Homily #140520b ( 13min) Play – Fr. John Joseph on the life of St. Bernardine of Siena, a Franciscan Preacher and the importance of purity in our speech and culture.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Bernardine of Siena – Feast – Form: OF
Readings: Tuesday 5th Week of Easter
1st: act 14:19-28
Resp: psa 145:10-11, 12-13, 21
Gsp: joh 14:27-31

Audio (MP3)

+++

The post May 20 – Homily – Fr John Joseph: St. Bernardine and Purity of Speach first appeared on AirMaria.com.

St. Bernardine of Siena (feast day is May 20th) wrote:  On the Exceedingly Wonderful Grace and Glory of the Mother of God

That the Blessed Virgin is the noblest Woman in the whole world according to the flesh.

The first star, or grace, is called nobility. For the Blessed Virgin was the noblest individual and noblest creature of all the individuals or creatures which have been, could be, or could have been begotten with human nature. Indeed, Matthew (1,17), in  outlining the three groups of fourteen generations from Abraham to Christ,  describes Her as born of fourteen patriarchs, of fourteen kings, of fourteen  leaders. 

The first group from Abraham to David inclusive, fourteen patriarchs; the second from David to the Babylonian Exile, fourteen kings; the third, from the Babylonian Exile to Christ inclusive, fourteen leaders. Luke also (3,23-38), describing the nobility of Her origin beginning with Adam and Eve, extends his genealogy to God the Christ. Here it is demonstrated that the Lord Jesus Christ, who in heaven was without mother and on earth without father, received His entire humanity from  the Virgin; and the dignities attached to this humanity—namely, familial so as to be called a son of David, and consanguinal so as to have brethren of a noble line—all these He received from His Blessed Mother. And whence came it that He is the final Leader, the final King, the final Patriarch of the  entire people of Israel, if not from the glorious Virgin?

Thus, it is quite evident that every bodily perfection granted the human race in Adam by the Lord was principally given so as to descend through many generations to the Virgin, and through the Virgin Mother to terminate in Christ. Hence, God commanded such cleanliness to the letter in His Law, not only in human bodies, but also in vessels, homes, camping places, and all things belonging to God’s people, so that the people might preserve that nobility and cleanliness for the sake of   the Christ…After Christ, that people had no other patriarch or king or leader…so that what Christ says of Himself (Apoc. 2,8) might be verified:  the First and the Last says this. 

The First, namely, whom God principally intended in His people; and the Last, namely, patriarch, king, or leader in that people. Because, therefore, the Evangelists describe in this Maiden every distinction, gift, power, nobility, and dignity which might be in any human individual born according to the flesh, it is incumbent upon us,  following their witness, to prefer Her to all princes and princesses, queens and kings, emperors and empresses, and all powers, tribes, and tongues of the  whole universe.

 That the whole world, after the fall of our first parents, was kept in being by God out of love of the Blessed Virgin.

 The second star (or grace) is called conservation. For Mary alone, for many thousands of years before She was born, primarily and principally preserved Adam and his posterity in being.   Indeed, in virtue of their transgression, Adam and Eve merited not only the   penalty of death, but extermination. Divine Justice, which knows no respect of persons, should not have left the sin of man (just as It did not leave the angelic sin) uncondemned in hell. But for the sake of that special reverence and unique love which He had for the Virgin, God kept the world in existence.

Because God loved Her above all creatures…the first human beings were preserved from extermination and not returned to nothing, as they deserved. The explanation of this is as follows:  The blessed Maiden was in the loins of Adam, and his seed, and the power of   producing the Maiden was inherent in our first parents, until it should be realized in the act. For of this Maiden was to be born the Son of God, Jesus, who, existing in Adam only in respect to His corporal substance, was only to be brought forth from the Virgin and from no other person. The merciful God pardoned our first parents and did not annihilate them because, in so doing, the Virgin would not have arisen and, consequently, neither would Christ have  been clothed with human flesh…To recapitulate everything in a few words: I do not hesitate to affirm that God effected every liberation and granted every pardon in the Old Testament solely out of reverence and love for the blessed Maiden. In virtue of this reverence and love, God predestined Her, foreordaining from all eternity that She be honored before all His other  works.

St. Bernadine of Siena (b. 1380; d.   1444 A.D.), one of the most renowned Franciscan preachers and reformers of the Fifteenth Century left an immense collection of sermons and writings. He is most famous throughout Christendom for popularizing devotion to the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and to St. Joseph. He also, like his spiritual father St. Francis of Assisi, had an ardent devotion to the Immaculate Mother of God.

(NB: and while this was found on the EWTN website at http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/IC-SIENA.htm they gave the credit to the Franciscans of the Immaculate!)

This short excerpt gives only a brief introduction to the mind and theology of this famous Franciscan reformer. It forms part of the Little Marian Library of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Home Page of the Immaculate. This site is maintained by Immaculate Mediatrix,  Inc., under the direction of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

The post On the Nobility of the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Saint Bernardine of Siena’s Story (feast day is May 20th):

Most of the saints suffer great personal opposition, even persecution. Bernardine, by contrast, seems more like a human dynamo who simply took on the needs of the world.

He was the greatest preacher of his time, journeying across Italy, calming strife-torn cities, attacking the paganism he found rampant, attracting crowds of 30,000, following St. Francis of Assisi’s admonition to preach about “vice and virtue, punishment and glory.”

Compared with Saint Paul by the pope, Bernardine had a keen intuition of the needs of the time, along with solid holiness and boundless energy and joy. He accomplished all this despite having a very weak and hoarse voice, miraculously improved later because of his devotion to Mary.

When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown of Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague, but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt whose parents had died when he was a child, and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.

At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.

Especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, Bernardine devised a symbol—IHS, the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek–in Gothic letters on a blazing sun. This was to displace the superstitious symbols of the day, as well as the insignia of factions: for example, Guelphs and Ghibellines. The devotion spread, and the symbol began to appear in churches, homes and public buildings. Opposition arose from those who thought it a dangerous innovation. Three attempts were made to have the pope take action against him, but Bernardine’s holiness, orthodoxy, and intelligence were evidence of his faithfulness.

General of the Friars of the Strict Observance, a branch of the Franciscan Order, Bernardine strongly emphasized scholarship and further study of theology and canon law. When he started there were 300 friars in the community; when he died there were 4,000. He returned to preaching the last two years of his life, dying while traveling.

from Franciscan Media.org

The post St. Bernardine of Siena first appeared on AirMaria.com.

In the homily for the memorial of St. John of Capistrano (Franciscan priest, Oct 23), Fr. Alan draws the analogy between the saint’s role in the Battle of Belgrade to the spiritual war being waged against Christ and the Church, and based on the example and teaching of St. John of Capistrano, draws the conclusion that we need holy priests if we hope to gain victory, and so we must pray for our priests.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. John of Capistrano – Opt Mem

Readings: Tuesday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
1st: Eph 2:12-22
Resp: Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Gsp: Lk 12:35-38

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=1183&r=974

To hear the song mentioned in the homily, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano” -Pat Boone (1957) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyKe43pE2Y)

Please like and share this video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/969669646577492

For Audio go to http://dev.airmaria.com?p=67778

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

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

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

The post Holy Priests for Today’s Spiritual War – Oct 23 – Homily – Fr Alan first appeared on AirMaria.com.

On the feast of St. Bernardine of Siena (May 20, 2019), Fr. Andre talks about the Holy Name of Jesus and how Jesus directs us to His Mother and ours, just as she directs us to Him.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Bernardine of Siena – Opt Mem

Also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/592912274534834
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/0EHrfvUQ8gQ

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

The post Jesus, the Holy Name that says Mary – May 20 – Homily – Fr Andre first appeared on AirMaria.com.

St. Bernardine is specially invoked for those with respiratory issues:

St. Bernardine you were healed of respiratory illness and preached the love and mercy of God everywhere you went.  I come to you now seeking prayers for (name of person) and all those who suffer with respiratory illnesses.

Plead their cause in union with Mary, the Mother of God, and seek healing for them if it is God’s will.  Pray, dear Saint, that they suffer with joy persevere with hope, and that they join their afflictions with Jesus’ for the salvation of souls.  I ask your intercession on their behalf in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.   (prayer composed by Ann Fitch)

O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can only come through they hands, our salvation depends on thee.  (St. Bernardine of Siena)

The post May 20th: St. Bernardine of Siena and Our Lady first appeared on AirMaria.com.

In the homily for Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time (Feb 18, 2020), Father Andre offers some “remote preparation” for two upcoming  feast days of St. Joseph (March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and May 1: Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker). Father helps us understand the reason for and the benefits of devotion to St. Joseph, explaining some of the excellent qualities of the head of the Holy Family and Protector of the Universal Church.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Tuesday 6th Week of Ordinary Time – Wkdy

Readings: 
1st: Js 1:12-18
Resp: Ps 94:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
Gsp: Mk 8:14-21

More on the Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021820.cfm

Also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/227658651700620
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/i_kxRJjPJAc

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

The post St. Joseph: Powerful Example for Fathers and Husbands – Feb 18 – Homily – Fr Andre first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on May 20, 2020, on the life of St. Bernadine of Siena who was a Franciscan and Doctor of the Church who loved Mary greatly and exalted the name of Jesus promoting the IHS monogram for Iesus Hominum Salvator – Jesus, Savior of men. Father explains how this saint become so eloquent despite his lack of natural gifts.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Bernardine of Siena – Feast
Readings: 
1st: act 4:8-12
Resp: psa 145:1-6, 21 0
Gsp: joh 14:12-17

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=651

Also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/90378558559/videos/566128154331045
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/GfK-Opld9uA

The post Wisdom from Heaven – May 20 – Homily – Fr Terrance first appeared on AirMaria.com.

  The Virgin’s name was Mary…it is not within our power, most beloved brethren, as long as we human beings live in this mortal body, fully to attain to the praise of the glorious Virgin Mother of God, which both exceeds all human utterance and surpasses the understanding of all men. 

For what mortal man, unless illumined by a divine revelation, would presume to declare anything little or great about the unparalleled Mother of the God-man?  Nay, rather would he not fear to mention this woman with defiled lips, whom the Father of mercies and God ordained before the world [cf. 2 Cor. 1:3; 1 Cor. 2:7] as a perpetual and most worthy Virgin, whom the Son chose beforehand as mother, and whom Holy Spirit prepared as the dwelling of a singular grace? 

With what sort of praises will the servitude of men exalt the Queen of angels?  What praises can frail mortals proclaim, or what services can they render to her whom heavenly beings obey and serve?  With what honors will the applause of men acclaim on earth the worthy woman, whom the hosts of blessed spirits perpetually venerate in heaven?  But because we are not able to praise her as she deserves, at least let us take care to exalt her name.

St. Bernardine of Siena (feast day is May 20th)

The post Exalting the Name of Mary first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Jan 03, 2023, on how names are important. This is supremely so when considering the name of Jesus, Savior of Men. St. Bernardine of Siena, a Franciscan priest, spread the devotion to His name.

Notes:

Names are important, Shakespeare

CCC 2158 – God calls us all by name – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a2.htm#2158

Colossians 1: 15 – Christ is the image, icon o of the invisible God. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1?15

Names are an image of the person

Our Father: … hollowed (holy) be thy name …

2nd Commandment: do not take the Lord’s name in vane

John 10: 3 Call his own sheep and leads them out – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10?3

We are all important, and thus are our names

CCC 203 – Name expresses the identity and purpose of a person in life. – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p1.htm#203

Names turn strangers and numbers into persons

We will be given a new name in heaven – Revelations 2:17 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/2?17

Invoking the names of saints makes them present, Litany of the saints in exorcisms

We need to use God’s name to make our relationship personal

Matthew 1: 21 Name of Jesus and its meaning – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1?21

also https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2?21

Acts 4: 12 There is no other name  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/4?12

St Bernardine popularized the devotion of the IHS Jesus Savior of  Men

Christogram

John 16: 23 anything you ask will be given https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16?23

Every knee shall bend at the name of Jesus  Phil 2: 9-11 – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/philippians/2?9

Colossian 3: 17 – whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/colossians/3?17

These signs will be done in my name Mark 16 17-18 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/16?17

St Bernard of Clairvaux – His name is food, light, and medicine

CCC 2666 – Name of Jesus contains all, contains the Son of God – http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p4s1c2a2.htm#2666

Rom 10: 13 – “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/10?13

Ave Maria!

Mass: Holy Name of Jesus – Mem
Readings:  – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/010323.cfm
1st: phi 2:5-11
Resp: psa 113:1-8
Gsp: mat 1:18-23

More on the Readings: http://dev.airmaria.com/r?m=588

Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/hQfm6uf1pt/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/F06LboXwaao

The post Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – Jan 03 – Homily – Fr Terrance first appeared on AirMaria.com.