Mass for the Third Sunday after Epiphany will be celebrated at St Winefride's, Holywell tomorrow (26th January) at 1130am At Capharnaum, Our Lord encounters a centurion who seeks His divine intervention with a grievously afflicted servant. Jesus said to him, I will come and cure him. But in answer the centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word and my servant shall be healed."
The humble words of the pagan soldier have passed to the lips of the Catholic priest. These words of the centurion are filled with such humility and faith that Our Holy Mother Church has adapted them for our use in every Mass. Scarcely is there a true Catholic who has not heard these words, repeated them and hopefully even made them his own. Before we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion we express our humble unworthiness and our strong faith in Christ with these words. We strike our breasts which is symbolically the seat of all our evils _ the soil where the sins germinate. In doing this we are reminded of how unclean our hearts are, and how unprepared we are for this wonderful gift of Our Lord coming to us. This centurion (commander of one hundred men), was not an Israelite, but was very well disposed to the true faith. He even contributed to the building of a synagogue in Capharnaum. This Centurion now had a servant that had been sick with paralysis. He heard of the miracles of Jesus, and realizing his own unworthiness he enlisted the help of some friends to ask Our Lord to visit the sick servant. After the friends had departed he realized how inappropriate it will look. It will appear that he has sent a summons for Jesus to come to him. He immediately regrets this course of action and goes himself to Jesus. There before Our Lord he professes his unworthiness. "Lord, I am not worhty …" The soldier knows what discipline is: he takes orders and gives them, and obedience is unquestioned (He is a man under authority, one used to the atmosphere of military discipline.) So he says to our Lord: "Only say the word and my servant shall be healed …" This simple and strong faith made Jesus marvel. As man, our Lord was capable of wonder: although, nothing was hidden from Christ yet a thing could come freshly to His experiential human knowledge, and so produce wonder. Israelites had shown their faith in Him but the centurion's quiet conviction of His power to heal at a distance was a new experience. This healing at a distance is something that true Catholics today must once again convince themselves of. We live in a time in history where once Catholic Churches are now in the hands of heretics; Men present themselves as priests but are not truly priests because of the invalidity of the modernist rite of ordination; Many "traditionalists" refuse to obey or follow any order. So consequently, receiving the true (valid and fruitful) sacraments has become a luxury for a very few. Many are separated by great distances from the Sacraments. We now need the faith of this centurion. We must say with him: "… only say the word and my soul will be healed." We must learn to unite ourselves in spirit with the true Mass where it is offered even if we cannot physically be present. (Just as the words of the morning offering suggest.) We must believe that the true priest (another Christ) can give us absolution even from a distance. (Only say the word and my soul will be healed.) We must make spiritual Communions knowing full well that there are many graces in store for us if we are filled with a burning desire to receive. Our burning desire motivated by love and faith will draw down upon us many graces that we could not even begin to imagine. With such faith and humility there will be those who will come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. They will hear the words of our Lord to the centurion: "Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee. Today's gospel reading shows us a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Marriages have been contracted since the beginning of time and will continue to the end. God, Himself instituted marriage and Christ raised it to the level of a Sacrament. Marriage is an honourable state and those who enter it do no wrong, but we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a vocation and those who enter into this vocation must have a calling from God for this state in life.
Because marriage is a Sacrament it should be received only after the same careful preparation as is made for the reception of the other sacraments. Those who receive Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin become guilty of a sacrilege. Likewise, those who contract marriage with the words "I do" while in the state of sin, at that very moment have committed a sacrilege. It is feared that many marry merely to gratify their lust, and this is contrary to the pure and holy purpose for which God has instituted and Christ has raised this contract to the dignity of a sacrament. We must remember the words of the Angel Raphael to Tobias: "They who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and the mule, which have not understanding, — over them the devil hath power." Tob. 6: 17. People often think and talk much about a civil contract before they enter into it. How much more should we consider and pray before we enter into the sacred contract of matrimony? Those who without due preparation enter into the married state, or do so inconsiderately and frivolously, as is often done, act against the will of God, and thereby commit a sin. St. Paul says: "Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the Church." _ Eph. 5:29. Such a love is faithful, indulgent and holy. Christ never did nor will He ever forsake the Church. His love never grows cold. He offers Himself up daily for her and unceasingly imparts to her His grace. The love of married people must not grow cold in the course of time, nor turn into indifference, much less into aversion and hatred. Attractions, charms and beauty may pass away, but love must be enduring. Christ is always patent with our many faults. How mercifully He treats sinners. In like manner married people must be indulgent with each other, and bear with patience their mutual faults and frailties. The Apostle says that Christ thinks continually "of sanctifying and purifying His Church and presenting her to Himself without spot or wrinkle." Likewise, Christian married people must endeavour by instruction, good example, and prayer, to assist each other in the path of virtue and holiness. The primary purpose of marriage is the bearing and raising of children. This is an essential element in the sacrament of marriage. Therefore, married people are not allowed to frustrate this natural purpose in any way. They must learn to welcome every child they may be given as a gift from God to be treasured and returned to Him one day in Heaven. It is not enough to just bring children into this world. Parents are bound to bring up their children as useful members of society and as pious members of the Church. Parents must see that their children learn some trade or business, accustom themselves form childhood to economy and a regular life, act honestly, and conduct themselves properly; for only in such a way is there hope that they will eventually fulfil their duties as citizens and contribute to the common good of society. Most importantly parents must implant religion and the fear of God in the hearts of their children from their earliest years; they must instruct them in Christian doctrine. They must guard them against seduction, sin, and vice; exhort them to prayer and the use of the means of salvation, and give them a good example. Woe to parents if they be satisfied with providing for their children in this life, but care not whether they be saved or damned. They neglect the principle end for which matrimony was instituted, and cannot stand without trembling before the judgment seat of God. As the married state imposes such great and important duties, married people evidently need great graces; for with human strength alone these duties can not be fulfilled. And can all those who have entered the state of matrimony reasonably expect these special graces? Not if, contrary to the known will of God, and despite their vocation to another condition of life, they have rashly taken upon themselves the burdensome duties of the married state. Recognise therefore the necessity of a divine vocation for the holy state of matrimony. The wonders of God's goodness are so many that we hardly know where to begin. We marvel at God's love for us as He sent His only Son to redeem us from sin by His death upon the cross. This love is coupled with the greatest of humility. God humbled Himself beyond our understanding when He took up a body just like ours. True God became true Man. His humility did not stop there; He chose to be born of a woman and to submit to her in all obedience and submission — calling her "mother." St. Joseph was likewise honored as "father;" and though only a foster father; Jesus rendered true honor, respect, and obedience to him as well.
Next in dignity, we must consider Mary — the Blessed Virgin Mother of God. What honor and dignity belong to her! She was preserved from all stain of sin and is always Immaculate. What honor in the fact that the Son of God calls her His mother! She is a virgin and a mother — never sacrificing one for the other, but maintaining both. Yet, in spite of all the dignity and honor that God has bestowed upon her, we still see her completely humble. The modest virgin maiden and mother gives her body and soul to God for the greater honor and glory of God, as we see in her "Magnificat." (Luke 1, 46-55) Lastly, we must consider St. Joseph. He is indeed the least in spiritual dignity, but yet, he is given the position of husband, father and head of this Holy Family. We know that St. Joseph was a simple humble carpenter by trade, and it was in these labors that he provided for the needs of this Family. We have seen how he eagerly and readily complies with the Will of God when it is made known to him. For example, when the angel appeared to him to tell him not to fear taking Mary for his wife, because the Child she bore is the Son of God, he obeyed readily and promptly. When an angel told him to take the Child and His mother to Egypt, again, without hesitation or complaint he obeyed. God entrusted the care of His mother and of Himself to the hands of St. Joseph. With perfect humility the Son of God obeyed St. Joseph. Perhaps the virtue that stands out the most for our consideration, and imitation, is that of humility. We see the Holy Family immersed in, or overflowing with the virtue of humility: from the humility of God Himself, to the humility of the "Handmaid of the Lord," and finally, in the simple humble laborer, St. Joseph. It would be easy to focus upon the grace and virtues of Mary and be carried away by them. Mary is ever virgin. We know that the grace of virginity is one that is especially prized by God. This vocation is held out by St. Paul as the highest of all callings. (1 Cor.) However, if this virtue is not accompanied by humility it is not pleasing to God. We find many misguided souls that become proud of their "virtues." A virgin does a wonderful thing and it should be admired and respected, but once a virgin becomes proud of the gift that God has given, then he becomes like the Pharisees that Christ so vehemently condemned. The virtue that is practiced is a gift from God and all the glory and honor of it belongs only to Him. We have nothing to boast of. Even if we have done all things well, Jesus informs us that we should still say to ourselves: "I am an unworthy servant, because I have only done that which I ought to have done." (Luke 17, 10) We must not glory in God's gifts as if they were our own works. It is sad to see in the world today so little care or concern for practicing any of the virtues, but especially that of chastity. What is, however, even more heartbreaking are those poor souls that struggle and seek to live up to this higher calling, but then are haughty, proud, and vain. They have taken a good thing and turned it into an evil for themselves and others. Jesus prefers the humble sinner over the proud self-righteous man. The humble sinner turns his evil into virtue with true humility; the self-righteous man turns his virtue into vice with pride. Our goal then, is to imitate as closely as we can the virtues we see in the Holy Family. We should all strive to practice the virtue of chastity, according to the station in life God has called us to, but we must never attribute any success in this to ourselves. The advances and successes that we make in the spiritual life are truly the work of God in us. We know that the greatest of all virtues is that of Love or Charity, and we see this perfectly exemplified in the Holy Family. God's Love for us compelled Him to become one with us. Mary's love for God permitted God to become one with us. St. Joseph's love made this all possible, proper and fitting. However, after the virtue of Charity, it seems, the virtue of humility must be eagerly sought after and practiced. Perhaps it is more proper to consider all the virtues as one. They all live and die together in us. We cannot truly be said to practice charity, chastity or any other virtue, unless we also find the virtue of humility. As we grow and develop in one virtue, we simultaneously must advance in the others, especially humility. The funeral Mass of the late Mrs Elizabeth Lloyd (Betty), wife of David Lloyd former Chairman and Secretary of the Society will take place at St Winefride's Church, Holywell on Tuesday 14th January 2020 at 1130am.
Mass will be said using the Novus Ordo Missae. REQUIEM aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen. When we call upon the Name of Jesus we call upon God. To speak of the Son, is to speak of the Father and the Holy Ghost also. The Three are One. We place the specific Name of Jesus before us today, but we are reminded that His Name is not only intimately united with the Father and the Holy Ghost; but is One with Them. To call upon Jesus, is to call upon the entire Trinity. It therefore follows, that to insult or deny the Holy Name of Jesus is to insult and deny the entire Trinity. Those who reject Jesus Christ, have rejected God. The other "monotheistic" religions that have rejected Jesus Christ, have rejected the entire Trinity.
As we consider the many different and varied forms of "Christianity" that all claim to believe in Jesus, we find that their beliefs and understanding of Jesus are so vastly different, that we cannot conclude that they all believe in the same Jesus. Therefore, we must conclude that they do not believe in the same God. For example: many Protestants believe in a "Jesus" that promotes a dissolution of the bonds that God has joined together, when they allow and promote divorce and re-marriage. Many Protestants believe in a "Jesus" that did not demand of us to eat His Body and drink His Blood. We could give many other examples demonstrating that non-Catholics worship false gods, simply because they have rejected Jesus Christ. They may use this Holy Name of Jesus and pretend to worship Him, but the one they worship is an imposter and a deceiver. Their gods are truly idols, or worse yet, demons. Devils present themselves as gods; much like Lucifer, in the beginning, when he rose up pretending to be equal to God. The devils delight in this deception and blasphemy that many have fallen into. This demonic deception of Protestantism and imagined calling upon the Holy Name of Jesus is even worse than that of the atheist. The atheist is a fool (Only the fool says in his heart there is no god.) A fool may have an excuse, but willfully blind or deceived who have the Scriptures and the Church have no such excuse. They have taken the Word of God and twisted It; they have rejected the Church; and in doing so created their imposter god and false religion. We must all guard against the worldly temptation and deception of believing that "we all believe in the same god." The true Catholics believe in the true God, the others do not. Jesus Christ is not a schizophrenic God who changes personality and doctrine to suit His various hearers. There is only One Jesus Christ, the rest are all impostors. They use and abuse His Name, but that does not make them His followers, on the contrary, that makes them His enemies. Perhaps this will help us explain and understand how the "Christian nations" have fallen to such depths of moral perversion. We witness almost daily the frequent profanation of the Holy Name of Jesus — even by so called "Christians." We also see the proliferation of every moral perversion to the extent that we witness evils abounding, we must conclude that we are not "Christian nations." The bandying about of the Protestant watered-down and neutered "Name of Jesus" in no way turns evil into good or makes us a truly "Christian nation." The time has come for us to follow the direction of the Apostles and begin everything in the Holy Name of Jesus, and end everything in the Holy Name of Jesus. All that we do: all our thoughts, words and deeds need to have Jesus at the beginning and at the end; and even all through them. It is only in this way that we "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." It is only in His Name that we can live the life that God has called us to. We must not seek the coddling and effeminate false Jesus; but rather the strong and virtuous true Jesus Who demands of us a life of: repentance for our sins, penance in reparation for our sins — a daily carrying of our crosses; respecting the bonds that He has joined together, as well as the lives that He has given; etc. The false "Jesus" coddles his followers into a comfortable lethargy and demands little or nothing from them. The true Jesus clearly demands: "Take up your cross daily, and come follow Me." Those who promise a fast and easy path to heaven are of the devil. The path of virtue, the path of heaven, is steep and rocky, narrow and difficult, because it is filled with self-denial, and self-sacrifice. May we always be blessed to see this distinction and always choose to follow the true Jesus in the true Church. |
Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Francisco: Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui facis mirabilia magna solus: praetende super famulos tuos, et super congregationes illis commissas, spiritum gratiae salutaris; et, ut in veritate tibi complaceant, perpetuum eis rorem tuae benedictionis infunde.
Any views expressed neither represent those of the Latin Mass Society or the Diocese of Wrexham.
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