Wedding - True Love

The human family is a manifestation of the Heavenly family; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The human family must be formed according to the true definition of love, the total gift of self to another.  Husbands and Fathers must sacrifice their very lives for their wives and children, women receive that gift and pefect it and children are the offspring of the selfgiving love.

25th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Pope Francis has called our Country to conversion...to a conversion that is real and lasting!  He is also calling for the sanctification of the family.  In order to do both of these we need to cut off the hands and legs and pluck out the eye that keeps our families torn apart.  Pornography is a scourge and destroyer of families.  It is a temptation for both men and women and it must be addressed.  If you struggle with this "hidden sin" please visit www.covenanteyes.com and www.integrityrestored.com.

26th Sunday In Ordinary Time

St. Francis was not just an advocate for animals and pets but even more fully was he an advocate for human life at all of its stages.  He was especially an advocate for children and children are meant to be part of Holy Matrimony.  Genesis gives us a true understanding of real love while our Gospel gives us an understanding of what happens when that love is tarnished and tuned in on ourselves.  Divorce is painful, but God can heal all wounds...if we would but let him.

27th Sunday In Ordinary Time

What motivates you?  What gets you up in the monring?  Is it money, honor, glory, power, pleasure?  Or is it the hope that one day you will experience true happiness, the possession of the complete good, and the fulfillment of you every upright desire.  True happiness, a happiness to which all the baptized are destined, is the Beatific Vision.  That face to face encounter with Our God where we will Know, Love and Serve Him perfectly.  Let us look to our Blessed Mother for an example of how to live a life filled with a firm hope in the happiness of eternal life with God.


28th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Today Pope Francis Canonized the first married couple at the same time, Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.  It was Therese who brought to light to the whole world, to the whole Church that in order to be saints we simply need to be faithful to the little opportunities of suffering, to endure all suffering with heroic love of God and neighbor.  By this holy suffering we are able to become co-redeemers with Christ.

29th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Today is Priesthood Sunday and the Letter to the Hebrews gives a great explanation of the Ministerial Priesthood.  A man taken from among men, made a representative before God to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins.  Pray for your priest!

30th Sunday In Ordinary Time

One of the Documents from Vatican II was named Lumen Gentium.  The 5th chapter of this document is devoted to the "Universal Call to Holiness."  "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity."  Today we celebrate all of those men and women who lived out this call in a heroic way.  Pray God that we may join their ranks!  Let us persevere together through all adversity.  For we believe in the Communion of the Saints.

All Saints

Throughout the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we are called by the prayers of Holy Mother Church to unite our sufferings and prayers to Jesus Christ.  We are called to "offer it up."  We unite our prayers and supplications to the one sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross and thus actively participate in the Holy Sacrifice.  May we offer it all up to Him this day and every day.

32nd Sunday In Ordinary Time - Offer It Up

In light of the recent terrorist attacks, and the many gruesome stories of death, it is vitally important that we understand the Catholic understanding of the 4 Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.  If we understand that if we have been baptized into a death like His (Christ), then we will also rise with Him, then death has no victory and no sting.  A proper understanding of the 4 last things causes us to live our lives each day for God and others so that if something should happen we remain close to Him, His Church, His Sacraments (especially Confession) and come what may...death has no power over us!

Fr. Kyle Berens