FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY –FATHER RAY BOURQUE

Father explained in detail the first reading, Genesis, Chapter 37, Joseph and his brothers, and directed our attention to parallels between Joseph and Jesus. The conclusion was that even though Joseph's brothers treated him badly and tried to kill him, he held no grudge against them.

The gospel, Matthew 21:33-46, the parable of the tenants in the vineyard, is comparable to Israel. The Jews were given the promised, choice, land, but they did not listen to God. God sent prophets. They beat up some, stoned and killed another. To teach them a lesson, they were exiled. More prophets were sent, and they were treated the same. The Jews were washed out completely. Finally, God sent His son Jesus Christ.

Some of Joseph's brothers did not want to kill him, but they said or did nothing. Do we say or do nothing when we should say or do something? Do we go along with gossip? Do we laugh when someone jokes about Jesus? What do we do when we hear untruths, jokes about God?

The reading and the gospel are given to us by the Church for Lent for a reason. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me. God gave us what we have, and if we do not use what God gave us to produce, He will take it away and give it to a people who can produce. Today there are over a billion Catholics in the world. We are a sleeping giant. Are we producing? The Pope is asking us, one billion Catholics, to change the world.

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY –FATHER RAY BOURQUE

The first reading is from the prophet Micah – once more have pity on us, Lord. The response tells us that the Lord is compassion and love. In the gospel, Luke, Chapter 15, the story of the prodigal son, we learn of the father's love for his wayward son.

We are on the way to a pilgrimage to the house of the Father. God loves and blesses His people, but He expects us to tow the line.

1. God removes guilt (Confession). Catholics are blessed to have Confession.
2. God pardons sin for the remnant. But, we are over a billion Catholics. There is no reason to be a remnant. We should be a light to the world.
3. God our Father delights in clemency – not judging.
4. God treads underfoot our guilt, walks on our guilt.
5. God casts in the depths of the ocean all of our sins. How deep is the ocean? He puts our sins behind Him. Sometimes we have a hard time putting our sins behind us. The Pope says we need conversion. We have a very forgiving Father.
6. God is faithful. We must show our faithfulness to God.
7. What is your measure? It must be divine – forgive and you shall be forgiven.

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – FATHER AUGUSTINE

What do you know about the fatherhood of God from the Bible? The mysteries of God are open to us if we meditate. During the Year of the Father pray the "Our Father" for a greater relationship with the Father.

Do not be anxious about life. God the Father will help us survive the Y2K problems and provide for us in all situations.

Thank God even in the U.S. with all that's wrong with our country, because there are many good things too: pro-life groups, welfare, food stamps, soup kitchens, etc.

Christianity is unique in world religions because of its compassion.

God will clothe us with the necessary strength to survive. We must trust in God. God

knows what we need. He wants us to be disciples of His Son.

If we put ourselves into the oceans of sin, we are putting God aside. If God allows this, He is showing His wrath. This life is a drop in the ocean compared to eternal life.

The Holy Father has granted a plenary indulgence during the Jubilee Year under certain conditions.

The Jubilee Year, a year of joy and jubilation, celebrating 2000 years of redemption, begins December 25, 1999, and ends January 6, 2001.

The grace of indulgence is how we co-operate. Confession alone is not enough. We must pay for the sins we have committed. "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven" (CC 1471). For an indulgence, we must be detached from sin

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER AUGUSTINE

The gospel according to St. John, Chapter 6. "I am the bread of life. . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him to life on the last day." In the Blessed Sacrament we have the true bread from heaven. A good father feeds his children. An infinite good father gives his children Jesus.

Jesus became man to redeem all men on earth. God the Father wants to feed His children the bread of life. The Eucharist is food for every living person.

We are created for love by God who is love. Our destiny is love. The fruit of love is joy.

Go to Confession to be cleansed of mortal sin. Never receive the Eucharist in mortal sin. Everyone who receives and believes in Him will be raised up on the last day. This is the will of the Father. Let communion be the highlight of our whole day.

Listen and believe that Jesus is present in the bread. It is no longer bread but Jesus, it only has the appearance of bread and wine.

Remember all the times of joy, take away all sad times, multiply all the beautiful times, and it gives us a little hint of heaven.

FATHER RAY BOURQUE'S BIBLE STUDY

EASTER DUTIES: In 1215, the 4^th Council of Lateran provided for Easter duties as follows: go to confession at least once a year and communion at Easter time. Easter time is from the first Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday, 97 days. If you commit a mortal sin, you must go to confession before receiving communion. It is not necessary for you to go to confession for your Easter duties unless you are in mortal sin. But if you commit a mortal sin and there is no way for you to go to confession before communion, make a perfect act of contrition with the intention of going to confession at the first opportunity.

What is confession? It is a gift of the Easter night. On Easter night Jesus gave confession to the world. When you go to confession you meet with Jesus. The priest is Jesus in the confessional. The priest in confession is a judge, you are the accuser and the accused. You point the finger at yourself. Confess mortal sins you are sure of. Mortal sin is a very bad sin that you knew it when you committed it, that you did it on purpose and that you were sure of it. Don't be vague in the confessional. Use detail, but don't write a book. Know the definition of the sins you are confessing so that there is no misunderstanding. Weigh the sins you confess as to the seriousness of the result of the sin. A mortal sin not confessed results in all subsequent confessions being invalid. A general confession only takes about 15-20 minutes. Confession of sins need not be exact in numbers All God wants of you is to do the best you can. If there is a sin you forgot and then remembered, confess it now.

The devil does not leave us alone:

1. Seducer – seduces you to sin.
2. Accuser – accuses you to rehash old confessed sins.
3. Rehash – this is a waste of time.

What are you doing for Lent? Lent should be more than a time of fasting. It should be a joyous season of feasting. Lent is a time to fast from certain things and to feast on others. It is a season in which we should:

• Fast from judging others . . . Feast on the Christ indwelling them;
• Fast from emphasis on differences . . . Feast on unity of life;
• Fast from apparent darkness . . . Feast on the reality of light;
• Fast from thoughts of illness . . . Feast on the healing power of God;
• Fast from words that pollute . . . Feast on phrases that purify;
• Fast from discontent . . . Feast on gratitude;
• Fast from anger . . .Feast on patience;
• Fast on pessimism . . . Feast on optimism;
• Fast from worry . . . Feast on divine order;
• Fast from complaining . . . Feast on appreciation;
• Fast from negatives . . . Feast on affirmatives;
• Fast from unrelenting pressures . . . Feast on unceasing prayer;
• Fast from hostility . . . Feast on nonresistance;
• Fast from bitterness . . . Feast on forgiveness;
• Fast from self concern . . . Feast on compassion for others;
• Fast from personal anxieties . . . Feasts on eternal truth;
• Fast from discouragements . . . Feast on hope;
• Fast from facts that depress . . . Feast on verities that uplift;
• Fast from lethargy . . . Feast on enthusiasm;
• Fast from thoughts that weaken . . . Feast on promises that inspire;
• Fast from shadows of sorrow . . . Feast on the sunlight of serenity;
• Fast from idle gossip . . . Feast on purposeful silence;
• Fast from problems that overwhelm . . . Feast on prayer that undergrids.

In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, the people complained to Moses that they had no water. Moses struck a rock and water came forth. In the second reading from St. Paul's letter to the Romans, God's grace, as flowing water, is poured down upon the Christians. In the gospel, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman at the well for a drink of water.

The first reading speaks of Jesus dying for us. He died for us while we were still sinners. Are we still very much objectionable? The Lord wants to come down to get rid of all that is sinful in us.

In the Gospel, Jesus was in a Samaritan town at Jacob's well. He was tired physically, just like we get tired physically. Jesus' body gets tired because of all the sins. Every sin is an agony for Him. We should have the sense of suffering if we hear someone using God's name in vain. Jesus' thirst at the well is His thirst for souls, same as on the cross when He thirsts. He wants us to come to Him by giving Him a drink. The woman at the well challenges Jesus. She does not yet know who He is. She finally tells Jesus to give her some of this living water. Jesus tells her she will worship the Father at places other than Jerusalem. The reference to her five husbands has been interpreted as compared to our five senses to which we are attracted and attached. She knows the savior is coming, and Jesus says, "I am He." She goes to tell the others in the village. She is spreading the word about Jesus.

The Lord asks us, give me a drink. He thirsts for our faith, but He also wants us to spread that faith.

The Eucharist is that living spring. Our souls receive this living water, but our souls leak and must be refilled. Mortal sin breaks the cistern of our soul, and confession gives us a new cistern. By our worship, the Lord grants us the strength to overcome evil and free us from sin. Receive the Eucharist everyday and no evil vice will dominate you.