Calendar

Leader's School
Thur June 6, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8

Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri June 7, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa

Ultreya-BA
Fri June 21, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA

Leader's School
Thur July 11, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8

Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri July 5, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa

Ultreya-BA
Fri July 19, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA

Men's Weekend #31
Sept 26-29, 2002
St. John's, McAlester

Women's Weekend #31
Oct 10-13, 2002
St. John's, McAlester

SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 129
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

One day the Lord Jesus was taking a stroll in Heaven when he saw a number of souls that He recognized seemed to have entered Heaven too easily.  He called Saint Peter and said, "I have made you master of the door way to heaven, so that you would make wise decision. How die these souls ever get into heaven."  St. Peter looked at the Lord and said, "What can I do my Lord?"  Every time I deny admittance through the front door, your mother lets them in the windows!"

The Blessed Mother is often referred to as "The refuge of sinners," because as her children, she has great patience with our sins, and constantly intercedes with her son for our salvation.  Jesus would not refuse a sincere request from His mother.

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-56
The Mysteries of the Rosary-14
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: The Fourth Glorious Mystery
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Revelation 12:1,5 

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.....She gave birth to a son, a male child destined to rule all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. "

In Letter to the Hebrews 11:5, we read that "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and 'he was found no more because God had taken him.' Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God" (see also Gen 5:24). We read in 2 Kings 2:11, "As they walked on conversing, a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Elijah reappears at the Transfiguration of Christ, as indicated in the narrative of Matthews Gospel, 17:1-3.  "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him."  It is not clear what state Enoch and Elijah found themselves, as Heaven was not open to the faithful until the death of Christ. It is possible that they were "in the bosom of Abraham" (Lk 16:22). After His death, Christ "descended into the lower regions of the earth" and preached to the dead.  Scripture is clear that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (Jn 5:25)

The resurrected, glorified Jesus ascended into heaven through the power of His divinity.  The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit has been celebrated as an article of Christian faith since the 5th century and was officially proclaimed by Pius XII in 1950. No one was more blessed on earth than she and her Son.  No one carried out the will of God more fully that the "Woman," of Cana and of the Cross.  All the disciples of Christ have the hope of being with Him body and Soul, to share fully in His glory in heaven for all eternity.  As the perfect disciple Mary's assumption provides all Christians with surety of this faith.

This glorious mystery of the rosary and Church celebration recognizes that Mary, as a human person who was uniquely 'full of grace,' already shares with Christ, her risen Son the fullness of heavens glory. Because of the perfection of her faith in the promise of the Angel Gabriel, and the perfection of her obedience to the will of God, in her death, her body and soul shared the transformation that Christians anticipate with the second coming of Christ.

It is the goal of all Christian spirituality that through the abandonment of our souls to the mercy of God we can reach this level of perfection in our earthly life. The divinization and assumption of the body and soul of Mary assures that such grace is not limited to the body of our Lord Jesus. His divinization was fully shared by our spiritual mother Mary and will be shared with us. It is important as we reflect on these mysteries, that not only Mary's but our own is dependent upon the sacrifice of Christ, that opened our souls to His grace, and heaven to our souls.  Mary benefited, as did Enoch and Elijah from prevenient grace. We benefit from subsequent grace. 

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1127
Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies. The Father always hears the prayer of his Son's Church which, in the epiclesis of each sacrament, expresses her faith in the power of the Spirit. As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power.

SACRAMENTAL GRACE
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

With the sacraments that we celebrate
There is for each a prevailing sign
That provides the grace to consecrate
In the special gift that it defines

Each sign of sacrament is efficacious
Because it is Christ who does perform
The works of grace most tenacious
Our soul renewed to deiform

The Father hears and does reply
When His beloved Son offers plea
It is unheard that He would deny
The One who died upon a tree

When the Church through epiclesis
Invites the Spirit in his power
To come to earth as syneresis
Uniting us in His holy bower

By Holy Spirit we are transformed
in His power to a life divine
By grace infused we are reborn
Recreated as His holy shrine

Ó2002 DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon 
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS