December 26, 2024

catholic meditations

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST | IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON EARTH

Mother & Refuge04 mins

By THOMAS À KEMPIS HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness,” says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort; therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ. The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ. What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone. This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing.” Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YejnWBEBk94

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Repent, Go to confession!

Mother & Refuge13 mins

I’ve been sitting in the confessional in a parish where I’m filling in for 50 minutes now. Not one penitent. The door is open the available light is on. I hear sharply the criticism from people that priests aren’t available enough for confession. Perhaps this is a reason. Both the lack of availability of priests and the lack of penitents are a symptom of what Pope Pius XII called back in 1950 “the loss of the sense of sin.” People don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. The Ten Commandments are outdated. They say mistakenly “Everybody goes to heaven, to the same place, a better place. You can presume that God forgives you.” Yet this is not compassion it is a loss of morality, a dead conscience. If you have knowingly violated one of the Ten Commandments you are in mortal sin and need to repent. Confession is the ordinary means Jesus gave the Church to do this. He wished us to receive his own forgiveness through this very human encounter with a priest because when you repent of your sins out loud before another human person you are only then really owning up to them, it neutralizes the shame, you immediately feel unburdened, and grace is given by the invisible God who also receives your confession through the visible minister. Grace is given as Jesus promised “whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven”. So you hear his voice through the priest say, “I absolve you.” Then you know without a shadow of a doubt that you are forgiven. Repent. Go to confession.

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APPROVED Eucharistic Miracles from THE 21ST CENTURY

Mother & Refuge04 mins

1. Legnica: A Bleeding Host in Poland, 2013 On Christmas Day 2013, at the Church of Saint Hyacinth in Legnica, Poland, a consecrated host fell on the floor. The host was put into a container with water so that it would dissolve. Instead, it formed red stains. In Feb. 2014, the host was examined by various research institutes including the Department of Forensic Medicine in Szczecin who stated: “In the histopathological image, the fragments were found containing the fragmented parts of the cross-striated muscle. It is most similar to the heart muscle.” Additionally, and similar to the findings of the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano, Italy, research found that the tissue had alterations that would appear during great distress. The bleeding Host in Poland was approved for veneration in April 2016, by Bishop Zbigniew Kiernikowski of Legnica who said that it “has the hallmarks of a Eucharistic miracle.” 2. Tixtla: Eucharistic Miracle in Mexico, 2006 In Oct. 2006, a parish in the Chilpancingo-Chilapa Diocese of Mexico held a retreat. During mass, two priests and a religious sister were distributing communion when the religious sister looked at the celebrant with tears in her eyes. The Host that she held had begun to effuse a reddish substance. To determine the validity of the event, Bishop Alejo Zavala Castro asked Dr. Ricardo Castañón Gómez (who researched the Eucharistic miracle in Buenos Aires) and his team to conduct scientific research. In 2013, the research concluded that: “The reddish substance analyzed corresponds to blood in which there are hemoglobin and DNA of human origin… The blood type is AB, similar to the one found in the Host of Lanciano and in the Holy Shroud of Turin.” 3. A Eucharistic Miracle at Chirattakonam, India, 2001 Though most Eucharistic miracles have to do with a bleeding host, the one at at Chirattakonam, India was a bit different. On an April morning in 2001, Fr. Johnson Karoor, pastor at St. Mary’s parish in Chirattakonam, India, exposed the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. Soon Fr. Karoor noticed three dots on the host and shared what he saw with the people, who also saw the dots. The priest then left for a week and came back to find that the host had developed an image of a human face. To ensure it wasn’t his imagination, he asked an alter server if he saw anything in the host. “I see the figure of a man,” the alter server replied. After mass, Fr. Karoor had a local photographer capture the image of the host below: Read more…

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Apparition Our Lady Of Zeitoun

Mother & Refuge03 mins

Between 1968 and 1971, millions of people claimed to see the illuminated Virgin Mary atop the St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Zeitoun, Egypt. One witness thought he saw a nun on the roof of the church and ran to intercept what he believed was a suicide attempt. Instead, the glowing woman disappeared. Over the next three years, the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared for minutes or hours to crowds of people gathered at the foot of the church. She was seen holding olive branches and with doves flying around her at night, or with St. Joseph and a baby Jesus on occasion. Investigations by local police tried to debunk the miracle and disperse the crowds from the area. A search within a 15-mile radius of the church uncovered no special effects equipment, special lighting rigs, or projectors capable of putting on such a spectacle. Some theories include mass hysteria, with the gathered people seeing what they wanted or expected to see. Many of the assembled witnesses, though, were Muslim and had no reason to imagine a figure they don’t consider highly significant to their religion. Many religious scholars point to Mary’s appearance as the fulfillment of a promise she made to the family who built the church. Around 1918, the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to Ibrahim Khalil in a vision and told him to build the church in her name on the land. She promised to return to the location and bless the church in 50 years. The church was completed in 1924, and the Virgin Mary returned in 1968 to perform what is now considered the miracle of Zeitoun. Read more…

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Modesty?

Mother & Refuge05 mins

Today we are going to talk about a so beloved topic of modesty. It’s a topic that we either love or hate to talk about and it really should not be because modesty first and foremost is a virtue. Modesty is a fruit of the Holy spirit. A lot of times we’re presented with modesty as a bunch of rules but the truth is it starts with our own hearts. It is a disposition of the heart. when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you want to be modest. Also we often present modesty as just a clothing thing but really it is how I present myself, how I glorify God with my body, in my speech, in my conduct etc.  There are people on the church who say modesty is a bunch of rules and say that people have to follow these rules and if they don’t do, they are immodest or sinful. But catholic church is wise and doesn’t have a modest code like other religions. Because Catholic church is universal and the modesty varies from culture to culture. As CS Lewis once said, a bare-breasted tribal woman is modest in her culture and a Victorian woman with buttons up to her neck is modest in her culture.  There can be some extremes in modesty. Some people say that the body is bad and soul is good. But we don’t believe that. We believe our bodies and our souls are so good because they are made in the  image and likeness of God. But also we glorify God with our bodies. Another extreme is making modest just pure laws and just pure code instead of a disposition of the heart from sin to God. Other extreme is “don’t tell me what to do with my body, how dare you tell me what to wear, how to speak or how to act”. That is fine if you are not a Christian but if you make the choice to be a Christian it says in Galatians 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life, I now in the body, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” Further 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it says, “Do you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefor honour God with your bodies” When you say yes to Christ you are saying I want to glorify God with everything , with my speech, with my conduct, how I present myself , how I dress, even I want to glorify God with all my body You can disagree with me because modesty is not a rule. I can give suggestions to be more modest but it is ultimately up to you to decide which is the best way to glorify God.  

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A Letter from Your Father

Mother & Refuge25 mins

 My child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all your ways. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made for my image. In me you live and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived. I chose you when I planned creation. You are not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I knit you together in your mother’s womb. And brought you forth on the day you were born. I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. I am not distant and angry. But I am the complete expression of love. And it is my desire to lavish my love on you simply because you are my child and I am your father. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could for I am the perfect father. Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand for I am your provider and I meet all your needs.  My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Because I love you with an everlasting love. My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore. And I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good to you for you are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and my soul. And I want to show you great and marvellous things. If you seek me with all your heart you will find me. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. For it is I who gave you those desires. I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine for I am your greatest encourager.  I am also the father who comforts you in all your troubles. When you broken-hearted I am close to you. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.  One day, I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. I am your father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. For in Jesus my love for you is revealed. He is the exact representation of my being. He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against for you. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. His death is the ultimate expression of my love for you.  I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.  Come home and I will throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. I have always been father, and will always be father. My question is will you be my child? I am waiting for you….. Love, Your Dad.

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