Deeper Truth

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Neumann

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Neumann 1/5/2024
Therefore, holy brethren, who share in a heavenly call, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession." Hebrews 3:1
When the Lord calls you, He will open doors that seem closed if it be His Will. St. John Neumann is a classic case. At the time of St. John, there were no openings in the Seminaries as they were filled to capacities.
Can you picture a time when there were no priest shortage?
St. John Neumann was born on March 28, 1811 in Bohemia and was raised in the holy Faith by his parents. So much so that by 1831, he was already seeking to become a Catholic priest studying at a local seminary.
By the time he was 24 years old, he had become fluent speaking six languages which made him very important as a speaker and missionary.
1835, the Bishop of Bohemia was not taking in new priests so St. John wrote to other European countries only to find the same problem for him, but he would not be denied.
In 1836, St. John traveled to America hoping to finally receive ordination to the priesthood. He placed his full confidence in God as he arrived in New York with only one dollar to his name and the clothes on his back. If God has your calling, it is a matter of time and soon, St. John would run into Bishop John Dubois of the Society of Saint-Silpice who saw St. John's potential. Three weeks later, June 1836, St. John was now called "Father Neumann"!
 
 

Deepertruth: Stand In the Gap With Us And Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Stand In the Gap With Us And Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton 1/4/2024
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton is recognized as the first American born Saint (28 August, 1774 – 4 January, 1821), she was raised in the Episcopalian Church which during those times, was much more conservative than what you see today.
At that time the Catholic Church in America was undergoing persecutions. St. Elizabeth was raised in the upper class of society and she eagerly read the latest in books and novels while wore the popular fashions of the time. Her favorite book came from the Scriptures (the King James version)
The influx of Catholic Immigrants from Europe was beginning in full swing. The Catholic Church went from something like 15,000 to 17,000 thousand to over 20,000,000 in a short period of time.
To the Protestants, this was seen as a threat to their vision of a Protestant Nation. Catholic Churches in New York and Philadelphia were ransacked and burned to the ground, convents were attacked by Protestant mobs.
Protestant Universities (Bob Jones) began to push Anti-Catholic belief’s using misrepresentations from Maria Monk and others that still have affect today. Even though all this was vindicated by the individuals themselves.
This led to the burning of Catholic Churches such as the burning of St. Augustine Church during the Philadelphia Nativist Riots in 1844.

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us As We Honor The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Stand In The Gap With Us As We Honor The Most Holy Name of Jesus 1/3/2024
et us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Matthew then specifically mentions the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,' which means 'God is with us.
O GOOD JESUS, according to Thy great mercy, have mercy on me. O most merciful Jesus, by that Precious Blood which Thou didst will to shed for sinners, I beseech Thee to wash away all mine iniquities and to look graciously upon me, a poor and unworthy sinner, as I call upon Thy Holy Name. Therefore, O Jesus, do Thou save me for Thy Holy Name’s sake. O God, Who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son to be the Savior of mankind and didst command His Name to be called Jesus; mercifully grant that we may enjoy the vision of Him in Heaven, Whose Holy Name we venerate on earth. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen
Everything about our divine Lord is holy, including His Name. It was the Archangel Gabriel who first spoke the name of Jesus to His mother, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus” Luke 1:31. The Archangel was only a messenger, so the name of Jesus was given to Him by the Father in Heaven.
 

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Basil the Great

Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Basil the Great 1/2/2024
St. Basil the Great was born at Caesarea of Cappadocia in 330. He was one of ten children of St. Basil the Elder and St. Emmelia. Several of his brothers and sisters are honored among the saints.
He attended school in Caesarea, as well as Constantinople and Athens, where he became acquainted with St. Gregory Nazianzen in 352.In this post until his death in 379, he continued to be a man of vast learning and constant activity, genuine eloquence and immense charity. This earned for him the title of "Great" during his lifw and Doctor of the Church after his death.
Basil was on his way to becoming a famous teacher when he decided to begin a religious life of gospel poverty. After studying various modes of religious life, he founded what was probably the first monastery in Asia Minor. He is to monks of the East what Saint Benedict is to the West, and Basil’s principles influence Eastern monasticism today.
He was ordained a priest, assisted the archbishop of Caesarea—now southeastern Turkey—and ultimately became archbishop himself, in spite of opposition from some of the bishops under him, probably because they foresaw coming reforms.
Basil fought simony, aided the victims of drought and famine, strove for a better clergy, insisted on a rigid clerical discipline, fearlessly denounced evil wherever he detected it, and excommunicated those involved in the widespread prostitution traffic in Cappadocia.
 

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And The Holy Innocents

 Stand In The Gap With Us And The Holy Innocents 12/28/2023
Herod “the Great,” king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. Hence he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother, and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.
Holy Innocents Day, also known as the Feast of the Holy Innocents, is commemorated on December 28 every year. On this day, the Catholic Church honors the first martyrs. These were the children of Israel killed by King Herod in his quest to find baby Jesus.
Isaiah 9 proclaims “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, among those who walked in the land of gloom, a light has shown.”
So, why, right in the very center of Christmas, are we commemorating this horrible atrocity?
Matthew 2:1-18 tells this story: Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen.
They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts, and warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.
Herod murdered his own wife and preserved her corpse in honey. He had two of his own sons strangled to death. He routinely liquidated anyone suspected of disloyalty. He had a harem of five hundred women, a brood of illegitimate children, and a taste for the pages who served in his palace.
 

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Whom Jesus Loved

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. John Whom Jesus Loved 12/27/2023
December 27 is the Feast of St. John the Apostle.
St. John was one of the original followers Christ called as he was fishing with his Brother James.
They were the sons of Zebedee. After the first miracle of the catch of fish, “they left everything and followed him”.
Jesus chose 12 Apostles, but Peter, James and John were the Lord’s leaders.
They were present at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) and in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).
St. John was the youngest and probably the fastest among the Apostles (John 20:4).
 

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Stephen, the first Catholic Martyr

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Stephen, the first Catholic Martyr 12/26/2023
St. Stephen was buried by his Christian family, but in time the location of his tomb was lost until about 415 A.D. a Catholic Priest received a vision showing where St. Stephen had been buried. Confirmation of St. Stephen's tomb bore his name.
Lord Jesus, you chose Stephen as the first deacon and martyr of your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The heroic witness of his holy life and death reveals your continued presence among us. Through following the example of his living faith, and by his intercession, empower us by your Holy Spirit to live as witnesses to the faith in this New Missionary Age. No matter what our state in life, career or vocation, help us to proclaim, in both word and in deed, the fullness of the Gospel to a world which is waiting to be born anew in Jesus Christ. Pour out upon your whole Church, the same Holy Spirit which animated St Stephen, Martyr, to be faithful to the end, which is a beginning of life eternal in the communion of the Trinity.

Deepertruth: The Story of the Nativity of the Lord

The Story of the Nativity of the Lord 12/25/2023
In the 40 days before Christmas, the faithful participate in Advent, a time of spiritual cleansing and preparation for the birth of Jesus. The Nativity of Jesus celebrates the incarnation of God, which means that he came to earth to live as a man and undo the damage caused by the fall of the first man, Adam.
Mary is visited by an angel and told that she will fulfill a prophecy and as a virgin give birth to God's son, the savior of the world. Mary's pregnancy brings her the scorn of the community and Joseph struggles to believe her seemingly outlandish story.
In the familiar version of the Christmas story, Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Because there was no room in the inn, the baby Jesus is born in a stable and placed in a manger. His humble birth is celebrated by choirs of angels and shepherds, and he is given precious gifts by the mysterious Magi.
A nativity scene takes its inspiration from the accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Luke's narrative describes an angel announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds who then visit the humble site where Jesus is found lying in a manger, a trough for cattle feed.
On this day, the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child, God become human, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger, although his mother Mary and Joseph, caring for his foster-son, help round out the scene.

Deepertruth: The Christmas Special Shephards Story

The Christmas Special  Shephards Story The shepherds represented the people of Israel, invited to come and worship their Messiah. The significance of inviting the shepherds first, those who were overlooked and disregarded by many, hinted at God's kingdom ways.
Shepherds watch for enemies who might attack the sheep, and they defend them when necessary. They tend to sick or wounded sheep and search for and rescue lost or trapped ones.
shepherds are used to represent leaders of God's people
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 

Deepertruth: Christmas Special The Wise Men

Deepertruth: Christmas Special The Wise Men
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star* at its rising and have come to do him homage.”When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.