Catholic Saints, who have written on the Spiritual Life, suggest that a "remote preparation" is necessary in order to better understand the Word of God.  This includes being a lover of the Truth as well as the practice the Virtues of Humility, Meekness, and Docility to God the Holy Ghost.  "Proximate preparation" includes two prayers:

1) The Act of Contrition;
2) The Veni, Sancte Spiritus.

An Act of Contrition

O my God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, because I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul.  I detest all of my sins because it was for them and His Love for me that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, my Lord and my God, suffered, was crucified, and died on the cross.  O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee by my sins, faults, imperfections, negligences and carelessness, Who art all good and deserving of all of my love.

I firmly resolve with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more, to confess my sins, to do penance, to amend my life, to avoid all of the near occasions of sin, and always give to Thee freely, liberally and generously what is of supererogation and perfection, not only in greater things, but especially in lesser things, so that I may gain beforehand Thy efficacious, superabundant, particular and special Graces and Helps so that I will always be victorious in resisting and overcoming all temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil and his followers.  Grant me those Graces and Helps needed so that my every thought, word and action may be done solely out of love for Thee, Who art Love.  Amen.

Saint John Chrysostom

It was the custom of Patriarch Saint John Chrysostom [b. Antioch, c. 347 A.D. - d. at Commana in Pontus on Friday, September 14, 407 A.D.], Patriarch of Constantinople [Thursday, February 26, 398 A.D. - Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D.], exiled from his See the 2nd time on Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D., Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church, to properly prepare himself and his Congregation before preaching. He taught that unless God the Holy Ghost prepares the minds and hearts of the Preacher and of the Congregation, the Preacher preaches in vain and the Congregation listens in vain.

Therefore, so as not to waste your time, please pray the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, remembering how one Holy Saint was of the opinion that a Sermon is a Sacramental.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let Us Pray

O God, who didst instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary; pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Catholic Schools, pray for us.

Epistle for the 19th Sunday After Pentecost

Ephesians 4:23-28.

The Epistle appointed to be read during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today is taken from Saint Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 23-28.

Brethren:  Be renewed in the spirit of your mind:  and put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.  Wherefore putting away lying, speak ;ye the truth every man with his neighbour; for we are members one of another.  Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.  Give not place to the devil.  He that stole, let him now steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that suffereth need.

Gospel for the 19th Sunday After Pentecost

Matthew 22:1-14.

The Gospel for today is taken from the Holy Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 22, Verses 1-14.

At that time, Jesus spoke again in parables to them, saying:  The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son.  And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come.  Again he sent other servants, saying:  Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:  come ye to the marriage.  But they neglected, and went their own ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise.  And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death.  But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city.  Then he saith to his servants:  The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage.  And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good:  and the marriage was filled with guests.  And the king went in to see the guests:  and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment.  And he saith to him:  Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?  But he was silent.  Then the king said to the waiters:  Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Thus far are the words of today's Holy Gospel.

“Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight, O Lord” (GRADUAL, Psalm 140:2).

VIn the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Spring of 1904 A.D. found a young Mother on a train ride which, with every passing click of the rails, took her farther and farther from her Husband and her home.  Her trip was of the utmost importance.

For you Parents who are familiar with the so-called “terrible two’s”, perhaps you might have a few flashbacks as to what it meant in your own lives?  In any event, perhaps you can empathize with this young Mother because her two year old Son was riding with her on this long trip, about 10 years before the beginning of World War I in Western Europe.

Her Son was probably as healthy and energetic as other two-year old boys except for one thing.  Unlike most other normal two-year olds, he had a problem with his eyes.

His Mother, a devout Roman Catholic, frustrated by the unsuccessful attempts of the doctors to heal her Son’s eyes, but filled with Faith and trust in God and in Our Blessed Mother, was taking the long train ride that would ultimately bring her and her Son to within about a mile or so of the grotto of Massabielle, which was about half a mile outside of the town Lourdes, in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in Southwestern France, in the hope that Our Lady of Lourdes would heal her Son’s eyes.

You may remember that about 46 years before that, on Thursday, February 11, 1858 A.D., fourteen year old Bernadette Soubirous saw a beautiful, youthful Lady in a niche at a massive rocky outcrop which, for that reason, is called Massabielle.

The beautiful Lady was standing near a wild rose bush and surrounded by a brilliant light and a golden cloud, smiling, with her arms extended towards Bernadette, holding a Rosary in one of her hands.

As was true of many Catholics then and, hopefully even now, Bernadette carried her Rosary with her.

Upon taking her Rosary out of her pocket, the Lady somehow indicated that she wanted Bernadette to pray the Rosary.  As Bernadette prayed the Rosary aloud, the Lady followed with her, moving her fingers from one bead to the next, although Bernadette did not hear the Lady.  When Bernadette had finished praying the Rosary, the apparition beckoned to her and began to speak to her.

So began the first of 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette Soubirous

[b. at Lourdes, Southern France, on January 7, 1844 A.D. - d. at Nevers, France at the age of 35, on April 16, 1879 A.D.],

from Thursday, February 11, 1858 A.D. to Friday, July 16, 1858 A.D. at the grotto of Massabielle.

During each of the 18 apparitions, Bernadette prayed the Rosary aloud as our Lady followed with her, moving her fingers from one bead to the next.

In the Divine Office for the feast of the Apparitions at Lourdes, in the Hymn for 2nd Vespers, one finds:

“O Blessed grotto, favored by Mary’s presence! O hallowed rock whence spring the living waters of a flowing stream!”

You might be interested in knowing that the word for this huge chunk, or mass of rock, the grotto of which is called “Massabielle” is composed of two French words:  masse and vieille which mean: “old mass” in English!

Of course the masse originally meant the huge mass of rock, but none of us should limit God, as Venerable Mary of Agreda has it in her book, which explains why sometimes there can be two different interpretations of the same Scripture:

“Let it not be objected that there is a contradiction or repugnance in these different applications: for both of them are legitimately founded on the literal text of the Scriptures and there can be no doubt that the Divine Wisdom can comprehend in the same and identical words many mysteries... As David said: “God hath spoken once, these two things have I heard” [Psalm 61:12] and God certainly included a double meaning in the same words without equivocation or contradiction (Venerable Mary of Agreda, MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD, Book IV, The Coronation, ¶ 14, pp. 42, 43).  So, if this is true of the certain Scripture passages, why can it not also be true of other things, as in this case?

Therefore, the “old mass” of rock can fittingly be applied to what some people today call the “Old Mass” in Latin - after all, Our Blessed Mother deliberately chose that particular rock upon which to stand!

WHY did Our Blessed Mother not chose some other place?

It seems self-evident that this was a rock-solid silent prophecy about the “Old Mass” in Latin and how the only way that most people would be able to assist at the “Old Mass” in Latin in the future would be Spiritually while they prayed their Rosary.

This is the month of October - the entire month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary.  Last Wednesday, October 7, was the Feast Day of the Most Holy Rosary.

Today, the 19th Sunday After Pentecost, you see where the first line of the GRADUAL (Psalm 140:2) for the Mass today reads:

“Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight, O Lord.”

Prayers are visualized as the aromatic smoke of liturgical incense as, for example, where you read in the Apocalypse:

“And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God from the hand of the Angel” (Apocalypse 8:4).

All Catholics should know that it is very important to say one’s Morning and Evening Prayers every day, as well as the Prayers before and after every meal.  By the way, the Prayers before and after meals prescribed for the Laity are an extremely short version of the much longer Prayers before and after meals prescribed for the Clergy and the members of Religious Orders which are, of course, said in Latin - at least this is the way it was when I was in a pre-Vatican 2 Seminary.

It is past time for ALL Catholics to return to the practice of their Holy Catholic Faith, especially those who have been too busy with their jobs or businesses.  It is necessary to return to the habit of saying one's Prayers, especially for those who have been grossly negligent in this regard.

One of these wonderful Catholic Traditional Prayers is the Holy Rosary.  Our  Blessed Mother has emphasized the recitation of the Holy Rosary, not only at Lourdes in 1858, but most especially in the 1917 Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, the daily Rosary being an essential part of God's Peace Plan for world Peace.

On Thursday evening, October 4, 2007 A.D., on the Glenn Beck program, a so-called “expert”, Paul Joyal claimed that Communism is making a very strong come-back in Russia.

The Communists were never really defeated, just put in a temporary pit of poverty for more than 20 years.

Remember, in 1917, Our Lady of  Fatima prophecized that:

“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world.”

Well, guess what - Russia has not yet been converted and she getting back on the path of war with the U.S. Therefore, your Rosaries are more important today than ever before.  It has been said that every Hail Mary of the Rosary you say with reverence and devotion becomes a beautiful rose you give to Our Blessed Mother.

So, please give your Heavenly Mother a bouquet of 53 beautiful and aromatic roses, not dried up, stinking, dead roses!

Heed this wise counsel of Saint Bernard:

“Amid dangers, difficulties, and doubts, think of Mary, invoke Mary’s aid.... If you follow her, you will not stray; if you entreat her, you will not lose hope; if you reflect upon her, you will not err; if she supports you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you will not fear; if she leads you, you will not grow weary; if she is propitious, you will reach your goal....” (Saint Bernard, Second Homily on the Missus est: PL CLXXXIII, 70-71.)

One person who reached her goal was that young Mother and her two-year-old Son on that long train ride to Lourdes.  Yes, both of them got to the grotto of Massabielle and, yes, Our Lady of Lourdes totally cured the eyes of that two-year-old boy who, as time went on, grew up to be - my Dad!   Deo Gratias et Mariæ!
 

Resolutions

For our resolutions, let each of us resolve, right now, with the help of God’s Grace, to say our daily Prayers, especially the Holy Rosary, and not just during the month of October, but throughout the entire year.

On this web site you will find a number of pages about the "Third Secret of Fatima".  One quick way to find it, and other relevant pages, is to go to the Home Page at:  http://www.shrineofsaintjude.net/homepage.html

Then click on the button that says:  "Blessed Virgin Mary's Index Page".

This will take you to:  http://www.shrineofsaintjude.net/home1201.html

Once there, you will find a number of buttons that will take you to various Marian web pages.  For example:

the Holy Rosary;
3rd Secret of Fatima;
God's Peace Plan;
Our Lady of Fatima's Apparitions;
Our Lady of Fatima's Protective Shield;
How Our Blessed Mother protected four Priests from the atomic bomb at Hiroshima;
Father Huber Schiffer, S.J. and the Protective Shield of Our Lady of Fatima;
two books about Fatima - one written by Sister Lucia herself;
two web pages have lots of copies of various original photos of:

a) the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima on Saturday, October 13, 1917;
b) two of the Priests Our Lady of Fatima protected with her Protective Shield, not only at Hiroshima, but also at Nagasaki.
c) the two airplanes and their pilots that dropped the two atomic bombs;
d) the bombs themselves;
e) the atomic mushroom clouds over Hiroshima and Nagasaki;
f) home and buildings that were destroyed by the bombs.

After reading this data and looking at the many photos, even the most skeptical and slothful should realize the vital importance of daily prayers, but most especially the daily Rosary.

As a final resolution, in the Holy Name of Jesus, and in an exercise of Catholic Charity, please contribute to the support of the Church - in this case - the Shrine of Saint Jude.  Please help us to save Souls!  Thank you for your thoughtfulness and Charity! Remember, God is never outdone in generosity!!!

Think how happy you will be when, in the next life, God shows you all of the Souls you helped to save by helping our Apostolates, including this Sermon web site, because "he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

“And in doing good, let us not fail.  For in due time we shall reap, not failing.  Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians  6:9-10).

“Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight, O Lord” (GRADUAL, Psalm 140:2).

V   In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

 

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