inclined to learn more about their faith.

4. Public prayer gets results: For decades, pro-life Catholics have peacefully prayed the Rosary in front of abortion clinics. The power of their prayer has blunted the advance of abortion. Their public prayers save lives. In fact, recent studies show that abortion clinics are closing at a rate of one per month.2

5. Be a Fatima apostle: Our Lord sent the apostles forth to teach all nations. Praying the Rosary in public is an excellent way to introduce others to the Catholic faith and the Fatima message. “Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light” (St. Luke 8:16).

6. Public sins, public reparation: Our culture openly flaunts sin. You hear it on public airwaves, on primetime TV, on the Internet. Laws favor abortion and same-sex “marriage.” Your Rosary Rally will be a public act of reparation for these sins hurled against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Your public Rosary will console God. At Fatima on July 13th, 1917 Our Lady said to the children: “You saw hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world.”

7. Will the media promote Fatima? Never. It’s up to us to promote devotion to Mary “outside the choir.” To pray the Rosary in the public square is a powerful way to promote its recitation. Catholics must not be ashamed of their Faith. “Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father Who is in heaven” (St. Matthew 10:32). During public Rosary rallies already held, non-Catholics have stopped and asked for Rosaries, wanting to learn how to pray.

8. Public Rosaries in history: At the end of World War II, Communist Soviet troops occupied Vienna, Austria. They refused to leave. Yet, after massive public Rosary processions led by Fr. Petrus Pavlicek, the Communist invaders packed up and left. Large-scale public Rosaries were likewise credited for foiling a Communist takeover in Brazil in 1964. If the Rosary saved these countries, it can save America.

9. Duty to honor God publicly: Secularists attempt to drive religion and morality out of the public square. Children in public schools are suspended, for example, when they pray grace before meals. That cannot continue! Catholics have the duty to oppose the secularist agenda. We openly honor God and respect His Rights. 2,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies will make the point.

10. Preparing for Our Lady’s triumph: The Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph over evil. It is a great privilege to be among those who trust in her triumph and honor her in the public square. Imagine 2,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies. This historic campaign will hasten God’s victory, attract blessings on America, and surely strengthen every Rosary Captain and every rally participant.

11. Public prayer is powerful: In The Secret of the Rosary, Saint Louis de Montfort states: “Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and call down His Mercy and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering.”

“The Rosary will be a very powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.” -- Our Lady to Saint Dominic

_______________________________________
1. “Instead of 50 percent of Catholics attending church, we found 28 percent. In other words, actual church attendance was about half the rate indicated by national public opinion polls.” The Christian Century, May 6, 1998, pp. 472-475, by C. Kirk Hadaway and P.L. Marler. Religion Online

2. ALL


To get more information on the Public Square Rosary Campaign, call 1-866-584-6012.