Starting off on the right foot can set the stage and tone for a fruitful and successful day. The Cure of Ars stated that if we start our day off well, then there is a good chance that we will end it well. The saintly priest-confessor was referring to prayer. In other words, if upon waking, we can direct our first thoughts, words and sentiments to God, we are on the right path. We are putting God in the right place—the first place that He indeed merits!

Then during the course of our day, we should spice and condiment and season our daily spiritual menu with frequent and fervent prayers. A saint calls these short and fervent prayers fiery darts that penetrate the heavens!

Thinking about God frequently, talking to God frequently, having recourse to God often, thanking God often—this is the golden-key to opening up the treasure-gates of holiness. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church on prayer, Saint John Damascene offers us a short, pithy, but substantial definition of prayer: “Prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God.” Another superb definition of prayer is the following: “Prayer is listening to God, talking to God and loving God.”

Therefore, let us present some key moments in the course of the day when we can turn to God, lift up our minds to God, raise our hearts and souls to God and unite our wills to the Will of Our Lord, God, Savior and Friend. By the way, it must be expressed clearly that God, as our loving Father, is always ready and willing for us to enter into intimate dialogue and conversation with Him. How ironic this truth: God is never too busy for us; however, we are all too often, too busy for God.

1. MORNING OFFERING.  As mentioned above, as soon as we hear the alarm clock, we should immediately lift our mind and heart to God and pray our morning offering. A classical way is to offer all we have, all we are, and all that we do to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If we place our intentions in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she will bless us and all we do with abundant blessings.

2. KISS YOUR SCAPULAR.  All of us, as a sign of our consecration to Mary, should wear constantly the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is Mary’s garment, the garment of grace and our exterior sign of consecration to Mary. Soldiers wear their uniforms; athletes their uniforms, Doctors and nurses their medical attire. However, as sons and daughters of God, and sons and daughters of Mary, we are proud to wear our Brown Scapular. It is our identity card, as well as our shield and protection against the fiery arrows of the enemy.

3. PRAY THE ANGELUS/REGINA COELI AT THREE SET TIMES: 9 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm. This prayer is so pleasing to Jesus and Mary and it can be prayed in 2-3 minutes. These three key moments in our day serve to sanctify the morning hours, the afternoon hours, and finally the night. The Angelus reminds us of the two principle events in the History of salvation: 1) the Incarnation of the Son of God made man through the Yes of Mary; 2) the Paschal Mystery of our Redemption: The Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus. Mary stood at the foot of the cross in that key moment of our Redemption.

4. THE MERCY HOUR 3:00 P.M.  Every day when the clock strikes 3:00 p.m. we call to mind that key hour, that key moment when Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, after shedding His Precious Blood on the cross for our salvation, breathed forth His spirit into the arms of His loving Father. In this MERCY HOUR (if at all possible) pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It will not take more than a few minutes. This prayer is very pleasing to the Merciful Heart of Jesus and a powerful prayer to attain the conversion of sinners and most especially death-bed sinners. If it is not possible to pray the Chaplet, at least for a few seconds lift your mind and heart to the agonizing and dying Jesus on the cross and beg for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners.

5. MEAL-TIME PRAYER.  Ven. Father Patrick Peyton stated: “The family that prays together, stays together.” We might even add to these words of wisdom: “The family that prays and eats together, stays together.” Meal-time for the family should be a most important social and binding time every day. Many have abandoned this indispensable family custom and habit. Meal time is the prime-time for bonding with the family. Conversing, sharing about our day, joking and laughing, smiling and bantering—all can and should be done at the meal time. However, meal-time should always be initiated by inviting Jesus to sit down at the table with the family. This is done by starting off with the prayer of the blessing of the meal. Let us strive to save our families by fervent and frequent prayer, but also by loving and sharing, especially at the Meal-time!

6. START OF EVERY HOUR—A SHORT ASPIRATION.  It is not always possible, but it might be worth the effort to commence every new Hour that God gives you by praying a short prayer, a short aspiration. Indeed the prayers can be short—brief fiery darts that pierce the Heavens! Some examples of short aspirations might be the following:

Jesus, I love you; save souls.

Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

God, I love you; shower me with your love.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me.

Jesus meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto yours.

Jesus, I trust in you.

 Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

The Hail Mary….

By cultivating this practice, we will be fanning the flame of God’s love in our hearts, a fire that can easily be extinguished by the world, the devil, and our own disordered passions!

7. THE EXAMEN PRAYER.  Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists as indispensable the importance of being faithful to the Daily Examen, which can be done at any time during the course of the day. This can be done in 15-20 minutes. How is it done?

FIVE STEPS:

1) THANKSGIVING… Start by thanking God for the gifts that He has bestowed upon you this past day (the past 24 hours);

2) PETITION… Beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten you to see the past day through the eyes/the lens of God, to see what happened with great clarity and objectivity; 

3) REVIEW… Review the past day. Go through the day, hour by hour, or event after event, and recognize God’s loving Presence in your life, sometimes called Divine Providence; also look for what was not of God.

4) CONTRITION… Humbly admit your short-comings and failures, keenly aware of God’s loving kindness and mercy;

5) PRAYERFUL RESOLUTION… With the self-knowledge of your weakness and fragility, but also of God’s abundant grace and mercy, propose for the following day how to avoid falling into the same human weaknesses and errors.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists on doing this Spiritual Exercise with a determined determination as an indispensable practice to attain true holiness of life. Find the time to be faithful to this practice!

8. HOLY HOUR.  Even though for many, the practice of the HOLY HOUR might be considered too long and too demanding, it has been proven to be a very powerful tool to advance on the Highway to holiness. The Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, despite his busyness of life (preaching, writing, T.V and radio celebrity, and Head of the Missionary as activity of the entire Church) always found time for his daily Holy Hour. He insisted that all priests find time for a daily Holy Hour. He coined the immortal proverb, words of true wisdom: THE HOLY HOUR: THE HOUR OF POWER!!! If you want God’s power in your life, of the 24 Hours in your day, give the Lord an Hour and you will quickly see the difference!

9. NIGHT PRAYERS.  Not only is it good to start off our day by giving ourselves to God, but also, it is good to end our day by surrendering ourselves to God’s loving and Providential care. It is a good spiritual-sandwich! What prayers? Highly to be recommended would be the following: Prayer to your Guardian Angel, the Our Father, and the practice of the three Hail Marys for purity of mind, soul and body. We may go on vacation, but the devil never takes a break. Especially not when we are in bed in our resting hours at night. Sometimes, in those hours the devil works overtime. Prayer can be our shield against the deadly arrows of the night devil—who will sometimes shoot his arrows in those dark hours of the night!

10. THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.  How true the words of wisdom of Ven. Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together, stays together.” In his Apostolic Letter, “The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary”, Saint Pope John Paul II warmly encouraged and exhorted the whole world to pray the most Holy Rosary. Saint Padre Pio called the Rosary “his weapon!” The saintly Pontiff John Paul II mentioned two key intentions in the family Rosary: 1) world peace; 2) the salvation of the family. Given that the family is the basic building block of society and the Domestic Church, Saint Pope John Paul II firmly believed, like Ven. Father Patrick Peyton, that a key practice to save the family and the world at large is through the daily practice of the most Holy Rosary. Therefore, all families should find some time, place, and method to pray the Rosary together on a daily basis. This should be a firmly rooted habit that is never neglected. Our Lady of Fatima appeared six times to the three shepherd children—Saint Jacinta, Saint Francisco, and Lucia. In every one of the six Apparitions Our Lady insisted upon the daily recitation of the most Holy Rosary!

In conclusion, friends in Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, food must be condimented, if not the taste is too bland and boring. Of greater importance in our spiritual lives, we must condiment our daily life with frequent and fervent prayers as suggested above, all fiery darts that penetrate the Heavens. We hope and pray that by implementing these spiritual practices your lives will be more sparkling, effervescent, and dynamic, as well as pleasing to God, the Father of all Heavenly Gifts!

Everything that God created in the world is good. After creating, in the Book of Genesis, God says that it was good. The stars, the moon, the earth, the seas, the animals, the night and the light—all that God created was and is good.

Now the crowning summit or apex of creation was when God decided to create man and woman and He created them in His image and likeness. Of all that God created, the human persons, man and woman, are the greatest in the natural world. So much is this the case that God created all other beings subordinate to the human persons—man and woman. Furthermore, God created all other lower beings as a means to help both man and woman to arrive at their final destiny and that is the eternal bliss of Heaven.

In other words, all created reality God brought into existence so that the human persons—man and woman—could use creation as a ladder by which to ascend to Heaven. Put succinctly, man and woman must use creation for its proper end and purpose so as to arrive at Heaven, and not to abuse created reality.

Never have we lived in a world with so much information. With the proper use of the Internet, we can learn about almost anything in a matter of a few seconds. However, it also must be stated that never have we lived in a world with so much confusion.

Therefore, this short article will present a clear and concise explanation of the identity, purpose and destiny of human persons. We must know where we come from, who we are, and where we are headed in our short earthly sojourn. Clarity of purpose, identity and destiny is indispensable for human persons!

1. CREATION IS GOOD.  As mentioned earlier, all that flows from God’s creative Hand is good—from the most simple of all creation to the highest—human persons: man and woman! Evil comes from abuse of God’s good gifts; this we call sin!

2. GOD CREATED MAN AND WOMAN IN HIS LIKENESS.  The Bible states unequivocally that God created man and woman in His image and likeness. Quite simply the following: there are vestiges in the human persons—man and woman—that reflect attributes that are qualities of God. Three would be the following: intellect, will, and soul. The human persons have intellect to know the truth; they have the will to love God; they have an immortal soul so as to live beyond the grave and to be united with an Immortal God for all eternity.

3. TWO DIFFERENT, DISTINCT SEXUAL IDENTITIES.  Now in the midst of the chaos and confusion of the sexual-identity crisis, it must be stated with the utmost clarity that from the very beginning God created two different human persons with different sexual identities. There is no admixture or confusion.

4. MALE AND FEMALE.  The distinction is very clear: male and female. God created male and female, man and woman in His image and likeness.  (Read Gen. 3:18-25). “So, the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: ‘This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.’” (Gen 2:21-23)

5. NAMES OF FIRST MAN AND WOMAN:  The Bible gives the names of the first man and the first woman: the first man’s name, Adam, meaning taken from the earth; the first woman, Eva, meaning the mother of all the living

6. MATRIMONY: NATURE AND PURPOSE!  From the beginning, God, who is the author and origin and lover of life, desired life and the multiplication of life, especially human life. The means by which God, from the very start, desired new life to have its origin is through the loving union of man and woman, male and female (two separate and distinct sexes). This realizes its purpose and perfection in the oldest of institutions in the Bible—Holy Matrimony! The bond of Holy Matrimony takes place between man and woman, and the first union was Adam and his union with Eve. Adam, the husband, and Eve, the wife.

7. KEY BIBLICAL PASSAGE: DISTINCTION OF SEXES AND MARITAL UNION.  A key passage for the distinction of sexes and the purpose of Marital union is the following: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two of them become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) Jesus confirms this and adds: “And what God has united let no man rent asunder.” (Mt. 19:6) These few words give a foundation for both Holy Matrimony and its indissoluble character and permanence.

8. THE TWO DIFFERENT AND DISTINCT SEXES AND COMPLIMENTARITY.  God created male and female, man and woman, Adam and Eve as distinct human persons. However, it must be stated with utmost clarity that there is no superiority between man and woman. Rather, there is equality but complementarity. That is to say, both man and woman are different physically, biologically, emotionally, affectively and in their differences they complement and complete each other by their loving union.

9. NAME IT, CLAIM IT, TAME IT AND CORRECT IT.  It must be asserted with utmost clarity that there exists today a Sexual-identity crisis that sad to say is spreading far and wide like wildfire. This manifests itself by promoting the practice of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgenderism. Not only that, but also the legal approval and promotion of surgical sex changes. All of this goes totally against the above Biblical explanation, as well as the Natural Law written in the heart of every human person, and mere common sense. Still more, if this aberrant and erroneous sexual agenda grows, it will militate strongly against the family which is the basic cell of society, the primary and foundational institution of society. History has proven it true: when the family unravels in a society, than that society and civilization are placed in jeopardy, and will decline and end in debacle and ruin. So we must name it, claim it, tame it and correct it

10. ACCEPT GOD’S DESIGN AND WILL FOR YOU.  God loves you with an eternal and infinite love and His love never changes. We must humbly and with great gratitude accept the way that God created us. He created us male or female, either a boy or a girl, man or woman. There is no other option. Let us thank God for His love and goodness and be proud of our distinct sexual identity. In the words of Saint Paul, let us strive to glorify God with all our being, with our body, mind, and soul in this life so as to glorify Him forever in heaven.

In conclusion, my friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray for the grace to have utmost clarity as to our own distinct sexual identity—our male identity or our female identity and live according to this identity. As adults and parents, let us also do all in our power to help our children, our teens to avoid falling into this pernicious, poisonous and toxic sexual identity crisis. Let us learn the Truth about God and ourselves—our distinct sexual identity. Let us live the Truth, let us love the Truth, and let us teach the Truth. Indeed, Jesus is “THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE!”

There is nothing greater on earth then the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; it is where Heaven unites with earth in a symphony of praise, adoration, worship, thanksgiving, supplication and reparation. Before offering a ten-step program to improve our participation in Holy Mass, let us spend a brief time in meditating and reflecting on what some of the great saints have said in praise of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.”

St. Leonard of Port Maurice: “Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible.”

St. Francis of Assisi: “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without Holy Mass.”

St. Pio of Pietrelcina: “No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled to God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increases; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.”

St. Bernard: “Martyrdom is nothing in comparison with the Mass because martyrdom is the sacrifice of man to God, whereas the Mass is the sacrifice of God to man.”

Now we offer ten brief but important suggestions on ways that we can live out the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass more efficaciously. Our sanctification and salvation depend on Holy Mass and how we live out the fruits of this Greatest of all Miracles!

PREPARATION:

1. PREPARATION: COME EARLY BEFORE MASS STARTS. One of the ways in which we truly diminish the efficacy of the graces that we receive from the greatest prayer and Gift left to us from the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to be lazy in our preparation for Holy Mass. This becomes manifest in a lazy, nonchalant, flippant attitude when sauntering in late for Mass, with no misgivings. If we were invited to a banquet with a King and Queen, no doubt our punctuality would not be in jeopardy. Yet how often and even common it is to come late to visit the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, in Holy Mass!

2. PLACE YOUR OWN INTENTIONS ON THE ALTAR OF THE MASS. In the Parish, usually the priest has a specific intention for the Mass. However, this should not exclude your own intentions. There are no limits to intentions, but three could be of great value:

• PURGATORY.  Pray for the souls in Purgatory. These souls are saved, but must be purified of the sins that they did not repair for sufficiently while on earth. Your personal Mass intention for these poor souls could greatly alleviate their sufferings, or even free them completely so they can make their flight to Heaven.

• CONVERSION OF SINNERS. Many sinners can be converted by the fervent prayers of others. The most powerful prayer is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and fervent Holy Communions. Let us work with the Lord for the salvation of souls by offering the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus to the Father imploring mercy for the conversion of poor sinners.

• PERSONAL CONVERSION OF HEART. Until we die, we are all called to personal conversion. The first words in the Public ministry of Jesus were: “Be converted because the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  (Mk. 1:15). This can be applied to Holy Communion. We are transformed into what we eat. Upon receiving Holy Communion, we become transformed by consuming the Host, for in it is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and His most noble sentiments. What is lacking in our poor heart can be more than abundantly supplied in Holy Communion if we desire it!

3. PARTICIPATE IN HOLY MASS. The Church Documents. (Sacrosanctum Concilium) warmly encourage us to participate in Holy Mass. Passive, inattentive, distracted presence in the Mass is counter-productive. The more actively we are engaged, the more abundant the graces will flow upon us and the whole world.  Spiritual bench-warmers in Mass unfortunately are all too many!

Often the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has been divided into two essential parts: 1) The Liturgy of the Word; 2) The Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

LITURGY OF THE WORD.

4. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO THE WORD OF GOD. One of the key parts of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is “The Liturgy of the Word”.  On Sundays, the rich Banquet of the Word of God offers us three wonderful Readings. How we should hunger for the Word of God. Jesus responded to the devil: “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4) In most Sunday Masses, the First Reading is taken from the Old Testament, followed by part of a Psalm. Then the Second Reading is taken from the New Testament, usually from one of the Epistles/Letters of St. Paul. Finally, the most important and prominent Reading is from one of the Gospels. For this last of the Readings we stand, manifesting our great reverence in encountering Jesus. May we listen attentively to the Word of God, understand it with our mind, and put it into practice. Then the priest, who represents Jesus the High Priest, in his homily explains the Readings and how we can put the Word of God into practice in our daily lives. May we listen attentively and heed the challenge to follow Christ and His living Word.

5. THE PROFESSION OF FAITH / THE CREED. Following the Readings is the Profession of Faith, also known as the Creed. We stand and profess what we believe as followers of Jesus Christ. If a non-believer were to ask you what you believe as a Catholic, right away you could refer them to the Creed in the Mass. Then you could refer them to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which explains the Creed in the most minute detail. Upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, we should be ready to be an Apostle, ready and willing to defend the faith, as well as to spread the faith. Indeed, one of the best ways to grow in our faith is to share it with others.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

The Council Fathers speak about two tables from which we are called to nourish our souls. Our mind consumes the Word of God; our soul, the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus, the Bread of Life. The Liturgy of the Eucharist can actually be divided into three essential parts: Offertory, the Consecration, and Holy Communion. These three parts will be explained briefly. May we sincerely strive to live the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

6. THE OFFERTORY. This essential part of Holy Mass consists of the faithful offering a monetary donation and then the presentation of the gifts, at times characterized by the Offertory Procession. In the Offertory, we return to our intentions that we placed on the altar as we arrived early even before Mass started. Once again, in spirit, we deposit on the altar all of our intentions: the souls in Purgatory, the conversion of sinners, and our own personal conversion. Actually, you can place as many intentions on the altar as you like. The more intentions we offer, the more pleasing to God.

7. CONSECRATION. This is the sublime and solemn moment in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where you witness “The Greatest Miracle” occur. When the priest pronounces the words of Consecration over the Bread and Wine, there is a radical transformation. In fact, the Bread and Wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus the Lord. Upon this double consecration, rapt in awe, we worship the same Jesus who was crucified and rose from the dead. It is the same Lord, but under the Eucharistic species. “O come, let us adore Him!”

8. HOLY COMMUNION.  We have arrived at the culminating moment of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass— Holy Communion.  Never should we forget even for an instant that Holy Communion is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are in the state of sanctifying grace, then we can approach to receive this most sublime Gift—God Himself. However, our attitude of heart should be great humility, purity, faith, and hunger for the Bread of Life. The two greatest gestures we can do on earth is to receive absolution from the priest in Confession, and to receive Holy Communion! However, it must be said, the better the disposition of our heart, the more abundant the graces.

9. THANKSGIVING. After we have received Jesus in Holy Communion, we should not rush off, but rather spend some time in silence to render Jesus abundant thanksgiving. In the words of the Psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1) Thank the Lord Jesus from the depths of your heart for the great gift of Himself in Holy Communion. The word Eucharist actually means “Thanksgiving”.

10. BE A MISSIONARY: BRING THE FRUITS OF THE MASS TO THE WHOLE WORLD!  If we are really living the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then as we leave Mass we should have the ardent desire to bring the fruits of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to others. Our Lady is our Model. She received Jesus in the Annunciation when she said to the Angel, “Behold, I am the hand maid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1:38) Then she went in haste to bring Jesus to others in the Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. (Lk. 1:39) May we follow Mary as our example and guide. Let us bring the Eucharistic Lord to the world by our words and our actions.

In conclusion, my friends in Jesus and Mary, we can never thank God enough for the sublime Gift of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Let us never weary of thanking Jesus for the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Love the Mass, live the Mass, and bring the fruits of the Mass to the whole world!

The Second Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. Among the most important highlights in the Pontificate of Saint Pope John Paul II was the end of April in the year 2000. This great modern saint accomplished two extraordinary feats on the same day. He carried out the first canonization of the new millennium. It was the raising to the altar of Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)—known as the Secretary of Divine Mercy. Then the Holy Pontiff proclaimed the Second Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday.   According to inner sources, this was the happiest day in the life of Saint Pope John Paul II. He felt that one of his primary missions entering into the new millennium was the indispensable need to promote the message of Divine Mercy. Now it was done.

Therefore, let us present a succinct summary of some of the most salient points of the Doctrine of Divine Mercy promoted by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and officially proclaimed by His Holiness, Saint Pope John Paul II.

TEN CONCRETE WAYS TO LIVE OUT THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE MERCY:

1. BE MERCIFUL AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS MERCIFUL.  When somebody offends you, the natural reaction is to seek to get even or to get revenge. But this is not the Heart of Jesus. As He hung on the cross, Jesus’ first word was that of mercy: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34) Let us try to forgive immediately; this is most pleasing to the Heart of Jesus and a sure means to attain God’s mercy for us. The key to victory is to forgive right away. The Bible teaches us to not allow the sun to go down on our anger.

2. HONOR AND VENERATE THE IMAGE OF DIVINE MERCY.  Jesus told Saint Faustina Kowalska that He wanted an image of Divine Mercy to be painted. Then He told the saint the He wanted this image to be venerated in the entire world. See if you can purchase an attractive image of Divine Mercy. Have it blessed by a priest and then enthroned in your home.  Make sure the image is enthroned in a prominent place. This is very pleasing to the Heart of Jesus. By doing so, you are saying implicitly to all who enter your home that Jesus is the King of your home, your family, and your heart.

3. CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY.  Get in the habit of praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Short and easy to memorize, this Chaplet can be prayed in any time and any place. Jesus told Saint Faustina to pray if frequently. If done, this will result in a constant raining down from Heaven of God’s infinite mercy upon the world at large. You can pray the Chaplet by yourself, with others, in the family, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, in the car, even while waiting in line in the Supermarket.

4. MERCY HOUR.  Call to mind, if possible, the Mercy Hour. This is 3:00 p.m. This was the Hour when Jesus from the altar of the cross breathed forth His spirit into the hands of His Heavenly Father. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk. 23: 46) At this Hour, Jesus told Saint Faustina to make the Stations of the Cross or to visit the Blessed Sacrament. If due to absorbing occupations this was impossible, then Jesus told the Saint—as well as us—to call to mind the passion and suffering of Jesus and be united to Jesus’ last agony and moments. If done, through union with Jesus’ suffering, whatever we ask of the Father, if it is His will, it will be granted. Some wise individuals set an alarm on their watches or phones as a reminder—not a bad idea!

5. THE DYING.  The most important moment in our life is the moment that we are dying. How we die, meaning the state of our soul, will determine our destiny for all eternity. Therefore, we should pray constantly for the dying throughout the world. However, if you have a chance to be present when somebody is dying, then pray for them very fervently. Most especially pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for them, so that they will die in God’s grace and be saved for all eternity. Jesus promised Saint Faustina that if a person is dying, and another person prays the Chaplet for them at that time, then that dying person will attain salvation.

6. CONFESSION AND GOD’S MERCY.  God’s mercy is channeled most fully and efficaciously through the Mystical Body of Christ and through the Sacraments. Each Sacrament communicates a specific grace. The Sacrament of Confession communicates God’s infinite mercy. In every Sacramental Confession, the Precious Blood of Jesus shed on Calvary on Good Friday, descends into the soul of the penitent and washes them clean. The better the preparation for Confession, the more abundant the graces of healing and mercy! Get into the habit of frequent Confession.

7. GET TO KNOW THE MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY—THE DIARY!  Without doubt, one of the best ways in which we can become familiar with the message of Divine Mercy would be to purchase the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Then get in the habit of reading and meditating on at least one number daily (there are 1828 numbers or entries). Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Diary is a gold-mine of spiritual riches and treasures. Then share what you have read with others. A sure way to grow in our faith is to share our faith with others.

8. HOLY MASS AND DIVINE MERCY.  The two rays that emanate from the Divine Mercy image have a deep symbolic meaning and interpretation. When the Sacred Heart of Jesus was pierced with the lance on the cross, Blood and Water gushed forth. The light colored ray symbolizes the two Sacraments of purification and healing: Baptism and Confession. The red ray emanating from the Heart of Jesus symbolizes the most Holy Eucharist. May we all have an ardent yearning to receive the most Holy Eucharist frequently and with fervor! May these words of the Psalmist characterize our own yearning: “As the deer yearns for the running streams, so my soul yearns for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1).

9. DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY AND THE WONDERFUL PROMISE.  Jesus promised that those who attend Holy Mass on the Sunday after Easter, which is Divine Mercy Sunday, and receive the Holy Eucharist with a good disposition – meaning they are not in the state of mortal sin, can receive the extraordinary grace of forgiveness for all their sins, as well as remission from all temporal punishment due to their sins, including past sins. This is an extraordinary grace and gift and we should take advantage of this free gift. This also means we should make a sincere Sacramental Confession close to the Solemnity of Divine Mercy Sunday. If we were to die that day, we would go straight to Heaven. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1) And even if we don’t die, we only accrue punishment for sins committed from that day forward. An extraordinary grace and gift!

10. OUR LADY OF MERCY.  One of Our Lady’s many titles is that of “Our Lady of Mercy.” Actually, in the prayer that we say at the end of the most Holy Rosary, the Hail Holy Queen, we cry out to Mary in these words: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope….” In our moments of trial, let us lift our gaze to Mary. When we fall, let us cry out to her and she will help to lift us up. May the words of Saint Bernard in the Memorare inspire us to place our trust in Our Lady of Mercy: “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.”

Let us all meditate upon, pray over, cherish and love the greatest of all of the attributes of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus— His Divine Mercy. Let us not only understand in our mind Divine Mercy, but also live it in our lives. One more important step: let us make the decision, in imitation of Saint Faustina Kowalska, to become true Apostles of Divine Mercy. When all is said and done, the eternal salvation of our immortal soul, and the souls of all, depend upon relying on and trusting in Divine Mercy. Let these words echo day and night in our minds, hearts and souls: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!!!

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen presented the meditation of the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in more than one way. Two of the most noteworthy ways that Sheen presented the Passion of Christ were the following: 1) A profound meditation and reflection on “The Seven Last Words of Jesus from the cross.” 2) Sheen also presented a masterpiece of depicting the Characters in the Passion of Christ. Sheen portrays the different attitudes, profiles, virtues or vices of the many people who were involved in the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus on the cross.

“The Characters in the Passion of Christ” can definitely serve as a means for an excellent examination of conscience for each and every one of us. Most certainly, we will be able to discover and identify ourselves with many of the characteristics of the characters in the passion—some positive and worthy of praise, others negative and worthy of repudiation.

Therefore, let us enter with courage into the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by both meditating on and contemplating the characters or persons who were involved in the Passion and death of Our Lord. Hopefully, we will be deemed among the loyal friends of Jesus, those who brought deep consolation to His wounded and bleeding Heart!  

We will choose some of the characters in the Passion of Christ. Our short essay is not exhaustive but will give us at least a taste of the wide gamut of personalities of those who were present at the death of Jesus; it will portray different attitudes that will touch us in many ways and quite possibly motivate us to conversion!

CHARACTERS IN THE PASSION OF THE LORD JESUS.

1. KING HEROD.  Jesus was shuffled to the presence of King Herod and his court. In the presence of Herod, Jesus never opened His mouth to answer his questions. This wicked King represents a sensualist, a hedonist, a man given over to the desires of the flesh. Jesus would not open His mouth because He would have only been mocked, derided and ridiculed all the more. With these types of people Jesus would assert: “Do not throw your pearls to the swine.” (Mt. 7: 6) Today there are many sensual, hedonistic people who have given themselves over totally to the desires of the flesh! Jesus said to Nicodemus: “The flesh profits nothing; it is the spirit that gives life.” (Jn. 3: 5-6)

2. PONTIUS PILATE.  This Roman Procurator represents many today. Basically, Pilate represents the typical coward. Claudia, his wife, had a dream of the innocence of Jesus. Pilate discarded this element of truth. He wanted to please the crowd. Pilate was “a people pleaser more than a God pleaser!” How often do we act and react so as to please people, to be liked and applauded by people, to our detriment for rejecting God’s will and displeasing the Lord? Often human respect goes beyond respect for God!

3. PHARISEE, SCRIBES AND SADUCEES.  Many of those who rejected Jesus and clamored for Jesus’ condemnation represent intellectual pride. These were the intelligentsia— the educated and Biblically erudite group. They were the spiritual know it alls!!! Being confronted with a humble, less educated carpenter from Nazareth who was like a magnet, attracting countless masses by His words and deeds, was too much for them. Really it was their intellectual pride and envy that blinded them from being able to see, recognize, and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! How many people today are blinded from knowing and accepting the Truth due to intellectual pride!

4. THE CROWD OR MULTITUDE WATCHING JESUS.  Many in this group are symbolic of the group of the Curious!!! Many people look for novelty, innovations, fads and modes to titillate and scintillate their morbid curiosity. How perilous it is those who live only for the excitement and fireworks of the moment. How true the saying: “Curiosity killed the cat!”

5. CRUCIFY HIM!!!  Then there are those in the world who actually have a mortal hatred for God, for Jesus, and all that pertains to God. The Sadducees and chief priests below the cross, and the crowd before Pilate cried out: CRUCIIFY HIM! There exists today a growing number of individuals who call themselves Atheists! Who cultivate a diabolic hatred for Jesus and all that pertains to God! Their numbers in the modern world continue to grow!

6. SIMON OF CYRENE.  Returning from the fields and from work, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help Jesus carry the cross. At first, Simon resisted and sought to avoid carrying the cross. But once he accepted the carrying of the cross, not only did he conform himself to this task, but he enjoyed helping Jesus carry the cross. Maybe this is you and me: at the outset we flee from the cross, but once accepted, we find the yoke is easy and the burden is light. (Mt. 11: 30)

7. VERONICA.  This valiant woman broke through the crowd and wiped the Sacred Face of Jesus with her veil. Jesus recompensed Veronica by allowing the impression of His Holy Face to be impressed on that veil. Are we courageous in going out of our way to help those who are suffering and in need?

8. THE EXECUTIONERS—WHO NAILED JESUS TO THE CROSS. Although this may be painful to accept, every time we give consent to committing a mortal sin, then in a real sense, we are responsible for the Crucifixion of Jesus, for the nails penetrating His hands and feet. However, by making a good Confession, we extract the nails and allow the Risen Jesus to walk!

9. THE SOLDIERS BENEATH THE CROSS—THE DICE!  Then there were the soldiers beneath the cross as Jesus hung on the cross in His mortal agony. They were shooting dice to see who could claim the garments of Jesus. These, with many in the crowd who were watching, represent an attitude of Indifference/Apathy. All too many today manifest an indifferent, apathetic, distant attitude or posture towards the Lord Jesus. The Book of Revelation forcefully condemns this attitude in these earth-shaking words: “You are neither hot nor cold—I wish you were—but you are lukewarm. I will vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3: 15-16) Sad to say, there are huge numbers of so called Catholic-Christians who manifest this attitude of apathy, indifference, and lukewarmness towards the Lord, the Sacraments, and the Church. Perhaps, we belong to this group! If so, time to change!

10. THE BAD THIEF.  Despite the good example of Jesus and His most noble example of mercy and compassion, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Lk. 23: 24) —the bad thief ended his life by cursing Jesus. He even had the good example of the conversion of his companion thief, but still he died with a cold, callous and cruel heart! There are those who, despite the many graces sent to them by God, simply become more hardened and callous. May God save us!

11. THE GOOD THIEF. On the other side of the coin, next to Jesus on the cross, we encounter the Good Thief! He ends his life by repenting and begging Jesus for mercy. Always ready to forgive and express mercy, Jesus opens Heaven to this repentant thief, with these most consoling words: “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk. 23: 43) And as Sheen reminds us: “And he died a thief because he stole Heaven.” Salvation is possible even until the last moment for those who repent!

12. THE CENTURION WHO PIERCED THE SIDE AND HEART OF JESUS.  This Centurion—Roman soldier, after piercing the Sacred Heart of the dead Body of Jesus that hung on the cross, came to believe! He said: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mk. 15: 39) The Blood and water that gushed from the Heart of Jesus can be an infinite source of conversion and salvation!

13. MARY MAGDALENE.  After having lived a sinful life of promiscuity, Magdalene was converted by the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There at the foot of the cross, hugging the cross with disheveled hair, Magdalene shows her true love and devotion to Jesus. Sheen stated that Magdalene represents the true PENITENT! All are called to repent and believe. Perhaps there is still some of the Magdalene in us needing repentance???

14. SAINT JOHN THE BELOVED.  Once again, Sheen depicts Saint John as he stands underneath the cross as representing the PRIESTHOOD! A priest can be defined as a victim who offers prayers and sacrifices in reparation for sins and sinners. Jesus, the spotless Victim, hangs from the cross. Saint John stands with Mary at the foot of the cross, offering Jesus to the Eternal Father for the salvation of sinners and humanity. May priests imitate Saint John the Evangelist!

15. OUR LADY.  There are many titles that can be attributed to Mary. However, Sheen names Mary, as she stands at the foot of the cross for those long three hours, INNOCENCE! We all nailed Jesus to the cross due to our sins. Mary, the INNOCENT ONE, never sinned, but offers Jesus to the Father for the salvation of all of humanity.

16. THE CRUCIFIED JESUS.  As Jesus hangs from the cross, we have the clearest depiction of LOVE INCARNATE. Saint Ignatius states that Jesus died on the cross essentially for two reasons: 1) to show us the ugliness of sin; 2) but especially to show us the greatness of His love for us! If you were the only person in the world, then Jesus would have suffered all the most gruesome an excruciating details of His Passion and death for love of you and the salvation of your immortal soul!

17. THE ETERNAL FATHER.  In the film of Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ, Jesus’ death on the cross ends with a huge drop of water falling from the heavens. Interpretation? It is the TEARDROP OF GOD THE FATHER from Heaven. The Father weeps at the death of His Son and the sins of humanity. But the Father allows the death of His Son for love of us and our eternal salvation!!!

Conclusion, spend ample time meditating upon the Characters in the Passion of Christ. Which of these can you identify with in your own life? May the Holy Spirit enlighten your mind to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.