Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, gave a 12-minute homily on Sunday, January 4.
Today we celebrate the Twelfth Night of Christmas, as Shakespeare put it. It’s really the 10th night, and we’ll have a Latin Mass on the true twelfth night, January 6, the Epiphany.
The Wedding at Cana is also part of this shining forth, epiphany.
The shining forth refers to the ninth plague in Egypt, when the land was covered in darkness, except among the Israelites.
The light that comes from God does not blind. What happened in 1917 in Portugal was that the children saw a light coming from the east. The light resolved itself into our Lady. Said Lucia: “We saw more with her light.” In the sixth apparition, people could look into the sun and their retinas were not burned. The children saw Our Lady putting the sun back into its place.
The Fatima children were known for the seriousness with which they took their Catholic faith, especially with regards to making reparation for sin. I also think of St. Carlo Acutis, who went to daily Mass and visitation before the Blessed Sacrament and daily rosary. These young people would exhort us to attend Mass with fervent humble devotion. And this should be our ambition whether standing or kneeling in receiving the Body and blood, soul and divinity our Lord Jesus Christ. I personally favor kneeling and hope it will be encouraged along with standing.
I wish I could kneel, Daniel, but my knees are shot. I would kneel at the altar in spirit.
I have always preferred to kneel, to receive Our Lord on the tongue, also. Recently, as I have been in a long recovery due to an injury, and use a pretty blue walking cane– I simply present myself for Holy Communion with my hands on my purse and cane– and receive Holy Communion on the tongue– for which I am extremely grateful. As long as no priest in any church ever gets “fussy” with me over this practice– and complains to me about it, outside of a Mass– I will silently continue this practice, to life’s end– even after recovery. But I much prefer opportunities to kneel.
Is anyone who posts on this website younger than 70 years old?
How about you?
Are you an “ageist?”– prejudiced against Seniors? You should respect all Catholics, of all ages. We also are blessed to have Saints of all ages– even child saints, as at Fatima; and young St. Carlo Acutis, who led his parents, nanny, and many others, to Christ, as a small child. Age does not matter. There is no aging, and no death, in Heaven. The Pope lovingly and joyfully kissed Baby Jesus at all the recent Christmastide and Epiphany Masses– Baby Jesus is King of the Universe!
I gave you a thumbs up because there is nothing wrong with asking that question, but then I realized a thumbs up might mean the person giving the thumbs up is younger than seventy. In that case, I should have given a thumbs down. Thank God, though, I can still kneel on a cushioned kneeler, and sometimes even on a hard kneeler or the floor. I do not know for how much longer but most of the time if I keep up my stretch exercises from physical therapy.
I am 75 and in poor health,spending most of my time at home. I have therefore plenty of time to attend to Cal Catholic, and the policy of BP. Martin has given me opportunity to voice what I regard as a legitimate grievance. I expect most older folks who desire to kneel feel the same way. We can’t help being older so please grant us the respect we deserve. (I hope I am not being snippy.)
Jacinta looks annoyed
Jacinta was 6quite a spunky little girl! The children probably didn’t like the public invading them, with picture-taking, questioning– plus, the terrible incident where authorities arrested the children, and threw them in jail, as reports of the apparitions were causing a great deal of political unrest. It was all just horrible. But the children were released a couple of days later.