Archive for the ‘Benediction’ Category

Tuesday Benediction

Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Ordinary Time

Reparation Week Benediction

2 Chron 7:14

Deacon Larry Brockman

It has begun.  The process for selecting our national leader has begun.  This very night, the first primary is being held.   

If ever our country needed prayers and reparation, it is now.  Because our choices are limited and should cause all of us grave concern.   

Of the 20 or so candidates who are seeking one party’s nomination, all 20 of them, every last one of them, is strongly pro – choice.  Not a single one of them believes in life from conception.  How can so many of them take such a position in what was a Christian Country?  It’s a position that Catholics just can’t accept.   

The choice on other side is marred by self-serving rhetoric, immoral behavior patterns, and risky international moves.  Ironic, that this side would be strongly pro-life.   

So, what can we do?  We have to turn it over to God.  Because only God has the answer; and God can work miracles despite the mess we are in.  Together, we can offer our prayers to God with all humility, and with the greatest of sincerity.   

And that is why we have Tuesday Benediction.  Because when we turn to our God; he is our hope.  Our country can survive anything as long as we focus on God and keeping his law. 

Christ is Depending on You

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019

Tuesday of First Week of Advent

Evening Prayer and Benediction

1 Cor 1: 4-9

Deacon Larry Brockman

Christ is depending on us.  Yes, He’s depending on you and me,  Just like Christ depended on Paul to spread the faith to the Gentiles.    We are the faithful ones- those of us who are so dedicated to the Eucharist  that we attend Tuesday Benediction.  Because we have been blessed with special gifts, gifts that help us with the knowledge of our Faith that Paul is talking about.   

At this time of the year, we are awaiting the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Not just the coming of the Christ child; but also the coming of Christ the King.  It can happen at any time for any of us- in a car accident; in our sleep; or in many other ways.  And as we’ve been hearing, we must be prepared for it- all of us.   

Many of our friends, relatives, and coworkers are not as ready as we are.  And Christ is depending on us to help them.  When we live according to our strong Faith, then we will be strengthened until the end.  And we will be blameless on the Day of the Lord.   

That is what the rest of mankind needs to know.  You can spread that confidence through your witness.  We all need to go forth from here resolved to share our Faith.   

Christmas is not about cards and cookies and holiday celebrations and all the rest of the hype, Christmas is about being ready for the coming of the Lord at all times.

So, let us all go share what it means to be ready for fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Are You All Fired Up?

Tuesday, June 11th, 2019

Benediction

Col 3: 16

Dc. Larry Brockman

Well, are you all fired up!   

I see that most, if not all of you were there last week to hear Fr. Larry Richards rousing words of support for this Chapel.  And you folks that come to this Benediction regularly, you are certainly part of the core worshipers here.  So, how could you not be fired up after Fr. Richards talk.   

And what was so special about his talk?   Well, he preached to us about how we can make a difference.  He gave an example about how a group of devout people who come before the Blessed Sacrament in regular worship in his parish, all of whom shared a common goal- the closing of the Abortion clinic down the street from them- were successful.   

Well, I am here to tell you that we can do the same thing.  We can unite behind a common cause in our local community and together, our voices will be heard.   

How appropriate that is for this time of the Church Year.  After all, we just celebrated the beginning of the Church.  And our readings during the week chronicle how the Apostles responded to Jesus’ command to go out and preach to all nations.   

Today is the feast of St. Barnabas, who converted to the faith and helped St. Paul with his ministry to the Gentiles.  Things are not so different here from that first century because our country seems to be losing the faith.  Our Judeo-Christian roots have been greatly damaged by the prevailing Secular attitude in this country today.  But you, we, all of us here, can make a difference.  Because we believe, we truly believe that the prayers of a humble, contrite people who pray together for a common cause will be heard.  If only we are all fired up!   

So, let’s do it.   

What the World Needs Now is Prayer!

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Tuesday Benediction

2 Chron 7:14

Dc. Larry Brockman

Reparation!  This holy hour is about reparation. 

And for sure, each of us has come here tonight in all humility to seek the forgiveness of the Lord for our personal shortcomings.   

But the fact is that we are a fractured, divided people.   Political acrimony and divisiveness permeate our country.  Our congress seems stalemated, and unable to get anything meaningful done.  Some people are so focused on the acrimony that they are actually hindering efforts to solve our problems.   

And you know what?  This environment is kind of like what the Israeli people faced at the time Chronicles was written.  But the people came together collectively in all humility to ask for God’s help- His help to heal their land.   

We need that too, we need to heal our Land.  And to do that, we need to turn from our evil ways, pray to God for forgiveness, and make reparation for our collective sins.   

When I was young, each Sunday we would pray at the foot of the altar for the conversion of Russia.  And guess what?  The communist regime fell, and now Russia’s Eastern Orthodox faith is alive and well.  True, they have a long way to go.  But our prayers worked- our collective prayers.   

We have a long way to go in this country now as well.  Much of our country has lost its faith and moral anchor.  That’s why there is so much acrimony.  So, we need to humbly come before the Lord as we have tonight.to ask for God’s forgiveness and help.  And our reparation consists of the shining example of a believing, faith filled community.  A community that believes that this kind of group prayer does work.  Amen. 

Holy Face of Jesus

Tuesday, February 13th, 2018

Benediction
Dc. Larry Brockman

Welcome to Mardi Gras! Yep, this is the actual day when Mardi Gras is celebrated. Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, is the last day that folks could enjoy rich food before the Lenten Fast! And so it was a celebration.

But you know what? That really misses the point of what the next 40 days are all about. Because rather than focus on comfortable living today because we’re going to fast tomorrow, we should be focused on what the next 40 days are all about.

Back in 1840, Jesus appeared to Sister Mary of St. Peter, a Carmelite nun. This appearance was on Shrove Tuesday. Jesus’ face was all disfigured and in suffering. The suffering was caused by people who mocked Jesus and Blasphemed against Christianity. Jesus told Sister Mary that people should pray on Shrove Tuesday in remembrance of his Holy Face for the reparation of the Sins of the Blasphemers. In 1885 Pope Leo XIII established the Archconfraternity to the Holy Face.

Then, Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother began appearing to Blessed Maria Pierina de Micheli from the age of seven in 1898. When He appeared to her on the first day of Lent in 1938 he repeated the request for a special day of Prayer on Shrove Tuesday each year in remembrance of his Holy Face. So in 1958, Pope Pius XII declared the Feast of the Holy Face be celebrated every Shrove Tuesday.

This little known feast is a timely reminder that we need to counter the cynical doubt about Christianity that is prevalent in our secular society today with prayer. And so, let us celebrate Fat Tuesday by venerating the Holy Face of Jesus with this prayer while we contemplate Jesus wounds in reparation for the multiple sins of Blasphemy. It is an excellent preparation Lent.

“May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored, and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.”

Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 14th, 2017

Benediction
Col 3: 15-17
Dc. Larry Brockman

This evenings Liturgy of the Hours scripture is from Colossians 3. It says: “Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness”. How timely is that? Because in just a little over a week, we will all gather with our families for the traditional Thanksgiving holiday.

But what does that really mean? Does it mean we gotta get the turkey and all the trimmings done so we can share a big feast with all the relatives in the family, while all the while our minds are occupied with many other things: time to rush to the stores for our “holiday” shopping on Black Friday; time to send out the Christmas Cards; time to put up the lights and tree; time to bake, decorate, and party; and on and on. But you know what? Maybe we should step back from all that and think about what Thanksgiving is really all about.

400 or so years ago a band of pilgrims came to this country to escape religious tyranny from the government of England. They had to scrape everything together from the land they settled on. But they set aside a day for Thanksgiving: thankful they had survived- many hadn’t; thankful they had shelter- it had been close; thankful for their food for the winter ; thankful for the friendly Indians; and thankful that they were now free of their oppressors. And not just thankful, but rather, thankful to God.

A century ago, we institutionalized this custom in this country. And so, Thanksgiving isn’t a massive celebration with food, drink, and football. Rather it is our chance to express our thankfulness to God for all that we do have; for all of our blessings. We still have our freedom of faith and we have many blessings- food, shelter, family, health, friends, and most of all, life itself. We need to express this Thankfulness to God the Father from our hearts.

Our Thanksgiving celebration is really over the infinite mercy of God that has resulted in all these blessings

Spiritual Rule of Dominic

Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

Benediction
Feast of St. Dominic
Dc. Larry Brockman

Today is the Feast of St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order of Preachers. St. Dominic is also famous for his “rule”. In essence, this “rule” provides guidelines for living life yet maintaining spiritual discipline; a spiritual discipline that focuses on a regular set of spiritual practices as a first priority!

Now it seems to me that in our busy world, something like the rule of Dominic is badly needed for folks like you and me. Our society is saturated with noise- I-pod noise, phone noise, text message noise, TV noise, highway noise, you name it noise.

That’s why this simple centuries old Benediction ceremony is so special. Once a month we have the opportunity to give Jesus, our redeemer, undivided attention- first in adoration; and then in a quiet, scared environment, to reflect on the humdrum of daily life with all its conflicting demands; and let the Lord talk to us.

So slow down, relax, and exercise some spiritual discipline. Let this be a foundation for your own “rule”; a regular set of spiritual practices that has first priority in your life.

Passing On Our Heritage

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017

Benediction
Dc. Larry Brockman

Last Sunday, 130 children made their First Communion here. And this coming Sunday, another 130 will make their First Communion here. It’s a very special time for these children and their families because the core of our Catholic Faith is being passed on to the next generation.

You see, we are all called at Baptism to live as witnesses to our Catholic Faith. Witnesses are those who actively display their Faith and spread it to others. Witnesses are not reclusive, they are not silent. Witnesses are active in this world; they are very much part of the world. But today’s society is corrupted with doubt and cynicism and secular values. Our children need food for their journey. They need the Eucharist.

Today, we are gathered to adore and worship Jesus who is truly present body and soul and divinity In the Eucharist. It is essential that we all recognize that the Eucharist is the life giving food that sustains us in our journey as evangelizers in this world.
When Anna notified all of us about today’s Benediction, she described the first apparition at Fatima some 100 years ago. The light of Christ touched those children. We can be touched by Christ in a similar way when we consume the Eucharist. It penetrates us to the core; and can enable us to do God’s will for us. It is our food for the rest of our journey. Let us pray that all of us will truly believe that:

Lord, shed from us all vestiges of our unbelief. So that the light of Christ will consume us in the Eucharist And give us the courage and the power To vanquish the evil in our midst, by our words and deeds in your name. Amen.

Reflecting on Love on Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

Benediction

Deacon Larry Brockman

God is love and God loves each one of us. Recently, my bible study group learned from the Catechism that the Church teaches that there has never been a single person, a single human being, that has ever existed that God didn’t love. When Jesus died on the cross, he suffered for all of us, that’s how great his love is for us.

Today is Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate our love for our spouses and loved ones. We are made in the image and likeness of God. That means we are called to love all other persons as God loves us. That is hard. But here’s what each of us can do. We can consider the person in this world that loves you the most- your mother, your spouse, your dad, your grandparents- whoever. And ponder how much you love them because of their love for you. Well, God loves you infinitely more than even that.

So as we reflect for a few minutes, consider how you can emulate God’s love, Mary’s love, and your most precious loved one’s love- unconditional, accepting, pure love. Because that is our calling.

Unity

Tuesday, January 10th, 2017

Benediction

1Jn 3: 1-3

Dc. Larry Brockman

We are all gathered here tonight to adore Jesus and pray to him in unity. And it is when we are unified that we please God the most.

God is a social God, three persons in one God. And in a mysterious and incomprehensible way, those three persons share the one Godhead.  Within the limitations of our human understanding, just how is that even possible?

It is only possible through Love.  Mutual Love binds the three persons together. After all, God is love.

Now although we are praying in unity tonight, all of us are unique creations of the one God and are made in His image and likeness. That means we have our own diverse talents, perspectives, and understandings. But if we can come together in unity, to pray to God as a single voice, that would be most pleasing to our God. and to do it most effectively, all of us should be motivated by true love, love for God and his gifts to us, and love for each other.

We haven’t talked about it, but likely all of us are here to pray in hope for our future. In just 10 days, a government takes over. So, let us all pray together in unity in hope, and In a spirit of love of country and each other, that this new government will be moved by the Spirit of God to follow the will of God for us as a nation to do what is right before God, for each and every one of us.