Friars LIVE shows: Recent Episodes
Father Serafino Lanzetta
The shepherds were given a "sign" by the Angel in order to know that the Savior, Christ the Lord, was born. "You shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes who lays in a manger" (Lk 2:12), said the Angel. The Evangelist says also that when the shepherds arrived to Bethlehem found "Mary and Joseph and the Infant laying in the manger" (Lk 2:16). Only seeing through the presence of Mary and Joseph the revelation of the Baby becomes clear.
We now concentrate ourselves on the role of Our Lady in the Holy Mass. Since She contributed uniquely to offer up to God the sacrifice of our salvation - Christ her Son and herself in her Son, in the memorial of the Mass is represented also what She did for us. There is a sacrifice of Mary as the New Eve beside the New Adam contributing to the salvation of mankind.
We look in this catechesis at the mystery of the Holy Mass as we focus on the Mass in itself as a 're-presentation' (i.e. to make it present) of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ on Calvary. Then we concentrate ourselves on the Holy Mass as a way to be Christians by living out that 'memorial' in our daily lives. We should always abide in that memorial.
We meditate upon the spirituality of the Holy Mass as the re-presentation of Jesus Passion and Death. The Holy Mass begins precisely when Jesus leaves the upper room where he instituted the Holy Eucharist and goes fourth towards his Passion, starting with the agony in the garden. Now the mystery signified in the Holy Eucharist begins to be celebrated as Jesus suffers and consummated as Jesus dies for us. His Body is so given up and His Blood poured out for us.
In this podcast Fr Serafino M. Lanzetta reflects on the unique and virginal espousal of St. Joseph with Mary, the key to understanding the figure of the Carpenter of Nazareth as the first type of Marian consecration. Joseph of Nazareth comes to be known in the New Testament for his espousal relationship with Our Lady. Since this marriage was virginal, can it be read more in-depth as a way St Joseph was fully consecrated to Mary? You might also wish to read this article by Fr Serafino M. Lanzetta.
In this podcast, Fr Serafino M. Lanzetta reflects on the greatness of St Joseph, starting from a Marian perspective. From his being totally united to Mary in a virginal espousal, we can also understand his being a "just man". Joseph's silence has to be discovered as a tremendous way to be always faithful to God, even when we do not understand immediately His salvific and providential plan.
The perpetual Virginity of Mary is a dogma of Faith, unfortunately put into discussion so many times in these recent years. The catastrophic effect of this attempt to obscure it in order to also overcome the modern taboo of chastity is a general identity crisis that affects the whole Church. Mary's Virginity is the form of Christianity because She has moulded in her womb Christ and with Him also the Mystical Body.
We wish to deepen the discussion on the active participation. When do we really participate actively in the Mass? This can be addressed correctly if we deal also with another important question: how can we transform our life in the mystery that we celebrate, treasuring the very central notion of 'sacrifice'? Only through the sacrifice of Christ we become partakers of His.
In this first episode on the social Kingship of Christ we reflect on Christ being a king for the fact that He calls Himself as such and also because He is recognized as such. His kingship is already prepared in the Old Testament and has its completion in the New Testament, especially in two key moments: the adoration of the Magi and the Process before Pilate. Christ is the King of truth, therefore His kingship is cosmic.
In this second episode on the social kingship of Christ we reflect on the fact that if Christ is King he has then a kingdom. What is this kingdom about? Not a human realm that can be mixed up with a political power or a millenarist idea of prosperity on earth. But the way God rules over us in Christ. The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven, that Jesus brings about in his preaching, is in our midst - God is with us in Christ, His Lordship is finally visible and definitively present.