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Ave Maria Meditations

March 7: Saints Perpetua and Felicity

With the lives of so many early martyrs shrouded in legend, we are fortunate to have the record of the courage of Perpetua and Felicity from the hand of Perpetua herself, her teacher Saturus, and others who knew them. This account, known as “The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity,” was so popular in the early centuries that (more…)

Homily #111028 ( 09min) Play – Fr. Bonaventure preaches on the two saints of today’s feast, St. Simon and St. Jude, who were of the original twelve Apostles, the first members of the new family of God established by God to fearlessly renew the family of men even in the very face of persecution.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Sts Simon and Jude – Feast – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: eph 2:19-22
Resp: psa 19:2-3, 4-5
Gsp: luk 6:12-16

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Homily #110902 ( 04min) Play – Fr. Dominic preaches on how we are not to be of the world even if we are in the world and how the world will hate us because as a result. This is exemplified by the Franciscan Martyrs Bls. Apollinaris of Posat, John Francis Burt, Severin Girault and companions who died during the French Revolution.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Bls. Apollinaris of Posat, John Francis Burt, Severin Girault and companions – Form: OF
Readings:

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Homily #110712 ( 10min) Play – Today on the Franciscan calender is the memorial of Sts. John Jones and John Wall, English martyrs, who fearlessly practiced their faith and as priests celebrated Mass when it was punishable by brutal torture and death.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Sts. John Jones and John Wall – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: 2co 4:7-15
Resp: psa 126:1-6
Gsp: mat 10:28-33

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Ave Maria Meditations

THE KING’S GOOD SERVANT BUT GOD’S FIRST…

St. Thomas More, a Franciscan Tertiary, has been named the patron for lawyers and politicians.  This holy and wholly Catholic man was a husband and father in addition to being a lawyer and became Lord Chancellor of England so much was he respected and regarded in his own time. He was beheaded in witness of the Truths of the Faith in 1535.

Blessed Pope John Paul II would write of him: “Precisely because (more…)

Variety #123 – Fr Raphael Maria ( 07min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Find out why this Catholic Priest knelt in a Non-Catholic Church.

Ave Maria!

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Homily #101228 ( 10min) Play – In today’s homily Fr. Angelo links the slaughter of the Holy Innocents by Herod 2000 years ago to the slaughter of innocent children in their mother’s wombs by abortion today.
Ave Maria!
Mass: The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Form: EF, Ex Ore Infantium
Readings:
1st: rev 14:1-5
Gsp: mat 2:13-18

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Homily #101216 ( 07min) Play – Father Angelo speaks today about the great blessing we have of being able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist as often as we can.  He reminds religious of their great blessing of being able to live under the same roof as Jesus especially when we consider that even today in other countries some people are martyred just for going to Mass.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Eusebius, Bishop and Martyr – – Form: EF, Sacerdotes Dei
Readings:
1st: 2co 1:3-7
Gsp: mat 16:24-27

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Homily #101019 ( 09min) Play – Today we celebrate the North American Martyrs, the Jesuits Sts Jean de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and Companions who were martyred in Canada and in upstate New York. Fr. Dominic outlines the heroic lives of these evangelists who braved incredible suffering for the love of Christ and the salvation of souls .

Ave Maria! Sts Jean de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and Comp. – Mass: OF, – Readings:
1st: eph 2:12-22
Resp: psa 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Gsp: luk 12:35-38

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Ave Maria Meditations

Maria Goretti died a martyr before her twelfth birthday. Young as she was, she made a choice, a choice based on her faith. The Church holds up to the world the life, death and the faith of Maria Goretti.

The story of a young holy life: (more…)

Homily #100116 ( 05min) Play – St Berard and Companions were the first martyrs in the Franciscan Order when they were killed after having preached to the Mohammedans. Father explains that martyrdom is the ideal in that it is the ultimate sacrifice and so the ultimate love and sanctity. He further explains that we are all called to martyrdom but more to the martyrdom by “slow fire”.
Ave Maria! St Berard and Comp – Mass: EF – Readings: 1st: 1co 4:9-14 – Gsp: mat 10:16-22

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Homily #091117 ( 06min) Play – Today we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions who were Franciscans martyred by the Mohamadans in 1391.
Ave Maria! Readings EF – 1st: wis 10:10-14 – Gsp: mat 10:34-42

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Homily #091028 ( 11min) Play – Saint Simon the Zealot or the Zealous, was the name this Apostle bore among the twelve. He preached in Egypt, Mauritania (Spain), and Lybia, leaving behind him the fertile hills of Galilee, where he had been engaged in the healthful cultivation of the vineyards and olive gardens. He later rejoined his brother, Saint Jude, in Persia, where they labored and died together. At first they were respected by the king, for they had manifested power over two ferocious tigers who had terrorized the land. With the king, sixty thousand Persians became Christians, and churches rose over the ruins of the idolatrous temples.

But the ancient enemy, who never sleeps, rose up, and when the two went elsewhere the pagans commanded them to sacrifice to the sun.

They prayed for mercy for the people and offered their lives to God. Saint Simon told the crowd that their gods were only demons, and ordered them to come out of the statues, which they did, revealing themselves under hideous forms. But the idolaters fell on the Apostles and massacred them, while they blessed God and prayed for their murderers.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

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Ave Maria Mediations

“Pray that my love will be without limits.”

–Saint Maximilian Kolbe in his last letter to his mother.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) Priest and Martyr

Patron of the Franciscans of the Immaculate

St. Maximilian wrote: To bring about the purpose of the M.I. (Militia Immaculatae) as soon as possible, to conquer for the Immaculate the entire world and every single soul that now lives or will live till the end of the world, and through her to win them for the Sacred Heart of Jesus! In addition, we are to be watchful lest anyone remove the Immaculate’s standard from a soul; but rather to deepen constantly in souls their love for the Immaculate, to tighten the bond of love between them and her, so that they may become one with her, so that she herself may live and love and act in them and through them. Just as she belongs to Jesus and to God, so every soul will belong to Jesus and to God through her and in her in a much more perfect manner than would be possible by not going through her or without her, if, indeed, that were possible. Then souls will love the Sacred Heart of Jesus as they have never loved him up to now, because like her they will plunge more deeply than ever into the mysteries of love: the cross and the Eucharist. The love of God will be enkindled in the world through her, will set it on fire, and there will take place the “assumption” of souls through love.

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Homily #090709 ( 06min) Play – St. Francis heard the Gospel of the Lord that the apostles should not carry anything extra for support on their journeys so he took this literally and started his order with no means of support. Father then relates this to today’s saints, St. Nicholas Pick and companions who were martyred in Holland.

Ave Maria! Mass readings

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