Father Marino's Meditations

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala,  OFM Capuchin IN GIVING, WE RECEIVE In both the corporal and spiritual world, there is no receiving without some sort of giving.   We find a common theme when we read 2 Kings 4:8-11 and Matthew 10:37-42: “In giving, we receive.”   When Elisha visits the woman and her husband, they welcome him as a holy man of God. Not only do they feed him, but they also decide to prepare a little room for him to stay. They provided hospitality without the expectation of receiving anything. Then, Elisha prophecies that the barren wife will bear a son by the next time he visits. Jesus also teaches His disciples that perfect discipleship entails giving up one’s life and family to receive the blessings imparted by those who spread the good news. St. Francis of Assisi understood what this meant, so he always prayed this prayer. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where the

  The Tragic Folly of Avoidance   Paul Gondreau   TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2023 https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2023/06/20/the-tragic-folly-of-avoidance/           In  an interview with  The Pillar  last week , Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the current president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), was asked to comment on whether a planned demonstration was an appropriate public response to the decision by the Los Angeles Dodgers to honor the anti-Catholic drag group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. His response, I think, was very unfortunate: “What is more effective? Do you give more attention to the event by protesting it, or do you do better by ignoring it? I would land more towards ignoring it.” He cited “the danger of violence,” for which, he thought, there was “a lot of risk.” To be fair, the archbishop’s remarks were given in what the article describes as a “brief hallway conversation,” and so they are perhaps nothing more than off the cuff. All the same, he  did  say thi

                                                         TEN REASONS TO MAKE A   HOLY HOUR ACCORDING  TO BISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN Why spend an hour a day in meditation? Because we live on the surface of our souls, we know little of God or our inner self. Our knowledge is mostly about things, not about destiny. Most of our difficulties and disappointments in life are due to mistakes in our life plans. Having forgotten the purpose of living, we have doubted even the value of living. A broken bone gives pain because it is not where it ought to be; our souls are in agony because we are not tending to the fullness of Life, Truth, and Love, which is God. But why make a Holy Hour? Here are ten reasons. 1. Time Well Spent It is time spent in the presence of Our Lord Himself. If faith is alive, no further reason is needed. 2. Shake Noonday Devils In our busy lives, it takes considerable time to shake off the “noonday devils,” the worldly cares, that cling to our souls like dust. An

                      HOW TO MAKE A HOLY HOUR Have you ever wondered what folks do when they make a Holy Hour?  Here are some guidelines to help answer that question. To pray during a holy hour, you may be in church in the presence of the Holy Eucharist or in a quiet space in your home. Have your favorite prayer book or prayers, your Bible, and perhaps a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Three Rules 1.              Be Silent. Don't rattle prayers off or silently review stresses. Be         still exteriorly and interiorly. 2.              Be Attentive. It’s not simply a reading hour — reading should           be an entry point to prayer. 3.              Be Alert. Sit, stand, or kneel respectfully. A quick tip: If you get           sleepy, stand up! Minute-by-Minute There is no one way to pray during a holy hour. The following might help if you get lost in the hour, but feel free to reconfigure it to suit your needs. :00-:05 – Begin First 5 Minutes: As

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala,  OFM Capuchin FACING OUR LITANY OF FEARS WITH FAITH Fear is part and parcel of humanity. No one goes through life without experiencing fear. Fear contributes positively to defending (or at least warning) us against danger. However, if not managed, fear can weigh us down, knock us out, hold us back, destroy our peace of mind, force us to withdraw, and rob our hearts of happiness. Let us face our litany of human fears with the courage found in the power of prayer. Fear of failure. Fear of darkness. Fear of illness. Fear of rejection. Fear of discovery. Fear of speaking up, or out, or publicly. Fear of unemployment. Fear of harm to those I love. Fear of hating those who seek to harm me. Fear of falling, heights, depths, of water, and of fire. Fear of loss, abandonment, engulfment, annihilation. Fear of those who may wish me harm. Fear of death . In this Midweek Spiritual Workou

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin KNOW WHAT TO FEAR AND  WHEN TO BE AFRAID Ordinary Time can sometimes lead us to the extraordinary! This week’s readings invite our response to a special call, “the call to courageous confession.” That is an extraordinary challenge!   Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy soul and body in Gehenna.”   Jesus said this because he knew that persecution would befall the Church. Persecution takes on a variety of forms for today’s Christians. Although current types of persecution may not harm us bodily, they can destroy our souls. Of this, we must undoubtedly be afraid! We are wise to fear those who can destroy fidelity in marriage, faith in our God, and the life of our souls; who can destroy our commitment to truth and honesty; who can destroy our sense of generosity and responsibility for others; who can d

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN  AND ON EARTH We celebrate our fathers this weekend. Our fathers, living and dead, are and always be in our hearts and minds. Consider all the similarities between God our Father and our own natural  fathers. We respect and honor them. We love and obey them. We appreciate the spiritual and  material gifts they bestow on us. We receive their forgiveness for our failings and forgive them  for theirs. Jesus taught us how to pray by addressing God as our Father in Heaven. The word Father shows a particular and special relationship with God, and so we pray: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. On this Spirit

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF OUR FAITH I wonder if any of you have had an experience like this.  You are at a social affair, and as you are conversing with someone, they keep looking over your shoulder to see if someone “more important” has arrived so they can speak with them.  Or, as we pass someone we know and say “hello,” they ignore us and don’t even offer a greeting.  Doesn’t that just get your blood boiling? To be sure, all of us, at one time or another, have been treated as if we do not count for much at all.  It hurts, doesn’t it? But there is something worse than being ignored.  Being forgotten is much worse than being ignored.  We all want to be remembered. Jesus, too, wants to be remembered. Jesus knew that He was going to die and would leave His disciples. He knew he had to leave, but He wanted to remain. And so, He does! He remains with us in the Eucharist, in the Mass, and out