FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY – FATHER FRANCIS

 Today is the Feast of St. Justin, the martyr.  He paid the ultimate price.  He is patron of apologetics.  He wrote books on philosophy and theology.  Went through terrible torture.

 We want to prepare ourselves for Pentecost Sunday.  This begins with the intellectual and then the engagement of the will.  "Yes, I am ready, Lord.  Fill me with those gifts."  Wisdom, Understanding, Piety, Fear of the Lord, Fortitude, Courage - these help overcome the difficulties and obstacles in daily life.  Life is not easy.

 Wisdom helps us to understand the things as God sees things.  Knowledge helps us to know the things of and about God.  Understanding unfolds knowledge; a higher form of knowledge.

 In the readings of today, they show the importance and intensity of courage.  Pray for that gift.  We want to engage our intellect.  Pray for ourselves, family members, extended family members and friends.  The gifts are there waiting.  It is powerful.  In our own lives, we are to go out and speak about them.

FRIDAY NIGHT TALK - FATHER RAY BOURQUE

 In two days, it will be Pentecost.  We should be as excited about Pentecost as we get excited about Christmas.  One week from Sunday is Trinity Sunday, the Feast of God.  We are Trinitarian people.  There is so much about the Trinity in the Bible.

 The Father is the Person Speaker, the Son is the Person Word  and the Holy Spirit is the Person Love.  Everything that God does for us is out of Love (Holy Spirit).  God never does anything for us except through the Holy Spirit.  God (the Father) and Jesus (the Son) want to send us their love (Holy Spirit). At Confirmation, we received that gift of the Holy Spirit.  In thinking of the Trinity, think of a candle that has fire, heat and light.  All three, but one flame.

 There are different symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament - "rua" (breath/wind), cloud, dove.  In the New testament, symbols of the Holy Spirit are living water, rivers of living water shall flow,  Paraclete (someone to stand by you), Spirit of truth and Holy Spirit.

 The Holy Spirit works in two ways: with consolation and with desolation.  The Holy Spirit came to finish the job.  It is crucial that we work with the Holy Spirit.

 For supernatural life, we cannot do anything without the Holy Spirit.  If you are irreproachable at death, you will be perfect.

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER ANTHONY

 In yesterday's Gospel, Jesus was speaking to Peter after the Resurrection asking him: "Do you love me?"  Peter felt the pain after Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?"  Peter doubted Jesus' love by denying Him three times.  Thus Peter's denial must be repaid by three acts of love.

 In today's Gospel, Jesus commanded Peter to "Feed My sheep," "Feed My flock," "Feed My lambs."  Then Jesus commanded Peter to follow Him.  This lead Peter to Rome and martyrdom.  Jesus says to each one of us to follow Him in the way and path He gives to us.  Keep walking on that path He gives us.  Our concern is to follow Jesus.  How do we follow Jesus?

 Today we end the novena to the Holy Spirit and tomorrow is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  God is simplicity, and in His simplicity, it becomes very complex.  But in looking for the supernatural, we overlook the natural that Jesus created.  Note the beautiful sunset in the evening.  God created that sunset.

 When you come to Mass, Jesus becomes present in the form of bread, something very plain in appearance.  We have to use the eyes of our heart, faith, to see Jesus.  With eyes of faith, we see that Jesus is in action making Himself present here in the form of bread.

 The Church depicts the Holy Spirit, a living person, God, reality, as a bird (dove).  At Baptism, He comes into our hearts.  That should blow us away.  The power of God is celebrated in our hearts.

 Our hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit which speaks a new language.  People will look at us as if we are doing things a little bit odd.  The people thought the Apostles were drunk with wine when they heard, but they were only drunk with the Holy Spirit.

 Jesus said "Follow Me." Do not be concerned with what others say of you or what they do.  The love that Jesus asks of us is the total giving of ourselves to Jesus crucified.  Mother Theresa said that Jesus is the most demanding man you will ever work for. At the crucifixion, Jesus gave us His spirit.

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – FATHER FRANCIS

 Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday.  We pray that we might be open to receive the Holy Spirit, but our human free will controls; God will not override our free will.

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church and Sacred Scripture provide us, feed us and guide us in our faith.  There is no other name under Heaven given to man by which we can be saved other than Jesus Christ.  The purpose of our life is to share in the life of God, who is infinitely perfect in every way.  He comes with the Word.  All should have a bible.  We cannot see God the Father.  But, He sent His Son, the Word, to become man so that we can know God.  If we do not know God, we will never be able to share in His life.

 In Hebrews 4, it says that God's word is living and effective, sharper than a two edged sword.  This is God's Word; it penetrates our very being.  If we do not correspond with grace to drink in God's plan for us, then we will never discover who God is. We will never get there.

 In Romans 12:2, it says: Do not conform to this age, but be transformed by renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, what is pleasing and what is perfect.  Being holy is doing just that.

 We are called to this conversion with God on earth.  We have to be transformed, because we are not fit to get to Heaven.  How do we renew our mind and faculties of our intellect?  Get cleaned up to a Godlike way of thinking.

 In Ephesians 1:4, it says that God bestowed on us every spiritual blessing in the Heavens so that it could transform us.

 The world has another plan for us.  Do not conform yourself to this age?the opposite of God's plan.

 St. Paul says to be transformed by the renewal of the mind, etc.  By meditation on Sacred Scripture and reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we can form our minds and have a transformation.  To drink in the truth, it purifies our imagination and memories.  It raises us, elevates us, and allows us to make a distinction of what is good, pleasing and perfect.

 We have to live in the world, but we have to be transformed and renew our minds.  When we seek the things of the world alone, it is the way the devil, the flesh and the world operate.

 We have to keep our eyes on the prize, and the prize is Jesus Christ.  The Lord does not abandon anyone.  A freedom disconnected from the truth is chaos.

 Father then gave his testimony of his life from high school, through college, after college and his life in California, and finally, the priesthood.
 

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER ANTHONY

 The Apostles spoke in every tongue at the coming of the Holy Spirit so that those who heard them could understand what they were saying.  The Holy Spirit did this.  The Holy Spirit is Love in the Trinity.  The Church speaks one language, all united in the one prayer to the Father.  There are various gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 God gives Himself fully to us, yet He is not exhausted.  He is in our hearts in totality.  The focal point is the Blessed Sacrament.  The Holy Spirit directs our hearts always to the Cross.  The Holy Spirit takes all of our prayers as in one voice to Jesus.  We enter into the dialogue between the Father and the Son.  When God speaks, it is Jesus. 

God says "I love you" through Jesus, and Jesus with us says back, "I love you, too".  God walks with us in our ups and downs.  In our journey, God is with us.  We are not by ourselves.  In life we have bright colors, dark colors and blasé colors.  We have an impact in the story of God.  That is why He created us.  We play and live the role He has given us.

The evil one tries to keep us from liking ourselves.  He works on marriages which are constantly under attack.  In our poverty, we find richness in one another.  It takes the Lord to hold everything together.  The enemy pits father against son, daughter against mother, etc.

Pray for priests that they do not become too busy for the God they serve.

FATHER RAY BOURQUE'S BIBLE STUDY

 The Holy Spirit is a Consoler, Comforter, Living Water, Love of Father and Son, Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, Sanctifier, helper and guide, giver of gifts, fellowship, unity in Trinity, Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit, worshipped, glorified, Word made flesh, ever at the Father's side, came to reveal Him - Speaker.  There are 45 things about the Holy Spirit in John's Gospel.  Without the Holy Spirit, there is no Jesus.  When Jesus was born, it was the first time people saw God.

 Jesus said, I will give you living water - a fountain leaping to eternal life. Living water comes from Jesus glorified.

 Who is the Paraclete?  He is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will sanctify us and make saints of us.

 How is the Holy Spirit coming?  At the request of the Father, because Jesus asked.  The Holy Spirit will instruct you in everything, and He wants to teach us everything.  He will remind you of all that Jesus said.

 The Good News has to continue.  The Holy Spirit can help you to take anything.  If you have any problems, go to the Holy Spirit.  He will bring you to all the truth.  He will glorify Jesus - announce all from Jesus.  He makes us one.
 

PENTECOST SUNDAY MASS HOMILY - FATHER ANTHONY

 The homily was given by the National Director of the Propagation of the Faith.

 Put yourselves in the mindset of the apostles on Pentecost.  They had been on a roller-coaster.  They had walked with Jesus, saw Him perform miracles, etc. for three years. Good Friday was the low point; Jesus was put to death.  Three days later, Jesus rises from the dead and visits with them, then He ascends into Heaven.  Then comes Pentecost.  There was anxiety and some fear about the future.  Then tongues of fire, and the Holy Spirit infused the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  How would you have responded?  Only at that moment did they finally understand everything that had happened previously.

 They were given the mandate to go out and preach and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.  They were to be the first missionaries of the Church along with Mary.  They went everywhere and did great things and brought thousands to Jesus Christ and even gave their lives.  They began the missionary work of the Church which has an unbroken history for 2000 years.

 The power of the Holy Spirit was given to them to go out and proclaim Jesus, and that power continues today especially in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  At Confirmation, we receive the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and we are charged to be apostles, to be apostles in our times and in our place.

 Pope John Paul II is the greatest missionary in the last 100 years.  The missionary life of the Church is as relevant today as when the first Apostles went out.  There are millions of people in the world waiting to hear about Jesus.  Propagation of the faith is the responsibility of missionaries.  Our job is to inspire each other to missionary work.  We can do it with prayers, in what we say or do, and how we act with people around us.  Reach out to fallen away Catholics.  Young people look hard to find heroes.  Give them an alternative to music, sport and movie stars.

 Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.  In accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts, we have an obligation to preach Jesus Christ to others.  Be missionaries.