Prayer in Spirit and in Truth

God wants prayer offered in spirit and in truth. We can never underestimate the power of Christian prayer. Prayer is the one thing that can conquer God Himself. As Tertullian the priest writes: ...prayer gives strength to the weak, heals the sick, exorcises the possessed...Prayer cleanses from sin, drives away temptations, stamps out persecutions, comforts the fainthearted, gives new strength to the courageous, brings travelers safely home, calms the waves, confounds robbers, feeds the poor, overrules the rich, lifts up the fallen, supports those who are falling, sustains those who stand firm. All the angels pray. Every creature prays.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Pray for Priests

We live in a world where God’s Church and its Commandments are despised. The preaching of His Word and the observance of His precepts are hindered. Religion is driven from the school, justice from the workplace, morality from the home and from society. The banishment of religion means the banishment of both peace and prosperity. In the wake of this disaster come only revolution and war. We must pray that God's Church be restored to its proper place. Pray that your priests will be faithful to the Holy Father and all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches. Pray that they will lead the effort in restoring peace and prosperity to our nation and world.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Good Use of Time

God has given us talents which we must go and make productive. These precious talents are the days of our lives. If we spend our short lives profitably, we will enjoy an eternity of glory and happiness. If we misuse this gift of our life, we will endure an eternity of shame. Make careful use of the gift of God. Behold now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation! God will soon come upon us and then we shall have to render an account of the use of every moment of our lives! Blessed shall you be if in the fulfillment of your daily duties you have been faithful in little things. But what disaster it will be if God finds you wasting the goods of His house!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Priest and the Church

It is still not too late to restore the Church to its proper place, and the role of the priest is to prepare for her in the hearts and minds of men the way of return. Your role is to pray for your priests! The salvation of souls is the exclusive work of Christ! He entrusts it to whom He wishes. He calls to His vineyard laborers chosen by the Father. Pray that your priests will learn obedience to the Church and to her laws. Pray that your priests will foster a greater love for the Eucharist! Pray that your priests will learn to offer sacrifice as if it is the last thing they do on this earth!

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Purgatory II

Purgatory should not be viewed as a place that the soul travels to. For example, an intermediate state between Hell and Heaven. Catholic theology defines purgatory as the condition of souls which, at the moment of death, are in a state of grace, but which have not completely expiated their sins. Furthermore, these souls have not yet attained the degree of purity necessary to stand face to face with God.

Purgatory is a transitory state. Souls in purgatory are on their way to eternal happiness. Merit cannot be gained or lost in purgatory. It is a state of atonement and expiation. A soul in purgatory must satisfy Divine Justice be enduring this punishment. Souls in purgatory may be assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Way of the Cross

"Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the everlasting fire" (Matt. 25:41). We must take up our Cross in this life and follow Christ if we wish to gain eternal life. For many, however, this saying seems hard. If we follow Christ willingly now we will not fear His second coming as our judge. If we willingly embrace our Cross now we will be able to draw near to Christ the judge with great trust.

Embracing the Cross means salvation. Embracing the Cross means life. Embracing the Cross means protection from our enemies. Strength of mind, joy and peace of spirit, virtue and holiness of life all come from embracing the Cross.

Take up your Cross and follow Christ in order to win eternal life. There is no other way.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Death

All of us one day will die. Most of us at one time or another have thought about what kind of death that will be. Will it be a good death or a bad death? Will it be a sudden death? Will it be at the hands of another person? Will it be by an unfortunate accident? Will it be by disease? Most people consider the above types of deaths to be bad deaths. However, in and of themselves none of the above mentioned types of death are evil. What matters is whether or not we have made our peace with God. It does not matter if we die in the prime of our life. It does not matter if we die at the hands of somebody else. What matters is that we are prepared. The Holy Martyrs were all prepared to die. What makes a death bad is the sinner who dies in his sins. It is sin which destroys his soul.

We must recognize God's divine justice in this life while we still have time. If we don't do this now chances are we won't do it on our death bed. If we hide our sins now they will later be made clear as day. Lent give us a great opportunity to recognize our sins and acknowledge them before God. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation.

Let us repent and embrace the mercy of God.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Following Christ

If we say we are followers of Christ we must also follow His example. God sent all the prophets to preach repentance and conversion. After that He sent John the Baptist to preach the same message. Christ Himself preached constantly about the importance of amending one's life. Christ says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest." Christ constantly forgave and called men to Himself.

We must imitate Christ. We must be zealous with kindness and the ability to forgive. This is what draws people to Christ. We must constantly seek out those who are lost and guide them back to the flock as Christ did.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Importance of the Mass

Nothing in the whole universe can provide for us what the The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass provides. We receive our God into our very being. In the Mass God gives us His very life in the person of Jesus Christ. It is extremely critical that we therefore attend Mass with all our senses open to the truth that takes place before us. We must receive our Lord with the proper dispositions, especially with gratitude. If we receive the grace of God in vain, we bring judgment upon ourselves.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Temptation Continued

The greatest misfortune for a Christian is not to be tempted. Saint Gregory says that if you have no temptations the devil is your friend, your guide and your shepherd. If he now allows you a life of peace, he will at the end of your life drag you into hell. If we are not tempted then we must consider ourselves abandoned by God.

Temptation is necessary. It helps us persevere in humility and distrust of ourselves. Temptation obliges us to take refuge in God alone. In fact, temptation is one of the sure signs that we are on the path to heaven, no matter how humiliating the temptation may be. Saint Augustine says that everything we do without overcoming temptation is of very little value. We cannot become discouraged. We should rather thank God and fight the good fight because we have already won the victory in Jesus Christ.

More on Temptation

Job says: “Man’s life on earth is a temptation.” No one is too perfect and holy as sometimes not to have temptations. Nevertheless, temptations can be very profitable, difficult though they may be. Christ Himself was tempted precisely to show us how we can gain victory over temptations. In fact, temptation is necessary for us because it teaches us to know ourselves. Satan has asked to put us through the crucible of temptation, but Christ has prayed for us. Saint Paul reminds us that “God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.”

Satan knows his time is limited. His goal is to tax your patience, to discourage you, and at last to drag you into hell. He will tempt you with desire for gain. He will induce you to accumulate worldly goods. He will tempt you with the devil of pride and the demon of pleasure. We must therefore watch over ourselves. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We may be standing now, but we must pray and watch lest we fall.

Sincerely in Christ,

Re. Jeffery A. Fasching

Charity II

We cannot work out our salvation without charity! When we have charity all the other virtues come with it. Charity purifies and sanctifies our actions. Charity perfects the soul. Saint Paul says in his epistle: “Brethren, If I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries and all knowledge: and if I should have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Self Accusation

We must always find fault with ourselves. It is so very easy to be impatient with everyone else, and yet so very difficult to blame ourselves for our own faults. We have enough to be concerned with when it comes to a knowledge of ourselves. It would be good to beg God on a regular basis for the grace to see ourselves as we really are. The only way to constant peace in our lives is to constantly find fault with ourselves.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Charity

What is Charity? It is a theological virtue that God infuses into our heart by which we learn to love God with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. We should pray every day that we learn to love God above all things, even ourselves. To love God above all things means to be willing to lose fortune, good name, parents, friends children, husband, wife, and even our own life, than to lose God by committing a mortal sin.

Saint Augustine says that to love God perfectly means to love Him without measure, even if there were no heaven to hope for or no hell to fear. Saint Paul knew all too well that to really love God means that neither sufferings, persecutions, contempt, life, or death are capable of taking this love away from us. We owe this kind of love to God.

Those who possess Charity do not strive to accumulate the goods of this world. The things of this world are nothing to them. They realize that those who cling to this world’s goods are unhappy people. They strive constantly to atone for their sins through good works. They are kind to everybody.

When we meditate upon the second mystery of the Holy Rosary, we ask God for a spirit of Charity.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Humility

No one makes us angry. Anger is our own emotional response to someone's behavior or to an event. It is easy to react to annoyances and disappointments with anger. It is much more difficult to react with understanding and empathy. It is very difficult not to respond to anger with even more anger. However, when we respond to anger with empathy and even love, we can often diffuse hatred and convert our enemies into friends.

Humility allows us to acknowledge we are God's creatures. We were created for Him and not for our own self-glorification. Humility allows us to acknowledge the dignity of all human beings. Humility is the best way to combat the angry passions of others. Through humility we can turn our enemies into friends. When we meditate upon the first decade of the Holy Rosary we ask God for the grace to be humble.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Purgatory

The Dogma of Purgatory is often forgotten by the majority of the faithful. Saint Francis de Sales once said "we do not sufficiently remember our dear departed; their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells." We have an obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Although the Poor Souls are assurred of their salvation and the beatific vision, they are not yet there. They are truly suffering. They are no longer able to pray for themselves, therefore they rely completely upon the prayers of their friends here on earth.

Prayer and sacrifices for the departed are part of our Christian worship. Devotion towards the souls in Purgatory is a devotion infused into our souls by the Holy Ghost. It is a holy and wholesome thought, says Scripture, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.

Today a votive Mass will be offered for the souls in Purgatory. Let us pray with the Church Militant for the Church Suffering.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching