Catholic Fire

Photo Image via Catholic Herald On Sunday, October 4, Pope Francis opened the long-awaited Synod on the Family at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. A solemn Mass was dedicated to the theme of the family in the modern world. Vatican Radio reports: The Pope said that the readings centred on three themes, “solitude, love between man and women, and the family.” The First Reading came from the book of Genesis – the Lord giving Adam a helpmate. Pope Francis, reflecting on Adam’s loneliness, likened it to the drama of solitude experienced by men and women today – especially the elderly, widows and widowers and those left by their spouses. He said that many today are lonely because they are misunderstood and unheard – referring particularly to migrants and refugees. The Holy Father went on to say that we experience “the paradox of a globalised world filled with luxurious mansions and skyscrapers, but a lessening of the warmth of homes and families.” He spoke of the growi...

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.   I would like to commemorate this feast day by sharing the homily of Pope St. John Paul II from August 6, 1999.  HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Friday, 6 August 1999 Today, the Eucharist which we are preparing to celebrate takes us in spirit to Mount Tabor together with the Apostles Peter, James and John, to admire in rapture the splendour of the transfigured Lord. In the event of the Transfiguration we contemplate the mysterious encounter between history, which is being built every day, and the blessed inheritance that awaits us in heaven in full union with Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. We, pilgrims on earth, are granted to rejoice in the company of the transfigured Lord when we immerse ourselves in the things of above through prayer and the celebration of the divine mysteries. But, like the disciples, we too must descend from T...

On the second day of Pope Francis’ Apostolic visit to Sri Lanka, Vatican Radio’s envoys on the trip with the Holy Father, say that authorities have told them that over 500,000 people attended the Wednesday Canonization of Sri Lanka’s first saint, Joseph Vaz.  Catholics in Sri Lanka account for only 6 percent of the 20 million strong population. The majority of the people are Buddhist. Speaking in English, Pope Francis told the canonization crowd that followed him attentively that St. Joseph Vaz was an example of religious tolerance who is still relevant to Sri Lanka and to the world. "Saint Joseph shows us the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace," he said in his homily.  “Saint Joseph Vaz was first, an exemplary priest.  Here today with us are many priests and religious, both men and women, who, like Joseph Vaz, are consecrated to the service of God and neighbour. I encourage each of you to look to Saint Joseph as a sure guide...

In his Monday morning Mass, the Pope talked about how Christians should deal with every day problems. He said, first and foremost, the heart must be fixed on God. POPE FRANCIS "What kind of heart do we have? Is it a fickle heart, that just like a dancer or like a butterfly moves from one place to another…always in motion; Is it a heart that is scared by life's happenings and is hiding and afraid to give witness to Jesus Christ?” The Pope highlighted that the strength to be fixed on God comes from the Holy Spirit, who always helps Christians move forward. SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY: (Source: Vatican Radio) "We all have many of these, all of us; we are surrounded by many events that move us from one place to another. But we asked for the grace to have a fixed heart, like Paul: so as not to complain about the persecution he went in search to another city; he began to preach there; to heal the sick; realizing that that man had enough faith to be healed; then, c...

Today, November 24th, is the solemnity of Christ the King. The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations. Today's Mass establishes the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion. Today's Mass also describes the qualities of Christ's...

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis called for an end to armed conflict and clarified the notion of Franciscan peace during the Mass he presided for the feast of St. Francis on Friday in Assisi. A few thousand people gathered for the late morning celebration in St. Francis Square, situated before the world-famous shrine dedicated to the patron saint of the poor. The Pope celebrated at a simple altar, behind which stood a giant two-bar wooden cross and on which hung a representation of the San Damiano Cross. St. Francis was praying before the San Damiano Cross when Jesus commissioned him to rebuild the Church. Preaching his homily from the ambo, the Pope underlined the relevant witness St. Francis continues to offer. “His first and most essential witness is this: that being a Christian means having a living relationship with the person of Jesus; it means putting on Christ, being conformed to him,” he said. “Where did Francis’ journey to Christ begin? It began with the gaze of the c...

October 1, 2013. (Romereports.com) On Tuesday morning, Pope Francis celebrated Mass with the 'Council of Cardinals' just a few hours before the so called 'G8' advisory group held its first meeting with the Pope. The Pope prayed so that their meeting would give fruit to a more humble, trusting and patient Church. POPE FRANCIS “And when the people see this witness of humility, of meekness, of mildness, they feel the need that the Prophet Zachariah spoke of: ‘We want to come with you.’” The Pope also noted that October 1st marks the Feast Day of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. He described the life of the nun as one filled with humility, which inevitably attracted others to follow her example. SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY (Source: Vatican Radio) “Another spirit comes, that of that charity that suffers all, pardons all, that does not boast, that is humble, that doesn’t seek itself. Someone could say — and there are some philosophers that thing this way — that this is...

September 6, 2013 (Romereports) Pope Francis explained during his Mass homily at Casa Santa Marta that the attitudes of Christians should be joyful and festive. He added that people need to trust in the power of Christ, the Church's groom, and he asked Christians to live with the same joy often found in weddings.   POPE FRANCIS “But we will always be tempted to cast this newness of the Gospel, this new wine, into old attitudes ... It is sin, we are all sinners. Only recognize it: ‘This is a sin.’ Do not say this goes with this. No! The old wineskins cannot hold the new wine. This is the novelty of the Gospel. Jesus is the bridegroom, the bridegroom who weds the Church, the groom who loves the Church, who gives his life for the Church. Jesus is the one who makes this wedding feast! Jesus asks us the joy of festivity, the joy of being Christians. He also asks of us the all: it’s all Him. If we have something that is not of Him, repent, ask for forgiveness and move on.” The Po...

In his morning Mass on Tuesday, Pope Francis said God is the light who saves us from the darkness. And God, he continued, has no need of an army to cast out the demons, he doesn't need arrogance, strength or pride. What is there about His word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out. This is a humble word, with so much love, it is a word that accompanies us in the moments of the Cross. Let us ask the Lord to give us today the grace of His light and teach us to distinguish when the light is from Him and when it is an artificial light, made by the enemy to deceive us.

Here is the homily that Pope Francis gave at Castel Gandolfo today, August 15, 2013: Dear Brothers and Sisters! At the end of its Constitution on the Church, the Second Vatican Council left us a very beautiful meditation on Mary Most Holy. Let me just recall the words referring to the mystery we celebrate today: “the immaculate Virgin preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things” (no. 59). Then towards the end, there is: “the Mother of Jesus in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven is the image and the beginning of the church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise, she shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come” (no. 68). In the light of this most beautiful image of our Mother, we are able to see the message of the biblical readings that we have just heard. We can focus on three key words: stru...

June 10, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his daily morning Mass at the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, the Pope talked about the Beatitudes, describing them as the 'new commandments.' He said that to truly understand them is not a matter of the mind, but rather of the heart. POPE FRANCIS “They are the new commandments. But if our heart isn't open to the Holy Spirit, they will seem silly. People will say 'but being poor, being meek, being merciful will hardly lead us to success'. If we do not have an open heart and if we have not experienced the consolation of the Holy Spirit, which is salvation, we cannot understand this. This is the law for those who have been saved and have opened their hearts to salvation. This is the law of the free, with the freedom of the Holy Spirit.” The Pope said that when people seek freedom, without God, they run the risk of becoming hypocrites like the Pharisees, and also spiritual slaves to a freedom that's fake and temporary...

“Jesus speaks in silence in the mystery of the Eucharist and each time reminds us that following him means to come out of ourselves and not make our life our possession, but a gift to him and to others.” ~ Pope Francis from his homily on May 30 at Rome’s Basilica of Saint John Lateran. Image Source

Father Barron sends his final greetings from Rome, sharing about the media audience with Pope Francis in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Pope Francis spoke to the press about the good, the true, and the beautiful. In addition, he offered the reasoning behind his choice of the papal name Francis. Father Barron ties this message to the notion of the "preferential option for the poor" and speaks about Pope Francis' angelus talk on God's forgiveness. Please continue to pray for Pope Francis as we approach the Papal Mass on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 2013.

In the latest One Minute Homily produced by the Catholic Advance , Father Michael Simone from the Catholic Diocese of Wichita answers the perennial question he hears from parents: "How should I work with my child to discover their vocation in life?"

Let us declare with the great St. Augustine that we have been late in loving God and yet we know that are hearts will be restless until they rest in HIm . Ave Maria!

We must do all things well and in order to do all things well we must have the right intention - purity of intention, and we must look to the Blessed Virgin Mary who had the purest of intentions and ask Her for this gift. Ave Maria!

On this memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Fr. Ignatius Manfredonia preaches on the virtues of this great Marian saint who reformed the Church in the 12th century. Ave Maria!

Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels. On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke 10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha complained, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her. It was to Martha that Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:1-44) Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at table, Mary poured a flask of expensive perfume over Jesus' feet. Mary was criticized for wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again Jesus spoke on her beh...

This is a beautiful video on the Prodigal Son, based on a homily by Pope Benedict to a group of youth in a juvenile detention center in Rome on March 18, 2007. It is narrated and set to music with classic religious art.