FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY – FATHER FRANCIS

Today we are still celebrating Ordinary time. Next Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. We must prepare for Lent; we must work toward Lent. Pray now to see what the Lord is asking us to do for Lent. He will not disappoint us.

Today is Blessed Katherine Drexel's feast day. Soon she will become a saint. She came from a very wealthy Philadelphia family. The people of Philadelphia have a great devotion to her. She inherited $14,000,000, which in its day was a very large amount of money. She started Xavier University in New Orleans. She started her own order of nuns. She died broke after giving all of her money away.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus was righteously angry in the Temple. He kicks out the money changers and the merchants, but he does not curse them. He curses the barren fig tree, and the tree dies.

St. Peter was chosen to be the first Pope to guide the Church. St. Peter says we have to be baptized. Baptism is like being reborn. The wound of original sin is washed away. Once we are baptized, we must grow in holiness. Grow in faith, hope and love. We are called to holiness. Holiness is growing in sanctifying grace. After Baptism, we are children of God, and we can cry out "Abba, Father".

We can only live the life that we are called to live. The Holy Spirit has to work through us, so that we can respond to the graces that are always there.

Thank God for the gift of the Papacy. Pray that we may be zealous for holiness through the intercession of Blessed Katherine Drexel.

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER JOSEPH

How would Jesus answer the question posed to Him? The questioners were not interested in the answer. In their answer to Jesus' question about John the Baptist, they did not tell the truth, because they wanted to protect themselves from the people. They wanted what was advantageous to themselves rather than tell the truth. Thus, they did not deserve an answer.

We do not know what we should know, and we do not spend time trying to know the truth. It can be morally reprehensible to be stupid. We should learn and live in the truth. Man by his very nature is to seek the truth and to live by the truth. Know it and live it. Conform your life to it. Truth demands change and conversion of our life. Jesus Christ said "the truth will set you free".

Abraham Lincoln was accused of not speaking the truth. He was said to be two-faced. His answer was simple - if I'm two-faced, do you think I would be wearing this face.

Reading of St. Jude: When there are some who have doubts, let them know the truth. We are to help others to know the truth. Keep your distance from some, because it can be dangerous for you as well.

John the Baptist died for the truth. Live in faith, praying to the Holy Spirit. We want to live in God's will, and then He is going to lead us all in the truth. Seek God's will and live it.

We must stand up for the truth for God. Today we are not willing to do anything that is going to meet with resistance. Catholics are to infuse and transform the culture. We are to be that salt in the world and to give it the savor of Jesus Christ. Truth is not a hammer to beat someone over the head with; it is used in love and charity. It is the love of God that is to move them. Speak the truth in love, and it is spoken in God.

Let us resolve with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary that we are people who walk in the truth always listening to God's voice, seeking always to live in the light of the Spirit. 

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – FATHER JOSEPH

St. Joseph's Day is March 19^th, but this year it will be celebrated on March 20^th, the Solemnity of his Feast Day. Joseph was the husband of Mary and the foster (virginal) father of Jesus.

Pope Pius IX preached a novena to St. Joseph. On December 8, 1854, Pius IX declared Mary immaculately conceived. Four years later, Mary confirmed this at Lourdes. In 1870, 16 years later, on December 8, the Church had Masonic persecutions. Papal States were invaded; the Pope was a prisoner in the Vatican. In the troubles and struggles, Pius IX turned to St. Joseph and declared him as Universal Patron of the Church on December 8, 1870. Five days before Pius IX died, he said he could die in peace, because he felt he had made St. Joseph better known.

St. Joseph is unknown. There are no words recorded in Scripture by St. Joseph. It is recorded that he was a just man giving God His due. He was faithful to God and others. St. Joseph was a man who had a deep internal life. He had an angel who told him what to do. There was no resistance to St. Joseph by Mary or Jesus. Mary is obedient to Joseph, and Jesus allows himself to be led by Joseph. He is an image of God the Father to God the Son on earth. What a union with the Father Joseph must have had.

St. Theresa of Avila said St. Joseph was a guide to her. She said that, if you cannot find a spiritual director, you will find no surer spiritual guide than St. Joseph. He had a deep interior life and was obedient. Can we ask our older brothers and sisters in the spiritual life to intercede for us? St. Theresa named her first monastery after St. Joseph.

On one side of the Atlantic Ocean is the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, and on the other side is St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada. At both shrines, people are healed. It is like Jesus wants us to go to the Holy Family where Jesus grew up.

Father spoke about Blessed Brother Andr¾ and how he became a professed brother despite his poor health. Blessed Andr¾ gave credit to St. Joseph for healing the people. He would tell them to go and thank St. Joseph. Blessed Brother Andr¾ built the Oratory to St. Joseph in Montreal, Canada. Go to St. Joseph. He is not just a spiritual guide, but a protector for us from terrible things.

Father said that they dedicated the House of Study to St. Joseph. They needed permission from the Bishop and needed accreditation which they got in two years - all due to St. Joseph's intercession.

St. Peter Eymard wrote a book on St. Joseph. St. Joseph is a model for adoration. Joseph and Mary were the first to adore the Word made flesh. St. Joseph is a model for us and can teach us how to adore together with Mary.

The Church is encouraging pilgrimages this year. We are always on the way to Heaven. We have not yet arrived where we are going. We are still pilgrims. A pilgrimage to a shrine symbolizes that journey to Heaven. God blesses us in a special way. Special graces are granted to pilgrims who make a pilgrimage. This is a year of favor from the Lord - a Jubilee year as we rejoice in our redemption.

The Holy Father said in a Bull that no one should exclude himself from the Father's embrace. Everyone should come and celebrate our redemption that has come to us from Jesus.

Think about the Holy Family today, how God has raised up these Holy Shrines. People have been healed and people are being renewed. God wants all of His children to be saved. Every day is a day for us when we can grow in love and grow in knowing the One we love. We can always learn something new. There is not a day when we cannot grow in love. We can offer praise and thanksgiving to God instead of grumbling. Every day is unique, and we can take another step higher towards eternal life.

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER RAY BOURQUE

We are special people; we are children of God. Jesus did all kinds of things in the world, and wants these things to continue. He healed people. In John 14:12, it says what Jesus did and what He wants us to do.

In Matthew 18:18-20, it says, "where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there." In this Year of Jubilee, we can do more than we are doing. Be a blessing for people. We can be the healer. We can lay our hands on the sick, and they can be made well. The Apostles preached everywhere, and God worked through them through signs and wonders. If we pray, God can listen to our prayer and heal them.

Father also related the story of Tobit.

God wants us to continue the healing ministry of Jesus. When you act on the Word of God, he hears. You act in His name. The Lord can move through our faith. You can trust in Jesus. Have faith 1) what He has done, you can do, 2) Pray for each one as the Father prays on them.

FATHER RAY BOURQUE'S BIBLE STUDY

As of today, 70 days of the Jubilee year have already transpired. What have you done for the Jubilee?

We will be truly converted when we are like Jesus Christ to the proportion we leave sin behind.

Father then discussed "conscience" by referring to the following paragraphs of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1776 - 1794.

SUNDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY - FATHER FRANCIS

The Holy Father says "rediscover Sunday" - sense of sin, charity as connected to our Faith, rediscover the Word. We need to bring back the truth being taught by our Church.

Young people say Mass is boring. Father says in reality they are the ones who are boring. Mass is the recreation of Calvary. If that bores you, look in the mirror. The reality is that we forget what is happening on Sunday.

Everything in our faith springs from the Mass. It is the highest order of prayer. The third commandment is "Keep holy the Lord's day." Sunday starts on Saturday evening, see the Liturgy of the Hours.

Everything we do must be pointed to Jesus Christ. If God rested on the seventh day, then, man, too should rest. The Church says leisure on Sunday. It is a day of protest of the servitude of work and the worship of money. Yes, we need money to exist, but do not worship it.

In today's Gospel, Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath law. But Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Worship the Lord the way He demanded it. Refrain from work or any activity that hinders the worship of God. Don't make demands on others that interfere with Sunday. Of course, some people must work on Sunday, such as public service (fire, police, hospitals, etc.).

If we go to Mass on Sunday, and if we pray properly and enter into the Mass, that gives a certain power to the rest of the day. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses for not working on Sunday do not become a habit. There must be a holy balance.

Rediscover: 1) what day we need to rediscover; 

2) what are we going to do during the great Jubilee this Lent.

We need to rediscover the great Jubilee, and we need to rediscover Lent.