ADVENT

JMJ+OBT
MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!

ADVENT is a Holy Season of joyful preparation for the coming of Christ. We are to have a burning desire for Christ to come and be born into our lives in a new and profound way this Christmas. At the same time, we are to have an expectant faith in Jesus' second coming in glory. We live between the two comings of Christ and are privileged to have Him come to us in the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, the Living Word, and in others. Centering our lives in the Most Holy Eucharist, living the Eternal Word, and serving Christ in others are some of the most powerful ways we can prepare for the coming of Christ.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel to "WATCH" and pray so that we are not caught off guard. Advent is a time of prayer, penance and preparation. Jesus says "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" To "watch" or to "be on guard" means to be attentive. We are all servants awaiting the Master's return. We are to ask ourselves what is our beloved Master looking for upon His return? What are His needs? What are His expectations? We are to prepare well so that our beloved Master is pleased when He returns. We, as servants, stay focused on fulfilling the instructions given to us by our Master. Moreover, as beloved servants we seek to please the Beloved when He comes in His visitation.

We are called to cultivate the garden of our souls so that the Beloved will be pleased in His visitation. We ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate the garden with virtues, and to root up the weeds of selfishness and vice. When Jesus comes this Christmas we want there to be room at the inn of our hearts for Him. We want Jesus to be pleased to remain with us.

We are to "watch" and "be on guard" which also means we are to guard against the attacks of the evil one, the ways of the world, and the lusts of the flesh and eyes. Do not be deceived by the devil, the flesh and the world. Advent is not a time to be wasted with the anxieties of shopping and decorating. Advent is not a time to be given to "parties" and eating and drinking.

Advent is a time of prayer, penance and preparation. The degree to which we prepare will be the degree to which we receive the gift of Jesus in a new and profound way this Christmas. "WATCH" and "BE ON GUARD!"

I urge all of you to ask Our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph to help you prepare for the birth of the Divine Child, Jesus, in a new and profound way this Christmas. Ask Our Lady and St. Joseph to help you stay focused, to watch and be on guard. Pray by attending daily Mass and living the Liturgy. Pray the Holy Rosary daily. Pray the Sacred Scriptures with your family. Fast so that your soul has room to receive the Christ Child. Do penance so that He will be pleased with the room that has been prepared. Come to the Sacrament of Peace and Reconciliation so that the obstacles to Jesus' coming are removed. MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS!

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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

CHRIST THE KING

JMJ+OBT
Pax et Bonum!

CHRIST THE KING is the the final Sunday of the Liturgical Year because we are all created to live in the Kingdom of God with Christ as our King and Mary as our Queen. Those who are faithful to Christ the King, listening to His instructions given in and through the Catholic Church and living these Truths and the Sacramental Life, are prepared for the Kingdom of God. This is the goal of our lives and, thus, the Liturgical Year leads us from Advent, where we prepare for the birth of Christ, to Christ the King, where we embrace the realities of the Kingdom of God where we will live, God willing, for all of eternity.

Now, that we have come to the culmination of the Liturgical Year, let us ask the Holy Spirit to honestly examine our lives in the light of the following questions and considerations which Father James Flanagan, the first Priest servant of SOLT, proposes to us:

Look over the last year and be open to what has happened in my life with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

What is my relationship with each Person of the Most Holy Trinity?

How has my relationship moved with each Person of the Most Holy Trinity during this past year?

Ask Our Lady to bring the graces of the past year to their fulfillment. See how God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have each touched my life. See how He placed His mind in mine, how He has clothed me and how He has made me one with Him.

Christ has been drawing me to Himself and Our Lady has encouraged me to be one with Him. This is one very special grace among many. Am I grateful? Have I worshiped Him? Have I run from Him? How can I better relate to God?

Examination in relationship to Christ the King:

Does He really rule my life or do I belong to someone or something else? Does He really rule my heart, mind, soul and body?

The last gift Jesus gives this year is as King. Be kingly in everything I do. Do everything in a kingly and royal way.

Jesus is King of creation, King of the universe, King of Peace, King of kings, King of hearts, King of souls, King of minds, King of our bodies and King of our lives. Jesus is the King who brought the Kingdom of God to humanity. He is the King of kindness, mercy, goodness, generosity… Jesus is the King with total victory over all enemies. He has the victories over the devil, flesh, world, sin and death. Jesus is the King who gathers and gives abundant life so be beholden to God.

To understand the Kingdom (including the dynamics of the kingdom) you must understand the King. Jesus is the King of Truth and Life. Do you live in the Truth? Do you respect life from conception to natural death?

Christ makes all things new and calls you to the Kingdom of God. To make all things new, Christ restores all in the goodness of the Father. Do you see the goodness of the Father? Have you followed your call and lived as a faithful member of the Kingdom of God?

Christ came in the flesh, and He gave the complete gift of Himself. Have you?

Go to the throne and drink the everlasting water. Never thirst again when the King reigns.

Jesus is the King who is the faithful witness of the Father. He brings forth all the righteousness of the Father who is uncreated Charity with the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the King who fulfills and is fruitful. Are you?

In the Liturgical year, get into a "rhythm" in my life. Now I live in Christ the King. Next will be the Incarnation as I prepare for Advent. In Lent I will prepare to live in the Paschal Mystery. At Easter I will live the Resurrection. Look for the Teaching on "Liturgy is Life" and live the abundant life Jesus, Christ the King, won for me. Contemplate the face of Christ in the school of Mary.

Pray:

Holy Spirit bring me to the oneness with Christ how and as you see fit and as Christ and the Father desire. Bring me to the oneness with Christ as the Most Holy Trinity desired during this year, and for which You granted me many graces and blessings. Please grant pardon for my failing to respond to many of these graces and blessings, and I ask that You still bring them to fruition. Please show me everything You are doing so that I can follow, adapt and bring forth Your fruitfulness. Help me come to the direction You want me to go into and that I must follow. Thank you.

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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

LIVE LIFE!

JMJ+OBT

Pax et Bonum!

LIVE LIFE. L stands for LINKED to Jesus. I stands for living IN Jesus. F stands for FRUITFULNESS in Jesus. E stands for EUCHARIST. LIFE is God's gift. In thanksgiving, let us live a life that is fruitful and pleasing to God.

Jesus calls us to live IN Him. When we live IN Him, then He will live in us, and our lives will bear much fruit. We see how Jesus' life bore fruit and continues to bear fruit. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity (or love), joy, peace, patience, benignity (or kindness), goodness, longanimity (or long suffering), mildness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity. These fruits are pleasing to the Father and, thus, are our happiness.

We hear in the parable of the talents (St. Matthew 25:14-30) that those who were fruitful by applying the talents entrusted to them entered into the Master's joy. We all long to hear Jesus say "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your Master's joy." We will hear these words if we live IN Jesus by living our Catholic faith in the fullness of Truth spoken and taught by Holy Mother Church.

We must live IN Jesus and bear much fruit. We have been given many talents and these are to be gifted to others. The talents belong to God and must not be buried through selfishness or fear. We do not want to be like the wicked and lazy servant who buried the talent entrusted to him and, thus, was cast into the darkness outside where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Let us ask Our Blessed Mother to be fruitful as she was and is fruitful. We pray: "Hail Mary, Full of Grace,The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen." The fruit of the womb of Our Lady in the power of the Holy Spirit is Jesus. Jesus is the fruit that pleases Our Father. LIVE LIFE! LINKED to Jesus, Live IN Jesus, and bring forth FRUITFULNESS by centering your life in the Most Holy EUCHARIST.

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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

LIFE IS SHORT, DEATH IS CERTAIN, ETERNITY IS A LONG TIME!

JMJ+OBT

Pax et Bonum.

LIFE IS SHORT, DEATH IS CERTAIN, ETERNITY IS A LONG TIME! There are four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. Live your life with these realities before you.

In November we remember the Church Triumphant (the Saints in Heaven), the Church Suffering (the Holy Souls in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (the Church here on earth). We thank God for His Mercy and Love shown to the Church. We realize that we are all connected. We draw strength from the lives of the Saints, and we ask for their intercession. We pray, sacrifice and do penance to relieve the sufferings of those who are in Purgatory. We recognize that Purgatory is a gift of God's Mercy and Love, as everyone should desire to be purified before entering the presence of the All Holy, Pure and Beautiful God for all eternity. We also pray, sacrifice and do penance for those on the pilgrimage with us.

Some of the most powerful ways we can help the Holy Souls in Purgatory is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the happy repose of their souls. We should pray the Most Holy Rosary and other prayers for the same intentions. We should sacrifice and do penance on their behalf. We can and should seek and gain indulgences for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

We should all be familiar with the Church's teachings on Indulgences (see Enchiridion of Indulgences and The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II, Chapter 2). One way to gain a Plenary Indulgence is to visit a cemetery between November 1 and November 8 and pray for the faithful departed. In addition, the faithful are to 1. receive Holy Communion (only if they are in a state of grace) on that day, 2. receive the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) either eight days before or after the pious act of visiting the cemetery on or between the dates specified, 3. recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (at a minimum one Our Father and one Hail Mary, but other prayers are encouraged in addition), and 4. be free from attachment to sin, even venial sin. Do your best to fulfill these conditions, and try to gain a Plenary Indulgence each and every day. Ask Our Blessed Mother who loves you and loves the Holy Souls in Purgatory to help you. Please seek to gain a Plenary Indulgence for the Holy Souls in Purgatory every day and give the Indulgence to Our Lady to apply. Our Blessed Mother knows best.

Another powerful prayer is the prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great. Our Lord told this great Saint that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayers was extended to include living sinners as well. Here is the prayer: "Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

At meals or in between the decades of the Most Holy Rosary, we should also pray the "Requiem aeternam" which is known as the "Eternal rest" prayer. The prayer is as follows: "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

Our brothers and sisters in Purgatory will be eternally grateful for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for them, the Holy Rosaries prayed for them and the other prayers, sacrifices, penances and indulgences offered for them. Do for others what you would want them to do for you.

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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

GOD IS ALL IN ALL!

JMJ+OBT
Pax et Bonum!

GOD IS ALL IN ALL! Faith teaches us that God is All in All. Hope is realized when God is All in All. Charity, Who is God, is only truly present when God is All in All.

When Jesus says "repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God," those who live a live of Faith, Hope and Charity recognize that everything and everyone belongs to God. Where is Caesar anyway? Where are the rich and powerful men of old? What good does it do to conquer the whole world and lose your soul?

Turn to God now! Jesus is our Savior! Jesus is our Merciful Redeemer! Jesus loves you and He will help you if you open your heart to Him. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, will help you know, love and serve God and be happy with Him forever. Our Lady is the woman of faith, hope and charity.

We now pray that men and women of the world will help America turn to God by praying the following novena:

Please consider joining me in this Novena for our nation from October 27th to November 4th.

Our Lady of America Prayer Petition

In a few short weeks America will elect new leaders. Please join in this novena praying that America will choose wisely and respond to the requests of Our Lady of America.

Novena Prayer:

Our Lady of America, Lilly of Purity, intercede for our country during the coming elections. Since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from the Most Holy Trinity a President and other political leaders who will support life, who will change the laws to make abortion in any form illegal, and who will protect the life of each individual at every stage.

Our Sweet Mother, intercede for us that our next President will be a person of God who will help the United States become a country of great purity and high morality. A country that will uphold family life and influence other countries throughout the world to love God above all, to serve Him and to live for Him alone.

Our Sweet Mother, time and again you have given us your gracious assistance and thus we humbly and gratefully acknowledge you as Queen of America. Intercede for us now, as we beg for the end of abortion in our country and for the uprising of a culture of life.

We place our hope and our confidence in you! Our Lady of America, pray for us and may Our Eternal Father shine His light upon this country and the whole world. Amen.

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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

The Heavenly Banquet

JMJ+OBT
Pax et Bonum!

Our Father's Plan of Communion between God and mankind is described in terms of a wedding. Jesus is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride. The Holy Spirit gathers those who accept the invitation to Union with God into the Church. Everyone is invited to this Heavenly Banquet, but few are chosen. To be chosen we must love God with all our heart, soul, might and mind. To be chosen we must love our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. We witness this love by keeping the Commandments and everything Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, teaches us in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

When we live this way then we will be happy, holy and, God willing, reach Heaven. Our Good Shepherd leads us up the holy mountain to eternal happiness. There is no other way to have lasting happiness than to faithfully follow Jesus and His teachings in the Catholic Church. When we follow our own ways or listen to false "shepherds" then we stray, get hurt and never arrive at the happiness of the Heavenly Banquet prepared for us. Only those who faithfully follow the Good Shepherd as He speaks through the Catholic Church will find happiness.

It is up to each one of us to generously respond to the call to happiness, holiness and Heaven. Let us be rigorously honest and examine whether we have been faithful to the invitation and lived in such a way that we will be dressed properly for the wedding banquet. We must be clothed in Christ. In Him we live and move and have our being. We no longer live for ourselves. We live for Him who died and rose for us.

The Most Holy Eucharist is the foretaste of Heaven. Our lives are to be centered in the Most Holy Eucharist where Jesus is really, truly and substantially present. Jesus' body, blood, soul and Divinity are in the Most Holy Eucharist. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, nourishes us and refreshes us with and in Himself. The Most Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift any human person can receive. Do not be distracted from your destiny by chasing after other things. Do not be distracted by chasing after career, money, fame, success, honor, power or anything else that the world offers. Your destiny will only be realized by faithfully following the Good Shepherd.

To help us keep our focus and arrive at the Heavenly Banquet, Jesus has given us Mary as our model and Mother. Ask Our Blessed Mother to help you accept the invitation to Union with God and live in such a way as to be chosen by God. Ask Our Blessed Mother to help you keep your focus on the Good Shepherd and live in the Truth that will set you free.

-- Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT

JESUS IS OUR PEACE!

JMJ+OBT

Pax et Bonum!

Do you desire to know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding? This peace is the gift of God. We hear at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, just before receiving the great gift of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, Jesus said to His Apostles "I leave you peace, my peace I give you." JESUS IS OUR PEACE!

Peace is not just the absence of war, strife, contention, anxiety, or any other conflict. Peace is a Divine Person. Peace is Jesus Christ. The saying "No Jesus, No Peace; Know Jesus, Know Peace" is true. True peace is life in Christ Jesus. This is God's gift to us.

We must receive the gift. The gift is eternal and, thus, we must receive eternally. We need to continually receive the gift. We need to claim the gift with grateful affection to God. We need to hold onto the gift, and never surrender our Peace.

We must cultivate Peace in the vineyard of our hearts. The Holy Spirit, the gardener of our hearts, teaches us in Sacred Scripture: "your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise. Then will the God of Peace be with you."

This week, and all the moments of our lives, we are to put on the mind of Christ, our Peace. Practice, continually, thinking of the true, good and beautiful. Think of God and the things of God. Rid yourself of anything and any thought that is contrary to God. Then will the God of Peace be with you.

Ask Our Lady, Queen of Peace, to know Jesus and to know Peace. Peace came into this world through Our Lady and Peace continues to come into this world through Our Lady. Receive the Peace of Christ and share the Peace of Christ.

-- Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT