Ave Maria!— May’s Theme: Mary Mediatrix

“Divine grace is a gift of the divine mercy and, according to St. Bernard, God entrusted the entire order of grace to His Most Holy Mother, the Immaculate. She, in fact, is not capable of abandoning anyone, because it has never be heard that anyone, after having had recourse to Her, has been abandoned.” (cf. SK #1088)

The post May 30 – St Maximilian – Divine Mercy & Mary Mediatrix first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #080823 ( 13min) Play – St Rose of Lima is a wonderful example for all Christians, who strove to gain the inestimable value of God’s grace for the glory of God and her sanctification and salvation. Ave Maria! Mass readings +++

The post Aug 23 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: St Rose of Lima first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Mary’s humility

Our Lady teaches us the way of humility. This virtue ­should not be thought of as an essentially negative sense, even though it does involve a denial of one’s pride, a tempering of our ambition and the extinction of our ego­tism and vanity. Our Lady did not experience any of these temptations and yet was blessed with the highest degree of humility.

If we examine the word humility we find it to be derived from the Latin humus, which means earth, soil, or dirt. Humility signifies a recognition of our human origin in the dust of which Adam was made. The virtue of humil­ity, therefore, consists in the living out of a realistic appraisal of our comparative insignificance as creatures who are totally dependent on God. Humility,by inclining us towards the earth, recognizes our littleness, our poverty, and in its way glorifies the majesty of God.  The interior soul experiences a holy joy in annihilating itself, as it were, before God to recognize practically that He alone is great and that, in comparison with His, all human greatness is empty of truth like a lie. This self-abnegation in no way impoverishes the soul. It does not limit the legitimate aspirations of the creature. On the contrary, this virtue works to ennoble the soul, giving it wings on which to explore wider horizons.

At the very moment when God chose Our Lady to be his Mother she proclaimed herself to be his handmaiden. When Mary hears those words of praise from Elizabeth, Blessed art thou amongst women, she is actually beginning a time where she will put herself at the service of her cousin. Even though she is full of grace, Mary keeps the secret to herself.  Not even Joseph is told of the mystery. Mary leaves it to divine providence to find the opportune moment to enlighten him. She sings, for joy, of her won­drous blessings. She gives all the glory to God. For her part, she offers up her littleness and her entire consent. She knew nothing of her own dignity. Because of this, in her own eyes, she had not the slightest importance. She never depended on herself; she depended entirely on God, on his will. Thus she was able to judge the extent of her own lowli­ness, and to understand her own helpless, but, nevertheless, secure condition as a creature: feeling herself incapable of anything and sustained only by the goodness of God.

As a result of this selflessness she surrendered herself completely to God and lived solely for him Mary never sought her own glory, never longed for the best seat at banquets. She never looked for praise on account of her divine Mother­hood. She lived solely for-the glory of God.

Humility is grounded in the truth, in reality. It is based on the certitude that creature and Creator are separated by an infinite distance. Once it recognizes how God crosses that gulf for the sake of his beloved creatures, the soul grows in humility and gratitude. The more it is elevated before God, the more does the soul understand ­and appreciate the vastness of this distance. That is why the Virgin was so humble. The Handmaid of the Lord is the Queen of the Universe. She is the fulfillment of those words of Jesus at the close of today’s parable: He who humbles himself shall be exalted. The humble person will hear the invitation of the Lord: Friend, go up higher. Let us learn how to put ourselves at the service of God without condition. Then we will be elevated to undeserved but incredible heights. We shall be participating in the intimate life of God. We shall be ‘like Gods’! Yet our progress will have been along the way of humility and docility to the will of God

Fruits of humility

Humility leads us to discover that everything we have that is good comes from God, both in the order of nature and in the order of grace… The humble soul rests in the hands of God and is filled with joy and thanksgiving as a result. The saints have been magnanimous people; they have under­taken impressive tasks for God’s glory. The humble per­son is daring because he counts upon the grace of Almighty God. He prays all the time because he is con­vinced of his radical dependence on God. He lives in con­stant gratitude for this help. Inasmuch as humility is the foundation for all the virtues, it is especially the foundation for the virtue of charity. To the extent that we forget about ourselves we will be concerned with the welfare of others. St Francis de Sales has written: Humility and charity are the principal virtues. Conversely, pride is the mother and root of every sin, including mortal sin. Pride is the greatest single obstacle to the action of divine grace.

Pride and sadness often walk hand-in-hand. Joy is part of the patrimony of the humble soul. Let us turn our eyes towards Mary. No creature ever surrendered herself to the plans of God more humbly than she. The humility of the ‘ancilla Domini’, the handmaid of the Lord, is the reason we invoke her as the cause of our joy. After Eve had sinned through her foolish desire to be equal to God, she hid herself from the Lord and was ashamed: she was sad. Mary, in confessing herself the hand­maid of the Lord, becomes the Mother of the divine Word, and is filled with joy. May the rejoicing that is hers, the joy of our good Mother, spread to all of us, so that with it we may go out to greet her, our Holy Mother Mary, and thus become more like Christ, her Son.

Fr. Francis Fernandez

The post Presentation of Mary: a Meditation on her Humility first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Josemaria gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Mar 15 on how Jesus gives us signs that help us to believe in Him, that it is not a blind leap but the grace of faith works with our reason.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Thursday 4th Week of Lent – Wkdy
Readings: 
1st: exo 32:7-14
Resp: psa 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
Gsp: joh 5:31-47

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1761

Please like and share this video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/10156173695023560

The post Signs of Credibility – Mar 15 – Homily – Fr Josemaria first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Maximilian explains in the homily for the 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas (Dec 31) how the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John presents us with an implicit choice: whether or not to be what Jesus Christ offers us to become: children of God, heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. To do so is offered to all, but only those who accept the grace will receive it.

Ave Maria!

Mass: 7th Day in Octave of Christmas – Wkdy

Readings: 
1st: 1 John 2:18-21
Resp: Ps 96:1-2, 11-12, 13
Gsp: John 1:1-18

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1313

Please like and share this video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/1187055278115501

For Audio go to http://dev.airmaria.com?p=69685

By the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate http://marymediatrix.com

To Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=franciscanfriars

To contribute to Franciscanfriars and AirMaria: http://dev.airmaria.com/contribute/

The post To Be or Not to Be Children of God – Dec 31 – Homily – Fr Maximilian W first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Terrance re-presents the homily that he gave on Feb 13, 2024, since there was a technical problem with the recording that day. He focuses once again on the Franciscan view of the nature of a person, but this time on how we have a natural inclination towards the supernatural, facilitated by God’s grace, emphasizing our innate desire for eternal union with God. This continues his series and the subsection, “Man in Franciscan Spirituality,” humanity’s role in God’s plan.

He discusses the relationship between nature and grace in Franciscan spirituality, highlighting how human nature is created to be elevated by God’s grace towards a supernatural life. He referenced St. Bonaventure’s view that man is naturally inclined to transcend himself through contemplation and love, and God’s grace is essential for attaining supernatural life. Franciscan thought emphasizes that human nature, being made in God’s image, has an intrinsic orientation towards grace, rooted in the concept of obediential power. This capacity allows humans, with divine assistance, to achieve a state beyond their natural abilities. St. Thomas Aquinas and Blessed John Duns Scotus were cited to underline the natural human desire for ultimate perfection and eternal blessedness, a desire that can only be fulfilled through God’s grace. Father concluded by urging us to seek Our Lady’s intercession to align with God’s perfecting plan for us.

00:00 – Introduction and Franciscan Spirituality Overview
00:53 – The Concept of Supernatural Destiny in Human Life
02:43 – Human Orientation Towards Grace: A Franciscan Insight
03:04 – Understanding Obediential Power in Spiritual Life
05:24 – The Innate Human Desire for God and Eternal Happiness
07:01 – Grace and Nature: The Pathway to Supernatural Fulfillment
07:33 – The Role of Grace in Elevating Human Nature
08:29 – Closing Reflection: Embracing Our Supernatural Calling

This is a continuation of his series of homilies on Franciscan Spirituality – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNN151zTIO4&list=PLejh_e0-LN4xgMllKrzSasL2Hljd5BHom
and the subsection “Man in Franciscan Spirituality.”

The material for this series comes primarily from Ciccarelli, Marciano M., “I capisaldi della spiritualità francescana” in Italian, which translates as “The Cornerstones of Franciscan Spirituality.” No English translations of this book exist at the time of this recording.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Tuesday 6th Week of Ordinary Time – Wkdy
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021324.cfm

Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/qiuTNErgHR/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/HwHQRf_wCCE

The post FS #64: Man in Franciscan Spirituality, Part 10 – Feb 13 – Homily – Fr Terrance first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Mar 02, 2024, where he explains God’s endless mercy and the joy of forgiveness, using the Prodigal Son’s story to encourage us to embrace God’s love and extend it to others.

00:00 – Introduction to God’s Mercy and Encouragement for Sinners
00:18 – The Power of Prayer and Praise in Seeking Forgiveness
00:58 – Human Weakness and the Necessity of Divine Help
01:24 – Lessons from the Parable of the Prodigal Son
02:57 – The Destructive Path of Sin and the Hope for Redemption
03:59 – Reflection and Repentance: The Prodigal Son’s Realization
06:03 – God’s Unfailing Mercy through Confession
07:57 – Emulating the Heavenly Father’s Compassion and Forgiveness

Ave Maria!

Mass: Saturday 2nd Week of Lent – Wkdy
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030224.cfm
1st: mic 7:14-15, 18-20
Resp: psa 103:1-4, 9-12
Gsp: luk 15:1-3, 11-32

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1751

Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/qztfLX0J_e/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/hdKYHrW2myI

The post Our Father’s Mercy – Mar 02 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Mar 04, 2024, where he warns against the dangers of familiarity and pride in faith, emphasizing humility and trust as essential for experiencing God’s grace.

The homily focuses on the Gospel story of Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth, emphasizing the dangers of familiarity breeding contempt and the importance of faith and humility for receiving God’s grace. He highlights John’s account of Christ’s rejection (“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him”) as a cautionary tale for Catholics, urging us not to repeat Nazareth’s mistake by failing to recognize and embrace the gifts of our faith??. Father draws parallels between the skepticism Jesus faced and the Old Testament stories of Elijah and Elisha performing miracles not for their fellow Israelites but for foreigners, attributing these actions to the Israelites’ lack of faith. He particularly mentions the faith of the widow of Zarephath during a famine and Naaman, the Assyrian’s healing from leprosy, both of which required humility and trust in God over pride and self-reliance.

External Links:

NAB Bible – Story of Jesus’ Rejection – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4?16
NAB Bible – Elijah and the Widow – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/17
NAB Bible – Naaman the Syrian – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/5

00:00 – Introduction: Jesus’ Rejection in Nazareth
00:39 – The Significance of Faith for Catholics
01:27 – Insights from Old Testament Miracles
02:09 – The Widow of Zarephath: A Model of Faith and Provision
03:24 – Naaman’s Journey: From Pride to Humility and Healing
05:45 – Baptism: The Path to Spiritual Cleansing
07:27 – The Role of Faith and Humility in Accessing Sacramental Graces
08:15 – Thirsting for God: The Journey Towards Divine Intimacy

Ave Maria!

Mass: Monday 3rd Week of Lent – Wkdy
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030424.cfm
1st: 2ki 5:1-15
Resp: psa 42:2, 3, 43:3, 4
Gsp: luk 4:24-30

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1752

Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/qBFbpVdH2s/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/bNaFSpenoNI

The post Effective Faith is Humble – Mar 04 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Aug 19, 2024, on how ascetical and mystical aspects of Franciscan spirituality intertwine to guide our journey toward perfect union with God through cooperation with His grace. This is a continuation of his series on Franciscan spirituality and the subsection, “End Game,” the final goal of all spirituality, union with God.

The ascetical aspect, symbolized by the practice of absolute poverty or detachment from all created things, accompanies the soul from the beginning of spiritual life to the transformative union, where the soul is still active. This path involves human effort but is always secondary to the work of grace. The mystical aspect, centered on charity, begins with baptism, where the old self is dismantled, and continues through the progressive re-clothing in virtue, leading to perfect union with God. The mystical path is not limited to moments of contemplation but extends to every action guided by the Holy Spirit.

Franciscan spirituality highlights the importance of the human will, which is strengthened to align with God’s grace throughout life. St. Paul emphasizes being governed by grace rather than the law (Romans 6:14 – “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace”). The spiritual journey requires constant effort to remove obstacles and be open to divine inspirations, which grow stronger as one progresses spiritually. Rather than focusing on identifying one’s specific spiritual state, Father advises simply continuing forward, trusting in God’s grace.

The ascetical and mystical aspects coexist throughout the spiritual life, with the ascetical being subordinate to the mystical, as both are part of the unwinding of divine life within us. This life, planted as a celestial seed in baptism (1 Peter 1:23 – “You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God”), blossoms fully in the life to come. He urges us to ask for the grace to continue our spiritual journey, drawing closer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

More info:

Gal 5:18 NAB Bible – St. Paul’s teaching on being led by the Spirit – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/5?18

Luke 9:23 NAB Bible – Jesus on the importance of detachment – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?23

00:00 – Introduction and Invocation
00:09 – Overview of Franciscan Spirituality
00:19 – Ascetical and Mystical Aspects of Growth
00:32 – Understanding Absolute Poverty
01:05 – The Mystical Path in Spiritual Life
01:44 – Strengthening the Will in Sanctification
02:41 – The Role of Divine Grace
03:21 – Avoiding Spiritual Self-Evaluation
04:25 – Coexistence of Ascetical and Mystical Paths

This is a continuation of his series of homilies on Franciscan Spirituality – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNN151zTIO4&list=PLejh_e0-LN4xgMllKrzSasL2Hljd5BHom
and the subsection “End Game,” the goal of union with God.

The material for this series comes primarily from Ciccarelli, Marciano M., “I capisaldi della spiritualità francescana” in Italian, which translates as “The Cornerstones of Franciscan Spirituality.” No English translations of this book exist at the time of this recording.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. John Eudes – Opt Mem – http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=357
Readings: Monday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/081924.cfm
1st: eze 24:15-24
Resp: deu 32:18-21
Gsp: mat 19:16-22

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1137&r=918

Also on Facebook:
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/sMQXUukqZ0Q

The post FS #89: End Game, Part 3 – Aug 19 – Homily – Fr Terrance first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Aug 21, 2024, on how Franciscan spirituality emphasizes the union of grace and human effort in achieving Christian virtues, guiding souls toward a mystical union with God through Christ. This is a continuation of his series on Franciscan spirituality and the subsection, “End Game,” the final goal of all spirituality, union with God. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNN151zTIO4&list=PLejh_e0-LN4xgMllKrzSasL2Hljd5BHom

These two phases of the spiritual life, the ascetical and mystical aspects, while conceptually distinct, are intertwined in practice, as both involve the collaboration of God’s grace and human will, much like the Incarnation, where God became man, and so was both fully divine and fully human. Since Franciscan spirituality is Christocentric, it emphasizes the role of God’s grace in the spiritual life, with Jesus’ Divine Person being the center of this spirituality.

Father notes that while non-Christians may practice virtues like strength, prudence, justice, and temperance, these virtues are purely human and lack the supernatural charity and divine grace that distinguish Christian virtues. Christian virtues are not just products of human effort but are the result of divine grace, communicated to us through our union with Christ. This idea is reflected in Jesus’ words in John 15:9 – “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love” – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15?9 and John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/15?5.

Franciscan spirituality does not ignore the importance of human effort and psychological insights into virtues but places greater emphasis on theological virtues and the transformative power of divine grace. Grace is not merely an addition to human effort but is a divine gift that transforms our actions from the beginning. By following the impulses of divine grace, the Franciscan soul seeks a mystical union with God, as members of Christ’s Mystical Body.

CCC 2013 – All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2013.htm

CCC 1812 – The human virtues are rooted in the theological virtues, which adapt man’s faculties for participation in the divine nature. – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/1812.htm

The material for this series comes primarily from Ciccarelli, Marciano M., “I capisaldi della spiritualità francescana” in Italian, which translates as “The Cornerstones of Franciscan Spirituality.” No English translations of this book exist at the time of this recording.

00:00 – Introduction to Franciscan Spirituality
00:08 – Ascetical and Mystical Life
00:30 – Collaboration of Grace and Will
00:44 – Christocentric Nature of Spirituality
01:28 – Pagan Virtues vs. Christian Virtues
02:17 – Christian Virtues and Divine Grace
03:02 – Theology of Virtues in Franciscan Thought
03:47 – Mystical Union with God

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Pius X – Mem – http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=313
Readings: Wednesday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/082124.cfm
1st: eze 34:1-11
Resp: psa 23:1-6
Gsp: mat 20:1-16

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1139&r=920

Also on Facebook:
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/XxR0Fj-HOMQ

The post FS #90: End Game, Part 4 – Aug 21 – Homily – Fr Terrance first appeared on AirMaria.com.