Ad Jesum per Mariam

Divine Mercy Sunday: Experience God’s Joy For You . . . And . . . St Thomas’ Faith For centuries, the Church has used the second Sunday of Easter or the Sunday in the Octave of Easter to celebrate the Victory of Jesus. The name Divine Mercy Sunday was added many years later. This is a day the Church celebrates Jesus’ Victory of Mercy. What is it do we really celebrate on Divine Mercy Sunday? Hear...

Understand Our Movement that Recognizes Something Great Has Happened for Us! It is easy to forget, or even miss the point of what it is we do here on Easter Sunday morning. On this day there must be a willingness to move. We must be moved by someone or something that is greater than ourselves. It is a movement that the Body of Church began over six weeks ago. On that day we came to Church and mark...

The Resurrection: If You Accept the Truth that the Bondage of Death . . . the Chains of Death are Now Broken, then Everything Becomes Different There is a temptation amongst Christians to talk about our faith in general terms . . . or in generalities. We say Jesus was crucified because of our sins. Jesus was crucified. Jesus rose again. Notice how these descriptions are general . . . and they do n...

Easter Sunday: The Joy of Easter, is the Joy of Jesus Christ First, and Then it's Ours St. Peter talks in the first reading about the witnesses chosen in advance to the Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on Easter morning. When she saw the empty tomb, she ran to tell the disciples the news. Upon hearing it, John and Peter ran to the tomb to see for themselves. John arrived firs...

The Sign that Provoked the Religious Leaders Before the Lord’s Passion In today’s reading, the Lord tells us much. We hear about the resurrection of a people. In the first reading (not included within this audio) we do not hear about the resurrection of a person. We hear about the resurrection of a people. Israel has been destroyed. Its leaders are in exile. David my shepherd will lead them. But,...

Three Hearts with Jesus During the Last Supper The Gospel reading takes place in the upper room and recounts the Last Supper. The disciples are sitting around the table with Jesus. Our attention is drawn to three men. It is important to note, because one cannot fully engage the Passion of the Lord, without paying attention to the other characters. Jesus suffers during the Passion, but He is not al...

The Church’s Message When We Kneel at the Time the Lord Gives Up His Spirit! One of the miraculous moments of all of Holy Week, just happened during the Gospel reading. During the reading of the Lord’s Passion (not included within this audio), there are many details presented. However, during the reading there is a moment when the simple statement of the Lord giving up His Spirit is read. We then...

Even Believers in Jesus . . . Were Trying to Kill Him. What Scripture Tells Us! There is a chilling, a concerning note to the beginning of today’s Gospel. Jesus spoke to the Jews who believed in Him. The Gospel’s exchange is between the Lord and believers. Not between non-believers, but believers. Yet, Jesus says, You are trying to kill Me. Oh my! That should give of us reason to pause and pay att...

The Point of Some Hardships . . . Is For the Glory and Goodness of God to Show Itself In the scriptures we hear I will take you from your grave and give you life. These words are directed to a broken people in exile. The chosen people no longer have their lands. Their life changed. Spiritually, something died. These words impact us today. The Lord speaks a Word that reaches into the dead and gives...

The Life Hidden with Jesus in God: Introduction and Reflections This audio is a brief Introduction and Reflections on Henri Marie Boudon’s spiritual classic “The Life Hidden with Jesus in God”. Written over three hundred years ago, it made a strong contribution to St. Louis de Montfort’s spiritual formation. The focus of the book is a remarkable spirituality of self-denial. This is a follow up to...

The Brazen Serpent. What God is Really Telling Moses . . . and Us! The Brazen Serpent . . . Because He spoke this way, many became to believe in Him. This might be a puzzling statement that we hear in today’s Gospel. I might not even understand that statement! This is a mysterious passage found in St. John’s Gospel. Mysterious because it moved hearts, when to today’s ear, it may sound confusing. H...

The Feast of the Annunciation and The Hiddenness of God Today we celebrate the Glory of God and the Hiddenness of God. We celebrate His wonderous workings and the humility of God. This is a feast of Jesus Christ, though we do not see Him during today’s reading and Gospel. Within the Homily we hear about the synergies between the reading and the Gospel. The Homily discusses the first reading’s (not...

Feast of the Annunciation: The Holy Rosary and Meditations Join us in praying this Rosary. Listen to the special meditations within the Feast of the Annunciation’s Holy Rosary.

From a Christian Perspective, Suffering is a Sign of God’s Patience With Us! From a Christian Perspective, . . . On the Fridays during Lent there is a sharp and clear note of the Passion in the readings. The words in which the Gospel ends today is important. They tried to seize Him and put Him to death. But no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not come. It is important to realize that J...

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: Day 1: One Cannot Know Jesus Without Understanding The Cross After the opening prayer and the reading of the Gospel, the Reflection begins with the topic Why and How Do We Bless Ourselves Before the Gospel is Read. Listen more to the homily. Who does the world say I am? We hear this in the Gospel that is read as Jesus asks the question to His disciples. You...

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: Day 2: The Cross Is Key to Knowing Jesus The first night of this Mission began with a reflection on the sign one makes at the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel. On the second night of the Mission, the reflection begins at the end of the proclamation of the Gospel. Hear more within the reflection. The Gospel we hear tonight is The Passion of Christ,...

Lenten Mission: Day 3: Continuing The Wisdom of The Cross of Jesus. The Gospel takes place largely on Easter Sunday night . . . and the following Sunday. The story also includes the disciples telling St. Thomas they have seen the Lord. St. Thomas says you did not. St. Thomas then says, unless I place my hand in His side, I will not believe. The reflection begins with the words at the conclusion of...

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: The Holy Rosaries and Meditations St. Louis de Montfort, before preaching a Mission, would not begin his preaching without leading the community in the Holy Rosary. Fr. de Montfort did not do this as part of a devotional practice. Rather, it served a very important purpose for him. He took to heart the Gospel that the Lord tells us when the Sower plants his...

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: The Holy Rosaries and Meditations St. Louis de Montfort, before preaching a Mission, would not begin his preaching without leading the community in the Holy Rosary. Fr. de Montfort did not do this as part of a devotional practice. Rather, it served a very important purpose for him. He took to heart the Gospel that the Lord tells us when the Sower plants his...

The Wisdom of the Cross Lenten Mission: The Holy Rosaries and Meditations St. Louis de Montfort, before preaching a Mission, would not begin his preaching without leading the community in the Holy Rosary. Fr. de Montfort did not do this as part of a devotional practice. Rather, it served a very important purpose for him. He took to heart the Gospel that the Lord tells us when the Sower plants his...

The Feast of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary Today is not the Feast of St. Joseph! It is the Feast of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary. It is the only feast day in which liturgically the Church celebrates under the title of Husband. Remarkable. There are married couples that are saints, but their title does not include their spouse. For example, our Lady’s parents are not entitl...

What Does Value in Suffering Mean for Our Spiritual Life? The readings today focus on contrasts between light and darkness, night and day, blindness and sight. In the first reading (not included within this audio) is the anointing of David, the future king of Israel. Jesse and his sons are invited to a feast and among his sons, a king will be chosen. As the prophet arrives, he sees the sons and sa...

God is Always Ready to Extend Forgiveness and Mercy. But, YOU Must Do Something to Receive It! The note of forgiveness is apparent in today’s readings in different ways. The first reading (not included within this audio) involves physical peril. The Homily discusses a person about to be put to death as the torturer readies a white fire. We hear about someone about to enter a chamber of fire. A pra...

The Lord Tells Us How to Achieve Greatness in Our Living and its Impact on Our Journey to Heaven The Lord Tells Us How to Achieve Greatness in Our Living and . . . When we hear the words greatest and least, we think of one of each. One greatest and one least. Notice how the Lord speaks in today’s Gospel. Whoever, in general, does this . . . will be the least. And whoever, in general, does this . ....

The Chosen People Have a Special Place in God’s Heart When we attend Church, we do so because we are the people of God. That is what today’s scripture readings tells us. To belong to the Lord, means something. We want to make sure we get that right. Moses speaking to the people addresses them right before the series of movements on entering the promise land. After forty years, their journey in the...