Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
THURSDAY, March 11th Lk. 11: 14-23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
- Saint Ignatius of Loyola: “As in one’s whole life, so also in one’s death, each one should struggle to give glory to the Lord our God. May He be honored and glorified. May other people be edified by the example of our patience and fortitude, by the testimony of our living faith, our hope and our love for the eternal goods.”
Part`1: Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God… by Saint Albert the Great
Part 2: FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
PART 1: Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God… by Saint Albert the Great
Abide in God in the secret place of your soul as tranquilly as though there had already risen upon you the dawn of Eternity, the unending Day of God.
Strong in the love of Jesus, go forth from yourself, with a heart pure, a conscience at peace, a faith unfeigned; and in every trial, every event, commit yourself unreservedly to God, having nothing so much at heart as perfect obedience to His will and good pleasure.
Let us not forget this truth: the moment a man, by the help of God, succeeds in overcoming his own will, that is, in freeing himself from every inordinate affection and care, to cast himself and all his miseries unreservedly into the bosom of God, that moment he becomes so pleasing to God that he receives an outpouring of grace.
This grace brings love, and love drives out all fear and hesitation, and fills the soul with confidence and hope. What is more blessed than to cast all our cares on Him who cannot fail? As long as you lean upon yourself you will totter. Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God. He will embrace you, He will heal and save you.
If you think often of these truths they would bring you more happiness than all the riches, delights, honors of this false world, and would make you more blessed than all the wisdom and knowledge of this corruptible life.
PART 2. FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
When I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986 shortly after my ordination at the hands of Saint Pope John Paul II, I was contemplating a compelling portrait of Jesus. It was an image of His Sacred Heart, with flames of fire radiating from His Heart. However, what seemed to really captivate me most in the moment, were six words in Spanish that have been almost a motto of my life as a Catholic, Religious and priest, and follower of Christ. These words were: “Jesus, el Amigo que nunca falla.” Translation: “Jesus, the Friend that never fails!”
Christological names are many: The Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, The Way, Truth, and Life, the Alpha and Omega, Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, as well as Lamb of God, Son of man and Son of God. Each of these names, like a precious diamond exposed to the sun, through a process called refraction reflects a different glimmer of the majesty, greatness and beauty of Jesus the Son of the living God. However, there is still another title that has captivated me for many years and hopefully will captivate your heart and it is Jesus, the Friend that never fails us.
On Holy Thursday, as Jesus sat at the Last Supper, about to give to all of humanity until the end of time two extraordinary gifts—we call them Sacraments—Holy Orders and the Most Holy Eucharist, He called the Apostles, and each one of us, by a special name: “I call you friends!” In this most important moment in His life, shortly before being crucified for love of you and me, He called the Apostles and us His intimate Friends.
Our Catholic-Christian religion has rules, precepts, orders, prohibitions, decrees and commands, this we cannot deny. The Ten Commandments are part and parcel of our deposit of faith. Nonetheless, if we limit our Catholic faith to nothing more than a series of rules, precepts, and Commandments to obey, then we have missed the boat, missed the mark, by focusing on something very important, but not that which is most important and essential.
The essence of Catholicism is a love-affair. It is a deep, dynamic, and growing relationship with three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The second Person of the most Blessed Trinity is Jesus, the Son of God become man. He came into the world to save us. But Jesus also came into the world to establish a deep, dynamic, and permanent Friendship with each and every one of us.
The Bible says that to find a true friend is indeed a treasure. We might even call it the pearl of infinite price that we should be willing to give everything else to acquire. Of all the friends that could exist in this world, friendship with Jesus is by far the best! In the painting of the Sacred Heart, He is the Friend who will never fail us in time and for all eternity. Even the best of friends are destined to fail each other sooner or later. But Jesus will never fail us. We indeed fail Him, but he will never fail us, never!
For this reason one of the best motivations for us to strive energetically to observe the Ten Commandments is for the simple reason of desiring to establish, cultivate and grow in a dynamic Friendship with Jesus.
Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen coined one of the best definitions of sin on the market: “Sin is hurting the one you love.” True, sin is breaking one of the Commandments. However, above and beyond the mere breaking of one of the Commandments, by sinning seriously we are breaking the Heart of Jesus, who loved and stills loves us so much that He died on the cross to prove His love and Friendship for all of humanity, and for each one of us individually!
If you were the only person in the created universe, your Faithful Friend, Jesus would have come into the world preaching, teaching, and exorcising demons, but especially this: He would have suffered all of the torments of His Passion, from the Agony in the Garden to His crucifixion on the cross, up to the shedding of His last drop of Blood when the lance pierced His Sacred Heart. All of this Jesus, your best Friend, willingly suffered for love of you so that He would be your Best Friend in time and for all eternity.
Therefore, when we examine our conscience going through the Ten Commandments, why not take a fresh and new approach in preparation for Confession. And it is simply this! Recognize that your sins, in addition to breaking the Commandments, especially hurt the one who loves you and who wants to be loved by you!
Sin is saying “no” to the love of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is madly in love with you and has a burning desire for you to correspond to His love. Still more, by sinning you are breaking the Heart of your Best Friend. By making a good confession, you are healing the wounds in His Sacred Heart and restoring your friendship with the Friend who will never fail you which will not end at the graveside, but will last forever in eternity in heaven.
Therefore, by saying “no” to sin, you are really saying “yes” to the love of God and “yes” to a deep and growing Friendship with Jesus.
Face it, if sinning is simply breaking a series of cold and impersonal set of rules, then chances are we will go back to sinning. However, if we see sin in a personal light, hurting my best Friend, wounding His Heart, then I will stop and think, and renounce this temptation to sin.
May Our Lady and good Saint Joseph pray for us. They were the ones who loved Jesus best, had the deepest friendship with Him on earth, and now and for all eternity they are the beloved of Jesus.
Let us pray.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like yours. Jesus Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee. O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine. Jesus, be my best Friend now, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Amen.
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
