St. Bonaventure, 1217-1274. Seraphic Doctor, Feast July 15th.

It is said that St. Bonaventure was healed from a childhood disease through the prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi. He later joined the Order of Friars Minor at age 22 and studied theology and philosophy in Paris. This saint was a friend of Saint Thomas Aquinas. St. Bonaventure became General of the Franciscan Order at the age of 35 and later was named Bishop of Albano, Italy.  When he was named a Cardinal, the story is that when the red hat of a cardinal was delivered to him, he was washing dishes at the time and told the courier to just hang it on a nearby tree! He spoke at the Council of Lyons, but died before its close. He has been declared one of the 33 Doctors of the Church.

A CANTICLE LIKE THAT OF MARY: Let us sing to Our Lady, the glorious Virgin Mary: let us bless her in hymns and praises. The name of Our Lady is omnipotent after that of God: she hath cast the chariot of Pharaoh and his army into the sea. Thy right hand, O Lady, is magnified in strength: because in the multitude of thy mercies thou hast prostrated mine adversaries. Thou hast delivered me, O Lady, from the mouth of the lion: and as the mother her new-born infant hast thou received me. O my most dear Lady: like the hen, cover me with thy wonderful protection. I am all thine: and all my things are thine, Virgin blessed above all. I will place thee as a seal upon my heart: because thy love is strong as death.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

Mary seeks for those who approach her devoutly and with reverence, for such she loves, nourishes, and adopts as her children.

– Saint Bonaventure

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St. Louis, King of France (1214-1270)   Feast Day is August 25th

from a spiritual testament by King Saint Louis IX to his son:

My dearest son, my first instruction is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your strength. Without this there is no salvation. Keep yourself, my son, from everything that you know displeases God, that is to say, from every mortal sin. You should permit yourself to be tormented by every kind of martyrdom before you would allow yourself to commit a mortal sin. If the Lord has permitted you to have some trial, bear it willingly and with gratitude, considering that it has happened for your good and that perhaps you well deserved it.

If the Lord bestows upon you any kind of prosperity, thank him humbly and see that you become no worse for it, either though vain pride or anything else, because you ought not to oppose God or offend him in the matter of his gifts. Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can.

Thank God for all the benefits he has bestowed upon you, that you may be worthy to receive greater. Always side with the poor rather than with the rich, until you are certain of the truth. Be devout and obedient to our mother the Church of Rome and the Supreme Pontiff as your spiritual father.

In conclusion, dearest son, I give you every blessing that a loving father can give a son. May the three Persons of the Holy Trinity and all the saints protect you from every evil.  And may the Lord give you the grace to do his will so that he may be served and honored through you, that in the next life we may together come to see him, love him and praise him unceasingly. Amen.

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THE KING’S GOOD SERVANT BUT GOD’S FIRST…

St. Thomas More, a Franciscan Tertiary, has been named the patron for lawyers and politicians.  This holy and wholly Catholic man was a husband and father in addition to being a lawyer and became Lord Chancellor of England so much was he respected and regarded in his own time. He was beheaded in witness of the Truths of the Faith in 1535.

Blessed Pope John Paul II would write of him: “Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person.”

Sir Thomas More would not compromise on two tenets of the Catholic faith: the primacy of the papacy and the dignity of marriage.  When imprisoned before his martyrdom, he would write. The following are just a few quotes from these writings, particularly from a book called “A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation”:

We shall consider tribulation a gracious gift from God, a gift that He specially gives His special friends…if God does not send it, people need to seek out and put upon themselves by penance, a thing that helps purge our past sins; a think that preserves us from sins that we would otherwise commit; a thing that causes us to attach less importance to the world; a thin that incites us to draw closer to God; a thing that greatly diminishes our pains in purgatory; a thing that greatly increases our final reward in Heaven…if we reflect on these things and remember them well, we shall not murmur or complain in a time of tribulation. Instead we shall first of all take our pain patiently and see it as something of worth.  And then we shall realize that God has sent if for our own good and so be moved to thank God for it.  As a consequence, our grace shall increase and God shall give us the comfort of realizing that He is, in the midst of our trouble, always close.

I find, then, that one great part f the terror of the nights is the fault of faintheartedness: that fearful and feeble disposition, that is, which causes some people to be afraid where there is no need to be afraid. The fault of faintheartedness first causes people in tribulation to become impatient.  The fault of faintheartedness, or a timed spirit, also often prevents people from doing many good things which, if they acquired a strong spirit by trusting in God’s help, they would be well able to do. The devil, however not only puts them in a state of cowardice but also makes them take it as humility to think themselves unfit for an incapable of many a good thing that God has given them the opportunity and has made them well suited to do. Such folks need to lift up their hearts and call upon God.  All this fear comes by scheming of the devil.

St. Thomas More, pray for us!  Help us to never compromise on the Truths of the faith, no matter the cost.

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Homily #110811 ( 06min) Play – St Clare of Assisi, as her name means, was truly a light to the world and her mother name her so by an inspiration. Now she is a light to our eyes as well.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Clare of Assisi – Solemnity – Ordinary Form
Readings:
1st: Hos 2:16, 17, 21-22
Resp: Psalm 45:11-12, 14-16
2nd: 2Cor 4:6-10, 16-18
Gsp: John 15:4-10

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #111129 ( 09min) Play – On this feast of All Saints of the Franciscan Order, Fr. Dominic explains the charism of the Franciscan friar and sister, following the examples of our seraphic father St. Francis, holy mother St. Clare, and the multitude of Franciscan saints.
Ave Maria!
Mass: Ordinary Form – All Saints of the Franciscan Ord. – Feast 
Readings:
1st Reading: Sirach 44:1, 10-15
Responsorial Psalm: 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gospel: Mark 10:17-21

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #121129b ( 04min) Play – Today is the feast of All Saints of the Franciscan Order and Fr. Joachim preaches on how many there are in the Franciscan Order, not only those that are beatified or canonized, but also all those less known. Today we have the opportunity to thank God for their intercession and ask anew for their help.
Ave Maria!
Mass: All Saints of the Franciscan Ord. – Feast – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: sir 44:1, 10-15
Resp: psa 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gsp: mar 10:17-21

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #121129 ( 10min) Play– Fr. George preaches on this feast of all the saints and blesseds of the Franciscan orders, who faithfully lived out their vows by following the Rule of St. Francis. May they inspire and encourage us all to follow in their footsteps. Ave Maria!

Mass: All Saints of the Franciscan Ord. – Feast – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: sir 44:1, 10-15
Resp: psa 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gsp: mar 10:17-21

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #131129 ( 09min) Play – True Fraternity and brotherhood is one in which is practiced and encouraged virtue . This is the true fraternity of the seraphic order of which the perfect example are those members who have gone to heaven.
Ave Maria!
Mass: All Saints of the Franciscan Ord. – Feast – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: sir 44:1, 10-15
Resp: psa 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Gsp: mar 10:17-21

Audio (MP3)

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Homily #150901b ( 5 min) Play – This homily is a reflection given by Fr. Joseph M. McShane tying together the life of St. Beatrice de Silva and Gospel of the day.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Beatrice of Silva – Form: OF
Readings: 

Audio (MP3)

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Father explains how the Seraphic (Franciscan) saints, sons and daughters of Holy Father Francis, all reached glory by living the Rule – but those who were more zealous and faithful in observance went farther, faster, and in the end, with a lighter burden.

Ave Maria!

Mass: All Saints of the Franciscan Ord. – Feast

Readings: 
1st: Sir 44:1, 10-15
Resp: Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 0
Gsp: Mk 10:17-21

Audio (MP3)

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