Bulletin 149

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

April 21st, 2013 Third Sunday after Easter

Epistle: 1 Pet. 2: 11-19
Gospel: Jn. 16: 16-22

Mass schedule April 22nd through April 26th

Monday: SS. Soter & Caius, Popes & Martyrs—No Latin Mass
Tuesday: Feria of Paschaltide
Wednesday: St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Martyr
Thursday: St. Mark, Evangelist
Friday: SS. Cletus & Marcellinus, Popes & Martyrs

All are invited to the pot-luck dinner Sunday, April 21st immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the school cafeteria.

Jesus Christ has commanded us to take up our Crosses and follow Him if we wish to gain eternal life. He clearly taught that His followers would undergo sufferings and persecutions in this life, but they would have their reward in heaven if they remained faithful. The rest of the world will make merry and rejoice, while the Christian will suffer persecutions. Catholic Doctrine has always taught that the only way to share in the glory of the Resurrection is through the Cross. All the saints were familiar with suffering. In fact, they became extremely anxious when they were not made to suffer because they felt like Christ had abandoned them! “Take up thy Cross and follow me,” says Jesus Christ. You must either suffer in this life or give up the hope of seeing God in heaven!

In Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 146

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT: Father Jeffery Fasching

March 31st, 2013 Easter Sunday

Epistle: I Cor. 5: 7-8
Gospel: Mk. 16: 1-7

Mass schedule April 1st through April 5th

Easter Monday No Latin Mass
Easter Tuesday
Easter Wednesday
Easter Thursday
Easter Friday

On Easter Sunday the Mass highlights the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! The Mass also alludes to the spiritual resurrection experienced by all those who have been baptized. We recall Christ’s death on the Cross through which He triumphed over sin and Satan, but today we joyfully emphasize how Christ rises from the grave to the dismay of His enemies!

In the office of the Church we proclaim: “This is the day which the Lord had made; let us celebrate it with transports of joy.”

The Body of Christ which previously had been scourged, beaten and nailed to the Cross comes forth from the tomb in resplendent fashion! The Victim once slain by the cruelty of man now shows in a glorious way His triumph over death. The Resurrection is the most concrete proof of Christ’s Divinity. Our belief in the Resurrection is the foundation of our faith. Saint Augustine once wrote that the Resurrection of Christ is God’s supreme and wholly marvelous work! Saint Paul writes: “If Christ be not risen again your faith is in vain.” (I Cor. 15) Furthermore, “God hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He hath raised us up together with Christ and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places.”


In Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 135

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

January 13th, 2013 Holy Family

Epistle: Col. 3: 12-17; Gospel: Lk. 2: 42-52

Mass schedule January 14th through January 18th

Monday-Saint Hilary-Bishop, Confessor & Doctor-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Paul, the First Hermit

Wednesday-Saint Marcellus I-Pope & Martyr

Thursday-Saint Anthony, Abbot

Friday-Votive Mass of the Chair of Saint Peter


The Feast of the Holy Family offers us a chance to reflect upon God’s eternal truths and the true meaning of life. We are a pilgrim people and the true home we were born for is in heaven. In this world filled with temptation and the pride of life we must learn the great value of silence. We should ask God for the gift of meditation and reflect upon that which is spiritual. We should pray each day for a well-ordered and disciplined life of prayer. We must first be rooted deeply in Christ if we hope to fulfill our duty as Christians to bring Him into a world where so many are in desperate need of His grace.

The Feast of the Holy Family should also help us to understand the importance of family life. The family is the basic unit of society. However, it is rapidly deteriorating and in many places almost completely vanquished from our culture. The family is the context in which children were meant to be raised.

We should also reflect upon the value of work. Jesus Christ chose to become the Son of a carpenter. He was never too proud to embrace an honest day’s work. Saint Paul writes in his Epistle: “All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ our Lord.” We should put all our hearts into everything we do and do all for love of God alone. If we can truly say that love of God is our motivation then we are on the path to holiness.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 116

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

August 26th, 2012; 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Gal. 3:16-22; Gospel: Lk. 17:11-19

Mass Schedule August 27th through August 31st

Monday –Saint Joseph Calasance, Confessor-- NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Saint Augustine, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor

Wednesday-Beheading of John the Baptist

Thursday-Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin

Friday-Requiem Mass + David Anderson

There will be a Potluck dinner Sunday, September 9th immediately following the 2:30pm Mass in the Saint Agnes school cafeteria. All are invited.

The best reasons for praying the Holy Rosary are the following:

1) For world peace… “Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.” (Our Lady of Fatima, 1917). The Popes have highly recommended the Rosary to promote peace throughout the world.

2) A means for preserving the home…”There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family…than the daily recitation of the Rosary”… Pope Pius XII

3) For courage in the hardships of life …”a powerful means of renewing our courage will undoubtedly be found in the Holy Rosary”…Pope Leo XIII

4) As a ready and easy means of preserving the faith…”We have elsewhere brought it to the attention of the devout Christian that not least among the advantages of the Rosary is the ready means it puts in his hands to nurture his faith, and to keep him from ignorance of his religion and the danger of error”…Pope Leo XIII

We should pray the rosary for the intention of making sacrifices in order to save sinners and ourselves from hell. The Magisterium has always taught the reality and eternity of hell. If God is merciful and if the human person is free, and thus capable of change, why must hell be eternal? We must not imagine that the damned piteously plea for God to accept their repentance and that He refuses to do so because they failed to meet a deadline that God arbitrarily set. If they are in hell forever it is because they refuse to repent and, indeed, given their choice to be who they are, they cannot repent. They do not wish to repent because they have freely chosen to make themselves and their will, not God and His will, the absolute value of their existence. Instead of embracing the infinite goodness and richness that is God, they have elected the barrenness which is themselves apart from God. It is not God who first rejects the damned, it is they who reject God, and they continue to reject Him. If God should offer the damned all the joys of heaven as a reward for sincere repentance, they would say, “I would rather be damned than submit to you.” Their will is totally, firmly, and irrevocably fixed upon themselves and against God. Having excluded God completely from their existence, they lack the principle from which conversion could take its origin; that is, reverence and love for God and a willingness to obey Him.

Let us pray for the conversion of sinners through the Holy Rosary!

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Grace

Grace is what makes us whole. Grace is what heals our ills. Grace is what allows us to become holy. Grace is a gift from God. We receive grace according to the capacity with which we allow ourselves to be disposed to do so. Open up your heart. Beg God for a share in the same graces He gave to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Believe firmly in what is not seen by the eyes. There is much more than what the eyes of your body reveal. What is seen belongs to this world, but what is not seen belongs to our true homeland in heaven. Be always ready to receive the giving of grace!

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 110

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

July 8th, 2012; 6th Sunday after Pentecost

Epistle: Rom. 6:3-11---Gospel: Mk. 8:1-9

Mass Schedule July 9th through July 13th

Monday --Feria--NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-Seven Holy Brothers, Martyrs and SS Rufina & Secunda, Virgins & Martyrs

Wednesday-Saint Pius I, Pope & Martyr

Thursday-Saint John Gualbert, Abbot

Friday-Feria


FR FASCHING WILL BE ON RETREAT BEGINNING SATURDAY, JULY 14th. THERE WILL BE NO LATIN MASS ON SUNDAY, JULY 15TH AT 2:30PM. THERE WILL BE NO LATIN MASS JULY 16TH THROUGH JULY 20TH. THE LATIN MASS WILL RESUME ON SUNDAY, JULY 22nd AT 2:30PM.


The wonderful effects of baptism should remind us of the profound meaning of this rite which Jesus Christ Himself instituted. Baptism should remind us of the Passion of Christ as well as the future glory won for us as a result of His Passion. Baptism gives us a “new birth” and at the same time presupposes a symbolic death.

When we were baptized we were born into a new life. We were freed from the darkness of sin and entered into a new light. God removes every trace of sin in baptism and also remits the penalties that these sins incur. We are given all the graces necessary to live a good Christian life. The soul receives the mark of a Christian forever!

Christ suffered physical death. In baptism we die spiritually to the life of sin. Because of Christ’s death sin and satan no longer have power over us. However, we must exercise our own personal effort in order to remain dead to sin. God’s grace is always with us provided that we cooperate with it.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jeff Fasching

Bulletin 108

SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806

EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS (LATIN)

CELEBRANT Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

June 24th, 2012 Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Epistle: Is. 49: 1-3,5,6,7; Gospel: Lk. 1: 57-68

Mass Schedule June 25th through June 29th

Monday –Saint William, Abbot-NO LATIN MASS

Tuesday-SS. John & Paul, Martyrs

Wednesday-Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Thursday-Vigil of SS. Peter & Paul, Apostles

Friday-SS. Peter & Paul, Apostles

Thank you to Jim Gillett who planned and organized the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Springfield! Thanks to all of you who participated and were involved in making this event with the Bishop a great success!

Saint John the Baptist grew up to lead an austere life. The scriptures tell us that he lived in the desert in solitude to prepare for his ministry. When he began preaching repentance and the coming of the Christ, people flocked to him in order to listen to his words. John the Baptist was never concerned with the passing things of the world. His focus was on Christ alone and the coming of God’s kingdom. He knew his role as a pilgrim on earth. John the Baptist’s followers instinctively knew that he was a man of God.

Vatican II teaches us that Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city, should seek and savor the things which are above. This duty increases our obligation to work with all men in bringing others to Christ. A pilgrim, like John the Baptist, maintains a certain detachment with regard to the goods he meets along the way. While enjoying and making good use of whatever will help him in his journey, he does not loiter along the way to the eternal kingdom. John the Baptist always kept his focus. So it is with the Christian on the way to the eternal kingdom. As Christians, we have died with Christ in Baptism. We seek no longer the goods of this world but our hearts should be set on things that are above, where Christ reigns. Saint Paul writes to the Colossians:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3.1f).

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Jeff Fasching

How to Achieve Christian Unity

All Christians should be encouraged to have a strong desire for Christian unity, to pray constantly, and to foster a spirit of Christian love for brothers of every Church. As Catholics, we must absolutely have an accurate knowledge of Catholic Doctrine when we speak with our separated brethren for the purpose of promoting Christian unity.

We should seek every opportunity to show hospitality and Christian love to separated Christians and we should welcome opportunities to work with them in bearing witness to our common Christian fatih. Christian unity can be best achieved if all Christian Churches strive to renew themselves according to Christ's will.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Salvation in the Catholic Church

Jesus Christ speaks very clearly when He says in the Gospel that the Holy Ghost will teach all the truth. If one wishes to be fully incorporated into the Church of Christ one must embrace the entire system of the Catholic Church:

They are fully incorporated into the society of the Church who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept her entire system and all the means of salvation given her, and through union with her visible structure are joined to Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. This joining is effected by the bonds of professed faith, of the sacraments, of ecclesiastical government, and of communion. (LG 14b-366)

To be fully incorporated into the Church one must be united to it by all of the bonds, interior and exterior. The interior bonds of the Holy Ghost include sanctifying grace, faith, hope and love. The exterior bonds include the same professed faith, sacraments, government, and communion.

Pray for Christian unity.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Relation of Catholic Church With Other Christian Churches

The Catholic Church recognizes that she is joined with all those separated Christian brothers who are baptized and profess faith in Christ, but she regrets that they do not preserve the fullness of Christian faith and are not united with her in the one visible community of love which Christ founded on Blessed Peter and which He wills for all His disciples.

The Church knows that in many ways she is joined with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter... (LG 15-Fl 366)

...Our separated brethren, whether considered as individuals or as communities and Churches, are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those to whom He has given new birth into one body, and whom He has quickened to newness of life--that unity which the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Tradition of the Church proclaim...(UR 3b-Fl 455f)

Continue to pray for Christian unity!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Easter Joy

Christ's death on the Cross has brought spiritual health to mankind. Death entered the world through Adam's sin, but we have been given life once again through Jesus Christ. We are saved through the passion of Christ.

The highlight of the entire church year reminds us that God's grace from heaven is bestowed upon men of earth. God gives us the sacraments as our spiritual nourishment. We must receive them fervently and devoutly.

It was absolutely necessary that Christ should suffer. Saint Paul reminds us that "the author of life Himself was made perfect through suffering." Christ's glorification is His death on the Cross.

Now Christ is risen and will never die again! This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Celibacy

Chaste Celibacy:

Jesus proposed voluntary renunciation of marriage as a privileged way of serving the Kingdom of Heaven for those to whom this gift is granted. Those who can accept this gift should not refuse it: “Not all can accept this word (about celibacy), but only those to whom it is granted…Some have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it” (Mt 19.11f). Our divine Lord promised a hundred-fold in this life and life everlasting in the next for those who give up home, wife, and children for His sake (Mt 19.29).

Saint Paul recommended the unmarried state to those who are able to embrace it to dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God. This state frees the person from manifold anxieties and concerns so that he may be able to concentrate all his attention on what is pleasing to the Lord.

“To those not married and to widows I have this to say, it would be well if they remain as they are, even as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire…If you marry, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that…I should like to free you from anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (1 Cor 7.8-33)

In his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (1981) Pope John Paul II states that the Church has always defended the superiority of virginity or celibacy to marriage because of the special link this charism has with the Kingdom of God:

Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way, “so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all mankind, bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church throughout her history has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Evangelical Councils

All Christians in every walk of life are called to the perfection of love and to one and the same holiness: “Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love…In the various types and duties of life, one and the same is cultivated by all who are moved by the Spirit of God” (LG).

This does not mean that all members of the Church are called to the same degree of holiness-individuals differ in their gifts and response to grace-but all are called to the same kind of holiness. There is not a higher holiness reserved for priests and religious and an inferior kind reserved for housewives and farm laborers. All are called to essentially the same kind of holiness. Mary, The Mother of God, achieved the greatest holiness of any mere creature, but she was not a religious. The degree of holiness attained by each person depends on the gift of God’s grace and the cooperation of each one with that grace, whether one by a lay person, a cleric, or religious.

The evangelical counsels are so called because they are based on the teaching and example of Christ and the apostles. Therefore, if we want to attain holiness, we must embrace them. They are found in the gospels and other New Testament writings:

Poverty:

Jesus counseled a rich young man who was seeking perfection to embrace a life of poverty: “If you will be perfect, go sell all you have and give to the poor and come follow me” (Mt 19. 16-22). He surprised His disciples by His stern warning about the danger of riches, and promised manifold blessings to those who give up all things to follow Him (Mt. 19. 20-29).

By His own life Jesus shows by example what it means to live a poor life: he was born in a stable, had no place to lay His head, was stripped at His death, and was buried in another’s tomb.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Catholic Church Continued

In Christ, our humanity has already entered into glory. Yet He remains with the Church. “He is continually active in the world, leading men to the Church, and through her, joining them more closely to Himself, and making them partakers of His glorious life.” He does this through the Holy Ghost and by giving us His own Body and Blood as nourishment. The Church must be deeply conscious of the continued presence of the risen Lord in her midst, especially when she gathers to pray:

Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered Himself on the cross,” but especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the Holy Scriptures are read in the church. He is present, finally, when the Church prays and sings, for He promised, “Where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18.20).

Sacraments are encounters with Christ!! We should also be conscious of the continued presence and activity of the risen Lord in and through the ministers He has raised up to be the representatives and instruments through whom He cares for His people. “Although guided by human shepherds, the Church’s sheep are nevertheless ceaselessly led and nourished by Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd.” This is especially true of bishops, because they “in an eminent and visible way undertake Christ’s own role as Teacher, Shepherd, and High Priest and…act in His presence.”

Priests also must be seen as “living instruments of Christ the eternal priest…; every priest in his own way represents the person of Christ Himself…” In fact, all the baptized faithful are instruments through whom Christ and the Holy Ghost continue to act for the sanctification of the world, because all are members of one mystical body in which Christ lives, and one living temple in which the Holy Ghost remains present in the world.

The Church of God on earth remains in intimate communion with those who have gone before, whether they be the suffering souls in Purgatory or the saints reigning with Christ in glory. The loving union which Christ establishes among His disciples is not broken by death, but is rather increased. Knowing that nothing unclean can appear before God (Rev 21.27); knowing also that those who are united with Christ can help one another by prayer and good works, from early times members of the Church have prayed for the faithful departed, confident that they are able to bring them help in their need “because it is “a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed form sins” 2 Mach 12.46).

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Baptism of Jesus

The Book of Revelation tells us that Jesus Christ has won the victory over sin and satan. He is glorious in heaven as the Lamb who was slain surrounded by all His saints, martyrs and virgins who constantly give Him praise and glory.

We share in the sacrifice of Christ when we participate in Holy Communion. We must always give thanks to Christ for redeeming us by His blood and giving us Himself in Holy Communion. It is so very important that we always properly prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. We must also give a proper thanksgiving if we expect to draw fruit from receiving our Lord.

In fact, the Church teaches us that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives as Catholic Christians. Everything else emanates from the reception of our Redeemer in Holy Communion. Priests must therefore offer each Mass as if it were their only Mass. The lay faithful should attend every Mass as if it were their only Mass. We must guard against the danger of becoming complacent.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist we must decrease and acknowledge our unworthiness...Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

The Blessed Virgin Mary

The words of the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council (lumen gentium, nn. 61-62) remind us that:

This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace—from the consent which she gave in faith at the incarnation, and which she continued to give unhesitatingly at the foot of the cross—lasts without interruption until all the elect enter into eternal fulfillment. When she was taken up into heaven, she did not lay aside this saving role but she continues by her intercession for all to gain for us the gifts of eternal salvation. In her maternal love she cares for the brothers of her Son as they journey on earth in the midst of dangers and hardships, until they are brought safely home to the happiness of heaven. The Blessed Virgin is thus invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix. These titles must not, however, be understood as in any way detracting from, or adding to, the dignity and effectiveness of Christ, the one Mediator.

No creature can ever be classed as an equal with the incarnate Word, the Redeemer. But just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways by His ministers and His faithful people, and as the goodness of God, one though it is, is in different ways, really shared with creatures, so also the unique mediation of Christ does not exclude but brings about a variety of shared cooperation, deriving from the one unique source.

The Church does not hesitate to acknowledge this kind of subordinate role in the person of Mary. The Church has continuous experience of its effects, and commends it to the hearts of the faithful, so that as they lean on her motherly protection they may be brought into closer union with the Mediator, our Savior.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Our Glorified Humanity

The degrees of happiness and glory that we shall enjoy in heaven will be in proportion to the measure of love and grace that we have when we enter eternal life. These, in turn, depend on the gift of God’s grace and our cooperation with it throughout our lives on earth. As we cooperate with God’s grace through deeds of love, we grow in divine life and the capacity to live that divine life in eternity.

In eternal life our body and soul will be brought to full perfection and, while remaining essentially the same body and soul we now possess, will be glorified in a way that we cannot fully grasp in this life. All vulnerability and imperfection will be removed, and each will have its own unique beauty and glory.

In his epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul describes the qualities of the body that will rise from the grave when Christ comes again:

What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible. What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious. Weakness is sown, strength rises up. A natural body is put down and a spiritual body comes up. If there is a natural body, be sure there is also a spiritual body…The dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, this mortal body with immortality. When the corruptible frame takes on incorruptibility and the mortal immortality, then will the saying of Scripture be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory."

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

God's Thoughts of us are Thoughts of Peace

From the Revelations by Saint Gertrude, virgin:

...To atone for all my neglect I offer, most loving Father, all that your only-begotten Son did during His life, whether in thought, word or deed. That sacred life was, I know, utterly perfect in all respects, from the moment He descended from your heavenly throne and came into this world, until finally He presented the glory of His victorious human nature to you His Father.

An now, as an act of thanksgiving, I praise and worship you, Father, in deepest humility for your most loving kindness and mercy. Though I was hurrying to my eternal loss, your thoughts of me were thoughts of peace and not affliction, and you lifted me up with so many great favors. To these you added the inestimable gift of your intimate friendship, and in various ways allowed me to possess your Son's own heart, that most noble ark of God united with the Godhead. You refused me no delight that could be mine...

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

All Souls' Day

Today we recommend to God the souls in purgatory in order that we may help alleviate their terrible suffering. We pray that God in His mercy may quickly bring them to His glory. When the poor souls finally do enter into heaven, they will certainly pray for those who have prayed for them.

Let us today recommend to Jesus Christ and to the Blessed Virgin Mary all the souls in purgatory, but especially the souls of our relatives, benefactors and friends. We must also remember to pray for our enemies.

Jn. 6: 51-55

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews: I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give, is My Flesh for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, Amen, I say unto you, except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life; and I will raise him up in the last day.

In Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching

Penance Continued

Lk. 7. 36-48; The Repentant Woman:

On one occasion when Jesus was reclining at table in the home of Simon the Pharisee, He again revealed His compassion for sinners and His authority to forgive sin. A sinful woman entered and, kneeling at His feet, bathed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with fragrant oil. Seeing that Simon was scandalized that He should let a woman like this touch Him, Jesus defended her and said to Simon, “Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love.” He then said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” At that the fellow guests began to ask among themselves, “Who is this that He even forgives sins?”

Lk. 15. 1-35; Three Parables of Mercy:

Luke 15, which shows Jesus dining with sinners and pronouncing three parables of mercy, is the richest instruction on mercy in the entire bible. The fact the Jesus, in the context of proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom, dined with sinners was itself an act of great significance, especially given the cultural background of contemporary Judaism. It showed that God does not reject the sinner who will accept His offer of renewed hope and friendship. The Scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus for sitting at table with these violators of the law. In response to their charge, Jesus tells three parables of mercy. Notice the strong theme running through each of them, of great joy in heaven over the conversion of a single sinner.

The first parable is that of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. He left the ninety-nine to go in search of the one that was lost. When he had found it, he called in his neighbors and said to them: “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus concluded the parable with these significant words: “I tell you, there will likewise be more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching