5 Reasons Why Jesus is God

Note: This is a guest post by a friend of mine, Jim Boardman.  Jim is the author of "Finding Happiness: An Introduction to Morality" (Published in 2015) as well as "Ordained Before the World: A Catholic Apologetic" (Which was just published).  Jim is a convert to the Faith and I helped serve as his editor for both of these books.  They are well worth the read! Jim is a terrific writer.

GOD FROM GOD, LIGHT FROM LIGHT, TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD

One afternoon when I was pastor at an Assembly of God Church, two women stopped to chat.  I discovered that they were Mormons, and they had stopped to ask if I thought they were “saved.”  I’m not sure if they had asked to “test” me somehow, or if they were asking sincerely; however, to this day, I think they were sincere.

My Fundamentalist mind kicked in, and I immediately asked, “Have you accepted Jesus to be your personal savior?”  And they both answered “yes.”  “Then,” I answered, “you both are going to heaven.”  We chatted for a bit more, and they went on their way.   I would have given the same answer to anyone who asked, Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness. 

Now, many years later and a committed Traditional Catholic, I would say “Not so fast,” and would inquire a bit more deeply into whom they considered Jesus to be. 

Mormons have the strange belief that God the Father, like Jesus, was born and born again, once as a spirit, and again as a mortal man.  Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are created brothers and spiritual sons of God.  Thereafter, as God formulated His plan of salvation, Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus, on the other hand, accepted God’s plan and offered to sacrifice himself as God’s Lamb and the spirit of Jesus was given a body through the Virgin Mary.  Very confusing, and very non-Christian.

Nor do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is God.  They believe that he was a created man, the highest creation of God, but just a man.

Five Reasons Why Catholics (and most Protestants) KNOW Jesus is God:

1. Jesus specifically fulfilled more than 300 Old Testament prophesies, including:

o    He would be born in Bethlehem:  Micah 5:2 - AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

o    He would be born of a virgin:  Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

o    He would be crucified:  Psalm 22:16-18 - My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.  For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet.  They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me.  They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.

o    He would have spikes driven through each hand:  Zachariah 13:6 - And they shall say to him: What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands? And he shall say: With these I was wounded in the house of them that loved me.

o    He would be betrayed for the price of thirty pieces silver:  Zachariah 11:12 - And I said to them: If it be good in your eyes, bring hither my wages: and if not, be quiet. And they weighed for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

The odds of one man fulfilling all five of these prophesies, given thousands of years before by men unknown to one another, is calculated to be 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000, or 1 in 1015.

2.  During his time on earth, Jesus performed hundreds, if not thousands of healing miracles – of the blind, of the deaf, and of the sick and dying.  He restored the dead to life.  Many of these miracles are recorded in the Gospels.  And Saint John concludes his Gospel by stating, “But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.”  John 21:25  No one else in history ever performed this many miracles (not Mohammed - not anyone).  If Jesus was not God, He would seem to be a fraud as He performed more miracles than all of the prophets before Him COMBINED!

3.  The Word of God, in the New Testament states that Jesus is God:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.   John 1:1-3    

4.  After His death, resurrection and ascension, the Jewish council leaders tried to silence the preaching of the Apostles. After a second arrest for defying the council, the council members were deciding what to do when one of the council stood and said: 

But one in the council rising up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, respected by all the people, commanded the men to be put forth a little while. And he said to them: Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do, as touching these men. 

For before these days rose up Theodas, affirming himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all that believed him were scattered, and brought to nothing.  After this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the enrolling, and drew away the people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as consented to him, were dispersed.  And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to nought; But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him.    

Acts 5:34-39 

Today, there are more than 1.2 billion Catholic is the world.

5.  Finally, Jesus himself claims to be God – John 14:6-10 - Jesus saith to him [Thomas]: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him. Philip saith to him: Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus saith to him: Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, shew us the Father?  Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the Father who abideth in me, he doth the works.

Even atheists will tell you that Jesus was a great man, and had many good things to say.  But this cannot be the only truth about Jesus:  If Jesus were not God, then he had to be either delusional or completely insane.

Many other reasons exist to believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be, but these five alone will give you much to ponder!

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The 17th Year of the Century: A Year of Disaster, Disorder, and Error

As we begin the year 2017, let us pause to reflect on how monumental a year this will be.  As I mentioned in my recent post on the New Year (An Appeal for the Heart that Conquered Death: Reflections for a Catholic New Year), this year is the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Mother's apparitions in Fatima, Portugal.

The Blessed Virgin Mary warned us that unless we be converted and Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart, there would be future disaster.  An unfortunately, the consecration was never done as Our Lady instructed it to be done.  If you are not familiar with the story of Fatima, now is the time to read again an overview of Fatima.  We must prepare for what may be a year of great disaster.

We know firsthand that heresies are running rampant in the Church (see here for just some of the recent headlines), and under the leadership of Pope Francis, liberals continue to attack the sacredness of Holy Matrimony and Catholic dogmas that have been in place for over a thousand years.  We are witnessing a great battle taking place in the Church.  Let us pray each and everyday for the propagation of the Faith, the defense of the Church, and the salvation of souls.

History often repeats itself.  And as we begin this 17th year of this century, it is important that we understand the grave events that have taken place in the 17th year of the previous centuries.

The 17th Year of the Century: A Year of Disaster, Disorder, and Error

1317 - Pope Constance V (First Avignon Pope):  In his Constitutiae Clementiae, he dissolved the Templar Order and did away with their vast wealth.  The Hospitalar Order was next on the list of King Phillip V of France. 

1417 - Pope Martin V did away with all of the laws and restrictions effecting Jews.  He had many Jewish Physicians.

1517 - The Protestant Reformation occurred and as a result, it brought untold destruction to souls that we are still seeing today.  Vast numbers of churches, monasteries, and priories were destroyed.  Many Catholics were martyred by the protestants and their errors continue to lead many souls to hell since there is no salvation outside of the Church (and yet many of us Catholics fail to evangelize to these souls that need to be saved from these heresies).  May St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen pray for us!

1617 - The Protestants held their first jubilee celebration and the enrollment of the Socinians took place.  The Socianism heresy is most famous for its nontrinitarian Christology but contains a number of other heretical beliefs as well.

1717 - The Grand Lodge of England and the resurgence of Freemasonry. 

1817 - Congress of Vienna presided over by Rothschild.  It started in 1814 and would most likely have been implemented in around this year.  This would have lead to a type of European Union 100 years early.  It was crushed by one of the few countries that didn't have a Rothschild Bank; Russia.  Because of the actions of Tzar Alexander II, Meier is said to have vowed to wipe his seed from the earth.  In 1917 his dynasty did just that!

1917 - The Soviet Revolution takes place leading to millions of deaths and the enthronement of an atheistic government in Russia.  This same year, the Blessed Virgin Mary comes to earth and appear in Fatima to warn us. 

Many of these events concern the triumph of the greatest enemies of the Church - freemasons, heretics, and atheists.  While much more could be written on each of these items describing their enormous effects on the Church and souls, that is not the scope of this article.  Please feel free to investigate any of these items more thoroughly.  For example, concerning the events in 1817, you may want to check out "To Take Away the Opiate" by Dr. Rabbi Marvin Antelman.  He writes extensively about Shabbatai Zvi, Jacob Frank, Adam Weishaupt and Meier Amchtel de Rothschild. Weishaupt, Frank and Rothschild were the architects to the European Revolutions including the Bolshevik Revolution which killed 36-40 million among of whom were 1.3 million Orthodox Jews.  Dr. Antelman talks about this and who the identity of the revolutionaries were and who funded them.

But alas, the point is that the 17th year of the century has been a year of great disaster, disorder, and error.  Let us do all we can this year to make reparation (and thus fulfill the request of our Lady of Fatima who often asked for reparation).  We should make reparation not only for our own sins but also those of our families and friends and even more so - of those souls in error who will not perform reparation.

May Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.  And may the Lord have mercy on us this year and save us from our sins and His wrath! 

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An Appeal for the Heart that Conquered Death: Reflections for a Catholic New Year

As the world dives further into a century of “progress” and uncharted horizons, mankind continues its dissent from God, which is eerily reminiscent of the words of Jesus Christ: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:36-38).

This dissent can be blamed in part on numerous evils afflicting our world from abortion to homosexual marriage to artificial contraception and to poverty.  Yet, blame should not hold a central part in the debate on our world’s fate.  We must never allow blame to become our primary mode of response to anything.  Blame first surfaced in the Garden of Eden as Adam sought to shift the blame for his disobedience.  Yet, the technicalities are of no importance – Adam suffered the same fate as Eve.

Our world is above all suffering from a lack of love, and each one of us must fulfill our baptismal promises to love.  In my personal observations, atheists lack two characteristics – humility and love for others.  Catholics are called to love everyone even those that insult and attack ourselves.  For Christ said the greatest of all the Commandments was to love the Lord our God and the second greatest to love our neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).

While society may ignore the reality of this lack of love, we can blame no one except ourselves.  We must be beacons of the Light of Christ.  We must become mirrors of His love to “bring the Gentiles from darkness.”  The Lord will judge each of us per our works (Romans 2:6), and unfortunately, society ignores the inevitably reality of Judgment.

Do not be disheartened when men rebuke you and insult you for preaching the truth.  For the Light of the World dispels darkness and in turn reveals ourselves completely – sin and all.  And many people in our world do not want to admit their sins.  They wish to live in darkness because in darkness they can hide from the truth of their own sinfulness.  But, as St. John of the Cross has said, "In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”

Of course we can ignore the spread of sin in society and seek shelter in darkness, but we can blame no one else when more people die from new and deadly viruses or when thousands starve to death in Western Africa.  And, at Judgment we can blame no one except ourselves for refusing to accept Jesus as the Light of our life. The light is the true refuge of the world and the world must return to that refuge.  First, we must individually return and pledge to love and honor Christ.  Only after this first pledge can we go out into the wilderness and seek the lost sheep of the Kingdom of God.

Each one of us can only grow closer to Jesus Christ through prayer and the Sacraments – the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.  We all are obligated by our Baptism and Confirmation to go out and proclaim the Truth, but we must first grow interiorly.  We must read Sacred Scripture, frequent the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Penance, and understand what the Church truly teaches on a matter, which does require extensive mental prayer, studying from approved Catholic sources, and personal penance. Without the Sacraments and finding the oasis of prayer in a desert of sin, we will wither up and die.  We must all learn to balance our zealous urge to teach with a desire to learn from the one true teacher, the Lord.

Most supreme of all Sacraments is the Most Holy Eucharist, the consecrated bread and wine from Mass, because It truly is Jesus Christ.  The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.  And since Jesus Christ, being the eternal Son of the Father, has the same soul and divinity as the Father and Holy Spirit, we can say that the Eucharist contains God completely.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Eucharist “…the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324).

As the Church progressed through the centuries, many divisions have separated the people of God.  The Church fought heresies nearly as long as Christianity has existed.  Against Gnosticism and Arianism, the Church has fought for hundreds of years and continues to fight.  In 336 AD, Arius began to teach that Jesus Christ was not divine claiming He was inferior to the Father.  Thus, Arianism became the first great heresy against the faith.  Other heresies including Manichaeism had occurred before, but the impact of Arianism was far more widespread; it still seeps into modern culture.  Through God’s providence, notable saints like St. Anthony of Padua and St. Boniface emerged to preserve the Church and the authentic teachings of Jesus Christ, including His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

After an extended period of differences, the Church broke into two bodies, Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholic in the West.  While this did not certainly occur in one year, 1024 AD is the officially recognized date of the Great Schism.  By this action the people of God were first split.  Following this in 1517, Martin Luther ripped open God’s Church.  Through his 95th Thesis, many souls would leave the Catholic faith and the authentic Sacraments.  Luther would teach justication through faith alone, encourage private interpretation of the Scriptures, deny the Mass, abolish Confession, and deny the Supremacy of the Pope.  Lutheranism was condemned as a heresy in the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563.

But, Martin Luther also taught against the Most Holy Eucharist.  Catholics believe in transubstantiation meaning that at the words of Consecration, the bread and wine truly become Jesus Christ. After the words of Consecration, which Jesus gave us from Scripture (cf. Matthew 26:26-28), the only thing remaining of bread and wine is called the "accidents", which is the appearance of bread and wine.  Lutherans believe in consubstantiation meaning that the Eucharist is both Christ and bread and wine.  The Eucharist to Protestants is like a sponge that soaks up the divinity of Christ.  After their service, they believe the bread and wine become bread and wine fully again.  In Catholicism, the Eucharist becomes Christ at the moment of Consecration and remains Christ.

However, theologically, the Communion bread and wine from any non-Catholic service can not be Jesus Christ.  Catholics do not view Protestant Communion as legitimate.  We realize that Jesus Christ gave the power to consecrate bread and wine to His disciples alone.  He did not give them to everyone of His followers but a select few.  This is clear at the Last Supper recorded in the Gospels.  And, these men passed down the power to consecrate the bread and wine through the ordained priesthood.  Through the imposition of hands, a man can be made a priest of Our Lord and can consecrate bread and wine.  No protestant church has this power. 

Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic faith and could no longer celebrate the Sacraments along with all other people that broke away.  An excommunicated person is forbidden “… to have any ministerial part in the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of public worship; to celebrate the sacraments or sacramentals and to receive the sacraments; [and] to exercise any ecclesiastical offices, ministries, functions or acts of governance” (Canon 1331 of the Code of Canon Law 1983).  The power of excommunication is a power given to the Apostles and their successors, the bishops. Excommunication is alluded to in Matthew 18:18. 

Consequently, the Sacraments of all Protestant denominations except baptism are considered illegitimate. Thankfully, the Roman Catholic Faith remains still bearing the essential four marks of the Church of Jesus Christ – It is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.  These four marks are all qualities of His True Church on earth.  If any denomination is lacking one of the marks, it is not the Church of Christ.  This does not mean the denomination teaches complete lies; it means that it does not teach all of the truth.  And we are called to the complete truth in Jesus Christ.

The time for humanity to return to God and His laws is long past.  Our Lady of Fatima told three young shepherd children in 1917 that war was the result of sin.  Namely, she said that if the world did not repent than a second great war would erupt.  Sadly, the world did nothing.  It is long past the time for action – we must act immediately. Yet, what is the appropriate cause of action?  Our world is suffering from an array of calamities from natural disasters to deadly influenza strands such as the H5N1 Virus.  But the answer is simple – we must return to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Only in the pierced Heart of Our Redeemer can the world find lasting peace.  The Sacraments and prayer all converge on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

How truly ironic that the Heart encircled with thorns is the center of the entire world.  The same event occurred after the Resurrection as the greatest tragedy would become the richest source of grace.  Jesus even said that after His death he would life up all men to himself: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

From the sacred side of Jesus on the Cross, the Church was born.  And this grace continues to gush forth from the wounded heart of Christ to everyone in the entire world.  And He is met with dwindling congregations, increased abortions, and violations of His most supreme Commandments.  We should be grateful that our world is not yet destroyed by our own selfishness!

Remember that God is Divine Mercy but He is also perfect justice.  Our world must return to the Sacred Heart of Our Redeemer or plunge further into a dark chasm without the light of salvation.   The read to Hell is wide and full of attractions and comfort but caves in to a never-ending chasm of despair.  But, the road to Heaven is laden with rocks, and thorns, and many Crosses.  However, it is only through the Cross that one can reach the royal road to the Resurrection.  For us, that road has been blockaded and roped off by the temptations of the world.

Between 1673 and 1675, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque asking her to receive Him in Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month and to meditate on His passion from 11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight each Thursday.  He also revealed to her twelve promises for all that are devoted to His Sacred Heart.  This new year, let us resolve to observe each month the First Friday Devotions, the First Saturday Devotions, and devotion on the 13th day of each month from May through October in honor of the apparitions of Our Lady 100 years ago in Fatima. 

In honor of this event, a special indulgence has been granted:

1. Make a pilgrimage to the shrine

The first way is for "the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin."

In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed, and invoke the Mother of God.

2. Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima

The second way applies to "the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each months from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary."

Regarding this second way, the rector of the Fatima Shrine told CNA that the visit to the statue of the Virgin, "does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal," but can be done anywhere in the world.

Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.

3. The elderly and infirm

The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around.

These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and most spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 20017.

They also must "offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives."

I write this as an earnest appeal for the new year for all to return to the Heart that won our salvation.  With the recent failure of the blood of St. Januarius to liquefy as a sign, we must repent now as danger and disaster is imminent.  Our Savior is being insulted, offended, and blasphemed each and everyday.  We must repent and believe in the Gospel. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

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CD Review: "The Assumption" by the Monastic Choir of the Abbey Notre Dame de Fontgombault

I was recently contacted by Valley Entertainment who is releasing an album The Assumption by the Monastic Choir of the Abbey Notre Dame de Fontgombault on January 13th, 2017.

The album is described as follows by Valley Entertainment:

When attending a liturgical Office in the beautiful Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault, one is easily penetrated with the prayerful atmosphere diffused by the chant of the monks. This famous recording of those very monks displays the atmosphere of peace and praise of the historical abbey church located near Bourges, France. The chants, recorded one after another as in an Office, are accompanied by the organ whose echo reminds us that we are really inside a church. A Catholic Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation, they have preserved the ancient Latin monastic liturgy with Gregorian chant. Simplicity, respect, peaceful devotion: everything in this albums leads to divine praise.

I was given a copy of their CD to review and this morning listened to the chants on that CD.  You can preview them by clicking here.

The quality is fantastic.  The chant sounds absolutely outstanding and offers a chance for those of us who do not live in a monastic setting to experience the great joy, bliss, and peace in hearing these ancient prayers chanted by the monks.  The album deserves 5 out of 5 stars and I would encourage you to pre-order it by clicking here.

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Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope Dismissed from the Diocese of Tulsa

The newly ordained bishop for Tulsa--Bishop David Konderla--is dismissing from his new diocese yet another religious community devoted to the traditional Catholic religious life, known by many local faithful for also actively participating in the Traditional Latin Mass (1962 Missal).

This time it is the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope, a public association of the faithful preparing for years for permanent approval, originally founded by now retired Bishop-emeritus Edward Slattery of Tulsa and Mother Miriam (a Jewish convert known for her talks on EWTN). 

From their recent Advent/Christmas 2016 Newsletter:

The new bishop of Tulsa told us earlier this month that he does not see a way forward for our community in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In a memo to Diocesan priests and staff, the bishop wrote: “After careful consideration and prayerful discernment, the Diocese of Tulsa has elected to end its affiliation with the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope and allow the community to continue their apostolic exploration in another diocese.”

This is a great sadness to us and to many families and individuals in the Diocese of Tulsa and beyond who have worked so hard and given so much to establish our Priory and renovate the guest house that was donated to us.  Yet, we are at peace...

Source: The Okie Traditionalist

Please pray for this community which remains true to Catholic Tradition.  May they - and the order of exorcists recently also dismissed by Bishop Konderla - find a new home for their important ministry.

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2017 Patron Saint for the Year Devotion

UPDATE (1/1/2017): The results are now in and posted below.  FYI - If you didn't put in your name, there is still time.  I will continue the drawing each Sunday throughout January.

UPDATE (1/3/2017): I have updated this list and performed another drawing after Mass this morning.

UPDATE (1/9/2017): I have updated this list for today's drawing

UPDATE (1/15/2017): I have updated this list for today's drawing

I am very pleased to again be a facilitator for the Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.  I have been part of this annual tradition since 2006 and have helped coordinate devotions for hundreds of families.  It is my pleasure to now be part of the 2017 Patron Saint of the Year Devotion.

SPONSOR: This Devotion is being sponsored this year by CatechismClass.com.  Whether you are looking for godparent preparation courses, Sacramental preparation for your children, or just to better learn the Faith as an adult, CatechismClass.com has courses for all ages and walks of life.  Check out CatechismClass.com's affordable programs and make it a resolution in 2017 to learn and live the Faith better than ever before.

You can read about the past devotions at the following posts:

• 2006 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2007 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2008 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2010 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2011 Saint for the Year Devotion 
• 2012 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2013 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2014 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2015 Saint for the Year Devotion
• 2016 Saint for the Year Devotion

Again, I would like to take a few minutes to explain the devotion.

When will the saints be drawn?  This year I will start the drawing of saints on the Octave Day of Christmas after the 10 AM Solemn High Mass and after the recitation of both the Veni Creator Spiritus and the Litany of Saints.  Drawings will occur as the Litany of Saints are again recited.

Saints will be emailed starting that afternoon and thereafter for the next few days. They will be posted here as well.

What is the Saint for the Year Devotion? Here is my post on this from years past to clarify the matter. This is from the person that draws all of the saints. I don't draw the saints. I will merely pass on your name or screenname to her so that she will draw a saint for you. Also, I will pass on the name of any of your family or friends that would like to participate. This isn't superstition. St. Faustina did the same thing!

Last year hundreds of people received saints to be their special patron, and there were miraculous connections. It was truly amazing. We pray that this year the Holy Ghost will again work so that all participants receive a saint that they will be able to pray to for aid throughout the entire year:

Saint for the Year

I want to tell you about the practice of picking a saint at random to be your “holy protector” for the year. Actually, the saint is the one who chooses us though. The tradition of letting a saint “pick you,” is not a new one. St. Faustina wrote about it in her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul. The excerpt is below.

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”Excerpt from Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina"

I have a container full of names ... I will be glad to pick out the name for you and send you the name if you prefer. I am so excited by my saint(s) ... I already picked mine. Well, I should say that they picked me ... I have Saints Marcus and Marcellianus ... they are twin brothers who were sent to prison before their death. St. Sebastian visited them continually in prison and helped keep their faith alive. They are buried near St. Felix and are specifically honored in Spain.

OK now ... here are a couple of immediate ironies in regard to these saints ... I have a SPECIAL place in my heart for twins! As a child, I LOVED reading the story about St. Sebastian. I had a children's book of saints and I think I wore out the pages on St. Sebastian! Felix is my grandfather's name! Silvia, our exchange student, is from Spain! I am so excited to have these two saints to walk through 2006 with me! I'm looking forward as to where and how they will intercede for me.

Please pass this message on through your blogs and/or email distribution lists, letting all of the Catholic blogsphere have the chance to participate. I only ask that you give me your email address so that I may contact you when your saint is drawn. Usually within one to two days I can email you about your saint.

So, please leave it below in the comment box when you ask to participate. If you wish to remain anonymous, please leave your initials instead of your name.  Do not add the same request more than once.  If you comment is posted below, it will count.

Note: If you emailed me directly your request, DO NOT leave it here in the comments box.  Do not duplicate entries.

So, comment below and pass this message on throughout the entire Catholic Blogsphere!

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Results

Name	Saint
Theresa (Terry)	St. William Pinchon
John	St. Isaac Jogues
Joe	Blessed Julia Rodzinska
Katie	St. Thomas the Apostle
Tim W	Blessed Sibyllina
Nathan B	St. Ormond
Elijah C	St. Alexander (the martyred saint)
Griffin C	St. Paternus of Auch
Mason C	St. Gundenis of Carthage
Max D	St. Bernadette Soubirous
Andrew D	St. John the Apostle
Jeffrey D	Blessed Andrew of Peschiera
Michael D	Our Lady of Divine Grace
Francis D	St. Marie Therese Vauzou
Nicholas D	St. William of Gellone
Dominic D	Blessed Alfred of Hildesheim
Jimmy D	St. Ubaldus
Dominic B.	St. John of Parma
Dorothy C.	St. Albert of Montecorvino
Lucy Drury	St. Cloud
Gemma Drury	St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Anne Drury	St. Francis of Assisi
Catherine T.	Blessed Chiara Badano
Nikolas T.	St. William of Ebelholt
Caitlind T.	St. Martha
Chris A.	St. William of Breteuil
Sandy	St. Maruontus
Brandon	Blessed Osanna of Kotor
Rachel	Blessed Jordan of Saxony
Elaine	St. William Pinchon
Fred	St. James the Lesser
Jennifer	St. Dominic Savio
Jonathan	St. Joseph of Leonissa
Leslie	St. Illadan of Rathlihen
Debbie	St. Januarius
Jeremy	The Seven Holy Brothers
Ryan	St. Elizabeth of Hungary
D.A.	St. Martin de Porres
Alan A.	Blessed James of Bevagna
Lisa W	St. Rosius of Campania
Bill W	Blessed Herman the Cripple
EW	St. Gregory the Illuminator
MW	Blessed James of Bevagna
MK	Blessed Terence
PM	Blessed Andre Duliou
DJ	St. Philomena
FH	St. Claudine Thevenet
Janine D	St. Simeon, bishop and martyr
Kyle	Blessed Osanna of Kotor
Rohlena Family	St. Evasius of Asti
Ruth	Blessed Guala
Sarah	S. Maruonitus
John	St. Severinus
Mr. Michael Brown, OP	Pope St. Sixtus II
Matthew	Our Lady of Carmel of the Maipu
Max D	St. John Chrysostom
Kevin	St. Judoc
Jennifer	Blessed John of Salerno
Joyce	St. Emily de Vialar
Bruce	St. Edward the King
Emily Milne	St. Emilie de Villeneuve
Sioban Milne	Blessed Andre Duliou
Katie Milne	St. Andeolus of Smyrna
Ian Milne	St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
Mary Ann Andersen	St. Acius of Amiens
Liese Engel	St. Aderald
Kathy Rossi	Blessed Karl of Austria
Lucy E.	St. Casimir of Poland
Mike V.	Blessed Alphonsus and Companions
ABG	St. Anthony of Egypt
VB	St. Teresa of Avila
AMBG	Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
JJL	St. Crescentianus
JSL JR	St. Hyginus, the Pope
JNB JR	St. Rhipsime
DLB	Pope St. Silverius
FMB	St. John the Apostle
JEG	Pope St. Sixtus II
Susan Maly	St. Gaugericus
Kathy Green	Our Lady of Divine Grace
M.N.W.	Our Lady of Lourdes
A.S.	St. Paulinus of Trier
J.S.	St. Henry II
Jo Razzle	St. Severinus
V. Slaman	St. Agathangelus
J. Slaman	St. Maurice
N. Slaman	St. Evasius of Asti
JL.Slaman	St. Rafael Guizar Valencia
Ben Ewing	St. Andeolus of Smyrna
Jeannie Ewing	St. Quintian of Rodez
Felicity Ewing	St. Ceollach
Sarah Ewing	St. Gregory of Nyssa
Carolyn Clark	St. Theophilus of Corte
jmr1979	St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
Julie	St. Anselm of Canterbury
Marianna	Blessed Thomas Guengoro
John Paul	St. Wistremundus of Cordoba
Thomas	Blessed Filip Gervluk
Araceli	St. Theophilus of Corte
Tracy I	St. Martina
Teshia I	St. Dominic Savio
Christian I	St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Jagear I	St. Denis
Gloria ITheisen	Blessed Margaret of Castello
Joseph (df_seals)	Blessed Aimo
Andy M	St. Leo the Great
Robert J	St. Frances of Rome
Laura L	St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti
Charmaine D	St. Guarinus of Sitten
Isaac O.	Blessed Karl of Austria
Joan O.	Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Liu Mew	St. Poemus of Membressa
Julie T.	St. Martina
Bill T.	St. Cladian of Perga
Scott T.	St. William of Ebelholt
Blake T.	St. Margaret Queen of Scotland
Ruth S.	Blessed Josefa Naval Girbes
Christine MacL.	St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Fran T.	Blessed John Liccio
Joe Sales	St. Stanislaus Kostka
Cathleen W.	St. Scholastica
Seppy P.	Blessed Josefa Naval Girbes
Alma R.	St. Isidore of Seville
John R.	St. Guarinus of Sitten
Tina Z	St. Cornelia the Martyr
Joe (Fiance)	St. Alena
Michelle R.	St. Rigobert of Rheims
M.A.	St. Joseph of Leonissa
Jessa	St. Peter Fourier
Jessa's future husband	St. Isidore of Seville
Jessa's dad	St. Juliana Falconieri
Jessa's Mom	Pope St. Telesphorus
Lorraine	St. Edward the Confessor
Mira	St. Elzear of Sabran
Debbie	St. Emilie de Rodat
Joe	St. Juliana Falconieri
Thomas	Blessed Cecilia (the Dominican)
David	Blessed Benvenuta
Stephanie	St. Colman
Christian B	Blessed Sadoc and Companions
Cheryl G	St. Pretextatus
Jacob C	Blessed Jane of Orvieto
Mark	St. Tironensian Order
Merryn	St. Louise de Marillac
Cindy	St. Stephen the First Martyr
Dustin	St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Lila	St. Dominic Savio
Hailey	St. Andrew Fournet
Joey V	St. Petroc
Madalena	Blessed Pier Giorgio
Lisa B	Pope St. Alexander I
Ramona D	St. Rhipsime
Holly B-D	St. Anthony of Egypt
DiNardo Family	St. Maurice
Lara P	St. Catherine Laboure
Sean	Blessed Bertrand of Garrigue
Brendan	St. Peter Faber
Barry M.	St. Peter of Juilly
Susan M.	St. John of the Grating
Erin M.	St. Peter Fourier
Alex M.	Blessed Bezela of Goda
Elly M.	St. Auspicius of Trier
Anna M.	St. Gertrude the Great
Evelyn M.	Blessed Raymond of Capua
Anthony M.	Blessed James Salomonio
Marie M.	Blessed Innocent V
Sentina M.	St. Dogmael of Wales
Theodore M.	St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti
Jim Bond	St. Isidore of Alexandria
Evangeline Ang	Blessed Anthony of Pavonio
Maryann	Blessed Raymond of Capua
Heidi M.	St. Hitto of Saint-Gall
Harry	St. Martin of Tours
Isabella	St. Theobald of Dorat
Irene K.	Blessed Stephen Bellesini
Denise G	St. Willibald
Sara C	St. Theodore Guerin
Sandra Salazar	St. Boniface (the one whose feast is June 5th)
Valerie V	St. Cosmas
Olindo V	Blessed Hyacinthe Cormier
Katie V	Pope St. Evaristus
D.E.W	The Martyrs of Hayle
C.P.W	St. Cadroe
M.T.W	St. Berno of Cluny
M.K.W	St. Isidore of Seville
M.J.W	St. Domnin
Ray & Rosalina Lopez family	St. Elizabeth of Hungary
James Bobo	St. Padre Pio
BN	St. Pierre Dumoulin-Borie
JD	St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
James B	St. Scholastica
Michelle B	St. Robert Bellarmine
Craig J	St. Francis Caraccilolo
Andrew J	St. Cajetan
Christopher J	St. Teresa of Avila
GS	Blessed Benvenuta
JS	St. Bartholomew
AS	Blessed Sibyllina
PSR	St. Meneve
ASR	Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores-Alonso
LS	St. Elizabeth of Hungary
FW	St. Linus, Pope
John	St. John of the Grating
PW	St. Bertrand of Comminges
SW	St. Cyril of Alexandria
MW	St. Anthony of Padua
JoAnne	St. Cecilia
Ken	St. Cadroe
Lauren	St. Flavian of Autun
Mark	St. Berno of Cluny
Sean	St. Rhipsime
Jenn D.	Blessed Ann of the Angels
Stacy Daumeyer	Blessed Andrew Franchi
Mike Daumeyer	St. Anthony the Hermit
Noelle Daumeyer	St. Maturus the Novice
Paul Daumeyer	St. Meneve
Caroline (Casey) Daumeyer	St. Hippolytus
Marge J	St. Louis Gabriel Taurin Dufresse
Judy C	St. Cadroe
Thomas W	Blessed Andrew Franchi
Mary DW	St. John Baptist de la Salle
Paul DW	St. Peter Fourier
David DW	St. Rufino
Rachel DW	St. Juan Diego
Mark W	St. Joan of Valois
Teresa M	St. Leontius
Debbie G.	Blessed Andrew of Peschiera
Kevin G.	St. Basil the Great
Nick G.	St. Joan Antidea Thouret
colleen G.	St. Theodulus the Lector
Aaron s.	St. Rosius of Campania
Caitlin G.	St. Crispina
Dan D	St. Ulbaldus
Julie D	St. Leudwinus
S. Family	St. John Chrysostom
Deb W	St. Agatha
Kevin H	St. Noel Chabanel
Francy H	St. John of San Facundo
Emily U	St. Meneve
AJ U	St. Ascelina
Eileen S	St. Maurice
Brian S	St. Severinus
Elise H	St. Kiaran
Owen H	Blessed Dalmatius
Tom	St. Stephen the First Martyr
Anne	St. Baldwin of Rieti
Maggie	St. Nonno of Porto Romano
Celia	St. Crispina
Eli	St. Crispin
Vivian	Blessed Lucy of Narni
GG	St. Antoninus of Pamiers
LG	St. Leonie Aviat
GGS	St. Berno of Cluny
Lauren	St. Bertrand of Comminges
Guyjr	St. Ignatius of Loyola
Guysr	Blessed Marcolino
Lara	Blessed Alvarez of Cordova
S.	St. Joseph Marchand
M.	St. Rusticus of Narbonne
Erica D.	St. Charles Lwanga
Stephen P.	St. Alexis Falconieri
Jennifer P.	St. Francois-Isidore Gagelin
Michael	Pope St. Silverius
Tracy	St. William of Gellone
Ainsley	St. Patrick
Kaley	St. Cloud
Clare R	St. Jeanne de Lestonnac
Helen G	St. Aymard of Cluny
Laura Villanueva	Pope St. Anicetus
Jeff	Blessed John of Fiesole
Ashton	St. Illadan of Rathlihen
Kaylee	Blessed Dalmatius
Greg	St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Mary	St. Antoninus of Pamiers
Ashley	St. William of Breteuil
Jason	St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi
Quinn	St. Frumentius
Celia	St. Julian the Hospitaller
Susan G	St. Maurice

If you are not familiar your saint, I encourage you to research online and even pick up a copy of Father Hugo Hoever's "Live of the Saints," from which I read daily. While the book does not include saints canonized in recent years, it is something that I am highly recommending. You can also view the list of many saints on this blog by clicking here.  And if your saint isn't there, you can simply Google their name.

Here is a prayer to honor any saint: http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/01/prayer-to-venerate-any-saint.html

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Hodie Nobis Caelorum Rex

Merry Christmas! 

Hodie nobis coelorum rex de virgine nasci dignatus est, ut hominem perditum ad coelestia regna revocaret. Gaudet exercitus angelorum: Quia salus aeterna humano generi apparuit. Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis: quia salus aeterna humano generi apparuit. 

Today the king of heaven has deigned to be born of a virgin in order that fallen man can be recalled to the heavenly kingdom. The army of angels rejoice because eternal salvation has appeared to the human race.  Noel, Noel!

Pope Saint Leo the Great
Sermon I On the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ 

I. Our Saviour, dearly Beloved, is born this day, let us rejoice. It is not fitting that sadness be where there is the birth of Life, Life which abolishes the fear of death and fills us with gladness of promised immortality. No one is excluded from sharing in this gaiety, there is one common reason of joy for all : Our Lord, the Destroyer of sin and death, just as He found no one free from guilt, so came to free all.

Let him who is sanctified exult, for he draws nigh to the palm of victory. Let the sinner rejoice, for he is invited to receive pardon. Let the Gentile be revived, for he is called to life. For the Son of God, in the fullness of time, decreed by the inscrutable depths of the divine counsel, has assumed the nature of the human race to reconcile it to its author, so that the devil, the inventor of death, might be vanquished by that very nature he had vanquished.

In this combat that He entered into for us, the contest was fought with a great and wonderful fairness : the omnipotent God took on this most cruel enemy, not in His majesty, but in our lowliness, presenting to him the same form and the same nature as ours, sharing in our mortality but free from all sin.

Far removed indeed from this nativity is what we read with regard to all men : “No one is free from sin, not even the infant whose life upon the earth is but a day” (Job 14 : 4). Nothing, therefore, of the concupiscence of the flesh passed into this unique nativity, nothing of the law of sin flowed into it.

A royal virgin of the house of David is chosen as the bearer of the Sacred Fruit, who had conceived her divine and human Offspring in her soul, before she conceived Him in her body. And lest, ignoring the divine plan, she be fearful at such unheard of tidings, she learns from an angelic colloquy what was to be wrought in her by the Holy Ghost. Nor did she, who was about to become the Mother of God, believe that this betokened the loss of her virginity. Why should she doubt this new manner of nativity, she to whom the power of the Most High is promised ? The faith of she who believed is confirmed by the witness of a preceding miracle, and to Elizabeth is given surprising fruitfulness; that it might not be doubted, that He Who had given to the barren to conceive, would do likewise to a virgin.

II. The Word of God, therefore, God, the Son of God, Who in the beginning was with God, by Whom all things were made, and without Whom was made nothing that was made, became man, that He might free man from eternal death : so inclining Himself to take on our lowliness without lessening His majesty, that remaining what He was, and taking upon Himself what He was not, He might join the true form of a servant to that form in which He is equal to God the Father; and by such a bond so link both natures, that neither glorification consume the lower, nor assumption lessen the higher.

What is proper to each substance being preserved, then, and coming together in One Person, lowliness is assumed by majesty; infirmity, by power; mortality, by immortality : and to pay the debt of our present state, an inviolable nature is united to our suffering one; and true God and true man are combined into the unity of One Lord, so that, as was needed for our healing, one and the same Mediator of God and men, might, by the one, suffer death, and by the other, rise again from the dead. Rightly then, did the birth of our salvation bring no taint of corruption to the Virginal integrity; for the birth of Truth, was the guardian of virginity.

Such a Birth, dearly Beloved, befitted Christ, the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God; whereby He would be both similar to us by His humanity and far above us by His divinity. For unless He were true God, He could bring us no remedy; and were He not true man, He could offer us no example. The exulting angels, therefore, sing at the birth of the Lord : “Glory to God in the Highest” and “peace on earth” is proclaimed “to men of good will”. For they see the heavenly Jerusalem being constructed from all the peoples of the earth. With what joy must not lowly mankind be glad in this unspeakable work of the divine compassion, when the sublimity of the angels rejoices so much ?

III. Let us, therefore, give thanks, dearly Beloved, to God the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Ghost; Who, because of the exceeding great love wherein He has loved us, has had compassion on us : and “even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ” [Eph. 2:5], that in Him we might be a new creature, and a new work. Let us put off therefore the old man with his deeds; for being made partakers of the birth of Christ, let us renounce the deeds of the flesh [Col. 3:9].

Acknowledge, O Christian, the dignity that is yours, and having been made a partaker of the divine nature, do not by a degenerate manner of living fall back into your former vileness. Remember of Whose Head, and of Whose Body, you are a member. Remind yourself that having been rescued from the powers of darkness, you have now been transferred into the light and the kingdom of God.

By the sacrament of baptism you have become the temple of the Holy Ghost : do not, by evil deeds, drive out from you such a great Guest and submit yourself again to the slavery of the devil; for your price was the Blood of Christ; because in truth He shall judge you, He Who in mercy has redeemed you, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

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Munio of Zamora: 7th Dominican Master

Continuing my articles on the Masters of the Dominican Order, we arrive at the 7th Dominican Master: Munio of Zamora.  Munio of Zamora governed the order after Blessed John of Vercelli.  Munio governed the Order of Preachers from 1285 - 1291 AD. 

For a quick recap on the previous Masters of the Order, please click here.

Born in 1237 in Zamora, Spain, few details are known of Munio's early years.  Remarkably along the Masters of the Order of Preachers who preceded him, Munio had no academic formation at one of the great universities in either Italy or France.  His talent was in Administration, as he had developed a reputation as an exceptional administrator for his role as Prior Provincial in his own country in 1281.

Despite some opposition to him among the Chapter of the Order in Bologna in 1285 due to his lack of studies, he was ultimately elected as the Master of the Order.  In fact, it would seem that it was surely Divine Providence who brought forth a great administrator for the benefit of the Order.  The Order had grown remarkably quickly and there was minimal training among the members.  Discipline was becoming a concern for the Order as men began to join the Order and insist they already had the ability to preach and would not permit themselves to be restricted by the Order from doing so their own way.

Munio strongly advocated poverty among those in the Order, as he issued the following statement shortly after his election: "May the zeal of the Order revive in you all! For I tell you with a heart filled with bitterness that, among many of you, this zeal has lost its first vigor."

Fellow 3rd Order Dominican Teritaries owe great respect to Munio as it was he who offered an opportunity to lay people and secular clergy, who had been independent until then, to adopt a rule of life and to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Dominican Order. Shortly after his election as Master, Munio promulgated the Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance of the Blessed Dominic (Regula Fratrum et Sororum Ordinis de Paenitentiae Beati Dominici) for this very purpose. 

After the election of Pope Nicholas IV to the papacy, rumors and stories about Nicholas' past started to circulate in Rome. Among them were the charges that he had been elected thanks, in large part, to the manipulations and bribery of his patron, King Sancho IV of Castile, and Munio was alleged to have been part of the conspiracy.

Pope Nicholas IV asked Munio to resign yet in the General Chapter of 1290, Munio was re-elected and praised by the Order for his reputation for abstinence.  Thereafter, Pope Nicholas offered Munio the role as Archbishop of Compostella if he resigned.  Munio responded by saying he would do so if it was the will of the Holy Father.  But Pope stepped aside from making a decision until a year later when he issued a papal bull on April 12, 1261, removing Munio from office. 

Exhausted after a life of service to the Order and after these trials, Munio was made Bishop of Palencia and served in the office just two years before retiring to the Monastery of Santa Sabina in Rome.  He spent the remainder of his life there and died on February 19, 1300.  His body is today in the Basilica of Santa Sabina.

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