While the specific video transcript was not available, the pattern of your previous links (Eckhardt, deliverance prayers, spiritual warfare teachings) centers on three recurring themes:
These themes align closely with the CCC’s teaching on the reality of Satan, the nature of spiritual combat, and the believer’s duty to resist evil.
This is the foundation: confronting evil is never a duel of equals. It is a creature resisting a defeated creature in the power of the Creator.
This is not metaphorical piety; it is the Church’s official doctrine of spiritual warfare.
Evil is confronted first not in the world but in the heart.
The devil’s strategy is always the same:
Confronting evil is not dramatic—it is disciplined.
It is not loud—it is obedient.
It is not about power—it is about fidelity.
And fidelity always defeats the enemy.
But the saints guard us from despair.
St. Francis de Sales reminds us that the same souls who suffer are also consoled, held in God’s love, certain of salvation, purified by a fire that heals even as it burns.
4. Hospitality Pairing — The Warrior‑Saint’s Table
A simple French loaf — the food of peasants and soldiers
A hard cheese — rustic, durable, the taste of campaign life
A pour of rye — sharp, ascetic, echoing her severity
A candle in a dark room — the flame that refuses to go out
A Maduro cigar — earth and smoke, the scent of battlefields and burned banners
5. Reflection Prompts
Where is God asking me to obey without negotiation.
What fear keeps me from stepping into my vocation.
Who have I abandoned when they needed loyalty.
What corrupt authority in my life must be resisted.
What fire must I walk into — not to die, but to witness.
MAY 25 Monday-Virgin
Mary, Mother of the Church
Whit Monday-St. Mary
Magdalene De Pazzi- Memorial
Day-Hajj
Genesis,
Chapter 3, verse 8-10:
When
they heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden at the breezy
time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among
the trees of the garden. The
LORD God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you? He answered, “I
heard you in the garden; but I was AFRAID, because I was naked, so I
hid.”
Before the fall both Adam and Eve were unafraid of being exposed to God
and they were innocent in that they knew not that they were naked. Adam states I heard the sound of you in the
garden.
We do not know what the
sound of God is from the verse.
Was it the same sound as
a man walking in the garden?
Or was it the sound of a
rushing wind?
We do not
know; but Adam heard God and he was afraid because he was naked. On the cross
our Lord who always heard the Father was now utterly alone,…And at the ninth
hour Jesus cried out in a loud
voice,
'Eloi, eloi, lama
sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'
and he was
also naked nailed to a tree. Tradition states that our Lord’s cross rested on
the skull of Adam in payment for the fall. Our Lord paid the ultimate price for
our sins. Christ on the cross reversed the taking of the fruit and the eating
by Adam and Eve and became the fruit of life.
Christ on the cross reversed the nakedness of Adam and Eve by being
naked himself. Christ on the cross no longer heard the Father and He was
afraid. The greatest fear is a world without the Father. Christ brought us at a
great price to bring us back to the Father. We need not fear for God is now in
us through the accomplishment of the Holy Spirit. We must listen to His voice and follow Him.
The Law of Influence[1]
Eve had no leadership role; no title yet
she had influence. Everyone regardless of their roles is important and
generates influence either positive or negative. Eve demonstrated the impact of
negative influence. Although God commissioned Adam as her spiritual leader, Eve
usurped the role of Adam, who followed his wife rather than God and together
they led humankind into sin.
Copilot’s
Take
On this day
the Church places us between Genesis 3 and Pentecost, between the
first fear and the final fire. Adam hides in the garden because he is naked,
exposed, and afraid. The Catechism teaches that this fear is the immediate
fruit of sin: the rupture of trust, the shattering of communion, the instinct
to flee the God who made us (CCC 399–400). Fear becomes the first tyrant of the
human heart.
Into that
ancient fear steps Mary, the new Eve. Where the first Eve listened to
the serpent, Mary listens to the Spirit. Where the first Eve’s influence led
Adam into hiding, Mary’s influence leads the Church into mission. The Catechism
calls her the Mother of the Church because she stands at the center of
the new creation—at the Annunciation, at the Cross, and in the Upper Room when
the Spirit descends (CCC 963–965). She is the woman who does not hide when God
draws near.
Pentecost
reverses the garden.
Adam hears God and hides.
The apostles hear God and stand.
The Spirit
does not erase fear; He reorders it. The Catechism calls this filial
fear—the awe of children who trust their Father (CCC 1828). This is the
fear that confronts evil without trembling, because it knows evil has already
been defeated.
Christ
enters Adam’s terror on the cross. Naked. Exposed. Crying out into the silence.
The second Adam descends into the first Adam’s hiding place and drags humanity
back into the Father’s presence. Tradition imagines His cross planted on the
skull of Adam—a sign that the place of fear has become the place of victory.
And now the
Spirit completes the reversal:
the Father is no longer a sound in the garden that makes us hide,
but a fire in the soul that makes us stand.
Mary
Magdalene de’ Pazzi, remembered today, lived this truth with ferocity. Her
visions, her ecstasies, her spiritual combat—everything in her life testifies
that holiness is not fragile. It is militant. It confronts evil not with panic
but with purity sharpened by the Spirit.
So on this
day the Church gathers the whole arc of salvation into one command spoken from
Eden to Calvary to Pentecost:
Do not be
afraid.
Not because
the world is safe,
but because the Spirit has made you dangerous to evil.
Mary stands
as Mother of the Church to teach us the posture of the redeemed:
not hiding among the trees,
but standing in the fire,
listening for the voice of God,
and refusing to bow to anything that is not Him.
This is the
day fear loses its authority.
This is the day the Church learns to confront evil with the courage of children
who know they are loved.
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
The Fathers of the Church, holy and studious bishops of the first
centuries, often spoke of Mary as the New Eve. Just as the Woman Eve was “the
mother of all the living” (Gen. 3:20), the Woman Mary was mother of all those
living in Christ. In Revelation 12:17, St. John says that this Woman’s
offspring are “those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to
Jesus.”
Is the title “Mother of the Church” found in the Bible?
The title “Mother of the Church” is not found in
Sacred Scripture, but Pope St. John Paul II covered several ways that the Bible
alludes to this title: Although the title “Mother of the Church” was only
recently attributed to Mary, it expresses the Blessed Virgin’s maternal
relationship with the Church as shown already in several New Testament texts. Since
the Annunciation, Mary was called, to give her consent to the coming of the
messianic kingdom, which would take place with the formation of the Church. When
at Cana Mary asked the Son to exercise his messianic power, she made a
fundamental contribution to implanting the faith in the first community of
disciples, and she co-operated in initiating God’s kingdom, which has its
“seed” and “beginning” in the Church (cf. Lumen gentium, n. 5). On Calvary,
Mary united herself to the sacrifice of her Son and made her own maternal
contribution to the work of salvation, which took the form of labor pains, the
birth of the new humanity. In addressing the words “Woman, behold your son” to
Mary, the Crucified One proclaims her motherhood not only in relation to the
Apostle John but also to every disciple. The Evangelist himself, by saying that
Jesus had to die “to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad”
(Jn 11:52), indicates the Church’s birth as the fruit of the redemptive
sacrifice with which Mary is maternally associated. The Evangelist St Luke
mentions the presence of Jesus’ Mother in the first community of Jerusalem
(Acts 1:14). In this way he stresses Mary’s maternal role in the newborn
Church, comparing it to her role in the Redeemer’s birth. The maternal
dimension thus becomes a fundamental element of Mary’s relationship with the
new People of the redeemed. (General Audience, September 17, 1997)
How did Mary become the Mother of the Church?
The Father chose Mary from among all women to be the
mother, according to human nature, of His Divine Son. As she is Mother of
Christ in the natural order, she is also the Mother of His Mystical Body, the
Church, of which He is the Head in the order of grace. In the Book of Hebrews
2:9-13, the author makes it clear that Jesus is our brother:
[W]e see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels,
crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the
grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he,
for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should
make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who
sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is
not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will proclaim thy name to my
brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee.” And again, “I
will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I, and the children God has
given me.” (emphasis added)
Since Jesus is our brother, and Mary is His mother, it follows that Mary
is our mother as well. Finally, when Jesus was on the cross, we see the tender
moment when He gave Mary to the Apostle John. In the Gospel of John 19:26-27,
we read:
When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own
home.
Thus, the Tradition of the Church, coming from the Apostles, teaches us
to understand that the Lord was entrusting all of His disciples to Mary, in the
person of St. John.
Copilot:
In a world where nations
mourn their fallen, where millions set out on pilgrimage seeking the face of
God, and where sudden violence rends the peace of ordinary lives, the Church
turns to Mary, Mother of the Church, not as a sentimental refuge but as the New
Eve who stands at the foot of every cross. Her Son died for every human being —
soldier and civilian, Christian and Muslim, neighbor and stranger — and so her
maternal heart stretches across every boundary we erect. She does not erase
differences, nor does she soften the truth of the Gospel; instead, she gathers
the wounded of every people beneath the mantle of her intercession, holding our
fractured world before the mercy of Christ. In her steadfastness we learn how
to grieve without hatred, how to pray for those who do not yet know her Son,
and how to stand firm in hope when evil tries to scatter the children of God.
Whit Monday?
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday,
also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated
the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in
the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the
date of Easter. In
the Catholic Church, it is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of the Church, marking the resumption of Ordinary Time.
Whit Monday gets its English name from
"Whitsunday", an
English name for Pentecost, one of the three baptismal seasons.
The origin of the name "Whit Sunday" is generally attributed to the
white garments formerly worn by those newly baptized on this feast.
Whit
Monday
FILLED with joy over the
gracious descent of the Holy Ghost, the Church sings, at the Introit of the
Mass, He fed them with the fat of wheat, alleluia, and filled them with honey
out of the rock, alleluia, alleluia. Rejoice to God, our helper, sing aloud to
the God of Jacob (Ps. Ixxx.).
Prayer. O God, Who didst give the Holy
Spirit to Thy apostles, grant to Thy people the effect of their pious prayers,
that on those to whom Thou hast given grace, Thou mayest also bestow peace.
EPISTLE.
Acts x. 34, 43-48.
In those days Peter,
opening his mouth, said: Men, brethren, the Lord commanded us to preach to the
people, and to testify that it is He Who was appointed by God to be judge of
the living and of the dead. To Him all the prophets give testimony, that by His
name all receive remission of sins, who believe in Him. While Peter was yet
speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. And
the faithful of the circumcision, who came with Peter, were astonished, for
that the grace of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the gentiles also. For
they heard them speaking with tongues, and magnifying God. Then Peter answered:
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And he commanded them to
be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL.
John iii. 16-21.
At that time Jesus said
unto Nicodemus: God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son; that
whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For
God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may
be saved by Him. He that believeth in Him is not judged. But He that doth not
believe, is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: because the light is come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, for their works were
evil. For everyone that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the
light, that his works may not be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to
the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.
By what has God most
shown the greatness of His love?
By
giving up His only begotten Son to the most painful and ignominious death, that
we, the guilty, might be delivered from eternal death, and have life
everlasting.
If, then, so many are
lost, is it the fault of God?
No:
as the physician gives up only the incurable, so God condemns only those who
believe not in Christ as their Savior and God; who love darkness, that is, the
principles and works which correspond to their corrupt inclinations; who
despise Jesus, the light of the world, and His doctrines; who neglect the
divine service, the public instructions, and the reception of the holy
sacraments; who take this licentious life for wisdom and enlightenment; who
refuse to be taught, and have pronounced their own condemnation, even before
the final judgment.
Why should we love God?
Because
He has loved us from eternity: He loved us when as, yet we were not. If we love
him who does us some good, who helps us in need, or exposes himself to danger
for our sake, how much more should we love Him Who has given us all that we
have: the angels to be our guards, the sun, moon, and stars to be our light;
the earth to be our dwelling-place; the elements, plants, and animals to supply
our necessary wants, and to serve for our advantage and enjoyment; Who
continually preserves us and protects us from countless dangers; Who has
subjected Himself for our sake, not merely to the danger of His life, but to
the most painful and humiliating death; Who for gives all our sins, heals all
our infirmities, redeems our life from destruction, and crowns us with
compassion and mercy.
The Time
After Pentecost
As both the Bible and Church Fathers attest, there are several distinct
periods of sacred history. These periods arise, are given their own set of
dispensations, and then disappear. The age before the Law was replaced by the
age under it, and that age, in turn, was closed during the time that Jesus
Christ walked the face of the earth. Likewise, the age of divine revelation
(which ended at the death of the last Apostle) gave way to a different era, the
era immediately preceding the Second Coming. It is that era in which we now
find ourselves. Despite the expanse of two thousand years and the plethora of
cultural and technological changes that separate us from the Christians who
outlived the Beloved Disciple, we are still living in the same age as they, the
last age of mankind.
The Time After Pentecost is the time that corresponds to this age. Just
as Advent symbolizes life under the Old Law while the Christmas, Lenten, and
Easter seasons recapitulate the thirty-three-year era of Jesus Christ's earthly
sojourn, the Time after Pentecost corresponds to the penultimate chapter of the
story of redemption, the chapter that is currently being written. That story,
as we all know, has been written somewhat out of order. Thanks to the last book
of the Bible, we have a vivid account of history's climax but not of what
happens in between the Apostolic Age and the Final Judgment. In a sense we
should all feel a certain affinity for the Time After Pentecost, since it is
the only liturgical season of the year that corresponds to where we are now.
Where we are is the age of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is often
called the birthday of the Church because even though the Apostles were
transformed by earlier events such as the institution of the Eucharist and
priesthood on Maundy Thursday or their acquiring the power to forgive sins on
Easter afternoon, they - and by extension, the Church - did not really come
into their own until the Paraclete inspired them to burst out of their closed
quarters and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. And just as Pentecost
marks the birthday of the Church in the Holy Spirit, so too does the Time after
Pentecost mark the life of the Church moving through the vicissitudes of
history under the protection and guidance of that same Spirit. It is for this
reason that the epistle readings from this season emphasize the Apostles'
advice to the burgeoning churches of the day while its Gospel readings focus on
the kingdom of heaven and its justice. It is also the reason why the
corresponding lessons from the breviary draw heavily from the history of the
Israelite monarchy in the Old Testament. All are somehow meant to teach us how
to comport ourselves as citizens of the city of God as we pass through the
kingdoms of this world.
The sectoral cycle
that concurs with the Time after Pentecost is the part of the year with the
most saints' days. Saints are an important component in the Christian landscape
not only because of their capacity to intercede for us, but because they are living
proof that a holy, Catholic life is possible in every time and place. In fact,
the feasts kept during the Time after Pentecost encompass virtually every
aspect of Church life. If the saints in general remind us of the goal of
holiness, certain saints, such as St. John the Baptist (June 24 &
August 29) or Sts. Peter (June 29 & August 1) and Paul (June
29 & 30) remind us of the role that the hierarchy plays in leading the
Church towards that goal. Likewise, the feasts of the temporal cycle, such as
the Feast of the Holy Trinity, of Corpus Christi, or of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, direct our attention to the explicit dogma, sacramentality, and
spirituality of the Church, respectively. Even the physical space is
consecrated for sacred use; all feasts for the dedication of churches take
place only during the Time after Pentecost. The Time after Pentecost truly is
the time of the Church, the liturgical season that corresponds to the spotless
Bride's continuous and multifaceted triumph over the world. This is one of the
reasons why the liturgical color for this season is green, the symbol of hope
and life. It might also be the reason why it is the longest liturgical season,
occupying 23 to 28 weeks of the year.
And because the Time
after Pentecost is the time of the Church, it is also a profoundly
eschatological season. Every believer needs to heed St. Paul's admonitions
about the Parousia and to ready himself for the end times, for the Last
Judgment and the creation of a new heaven and earth.
That is why,
beginning on the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Mass propers begin to
take on an apocalyptic tone. Verses from the prophets become much more common
and references to the final manifestation of Christ more insistent. This sense
of anticipation grows each week until it crescendos with the last Sunday after
Pentecost (the last Sunday of the liturgical year), when the Gospel recalls
Christ's ominous double prophecy concerning the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
and the horrific end of the world. An awareness of the eschaton is also salient
in the feasts and saints' days that occur at around the same time. The Feast of
the Assumption (Aug. 15), for example, reminds us not only of the glorious
consummation of the Blessed Virgin's earthly life, but of the reunification of
all bodies with their souls on Judgment Day. St. Michael's Day (Sept. 29), the
Feast of the Guardian Angels (Oct. 2), the Feast of Christ the King (last
Sunday of October), All Saints' Day (Nov. 1), and All Souls' Day (Nov. 2) all
have a way of directing our attention to the ultimate completion of the work of
redemption. Significantly, these holy days occur mostly during autumn, the
season that heralds the end of life. Though it has no formal name, this cluster
of Sundays and feasts constitutes a season unto its own that reminds us of the
tremendous awe and glory surrounding the Last Things.
The Time after
Pentecost is the period between the age of the Apostles on the one hand and the
Age of ages (saecula saeculorum) on the other. By navigating vis-à-vis these
two coordinates, its liturgical celebrations embody redeemed living in a fallen
world and constant preparedness for the Bridegroom. And in doing so it shows us
- members of the age it ritually represents - how to do the same.
Which are the fruits of the Holy Ghost? They are the twelve following:
1. Charity.
2.
Joy.
3. Peace.
4. Patience.
5. Benignity.
6. Goodness.
7. Longsuffering.
8. Mildness.
9. Faith.
10. Modesty.
11.
Continency.
12.
Chastity.
These fruits
should be visible in the Christian, for thereby men shall know that the Holy
Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is known by its fruit.
Notice I have placed
the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in stairstep fashion so we may reflect on
them seeing that by concentrating on each step of our growth in the spirit we
may progress closer and closer to our heavenly Father. Today we will be
focusing on the first step which is chastity.
When I reflect on
chastity, I think of Saint Maximilian Kolbe which is reported to have had a
vision of the Virgin Mary as a youth and in the vision, Mary came to him
presented him two crowds one crown was white and the other crown was red, and
she told him that he must choose a crown. She said the white crown was purity
and the red crown blood sacrifice/martyrdom. Consequently, Saint Maximilian Kolbe then
asked Mary can I take both to which she said yes. Maximilian Kolbe later became
a priest and was chase his entire life and he was a martyr for the cause of
Christ during WWII in Auschwitz, the NAZI death camp.
In reflecting on
this I have concluded, we too, also must decide whether we want to sacrifice
our blood; be pure or do both.
Chastity is the
first step to the long road to Holiness and Happiness both in this world and
the next. Chastity is the first step and Continency is the next step.
St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
Carmelite mystic from Italy
Baptized Caterina, and affectionately known as "The Passionflower of
the Eucharist," St. Mary Magdalene was taught mental prayer, also known as
meditation, at the tender age of nine, at the request of her mother. By age 10
she received her First Holy Communion and began experiencing mystical
ecstasies. When one experiences ecstasy, one is so filled with the Divine
Presence that the faculties of the soul (intellect, will, etc.) are
"suspended" and one is utterly filled with the love of God that you
might even fall unconscious.
Saint Mary Magdalene's first ecstasy happened at the sight of a beautiful
sunset. She was so struck by the beauty of God's creation that she trembled and
became speechless. Have you ever spent time just taking in the beauty of God's
creation? Especially now that summer is set to begin, take time to put down the
cell phone, shut off the television, and go outside and enjoy a gorgeous summer
sunset. Take in the grandeur of God's creation and find the Creator of Love in
the simplest of things, or rather, let Him find you.
Soon after her first ecstasy and intimately encountering her Beloved,
Mary Magdalene made a private vow of virginity to the Lord. When her parents
wanted her to marry, as she was their only daughter, she revealed to them her
vow to the Lord, and she soon entered a Carmelite monastery. Her great love and
devotion to the Eucharist is what led her to enter the Carmel of St. Mary's of
the Angels, who had a special dispensation to daily receive Communion, which
was almost unheard of at the time. In her first ecstatic experience after
entering, her sisters found her weeping before a crucifix and crying out,
"O Love, you are neither known nor loved." She experienced within her
soul the pain that her Beloved Jesus experiences from the rejection of so many
souls on the earth. No doubt her tears, prayers, and penances brought
consolation to the wounded heart of Jesus, and you too can console his heart by
your prayers and penances. You may or may not have emotional experiences or
ecstasies in this lifetime, but your meditation on His passion and your prayers
and penances in reparation for those who reject His love can bring great
consolation to His heart.
For the majority of her time as a religious, St. Mary Magdalene endured
great physical suffering and illness. While experiencing excruciating
suffering, our Lord consoled her with His overwhelming presence and love. Mary
Magdalene was quite embarrassed by the attention this brought her. Some sisters
ridiculed her, and some sisters wished they experienced ecstasy like her. She
would say to those sisters that they should be thankful that they are strong
enough to advance in holiness without the Lord Jesus having to give extra
graces to keep them going. She was convinced of her misery and weakness because
Jesus would grant her so many graces while in suffering. That being said, she
also endured a five-year period of great dryness and severe temptations against
purity and to suicide. She received visions of the souls in Purgatory during
her time of purification and also received the sacred stigmata invisibly, as
she begged the Lord to keep it hidden. What is at the heart of this lesson is
being thankful for whatever season you are in with the Lord in your life.
Whether in a time of great consolation or desolation, the key is to persevere
in prayer and penance, in gratitude for God and always seeking His will.
Lastly, St. Mary Magdalene was known to have
playful, bantering tones with Jesus. One account given was that of Jesus
offering her a crown of thorns and a crown of flowers. She always insisted on
the crown of thorns, desiring to suffer for Jesus, but He would always insist
on giving her the crown of flowers. When He admonished her, "I called and
you didn't care," she came back with, "You didn't call loudly
enough" and told the Lord to shout His love. I would encourage those of
you reading this to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus. Talk with
Him throughout your day, make Him your best of friends, because He wants to be!
Don't be afraid to "be real" with Him, to share your struggles and
emotions, and also thank Him! Get to know Jesus, love Jesus, and ask for St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi's intercession so that her cry, "O Love, you are
neither known nor loved," can be changed to, "You are known and
loved!"
Apostolic
Exhortation
Veneremur Cernui
– Down in Adoration Falling
of
The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My beloved Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
I.
The Graces of Holy Communion
i.
Holy Communion changes and transforms us into “Alter Christus.”
40.
At the end of Mass, the priest dismisses the faithful with the words, “Go
forth, the Mass is ended.” However, the original Latin words of dismissal
say: “Ite, missa est”, which literally means “Go, you
are sent.” Every time we leave the threshold of the church after
having received the Eucharist, we bring the love of Christ to our daily
activities and to every person we meet.
ii.
We become “One Body and One Spirit in Christ.”
41.
The ultimate effect of the Holy Eucharist is not only the transubstantiation of
bread and wine into the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ for
our spiritual nourishment, but the transformation of those who receive Holy
Communion into “one body, one spirit in Christ” (III
Eucharistic Prayer and 1 Cor 12:12-13). Through this
personal relationship with the Risen Jesus in the Eucharist, we experience the
self-sacrificing love of Jesus, who invites us to imitate His love and to bring
that love to everyone and every situation of our daily life. We can see how the
Eucharist changed the lives of the early Christians. Flowing from their
Eucharistic experience with the Risen Lord, they lived, in loving communion
with one another; they ate together and prayed together in the Temple. They
placed their possessions at the feet of the Apostles for the needs of the poor.
They were of “one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his
possessions was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32).
42.
The Eucharist also played a central role in strengthening this communion in the
life of the venerable servant of God, Cardinal Francis Nguyen Van Thuan. As
coadjutor Archbishop of Saigon, Vietnam, he was arrested on August 15, 1975,
soon after South Vietnam fell to the Communist regime. He spent the next 13
years in prison, moving between forced residences, re-education camps, and nine
years of solitary confinement. In his book “Testimony of Hope”, he
describes how the Eucharist became his hope and light in the darkness of prison
camp. With three drops of wine and a drop of water in the palm of his hand, he
would secretly celebrate Mass. And those Masses became for him a source of
consolation and strength in such a difficult time in his life.
To be continued…
Bible in a
year Day 324 The
Name of Jesus
In Acts 3, Peter used God’s gift of healing to allow God to
restore a lame man. Fr. Mike reminds us that God gives us gifts so he can be
known in the world and all great miracles are attributed to the name of Jesus.
Fr. Mike also tells us why our suffering matters, and how God wastes nothing.
Today’s readings are Acts 3, Romans 4-5, and Proverbs 27:1-3.
Please
pray for the intentions of my youngest son Vincent Michael (Conqueror-Who is
like God) whose birthday is today
Memorial Day
Today
is Memorial Day and we honor those who have paid the supreme sacrifice of
devotion watching our nation. Pray today for the souls of those taken in
battle. In the communion of saints, it is our duty; no, our honor to pray for
the souls of those in our company who have died; especially those who have
passed through the valley of fear in the heat of battle.
Memorial
Day, first established in 1866 to honor Union soldiers of the Civil War, is now
a day set aside to remember all of the American soldiers who have died
in war in the subsequent 15 decades -- about 1.2 million in all. This number,
while representing a tremendous loss, pales in comparison to the number of
war-related deaths globally for the same time period. Estimates run from 60 to
85 million for the number of lives lost during World War II alone.
While stationed in Mons, Belgium I learned there is
the legend of the Angels of Mons, where it was reported the British
soldiers were saved by heavenly forces.
One thing is certain: There are no atheists in
foxholes.
To honor our fallen let us stop what we are doing at 1500
hrs. (3 pm) and offer the Divine Mercy Prayer for those who have fallen in
service of our nation.
God of power and
mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen
Memorial Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Attend a Memorial Day parade. One popular parade
is the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC.
·
All Americans are encouraged to pause for one
minute at 3:00 pm (local time). Think of the sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers
to provide freedom for all.
·
Visit the grave of a fallen soldier.
·
Have a picnic or go boating.
·
Donate to a
charity that serves veterans.
Memorial Day Facts & Quotes
·
There have been over 2.7 million US military
deaths since 1775.
·
The deadliest US War was the Civil War with
about 600,000 US deaths.
·
It is customary to fly a US flag at half-staff
till noon on Memorial Day.
·
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who
died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. - George S. Patton
Today
in honor of Memorial Day I remembered my friend Paul Wolff-The Wolf of the Ardennes
Men are frequently blinded by fear
and as a result often harmed themselves. The grace of God gives confidence to
see the right and to stand when called. Father Paul was called to stand and
became General Patton’s guide during the “Battle of the Bulge” while he was
still a teen. Father Paul Wolff was 15 years old when he first joined the
Belgium resistance during the years of the Nazi occupation of World War II. He
was the youngest member of the Belgium resistance. Unfortunately, he and other
members of his group were captured and at 17 he was tortured, condemned to
death and imprisoned in the Nazi Prison in Liege, Belgium. There he languished
yet his faith would not allow him to lose all hope and the resistance still
worked to get him and the others (256) out. Part of the plan was to get a radio
to the prisoners. To do this the resistance secreted small parts of a crystal
radio inside bars of soap. Interestingly these were “Lever” brother bars of
soap and were large about the size of a brick. Father Paul related that during
the Nazi occupation not all Jews were in German prisons if they were of use to
the Nazi’s. In this case the soap bars were made by the Lever Jews and the
radio parts were easily hidden inside the soap bars. Father Paul stated that
when they received the soap, they then washed their hands raw in wearing away
the soap to get to the radio part. Then after several bars they constructed the
radio which was the Morse code type. Father Paul typed in code in English which
he spoke along with German and French the words over and over “SOS SOS 256
prisoners in Liege prison condemned to death SOS SOS.” They hoped someone would
get the message and somehow, they would be rescued. All they had was hope.
Father also related that it drove
the Nazi’s crazy because they intercepted the message but never suspected it
was coming from the prison. Father Paul said that in the cell they were in
there was only one barred window, but it was so high that to look out it
required a person to stand on the shoulders of a fellow prisoner. He further
relayed that they when they would see women that were friendly with the guards
coming and going, they would call them the nastiest things they could think of
calling them. Yet one day during an air raid while the guards were hiding as
deep as they could go; one of these young women (secret agent) came and taking
the heel of her shoe wrote on the pavement that during the air raid they are
going to be rescued by commandoes, and they were. Father Paul stated neither he
nor the others ever lost hope.
After
his escape he went underground. He was a friend of King Leopold III. He served
as General Patton's Belgian guide during the battle of the bulge.
December 24, 1944
Father
Paul communicated to me the tale about the battle of the bulge that has not
been recorded in history. During WWII the US Army was segregated and black men
were not mixed with white men. Black men mostly served in support roles such as
transportation and as cooks, etc. During the course of the Battle of the Bulge’
Hitler sent in a special operations team to confuse and destroy the American
Army. It was composed of American NAZI’s and German’s, who spoke perfect
American slang, knew the culture, baseball stuff, etc. These Spec Ops were
equipped with American Uniforms and equipment that was captured by Gen. Rommel
from North Africa. Father Wolff was at a meeting with Gen. Patton, Bradley,
Eisenhower and the English Gen. Montgomery in Luxembourg City on the evening of
Dec. 24th, 1944. The Generals were very excited and afraid because of the
effect these NAZI spec ops were having in the warzone and due to the fact that
they had murdered many men. They did not know what to do. Patton who was a
visionary, suddenly stood up and said, I know exactly what to do. From this
time forward, nothing in the American Army will move without a black American
in the group. Patton knew there were no black NAZI’s. As a result, black units
were moved forward and integrated and as far as I know this was the first time
in American History since the Civil War. As a result, the NAZI spec ops team
was neutralized.
Murph
My
daughter Candace Faith in light of Memorial Day invited me to participate in
the annual Murph. The Murph Challenge is the Official annual fundraiser of the
LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation, presented by Forged®. It
is also one of the primary means of funding for the Foundation on an annual
basis. YOUR support is what drives our success!
Since
2014, Forged®
has raised over $1,000,000+ for the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship
Foundation through The Murph Challenge campaign. In 2018, The Murph Challenge
Fundraiser
provided a vehicle to raise nearly $250,000 in order to begin construction on
the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum/Sea Cadet
Training Facility
in Long Island, NY! In addition to that, and ONLY with such overwhelming
support and success, the Foundation was also able to add four additional
scholarships in 2018, now providing the opportunity to award 27 or more
scholarships each and every year!
The Hajj starts today
Hajj
The
Hajj starts today. Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca that is obligatory for
all Muslims who can afford to go. The 3rd chapter of the Quran, Surah
Ale-Imran makes Hajj mandatory. During this pilgrimage, Muslims try
to get closer to God. The Hajj is performed in the last month of the Islamic
calendar, Dhul-Hijjah. All Muslims who can afford to go on the Hajj are
required to do so at least once in their life. Muslims believe that the Prophet
Abraham built the Ka'aba with his son Ismael. Kaaba is a sacred cube-shaped
shrine at the centre Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque, in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
Muslims walk around the Ka'bah seven times as part of the Hajj.
Muslims face to pray in the direction of the Ka'bah no matter where they
are in the world. It was the first house built solely for the purpose of
worshipping God. To be completed, the Hajj requires a minimum of five
days, during which pilgrim’s travel across Arabia to complete various rituals,
some of which are optional, but considered highly beneficial.
Hajj Facts
·
According
to Sahih Bukhari (one of the six main hadith writings of Sunni Islam), the
Prophet Muhammad once said that those who finish the Hajj without committing
any obscenity or transgression will have their sins completely wiped away.
·
It
is believed that to teach Muslims to remain humble and unified, God mandated
the Hajj. During it, everyone wears the same clothes, prays together, and
goes around the Ka'bah together.
·
According
to the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Hajj is the largest gathering of human beings
on the Earth.
Hajj Events and Things to Do
·
Visit
the mountains of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah in Mecca. Pilgrims walk between
two hills, Safa and Marwa, seven times during the Hajj because they believe
that Hagar, the wife of Abraham, did the same when looking for water for her
thirsty baby Ismael. As soon as she finished her seventh run, the Zamzam
well sprung out from under baby Ismael's foot. To this day, pilgrims on
the Hajj drink the Zamzam's water, and often take it home with them in large
canisters.
·
Visit
the tower at Jamrat-al-Aqabah (Saudi Arabia). After sunset on the day of
Arafah, as part of the Hajj, pilgrims throw small pebbles at Jamrat-al-Aqabah.
This is the place where it is believed the Devil stood as he tried to
tempt Abraham from carrying out orders from God. This is act commemorates
and symbolizes Abraham's rejecting of the devil.
Understanding Islam: A Guide
Today
we are bombarded with conflicting versions of Muslims and Islamin the media.
This guide is intended to help all people in the Roman Catholic Church to
present Islam accurately and in ways that preserve and promote “together for
the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace
and freedom” (Nostra Aetate3). In spite of the many conflicts and hostilities
that have arisen between Muslims and Christians over the centuries, as
Christians we are called to reject violence and to live in fraternal love with
all human beings. This document intends to identify some of those beliefs and
values that Muslims and Christians have in common, as well as some differences,
so as to assist those whom we are teaching to live harmoniously together with
understanding and respect and to work for peace more effectively. Understanding
Islam and Muslims the name Islam means “submission” and those who submit to God
are Muslims. The terms have the same Arabic root as the word for peace, Salam.
Muslims believe that peace comes through the submission to the one and only
God. Although it is often associated with Muslims alone, the name of God in
Arabic, Allah (al-Lah– “the God”), is the same name used by Christians and
Jews. When saying the name of Allah, Muslims enerally say: “Subhanahu wa
ta’aalaa”, which means “May He be glorified and exalted”. Muslims and
Christians share many common beliefs in their worship of a single Creator God
who loves creation and who commands that His most cherished creations, human
beings, love Him, one another, and His creation. In some ways, however, Muslims
and Christians have profoundly different beliefs. Muslims do not believe in the
Trinitarian nature of God, nor do they accept that Jesus Christ is God
incarnate. They believe, however, that Jesus is one of the five most
distinguished Prophets of God sent to mankind. Christians, on the other hand,
do not recognize Muhammad as a prophet, and do not accept many aspects of the
message he preached, including dietary restrictions, polygamy, and other
teachings. For Muslims, Muhammad is the recipient of God’s final revelation,
the Qur’an, and the model for all human beings, in much the same way as the
Virgin Mary is for many Christians. But Muhammad’s role as prophet, law giver
and military leader is more similar to that of Moses in the Old Testament.
Muhammad is not worshipped by Muslims –he is recognized by them as the final
Prophet, the Seal of the prophets, sent by God and is the object of great
reverence and devotion. Christians do not accord Muhammad the same status as
the biblical prophets but may regard him as aprophetic figure on such issues as
charity and the protection of the poor, widows and orphans.
Around the Corner
·
Eat waffles and
Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Religion in the Home for
Preschool: May
·
Monday: Litany of Humility
·
Drops of
Christ’s Blood
·
Bucket List trip:
World Vineyard Tour: Douro Valley
·
Foodie-Blue berry
Cheesecake
·
Spirit Hour: Port
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: The
sanctification of the Church Militant.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Drops of
Christ’s Blood
·
Universal
Man Plan
·
Rosary
Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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