“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH Mt. 23:27-32 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
Part 1: Short Reflection on Gospel of the Day
Part 2: Ten Ways We Can Grow to Love the Eucharist by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Part 3: Eucharistic Litany from St. Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul
PART 1:
- Chap. 23 of the Gospel of Matthew is devoted to Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. “On the outside you appear righteous, but on the inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.” However, his most potent condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees is this: “You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Mt. 23:13)
- May Jesus never say these things about us!!!
- What was the purpose of Jesus’ preaching and teaching, His miracles of healing and miracles over nature? For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, to know that Jesus is God. Preparing them for the greatest and most sublime of all miracles!
- “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.” (Jn. 6: 53-56)
- The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Faith. There was a lot of “Woe to you” in today’s Gospel! May our meditation on the Eucharist bring us abundant “Blessed are you” from our Eucharistic Lord!
PART 2:
TEN WAYS WE CAN GROW TO LOVE THE EUCHARIST! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
We should strive to grow in our love for Jesus who is truly Present in the most Holy Eucharist and this should be a life-time pursuit! Our conversion of heart, our sanctification, our interior peace and joy, our final perseverance in grace, depend on Jesus, and He is truly and substantially present in the consecrated Host in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
The following are concrete actions that we can take to fortify our love for the greatest of all Lovers, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Bread of Life!
1. READ JOHN CHAPTER SIX AND LEARN IT. One of the most important chapters in the Bible that refers to the Presence of Jesus as the Bread of Life is the Gospel of Saint John, Chapter Six. Try to read, pray over, and meditate on this sublime chapter of the preaching and teaching of Jesus in the discourse titled: THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE! (Jn 6:22-71)
2. SPIRITUAL COMMUNIONS. Highly recommended by Saint Alphonsus and many other saints is the practice of making Spiritual Communions. They can be made in any time and any place, using many different words of expression. Your fundamental desire and prayer should be to receive Jesus in a spiritual but profound way, into the depths of your heart, to be constantly united to the Lord Jesus, the Bread of Life. A simple prayer is: “Jesus, I cannot receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. As if you were already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you. Jesus I love you, Jesus I trust in you, Jesus never let me be separated from you!”
3. READ IMITATION OF CHRIST—BOOK IV. One of the greatest classics ever written is The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. It was one of the favorites of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Therese, and surely other saints. The text is divided into four books. The last book deals specifically with the Mass, Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Priest, and many other topics pertinent to growing and falling in love with the Eucharist. Purchase it, read it, and love it!
4. DIARY OF SAINT FAUSTINA—BOOK VI. Another classic is that of the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Saint Faustina Kowalska, who was called the Secretary of Divine Mercy. This literary classic and masterpiece is divided into six books. Like The Imitation of Christ, the last book of the Diary deals with the way that Saint Faustina would prepare her soul to receive the Eucharist, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. This will profit you greatly in your own preparation and reception of this greatest of all Sacraments—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus!
5. VISIT THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. Friends enjoy visiting with each other and as often as possible. If indeed Jesus is our Best of Friends, then we should long to make frequent visits. Remember the short poem with respect to making Eucharistic visits in Catholic Churches: Whenever I see a church, I stop to make a visit; so that when I die, the Lord won’t say “Who is it?” When you see a Church, stop what you are doing! Enter the Church and greet the Lord! Thank the Lord Jesus and tell Him how much you love Him!
6. FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH JESUS. There is a wonderful little booklet: Fifteen Minutes with Jesus. A short but impressive booklet, it can serve as a great platform to enter into dialogue and talk with Jesus as your Best Friend. Indeed, Jesus wants to be your Best Friend. He is waiting for you right now!
7. HOLY HOUR OF REPARATION. Given that all are sinners—we are sinners, our family members are sinners—many souls are heading in full force towards the precipice. Add to that, the Church and our country are going through a great state of turmoil. Now more than ever we should make a concerted effort to be with the Lord praying for mercy, pardon, conversion, and salvation! The inhabitants of Nineveh were saved by the preaching of Jonah. The King called for fasting and penance by all the people and even the animals. Seeing their penitent hearts, God spared Nineveh from destruction. Equally important for us in this time of Ecclesial storm and political storm is to make Holy Hours of Reparation, begging mercy for us, for the Church, for our country, and for the whole world! “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
8. NOVENA OF MASSES FOR VARIOUS INTENTIONS. One of the greatest gifts anybody can give, or for that part receive, is that of prayer. By far, the greatest prayer that can be offered and received is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The graces flowing from the Mass are most powerful. Indeed, it is the Offering of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus to the Eternal Father for the salvation of the entire world. This is something you can do: go to Mass for nine consecutive days and offer the Mass and your reception of Holy Communion for a specific person and even for a specific intention if you want. The possible intentions are limitless! Examples: the conversion of sinners; the return of your son to the practice of the faith; that your daughter might get married in the Church; that your husband might give up drinking; that your brother in jail might go to confession; that some young man might say Yes to a vocation to the priesthood! The key is that for nine days in a row you attend Holy Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, all offered for your specific intention. Innumerable graces can flow from this novena of Masses and Holy Communions. Why not start today? God will bless you and others most abundantly!
9. GENUFLECTION. Even though it may be a small and almost inconspicuous gesture, the genuflection has immense importance and value! Bending your right knee and going all the way down to touch the ground, is a corporal gesture that is made when passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Its meaning? This was done in the Middle Ages as a gesture of homage or tribute to a King or Queen. In a parallel, but very real sense, Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Therefore, even more should Jesus be honored and praised by a reverential genuflection!!! The greater the person, the more, in justice, we owe Him great dignity and respect by even our corporal postures and gestures.
10. BRING WANDERING SHEEP TO THE EUCHARISTIC LORD. Be a Eucharistic Apostle and bring a wandering sheep back to the fold by inviting this Prodigal Son/Daughter to Church. Go the whole nine yards! Invite them to go with you to Church, first to make a good Confession. Then return once again to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion! Saint James reminds us that if we bring back a wandering soul, we save our own soul and expiate a multitude of our sins! (Jas 5: 19-20) We merit our own salvation and less time in Purgatory! Go for it!
PART 3: EUCHARISTIC LITANY… St. Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul
No. 356.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and infinite mercy dispensed in abundance to us, and especially to poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities flowing from infinite mercy as from a fount for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one understands us.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of ravages of the enemy and efforts of hell.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair.
O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgment will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
No. 357 +Most Holy Trinity, I trust in Your infinite mercy. God is my Father and so I, His child, have every claim to His divine Heart; and the greater the darkness, the more complete our trust should be.
No. 358 I do not understand how it is possible not to trust in Him who can do all things. With Him, everything; without Him, nothing. He is Lord. He will not allow those who have placed all their trust in Him to be put to shame.
Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
