Dear Friend, 

My sincere apologies to all who could not assist at Cardinal Burke’s Holy Mass this morning, livestreamed from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. This was due to several technical problems.  The devil obviously did not like this mass. His Eminence was preaching about not compromising.  Being true to Our Lord, even if it means shedding our own blood for Christ.

Today is the Traditional Feast of the Seven Holy Maccabee Martyrs. Cardinal Burke said that old testament saints give heroic witness through the grace of redemption.  The Maccabee brothers and their mother refused to betray the law of Our Lord and the sacred covenant, which was the eating of unclean foods. 

“These brothers of the Maccabee and their mother understood the witness, which we give to the love of God in our hearts, which knows no compromises, it cannot know any compromise. It must be stronger than death itself. They accepted death rather than break the sacred covenant.”

“They are a wonderful example and wonderful intercessors for us today in the church which also suffers from attacks by the godless securalism, which would violate the law of God even in its most fundamental tenants. But also, from an attack within from those who would compromise the sacred teaching of the faith, in order to be acceptable to a secular culture, in order to falsely accommodate our faith with a culture in so many respects, is so hostile to our faith.”

“We as Rosary Warriors – those who are praying so fervently for the church and the world, in these most troubled times, we ask for the intercession of the Maccabee brothers and their mother, that we in our time, will give an unmistakable witness to the love of Christ that is in our hearts, an unmistakable witness to the law of God, which disposes our hearts to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and to cooperate most fully with that gift, even to the shedding of our blood if necessary, in order to be true to Our Lord. Knowing that indeed, Our Lord promises us in today’s Gospel, that if we remain faithful to Him, He will remain always faithful to us. And that although we seem to be defeated – and even annihilated in the eyes of the world, we will have eternal life. We will have the ultimate victory, the victory which Our Lord Jesus Christ has already won for us.  The victory which He desires to share with us in His Holy Church.”

To view the Holy Mass and homily, click here:

Tomorrow, August 2 is the Traditional Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is also an opportunity for us to either earn a plenary (or partial indulgence), which is called the Portiuncula Indulgence.  This indulgence can be applied to the holy souls in purgatory.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an indulgence is a “remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints”.

In order to gain the plenary indulgence on August 2:

~Receive the Holy Eucharist and attend Holy Mass on that day.

~Go to confession eight days before or after August 2.

~Enter a parish church and, with a contrite heart, pray the Our Father, Apostles Creed, and a prayer of his/her own choosing for the intentions of the Pope.  The published prayer, by the Vatican, for the Pope’s intentions during August are: “We pray for small and medium sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.”

May Our Lady, most blessed, unto whom all power in Heaven and earth is given, intercede for us and Holy Mother Church.

Yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Thomas McKenna

Founder and President

P.S. If you have not yet submitted your intentions for the Three Holy Masses, from August 4-6, in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, please click here.

Catholic Action For Faith And Family
http://www.catholicaction.org/