FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY – FATHER ANTHONY

When the day comes and the groom has been taken away, then will they fast. That day has come.

How are you called to fast? What are we supposed to do? How loud do we have to yell to make our voices heard on high¾ to be heard by God Almighty?

We have no problem finding time for any and all of our human wants, whether it be getting up an extra 30 minutes in the morning to exercise, staying out later than usual with our friends, love ones finding time to be together, etc. But, how hard is it for us to find the same few minutes to spend with the Lord in person or in prayer without making excuses for not doing it.

We need to spend the time it takes for a short Way of the Cross, a few minutes in an Adoration Chapel, a moment in silent prayer, a few minutes reading Scripture in the morning before your day begins, a rosary while driving in our cars, etc. Instead of the extra few minutes we find daily to improve the quality of our human life, spend a few minutes daily in prayer or with the Lord to improve the quality of your spiritual life.

Jesus wants us to get rid of the things that keep us from getting close to Him. The enemy does not want us to do that. We won't advance 1/2 step if we do not put our efforts in it. We all have major work to do when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Doing battle with the evil one, we arm ourselves with the weapon of self-denial. We can do many acts of love and penance which we are called to do. Turn inward and examine our hearts. Do acts of charity. Do acts of love and kindness towards our neighbor.

Begin this retreat by examining your heart. Do acts of charity. The Lord is asking for fasting with acts of charity and love and etc

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER JOSEPH

Even though the clouds are there, you know that the sun is still there. Dryness in prayer-the light of God is still there. We come in the Lower Church to draw near to the Light. The Light, Jesus Christ, always shines for us, especially in the Holy Mass. He speaks to us through His word.

One of the great proofs of our Christian faith is the radical change of lives¾ how people will be going down one path often to destruction, and suddenly their lives really change. Levi was like that. His life radically changed. He met the Light which was Jesus Christ. He became a follower of Christ even to the shedding of his blood. St. Paul is another example. The love of Christ urges us on.

We can look in our own day and read so many stories of people who were going down one path of life and their lives suddenly changed when they came to the light of Christ. The light of Christ is always there in bringing about radical changes in people's lives.

Suffering is sometimes God's megaphone. He gets our attention this way.

Remember, on 1^st Saturday, our Blessed Mother is helping us to continue our conversions. We are still being converted. That is why the Church gives us the holy season of Lent each year.

We are attached to things that are deadly spiritually. Our conversion is one to moving from "my will be done" to "Thy will be done"; to love of God to love of neighbor. That day to day perseverance and meeting those obstacles of our lives.

Temptation is an opportunity to choose God. "I want to grow in my fidelity and love of you, My God."

Our Lady is such a big part of our conversion. She takes us on a short path. You will make more advancement with the rosary. She is our consolation; She who helps us to persevere on the road to light. She helps us to choose Christ and reject Satan.

May this holy season be a time of conversion for us. MARY, HELP US!

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – FATHER FRANCIS AND BROTHER PETER 

FATHER FRANCIS - This is the holiest time of the year, the Lenten Season. It is time to reflect. All of us will go through that. A means, a method and a way in which to unite ourselves to Jesus' suffering, His death and Jesus' resurrection. By ourselves, we are nothing. We begin Lent with ashes on our foreheads, "Remember man that you are dust and to dust you shall return."

We submit ourselves to the Church, that is our contact with Jesus Christ. We submit ourselves to Jesus present in the Church, through the one holy Catholic Church.

We are on retreat from the world¾ a place of renewal and rejuvenation. We feed on His graces, God's love. We want a quiet retreat so God can contact us. Pray in silence. God speaks to us in silence.

Pray to the Holy Spirit to, in fact, lead us and be our spiritual director in this retreat and during these 40 days. What is the Holy Spirit calling me to do?

The three acts of Lent are: PRAYER, FASTING and CHARITY.

During this retreat, turn around and transform your thinking. Transform your thinking, judge what is good and pleasing, what is God's holy will. Pray to the Holy Spirit in all decisions to be our guide, particularly decisions of your families. "Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary." 

Let the Holy Spirit lead us into doing what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. What is the Holy Spirit putting in my path for me to do? God leads us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never abandon us.

Without God, we are nothing; we are ashes.

By Baptism we are reborn to a life lead by the Holy Spirit. Make resolutions, make good intentions. Pray that the Holy Spirit directs us. Self-direction is self-deception. Holy Spirit, be our guide, leader, retreat master of our life.

BROTHER PETER - Brother spoke on the new Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, "The Beginning of the Third Millennium". Brother Peter called Pope John Paul II a prophet for our times.

In the world, we see very few people living that life of the Church. "We wish to see Jesus." We are all seeking God. The rest of the world does not know. We can give this to them. Do the people in the world see Our Lord in us? We are called to go deeper.

Those who have everything in the world are dead. They have nothing; we have more than they do. Our witness will be inadequate if we are not having a deep prayer life. We have to have that desire to a deep contemplative prayer life.

The Holy Father gave guidelines to get to know Our Lord:

1. spend time in Scripture every day;
2. have a deep life in faith;
3. silence - prayer to give us the growth and development of the true and faithfilled deep prayer in life;
4. nothing else but holiness - I'm Catholic and should be a holy, humble pride as a daughter or son of God. We should have a high standard of ordinary Christian life. The call to grow in holiness is open to us. The grace is given to do that.
5. Sunday Eucharist - Is this a day holy to us? Put aside worldly things. Listening to word of God has to become central to us.
6. Confession

1. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
2. Have a daily devotion to the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. We need a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Pray to the Holy Spirit everyday. "Holy Spirit, be my guide. Lead me in the way of Christ."
3. Practice the presence of God. Divine meditation - make a strong effort to keep God's presence in our minds and hearts. The Trinity inside me. Use external objects such as a crucifix or pictures. Do our duties as God's will and living with God always.
4. Vocal prayer (disposition of heart - not by rote), meditation and contemplation (goal of our prayer life). There are many different types of meditation. Learn the Christian truths and practice them.

1. No time for time - set aside time each day. Make a holy hour each day.
2. Pride - do we pray for our will or do we submit to God's will.
3. Distractions - turn them to our advantage. Maybe we are too attached to things we think of.
4. Aridity - a lack of desire for prayer. Empty our souls.
5. Lack of faith - are we going to God first or as a last resort. It should be our first resort.

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER JOSEPH

In Corinthians it says: God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom.

God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant was fulfilled in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us. When we look at the cross, we see the culmination of Jesus' virtues in His greatest act of love - His greatest patience; His greatest act of forgiveness is on the cross; His greatest work accomplished is on the cross. Our Lord is teaching us to take up our cross.

It comes down to: what is our reaction to suffering - for some, bitterness toward God; for others, becoming a fuel for growing in our love of God. We suffer in many ways. What will we do with it? Will we waste it or will it make us angry and bitter? Or will we turn it into fuel for our love of God?

God would never permit something in our life that would bring evil out of it. His power is much greater than the power of evil. Have that confidence and trust even in trials.

That suffering can become fuel to fire our love of God. We try to accept and embrace what God has given to us lovingly and willingly. Christ is our salvation. If we meditate on the cross during this time of Lent, that is not the end of the story. Of every cross, there is new life that comes through it - a deeper freedom, a deeper union with God, a deeper detachment.

We come here asking for the grace we are now in need of, and the grace to carry the cross. We cannot be without the cross in this life. He always gives us something. He always hears us. Something always happens because He is here. He is the divine physician.

FATHER RAY BOURQUE'S BIBLE STUDY

When Jesus rose many came out of graves and also rose. Jesus did not go up to Heaven alone. Fathers of the Church believe Joseph went up body and soul. Father Ray gave us the following prayer: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, thank you for the Incarnation."

What shape are you in? During the Jubilee Year, we went to Confession and received Indulgences. What shape should you be in? We are more a holy people than we were before.

When John Paul became Pope, he knew he had an appointment with the year 2000. In March, 1974, he started talking about the Jubilee. In 1986-87, it was a Marian Year for 15 months; 1994 was the Year of the Family; 1994-96 were the Years of Awareness; 1997 was the Year of Jesus; 1998 was the Year of the Holy Spirit; 1999 was the Year of the Father; and 2000 was the Year of the Trinity.

At the end of his Mass on January 6, 2001, Pope John Paul II signed an Apostolic Letter, "The Beginning of the Third Millennium", which is our marching orders from now on. What now? Father says that we should read the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Vatican II Documents. This Pope is a Vatican II man. Vatican II is a treasure. It was the greatest Council of the Church. Father then continued his discussion of the Apostolic Letter.

SUNDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY - FATHER JOSEPH

Have you ever been tempted? The angels have been tempted; Jesus was tempted. Jesus allowed Himself to be tempted to show His followers that He can be tempted. 

Temptation is an opportunity to grow in fidelity, to say no to temptation and yes to God. In that choice you give glory to God. Our sins we know are the result of our consenting to temptation. We cannot serve two masters. We have to make a choice. God will not let us be tempted beyond our strength. Temptation presents to us a lie. It looks good and desirable and pleasing to the eye, but it is a lie. The devil is the father of lies. Temptations in our lives never bring us peace - it robs us of peace. We have a weakened will, a result of our fallen nature. Temptation is sometimes the work of the enemy, and sometimes it is the work of the world.

Living our Catholic faith is tough peddling. When we get off the path, God sends us a warning to get us back on the right path. God does not want us to risk eternal death.

The seven capital sins are:

1. PRIDE - to put ourselves in place of God. He gives us His commandments to worship and honor Him.
2. AVARICE - Happiness in things thinking it will bring us happiness.
3. ENVY - sad at good fortune of others. We need to cultivate rather brotherly love. Defend what is good and right. Meekness.
4. LUST - rampart temptation today. Many people are a source of temptation for others. Cultivate the virtue of chastity - to love.
5. GLUTTONY - do we eat to live or live to eat? We need to cultivate the virtue of temperance.
6. SLOTH - not to be diligent to do our job. Cultivate diligence.
7. WRATH 

In a weak temptation, merely say NO. But with a stronger temptation, we must offer positive resistance, i.e., prayer: "Mary help me; Jesus, give me strength." Also, "Jesus, I trust in you." We must do the opposite of the temptation.

To strengthen our commitment and resist temptation, deepen our love for God - making many acts of love during the day. Then we will have a strong defense against temptation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks "through prayer".

The sacrament of Penance strengthens us also. The Holy Eucharist is love par excellence.

Temptation is not an indication of being forsaken by God. The saints went through great temptations. 

Ask Mary to help us to always love God.