Ad Jesum per Mariam

The Eighth Husband and the Bride: How the Book of Tobit Echoes the Story of Jesus and His Church Listen to how the Book of Tobit unveils the narrative of Jesus and His Church. During the readings before the Gospel this week, we encountered passages from the Book of Tobit. But what is the significance of these readings to the Church? Why are they held in such high regard? Please note that the first...

The Lesson of the Widow’s Mite or the Widow’s Offering In the Gospel reading, Jesus teaches and speaks in the Temple shortly before His Passion. The focal point of the Gospel story is the widow’s mite or offering. Despite contributing only two small coins, the widow’s gift surpasses that of everyone else. During the Homily, we also learn about the first reading from the Book of Tobit, which is not...

Jesus and the Roman Coin Jesus is approached by the Pharisees and asks Jesus if it is lawful to pay the Roman tax. This takes place shortly before the Lord enters His passion. Jesus knows what will happen, yet He asks for the coin. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God. The Pharisees do not want to learn from Him, but to trap Him. As is often the case when someo...

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Take note of the unmistakable emphasis in Jesus’ voice during the Gospel reading. When the Lord speaks of the profound mysteries we commemorate today… and indeed, the sacrament we partake in during Mass… His words carry an unwavering insistence. The Lord presents a clear-cut choice before each of us: either believe in Him or do not. These are the only two opt...

Live for Wisdom: Live for Jesus The way of living that the Lord presents to us brings a certain joy to our hearts. In the first reading, which is not included in this audio, we learn about someone who highly values God’s Wisdom and devotes themselves to seeking it, even to the point of experiencing torment in the pursuit. It may seem strange that there is torment despite the presence of joy. If it...

Prayer on Behalf of the Synod Around the globe, numerous dioceses have organized Synods to engage both religious leaders and the laity in discussions on various topics. These Synods also take place at a national level. Later this year, Bishops, priests, and members of the laity will gather in Rome to deliberate upon the outcomes of these Synods. Consequently, the Bishops have requested prayers, sp...

The Conclusion of St. John's Gospel: Insights and Reflections Note the Gospel’s beginning today, which includes . . . a reading from the conclusion of . . . These words mark the end of the Gospel of St. John. As we are about to celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the Church also draws closer to the conclusion of the Easter Season. Similarly, the season of the Resurrection is reaching its end. Further insi...

Pentecost: The Church’s Gathering in the Upper Room, . . . Traditionally, in certain regions, Pentecost Sunday is referred to as White Sunday. But wait, why is it called White Sunday when priests wear red and the Holy Spirit, symbolized by fire and the color red, is honored? The explanation for this can be found in the first part of the Homily. Pentecost Sunday is a day of miracles. Many Christian...

The Ascension: Humanity Also Rises to Heaven! Understand the Implications! Many members of the Body of Christ fail to appreciate the immense greatness of the Ascension’s mystery. After 40 days since Easter Sunday, we find ourselves immersed in the context of this significant day, symbolizing a triumph over death. In the Gospel, we witness the disciples grappling with doubt as they yearn to believe...

The Ascension: Humanity Also Rises to Heaven! Understand the Implications! Today’s mystery is intriguing in several ways. In the Gospel, we encounter the Mystery of the Ascension, where Jesus must go and ascend to Heaven, while simultaneously claiming to be always present. Delve deeper into the homily to explore these seemingly contradictory statements made by Jesus. Forty days have passed since t...

The Beauty, Goodness and Dignity of Womanhood Today’s Gospel is both beautiful and mysterious. Jesus talks about the gift of having another advocate. The first and last lines of the Gospel are particularly significant, as the Lord emphasizes that loving Him means obeying His commandments. However, He is not looking for mere compliance; rather, He seeks a deeper and more vital embrace of His teachi...

The One Place in Scripture, Jesus Tells Us What He Thinks of His Mother The One Place in Scripture, . . . When God created the earth, He spoke the word and it came into existence. He declared the Light and the creatures of the earth good. God’s words have the power to make things happen, and when He created man and woman, it was very good. However, mankind falls into darkness when they stop listen...

On the Feast of Fatima: Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart: What It Truly Means When we reflect on the events that took place at Fatima and the devotion to Our Lady associated with it, several things immediately come to mind. These include the Miracle of the Sun, the three young shepherd children, the apparitions and messages, and the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. Another term that is often mentioned,...

You Know the Way! How Does This Statement from Jesus Impact Our Spiritual Life? There are some Gospels that are difficult to understand what Jesus is saying. In today’s Gospel, during His speaking to His disciples, Jesus says . . . why don’t you understand? At times it may seem it is a simple message . . . but only for Jesus and not His disciples! Today’s interchange between Jesus and His disciple...

I Will Raise Him Up on the Last Day! What Does That Mean For Us? How can I understand if no one instructs me? In the first reading (not included within this audio) we hear this statement in reference to the scriptures. We do not hear that one completely understands the scripture. Furthermore, we do not hear that I will interpret the scripture according to my understanding and knowledge! We hear th...

Lord, Where Else Would We Go? You Have the Words of Eternal Life! In today’s Gospel, there is an exchange between Jesus and His disciples. The Gospel is part of the Bread of Life. In the exchange, someone says . . . this saying is hard. Who can accept it? This statement about the preaching of Jesus is with us for the last two thousand years. In our world, especially today, there is a tendency to b...

How Well Do We Know The Voice of The Good Shepherd? The sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice. The Church asks this day, how well do we know the voice of the Good Shepherd? How well do we know the voice of Jesus Christ? It’s a simple, but an important question. How well do we know His voice? How do we single out His voice between all the other voices within the world? How do we rec...

Pilgrimages: Their Impact on Saint Louis de Montfort’s and Our Spiritual Life On this day the Church celebrates Saint Louis de Montfort. This conference was given at a Shrine. Shrines were important to Fr. de Montfort. That fact is largely neglected when one speaks about him. One cannot fully understand Fr. de Montfort and his mission without understanding what pilgrimages mean to him. Pilgrimage...

Understand What Prevents Us From Recognizing God’s Blessing, Grace, Nearness and Goodness! The Paschal candle is one of the important symbols of Easter. This fact is also illustrated in today’s Gospel. It is positioned between the ambo and the altar. It sheds light. Understand its symbol and its importance. Hear more within the Homily. In today’s first reading (not included within this audio), Pet...

Peter’s Trusting the Lord Who Rose From the Dead The Holy Spirit is present throughout the Easter season’s readings. The Easter season begins on Easter and ends with Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is part of the Easter season . . . and marks the end of the season. It is not a separate celebration. There is a connection between the Resurrection of the Lord (His Victory on The Cross) and the outpouring...

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fish. The First of Three of Jesus’ Passovers In the first reading (not included within this audio) we hear about the difficult relationship Jesus had with a number of the authorities in Israel. The difficulties begin with false Messiahs. Men who came before the Lord, pretending to be the one the people were waiting for in Israel. Humans, who speak well, became the cri...

When the Disciples Start Moving . . . Jesus Meets Them. This is Characteristic of Discipleship The Homily begins with the gestures we make when the Gospel is proclaimed. Why do we make these gestures? What does the Church tell us? Listen to the beginning of the Homily. In today’s Gospel, the Apostles sail across the waters to Galilee. Jesus ascended the mountain to pray and was not with the discip...

The Apostles are Thrown Into Jail and Released by an Angel . . . Paralleling the Events of The Resurrection In early Christian writings and poetry, the breaking of chains is written to describe the Resurrection. When they take the Lord down from The Cross, they place Him in a tomb. They then rolled the stone and sealed the tomb . . . in effect locking Him in. They then place guards in front of the...

St. Peter’s Healing In the Name of Jesus Christ In today’s Gospel, St. Peter (and St. John) heals a man in the name of Jesus Christ. The beggar wanted coins. St. Peter does not carry coins but offers the man what he does have . . . salvation and healing through the name of Jesus Christ. The healing of the man’s legs took less than a minute. This man spent a lifetime with legs that could not suppor...

Why Didn’t Jesus Show His Risen Glory to the World? Why Did He Entrust Delivering the Resurrection News to the Disciples? Why Didn’t Jesus Show His Risen Glory to the World? . . . The readings today place before us hearts that are hardened and reluctant to believe. The Church selects these readings today for a specific reason. Hear more within the Homily. One of the remarkable things about the Res...