FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY – FATHER FRANCIS 

Are you a stone or a sponge? Do you soak everything in or are you a stone which is dry?

The mother is the heart of the family, heart of the Church. We need to have a heart that is open to drinking the graces. Pope John Paul II desires that the rosary be emphasized and prayed. He declared that October 2002 to October 2003 is the Year of the Rosary. Father said that the rosary is the Pope's favorite prayer. 

Three reasons for praying the rosary: 1) for peace throughout the whole world (to change hearts); 2) for the family which is in a crises; and 3) because Mary has asked for the rosary to be prayed in Her approved apparitions. The only bad rosary is the one that is not prayed. Give a rosary to people on the street in cars. 

The fruits of praying: Our formation mystically transports us to Mary's side; to train us and to mold us until Christ is formed in us. History shows how this prayer was used by the Dominicans. The rosary retains all its power.

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER WADE

We are getting close to the Feast of the Epiphany. Today is the feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. She lived two lives - much loved wife and mother, a valued Catholic woman who leaves example for all, and a foundress of a school. She had nine children within nine years. Her husband, William died of tuberculosis in Italy. She was received into the Catholic Church, and in Baltimore, Md., opened a school. She moved to Emmitsbury, Md., and died on January 4, 1881. She is the first native born American to be canonized. 

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – FATHER JOSEPH 

To be a Catholic is to continually make resolutions to overcome sins and faults and of virtues that we want to practice.  In the Act of Contrition, we are resolving to do things differently from before - a firm purpose to do better. We confess the same things over and over again. How humility grows when we recognize the same faults.  We realize some things cannot change on our own. "Without you, Lord, I can do nothing. You are the vine, we are the branch."

We are a people of hope and that is what the Catholic faith is proclaiming to the world. That is why we say God brings good our of bad.

Father spoke about the Christian meaning of suffering. Asked us to pray for a man named Brandon that he find the help and strength in the Lord. Father started talking to this man and invited him to go into the Chapel. Father told him Jesus was present there in a real way. 

Father told us about the retreat the priests had attended. The priest conducting the retreat talked about thanksgiving. He said that we take so much for granted in our life - the gift of hearing, the gift of sight.  What if we spent a whole day without complaining, either internally or externally.  We would grow a lot and we would grow in that great gift of thanksgiving.  Rather than complain, be grateful. It helps us to be more charitable especially to those we live with. If we can grow in gratitude, we can admire the goodness of another person. 

Father spoke about St. Francis's Canticle of Praise. He said it was a wonderful thing to be Christian. What a treasure we have that our ancestors built so that we can go there and lift our minds and hearts to God. We can go to Mass and receive Holy Communion and be strengthened by that and always have someplace to turn. We always have the Eucharist, Holy Mass and prayers to have a place to turn. Mary has been given to us as our Mother. 

What a wonderful thing to be a Christian! That is what we are celebrating in the Christmas season. It is awesome and we will never fully appreciate this. We need to contemplate the Nativity scene. We need to look long and hard at the Babe in the manger and to appreciate what happened on that Holy Night. When Jesus became man, He joined Himself and united Himself to all of us. Why? Love. That is the only reasonable explanation - because of love, for our benefit, not for His. He wanted to rescue us from Satan and sin. He comes to save us. He is our Saviour. We will never completely appreciate that.

Yesterday we celebrated the Holy Name of Jesus - "Whatever you ask in My name, I will give you." St. Francis of Assisi said, "When you give up everything, then you receive everything." One of our resolutions could be gratitude which will bring other virtues along with it. Even the crosses you may have to bear. Catholics always have that virtue of hope. Whatever happens, God can bring good out of it if we give and bring it to Him. The virtue teaches us that whatever comes, God will bring good from it. 

Father said he once asked an elderly priest how he was doing, and his reply was, "Better than I deserve."

We should suffer for our sins. We should say we should suffer for our sins the rest of our days. It is not our perfection that make Him love us, but our humble turning to Him and saying again and again "Lord, I messed up." Time is passing and we should begin to utilize the time we have left. Today is the beginning of the rest of our lives. If we live the supernatural life, reality of eternity, we are on a pilgrimage here. The best years of our lives are ahead of us. We learn so much of the struggles in our spiritual life. Older on the outside, but younger on the inside if we are growing in the spiritual life. For the saints always cheerfulness and youthfulness because they always hope in God. 

This year can be the best year yet. God has taught many, many lessons in the family, in the school of hard knocks, in the advice of people, for the consolation and strength in the Sacraments, so that this year can be the best yet. Pope John Paul II said "Where there is suffering, there is a spark of redemption." There is a grace at work and a transformation in that person and those around them if they do not let that suffering become despair. Mother Angelica grew up in suffering. She has taught all of us how to suffer well, cheerfully, lovingly. This coming year we will have some suffering. God expects us to protest with the question "Why". "Come, follow Me if you will be My disciple".  Lord, when suffering comes my way as it will , may I accept it and embrace it. Offer it to Him. Turn it into a prayer.

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER WADE

Feast of the Epiphany - Gold, frankincense and myrrh - gifts that the Magi brought. They brought gold because they saw Him as a King; frankincense - deity, and myrrh to acknowledge His death that was to come. 

The secular entrapment is starting Christmas early. It is part of the culture of death. The three Kings should not be in the Nativity scene before Epiphany.  Father then read a poem.