As we celebrate this solemnity, it’s important for us to understand what the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is and what it is not. Some people think the term refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without the intervention of a human father, but that is the “Virgin Birth.” Others think the Immaculate Conception means Mary was conceived “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” in the way Jesus was, but that, too, is incorrect.

The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain. She was preserved from the stain of original sin and its consequences and, therefore, was redeemed by the grace of Christ but in a special way by anticipation.

The implicit reference of this teaching may be found in the angel’s greeting to Mary. Gabriel said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

There are some who suggest that the dogma of the Immaculate Conception sounds deterministic. In other words, Mary was not free to cooperate with the plan of God, as she was preserved by God’s grace from the beginning of her existence. Yet we know at the Annunciation she was told her vocation and her consent--with her free will--comes from her words, “'Behold, the Lord's handmaid. May it happen to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

God may call someone to be a part of His divine plan, but God does not take away the ability of that person to say “no” to His call. Because of that freedom, God’s people have the option to also say “yes.” A call from God becomes a treasure when that person says “yes”; he or she becomes a powerful instrument in the hand of God. That’s how Mary’s “yes” becomes a landmark in salvation history and Mother Mary secures a special place in our hearts.

Therefore, on December 8, 1854 when Pope Pius IX defined as Catholic doctrine the teaching of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Pope had those reasons to substantiate that proclamation.

And don’t forget what happened four years after the dogma was defined: In one of the apparitions of Mother Mary to Bernadette at Lourdes, she said, “I am the Immaculate Conception,” which Bernadette, as a 14-year-old, wasn't sure what those words meant, but every adult did. We all are privileged to profess and celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

St. Louis de Montfort says, “God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas… He gathered all His graces and called them Mary.” And St. Francis De Sales tells us to “run to Holy Mary as her little children, and cast ourselves into her arms with perfect confidence.”

The Feast of All Souls, the commemoration of the faithful departed, is celebrated on November 2. Its placement is immediately after the Feast of All Saints, which shows the intimate connection between the two.

Historically, the first evidence for the celebration of remembering the dead comes from Isidore of Seville (636), who included a liturgy for all the dead in his monastic rule. The custom rapidly spread throughout northern Europe and was accepted in Rome in the 13th century.

As Catholics, there are many reasons to pray for the dead. This practice develops in believers a deep awareness of the true nature of the church as a mutually interlocking communion of all the faithful-- both the living and the dead. Praying enables us to consciously live and experience the communion of saints in our everyday lives. This awareness then becomes a source of strength for us to courageously face the struggles involved in leading authentic Christian lives. For in the church, no one is alone. All can depend on the prayerful support of others during their lifetime as well as when they are in the process of being purified by the love of God at the moment of death.

Often the thought of making the last part of one’s journey alone, without anyone to assist us, makes death, and all that surrounds it, a source of fear. While it is true that one goes alone to meet the Lord, it is not true that one is without assistance. No Christian lives alone, and no Christian dies alone. A Christian is always assisted by the prayers of the entire church. This fact helps to dispel the fear and trauma, the darkness and despair that accompany the thought of one’s own death.

Finally, the concern we have for the well-being of the dead not only helps the departed in their purifying encounter with the love of God but also generates, in those who pray, a connected concern for the living. As these two concerns mutually reinforce each other, the Christian grows into a deeper realization of the communion that characterizes the Church. Thus, the practice of praying for the dead helps one to grow in charity-- the cement that binds all the members of the church into one body: the Body of Christ.

Consiglia (Lina) De Martino is the wife of Antonio Rinaldi. The Rinaldi family had a devotion to Padre Pio and were friends with Fra Modestino, Padre Pio’s friend and a Capuchin Monk. On November 1, 1995 Lina did not feel well. Looking in the mirror, she saw a lump under her left clavicle. She was taken to the hospital and CT scans were performed.

The thoracic duct in her neck had ruptured. A huge lump containing about half a gallon of lymphatic fluid had formed. She was told that a “necessary but difficult and complicated surgical intervention” was needed as soon as possible. The surgery was scheduled for November 3. While going back to her room, she smelled the intense perfume of Padre Pio.

On November 2, she experienced again "the typical and intense perfume of Padre Pio" and started feeling better. On November 3, at a checkup before surgery, the doctors were amazed that there was no lump. The lymphatic fluid had all been absorbed. On the morning of November 4 at 7:30, she heard a voice: "Lina you are healed," and she smelled again the intense perfume of Padre Pio. A chest X-ray was performed, and a total body CT scan was completed. Everything was normal.

She left the hospital on November 6, without ever having surgery or medication. Fra Modestino da Pietrelcina had been actively involved since November 1, praying at the tomb of Padre Pio for the healing of Lina. Dr. Tommaso Contaldi, MD, was instrumental in gathering the appropriate clinical documentation. This is the miracle approved for the beatification of Padre Pio. The miracle received by Matteo Pio Colella was used to approve the canonization of Padre Pio.

Most of you know much about Padre Pio, and he may now be among your favorite saints. In my personal reflection, what touches me most about Padre Pio is that he is a wounded healer. He was blessed to be endowed with the wounds of Jesus; it hurt him. Yet, his wounds paved the way for his Sainthood. This is how he took part in the redemptive mysteries of Jesus Christ. He was wounded; his wounds became the source of healing for others.

Padre Pio lived a sickly life but died healthy, with the stigmata healed. Till his last breath on September 23, 1968, his wounds, pains, sufferings and struggles were accepted as powerful signs of Jesus’ unconditional love.

As Padre Pio said, “Make a particular effort to practice sweetness and submission to the will of God, not only in extra ordinary matters, but even in the little things that occur daily.” So when we are in pain, suffering or struggling, remember the stigmata of our Lord and the blessed calling to share those.

Saint Padre Pio, Pray for us.

As humans, we are made to find the meaning and happiness of in lives through our relationships. So our lives can be seen as a web of relationships. Dialogue or conversation is a vital part of the bonding aspect of them. We know if our relationship with the Lord is in place, all other relationships fall in line. They become more meaningful and harness joy.

To keep our relationship with the Lord alive, we need to dialogue with Him, converse with Him constantly; we do that through prayer. Traditionally, there are four types of Christian prayer:

• Adoration, where we give God praise and honor for who He is as Lord.
• Confession, where we honestly deal with our sin before the Lord.
• Thanksgiving, when we verbalize our gratitude to the Lord.
• Supplication, where we pray for the needs of others and ourselves.

In our life journey, almost in every breath, we make choices. We cease to be a real human being the moment we stop making choices in life. In other words, we die when we stop making choices. The other side of the coin is that when we make choices, we need to be in a constant struggle to safeguard the choices we make and achieve the ends. Humans are born to struggle, dictated by the choices they make in life. Human life implies--among many other things--constant struggle. Facing such struggle indicates life; only such people live fully while others avoid struggle and just float by.

Our Blessed Mother Mary, the Apostles of Jesus, the martyrs for the faith, Saints, and all great people in history -- including Our Lord Jesus Himself -- made a deliberate choice. Their lives are nothing but the result of a daring choice that they made. For instance, Jesus made a conscious and self-reflected choice in His life to do the will of the Father, to suffer and die on a cross. If He hadn’t, He would have lived longer but the world would not have been redeemed. But He made the demanding and decisive choice to lose Himself so that others might gain. He had to be in a constant struggle to make his choice a reality. Jesus also invited His followers, time and again, to make a choice. He calls this the “narrow path.” This narrow path is an invitation to get into the constant struggle of life.

St. Padre Pio says, “The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; There is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except the price of pain.”

Our experiences do show that we must be in a constant struggle against evil and our own weaknesses. This is what holiness is all about. What God wants from us is that constant struggle. The moment we give up that struggle, we drift away from Him because, as St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer said, “The struggle is the sign of Holiness and a saint is a sinner that keeps trying.”

When we are in this struggle, our thousands of falls and failures may lead us to a single victory. We need courage, wisdom, and faith to make the right choices at the right time and to abide by them.

At times, we may be challenged to come out of our comfort zones. St. Philip Neri reminds us saying, “Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit your work and give you strength.”

This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Spirit: Pentecost. As promised by Jesus, the lives of the disciples are renewed by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them in tongues of fire. This event marks the birth of the Church.

The understanding we have about the Holy Spirit makes celebrating today’s feast meaningful. Some think of the Holy Spirit as a separate force projected by God. There may be many opinions, yet the truth is in the Bible.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2). This is the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and it says that the “Spirit of God” moved upon the face of the waters. This verse gives us the clear impression that the Holy Spirit is neither a separate spirit projected by God nor a separate person moved by God.

According to 1 John 5:7, the Father, the Word (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (Spirit) are one. This means the three are one and the same, commonly referred to as the Holy Trinity. This makes the Holy Spirit co-equal in authority as the Father and the Son. This does not mean that there are three Gods. It means that God manifests, or shows, Himself in three persons. With this in mind, the belief that the Holy Spirit is simply a power is incorrect.

The Holy Spirit is God and has the same attributes and power of God. The Holy Spirit is referred to as He, which demonstrates that the Bible is clear about the Holy Spirit being a person -- not separate from God, but having a personality. That personality is characterized as:

• Comforter: This word comes from the Greek Word paraclete, which means “called to your side” and refers to the Holy Spirit’s constant presence in our lives, consoling us.
• Guide: Refers to the Holy Spirit’s role in leading and guiding us in understanding the Word of God. And
• Intercessor: Refers to the Holy Spirit’s role in facilitating communication and speaking on our behalf with the Father and Son.

Mother: Please hold my hand.

Son: No, mom, you hold my hand.

Mother: What is the difference?

Son: If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are I may let your hand go. But, if you hold my hand, I know you will never let my hand go.

It is said that “no language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother’s love.” On every birthday since my priestly ordination, I visit my loving mother, kiss her feet and offer a simple gift to her: I say, “Thank you, Mom, for giving me life.” She always kisses me back, saying, “You are my life, son.” For a mother, every child is her life and that is what motherhood is all about.

I read somewhere that “a human body can bear only up to 45 del (units) of pain. Yet, at the time of giving birth, a mother feels up to 57 del of pain, which is similar to 20
bones getting fractured at the same time.” After I read this, I asked my mom about the pain she went through giving birth to me and she said, “No, my son, I don’t remember that I was in pain. I think it was because I was overwhelmed by a great love and a hope in seeing your face.”

As far as a mother’s love is concerned: culture, country, race or caste do not make any difference. If you ask your mother the same questions I asked my mom, she will probably tell you something similar. It is because you are her whole life.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I feel that we all should ask ourselves: What does this day invite us to do? God has blessed each and every mother and has given them a vocation, namely to be the “Best Mother in the World.” So, as we celebrate this Mother’s Day, all mothers are reminded of their beautiful vocation.

You may be blessed to see your loving mother today or maybe not; however, Mother’s Day invites you to show your love in a special way. A simple hug or kiss with a simple loving word may be powerful enough to make a big difference in the life of your mother. Days come and go, but the love of a mother is forever. “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”

May God bless and protect all our mothers. Happy Mother’s Day!

Pope Francis has reminded us, “To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.” We are called to become saints; it is our vocation. The lives of the saints are inspiring and directive sign posts on the spiritual journey.

Today I would like to introduce you to a simple but very powerful saint who made a big impact on my life. He is known as the Apostle of Sri Lanka, St. Joseph Vaz. He is considered the greatest missionary in Asia since St. Francis Xavier. You may not have heard of him, so I will give you brief biography.

Joseph Vaz was born on April 21, 1651 in the Portuguese colony of Goa, India. He had been pious from childhood and, at the age of 7, had been seen praying all night in front of the Blessed Sacrament. His devotional life would mature into a priestly vocation and, in 1676, he was ordained.

Young Fr. Joseph became aware that Catholics in the neighboring island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) were being systematically persecuted by the Dutch, who had taken over some of the Portuguese colonies in Asia. Catholics were deprived of the Sacraments with brutality, as it was easy to arrest and expel any priest because they were white Europeans. Portuguese authorities and the Bishop of Cochin were helpless to do anything.

Fr. Joseph took up the challenge and entered Sri Lanka disguised as a beggar with a helper, John. Undercover he gradually made contact with Catholics and celebrated the Sacraments with them. Regarding this missionary work, Pope St. John Paul II says, “Joseph Vaz was on fire with faith. He travelled the whole island often barefoot with a Rosary round his neck. As a true disciple of Jesus, he endured innumerable sufferings with joy and confidence. His heroic charity, shown in a particular way in his selfless devotion to the victims of the epidemic in 1697, earned him the respect of everyone.”

In 1692, he was arrested as a spy and had to live within the King’s palace prison. When a severe drought threatened a calamitous failure of crops, Fr. Joseph offered to pray for rain in exchange for his freedom. A great stage was erected before the palace and the King’s own magicians and ‘priests’ took up the challenge and performed their rain-making ceremonies to no avail. Then, Fr. Joseph was brought
on to the stage. The historical records say, “as soon as he began praying, thunder and lightning shook the air and a torrential downpour engulfed everything, except the spot where Father Joseph Vaz knelt.” Greatly impressed by this miracle, and of his piety, the King allowed Fr. Joseph to build a church. There are records of many miracles performed by him before and after his death on January 16, 1711.

Present-day Catholic tradition on Sri Lanka owes its strength to this great missionary. Our Holy Father Francis canonized him on January 14, 2015 as the Apostle of Sri Lanka.

Fr. Joseph’s last words are inspiring: “Remember that one cannot easily do at the time of death what one has neglected to do all his life. Live according to the inspiration of God.”

Saint Joseph Vaz
Pray for us!
 

I was ordained a Priest on December 18, 2004 for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka. I served as a Parochial Vicar for the Archdiocese for four years. Thereafter I was selected as an assistant Director of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Colombo. I then served as a Principal of the Middle School, Prefect of Sports and the Prefect of Discipline at St. Peters College, which is one of the major Catholic Schools in Sri Lanka. Finally, I took over the Branch School of St. Peter’s College and served there as the Director/Principal until I came the United States in 2017. I was assigned as a Parochial Vicar at Holy Trinity Church in Poughkeepsie for one year.

I am a native Sri Lankan and started my primary education at DeMazenod College and entered the Minor Seminary at the age of 16. After having completed the Minor Seminary formation, I entered the Major Seminary and earned a Bachelor of Philosophy and Bachelor of Theology degrees from the Urbaniana University, Rome. Finally I entered the University of Keleniya, Sri Lanka, and completed a Masters in Philosophy.

I was born on March 19, 1976 as the youngest of three siblings: a brother and two sisters. God gave my father eternal rest in 2004 when I was only ordained a priest for three months. Now God has called me to serve Him by offering my priestly ministry to all of you here. May God Bless you.