Homily #140212b ( 06min) Play – Fr. Joachim on the need to stay pure of heart based on Our Lord’s words “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
Ave Maria!
Mass: Wednesday 5th Week of Ordinary Time – Wkdy – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: 1ki 10:1-10
Resp: psa 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
Gsp: mar 7:14-23

Audio (MP3)

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The post Feb 12 – Homily – Fr Joachim: Purity of Heart first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God. (Mt 5:8) 

Purity is essential if we are to see God and truly serve our fellow man. Perhaps this virtue will clash with our environment and be misunderstood by many, blinded as they will be by a materialistic outlook. In fact, it will be scorned and its utility called into question. Nevertheless, holy purity is absolutely necessary for us… Without the virtue of purity it is simply impossible to be a contemplative soul.

Holy purity produces much fruit in the soul. It enlarges the heart and helps in the normal growth of the affections. It gives rise to deep internal happiness even in the midst of many obstacles. It makes apostolates possible.

On the other hand, impurity gives rise to insensitivity of heart, to mediocrity and selfishness. It makes a person incapable of real love… Don’t forget that when someone is corrupted by concupiscence of the flash, he cannot make any spiritual progress. He is a spiritual cripple…(therefore) each of us must invoke our Lord, and his Blessed Mother, and pray that He will grant us humility and the determination to avail ourselves frequently and devoutly of the divine remedy of confession. The church has always taught that with the help of grace and especially with the help of the sacrament of the Eucharist and Penance, it is possible to live this virtue of purity in every moment and in all circumstances of life.

Let us ask the intercession of Our Lady, she who is immaculate purity itself.  Revelation 21:27 says in regards to heaven that the unclean shall not enter it. It must be remembered again that only the pure of heart shall see God.

Excerpted from the writings of Fr. Francis Fernandez

The post The Importance of Purity first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr. Matthias on how John was the one disciple who recognized Jesus when he appeared on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He relates this to the great love that John had for Jesus giving him the purity of heart in order to be able to see more clearly the presence of God among them.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Friday of Easter Week – Wkdy
Readings: 
1st: act 4:1-12
Resp: psa 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27 0
Gsp: joh 21:1-14

The post Apr 21 – Homily – Fr Matthias: The Pure of Heart will See God first appeared on AirMaria.com.

The virtue of simplicity makes us go promptly to God, without regard for human respect or our own interests.  This virtue characterized today’s Franciscan Saint.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Didacus of Alcala – Opt Mem

Readings: Tuesday 31st Week of Ordinary Time
1st: Rom 12:5-16
Resp: Ps 131:1, 2, 3
Gsp: Lk 14:15-24

The post Nov 07 – Homily – Fr Matthias: The simplicity of St. Didacus first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

Fr. Patrick Hyde, O.P. continues his Advent reflections on silence as a means for preparing for the coming of Christ, emphasizing in this talk the teachings of the early Christian mystical writers St. John Cassian and Isaac of Nineveh that we need purity of heart and purity of prayer. By learning the importance of silence in our busy lives we can receive the true spirit of Christmas, having Christ enter our hearts and transform our lives.

This is the First talk of two for the 2017 Advent Day of Reflection given Fr. Patrick Hyde O.P., “Preparing for Christ in Silence, The Role of Silence in the Church Fathers” at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, IN.

For more talks from the day of reflection:
https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickAirmaria
or https://tinyurl.com/FrPatrickYTube

Fr. Patrick Hyde is Associate Pastor and Campus Minister at St. Paul’s Catholic Center at the Bloomington Campus of Indiana University: http://www.hoosiercatholic.org/

The day of reflection took place at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, IN: http://www.maryschildren.com/

– CONF 397 Ave Maria!

Rough notes from the event (Time stamps are approximate):

Rough notes (Times approximate): Cassian Background Influenced by Evagrius Ponticus Egyptian, deadly sins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evagriu…

Lived 4th 5th cent, influenced St. Benedict https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ca…

books Conferences

Somewhat associated with Semipelagianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semipel…

Issac was later, 7th Century

7:00 Card Sarah quote on Isaac love silence above all things The Power of Silence by Card. Sarah: https://tinyurl.com/y9k6gs2m

Goal is purity of Heart, so that God can speak. Contemplation the true gift comes from God, but this needs purification.

Must prioritize this now or we never will. three renunciations: body, passions, visible

14:00 Conferences 9th & 10th very helpful

Obstacles are always an invitation by Christ Image of soul.

Our soul is most beautiful and delicate thing like a feather when purified. Can float to God with slightest breeze but with some dirt, impurity, even strong breeze will not lift Aspiration during prayer is God. Prayer is preparation and practice for prayer itself. Can lead to being infused with God as a gift

20:00 9th conference Necessity to have silence and be away alone

Mass is so important silence punctuated by noise

Giving thanks, silent prayer before and after communion. We can do this in our busy lives despite distractions that are inevitable we can come close to God. Silence, going into inner room even in Church. Wherever we are we can retreat into our “room” This is purity of heart and brings us close to Christ

26:00 10th conf Practical advice on prayer and silence. Sometimes words are helpful for direction. Effected St. Benedict therefore whole of West

“God come to my assistance. Lord make hast to help me.” is from him

Habitual prayer, turn to God at all crisis Recall Gods generosity Prayer is unpredictable, God is too.

Summary of Cassian – Prayer is a gradual ascent, will grow more and more. Prayer must become a reliable thing in our lives. Prayer strengthened by prayer

31:00 Isaac of Nineveh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_o…

Pure and undistracted prayer, not Buddhism

Freedom from wandering thought, or more to the point what to do with wandering thoughts, good verses bad wandering.

Wandering is not alien to pure prayer, gives many insights sometimes we are lead to deeper prayer by our wandering thoughts when we recognize them. Getting rid of all wandering is “stupid”. Fire of the spirit sometimes burns in unexpected directions.

35:00 Pure prayer comes from stillness, including bodily. Our prayer goal is contemplation, glimpse of heaven, gift given to few only. Prayer and silence is knocking at the door, God must open it. We must pray through our distractions. Important: Need rule in prayer, not just for monks, time set aside for prayer. Need Scripture.

Know our mind and how it wonders, stop it or incorporate it.

Need good posture in prayer

40:15 Incorporating distractions into prayer is actually progress in silence.

Self renunciation even bodily

We need to stick to a plan appropriate for our vocation, lay or religious

42:00 Conclusions

Baptism orientates us to Christ.

Silence and meditation with scripture

Practical skills and common sense plan

Reminders foster habitual silence & prayer

Distraction can be a gift to uninterrupted prayer

We are made for silence and prayer and need it Daily

We must battle for silence and prayer

45:10 Advent is a time for prayer resolutions

Meditate on Christ who has come to us in the incarnation, who wants to enter into our hearts.

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In the homily for the Franciscan Feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino, O. F. M. Conv., (Sep 18), Fr. Matthias explains that our holiness depends on our good will more than the circumstances in which we find ourselves. St. Joseph of Cupertino lived in a religious community that wasn’t exactly known for producing Saints, yet he became one. In the end, any situation can be sanctifying for those who love God; it depends on us.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Joseph of Cupertino

Readings: 
1st: 1 Cor 12:31, 13:1-10, 13
Resp: Ps 25:1-3, 4-5, 8-9, 10
Gsp: Mt 11:25-30

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=710

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On the memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Nov 25, 2019 – Monday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time), Fr. Josemaria gives the homily at New Bedford on how we should strive to give all back to the One Who gave His all to us. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave us His Mother, and wants us to give back to Him through Her. Not is it only most pleasing to Him that we love Him in that way, it also most effective for us to go to Jesus through Mary.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Catherine of Alexandria – Opt Mem
Readings: Monday 34th Week of Ordinary Time

1st: Dn 1:1-6, 8-20
Resp: Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
Gsp: Lk 21:1-4

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1204&r=1559

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In the homily on Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Feb 12, 2020), Fr. Matthias expounds on Our Lord’s teaching from today’s Gospel. Jesus instructs: “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile” (Mk 7:18). Citing an example from real life, Father explains that we can sin in the heart, in our thoughts, even if the sin does not manifest in exterior action. To overcome interior sin, we should live in interior union with Our Lady, who instructs, corrects, guides, and teaches us interior purity of heart. This is the ultimate secret to virtue in act.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Wednesday 5th Week of Ordinary Time – Wkdy

Readings: 
1st: 1 Kgs 10:1-10
Resp: Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
Gsp: Mk 7:14-23

More on the Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021220.cfm

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Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Sep 04, 2020, on how we need a pure heart and a clean conscience for becoming a saint and this involves a daily examination of conscience to see our faults and ask for God’s grace.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Friday in the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time – Wkdy
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/090420.cfm
1st: 1co 4:1-5
Resp: psa 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40 0
Gsp: luk 5:33-39

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=934

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Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Nov 27, 2021, where he continues his series on the beatitudes with a reflection on the 6th Beatitude, blessed are the pure of heart which very much pertains to the pure Virgin Mary which is fitting since today is the feast of the Miraculous Medal, which is the medal of the Immaculate Conception.

Notes:

Purity fits in with mercy and charity of neighbor as well as love of God.

Purity involves moral purity: purity of mind, and body.

Purity is key to being close to Christ, believing, understanding, and obeying His teaching.

Be detached from material things which will give joy.

The pure of heart will see God, enjoy the beatific vision

Explains the need for purgatory, to achieve purity in the heart.

Four things to achieve purity of heart from CCC 2520 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2520.htm
– Virtue and gift of chastity
– Purity of intentions
– Purity of vision
– Prayer

Ave Maria!

Mass: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal – Feast
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/112721.cfm
1st: rev 12:11, 5-6, 14-17
Resp: psa 45:11-12, 14-17
Gsp: joh 2:1-11

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