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Homily #110518 ( 04min) Play – St. Felix of Cantalice was know as “Friar Deo Gratias”.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Extraordinary Form; St. Felix of Cantalice, Dominus Pauperum
Readings:
Epistle: Colossians 3:12-17
Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

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Fi News #92 – Fr Gabriel M. Pelletieri ( 29min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

In this interview with Fr. Gabriel M. Pelletieri, Co-Founder of the Franciscans of the Immaculate, the basic points on “The Marian Plan of Franciscan Life” are covered.

Ave Maria!

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Homily #101117 ( 10min) Play – Today is the feast of St Elizabeth of Hungary patron saint of the Franciscan Third Order. Fr. Dominic preaches on her short life focusing on her acts of charity and her heroic patience when her husband died and her royal in-laws kicked her out of the palace where she had to live in poverty. Even after being reinstated in the palace she decided to live a poor life in a convent doing good works.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Elizabeth of Hungary – Franciscan Feast – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: sir 26:1-3, 15-18, 24
Resp: psa 31:8-5, 8-9, 20, 24-25
2nd: 1ti 5:3-10
Gsp: mat 25:31-40

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Homily #100926 ( 32min) Play – In today’s Gospel we have the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Fr. Bonaventure uses this to emphasize the impossibility of compromising the culture of Christ with that of death. He mentions that many Fathers of the Church call this a factual story and so we should take it very seriously. The rich man’s sin was not so much the indulging in extravagant pleasure but doing so when Lazarus was literally dying from poverty. On the contrary Lazarus went to heaven not so much because he suffered but in his misery did not condemn the rich man but prayed for him. The rich man did not have regard for the unique dignity of his fellow man while Lazarus did. The rich man thus followed the culture of death that lead to eternal death while Lazarus followed the culture of life and entered eternal life. Father relates this to modern forms of this same culture of death.
Ave Maria! 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Mass: OF, – Readings:
1st: amo 6:1, 4-7
Resp: psa 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
2nd: 1ti 6:11-16
Gsp: luk 16:19-31

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Homily #100714 ( 07min) Play – The Gospel from St Luke tells His apostles to not carry a walking staff or extra clothes but depend on others to provide these things. St Francis of Assisi after reading this passage threw off his good clothes and put on a simple ones and proceeded on the life of evangelical poverty that so marked his life and charism and contrasted to the life style of the clergy of that time. St. Francis of Solanus also followed this and like the first St Francis received miraculous powers to convert hearts throughout the missionary lands of South America, converting many thousands. Let us pray for these graces to be able to bring many new converts to Christ.
Ave Maria! St. Francis Solano – Mass: OF, – Readings:
1st: rom 10:10-18
Resp: act 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 6-8
Gsp: luk 10:1-9

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Poverty, Joy and Love

Homily #091004 ( 23min) Play – Today is the Feast of St Francis of Assisi (New Advent), the Poverello, who is the founder of the Franciscan Orders and so his feast supersedes Sunday’s liturgy at our Franciscan friary. Fr. Bonaventure explains the importance of the love of poverty that was so central to St. Francis’ spirituality and how this relates to devotion to Christ and Mary and the importance of the incarnation and the bodily death of Christ and to the renewal of the Church in our materialistic times.
Ave Maria!

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Homily #090811 ( 09min) Play – St Clare, daughter of a noble family, became the most extraordinary disciple of St Francis the Poverello, the poor man of Assisi, and so she became the Poverella in imitation of the poor Christ.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

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Ave Maria Meditations

St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

Feast Day is August 11th

In the year 1240, St Clare saved her sisters and her convent from plundering hordes of Saracen mercenaries through the miracle of the Eucharist. As the Saracens were placing ladders against the walls of the convent she placed a monstrance containing the Eucharist in the sight of the men while she lay prostrate before Jesus and prayed. Here is an account of the incident from The History of Saint Clare, Virgin, written by Tommaso da Celano:

“By imperial order, regiments of Saracen soldiers and bowmen were stationed there (the convent of San Damiano in Assisi, Italy), massed like bees, ready to devastate the encampments and seize the cities. Once, during an enemy attack against Assisi, city beloved of the Lord, and while the army was approaching the gates, the fierce Saracens invaded San Damiano, entered the confines of the monastery and even the very cloister of the virgins. The women swooned in terror, their voices trembling with fear as they cried to their Mother, Saint Clare.

“Saint Clare, with a fearless heart, commanded them to lead her, sick as she was, to the enemy, preceded by a silver and ivory case in which the Body of the Saint of saints was kept with great devotion. And prostrating herself before the Lord, she spoke tearfully to her Christ: ‘Behold, my Lord, is it possible You want to deliver into the hands of pagans Your defenseless handmaids, whom I have taught out of love for You? I pray You, Lord, protect these Your handmaids whom I cannot now save by myself.’ Suddenly a voice like that of a child resounded in her ears from the tabernacle: ‘I will always protect you!’ ‘My Lord,’ she added, ‘if it is Your wish, protect also this city which is sustained by Your love.’ Christ replied, ‘It will have to undergo trials, but it will be defended by My protection.’ Then the virgin, raising a face bathed in tears, comforted the sisters: ‘I assure you, daughters, that you will suffer no evil; only have faith in Christ.’

Upon seeing the courage of the sisters, the Saracens took flight and fled back over the walls they had scaled, unnerved by the strength of she who prayed. And Clare immediately admonished those who heard the voice I spoke of above, telling them severely: ‘Take care not to tell anyone about that voice while I am still alive, dearest daughters.’”

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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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Homily #090518 ( 10min) Play – Fr. Angelo preaches on the life of St. Filix a 16th Century Capuchin who was known for his humility. Father explains how this is connected to the vow of poverty and how much we depend on the grace of God.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

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Homily #080811 ( 19min) Play – On this feast of St. Clare, celebrated as a Solemnity at our Franciscan Friary, Fr. Angelo Geiger preaches on the Gospel passage “I am the vine and you are the branches” to explain to us how St. Francis and St. Clare and their two orders relate to each other, the importance of poverty and, finally, how Our Lady fits in. And, of course, St Clare is our Patron Saint for AirMaria so it is doubly a time for celebration.
Ave Maria! Mass readings
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