Homily #120801 ( 08min) Play – Fr. George on St Alphonsus, doctor of the Church, on how he fought against Jansenism primarily by fostering devotion to Mary including writing his classic The Glories of Mary.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – Mem – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: rom 8:1-4
Resp: psa 119:9-14
Gsp: mat 5:13-19

Audio (MP3)

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REFERRING to our Lady’s great compassion for sinners, St. Bernard calls her the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. And St. Leo tells us that, when he looks at her, he no longer sees God’s justice but only His mercy, for Mary is full of the mercy of God. She is like a fair olive tree in the field (Sir 24: 14). Only oil (a symbol of mercy) is extracted from the olive; only grace and mercy flow from the hands of Mary.

Why is the fair olive tree pictured as standing in the field, and not in some garden, enclosed with walls or hedges? So that all can see her plainly, and get to her without trouble, to secure the remedy for all their evils. And what safer refuge can we find than the compassionate heart of Mary? There the poor find a home, the sick a cure, the afflicted consolation, the doubtful counsel, and the abandoned help…

It must be this way, since all graces are dispensed at Mary’s prayer. Where there is no prayer from Mary — there can be no hope of mercy, as our Lord gave St. Bridget to understand — “Unless the prayers of Mary interposed, there could be no hope of mercy.” But perhaps you fear that Mary is not aware of our needs, or has no feeling for them. Ah no; she sees and feels them far better than we do ourselves. There is not one among all the Saints who can ever feel for us in our miseries, of body and soul, like this woman, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary…Indeed, Mary is more eager to grant us graces than we are to receive them. Therefore, no matter when we go to her, we find her hands filled with generous mercies.

…In our Lady’s case: her spirit is the same as her Son’s, and we can never doubt but that she is all mercy. As she said to St. Bridget: “I am called the Mother of Mercy, and it was God’s mercy that made me so merciful.”

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun (Rv. 12: 1). St. Bernard says, “O Lady, thou hast clothed the sun, the Eternal Word, with human flesh, but He has clothed thee with His power and mercy . . . ”

” Mary is so compassionate and kind that when sinners, no matter who they are, throw themselves on her charity, she does not investigate their merits, or consider whether they are worthy, but she hears and helps all.”

Therefore, St. Idlebert remarks, she is called as beautiful as the moon (Song. 6: 10). She pours her light and favor on all sinners, even the most unworthy, as the moon sheds her radiance on all creatures. And though the moon, says another writer, gets all her light from the sun, yet she completes her cycle of work quicker than the sun —– that is, what it takes a year for the sun to do, the moon does in a month. So, according to St. Anselm, we often get our request more quickly by calling on Mary’s name than by calling on the name of Jesus.

We may be afraid (as we said in another place) to go directly to Almighty God, because after all it is His infinite Majesty we have offended. But we should never be afraid of going directly to Mary, because we will find nothing in her to terrify us. True, she is holy, immaculate, and the great Queen of the universe. But at the same time she is also flesh of our flesh, a child of Adam. Always keep in mind that our Lady’s protection is greater and more powerful than anything we can imagine.

How is it that the same God Who was so rigorous in punishment under the Old Law now shows such great mercy topersons guilty of far greater crimes? He does it all because of His love for Mary, and on account of her merits.

The world would have been destroyed long ago if it were not for Mary’s intercession. And now that we have the Son as Mediator with the Eternal Father, and the Mother with the Son, we have full access to God and can go to Him with absolute confidence, hoping for every good thing from Him. For how can the Father refuse to hear the Son, when He shows Him His side and His wounds, the marks of the sufferings He bore for sinners? And how can the Son refuse to hear His Mother, when she shows Him the breast that nursed Him?

Let us conclude with St. Bernard’s beautiful and tender words: “O Mary, thou art clement to those who need thee, compassionate to those who beseech thee, sweet to those who love thee! “Thou art clement to the penitent, compassionate to anyone striving for virtue, sweet to the perfect! “Thou art clement in working for us, compassionate in giving grace, sweet in giving thyself!”

+St. Alphonsus Liguori (From The Glories of Mary)

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Homily #150801 ( 05min) Play – Earning his doctorate at 16 and practicing law at 19, St. Alphonsus vowed never to waste any time. As bishop he led his flock with diligent care, founded the Redemptorists, and wrote a multitude of outstanding books on faith and morals, thus leading him to be declared a Doctor of the Church.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Saturday 17th Week of Ordinary Time
1st: lev 25:1, 8-17
Resp: psa 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
Gsp: mat 14:1-12

Audio (MP3)

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In the homily for the memorial of St Anthony Mary Claret (Bishop, Oct 24), Fr. Maximilian explains how our Saint’s life and example conform to today’s Gospel message, to be faithful to one’s duties, constant in vigilance, so as to “be prepared, for … an hour you do not expect” (Lk 12:40).

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Anthony Mary Claret – Opt Mem

Readings: Wednesday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
1st: Eph 3:2-12
Resp: Isa 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Gsp: Lk 12:39-48

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1184&r=975

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In the homily for the memorial of St. Conrad of Piacenza (Third Order Franciscan, hermit, Feb 19) Fr. Matthias draws out a moral lesson relating to a line from the first reading: “The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil.” God prohibits and holds us responsible not only for our actions, but even for our thoughts – whether good or bad – because all evils have their beginning in the human heart. Therefore we must acquire the virtue of purity in thought.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Conrad of Piacenza – Opt Mem

Readings:
1st: Gen 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10
Resp: Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 8, 9-10 0
Gsp: Mk 8:14-21

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On the occasion of the memorial of the Guardian Angels (Oct 2, 2019 – feast for the Franciscans of the Immaculate), Father explains the gravity of willfully entertaining occasions of sin, as indicated by the great bishop and doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus of Liguori.

God has given us guardian angels precisely to protect us. To ignore these benevolent spirits, servants of the Most High, is folly indeed and most surely leads to mortal sin and the death of the soul.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Guardian Angels – Mem

Readings: 
1st: Ex 23:20-23
Resp: Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 10-11
Gsp: Mt 18:1-5,10

More on the Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/1002-memorial-guardian-angels.cfm

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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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Ave Maria Meditations

Most Holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to you who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day.

I venerate you, great Queen, and I thank you for the many graces you have bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins.

I love you, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear you, I promise to serve you willingly forever and to do what I can to make you loved by others also. I place in you all my hopes for salvation; accept me as your servant and shelter me under your mantle, you who are the Mother of mercy.

And since you are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From you I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through you I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love you bear to Almighty God, I pray you assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until you see me safe in heaven, there to bless you and sing of your mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.

St. Alphonsus Liguori (Feast Day is August 1st)

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Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Aug 01, 2020, the memorial of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori on how he was the Zealous Doctor who explained and proclaimed the glories of Jesus and Mary, the anchors of our faith.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – Mem
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/080120.cfm
1st: rom 8:1-4
Resp: psa 119:9-14 0
Gsp: mat 5:13-19

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1120

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