Queen of the world and of peace

From a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, bishop

Queen of the world and of peace

Observe how fitting it was that even before her assumption the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honor due her Son, it was indeed fitting for the Virgin Mother to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.

So it was that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbors with indescribable love. In heaven angels served her, while here on earth she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the angels waited upon her in heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the cross, cared for her with the other apostles here below. The angels rejoiced to see their queen; the apostles rejoiced to see their lady, and both obeyed her with loving devotion.

Dwelling in the loftiest citadel of virtue, like a sea of divine grace or an unfathomable source of love that has everywhere overflowed its banks, she poured forth her bountiful waters on trusting and thirsting souls. Able to preserve both flesh and spirit from death she bestowed health-giving salve on bodies and souls. Has anyone ever come away from her troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because his request had been granted by the Mother of God?

She is a bride, so gentle and affectionate, and the mother of the only true bridegroom. In her abundant goodness she has channelled the spring of reason’s garden, the well of living and life-giving waters that pour forth in a rushing stream from divine Lebanon and flow down from Mount Zion until they surround the shores of every far-flung nation. With divine assistance she has redirected these waters and made them into streams of peace and pools of grace. Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting angels and rejoicing archangels, with the heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir.

RESPONSORY
Revelation 12:1; Psalm 45:10b

A great sign appeared in the heavens:
a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
– and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

The queen, clothed in cloth of gold, stood on your right hand.
– And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Father,
you have given us the mother of your Son
to be our queen and mother.
With the support of her prayers
may we come to share the glory of your children
in the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

– Amen.

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"The Great Hosanna" Praise to Our King Jesus !!!

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!" Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!" John 12;12-19 NRSV

"And the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying:Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest" (Matthew 21:9; cf. Matthew 21:15,Mark 11:9-10, John 12:13). Thayer's contention in Hastings' "Dict of the Bible" that the word hosanna was derived from Psalm lxxxvi, 2, does not seem to have much to support it. The general opinion is that of St. Jerome, that the word originated from two Hebrew words of Psalm cxvii (cxviii), 25. This psalm, "Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus", was recited by one of the priests every day during the procession round the altar, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people were commanded to "rejoice before the Lord" (Leviticus 23:40); and on the seventh day it was recited each time during the seven processions. When the priest reached verses 25-26, the trumpet sounded, all the people, including boys, waved their branches of palms, myrtles, willows, etc., and shouted with the priest the words: "O Domine, salvum (me) fac; o Domine, bene prosperare. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini!" The Hebrew for salvum fac or serva nunc was hoshi'a na. This was repeated so frequently that it became abbreviated into hosanna; the seventh day of the feast was called the Great Hosanna; and the palm-branches of willow, myrtles, etc., received the name of hosannas.

Help me O' Lord Jesus to stop seeking you for selfish gain.

I have wasted the precious time and energy You have gifted me on myself, and others who hold my particular views of what I think life should be.

Help me to remain broken and embrace the suffering you have called me to in denying myself, taking up my cross and following You.

Keep me from all deception in following you only for the signs and miraculous manifestations rather then receiving Your humble and contrite heart. Forgive me when I turned my back on you after shouting my "hosannas" with the rest of the worldly seekers of pleasure and prosperity.

Please give me the grace to surrender in my nothingness and brokenness to following You in your suffering and death to end my pride, and embrace your Sacred Heart for the salvation of souls.

Help me to embrace your sorrowful passion in the Heart of our Eternal Father as Your call to obedience in His Divine Will.

AMEN!

COME LORD JESUS TO LIVE FATHER’S DIVINE WILL IN ME

I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. American Standard Version John 5:30

Thank you Jesus for teaching us how to pray and asking of our Father for His Will Be Done.

“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.“ Matthew 5:9,10. NRSV

O’ Thank you Father for your Love Daddy, and creating me to be united in your Holy Will so Divine in your Image of Eternal Love by your Holy Spirit. O’ how privileged we are to be purchase by your only Son Jesus through His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

O’ Praise You for this new day! You have created in your Beloved in the fullness of Love, purity of holiness to all of your creation. Praise to you Daddy through your Son our brother Jesus Christ for the praise of His Glorious Grace in fullness of purity in the heart, which your sanctification is, gifted us by your Holy Spirit.

Thank you for your eternal gift of salvation passed down from age to age through your promises of salvation beginning after the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve; and now culminating into completeness in fulfillment through Jesus your Son, and Mary your daughter. O’ what mystery! Thank you Daddy for giving us sinless and Holy parents of your new creation in your Divine will. Your will Father is fulfilled in giving us Mary your chosen daughter, who is sinless Mother of Jesus and our Mother too! O’ what mystery! Praise you Daddy for your Only eternal begotten Son Jesus conceived in her womb. You are our Daddy in fullness of staying true to your promises in feeding us with your bread come down from heaven born of the Virgin Mother for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of the whole world. Thank you Daddy for your Will be done in our hearts!

By your Holy Spirit create in all your children Daddy a deeper hunger in our hearts to Love and serve you through Jesus own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Holy Spirit sanctify us in your continual baptism of fire, unto obedience, in feeding upon this spiritual food of Jesus your Son present at your table, Daddy, you have prepared for your children. Forgive us Daddy when we have walked away from your great Love for us all. Now may we receive this great growing hunger from your Holy Spirit's fire burning away all the hay, wood, and stubble that keeps us in darkness by the distractions of hate, envy and jealousy caused by pride of selfishness and greed. Daddy may we all cry out to you to root out the sin of indifference and cynicism toward others, caused by projecting our unbelief of your Love for ourselves onto others. Give us deeper understanding of your Holy Spirit’s yearning to become broken at the foot of the cross in time and space with all your saints who are now cheering us on because of the blood of your Son Jesus. He, who is the challis of salvation! May all the generational curses passed down by acting in shamefulness of sinful attitudes which cause insane thinking that we are hidden from you be stripped from our lives as naked children before your Light. Set us free from all those entrapments of believing the lie of Satan in acting out of own choices of will, and surrender to your will Daddy as Jesus and Mary did in obedience to your Divine Will.

Daddy may we listen to every word that proceeds from the mouth of your only begotten Son Jesus our brother who lives in you and always does your will. Come Lord Jesus, into our hearts with your breath Daddy, by the Holy Spirit; to purge away all sin, and specially the lie of Satan to follow his rebellion of anti-government, anti-obedience to authority, anti-church, which comes from the anti-Christ. May we hear Jesus command from Your Will Daddy, to follow Him by taking up our crosses of dieing daily to our willed destiny toward Self, Satan, and this World.

Awaken us Daddy to cry out to you as our only Hope seen in the face of Jesus as God, and One with You in your Holy Spirit living in your Will of Love.

Daddy, may we your children on earth join in one voice with your children in heaven united in Your Love for the salvation of souls. You Daddy have given us a great King who now rules over the entire universe by your Love, in Your Love, and for your Love. Jesus King of all creation we Love you, we adore you, we praise you for your glory shining forth by your presence in your Holy Spirit sent from Our Daddy. May we your children walk in your obedience to our Daddy’s Divine Will for your Holy Church on earth as in heaven. May your governing Kingship which our Daddy established through You in your Holy Apostles by the laying on of your hands continue in confirming and consecrating Holy orders of obedience through you as Prophet, Priest, and King. Now You are ruling in our hearts by your Holy Spirit over the entire cosmos to establish your Reign over all spirits, rulers, dominions, governments, and authorities on earth as in heaven visible and invisible now and forever.

Amen

Why do we need to Repent?

What does repentance mean to you?

Websters said : the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings.

My personal definition is: A complete turning around and going in the opposite direction by coming face to face toward the God who is my Creator my existence, and away from myself as the first cause and effect of my salvation.

During this past Ash Wednesday a responsibility was handed to me to apply ashes to the many people who came to mass at Saint Joseph Church in Lakeland, Florida. While applying the ashes we were to announce one of the two following phases out of scripture. "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (MK 1:15) ,or "From dust you came and from dust you will return"(GEN 3:19).

We live in a world which is so obsessed with how one looks, and who is looking at me. This is a self-gratifying syndrome that we all face. When our need for feeling the acceptance from people "we hang with", or those we work for, or work for us be our happiness, one has already fallen into a pit of an identity void. The yearning for acceptance to build my self- esteem and need of popularity to be Loved by others drives me. Our culture is so over loaded with fitness and nutrition all for the wonder of keeping one fit and healthy and sexy. Oh Baby how long will this last? These are all good and can even seem to be "godly sentiments" building up ones "spiritual worth". But if we are really honest, the ageing process began the time you came out of your mother's womb. Now that you are here facing a world that has dangers all around, and you fear, you cry, you need protection. The fact is eventually we all will face death. My whole thrust in life is all about me, and my world, and how I can get my needs fulfilled? We are born with a selfish will and desire to be wanted. I am not sure that proves we are born with a "free will" that started at our birth. For is not my will bound up in sin from birth? Psalms 51:5 For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me. What about that yearning for more in life? Where is this really coming from a goodness within myself? But, as a Sinner I feel something is lacking, and I set in opposition toward any goodness for others, but only for myself. When I find my Pride staring me in the face like this I know I am a Sinner! With a capital "S" . Then during times of crises and suffering I find an inner prompting of a deep exposure of conscience of my powerlessness to change, and need of One far greater than myself. So repentance is always prompted by the act of God's will to Love me as He Loves everyone, and shows mercy upon all His creatures. Saint Ambrose said in His letter about those who feel they are pure and don't need repentance the following:

Therefore had the Lord Jesus compassion upon us in order to call us to Himself, not frighten us away. He came in meekness, He came in humility, and so He said: Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Matthew 11:28 So, then, the Lord Jesus refreshes, and does not shut out nor cast off, and fitly chose such disciples as should be interpreters of the Lord's will, as should gather together and not drive away the people of God. Whence it is clear that they are not to be counted among the disciples of Christ, who think that harsh and proud opinions should be followed rather than such as are gentle and meek; persons who, while they themselves seek God's mercy, deny it to others, such as are the teachers of the Novatians, who call themselves pure.

Repentance is a radical changing process which in the Church is key to staying face to face with the One who has created me and is crying out in thirst for my soul.

1848 As St. Paul affirms, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."¹¹⁸ But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us "righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."¹¹⁹ Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God, by his Word and by his Spirit, casts a living light on sin:

Conversion requires convincing of sin; it includes the interior judgment of conscience, and this, being a proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man's inmost being, becomes at the same time the start of a new grant of grace and love: "Receive the Holy Spirit." Thus in this "convincing concerning sin" we discover a double gift: the gift of the truth of conscience and the gift of the certainty of redemption. The Spirit of truth is the Consoler.¹²⁰

Time is fleeting and we are here on this planet not for ourselves but for a much greater purpose. Saint Paul teaches us that only the Holy Spirit gifts us to yearn for understanding in the heart for the true will of God who desires our Love in return.

Jesus exclaims how this gift of the Father is for those who ask.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets."

Matthew 7:7-12

Yet the asking on our part only comes when we have come to the end of our human passions that distract us from our Father's Love, He wills to only give the best in His Son Jesus. Our Daddy in heaven doesn't compromise His Love with ulterior motives in giving gifts to use on one's own passions. Notice Jesus follows with His Father's will in pouring forth this receiving of Love with others. Only a child who is secure in Daddy's arms enjoys giving to others as he or she has received from Daddy. On the other hand a hurting and embittered child will only ask for him or herself and not even think about others.

So, true repentance is a reality check of one's life journey, and our destiny. The test meter of our Love for one another is taken from the vantage view of the Father's Love for us. Jesus enters into death on our behalf, and gifted as a commemoration in the Holy Eucharist during mass. John chapter six. Glory be to Jesus Body, Blood, soul and Divinity! Now to affirm our destiny in Jesus let us seek Him with all our hearts!

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy Divine Mercy.

Amen.