THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals St. Michael the Archangel 29 September 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

Most people know St. Michael as the slayer of the demon dragons. He is the one we are told who stood up against Lucifer and his cohort of rebellious angels. St. Michael is however also represented to us as offering incense to God along with the prayers of men. Today’s Mass also reminds us that we all have angels and the angels of children (or the innocent) stand before the face of God.

To scandalize the children is to take the side of Lucifer and the fallen angels and lead souls away from God. Those who thus scandalize the innocent incur the just indignation of St. Michael and all the angels but especially the particular guardian angel of these souls being stolen from innocence and God.

Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel that whatever causes scandal should be cut off, plucked out, or cast aside. It is better to enter into Heaven maimed than to go to Hell whole. The same is true with mankind. It is better that the part of mankind that leads others into sin should be cast out and lost rather than that all mankind should be destroyed. It is necessary that there are scandals, but WOE to those by whom they come. It would be better for that man (that causes scandal) that he were never born. It would be better that the man that causes scandal should have a millstone tied around him and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

All those who give bad example or endorse or encourage sin in any way make themselves enemies of God, enemies of men, and enemies of St. Michael and all the angels. The angels in Heaven come to the aid of the innocent and as we see, also burn sweet incense to mix with the prayers of men. God is most pleased with this union of His creatures (angels and men) in prayer and sacrifice.

Though the devils and evil men appear to succeed and advance in this world, we know that this is only an illusion. They have no real success as their success is only temporary. The price that they have to pay for this temporary and apparent success is eternal damnation. The scales of justice that St. Michael holds in his hand will infallibly weigh out the acts of men and determine their true or eternal merit.

Many have speculated what the test for the angels could have been that caused Lucifer and his followers to turn against God. There is a tradition that relates to us the rise of the first sin, when the rebel angels rose up against God. It is said that God revealed to all the angelic host that the Second Person of the Trinity was to become man and that the angels must worship God not only in His Divinity, but also in His Humanity. This was apparently too much for the pride of Lucifer and his cohort. How could an angel that is higher than man bow down to worship man? Foreseeing God in this humble position caused Lucifer to proclaim himself greater than God. Obviously, Lucifer would never stoop to become human.

St. Michael rose up in defense of God in His Humanity and drove these demons out of Heaven. In accepting the test in all humility, St. Michael rose to the height of glory. St. Michael comes to the defense of Jesus Christ but also through Him, St. Michael comes to the defense of each and every member of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Lucifer and all the demons in Hell eternally hate us for the exalted inheritance that is offered to us through Jesus Christ. We are to be the children of God. We are to be like unto God. The very position that the devils aspired to and lost through their pride is to be ours through the practice of virtue and humility.

The test that began in Heaven with the angels, continues in time here on earth. We are all constantly faced with the test to worship Jesus Christ (true God and true Man). We are asked to humble ourselves in all love and obedience to the Church (the Bride of Christ). Those who fail in this will be joined eternally with the rebellious devils in Hell. The damned will pay an even heavier price if they have led others into a similar damnation.

May St. Michael come to our aid and help us fight off these devils and evil men who scandalize us, as well as offer his burning incense to God with our prayers that we might be pleasing to God. May we thus avoid offering scandal but rather that we may always give our fellow man the example and inspiration to know, love and serve God in this world, so that they may be eternally happy with Him in Heaven.

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) on Repentance

St. Joseph of Cupertino

Audio Sermon for Sept 21, 2013 - Bishop Giles, OFM
18th Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Fr. Bernard, OFM - 18th Sunday after Pentecost 

18th Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Joseph OFM 

Youtube sermon and remainder of Holy Mass - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM 

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Mother - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM

Isaias 5:20: "Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."

Bishop Giles, OFM Sermon for September 14, 2013
Seven Sorrows of the BVM - Bishop Giles, OFM 

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

Seven Sorrows of the BVM - Fr. Joseph OFM 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary 15 September 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

"Meanwhile there stands the Virgin, grander far / Than martyrs all; by a new prodigy, /Thou, Mother dying in so many ways /Pierced by such dreadful sorrows, didst not die" (Hymn from Second Vespers) 

On this earth love is inseparable from suffering and sorrow. It seems only those who love or have loved can have the slightest understanding of Mary's sorrows as she stood beneath the cross of our dying Redeemer. Those who have not loved, do know the physical pains and sufferings of this life, but this is nothing compared to the sufferings of the soul.

As the soul is superior to the body, so it follows that the suffering of the soul is greater than all the sufferings of the body. It is through love that that our hearts and souls are exposed and must endure the greatest pain. It is said that: "little children step on their parents' feet, but when they grow up they step on their parents' hearts." It is love that makes this possible. The greater the love, so much greater is the suffering that must follow. True love is a crucified love. 

True love inspires us to sacrifice our bodies for our souls. True love for one another inspires us to offer our own bodies in sacrifice of reparation for those whom we love. (Parents sacrifice comfort, rest, leisure, etc. for their children even at the cost of their own health and well being.) This is the love that God has, as He sacrifices Himself for us. True love for God demands that we likewise be willing to suffer the greatest pain and loss rather than ever risk the misfortune of losing Him. This is the love of all the martyrs.

Mary is queen of all the martyrs. As queen, she has suffered more than all - she has loved more than all. With the other martyrs their agony ended with death and then they were welcomed and consoled in Heaven. With Mary, we see that death did not come for her in the greatest agony of soul. (Thy own soul a sword shall pierce.) Mary was forced to continue in this life and to constantly remember and frequently suffer these lacerations of her own soul. 

We gain a glimpse of this love and agony when we meditate upon the forth Station of the Cross. Jesus meets His sorrowful mother. Their eyes became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. Mary was forced to see her Son suffer this bitter death, and it obviously pained her motherly heart. Jesus looked into the eyes of His mother seeing the pain that His suffering was causing her, thus increasing His own spiritual torment. Mary looked deep into His eyes and saw the suffering that her suffering was adding to Christ's own agony. This agony keeps intensifying in magnitude as the glances of the two loving hearts beheld each other. In all this, love would not permit them to look away from each other. As much as the sight of one another increased each one's agony, they could not look away, but looked even more intently into each other's eyes. Love demanded this willing sacrifice of suffering. This suffering would be enough to kill the strongest of men, but God sustained Himself and her for even more. 

It would have been a relief to die right there, but with this perfect love, it seems God demands everything and even a bit more. Mary was asked to remain here on earth and continue her sufferings and guide the infant Church through the Apostle St. John. In this moment she became our mother - the mother of the Church; and we became her children. 

As her dear children we are called upon to behold our mother. We are to look into her eyes to see the sorrow in them; this is but a mere reflection of the sorrow in her heart and soul. Our love for her and her love for us demands this. Just as Christ could not turn away His glance from her and she could not turn her glance away from Him; so we must look into her eyes and she into ours. As we contemplate this sorrow we begin to understand; we begin to love. Our sins made Jesus suffer; Jesus' suffering caused Mary to suffer. If we look into our mother Mary's eyes with love, it pains us to see the agony we have caused her, but love will not allow us to look away. Love demands that we keep looking; and that we look ever more deeply. 

Our hearts are then filled with an appreciation of Mary's suffering, and she as our loving mother sees and appreciates our suffering in this valley of tears. She knows love more than we ever will, and she knows our suffering better than we do ourselves. She is therefore ever so ready to come to our aid. We do not suggest that she will aid us in removing the sufferings of this life from us; but rather, that we embrace our sufferings more eagerly and willingly for the love of God. She is our role model in love and suffering. It is through Mary that we will find the grace, courage and strength to answer Our Lord's invitation to take up our daily cross in love and follow Him.

 

Bishop Giles, OFM - Nativity of the Blessed Mother

 Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Our Lady of the Rosary

Nativity of the Blessed Mother - Fr. Joseph OFM 

CHAPTER XV
HOW ST CLARE ATE WITH ST FRANCIS AND HIS COMPANIONS AT ST MARY OF THE ANGELS
St Francis, when residing at Assisi, often visited St Clare, to give her holy counsel. And she, having a great desire to eat once with him, often begged him to grant her this request; but the saint would never allow her this consolation. His companions, therefore, being aware of the refusal of St Francis, and knowing how great was the wish of Sister Clare to eat with him, went to seek him, and thus addressed him: "Father, it seems to us that this severity on thy part in not granting so small a thing to Sister Clare, a virgin so holy and so dear to God, who merely asks for once to eat with thee, is not according to holy charity, especially if we consider how it was at thy preaching that she abandoned the riches and pomps of this words. Of a truth, if she were to ask of thee even a greater grace than this, thou shouldst grant it to thy spiritual daughter." St Francis answered: "It seems to you, then, that I ought to grant her this request?" His companions made answer: "Yea, father, it is meet that thou grant her this favour and this consolation." St Francis answered: "As you think so, let it be so, then; but, in order that she may be the more consoled, I will that the meal do take place in front of St Mary of the Angels, because, having been for so long time shut up in San Damiano, it will do her good to see the church of St Mary, wherein she took the veil, and was made a spouse of Christ. There, then, we will eat together in the name of God." When the appointed day arrived, St Clare left her convent with great joy, taking with her one of her sisters, and followed by the companions of St Francis. She arrived at St Mary of the Angels, and having devoutly saluted the Virgin Mary, before whose altar her hair had been cut off, and she had received the veil, they conducted her to the convent, and showed her all over it. In the meantime St Francis prepared the meal on the bare ground, as was his custom. The hour of dinner being arrived, St Francis and St Clare, with one of the brethren of St Francis and the sister who had accompanied the saint, sat down together, all the other companions of St Francis seated humbly round them. When the first dish was served, St Francis began to speak of God so sweetly, so sublimely, and in a manner so wonderful, that the grace of God visited them abundantly, and all were rapt in Christ. Whilst they were thus rapt, with eyes and hearts raised to heaven, the people of Assisi and of Bettona, and all the country round about, saw St Mary of the Angels as it were on fire, with the convent and the woods adjoining. It seemed to them as if the church, the convent, and the woods were all enveloped in flames; and the inhabitants of Assisi hastened with great speed to put out the fire. On arriving at the convent, they found no fire; and entering within the gates they saw St Francis, St Clare, with all their companions, sitting round their humble meal, absorbed in contemplation; then knew they of a certainty, that what they had seen was a celestial fire, not a material one, which God miraculously had sent to bear witness to the divine flame of love which consumed the souls of those holy brethren and nuns; and they returned home with great consolation in their hearts, and much holy edification. After a long lapse of time, St Francis, St Clare, and their companions came back to themselves; and, being fully restored by the spiritual food, cared not to eat that which had been prepared for them; so that, the holy meal being finished, St Clare, well accompanied, returned to San Damiano, where the sisters received her with great joy, as they had feared that St Francis might have sent her to rule some other convent, as he had already sent St Agnes, the sister of the saint, to be Abbess of the Convent of Monticelli, at Florence. For St Francis had often said to St Clare, "Be ready, in case I send thee to some other convent"; and she, like a daughter of holy obedience, had answered, "Father, I am always ready to go whithersoever thou shalt send me." For which reason the sisters greatly rejoiced when she returned to them, and St Clare was from that time much consoled.

Video Sermon 15th Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM
Bishop Giles, OFM August 31, 2013 Sermon
Bishop Giles, OFM 15th Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from Waubeka, WI - Fr. Bernard OFM
15th Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Joseph OFM