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A Hospital Chaplain’s thoughts on an Ash Wednesday

Sr. JosephMary f.t.i. — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:00:07 +0000

Ave Maria Meditations

I had just placed ashes on his head. I was looking at him – with his dirty forehead lying there on the white sheets of the hospital bed – when he said, ‘Father can I ask you a question?’

‘Yes’, I replied, realizing full well there was an ashen cross on this sinner’s forehead too.

Then he asked: ‘Why do I need Lent?’

I thought for a moment and answered: Lent confronts the horror of my sin before the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew no sin (See 2 Cor. 5:21). Without coming to grips with my sin, I can’t see how much I need God’s love.

I need to see his love for me in the cross of Christ and the glory of Easter. Sins really do matter. We deceive ourselves into thinking, ‘we are not really that bad compared to everyone else – God is not really concerned about my little sins.’

We have an eternal soul and Lent is a mini purgatory. In purgatory the soul stands before God Almighty, helpless, stripped, naked just like the Lord has always seen us. We can’t dress up our sin to hide it from God. We stand like our Lord Jesus stripped of His garments before He was nailed to the cross.

Every pain in purgatory points to His cross and our failure to see our need of accepting Christ’s pardon of our sins. Purgatory will not let us go until we discover how Jesus wants us to love Him. Our sins nailed Christ to the cross and His love for our souls held Him there.

THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM, a work by an unknown Christian, has this prayer: “Lord, make me worthy to love you as I have loved sin in the past.” And then the pains of purgatory will be the joyous peace of Easter.

Peace,

Father Joe

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Feb 25 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Ash Wednesday

apostolate — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:36:38 +0000

Homily #090225 ( 06min) Play – “Remember Man, you are dust and to dust you will return.” Ashes are a sign of humility for this season of Lent, a season of penance. This outward sign must be received on our hearts and so radiate in our actions.
Ave Maria!
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Nov 09 – Homily – Fr Bonaventure: Basilica Built on the Ashes of Nero

apostolate — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:01:14 +0000

Homily #101109 ( 13min) Play – Today we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Fr. Bonaventure preaches on the symbolism of history of the piece of property that it was built on and its connection to Nero and his burning of the city of Rome and how this relates to the continuing battle between worldly powers and heavenly.
Ave Maria! Dedication of the Lateran basilica – Mass: OF, – Readings:
1st: gen 28:11-18
Resp: psa 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11
2nd: 1co 3:9-13, 16-17
Gsp: luk 19:1-10

Audio (MP3)

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Video – Robin Testimonies – Courage 2013 #8b – CONF 226

apostolate — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:19:16 +0000

Conferences #226 – ( 27min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Warning: Adult Themes Discussed

Audio Only

For the second part of the eighth talk at the 2013 International Courage Conference in Mundelein, IL, Robin gives her witty, joyful testimony of her journey from a gay lifestyle, that was not so gay, back to the Church. It all started when she unsuspectingly went into a Catholic Church to receive ashes.

Audio (MP3)

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Feb 18 – Homily – Fr Maximilian W: This Lent, Give Up Yourself

apostolate — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:06:46 +0000

Homily #150218n ( 06min) Play – Father comments on the practice of giving something up for Lent, and encourages us to do more than that. We should also do something positive, such as giving alms, picking a specific virtue to work on, or helping other grow closer to God. We ourselves also need to seek to grow closer to God through a more intense prayer life. The ashes we receive today are a sign of the penance and conversion of Lent, if we are not going to do penance, to “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” we should not receive ashes, they are there to remind us that without God, we’re nothing. Let us give ourselves to God more intensely this Lent!
Ave Maria!
Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings:
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

Audio (MP3)

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Ashes Remind Us of Need for Conversion – Feb 14 – Homily – Fr Maximilian W

apostolate — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:00:02 +0000

On Ash Wednesday, Fr. Maximilian explains the Gospel call to inner conversion, to seek to examine our conscience before God in the secrecy of our own heart, and to turn back to Him, that we may do God, for without Him we can do no good.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy

Readings:
1st: Jl 2:12-18
Resp: Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2 Cor 5:20-6:2
Gsp: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1736

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Ashes Recall Death, Need to Prepare for it – Mar 06 – Homily – Fr Maximilian W

apostolate — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 13:20:18 +0000

In the homily for Ash Wednesday (Mar 06, 2019) Fr. Maximilian explains how the ashes we receive today remind us of the death that we must one day pass through. The Lenten season is one of repentance, achieved through prayer, fasting, and sacrifice. In turning away from sin and to the light and love of God, we accomplish the necessary preparation for a good death and the passage to eternal life.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy

Readings:
1st: Joel 2:12-18
Resp: Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2 Cor 5:20-6:2
Gsp: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1649

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Famous Statue of Our Lady “Descent from the Cross” Survives Fire | FOX23

Fra Roderic — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 16:06:05 +0000

Ave Maria!

In a truly iconic picture of this season of sorrow and our difficult times, Mary is seen with Christ rising from the ashes with a luminous cross above in the wreckage of Notre Dame Cathedral after the devastating fire. The almost miraculous survival of so much of the religious treasures in this ancient monument to the glories of Mary and Jesus, and the huge outpouring of offers for rebuilding it after a fire that seemed to be all consuming, bodes well for the truly difficult times that the Church is experiencing today when much seems lost. Let us all turn to Our Lady Coredemptrix for help in bringing a complete resurrection of the Church.

Credit Fox23

Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire

For more photos go to Source: Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire | FOX23

Here is some great drone footage that shows the damage to the top of the cathedral. Only three of the vaults to the ceiling are collapsed. This is after the very tall roof overhead completely burned and collapsed on top of the vaults, truly a testament to the medieval engineers who built it and the firemen who kept the blaze contained, minimizing the damage. Deo Gratias!

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Lent is a Time to Repent – Feb 17 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

apostolate — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 15:34:12 +0000

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Feb 17, 2021, on how Ash Wednesday and Lent is a time for repenting and turning to God that involves stepping off the wide and easy path of sin and disordered self-love and onto the narrow difficult path that requires sacrifice and a change of heart.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Ash Wednesday – Wkdy
Readings: – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021721.cfm
1st: joe 2:12-18
Resp: psa 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
2nd: 2co 5:20-6:2
Gsp: mat 6:1-6, 16-18

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1649

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Bury the Dead: 7th Corporal Work of Mercy – Sep 27 – Homily – Fr Terrance

apostolate — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 10:50:21 +0000

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Sep 27, 2022, on the seventh corporal work of mercy, the duty to bury the dead, and how this is part of respecting the human body. This continues his series on the works of mercy.

Tobit and Raphel Tobit 1: 16-18 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/1?16

Angel Raphael was with him – Tobit 12: 12 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/12?12

Mocked neighbors Tobit 2: 7 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/2?7

Mary of Agreda, we should remember our impending death and judgment

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus buried Jesus, which gave is the shroud of Turin

Gen 2: 7 God formed man from dust – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/2?7

Eccl 12: 7 souls returned to dust – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ecclesiastes/12?7

animals skins, the earth will be our final covering Gen 3:19 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3?19

It was not God’s choice but our Adams and Eve sin

Based on obedience

St Elizabeth Seton We all depend on Jess redeeming death

Burring is part of respect for the body Gen 1: 31 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/1?31

Relics are a sign that the body has value

1 cor 6: 19 Our bodies are temples of God – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/6?19

Death is the separation of the soul from the body, but a reunion with God

Buring the dead looks toward resurrection

We call places of burial cemeteries (resting places), not Necropolises (cities of the dead) as did the pagans

John 11: 12-13 Rest in death – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/11?12

Aloysius Gonzaga was amazed by the size of the reward, given the small effort required

Cremation is not encouraged but is allowed but must be buried properly – CDF document – Ad resurgendum cum Christo – https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20160815_ad-resurgendum-cum-christo_en.html

Claude de la Columbier, when doubts arise, will cast them into the fire of God’s mercy

St Francis de Sales – contemplate the reception we will have in heaven

St Maximilian Kolbe – if we are able to say we have consecrated ourselves to Mary, we will be happy

Playlist, Works of Mercy, by Fr. Terrance on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1AVkZz-w8g&list=PLejh_e0-LN4wQxZdmm4kZudGz2tzbteGs

Corporal works of mercy – Mat 25: 31-46 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25?31

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Vincent de Paul – Mem
Readings: Tuesday in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/092722.cfm
1st: job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Resp: psa 88:2-8
Gsp: luk 9:51-56

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1162&r=955

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