But what faith can we learn from these false teachers when, in consequence of separating from the Church, they have no rule of faith? ... How often Calvin changed his opinions! And, during his life, Luther was constantly contradicting himself: on the single article of the Eucharist, he fell into thirty-three contradictions! A single contradiction is enough to show that they did not have the Spirit of God. "He cannot deny Himself" (II Timothy 2:13).

In a word, take away the authority of the Church, and neither Divine Revelation nor natural reason itself is of any use, for each of them may be interpreted by every individual according to his own caprice ... Do they not see that from this accursed liberty of conscience has arisen the immense variety of heretical and atheistic sects? ... I repeat: if you take away obedience to the Church, there is no error which will not be embraced.

St. Alphonsus

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost 1 September 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

St. Augustine takes the opportunity of today’s Gospel to remind us of spiritual death in sin.

It is most probable that Our Lord raised many bodies to life, but the Gospels only record three instances. The first was the Centurion’s daughter, the next was the young man in today’s Gospel, the final one was Lazarus. These three represent different degrees of spiritual death in sin.

The Centurion’s daughter had just died when Our Lord arrived. She was still within the walls of her own home. These are those who sin in desire or thought. Their sin is hidden within their own walls, but they are dead nonetheless. Our Lord tells us that the man who looks after a woman lusting in his heart is already guilty; and the man that holds hatred and anger in his heart is already guilty of murder. These poor souls are dead within their own homes and the world does not yet know of their death.

The young man in today’s Gospel represents to us those who have not only desired to sin but have actually committed sin. They have carried the dead out of the home where the world can easily perceive their death.

The last type of spiritual death is presented in those who have allowed their sins to become a habit. These are dead and buried for days. Their bodies have begun to decay and there is a stench. The habit has deadened their senses to the point that they no longer can help themselves but continue from sin to sin without any fear of the situation they are in. We see examples of this in the Sodomites that accosted Lot in the Old Testament. When Lot tried to lead them away from their unnatural sins they said that he was a stranger and had no right to judge them. Sadly, it seems that many in the world have entered into this third stage of death. When they are reminded of their sins or the unnaturalness of their lives the general response is that we have no right to judge them. The world would have us believe that we are the ones that are out of place and have done something wrong.

In each of these degrees of spiritual death, we see that God is able to bring us back to life. In each case the death is nothing more than a sleep to Our Lord. He calls and the dead respond. No matter how dead we have become there is always hope.

The young girl was lifted up and given back to her parents. The young man was raised and given back to his mother. Lazarus came forth from the tomb but was still bound. Our Lord directed the apostles to release him from his bonds. It is to the Apostles of the Church that Christ has given this power of binding and losing the sins of men.

The sinners who are spiritually dead can at any time present themselves to the priests of the true Church and have their sins forgiven; and in this manner be restored to spiritual life. Even those who are restored to life but remain bound by their evil habits will find in the Church the spiritual hands eager and ready to unbind them; and set them free.

As long as there is breath there is hope. As long as we are able to repent of our sins and call out to God there is a chance for life to be restored within us. God directs us to penance for our sins and to receive absolution in the sacrament of Confession. When we understand how easy it is for God, through the Church, to restore spiritual life to our souls, we see there is nothing so foolish as to despair of spiritual life altogether.

Christ’s hand is always held out to us in this life to restore us to life and peace with Him. All that we need to do is take Him by the hand and allow Him to work within us. When we hear and feel the sting of our consciences, this is the voice of God calling us back to life. Let us learn to recognize His voice and cast off our sins with penance and walk in a newness of life. There is still time for us. God’s mercy is not exhausted yet.

There will come a time when the opportunity for us to be restored to spiritual life will have passed. When the time of grace comes to an end; and we have remained in death, we will immediately be cast into Hell. We must truly heed the admonition that “now is the acceptable time.” If we do not heed God’s call at this moment we have no assurance that He will pass this way again and call us once more.

Once we have been restored to life let us strain every fiber of our being to never die this spiritual death again. Our worst enemy is ourselves in this matter because we are the only ones who can respond to this call of God for the life of our own souls. Let us be our best friend and listen and follow the voice of our Creator and Redeemer when He calls us back to life.

Bishop Giles, OFM - Sermon for August 24, 2013
Sermon for Feast of St. Louis - Bishop Giles, OFM 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from Our Lady of the Rosary - Feast of St. Louis 

Feast of St. Louis - Fr. Joseph, OFM 

Video Sermon - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM - Feast of St. Louis 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals St. Louis IX King of France 25 August 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

St. Louis is the principal patron of the Third Order of St. Francis. He is well known for having led a most virtuous life. His justice was known throughout the world and kings and nobles appealed to him for arbitration of their disputes. Usury was severely punished during his reign and blasphemers were branded in punishment for their crime. He led two rather unsuccessful crusades to free the Holy Lands from the infidels and make them safe for Catholics. He died of typhus during his last crusade.

We are told that when St. Louis was just a boy, his mother said to him: “Son I love you as any mother loves her son, but I would rather see you dead at my feet than to ever see you commit a mortal sin.” This obviously made a very profound impression upon him. His biographer informs us that he was never known to swear, or curse. During his battles he refused to allow his men to pillage in their victories, and demanded that every infidel was to be taken prisoner rather than killed if it was at all possible. St. Louis fed many of the poor at his own table and is known to have served them often with his own hands.

We see a miracle of God’s grace in St. Louis because he lived a saintly life in spite of his wealth and kingship. Through the grace of God he accomplished something greater than passing a camel through the eye of a needle. It appears that much of the earthly credit for this miracle was the influence of his saintly mother Blanche of Castile. The seriousness of the faith and her deep understanding of the eternity of Heaven and Hell preserved in her a true and just understanding of all the material wealth and prosperity of a kingdom. She truly saw and understood that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world if he loses his soul in the bargain. This insight and grace was obviously deeply impressed upon her son, St. Louis.

Where are the mothers and fathers today who can honestly say that they would prefer to see their children dead and buried in the cold earth, rather than see them commit one single mortal sin?

We claim to love our children, but do we really love them? True love suggests that we wish for them the greatest good – eternal life in heaven. We dare say that most parents do not truly love their children. Parents most often have a selfish disordered love that never includes a thought about eternity. A child in mortal sin is worse off than a child who physically dies. This should be a very obvious principle to everyone, but there are very few who will accept it in actual practice. In theory, we readily see the truth of this principle, but in reality most parents would sacrifice the immortal souls of their children rather than suffer the pain of having to bury them.

Not only parents but almost universally we see that everyone would sacrifice eternal life just to preserve a little longer this brief, fleeting, mortal life here on earth. Faith and eternal truths have fallen into universal neglect, forgetfulness, and demonic doubt.

If only each and every one of us had the influence of a saintly mother as St. Louis had; we would be living in a completely different world! We do, however, have a greater mother than this watching over us and instructing us. We have our Holy Mother the Church constantly guiding and instructing us in these truths, if we will only listen. We have the Blessed Virgin Mary as our mother also seeking our salvation and interceding for us.

It is time that we wake up and pay attention to our mothers. We must increase our love for these mothers and then heed what they are telling us. We must take seriously their words because they are the true teaching and words of God. We must come to know the love our mother and reciprocate this love. In this manner, we will easily see and understand that it would be better to die than to ever offend God, our mother Mary, or our holy mother the Church.

If we have fallen into sin, let us at this very moment rise up and renounce our sins, resolving to confess them as soon as we possibly can. Let us impose upon ourselves penances for these offenses, and return to a true spiritual life. Let us resolve further to never fall into spiritual death again, even if it requires that we sacrifice this mortal life to accomplish it.

13th Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - 13th Sunday after Pentecost - Our Lady of the Rosary Church

13th Sunday after Pentecost - Video Sermon -Bishop Bonaventure, OFM 

 

12th Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM
Bishop Giles, OFM - (same sermon) Video Sermon 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Our Lady of the Rosary - Fr. Bernard, OFM 

12 Sunday After Pentecost Sermon From St. Joseph's Mission Union, Kentucky Dear Catholics, Here is this past Sunday's sermon delivered by Bishop Bonaventure Strandt, OFM 
 THE GOOD SAMARITAN

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 11 August 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

“Blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see.” What is it that the followers of Christ see, that the prophets and kings had not seen? It must be something more than Christ in His humanity. The Scribes and Pharisees all saw Christ in human flesh, but they were not blessed. On the contrary, we see that they as well as the heretics and all those who reject Jesus are damned.

There must be a spiritual vision or sight that only the followers of Jesus are privy to; that the rest of the world remains completely ignorant of. This sight or understanding of God was hinted at and alluded to throughout the Old Testament. The prophets often spoke of it but, were themselves unable to understand or view the very prophesies that were given to them. There was a longing for the revelation of God, principally because they understood in what darkness they were living.

Jesus speaks of Himself as the Light. And in this analogy He has come to dispel this darkness. All who believe Jesus have this darkness lifted from their spiritual eyes. There is a development or growth that souls generally must go through in the Spiritual life. God first gives us a grace to which we must correspond and then He adds another. As long as we continue to correspond with His grace we advance. The moment we reject or turn away, we lose grace and turn back to the darkness from whence we came.

God inspires a soul to believe in Him, or perhaps to love Him. If we correspond with this grace we grow in faith, hope and charity. As one virtue advances, we advance in the others as well. Not always in the same measure or at the same time. Each soul must follow the graces that he has at the moment and not try and force the hand of God. We cannot give grace to ourselves, we can only cooperate with it.

If we make the leap of faith and believe simply because Christ has spoken through His Church (The Holy Roman Catholic Church), then the faith is rewarded with a light that enables the mind to better see or understand; the heart is increased or opened up for greater love. If we correspond with these graces we increase in hope, love, and faith, and the cycle continues. Stage by stage our lives are to be one continuous progression in perfecting ourselves through these virtues. Ultimately, our souls see more and more light and will no longer be blinded by the clear and open vision of God in all His glory. If God were to show us Himself in all His glory without allowing our eyes to grow accustomed to the Light we would die from the brilliance.

Sadly, more often than not, souls refuse to believe and return to their darkness. Many even pretend to understand the things of faith and argue them as if they truly know. We see rationalists always explaining away the mysteries of God. Their wisdom is the height of folly. Their “light” is utter darkness. This was the way with so many in the days of the Apostles. The heretic Scribes and Pharisees “knew” the Law but did not know the author of the Law. They imagined that they saw clearly, while in reality they were stumbling in the dark. The pride that they had within them -- in their imagined understanding of the Law -- blinded them to the Light and truth of God.

We observe the same today. The truths and light of God cannot be understood or seen by those who have rejected Christ. The doctrines of God are rejected as folly by the world. For example the Protestants and the world in their darkness are scandalized and reject the clear teachings of Christ and His Church. Some have suggested that Catholics not preach or lay emphasis upon certain doctrines that are offensive or scandalous to the Protestants. This would amount to a denial of the truth and of Christ and this, the Church can never do. We must not worry ourselves over the “sensibilities” of those outside the Faith. If they are “scandalized” by the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, that is their problem; we must not water down but rather speak out even more boldly and loudly in her praise. We have the example of Jesus Himself in this manner. When He taught that we must eat His Body and drink His Blood to have life in us, many were scandalized and turned away from Him. He did not water this doctrine down to appease them; rather He spoke of it even more forcefully and even challenged His own disciples and Apostles: “Will you leave Me also?”

The doctrine of the Holy Eucharist is perhaps the greatest blindness or darkness that falls upon the world, but it is not the only one. It does not matter which doctrine is denied our doubted, for turning away from God in any way -- even the smallest way -- is a turning from light to darkness. Despite the Protestants’ and the devils’ ability to quote scripture, they are nonetheless in darkness and cannot see God who is Truth Itself.

Let us pray for these poor souls deluded by pride into believing that darkness is light, but most importantly let us thank God for the grace of true faith and renew our Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity daily. There is nothing that those in darkness can do to help others with them in the same darkness. We must humbly secure ourselves in these virtues and the light before we can truly help anyone who still remains in darkness.

Newest Grandson born on the Feast of the Transfiguration August 6.  Gannon Carter was 7 lbs 11 oz and 21" long. 

Holy Mass from Our Lady of the Rosary - Feast of St. Dominic

Video Sermon Feast of St. Dominic - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM 

First Friday - Bishop Giles, OFM 
First Saturday - Bishop Giles, OFM 
Feast of St. Dominic - Bishop Giles, OFM 

Feast of St. Dominic, - Fr. Joseph, OFM 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals The Feast of St. Dominic 4 August 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

The Franciscans and the Dominicans share a long and rich history. St. Dominic and St. Francis knew each other and it is related that St. Dominic persuaded St. Francis to give him his cord. St. Dominic wore this cord from that day on. The ministers general of each of the orders meet and celebrate the feast of each other’s founders on their respective feast days. In the Franciscan Order, we therefore refer to St. Dominic as our father.

Both orders are mendicant; which means that we survive by begging. We have taken strict vows of poverty and do not involve ourselves in the cultivation or production of material things for our support, as the more ancient orders do. We are called upon by God to spend our lives in His service and to depend completely upon Him. “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” The ministers of God live from the altar.

In today’s Gospel, we see that God’s workers are the “salt of the earth.” Tragically, we see that many of our religious have lost their saltiness and do not really serve to make the tribulations of this life any more palatable for mankind. This salt has lost its saltiness. They are no longer the light put upon the candle stick and lighting the room. It is sad to say, that in more cases than not, they do not even have their light hidden under a basket. The light of the true Faith has been extinguished in them.

These would be religious have lost their saltiness and their light has been put out. They have nothing to give to their fellow man. What they offer in the place of salt and light is nothing but materialism and darkness. It is true that we must love our fellow men and be concerned about their physical well-being. However, this is just the surface of the religious’ vocation.

True salt transforms the physical life and world that is naturally unpalatable into something very pleasing. The crosses and burdens of this life lead one to repulsion and despair. When the salt of the true Faith is added to these tribulations, all that was unpalatable then becomes delicious.

Christ has invited us all to take up our crosses daily and follow Him. This is very distasteful to our fallen natures and is hard. The Faith teaches us that if we willingly do this, the cross will be made light and sweet. That which at first repulsed then becomes a joy. It has always been the vocation of the Dominicans and Franciscans to espouse their crosses of the rule willingly and cheerfully, so as to give an example to the rest of the world. They are to lead by example even more so than by their words. The Modernists have abandoned the Faith and now seek only to comfort and try and make a heaven here on earth so as to forget the crosses here and now, as well as the promise of future joy in heaven.

Sadly this method of trying to put off the earthly crosses and tribulations must always end in futility. While we can paint on a smile and deaden our pain by artificial means of alcohol, drugs, and medications; and we can build shelters for our bodies; and fill our stomachs; this is never enough. We were not made for this world. We can never be satisfied with just the things of this earth. So no matter how good the things of this earth may be that we obtain, they are always bitter because the light and salt of true Faith has not seasoned them; so that they may whet our appetites for the things of heaven.

As we celebrate today’s feast of St. Dominic, and recall his love of God and of our founder and order, may we be ever encouraged to embrace more fervently our own vocation. The Dominican Order was given the mission to preach, but sadly today we see that this order has lost its light and saltiness. The words of God have fallen to the side as they practice materialistic humanism in the place of solid and true Faith. If we will only begin to try and attune ourselves to the Gospels and pray for the aid of St. Dominic and all the other saints, our eyes will gradually be opened to the true light and our appetites will be pleased (not so much with the things of this earth, as with the anticipation of the things of eternity).

May God through the merits of St. Dominic shine the light of faith upon our hearts and minds and season our daily portions of tribulations with true Faith. Let us not seek a heaven here on earth, but rather embrace our crosses and all the bitterness of this world seasoned with God’s grace, and in this manner find joy in them as they become means to remind us of God and entice us to greater desires for Heaven.

CHAPTER XIV
HOW THE LORD APPEARED TO ST FRANCIS AND TO HIS BRETHREN AS HE WAS SPEAKING WITH THEM
In the beginning of the Order, St Francis, having assembled his companions to speak to them of Christ, in a moment of great fervour of spirit commanded one of them, in the name of God, to open his mouth and speak as the Holy Spirit should inspire him. The brother, doing as he was ordered, spoke most wonderfully of God. Then St Francis bade him to be silent, and ordered another brother to speak in the same way, which having done with much penetration, St Francis ordered him likewise to be silent, and commanded a third brother to do the same. This one began to speak so deeply of the things of God, that St Francis was convinced that both he and his companion had spoken through the Holy Spirit. Of which also he received a manifest proof; for whilst they were thus speaking together, our Blessed Lord appeared in the midst of them, under the form of a beautiful young man, and blessed them all. And they, being ravished out of themselves, fell to the ground as if they had been dead, and were all unconscious of things external. And when they recovered from their trance, St Francis said to them: "My beloved brothers, let us thank God, who has deigned to reveal to the world, through his humble servants, the treasures of divine wisdom. For the Lord it is who openeth the mouth of the dumb, and maketh the tongues of the simple to speak wisdom."

---

ST. ALPHONSUS











Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (September 27, 1696 – August 1, 1787) was an Italian Catholic Bishop, spiritual writer, scholastic philosopher and theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists, an influential religious order. He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI and declared a Doctor of the Church.
St. Alphonsus was born in the village of Marianella near Naples, Italy, September 27, 1696. At a tender age his pious mother inspired him with the deepest sentiments of piety. The education he received under the auspices of his father, aided by his own intellect, produced in him such results that at the early age of sixteen, he graduated in law.
Shortly after, he was admitted to the Neopolitan bar. In 1723, he lost a case, and God made use of his disappointment to wean his heart from the world. In spite of all opposition he now entered the ecclesiastical state. In 1726, he was ordained a priest. He exercised the ministry at various places with great fruit, zealously laboring for his own sanctification. In 1732, God called him to found the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, with the object of laboring for the salvation of the most abandoned souls. Amid untold difficulties and innumerable trials, St. Alphonsus succeeded in establishing his Congregation, which became his glory and crown, but also his cross.
The holy founder labored incessantly at the work of the missions until, about 1756, he was appointed Bishop of St. Agatha, a diocese he governed until 1775, when broken by age and infirmity, he resigned this office to retire to his convent where he died. Few saints have labored as much, either by word or by writing, as St. Alphonsus. He was a prolific and popular author, the utility of whose works will never cease.
His last years were characterized by intense suffering, which he bore with resignation, adding voluntary mortifications to his other pains. His happy death occurred at Nocera de Pagani, August 1, 1787.

NO MATTER WHAT OUR WEAKNESS, SINFULNESS, UNWORTHINESS, WE NEED NEVER LOSE HEART AT THE REMEMBRANCE OF PAST INGRATITUDE-IF WE FLY TO THE REFUGE OF SINNERS, THE MOTHER OF MERCY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS - SHE WILL GAIN A FULL PARDON, AND THE GRACE OF TRUE AND PERFECT CONVERSION FROM THE ADORABLE AND LOVING HEART OF HER DIVINE SON. ****MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION****


"When we say that Mary is the Mother of God, we speak of a dignity that is above every other dignity that can be named, or thought of, after that of God. Nothing equals Mary, for all is either above her, and this is God, or beneath her, and this is all that is not God."

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109AD)

 

Bishop Giles, OFM - July 27
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