11 May Fifth Sunday of Easter

Prayer is the breath of faith, a cry arising from the hearts of those who trust in God. We see this in the story of Bartimaeus, the beggar from Jericho. Though blind, he is aware that Jesus is approaching, and perseveres in calling out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” By using the phrase “Son of David,” he makes a profession of faith in Jesus the Messiah. In response the Lord invites Bartimaeus to express his desire, which is to be able to see again. Christ then tells him: “Go; your faith has saved you.” This indicates that faith is a cry for salvation attracting God’s mercy and power. As we continue on our pilgrimage of faith, may we, like Bartimaeus, always persevere in prayer, especially in our darkest moments, and ask the Lord with confidence: “Jesus have mercy on me. Jesus, have mercy on us!”

                                     — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR 

What is PRAYER?

The Catechism describes PRAYER as ‘The elevation of the mind and heart to God in praise of his glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others before God. Through prayer the Christian experiences communion with God through Christ in the Church (2559 – 2565).’

The Words of Bartimaeus are a PRAYER — Praise to God, Petition, and Communion with God. Bartimaeus APPROACHES IN HUMILITY…and RESPONDS IN OBEDIENCE.

Notice how JESUS RESPONDS — ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus, the one who is SELF-GIVING and the one who SERVES, reaches out to respond to this PRAYER of Bartimaeus. His PRAYER, a Profession Of Faith, both HEALS and SAVES him. In the Action of Jesus,  we see the POWER in the WORDS OF JESUS and the MERCY OF GOD.

Everyone prays differently. But, Holy Scripture tells us that God Hears Our Prayers. But do We Hear Him? If we commit the Sin of Presumption in his response, the answer may be ‘no.’ But if we approach Jesus in Humility and Obedience, he will respond in two ways:  First, he will GIVE US WHAT WE NEED; and Second, he will GIVE US THE GRACE to receive it.

We have only to look at the PATRONS OF OUR TWO CHURCHES to see the Spectrum Of Prayer…

OUR BLESSED MOTHER — Be it done unto me according to your word…My Soul proclaims the Greatness of the Lord…Do whatever he tells you…

SAINT ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY — As in heaven Your will is punctually performed, so may it be done on earth by all creatures, particularly in me and by me…

MOTHER THERESA — Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul…

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI — Great and glorious God, and Thou Lord Jesus, I pray you shed abroad your light in the darkness of my mind. Be found of me, Lord, so that in all things I may act only in accordance with Thy holy will…

MOTHER CABRINI — Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will…

SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA — Draw us forth from the mire, Lord Jesus,  with the hook of your Cross; so that we may run, not to your sweetness, but to the bitterness of your Passion…

FROM THE MASTERS TO YOU…

Complicated, no…Profound In Simplicity, yes…

So, how do YOU pray?

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

-Very Rev. Ronald W Cattany

03 May 4th Sunday of Easter

“I have great love for St. Joseph because he is a man of silence and strength.  In life, in work, in family, in joy and in sorrow, he always looked for and loved the Lord, earning the praise Scripture offers of being a just and wise man. Always invoke him, especially in difficult times, and entrust your lives to this great saint…under the loving gaze of St. Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family and of our families. As a carpenter, he was able to adjust an angle of wood by millimeters; he knew how to do it. He was able to trim a millimeter off the surface of a piece of wood. Right? He was precise. But he also was able to enter into the mystery that he could not control. St. Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak, but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. He responded to God’s call to be the guardian and protector of his son by being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply his own.” –Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

How is Saint Joseph PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE?

While Saint Joseph speaks no words in Holy Scripture,  HIS ACTIONS SPEAK VOLUMES. He accepts Mary as his wife in supernatural circumstances. He obeys the word of an angel more than once.

He understands through FAITH AND TRUST that his life is not about the Calculations of a Master Carpenter, but rather the Calculations of God concerning each of our roles in HIS MASTER DESIGN.

Saint Joseph is a Man Of Humility And Profound Wisdom. His heart was focused on the Plan of God…NOT the Presumption of the World.

In following the words of an Angel, Saint Joseph accepted Mary AND protected his Young Family.

He ACCEPTED MARRIAGE and he ACCEPTED FATHERHOOD even under difficult circumstances.

How similar is that to some FAMILIES TODAY? The Threat to Marriage and Families was foretold at FATIMA in 1917…it is being lived out in the Civil Law and Social Media.

Saint Joseph, Pray for Us!

Entering into the Sacred Mystery, Saint Joseph accepted the ROLES OF GUARDIAN AND  TEACHER in unfathomable circumstances.

How similar is that to the 2020 PANDEMIC TODAY?  Those who are CALLED HOME by the Pandemic, the FAMILIES WHO MOURN their loss, the DOCTORS SND NURSES AND RESEARCHERS, the FIRST RESPONDERS, the MILITARY, the COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, the DONORS who provide goods and funds, and THOSE WHO PRAY …each are entering into this MYSTERY OF SOLIDARITY IN SUFFERING.

Saint Joseph,  Pray for Them!

Learning from his trade, he understands the CORRECT CALCULATIONS prevail over the CALCULATIONS BASED ON PRIDE AND VANITY…knowing in his HEART not his will but GOD’S WILL BE DONE.

How Similar is that to the DAILY BATTLE FOR OUR SOUL? Desires of the Flesh, Self-Absorption and Self-Pity, Judgement and Self-Righteousness

deflect the PROMPTINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT to HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, RESPECT FOR LIFE AND HUMAN DIGNITY, SELF-SACRIFICE AND SELF-GIVING, KINDNESS AND COMPASSION, AND GENEROSITY AND GRATITUDE.

Saint Joseph, Pray For Me!

Saint Joseph led a family grounded in harmony, mutual respect, peace, and unconditional love. He exhibited the virtues of courage, temperance, honesty, dependability, and dedication.

These VALUES should be the cornerstone of our Spiritual Life…as INDIVIDUALS, as COMMUNITY, as CHURCH, as CULTURE…and most importantly, as Sisters and Brothers of HIS DIVINE SON.

+May God Bless You and Keep You +

29 Apr Feast Day of Saint Catherine of Siena

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA

Benedict XVI’s reflection on the great saint and Doctor of the Church in 2010.

Our catechesis today deals with Saint Catherine of Siena, a Dominican tertiary, a woman of great holiness and a Doctor of the Church. Catherine’s spiritual teachings are centered on our union with Christ, the bridge between earth and heaven. Her own virginal entrustment to Christ the Bridegroom was reflected in her celebrated visions. Catherine’s life also shows us the importance of the spiritual maternity exercised by so many women in every age. From this great saint let us learn to grow in holiness, love for the Lord and fidelity to his body, the Church.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today I would like to speak to you about a woman who has had an eminent role in the history of the Church. She is St. Catherine of Siena. The century in which she lived — the 14th — was a troubled time for the life of the Church and for the whole social fabric in Italy and Europe.

However, even in the moments of greatest difficulty, the Lord does not cease to bless his People, raising men and women saints who stir minds and hearts, bringing about conversion and renewal. Catherine is one of these and still today she speaks to us and pushes us to walk courageously toward sanctity to be disciples of the Lord in an ever fuller sense.

Born in Siena in 1347 to a very numerous family, she died in her native city in 1380. At 16, moved by a vision of St. Dominic, she entered the Dominican Third Order, in the feminine branch called the Mantellate. She stayed with her family and confirmed the vow of virginity she made privately when she was still an adolescent; she dedicated herself to prayer, penance, and works of charity, above all for the benefit of the sick.

When her fame for sanctity spread, she became the protagonist in an intense activity of spiritual counsel, dealing with all categories of persons: nobles and politicians, artists and ordinary people, consecrated persons, ecclesiastics, and including Pope Gregory XI, who at that time resided in Avignon and whom Catherine exhorted energetically and effectively to return to Rome. She traveled a lot to solicit the interior reform of the Church and to foster peace between states. For this reason also the Venerable John Paul II declared her co-patroness of Europe: so that the Old World would never forget its Christian roots that are at the base of its journey and continue to draw from the Gospel the fundamental values that ensure justice and concord.

Catherine suffered much, as have many saints. Some thought in fact that she should not be trusted, to the point that, in 1374, six years before her death, the general chapter of the Dominicans called her to Florence to question her. They assigned her a learned and humble friar, Raymond of Capua, future master-general of the order. Having become her confessor and also her “spiritual son,” he wrote the first complete biography of the saint. She was canonized in 1461.

Catherine learned to read with effort and learned to write when she was already an adult. Her doctrine is contained in “The Dialogue of Divine Providence” or “Book of Divine Doctrine,” a masterpiece of spiritual literature in a collection of letters and prayers. Her teaching is gifted with such richness that, in 1970, the Servant of God Paul VI declared her a doctor of the Church, a title that was added to that of co-patroness of the city of Rome, by the decision of Blessed Pius IX, and of patroness of Italy, by the decision of the Venerable Pius XII.

In a vision that never left Catherine’s heart and mind, Our Lady presented her to Jesus who gave her a splendid ring, saying to her: “I, your Creator and Savior, espouse you in the faith, which you will always keep pure until you celebrate with me in heaven your eternal nuptials” (Raimondo da Capua, S. Caterina da Siena, Legenda maior, n. 115, Siena 1998). That ring was visible only to her. In this extraordinary episode, we see the vital center of Catherine’s religiosity and of every authentic spirituality: Christocentrism. Christ was for her a spouse, with whom she had a relationship of intimacy, communion and faithfulness; he is the cherished good above any other good.

This profound union with the Lord is illustrated by another episode in the life of this famous mystic: the exchange of hearts. According to Raymond of Capua, who transmitted the confidences received by Catherine, the Lord Jesus appeared to her with a bright red human heart in his hand, opened her chest and placed it in her, and said: “Dearest daughter, as the other day I took your heart that you offered to me, behold now I give you mine, and henceforth it will be in the place that yours occupied” (ibid.). Catherine truly lived St. Paul’s words, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Like the Sienese saint, every believer feels the need to be conformed to the sentiments of the heart of Christ to love God and neighbor as Christ himself loves. And we can all let our hearts be transformed and learn to love like Christ, in a familiarity with him nourished by prayer, meditation on the Word of God and the sacraments, above all by receiving Holy Communion frequently and with devotion.

Catherine also belongs to that rank of Eucharistic saints with which I concluded my apostolic exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” (cf. No. 94). Dear brothers and sisters, the Eucharist is an extraordinary gift of love that God continually renews to nourish our journey of faith, reinvigorate our hope, inflame our charity, to make us ever more like him.

A true and authentic spiritual family was built up around such a strong and genuine personality: people fascinated by the authoritative morality of this young woman of an elevated style of life, and at times impressed also by the mystical phenomena they witnessed, such as the frequent ecstasies. Many placed themselves at her service and above all considered it a privilege to be guided spiritually by Catherine. They called her “mamma,” because as spiritual children they received the nourishment of the spirit.

Today also the Church receives great benefit from the spiritual maternity of so many women, consecrated and lay, who nourish in souls the thought of God, reinforce people’s faith and orient Christian life toward ever higher summits. “Son I say to you and call you,” wrote Catherine addressing one of her spiritual sons, the monk Giovanni Sabbatini, “inasmuch as I give you birth by continuous prayers and desire in the presence of God, just as a mother gives birth to a son” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 141: To don Giovanni de’ Sabbatini). She would usually address the Dominican friar Bartolomeo de Dominici with these words: “Most beloved and very dear brother and son in Christ sweet Jesus.”

Another trait of Catherine’s spirituality is connected with the gift of tears. They express an exquisite and profound sensitivity, a capacity for being moved and tenderness. Not a few saints have had the gift of tears, renewing the emotion of Jesus himself, who did not hold back and hide his tears before the sepulcher of his friend Lazarus and the sorrow of Mary and Martha, and on looking at Jerusalem in his last days on earth. According to Catherine, the tears of saints are mixed with the blood of Christ, of which she spoke with very effective vibrant tones and symbolic images: “Remember Christ crucified, God and man (…). Put before you as object Christ crucified, hide in the wounds of Christ crucified, drown in the blood of Christ crucified” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 16: To one whose name is withheld).

Here we are able to understand why Catherine, though aware of the human defects of priests, always had great reverence for them: Through the sacraments and the Word they dispense the salvific strength of the blood of Christ. The Sienese saint always invited the sacred ministers, including the Pope, whom she called “sweet Christ on earth,” to be faithful to their responsibility, moved always and only by their profound and constant love of the Church. Before dying she said: “Leaving the body I, in truth, have consumed and given my life in the Church and for the Holy Church, which is for me a most singular grace” (Raimondo da Capua, S. Caterina da Siena, Legenda maior, n. 363).

Hence, from St. Catherine we learn the most sublime science: to know and love Jesus Christ and his Church. In the “Dialogue of Divine Providence,” she, with a singular image, describes Christ as a bridge flung between heaven and earth. It is made up of three steps constituted by the feet, the side and the mouth of Jesus. Raising itself by these steps, the soul passes through the three stages of every path of sanctification: detachment from sin, practice of the virtues and of love, sweet and affectionate union with God.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn from St. Catherine to love Christ and the Church with courage in an intense and sincere way. Hence, let us make our own the words of St. Catherine that we read in the “Dialogue of Divine Providence,” at the end of the chapter that speaks of Christ-bridge: “Through mercy you have washed us in the blood, through mercy you wished to converse with creatures. O Madman of love! It was not enough for you to incarnate yourself, but you also wished to die! (…) O mercy! My heart drowns in thinking of you: for no matter where I turn to think I find only mercy” (chapter 30, pp. 79-80). Thank you

[Translation by ZENIT]

24 Apr Third Sunday of Easter

“Tonight we acquire a fundamental right that can never be taken away from us: the right to hope.  It is a new and living hope that comes from God.  It is not mere optimism; it is not a pat on the back or an empty word of encouragement, with a passing smile. No.  It is a gift from heaven, which we could not have earned on our own.  Over these weeks, we have kept repeating, “All will be well”, clinging to the beauty of our humanity and allowing words of encouragement to rise up from our hearts.  But as the days go by and fears grow, even the boldest hope can dissipate.  Jesus’ hope is different.  He plants in our hearts the conviction that God is able to make everything work unto good, because even from the grave he brings life.” -Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR 

Where do we find HOPE in a PANDEMIC WORLD?

During Lent, we talked about adopting Lenten Practices as a Way Of Life on Easter Monday.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, Saint Faustina punctuates why that new Way Of Life is essential — because of the GIFT OF THE CROSS…the GIFT OF OUR NEW LIFE on Easter Monday through the Death of Jesus on Good Friday. 

She gives us a glimpse into the Font of Divine Mercy from which flow the Waters Of Baptism and the Blood Of The Cross – – purifying  us and sanctifying us in our Successes and our Failures, in times of Plenty and in times of Distress, and in the Company of Others and during Shelter in Place.

Saint Faustina tells us, ‘O My God, my only hope, I have placed all my hope in You, and I know I shall not be disappointed (Diary, 317).’ Saint Faustina goes on to describe this HOPE: ‘…our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life…our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without…our only hope in life and at the hour of death…our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair…our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us (Diary, 356). Welcome, only Hope of sinful souls (Diary, 1733).’

Sufferings, Adversity, Darkness, Storms, Life and Death, Despair, Longing, Pain, Sinful Souls — this sounds a lot like the SUFFERINGS OF THE PANDEMIC! In this time, SUFFERING THROUGH FAITH will lead to the Salvation of our Souls. Isn’t that OUR ULTIMATE HOPE…isn’t that what Jesus taught us FROM THE CROSS…isn’t that the PROMISE OF DIVINE MERCY?

Pope Francis, in his Plenary Indulgence related to the Coronavirus Pandemic, has encouraged us TO PRAY for those who have been called home by the virus, TO PRAY for their families who may not have been with them at the time of their passing and mourn their loss, TO PRAY  for the technicians/doctors/nurses/emergency responders/first responders/caregivers who are ministering to those afflicted by the virus, and TO PRAY for those who are isolated by the virus. 

I would suggest for us TO PRAY also for those for whom Shelter in Place could result in Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Suicide, Clinical Anxiety, and Depression. 

REMEMBER…Prayer gives us Grace…and the Grace from a PRAYER FOR ANOTHER returns to you a hundredfold!

TODAY, GIVE your suffering — Spiritual, Emotional, Psychological, Physical, or Financial — to the Divine Mercy of Jesus…AND HE WILL RETURN TO YOU THE VIRTUE OF HOPE…a gift of YOUR FAITH…and given to you From The Cross through the ultimate act of HIS LOVE…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

19 Apr Divine Mercy Sunday | Second Sunday of Easter

What is Divine Mercy?

When did we first see it? 

Our readings today give us a glimpse into that Font Of Divine Mercy from which flow the Waters Of Baptism and the Blood Of The Cross…purifying us and sanctifying us in our successes and our failures, in times of plenty and in times of distress, in the Company of Others and during Shelter in Place.

In the First Reading, Jesus’ Apostolic Church is defined as one that prays, teaches, and creates community…in the Name of Jesus Christ…WHOSE HEART IS LOVE ITSELF.

In the Second Reading, Saint Peter reminds us that God in HIS GREAT MERCY gave us a New Birth to a Living Hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…for an inheritance that will be kept in heaven for you… to be revealed in the final time.

Ironically, Saint Peter gives us some beautiful guidance about the testing of OUR FAITH during this time of the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

He says, “…although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor…as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Saint Peter is telling you and me today, in the 2020 Pandemic, that SUFFERING THROUGH FAITH will lead to the salvation of our souls…isn’t that what Jesus taught us from the Cross?

And perhaps this Gospel is the first example of the Divine Mercy of Jesus related to HIS APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

His teaching, preaching, healing, and raising the dead during his Public Life was certainly the manifestation of God’s Divine Mercy… God working through Jesus. But today, Jesus in his Divinity as the Risen Christ has mercy on those closest to him.

Why is that important?

>They did not understand him.

>They abandoned him.

>They do not believe those who had seen the Risen Christ.

>They do not believe it is Christ Risen unless they see and touch for themselves.

And yet, what does he say? ‘Peace be with you.’

He does not scold them, he does not reject them, he does not condemn them…and ultimately, he sends them on HIS Mission!

Why? Because he knew that beneath their fear, their ignorance, and their stubbornness, are individuals dedicated to HIS Mission … to their end… to their death…

And all but one was martyred on Mission.

That Divine Mercy had a lifelong impact on each of The Eleven. 

And that brings us to today…Divine Mercy Sunday…and the lifelong impact of the Divine Mercy of Jesus on Pope Saint John Paul II.

Twenty years ago, on the Sunday after the Octave of Easter, Pope John Paul II instituted Divine Mercy Sunday…and it has a profound backstory!

Val Conlon tells us the story…

Pope John Paul II spoke on the Divine Mercy of Jesus on November 22, 1981, “I considered this message my special task. Providence has assigned it to me in the present situation of man, the Church, and the world.”

“The knowledge of St. Faustina and the revelations bestowed on her coming from Jesus became known to Pope John Paul II early in 1940. It was at the time when he was studying for the priesthood secretly, in a seminary in Krakow.

The first he heard of these revelations was from another seminarian Andrew Deskur who later became a Cardinal also. Andrew told him about Saint Faustina Kowalska and the message of Divine Mercy she claimed she had received from the Lord.”

“It was during the time that she received the messages from Our Lord, that Karol Wojtyla was forcibly working under the Nazi occupation forces in the factory, which was in view of the convent and can still be seen today from the convent cemetery where St. Faustina was first buried.”

“Karol Wojtyla visited the convent frequently, first as a priest and then as a bishop. He went there often to pray and in later years gave retreats there as well. It was Karol Wojtyla, as Archbishop of Krakow, who after St. Faustina’s death, was the first to consider bringing St. Faustina’s name before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for consideration as a figure worthy of being put forward for beatification.”

In his mystical way, he may have foreseen the trials of the new century and millennia. 

“In one of the most extraordinary homilies of his pontificate, on the Occasion of Her Canonization,” Val Conlon goes on, “Pope John Paul II repeated three times that Saint Faustina is “God’s gift to our time.” She made the message of Divine Mercy the “bridge to the third millennium.” He then said, “By this act of canonization of Saint Faustina I intend today to pass this message on to the third millennium. I pass it on to all people, so that they will learn to know ever better the true face of God and the true face of their neighbour. In fact, love of God and love of one’s neighbour are inseparable.”

For those who have been with us on our YouTube channel praying the Nine Days of the Divine Mercy Novena, what you have experienced are the individuals Jesus indicated to Saint Faustina upon whom he wanted to Shed His Mercy and open his Heart Of Compassion:

>All mankind, especially all sinners

>The souls of priests and religious

>All devout and faithful souls 

>Those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know me 

>The souls of those who have separated themselves from the Church 

>The meek and humble souls and the souls of little children 

>The souls who especially venerate and glorify my mercy 

>The souls who are detained in Purgatory 

>Souls who have become lukewarm

In the same way that we heard Jesus asking the Apostles to Cast their net for souls as Fishers of Men in the Gospel on Friday, in these delineations Jesus is Casting His Net For Eternity! 

WOW!…he excludes no one…and REMEMBER THAT TO YOUR LAST BREATH!

Let me say a little about today, Divine Mercy Sunday, and what you can do during this time of Shelter in Place.

In June 2002, John Paul II granted indulgences to Catholics who recite specific prayers on Divine Mercy Sunday.

In St. Faustina’s Diary, Jesus tells St. Faustina:

I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet (699).

How can you receive this complete forgiveness of sins and remission of all punishment during Shelter in Place? 

The National Shrine of Divine Mercy tell us to do these three things on Divine Mercy Sunday with the intention to turn away from sin in your life:

1. Make an Act of Contrition

Since you are unable to get to Confession, make an Act of Contrition.

2. Make a Spiritual Communion

Since churches are closed and you cannot receive Holy Communion, make a Spiritual Communion instead, asking God to come into your heart as if you received Him sacramentally — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. 

Do this act of trust with the intent to return to the sacrament of Holy Communion as soon as possible.

An Act of Spiritual Communion is on our Social Media. 

3. Say a prayer like this:

Lord Jesus Christ, You promised St. Faustina that the soul that has been to Confession [I’m unable, but I made an Act of Contrition] and the soul that receives Holy Communion [I’m unable, but I made a Spiritual Communion] will receive the complete forgiveness of all sins and punishment. Please, Lord Jesus Christ, give me this grace.

This, too, is on our Social Media.

Everyone can ask for this grace to completely wipe their slate clean of not only all sin, but all punishment due to sin. Normally, the punishment is not remitted unless one has absolute perfect contrition.

And unlike a plenary indulgence, there is no requirement of having perfect detachment from sin. In other words, as long as we have a desire for this grace and intention to amend our lives, we can be completely cleansed with grace similar to our original Baptism. It is a way to really start over in our spiritual life!  

Many of you are suffering during this Pandemic…offer it for the Divine Mercy of Jesus…for yourself or others. 

We see examples of these prayers in the Intentions of the Holy Father in his Mass each day at Casa Marta. And Pope Francis, in his Plenary Indulgence related to the Coronavirus Pandemic, has also encouraged us to pray for those who have been called home by the virus, their families who may not have been with them at the time of their passing and mourn their loss, the medical technicians/doctors/nurses/emergency responders/first responders/caregivers who are ministering to those afflicted by the virus, and those who are isolated by the virus. 

Today I would suggest that we also pray for those affected at this time by the following:

>Domestic Violence

>Child Abuse 

>Suicide, Clinical Anxiety, and Depression 

Perhaps, even offer your Indulgence for them…REMEMBER…a grace given away to another returns to you a hundredfold…

It is no coincidence that Divine Mercy Sunday is occurring in the middle of the 2020 Pandemic…

GIVE your suffering — Spiritual, Emotional, Psychological, Physical, or Financial — to the Divine Mercy of Jesus…and HE WILL WORK MIRACLES!

“Merciful Jesus, I trust in you”

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

Very Rev. Ronald W Cattany

10 Apr Good Friday

“Our journey is not in vain; it does not come up against a tombstone.  A single phrase astounds the woman and changes history: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Why do you think that everything is hopeless, that no one can take away your own tombstones?  Why do you give into resignation and failure?  Easter is the feast of tombstones taken away, rocks rolled aside.  God takes away even the hardest stones against which our hopes and expectations crash: death, sin, fear, worldliness.  Human history does not end before a tombstone, because today it encounters the “living stone,” the risen Jesus.   –– Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

For Good Friday, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops offered the following Prayer For An End To The Pandemic:

Let us pray, dearly beloved, for a swift end
to the coronavirus pandemic that afflicts our world,
that our God and Father will heal the sick,
strengthen those who care for them,
and help us all to persevere in faith.

Almighty and merciful God,
source of all life, health and healing,
look with compassion on our world, brought low by disease;
protect us in the midst of the grave challenges that assail us
and in your fatherly providence
grant recovery to the stricken,
strength to those who care for them,
and success to those working to eradicate this scourge.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

For you and me, the Pandemic of 2020 has become a Tombstone — Physically and Spiritually…and for some it is closed and for others it is removed.

Physically, it has become a TOMBSTONE CLOSED for those who have been Called Home by the virus, and for their Loved Ones left behind who were separated from their loved one in their last moments.

Physically,  it has become a TOMBSTONE CLOSED for those who have lost their Business or their Job in the Service, Hospitality, and Seasonal  Industries closed as non-essential.

Spiritually, it has been a TOMBSTONE REMOVED for those First Responders, Doctors and Nurses, Caregivers, Military Providers, Scientists, and Civil Servants who are responding to both the grim Life-Taking and the heroic Life-Saving Realities of a Pandemic World.

Spiritually, it has been a TOMBSTONE REMOVED for those who Minister to the Home-bound and Vulnerable and Homeless, for those who Underwrite and Provide groceries for Food Lines and Food Banks, and for those who Pray All These Good Samaritans Forward.

Then, where is OUR HOPE?  Through our Baptism, we are a People of The Resurrection — looking Beyond OUR CROSS  to the Promise Of New Life…a life PURIFIED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST ON HIS CROSS.

For Disciples, Easter IS our ‘Feast of Tombstones Taken Away.’ As Disciples,  we bring the RISEN JESUS CHRIST TO THOSE WHO NEED this ‘Living Stone’…Physically and Spiritually…

And we do it…In THIS Time AND In ALL Ages.

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

05 Apr Palm Sunday

“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peter’s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: “Do not be afraid.” And we, together with Peter, “cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us.”  –Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

How do JESUS and MARY and the HOLY SPIRIT work through OUR ANXIETIES during the COVID-19 Pandemic? How do they Speak To Us? How do they Work Through Us?

This is a very difficult time.

>For some, it is a time of GREAT SORROW because of the death and illness and unemployment in Our Homes, Our Community, in Our World.

>For some, it is a TIME OF RENEWAL for Families, Friends, Colleagues, Marriages, and Volunteers.

>For others, it is a TIME OF COMTEMPLATION including Prayers of gratitude or thanksgiving, Thoughts of forgiveness for ourselves and others, and an Awakening as to who we are with regard to our personal morals, values, and ethics.

For you and me, it may be OUR LIVED  EXPERIENCE that will define the way in which we respond to this crisis. In Colorado, that response may be based on OUR AGE and THE ERA in which we have lived.

>28.4 Percent  of our population, born since the 2000 and below 20 years old, has experienced 911, a Recession, an Economic Expansion, SARS, H1N1 Swine Flu,  and now the Corona Virus.

>22.5 Percent  of our population, between the ages of 20 and 34 and born between 1985 and 2000, has experienced an Economic Expansion, Black Tuesday, AIDS, and the fall of the Iron Curtain…PLUS ALL OF THE EVENTS ABOVE!

>34.1 Percent  of our population, between the ages of 35 and 55 and born between 1965 and 1985, has experienced the Vietnam War, the Sexual Revolution, and the Drug Culture…PLUS ALL OF THE EVENTS ABOVE!

>13.2 Percent of our population,  between the ages of 55 and 74 and born between 1946 and 1965, has experienced the Cold War, Civil Defense, the Korean War, and the Post-WWII Expansion…PLUS ALL OF THE EVENTS ABOVE!

>9.7 Percent  of our population, 74 years and older and born before 1946, has experienced the Depression and World War II…PLUS ALL OF THE EVENTS ABOVE!

WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS CONTINUUM?

Remember, these are all TEMPORAL events — the events of the world. How has your SPIRITUAL life shaped your response to your human experience? Did Jesus Lead You, Mary Protect You, and the Holy Spirit Inspire You?

OR IS THIS THE TIME FOR YOU TO BE LED BY YOUR FAITH RATHER THAN THE SOCIAL NORMS…moving you from Natural Fear to Supernatural Hope?

THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLY FATHER’S PLENARY INDULGENCE IN THESE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES!

>In our SORROW, it gives us the GRACE to seek the consolation of Jesus…

>In our RENEWAL, it gives us the GRACE to let Jesus work through us for ourselves and others.

>In our CONTEMPLATION, it gives us the GRACE to hear the words Jesus has to lead us through the stormy sea of life.

ALL UNDER THE MANTLE OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER…

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

22 Mar 4th Sunday of Lent

“Some people prefer not to ask questions or seek answers, they lead lives of comfort, deaf to the cry of those who suffer. Almost imperceptibly, we grow incapable of feeling compassion for others and for their problems, we have no interest in caring for them, as if their troubles were their own responsibility, and none of our business.” –Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

Why do we grow numb to the Plight of the World — Spiritually, Emotionally, Psychologically, Physically,  and Financially? When does it happen — in times of plenty or in times of need? WHEN DO WE STOP LISTENING, SEEING, AND FEELING FOR OTHERS?

Each year at the Father Woody Giveaway,  I talk to OUR FRIENDS about the virtues they teach me:

FAITH AND TRUST.  ROBERT wrote, ‘Dear Church Family, I attended your Christmas gift Mass. I’m homeless myself, but was inspired by the priest’s story of ‘giving back.’ Recovering alcoholic here, 7 months of sobriety – – a true blessing. Please take this donation ($5) and use it as you see fit. God’s peace to all…a gardener from the other side of the field.’ And DREW wrote, ‘Thank you for what you done today. Due to my health reasons, this may be my last Christmas. You truly blessed me.’

CHARITY AND KINDNESS. A FRIEND said as he hugged me, ‘Thank you for your gift to me… here is a gift for you.’ It was a Christmas Flower Offering envelope with 6 cents. Another FRIEND smiled as he gave me a a Christmas Offering envelope with five pennies, a nickel,  and two dimes.

FRATERNITY AND HOPE.  A FRIEND wrote, ‘I have some trouble on my eyes. The blood is leaking from my left eye. It’s taking longer to heal. I am upset about it. My next appointment is in January.’

GRATITUDE AND THANKSGIVING. JANET wrote – – ‘In the Spirit and faith to you all, here in my Father’s house, thank you…God-bless you.’  And EJB wrote, ‘Thank you Lord, praise for thinking about me. I am alive and doing fine. Your child, me.’

And finally, one Winter night when I was giving some food and socks to some guys tented up behind the office, one FRIEND said, ‘This is my friend CHARLIE. He is a Vet, and has been having a rough time. What you have for me, give to him…he can use it right now.’

THE BOTTOM LINE? All these FRIENDS HAVE NOTHING but LIVE A PROFOUND FAITH…for themselves and others. They are NOT INVISIBLE, they are NOT FACELESS.

They are OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST…THE ONES JESUS NEVER FORGETS. How about you?

+May God Bless You and Keep You+

15 Mar 3rd Sunday of Lent

“Continue to overcome apathy, offering a Christian response to the social and political anxieties, which are arising in various parts of the world. I ask you to be builders of the world, to work for a better world. Dear young people, please, don’t be observers of life, but get involved. Jesus did not remain an observer, but He immersed Himself. Don’t be observers, but immerse yourself in the reality of life, as Jesus did.” –Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR

What is the message that we want to give our Young People as it relates to the social and political anxieties around the world? Do we want them to be Observers or Doers? Is the issue liberal versus conservative, or what is Socially Just versus what is Socially Wrong?

Catholic Social Doctrine tells us a lot about the answer. It reflects a profound respect  for the life and dignity and rights of the human person, support for family life,  opportunities for participation in communities and society and culture, a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, acknowledgement of the dignity of work and the rights of workers and employers, promotion of global initiatives of peace and justice and the solidarity of the human family, and actions of care and stewardship and protection of the created environment.

Catholic Social Doctrine is Social Justice In Action…regardless of the political system in which it is planted.

JESUS IS A DOER AND NOT AN OBSERVER….He Lived Social Justice…in him we find Our Model and Our Hope!

To be a Builder of the World and to Work for a Better World is to live the FOUR MARKS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH — ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC.

ONE —   The Church acknowleges ONE LORD, confesses ONE FAITH, is born of ONE BAPTISM, forms only ONE BODY, and is given life by the ONE SPIRIT for the sake of ONE HOPE that will heal all divisions.

HOLY —  The Church is Holy with GOD AS HER AUTHOR, CHRIST AS HER BRIDEGROOM who gave himself up to make her holy, and the SPIRIT OF HOLINESS who gives her life — HOLINESS THROUGH THE BLESSED TRINITY.

CATHOLIC —  The Church proclaims the FULLNESS OF FAITH and the MEANS OF SALVATION as she is SENT OUT to all peoples, SPEAKS to all peoples, and ENCOMPASSES all times.

APOSTOLIC —  The Church is built on the lasting FOUNDATION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES and is  GOVERNED BY CHRIST through Peter and the other Apostles who are PRESENT IN THEIR SUCCESSORS – – the Pope and the College of Bishops.

Young People, and All Catholics, stand on the shoulders of this SUPERNATURAL STRUCTURE…LIVE IT…At Home… In the Community,… and In the World!

+May God Bless You and Keep You+