Homily #100209 ( 07min) Play – For the Jews the Temple in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God and so was central to their spiritual life. Listen as Fr. Angelo relates this to the Blessed Sacrament to which we should make frequent visits to give true worship.
Ave Maria! Mass readings
1: 1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30
R: Ps 84:3-5,10-11
G: Mk 7:1-13

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Homily #091128 ( 05min) Play – Fr. Bonaventure preaches on the need to avoid vice and give true worship of God. This is especially important as we approach Advent.  Today is the feast day of St. James of the March Franciscan preacher.
Ave Maria! Mass readings
1: Dan 7:15-27
R: Dan 3:82-87
G: Lk 21:34-36

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Homily #090815 ( 13min) Play – In this event of the Assumption of Mary into heaven both body and soul, which we memorialize today, we honor all the virtues and events in Our Lady’s life that was so closely intertwined with Our Lord, her Son. Fr. Bonaventure relates this to the dignity of the human body which was created by God to give Him glory.
Ave Maria! Mass readings

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“And going into the dwelling, they found the Child there

with His Mother, Mary, and fell down to worship Him.” (Mt. 2:11)

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A Prayer for Epiphany:

O Lord, reveal Your divinity to all mankind, and just as once You drew the Magi from the East to You, now in like manner unite all peoples and all nations around Your manger. You have shown me that You want my poor cooperation in order to bring about the coming of Your Kingdom. You wish me to pray, suffer, and work for the conversion of those who are near and of those who are far away. You wish that I, too, place before the manger the gifts of the Wise Men : the incense of prayer, the myrrh of mortification and of suffering borne with generosity out of love for You.  And finally, the gold of charity, charity which will make my heart wholly and exclusively Yours, charity which will spur me on to work, to spend myself for the conversion of ‘sinners and infidels, and for the greater sanctification of Your elect.  

 O my loving King, create in me the heart of an apost1e. If only Icould lay at Y our feet today the praise and adoration of everyone on earth!

 Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene OCD

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Several years ago a priest friend of mine wrote the following mediation while setting up his manger scene and I would like to share it with you:

I think you should consider the words: “For unto you ….. ” in Luke 2:11. As I was putting up my nativity set these three words sprung out at me “For unto you … ” Yes Lord how I need your holy nativity. The visitation of Elizabeth and Mother Mary confirms life is precious in God’s eyes. You and I take our assigned places in God’s providence; mine to stand and offer the sacrifice of Christ’s blood and body for the remission of our sins.

Yet look how low the Son of God stooped to make our salvation possible.  A cave and a manger for the Lord of Glory to visit this sin cursed world!  A cave that only allows me to bow before his presence to enter in. I held the twig twisted manger that was to be the Lord’s bed. Even poor me, divested of all this world holds dear, is welcome to kneel and adore Jesus!           

The two little lambs pointed their faces at the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Our Jesus offers us the sacrifice of the Mass so we will never forget the high cost of our redemption.

The donkey in the corner of the manger gladly bore the weight of the blessed Mother to carry her to Bethlehem meaning the “house of bread”.  Yes, Jesus is our living bread that came down from heaven to heal our sinful souls and prepare us to enter heaven.

There is Joseph who suffered much to see God’s holy will fulfilled in the birth of God’s Son. Our life, like Joseph’s, is mixed with buffeting and blessings. God gave Joseph great graces to carry lives challenges and that grace and mercy is renewed to us each day.

There is the blessed Mother dressed in blue; God graced her to be the door that will open God’s heaven to those that love her Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I prayed the joyful mysteries before the manger and I felt my sorrows flyaway like little birds.

There is the little boy kneeling in awe before the baby Jesus and the wonder of the angel’s song still fills the air. The angel announces “Glory to God in the Highest” and indeed the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father shines brightly in the dark of night.

There is the cow providing much needed heat for the new born Christ Child. To the left are three camels and the three wise kings with their gifts, kneeling in worship before the Savior. To the right are the shepherds, the common working men who labor to provide for their family’s needs. They saw the heavens lit up with the angels from the throne room of God’s heaven and heard the Gospel proclaimed. God’s love was wrapped in the babe of Bethlehem for people of every kindred, tongue and nation of the world!

What place would we take in this manger scene? For me I am like the donkey bearing the many burdens of those in great need at Christmas. Yes the world may consider me an ass but that is only because they refuse to follow me to Bethlehem and see what has come to pass.

Yes, you must allow the light of the star to lead you to the Savior’s crib and adore and worship the King of Kings and Lord of lords.

Glory to God in the Highest! 

Fr. JFB

Of all the Christmas decorations we so lovingly place around our homes, the one that is indispensable as it is central to the meaning of Christmas, is the Creche or Nativity Scene.  The Christ Child in the manger and other pictures of the story of Bethlehem have been used in church services from the first centuries. But the crib in its present form and its use outside the church originated with St. Francis of Assisi. Through his famous celebration at Greccio, Italy, on Christmas Eve, 1223, with a Bethlehem scene including live animals, he made the crib popular. Since then it has been a familiar sight in Christian homes all over the world.

The Christmas Creche was the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi. For the Saint, Christmas had always been the Feast of Feasts, yet he did not think it had been celebrated as it could have been, The poverty of Christ had become lost in the extravagance of the Christmas festivities An idea occurred to him and while on a visit to Rome, he received permission from the Pontiff to put his idea to work.

The story of how St. Francis of Assisi “invented” the crib is so delightful and inspiring that it might be told or read to the children every year. We give here the account in the very words of Brother Thomas de Celano, who was there when it happened and who wrote it down:

Blessed Francis called a friend about two weeks before Christmas and said to him: ‘If you desire that we should celebrate this year’s Christmas together at Greccio, go quickly and prepare what I tell you; for I want to enact the memory of the Infant Who was born at Bethlehem, and how He was deprived of all the comforts babies enjoy; how He was bedded in a manger on hay, between an ass and an ox. For once I want to see all this with my own eyes.’ When the good and faithful man had heard this, he departed quickly and prepared in the above-mentioned place everything that the Saint had told him.

The joyful day approached. The Franciscans were called from many communities. The men and women of the neighborhood, as best they could, prepared candles and torches to brighten the night. Finally the Saint of God arrived, found everything prepared, saw it and rejoiced. The crib was made ready, hay was brought, the ox and ass were led to the spot and Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The night was radiant with joy. The crowds drew near and rejoiced in the novelty of the celebration. Their voices resounded from the woods, and the rocky cliff echoed the jubilant outburst. As they sang in the praise of God, the whole night rang with exultation. The Saint of God stood before the crib, overcome with devotion and wondrous joy. A solemn Mass was sung at the crib.

The Saint was dressed in deacon’s vestments, for a deacon he was [out of humility, St. Francis never became a priest, remaining a deacon all his life]. He sang the Gospel. Then he preached a delightful sermon to the people who stood around him, speaking about the nativity of the poor King and the humble town of Bethlehem.

The parishioners and pilgrims who came to Greccio for Midnight Mass and witnessed the Christmas manger scene were much impressed with the simplicity of St. Francis’ creche and it was from there that the tradition took hold and spread around the Catholic world.

The Universal Prayer of Thanksgiving After Mass

(Attributed to Pope Clement XI)

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.

I trust in you: strengthen my trust.

I love you: let me love you more and more.

I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,

I long for you as my last end,

I praise you as my constant helper,

and call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,

correct me with your justice,

comfort me with your mercy,

protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;

my words: to have you for their theme;

my actions: to reflect my love for you;

my sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:

in the way you ask,

for as long as you ask,

because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,

strengthen my will,

purify my heart,

and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins

and to resist temptation in the future.

Help me to rise above my human weaknesses

and to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,

and see myself as I really am:

a pilgrim in this world,

a Christian called to respect and love 

all whose lives I touch, 

those in authority over me 

or those under my authority, 

my friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,

greed by generosity,

apathy by fervor.

Help me to forget myself 

and reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,

courageous in taking risks.

Make  me patient in suffering,

Unassuming in prosperity,

Keep me,Lord, attentive at prayer,

Temperate in food and drink,

diligent in my work,

Let my conscience be clear,

my conduct without fault,

my speech blameless,

my life well-ordered.

Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.

Let me cherish your love for me,

keep your law,

and come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,

that my true future is the happiness of heaven,

that life on earth is short,

and the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death,

with a proper fear of judgment,

but a greater trust in your goodness.

Lead me safely through death

to the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer after Holy Communion:

The Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me

Body of Christ, save me

Blood of Christ, inebriate me

Water from Christ’s side, wash me

Passion of Christ, strengthen me

O good Jesus, hear me

Within Thy wounds hide me

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee

From the malicious enemy defend me

In the hour of my death call me

And bid me come unto Thee

That I may praise Thee with Thy saints

and with Thy angels for all eternity.

Amen

 

 

 

Homily #080817 ( 18min) Play – On this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Fr. Ignatius Manfredonia preaches on the need to join the one true religion in order to worship the one true God. He also covers the importance of perseverance in prayer when God seems to remain silent.
Ave Maria! Mass readings
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