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Archive for the ‘Fr. Brankin’ Category

The beauty nurtured in the Church is a proof of God’s existence

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.Fifth Sunday of Easter, Apr. 6, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: John 14:7-14 “I am in the Father and the Father in me”

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(Summary of sermon) I don’t particularly like to read the news columnists, but they are the bellweather of society’s propagandists — where the enemy brings the fight. The enemy is pummeling us in the media. They talk about how the Church is waging war against nuns, or women, or Obama, the poor, etc. To go after God, they go after us. They get us to disbelieve in the Church, and therefore disbelieve in God.

Click for Visitation Spirit website

EWTN to Host Visitation Sister Wed., May 9

EWTN Live will feature the President of the Second Federation of the Visitation Sisters, Sister Susan Marie, on May 9, 2012 with Father Mitch Pacwa, SJ! We believe this is the FIRST time a Visitandine will appear on the show and we look forward to the opportunity and your viewership. Read more.

The best possible defense against this may be the argument of beauty. Beauty cannot explain itself without God. I’m talking about the beauty of people’s lives. For the last two thousand years we Catholics have been doing beautiful things. We take care of the poor, the sick. We are about raising good children, and doing good things in the world. This all proves the truth and goodness of God. Continue Reading…

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Through Jesus’ passionate love, we gain life

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.Passion Sunday, Mar. 25, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin

(Full text of sermon) Often pundits talk about the dumbing-down of our twentieth and twenty-first century society.

Think of it: our parents and grandparents—who probably had very little formal education were more understanding and aware of things and ideas and processes and even vocabulary than any of their children or grandchildren This dumbing down certainly has taken place in America of course—look at our speech and vocabulary.

A child of only fifty years ago was not only aware of Latin—he used Latin type words in his everyday speech. Certainly he was familiar with Latin because of the Mass, but that child was also aware that so much of our language came from Latin—and that fact helped that child immeasurably in understanding the words he or she might use and therefore why we use them. Continue Reading…

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The Church needs no government permission to carry on its mission

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.Second Sunday of Easter, Apr. 15, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin

(Full text of sermon) What an unspeakably beautiful gospel. How often I have pictured that scene—how often artists have painted it—where the once-dead Jesus—appears to doubting Thomas and asks Thomas to inspect the wounds in Jesus’ hands and in His side—to see if it is really Jesus. And Thomas falls to his knees and says the words that have echoed through the centuries for the next two thousand years: “My Lord and my God.” Now Jesus appeared for forty days to the Apostles and the Disciples. Hundreds of people actually saw Him. And that story was told to us a hundred years later—a thousand years later and two thousand years later as proof that Jesus did truly rise from the dead—and for no less a reason than that we might come to believe that He is the Son of God and that through Him we might have life. Continue Reading…

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Jesus suffered and died to become more than an earthly king

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.Palm Sunday, Apr. 1, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin

(Full text of sermon) Did you notice in the Gospel on Palm Sunday that Pontius Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus died in only three hours?

Well, the reason he was surprised was because usually the victim of a crucifixion endured on the cross for eighteen to twenty-four hours. Yes, it was a very slow, tortuous means of execution.

You see, the person who was crucified had his arms placed on the cross at just the correct angle. This was so that when he was raised up, his body would slump forward making it very difficult for him to breathe properly. Continue Reading…

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Pray for the Pope, because the wolves are howling

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Photo of Fr. Brankin. Go to Fr. Brankin's bio.

Third Sunday of Easter, Apr. 22, 2012
Fr. Anthony Brankin
 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures”

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(Summary of sermon) Remember when Pope Benedict was elected he asked for our prayers, that he would not flee for fear of the wolves? But doesn’t the Pope have the guarantee that he will not fail? Why does he need our prayers?

All of us are scarred with original sin and prone to weakness and sin. There is no ultimate victory until we have died. The Pope is faced with the daily struggles for his own salvation.

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Live Gently With a Valiant Spirit

Would you like to have the courage of the Holy Spirit to face everyday life? Gentleness and strength of spirit are part of the Salesian spirituality. Crafted by St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, this spirituality is for both religious and laity. Read “Salesian Spirituality is Strong and Growing.”

The Pope is faced with the question of how does he shepherd his flock against the wolves of this world. He is faced with issues such as “gay marriage” and Obama’s mandates. Continue Reading…

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