The Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Triumph or Exaltation of the Holy Cross .
Everywhere we look, the symbol of the Holy Cross is present to remind us of the infinite sacrifice that the Lord Jesus did for our redemption. The sign of the Cross is found in the Sacred Liturgy. The Holy Cross is in the Rite of Adoration. It is the symbol of blessing. It is found in the dedication of Churches, in the Schools, the homes, Hospitals, Seminaries, Convents, Religious Order, Crusades and even in cemeteries.
Today, let us look up to the Holy Cross as our symbol of faith and salvation. Let us always honour the work of Christ that was manifested through the Holy Cross, the true symbol of love, compassion and forgiveness.
Over and above being the symbol of Christianity, the Holy Cross brings to light many fundamental truths that are being taught by the Holy Catholic Church .
The Holy Cross is the symbol of Divine Love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
The Holy Cross is the symbol of Salvation. Through Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism, those who believe in Him and obey His teachings, they will enjoy eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
The Holy Cross is the symbol of Divine Mercy and Compassion. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but in order that the world may be saved through Jesus.
The history of the Holy Cross, its recapture in 629 A.D., reveals to us the Divine power of God that is behind this most Sacred object on which the Blood of Christ was shed for the sins of mankind.

In regards to the Holy Cross itself, when the Body of Jesus was removed from it, to prevent His followers from finding it, the Cross was thrown in a ditch or well, and then covered with stones and earth.
According to the history , Helena Augustas, mother of Constantine, at the age of 80 travels to the Holy Land and finds the True Cross, the cross upon which Christ was crucified.
The visit takes place around 325, when Constantine initiates the construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and informs the bishop to spare no expense. This martyrium encloses what is believed to be the site of the tomb of Christ as well as Golgotha.
Helena visits the Holy Land to show a presence of the emperor and to view the places where Christ had lived and died. She becomes interested in locating the True Cross. There are several versions on how the cross is found. In some, Helena has a dreams telling her where the cross is buried. In another tradition, the Ethiopian Coptic tradition still celebrated as Mesquel, she follows smoke from a bonfire to the site.
In the version that receives the most circulation and became popular in the middle ages, she asks the people of Jerusalem to tell her the location. When the Jewish leaders of the city are silent, she places one of them, a man named Judas, in a well until he agrees to show her the site. After seven days, he prays to God for guidance and reveals the location. Afterwards, Judas converts to Christianity, and takes the name Kyriakis, "he who belongs to the Lord."

Helena finds the three crosses, nails, and title under a pagan temple. To determine which is the right cross, a dead girl is brought to the site. Upon being touched by the True cross, she is restored to life.
Helena is made a saint for her role in finding the cross and becomes the model for a Christian empress due to her many acts of charity. Part of the trip was to promote good will for her son, especially after he had apparently executed his wife and his favorite son, and to redress the wrongs inflicted on Christians by the other emperor, Licinius, who Constantine had recently defeated and killed.
A portion of the cross remained in Jerusalem, where it was exhibited on certain Holy Days. The remainder was divided between Rome and Constantinople. A portion of the title is sent to Rome, where it is hidden and then found again in the 16th centuryIn 614, Chosroes II, the King of Persia, invaded Syria and Palestine, at which time he carried away many of the great treasures of Jerusalem, including the relic of the True Cross. In 629, Emperor Heraclius of Constantinople marched into Persia and recapture the True Cross, seeing to it that Heraclius piously bring it back to Jerusalem while being clothed in sackcloth of penance and barefoot. On September 14 th, the Sacred Cross was restored to its place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. To commemorate this victory, in the 7 th century, the Church of Rome adopted the "Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross" on September 14 th.

Blessed Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross for everyone !

The Mystery of the Catholic Mass

Oct 02 - Homily: Guardian Angels

Blessed Feast of Triumph / Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This day we are celebrating the Triumph , exaltation or raising up of the Holy Cross .
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a triumphant day. We are exalting it. The definition of exalt is to praise, or extol. So, on this day, we are praising the wood of the cross, the exact wood that our Savior hung on Good Friday. So yes, it brings sad thoughts , but we are not in a day of mourning , but a day of gladness, a day of praise, and day of gloriously recognizing the Cross.
We are celebrating the feast of the Cross which drove away darkness and brought in the Light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure.
The Cross is praiseworthy because it is both the sign God’s suffering and the trophy of His Victory. It stands for His suffering because on it He freely suffered unto death. But it is also His trophy because it was the means by which the evil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gated of hell were smashed, and the Cross became the one common salvation of the whole world , became our daily weapon against evil and darkness .
It is our duty and salvation to accept our own crosses, and do it gloriously. Whatever God gives us is our cross. They may be light day, but heavy the next.
Let us pray that we may accept these, lovingly, and do as Jesus did. So, to help us in this endeavor to accept our own crosses, and glorify them, as the True Holy Cross is glorified on this day, we pray:

God our Father,
in obedience to You
Your only Son accepted death on the Cross
for the salvation of mankind.
We acknowledge the mystery of the Cross on earth.
May we receive the gift of Redemption in Heaven.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. Because by Your Holy Cross You have
redeemed the world.Amen

Our daily bread , the Holy Word of God

"Well done! You are an industrious and reliable servant. Since you were dependable in a small matter I will put you in charge of larger affairs. Come, share your master's joy!" —Matthew 25:21


The Lord does not expect everyone to make ten thousand dollars. He does not necessarily expect us to do better than others. He also does not expect us to start from scratch; He gives us something to start with. We do not have to be prosperous, competitive, or creative by worldly standards. The Lord simply expects our best. If our best is very little, that's all right (see Lk 21:2ff). He doesn't expect us to do anything beyond our ability.

We may not be able to meet other people's standards or even our own, but we can always meet God's standards. We always have a "best," and we can always "do our best." We can always be pleasing to the Lord. We can always be everything God wants us to be. We don't have to wait on anyone else or on circumstances. We can choose always to be "an industrious and reliable servant" and to do a job "well done" (Mt 25:21).

Prayer: Father, may I put in a good day's work for You, today and every day.
Promise: "He has made Him our Wisdom and also our Justice, our Sanctification, and our Redemption." —1 Cor 1:30
Praise: St. Augustine, a sinful intellectual, opened a Bible at random to Romans 13:13-14. Pierced by God's word, he repented, was baptized Catholic, and spent his life defending and spreading the faith.
( bible meditation taken from Our Catholic Faith )

Blessed Corpus Christi Feast

Let us pray
to the Lord who gives Himself in the Eucharist
that this sacrament may bring us Salvation and Peace .
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gave us the Eucharist
as the memorial of Your suffering and death.
May our worship of this sacrament of Your Body and Blood
help us to experience the salvation You won for us
and the peace of the kingdom
where You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
( prayer taken from New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal )

Each year, Holy Church celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This feast recognizes that the Body and Blood of Jesus are divine Food given for our salvation.
Each of the four Gospels in the New Testament share how Jesus shared a final meal with his apostles prior to his betrayal and death. At this meal, referred to as The Last Supper, Jesus broke bread saying that it was his Body. He also blessed wine and shared it as his Blood and a sign of the New Covenant God was entering into with his people.
Today, our Catholic priests repeat the words Jesus spoke at The Last Supper as they consecrate bread and wine. Catholic Christians believe that these sacred words, spoken by ordained men, transform the bread and wine into divine food, the Body and Blood of Jesus. In this way, the command issued by Jesus in the Gospel of John is fulfilled: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”
The origins of Corpus Christi can be traced to St. Juliana of Mount Cornillon. Born in 1193 in Belgium, St. Juliana developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist, the term for the consecrated bread and wine turned Body and Blood of Jesus. After reportedly receiving a vision from God, St. Juliana advocated for a solemnity devoted to the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Let us faithfully pray : Pange Lingua (written by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this hymn is considered the most beautiful of Aquinas' hymns and one of the great seven hymns of the Church. )

Sing my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.
On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand
Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;-
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.
To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.

Catholic bishop reportedly stabbed in Turkey - Examiner.com

Anothey matryr for the Faith killed brutally by an turk islamist , Lord have Mercy !
May eternal Light shine upon him , may he rest in peace !

Catholic bishop reportedly stabbed in Turkey - Examiner.com

Today, we are celebrating Pentecost Sunday , may it be a truly blessed feast for everyone !
The feast commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and takes its name from the fact that it comes nearly fifty days after Easter. Seven weeks have already passed since Easter . Also , nearly two thousand years ago, the Holy Catholic Church was made known to the world by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains :
"The Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era in the 'dispensation of the mystery' - the age of the Church, during which Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates his work of salvation through the liturgy of his Church, 'until he comes.' [1 Cor. 11:26] In this age of the Church Christ now lives and acts in and with his Church, in a new way appropriate to this new age. He acts through the sacraments in what the common Tradition of the East and the West calls 'the sacramental economy'; this is the communication (or 'dispensation') of the fruits of Christ's Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church's 'sacramental' liturgy." (C.C.C. # 1076)
"On that day (of Pentecost), the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity. By his coming, which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter into the "last days," the time of the Church, the Kingdom already inherited though not yet consummated." (C.C.C. # 732)
The Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. 'Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church.' In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him 'the fullness of the means of salvation' which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost and will always be so until the day of Parousia." (C.C.C. # 830)
Happy Birthday Catholic Church and many blessed returns of the day for every Catholic faithful !

Waiting for Whitsunday , blessed Pentecost Feast

Happy Birthday Holy Catholic Church !


When the Holy Spirit came to the Upper Room where the disciples and the Blessed Mother were praying on Pentecost, ten days after our Lord’s Ascension into Heaven, it was with great power, in the form of a driving wind and "tongues as of fire" (Acts 2:3) descending on each of them .
The Holy Spirit immediately transformed the timid disciples on Pentecost and enabled them to proclaim Christ’s Word with apostolic zeal! In addition, about 3000 people were baptized that day after hearing St. Peter’s Holy Spirit filled and inspired message calling for repentance and conversion(Acts 2:14-41).
Pentecost prayers can help us be Christ-like as we listen to the teachings and promptings of His Spirit in our hearts . So let us faithfully pray and prepare for the great Feast of Pentecost , may the Holy Spirit be with us always , even to the end of time

We beseech you, O Lord, let the power of the Holy Spirit be always with us; let it mercifully purify our hearts, and safeguard us from all harm. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
May the Comforter, Who proceeds from You, enlighten our minds, we beseech you, O Lord, and guide us, as Your Son has promised, into all truth. We ask this through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Holy Spirit, Sweet guest of My Soul, Abide In Meand Grant That I May Ever abide in Thee. Amen

Homily for the Feast of Birth of Mary , Holy Mother of God

Homily 1 for the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God; PG 97, 805 (trans. Breviary)

Today is the dawn of our salvation

We are no longer to be enslaved by the elemental spirits of the world, as the apostle Paul says, or held in the yoke of slavery to the letter of the law (Col 2,8 ; Rom 7,6). This is the summary of the benefits of Christ for us; this is the unveiling of the mystery; this is nature made new: God is made man, and human nature assumed by God is deified. But so radiant, so glorious a visitation of God to us needed some prelude of joy to introduce to us the great gift of salvation. The present feast is such: the prelude is the birth of the Mother of God, and the concluding act is the union which is destined between the Word and human nature.

A virgin is now born..., and is made ready to be mother of God, the king of all for ever... A double gain will be ours: we shall be led towards the truth, and we shall be led away from a life of slavery to the letter of the law. How will this be? Clearly, inasmuch as the shadow yields to the presence of the light, and grace introduces freedom in place of the letter. The present feast stands on the border between these: it joins us to the truth instead of signs and figures, and it brings in the new in place of the old.

Let the whole creation therefore sing praise and dance and unite to celebrate the glories of this day. Today let there be one common feast of those in heaven and those on earth. Let everything that is, in the world and above the world, join together in rejoicing. For today a shrine is built for the Creator of the universe. The creature is newly made ready as a divine dwelling for the Creator.

September 8, Nativity of the Virgin Mary

With delight I rejoice in the Lord.--Isaiah 61:10
Mass readings: Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30 / Matthew 1:1-16,18-23 or 1:18-23

Pondering God's Ways
Today's feast, the birth of Mary, has been celebrated by her Son's followers since the eighth century. Mary and St. John the Baptist are the only two saints whose births are celebrated in the Church's calendar. For many centuries, as Church Fathers studied and prayed over Mary's role, the Holy Spirit guided the unfolding of Marian teaching so that it puts the proper emphasis on Jesus.
One of the best ways to honor Mary today is to remember how she ''pondered all these things in her heart,'' as St. Luke puts it. To ponder God's will and ways, noted the late Cistercian Father Basil Pennington, doesn't mean to simply think about them. It means to let them sit and find a home in our hearts, even if we don't understand them.
Prayer: Mary, help us to imitate you, pondering in our hearts whatever God asks of us.

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm 66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17
Matthew 18:15-20

Today is Wednesday of the nineteenth week in ordinary time. Think about that: ordinary time. We know what that means liturgically but I think that it describes how many of us live our lives spiritually. Anyone who sets out on the journey of becoming like Jesus embraces certain spiritual practices. Service, prayer, worship, meditation on Scripture, and other disciplines become important to us.

The chapter 18 begins with Jesus teaching us about our need for humility (verses 1-5).
He uses the analogy of body parts to show the importance of not offending little ones (verses 6-10). He then gives the Parable of the Lost Sheep to show His concern for every sheep (verses 11 - 14). He instructs about how we should deal with offenses among us (verses 15-20). All chapter is great teaching of Forgiveness , the only way to save ourself and obtain forgiveness for our sins .
This day gospel is ending with sublime encouragement to pray for each other , with entrustment that our Lord shall be present in the midst of us .
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Every faithful christian has the presence of Christ with him; but the promise here refers to the meetings where two or three are gathered in His name, not only for discipline, but for religious worship, or any act of Christian communion .
When we come together, to worship God in a dependence upon the Spirit and grace of Christ as Mediator for assistance, and upon his merit and righteousness as Mediator for acceptance, having an actual regard to him as our Way to the Father, and our Advocate with the Father, then we are met together in his name.
Thank you Lord for your Holy Word and Divine Mercy , thank you for being always with us !

Aug 10 - Homily: True Treasure of St Lawrence

Almighty God, Who called Your deacon Laurence to serve You with deeds of love, and gave him the crown of martyrdom: Grant that we, following his example, may fulfill Your commandments by defending and supporting the poor, and by loving You with all our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Aug 08 - Homily

Aug 07 - Homily: Saint Cajetan

Blessed Feast of Transfiguration ( August 6 )

This is an excerpt from a homily by St. Leo the Great (Sermon 51, 3-4, 8: PL 54, 310-311, 313) explaining the meaning of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor. Saint Leo contrasts the law, symbolized by Moses, with the grace of the gospel brought by Jesus Christ, providing a great Lenten reading used in the Roman office of readings for the 2nd second Sunday in Lent, given that the gospel of the day is the Transfiguration.
The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but He makes it shine with such splendor that His face becomes like the sun in glory, and His garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this Transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of His disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of His voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the Hope of Holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as His gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had himself spoken of this when He foretold the splendor of His coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the Apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place He says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
This marvel of the Transfiguration contains another lesson for the Apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with Him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the Transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling Him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In Him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through His presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the Holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.

God Bless each one of you !

Aug 03 - Homily: If Today You Hear His Voice

Monday in the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Numbers 11:4b-15
Psalm 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Matthew 14:13-21

Today we read gospel concerning Christ's feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, recorded by all the four Evangelists .

First we read about the tender compassion of our Lord Jesus towards those who thus followed him, v. 14. 1 . None like Christ for pity to souls; His compassions fails not.

He did not only pity them, but He helped them; many of them were sick, and He, in compassion to them, healed them; for He came into the world to be the great Healer.

After awhile, they were all hungry, and He, in compassion to them, fed them.

Christ all along expressed more tenderness toward the people than His disciples did; for what are the compassions of the most merciful men, compared with the tender mercies of God in Christ? They need not depart . Those who have Christ have enough, and need not depart to seek a happiness and livelihood in the creature .

We must see this miracle as an emblem of the Bread of life, which came down from heaven to sustain our perishing souls .

Aug 02 - Homily: God's Visitation

Our Lord talks about the coming severe judgment of God's Visitation on Jerusalem and this is a symbol of what will happen to every unrepentant soul and every unrepentant society.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25,
Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
John 6:24-35
They found him on the other side of the sea, v. 25 .
Christ will be found of those that seek Him, first or last; and it is worth while to cross a sea, to go from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, to seek Christ, if we may but find Him at last.
"Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled. "
The Savior reveals to them the true motives which induced them to seek him. Not because He taught them, but because He fed them; not for Love, but for loaves. People are more interested for earthly bread, than anxious concerning food for their souls .
Bible text continue : "So they said to him,
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”
Jesus reveals that God, even his Father, who gave their fathers that food from heaven to support their natural lives, now gave them the true Bread for the salvation of their souls.
Coming to Jesus, and believing on Him, signify the same.
Christ shows that He is the true Bread; He is to the soul what bread is to the body, nourishes and supports the spiritual life.
He is the Bread of God.
Bread which the Father gives, which He has made to be the food of our souls.
Bread nourishes only by the powers of a living body; but Christ is Himself living Bread, and nourishes by His own power.
The doctrine of Christ crucified is now as strengthening and comforting to a believer as ever it was.
He is the Bread which came down from Heaven.
That denotes the Divinity of Christ's person and His authority; also, the Divine origin of all the good which flows to us through Him.
May we with understanding and earnestness say, Lord, evermore give us this Bread.