St. Augustine

It Is Never Too Late

In the story Alice in Wonderland, the white rabbit goes around saying, "I'm  late,I'm late for a very important date.

St. Augustine prayed "Too late have I loved you O Lord, too late have  I loved you"

He had spent so much of his life on false philosophies and false religions and loose living.

Are there times in our lives when we are afraid it is too late?

Too late to say I am sorry?

Too late to forgive?

Too late to start over? 

No matter how old we are or what we are doing. 

It is never too late for the Lord.

God Bless

Tuesday 21st Week of Ordinary Time

 

Do not be Alarmed. 2Thes. 2:1-3

Henny Penny went around screaming,

“The sky is falling, the sky is falling.”

When in reality it was only an acorn that hit him on the head.

But he caused a lot of confusion in the process.

St. Paul warns us against all of the Henny Pennys

Running around screaming,

“The world is ending, the world is ending.”

Don’t listen to them!

Rather hold firm to the Faith that has been handed on to you.

Then no matter what happens.

You Have nothing to fear!

St. Bartholomew

 

Bartholmew was born in Cana,

And he brought his His best friend Philip to Jesus

And his life was never the same.

As he became one of the chosen 12 Apostles.

This is what best friends do for each other.

They bring them to Jesus,

Knowing that their lives too will never be the same,

Once they get to know Jesus.

The Primacy of Peter Mt. 16:13-20

 

The 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Primacy of Peter Mt. 16:13-20

Peter was always first among the Apostles.

This doesn’t mean he was the smartest or the holiest,

Only that he was the leader in everything.

He was the first to walk on the water; Mt. 14:29

He was the first to enter the empty tomb; Jn. 20:6

And Whenever the Apostles names are mentioned in the Gospel or the letters of St. Paul,

Peter’s name is mentioned first.

After three years in the desert after his Conversion,

Paul went to Jerusalem to see Peter. Gal. 1:18

He was the only Apostle whose name Jesus changed

from Simon to Peter. Jn. 1:42

Which means rock.

Because Peter was the first Apostle to profess that Jesus was the Christ,

The Son of the Living God. Mt. 16:16

And it was upon the rock of his Faith.

That Jesus founded the church. Mt 16:18

And even in the darkest days of the Church and the Papacy,

The gates of hell have not prevailed against her.

So it was to Peter that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. Mt. 16:19

And like a baton handed on to a runner in a race,

The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven have been handed on to every Pope after Peter;

One day while I was standing on the steps of St. Peter’s in Rome

A man came up to me and asked why there are two keys and not just one to the gates of Heaven.

I told him one was the key of Faith.

Since Peter had been the first to confess

that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God,

He was given that key.

The second Key to enter the Gates of Heaven I told him

Was given to those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and visit those who are sick and in prison.

These will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Mt. 25:34

For what they have done to the least of their brothers and sisters they did to Jesus.

These are the keys to the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven;

And Peter holds the keys of Faith and Charity;

And opens the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven

For all those who believe in Jesus,

And have loved Him in the least of His Brothers and Sisters.

God Bless

Before Communion

 Before Communion the priest bows and prays silently,

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God;

By the Will of the Father and the work of the Holy,

Your death brought life to the world,

By Your Holy Body and Blood,

Free me from all my sins and never let me be parted from you.”

What do you pray before you go to Communion?

God Bless

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 Are you Real?

Everywhere Jesus went,

People wanted something.

Healing, food, forgiveness.

And once they got it,

Many people walked away and never came back.

Remember the story of the 10 lepers who were healed

And only one came back.

Where was everyone when Jesus needed them on Calvary?

Where were the 5,000 He fed?

Where were the blind and the lame that He healed?

Where were those who claimed to be His disciples?

Jesus was no fool.

He knew many people were just using Him.

So Jesus tested the Canaanite woman to see what her true intentions were.

To see if she was Real.

First He told he that He had only come for the Lost House of Israel.

Of which she was not.

But she persisted

And did Jesus homage saying “Lord help me.”

Then He insulted her by saying,

“It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”

Rather than walk away in a huff,

She said,

“Even the dogs, eat the scraps that fall from the Master’s table.”

At that Jesus knew she was real.

Her Faith was Real

And Her Humility was Real.

He knew that she was not going to use Him

and then walk away after she got what she wanted from Him.

Sometimes it may appear as if Jesus hesitates

to answer our prayers.

If He does,

Maybe He just wants to know

If Our Faith is Real;

If our Humility is Real;

If we are Really His disciples;

Or if we are just using Him

And then walk away when we have gotten what we want.

God Bless

The Feast of the Assumption

Living an Assumed Life

For Mary, being Assumed into heaven was the culmination of living an Assumed life on earth.

Living an assumed life means never being separated from Christ.

At Nazareth, Mary conceived the Son of God in her heart and in her womb.

At Bethlehem, she gave birth to the Messiah and held Him in her arms.

Once again at Nazareth, Mary sat at the right hand of the Son of God for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And at Calvary, she stood beside Jesus in His suffering and death.

Throughout Mary's life, she was always beside her Son.

So being Assumed into heaven was nothing new.

Rather it was the culmination of a life of Faith lived with Jesus.

Because those who believe in Christ will be with Him wherever He is. Jn. 14:3

Living an assumed life means never being separated from Christ.

From Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt to Calvary, Mary was never separated from her Son.

Neither then could Death separate her from Him.

And if we lived an Assumed life here on earth, then nothing will ever separate us from the Love of God, not trial or distress, persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or the sword. Rom. 8:35

Not even Death!

God Bless