Blessed be the hour in which our Lord Jesus Christ,

God and man, was born.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit by whom he was conceived.

Blessed be the glorious Virgin Mary

of whom the God-man was born.
May the Lord hear our prayers by the intercession

of the glorious Virgin Mary

and by the remembrance

of the most sacred hour

in which the God-man

was born,

that all our desires

may be accomplished for your glory

and our salvation.

O good Jesus!

O Jesus Redeemer,

do not abandon us

nor punish us as our sins deserve,

but hear our humble prayer

and grant what we ask,

by the intercession

of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and for the glory of your holy name. Amen.

~St. Colette~

"All the reprobate have been damned in consequence of their neglect of prayer; had they prayed they should not be lost; and all the saints have become saints by prayer; had they neglected prayer, they would not have become saints.  We must live in the persuasion, St. John Chrysostom says, that to neglect prayer, and to lose the grace of God, are one and the same thing." 
St. Alphonsus 

"The apostles and their successors are God's vicars in governing the Church which is built on faith and the sacraments of faith. Wherefore, just as they may not institute another Church, so neither may they deliver another faith, nor institute other sacraments." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III, 64, art. 2, ad. 3)

 


Bishop Bonaventure, OFM - Feast of Pentecost 
Bishop Bonaventure, OFM - Trinity Sunday

Holy Mass for Trinity Sunday - Fr. Bernard, OFM 

Fr. Joseph, OFM - Feast of Pentecost 
Fr. Joseph, OFM - Trinity Sunday 

Bishop Giles, OFM May 25, 2013 Sermon 
Bishop Giles, OFM - Trinity Sunday 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Trinity Sunday 26 May 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

A central doctrine is placed before us today for our consideration, inspiration, and adoration. This is a mystery of Faith that can only be appreciated by a humble and sincere submission of our memory, intellect and will to the incomprehensible revelations of God. 

There is only one God, yet there are three Divine Persons in God: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. Each Person is separate from the Others: The Son is not the Father; the Father is not the Son; The Holy Ghost is not the Father; The Father is not the Holy Ghost; The Holy Ghost is not the Son; The Son is not the Holy Ghost. 

The Father is God; the Son is God and; the Holy Ghost is God. There is only One God. 

This is a mystery that is beyond our comprehension but which is placed before us to be believed by God and the Church. Sadly, many relying upon their own feeble intellect have chosen not to believe this Mystery and have severed themselves from the Church, grace, and eternal life. God insists upon the submission of our intellects and wills in all humility as this prerequisite to eternal life in heaven. 

We see the separateness of the Three Persons in the baptism of Jesus by St. John in the river Jordan. Jesus, the Son, came to the river, the Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, the Father spoke from Heaven. Though they Each separate from the Others, They all act as one. 

At the Incarnation, we see that the Son became Man. Neither the Father, nor the Holy Ghost became Man and was born of the Virgin Mary. Nonetheless, the Father and the Holy Ghost cooperated in the Incarnation. The Father sent the Son. We recite in the Creed that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Blessed Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost. All Three acted as One, but only One – The Son – became Man. 

St. Augustine in an attempt to open this mystery up for us, looks to our own human nature made in the image and likeness of God to find a reflection of this separateness of persons, yet oneness of being. He finds within us a threefold power of our souls: memory, intellect and will. We see that the memory is not the intellect or the will; the intellect is not the memory or the will; and the will is not the memory or the intellect. Each is separate, but all act as one. In all our actions the memory, intellect, and will unite and act as one. 

St. Augustine further warns us that if we begin to imagine that we understand this mystery, that we are mistaken. It is a mystery and is beyond all the powers of our nature. We can see reflections of this mystery in all of creation and with the grace of God believe it, but its complete grasp is far beyond us. This distance is as from the highest to the lowest; from the infinite to the finite; from the Creator to the lowliest creature. 

This mystery and doctrine is essential for our salvation, but at the same time it is out of the reach of our fallen natures. We must be very careful not to dismiss this mystery as unimportant or insignificant. We must likewise avoid the mistake of imagining that we understand and thus become filled with demonic pride and vanity. 

It is related that St Augustine was once walking upon the shore contemplating this mystery when he happened to see an angel appearing as a small boy carrying a small pail of the ocean water and dumping it in a small hole he had dug in the sand. When St. Augustine asked him what he was doing, the boy replied that he was emptying the ocean into the hole. When St. Augustine responded that this is impossible, the boy replied it is easier for me to empty the whole ocean into this hole than it is for you to understand the infinitely mysterious Trinity of God.

God demands this faith and trust on our part as a necessity to admittance to His grace. He requires that we humbly admit and accept the limitations of our intellect. The proud and the vain will not enter His Kingdom. We must accept what He has taught us on His word alone. We must accept with full trust and confidence as little children. 

Let us in the quiet of our hearts and souls contemplate this mystery in the Being of God. In this contemplation may we be increasingly confounded in any attempt to understand. And at the same time may we ever be led to an ever increasing burning love for God in this great mystery.

What is left to us but, to adore this majestical and wondrous mystery that is presented to us for our sanctification. May we frequently during our days repeat and remind ourselves of this mystery every time we make the Sign of the Cross confirming and strengthening our faith.

How incomprehensible are His judgments and how unsearchable are His ways.

 

Audio Sermon from May 18 - Bishop Giles, OFM
Pentecost Sunday - Bishop Giles, OFM

Thursday night religion class - Bishop Giles, OFM
http://friarsminor.org/audio/ThursReligion/2013-05-23.wmv

Pentecost Sunday - Fr. Joseph, OFM

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from Waubeka, WI-Fr. Bernard, OFM - Pentecost Sunday 

 

 About the year 1599, in the city of Posen, a very remarkable
incident took place in connection with the Blessed Sacrament. A
servant girl, who was bribed by some unbelievers, stole from the
chapel of the Dominicans three small Hosts, wrapped them in a linen
cloth, and carried them to the house of the wretches who had hired
her for the deed. The unbelievers treated the Sacred Hosts in a most
sacrilegious and shameful manner. They threw them on a table and cut
the Sacred Particles. Blood spurted out on the first one of the
sacrilegious creatures and left a stain that could not be removed.
The report of this strange occurrence soon spread abroad and crowds
ran to see for themselves. A blind woman insisted on being led to the
scene of this marvelous incident. Divinely inspired, she cried out:
"If Thou art the true God, He whom our ancestors nailed to the Cross,
restore to me my sight!" She was immediately cured, and went away
proclaiming the miracle. The guilty profaners, fearing the just
punishment of their heinous crime, wished to dispose of the
desecrated Hosts, and after several fruitless efforts buried them to
a great depth in a swamp.

One day on the octave of the Blessed Virgin, two herdsmen, father and
son, brought their cattle to pasture near this place. The father went
to a church not far off to hear Mass, while the son guarded the herd.
To his surprise the boy saw the cattle approach the swamp and kneel
down with their heads bent low. The shepherd raised his eyes and saw
in the air over the swamp three shining objects. In amazement he
perceived that they were three Hosts, and he instantly prostrated
himself and profoundly adored the God who revealed Himself by so
great a prodigy.

In the meantime, the father returned from Mass. As soon as the boy
saw him he ran to meet him. "Father," he shouted, "our oxen are
adoring the Blessed Sacrament!" "Nonsense!" replied the parent,
shrugging his shoulders, "what folly is this!" "Come and see for
yourself," protested the boy, "that I am telling the truth." While
proceeding on his way the old man suddenly paused, with feet fastened
to the ground and with eyes entranced as he beheld the astonishing
scene. There at the farthest end of the marsh three little lights
hung in the air, while the dumb beasts knelt with heads bowed to the
earth. The old herdsman, all doubts gone, knelt in adoration before
the three consecrated Hosts profaned by the unbelievers. After a
moment's prayer, the old man ran to the city and proclaimed the
wonder to all whom he met. The people, however, looked upon him as a
fool, and even cast him into prison. And now a new wonder
occurred the prison door opened and freed the prisoner. This startled
the authorities and they began to investigate. The Bishop and the
clergy were informed and went in procession to the place indicated by
the herdsman. Then the Sacred Hosts, which had remained suspended in
the air, slowly descended and rested in the hands of a saintly
priest. They were taken back to the city amidst great pomp and
splendor. Then the authorities began to debate what disposition to
make of the miraculous Hosts. While they were arguing, the Hosts rose
from their hands, ascended into the air and returned to the marsh. The
wish of Our Lord was evident. So they erected an improvised sanctuary
on the spot, and this in turn was soon followed by a magnificent
basilica founded by Ladislaus Jagellon, King of Poland. Needless to
say, thousands of pilgrims have visited the famous shrine to adore
the miraculous Hosts.