FRIDAY EVENING MASS HOMILY – 

Are your past sins haunting you? Is your heart troubled? Why was Jesus wounded in His side?

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is full of love. Through the visible wound in the side of Jesus Christ, it is possible for us to see the invisible love of Jesus. In the Sacred Heart, we should find every help, every remedy. Jesus received ingratitude. What we are celebrating is by express command of Jesus Christ. Jesus asked for a special day for the Sacred Heart after Corpus Christi.

Father then read all the promises Jesus gave to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who observe devotion to His Sacred Heart. Let us re-consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER RAY BOURQUE

Forty days after Jesus was born they brought Him to the temple. Simeon told them, "This child is for the rise and fall of many in Israel, and a sword will pierce your heart." It was clear Mary's heart would be pierced. Jesus was in the temple at the age of twelve. Can we understand the anguish of Mary and Joseph over the loss of Jesus, God's child?

On December 10, 1925, Our Lady appeared to Lucia and asked for the devotion of First Saturday. There are thorns in Mary's heart, and there is no one to remove them. Are we the people putting the thorns in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or are we the people to remove them? We have to take sides.

Our Lady told Lucia that, to save the people going to hell, God wanted to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Through Mary at Fatima, God offered us a choice.

In today's readings, in the first reading from the Book of Lamentations, the old men did penance. God sent prophet after prophet. The people did not listen, so God wiped them out. For 400 years, God did not talk to the people until John the Baptist. In the third part of the message of Fatima, "penance, penance, penance" is mentioned. There was a vision of the angel with a fiery sword that looked like it could burn the world. The situation of the world is bad. There are nice things going on in the world, but bad things also. Spiritual famine is so great that many have no problem with abortion, even partial birth abortion. Fatima is not over.

What can I compare the Church today? The devil played a very dirty trick on our generation. The Church is classified as liberal or conservative. You are taking sides when you do that. This is not good.

The Pope says that the world has lost its sense of sin. You have to be faithful to the Word of God. We do not have a new Bible; we do not have a new Jesus. We have a lot of prophets around to give a lot of new things.

Do penance, pray, cry out to the Lord day and night.

We have the privilege of going to the Lord in His presence. Lift your children up to the Lord. Hell is the absence of God with people practicing what goes on in Hell.

Today, First Saturday, Our Lady can assist us at the hour of death. For five consecutive months: 

1. pray five decades of the rosary;
2. keep Her company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the rosary;
3. go to confession; and
4. receive Holy Communion.

FATHER RAY BOURQUE'S BIBLE STUDY

Father explained and covered the document from the Vatican on the third part of the Fatima secret.

He said that we have to believe in public revelation, such as the Bible. But, we do not have to believe in private revelation.

The Holy Father wants us to get rid of all sin and attachment to sin.

Public revelation - needs faith in Bible. Private revelation - helps our faith in the Bible. Structure of private revelations - the future is not fixed; penance can change the future of the world.

On October 13, the statue of Fatima will be brought to Rome where the Holy Father has invited all the bishops of the world to meet.

SUNDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY - FATHER RAY BOURQUE

The theme of today's reading is "life" - have life in abundance. Today we speak of people living in a culture of death. God did not make sin. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed, death came into existence. The culture of death comes from the devil, not God.

There is good, and there is bad. It is written in our consciences. You know when you do something wrong. God made us that way. God is life. God made men to be imperishable. God did not make man to die. Some people do not have time for God. They have no use for God. People who have no use for God are practicing hell. Hell is without God. If we do nothing for God, God owes us nothing.

We fall in love with things less than us. We need to fall in love with God. God wants us to live on. He wants us to repent and live. God is immortal. Our chief enemy is the devil. The message of Fatima deals with atheistic systems; people who do not believe in God. What are the atheistic systems today? They are powerful groups, and there are so many.

How are we rich? What is richness? It is not the "stuff" we have. The richness is our life with God in faith, in our way of speaking, in our knowledge and concern, rich in love.

Can we share our richness with others? Jesus was rich and became poor and gave up His life so we could live. Our richness is the life that we receive from God. Can we help someone? If you help the poor, you won't be poorer. Our real richness comes from God. If you open your heart to others, God will reward you. How much are you willing to give to others? The richness of our life is what Jesus did for us.

Faith is the big difference for us. "When the Son of man comes back on earth, will He find any faith?" If we do not have faith, we have nothing. "Fear is useless; what you need is trust." "Jesus, I trust in You". 

The readings of Mass fit together. Try to see the idea of the reading. There is always a link between the readings. Train yourself to recognize the link between the readings.

The prime time for continuing education is in the readings and the gospel - the Mass - the teaching table of the Word - then the altar of sacrifice.

There are two kinds of meanings:

1. visual meaning (show me) and
2. audio meaning (tell me).