SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – FATHER AUGUSTINE

Always honor the Blessed Mother on Saturday. From midnight to late evening it is the Blessed Mother's day. This reflects Her very nature, deferring and worshipping Her Son. She gives part of Her day to Jesus.

In Her Immaculate Heart, we would see in that Heart pure worship of Her Son, calling us into a life of pure worship of Her Son. She worships the Father, Son and Holy Spirit better than anyone. She calls us into a life of pure worship to the Holy Trinity.

The mountain in the gospel is interpreted as a mountainous problem not a physical mountain. If we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move this mountain.

At Cana Jesus turned water into wine, and during the mass, the wine is turned into the blood of Jesus.

Take Mary's example of faith. Turn to our Lady as our model of faith. Give whatever problem we have to Mary. 

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – BROTHER RAPHAEL

Next Sunday, August 15, is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. The difference between the Ascension and the Assumption is that Jesus as God ascended into heaven conceivably on His own, whereby Mary was assumed into heaven by the power of God. The Eastern churches refer to this as the "Dormition". We do not speak with certainty that Mary died. Mary passed from Her earthly state to the heavenly state. The Assumption of Mary into heaven was proclaimed as a dogma of the Church in 1954. You must believe a dogma. In proclaiming this dogma, the Pope spoke as teacher of the faith from the Chair of Peter.

Never has a Pope, however poor an individual he was, ever made a mistake when teaching on faith and morals.

EUCHARIST - We do not understand the Eucharist completely. It is a matter of faith and trust.

SUBSTANCE of something is what makes something what it is and not something else. You cannot make a "spoon" or a "plate" into something else.

ACCIDENT - difference of anything made of the same substance. Example: you can have a large spoon and a small spoon, but they are both spoons.

We cannot change the substance of something on our own. But in the Consecration, the priest changes "bread and wine" into the "body and blood" of Christ. The substance has changed. The accidental appearance is the same, but the substance changes without changing the appearance. This claim by the Church goes against human reason.

TRANSUBSTANTIATION is the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. We know this with certainty, because it comes from Christ. What Christ said cannot be ambiguous. Humans can be ambiguous, but not Christ. Christ wants to be with us and in us.

Faith supplies to us what our senses cannot comprehend. The "accident" is the same, but the "substance" changes. It is easy to take for granted, because the appearance does not change. 

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER ROBERT READY

The disciples could not cast out the demons from an epileptic boy because of their lack of faith. But after Pentecost, when the disciples received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they could cast out demons.

We live in a world hostile to Catholicism and Christianity. From the twelve apostles and the other disciples, the Christian faith spread in a short period of time. However, before the end of the 1^st century, the Hebrews cast the Christians out of the Temple. Christianity then became a separate religion.

Early Christians, including a pope, bishops, priests and deacons, were put to death because of their faith. Other Christians would forfeit their property and rank, and, still professing their faith, they were also put to death. This was in the 3^rd century. Queen Elizabeth (Queen Bess) of England persecuted Catholics in England. And during the potato famine in Ireland in the 1850's, many Catholics were persecuted because of their faith.

During the Holocaust, not only six million Jews were killed, but also four million of other faiths, including Catholics.

These people died because of their faith. Remember these people plus all the saints who died because of their faith.

SUNDAY MASS HOMILY - FATHER ROBERT READY

Between the multiplication of the loaves and Jesus walking on water, Jesus went up into the hills to pray. Time and again Jesus went off to pray. Jesus prayed alone.

St. Augustine said that the core of our being is searching for happiness. The only great happiness is God alone. There must be a desire to want that. This desire applies pressure to our will power to seek this great happiness. That power is the power of love. This love is necessary and the expression of our love is prayer. Prayer is the affectionate reaching out of the mind to God.

WHY should we pray, for WHAT, for WHOM and HOW?

WHY:

• Pray in order to keep faithful to God's commandments.
• Pray that we always avoid sin.
• Pray that we never enter into temptation. The Lord allows temptation so that we might grow. Temptation is not sinful.
• Pray that we always advance unto perfection. We need a daily routine of prayer.
• Pray that we persevere to the end and never fall by the wayside.

• For our needs and the needs of our family and friends.
• For our neighbors and enemies.
• For the dead.

• Always comes from our heart.
• Always should be included for our salvation in all.
• Always be forgiving.
• Always attentive and constant.
• Always humble. Humility helps us keep that focus.