Ad Jesum per Mariam

Look UP in Faithfulness to See the Lord. The Gift of Hope Jesus says in the Gospel, the Son of Man will be lifted up. Jesus references in the Gospel Moses in the dessert. When the Israelites were unfaithful, and worshipped serpents, snakes came and bit the people. Many people died. When the people called out to God, He commanded Moses to create a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. He told Mose...

The Seven Last Words of Jesus: The Fourth Friday Lenten Season Conference Note: This audio is the fourth Friday conference within the Lenten Season. The first several media titles appear below. The Seven Last Words of Jesus: The Fourth Friday Lenten Season Conference When we say the seven last words, we mean the seven last statements of Jesus on The Cross. On Mount Sinai, the Lord gave to Moses te...

The Lord Gives Us a Way for Eternal Life In the first reading (not included within this media set), we hear the prophet say: “More tortuous than all is the Human Heart. Who can understand it?” We likely agree with the statement, but it is often something we do not like to admit. We often fool ourselves into thinking we really know ourselves. We believe we know how the world works. Reality says som...

Jesus Tells Us About The Stewardship of Your Life: One of Jesus’ Last Parables to the Pharisees Jesus tells the chief priests a parable during Holy Week. In a few days Jesus will be on The Cross. He knows what is to come and He knows exactly who He is speaking to on this day. We hear of the parable of the vineyard. It’s important to understand this parable because of what will happen in a few days...

Atonement, Reparation and Reconciliation to the Heart of Jesus Every so often we hear or read a statement that most Christians do not believe that Jesus is really present in the Blessed Sacrament. This statement is not new to our times! This belief and issue go back hundreds of years. Go back to the year 1673, in the convent of the Visitation Sisters, a religious community that is founded precisel...

Jesus Became Angry Intoday’s Gospel we hear that Jesus becomes angry! We may recall the scripture – Jesus and the Merchants / Money Changers in the Temple. Jesus became angry! What is the takeaway for our Spiritual Life? Listen to: Jesus Became Angry Listen to this Meditation Media. --------------------------------------- Image: The Merchants Chased from the Temple: French Painter: James Tissot: 1...

The Prodigal Son Parable: Both Sons Mis-Used Their Inheritance! Today’s Gospel reading is the Prodigal Son Story. We all know it, and therefore, we may miss the opportunity to really hear it again. Each of the parables in scripture are not only for the people of Jesus’ times, but for us as well! Jesus talks to us through scripture. What is He saying to us? We hear the younger son misused his inher...

St. Louis de Montfort’s Hymns on the Sorrowful Passion A quick note about the hour. In the Christian Tradition, Jesus breathes His last on The Cross at 3 PM on Good Friday. That is the ninth hour of the day. 3PM is often reflected upon. What many Christians do not reflect upon as often are the other hours. When scripture speaks of the Passion of the Lord, and its events, they are spoken about in a...

Where Did the Stations of the Cross Come From? Why Are They Important? What is the Peculiar Power of this Prayer? Note: This audio does not contain the actual praying of the stations. The audio addresses the origin questions appearing within the title, plus more. If you wish to pray the Stations, a link within the post provides an example. During the Lenten Season, many participate in the devotion...

Jesus Gives the Roadmap to Heaven in Today’s Gospel. Implications for Our Spiritual Life! I thought Jesus was supposed to be nice. That was the response one teenager had in reading today’s scripture in which Jesus tells us, unless you do something . . . unless you change . . . you will find yourself in the fires of hell. Jesus says unless. When He says that, we know there is a consequence. Hear mo...

God Gave You Life For a Reason! Understand the Reasons Why God Made You! Understand the Implications for Our Spiritual Life! Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM God Gave You Life For a Reason! Understand the Reasons Why God Made You! . . . The scripture readings put forth the question about our standard of living. We are not use to speaking about faith . . . in terms of a standard! The Lord puts a standard in...

What is a Contrite Heart? Implications for Us During this Lenten Season! In the act of confessing, we often recite the Act of Contrition, but what exactly does it mean to possess a contrite heart? While we associate it with feelings of remorse and regret, it goes beyond merely having a sorry or regretful heart. So, what precisely is a contrite heart? In today’s first reading (not included within t...

The Spiritual Meaning of Lent There is a definite structure to Lent. It is not merely a calendar structure. It is a spiritual structure! The more we can appreciate this fact, the more we can enter into the fullness of this holy season. Lent means many things to Christians. We use words to describe this season, like fasting and penance. Lent is associated with certain devotions, including the Stati...

Lenten Season Lesson: Charity and Prayer are Not Optional, but Obligatory We all are sinners. This is obvious, but it is possible on any given day for us to forget that. We might focus on the sinfulness of the world. We focus on the failures of others. We may also focus on the ways we have been wronged. We are sinners, but at times that thought can become distant. This theme runs through the Lente...

Why Did Jesus Go Out into the Desert for Forty Days? Why is the Lenten Season 40 days? What does that mean for us? Listen to this Meditation Media.

Today’s Gospel Conveys a Powerful Message: The Opportunity for the Anointment of the Sick is Open to Everyone Seriously Sick! The Gospel narrative shares the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law by Jesus, a reminder echoed by the Church. The Anointment of the Sick is accessible to all who seek it—a sacrament granted upon request. This sacrament is intended for those facing serious illnesses or i...

The Apostles Are Summoned by Jesus to Rest: Relevance for Our Spiritual Journey Upon learning about Solomon’s requested gift from the Lord in the initial reading, the Homily explores its connection with the Gospel. The Gospel conveys a subtle yet significant lesson applicable to all, and we must be attentive not to overlook it. Following the Apostles’ return from their efforts in healing and minis...

St. Paul Tells Us: The Church is the Mystery of the Body of Christ. We are Members of His Body. What Does That Mean for Our Own Spirituality? Go out into the whole world. The first reading tells us of Saul going out in the world to capture Jews believing in Jesus. He is very aggressive in his work. He hunts down people belonging to this new way. We see Heaven send a warning to the heart of one who...

The Lord Forgives David. But, He Holds David Accountable for the Wrong that he has Done. Hear the Lessons for Us! In the first reading (not included within this audio) the prophet comes before King David. David has sinned greatly but acts as nothing wrong has happened. The public is unaware; the world is unaware; and David is resting securely in his home. He is content with both what he has . . ....

He Spoke With Authority: What Does That Mean for People of Jesus’ Time and For Us Today? If today, you hear His voice… harden not your hearts. Every day for the last thousand years (at least), the Church begins prayer with this message. The Homily tells us more. In today’s reading (not included within this audio), we hear the people cannot bear to hear the word of God directly. The people turn to...

Serving the Lord, Not In My Way, But the Way the Lord Wants: Implications for Us! In the first reading (not included within this media) Samuel anointed Saul as king. A few days later we hear about how he was rejected and replaced. How quickly the mighty can fall. In between those points in scripture, we hear what it means to serve the Lord. Saul was rejected, not because he was incompetent. He was...

A Change in Our Hearts is the Difference Between Being Friends With the Lord or Distancing Us From Him In today’s reading (audio not included), as well as in the Gospel, there is significant activity among the people. The reading depicts the king and his soldiers, with townspeople emerging to welcome and celebrate their victory. Meanwhile, the Gospel narrates encounters with people, particularly t...

Jesus’ Relatives Think He Is Out Of His Mind! His relatives think He is out of His mind. Wow, that is a shocking sentence from scripture! Shocking, yet beautiful! Hidden within the scripture, we see that His family members recognize something that we all too often forget! After two thousand years, and after hearing the Gospel proclaimed many times, we can take Jesus for granted. We often miss some...

Jesus Is Present to Us: Understand How This Occurs Sunday of the Word of God: What is That? Each time the Mass is held, Jesus is present to us! Yes, during the Holy Sacrament, but that is only one of four times Jesus is present to us during Mass. Hear and understand how He is present to us and how that might influence your attentiveness at Mass. Listen to: Jesus Is Present to Us: Understand How Th...

The Three Kings, the Magi, Provide Us an Example for Our Own Spirituality On the Feast of the Magi, there is a great celebration. We all know the song of the three kings. We know the story, about the kings moving across deserts following a star. There are two groups that heaven provides a sign foretelling the birth of Jesus (the other being the shepherds notified by the angels). The three kings ar...