Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE- A SAINT FOR SINNERS!

As a child I thought that all saints were born saints! I thought that it could not be any way else!   Of course this implied that they did not sin; they were perfect; virtue was always there.  I even thought that they probably did not have to go to the bathroom, much less wash their hands.   The saints were the epitome and essence of perfection!
Later I learned to my joy that saints were not born saints! Quite the contrary saints were actually sinners.  They were born with Original Sin. They had to battle with these innate proclivities and at times fiercely! Still more the saints would actually fall into sin and sometimes struggle to get out of it—as in the long battle of Saint Augustine! This thought brought me great hope that I can be a saint and should strive for it.  This one-liner says it all:  “The Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital of sinners.
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE.   One of the best examples of a great sinner who became a great saint is SAINT MARY MAGDALENE.  Every year we celebrate her Liturgical Feast day on July 22.  
Before her conversion Mary of Magdala lived a very sinful lifestyle.  She was seeking for love in the wrong place.   She gave her body freely to false lovers time and time again.  Until she finally realized that this was a lie.
Not only did Mary Magdalene give in to the flesh but she also had another very serious problem: she was possessed by the devil, and not just one devil but actually seven devils lived within her. POSSESSION!  Mary Magdalene had demonic possession!  It was Jesus who exorcised her of these seven devils!
JESUS TRANSFORMS.   Drawing close to Jesus with humility, a spirit of repentance and good will results in TRANSFORMATION.   The Biblical word is “Metanoia”—which means conversion or change of heart! Jesus showed her the difference between false love – the idolatry of the sin of lust—and true love which is Incarnate in the Person of Jesus the Lord. Once Mary Magdalene became truly convinced in mind and heart that Jesus was the true response, the true lover, she abandoned her sinful lifestyle, burnt the bridges of the past, turned over a new leaf and   gave herself to a totally fresh start!  Our God is a God of second chances!   No longer would she sell herself cheap and allow herself to be treated like an object to be used but she would give her love totally to the One who is worthy of love—Jesus the Lord!
SIGNS OF THE RADICAL CONVERSION OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
Jesus tells us that we can know a tree by the fruit it produces.  A rotten apple is a sign of a bad tree. Likewise, we can be aware of the inner heart of
the person by the exterior fruits that become manifest.  Mary Magdalene’s conversion was authentic because of the exterior signs of her conduct.
First, FOLLOWER.   With a group of pious women Mary Magdalene followed Jesus during the course of His Public ministry. No longer would she
follow the false illusions of the world!
Second, GIVING.  Her following was not a passive, curious, unfruitful dragging of one’s feet. Rather, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna would provide Jesus as well as His Apostles with material means so that they could dedicate themselves fully and totally to the preaching of the Kingdom of God, casting out of the evil spirits, healing diseases and saving souls for the Father.
Third, THE PASSION OF CHRIST.   The movie, the Passion of the Christ, by Mel Gibson presents the Blessed Virgin Mary accompanying Jesus during the course of His Sorrowful Passion.  Walking side by side with the Blessed Virgin Mary is the person of Mary Magdalene. Both Marys witnessed the brutal scourging of Jesus at the pillar. After the profuse Blood of Jesus poured to the ground, both fell to hands and knees to wipe up the pools of the Precious Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross
CALVARY.  On the hill of Calvary both the Blessed Virgin Mary and Magdalene climbed the hill with the Lord, by their mere presence, encouraging Jesus in the most sorrowful and painful moments of His life.
CRUCIFIXION.  Both were there!  They both stood at the foot of the cross those long hours witnessing the last hours and the dripping Blood of
Jesus.  This took great courage on the part of both of them. COMPASSION is a virtue that means that one is willing to suffer with and actually share in the suffering of one’s loved ones. One who suffers for another alleviates the suffering of the one who suffers!
DEATH.  Both the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Mary Magdalene witnessed the last moments and death of Jesus on the cross and heard the last words that the Savior uttered:  “Father into your hands I commend my spirit. It is finished.”
Fourth, THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.  According to Catholic tradition Jesus first appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary—even though this is not
explicitly stated in the Gospels. However, the first person that Jesus appears  to in the Gospels is Saint Mary Magdalene, early that Sunday morning that we call Easter Sunday. Like many of us, Mary did not recognize Jesus. She actually thought that He might be the gardener. Upon calling her name “Mary” her eyes were opened and she finally recognized Jesus the Lord.
Fifth, AN APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES!  Mary Magdalene, overcome with joy and emotion, scurries off to tell the good news to the Apostles that Jesus was no longer dead but that he had truly risen from the dead. Therefore, she shares her own experience of the Risen Lord.  The love of Jesus cannot be hidden under a lampstand but is meant to be communicated to the whole world!   The last words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew are: “Go out to all the world and baptize all in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them all that I taught you. And behold I am with you always even until the end of the world.”  Mary Magdalene, overflowing in joy, could not keep this joy to herself!
UNIVERSAL MESSAGE.  The life of Saint Mary Magdalene teaches us many important lessons:
1.   SINNERS AND MERCY!  Like the Magdalene we are all sinners but God’s mercy and forgiveness is infinite. 
As soon as we humbly beg for forgiveness Jesus forgives us in a heartbeat!

2.   SEVEN DEVILS.  Jesus cast seven devils from Mary Magdalene.  We all have to battle against the seven devils that are called the Capital sins: Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Anger, Envy, and Pride. “Lord, free us from these devils!”

3.   CONVERSION.  An authentic conversion will only come about through contact with Jesus.  Jesus can transform the worst sinners into the greatest saints if we allow Him to do His work.  Why not ask Jesus today to make you into a saint?

4.   LOVE.  We are all searching for love.  IDOLATRY! Is falling in love with the false god. Only Jesus can give us a true, authentic love.

5.   ACTIONS SPEAK.   Mary Magdalene proved that her conversion was true by her lifestyle. She followed Jesus, gave to Jesus both time and
treasures and her whole life.
  
6.  FAITHFUL IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD.  Magdalene followed Jesus in His bitter Passion but also in the glory of His resurrection. We must not be “Fair weather friends”—that means, to be with the Lord only in the sunny days and the party, but to be with Him in the thick of it and in His most bleak, dark, painful moments.
7.   HEAVEN.  Now and for all eternity Saint Mary Magdalene is with Jesus, adoring Him, loving Him and praying for us so that one day we
will be with Him for all eternity.  Saint Mary Magdalene pray for us!
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TEN SMALL ACTS OF LOVE FOR THE LORD!

1.   Suffer a humiliation in silence in imitation of Jesus in His crowning.

2.   In moments of suffering pray, “Father, thy will be done…”

3.   SMILE!   When you are tired, with a headache and feel like complaining!
         
4.   HEROIC MOMENT! Upon hearing the alarm-clock, dart out of bed, to your knees and consecrate yourself to Jesus and Mary, even though you want to hit the “Snooze-button.”

5.   NO CONDIMENTS! Try a day, or at least a meal, without putting condiments on your plate! Reason?  To taste the bitter gall of the passion of Christ and for the conversion of a death bed sinner!

6.   KNEEL!  Kneel in prayer for a few minutes when you prefer to fall back on the “Lazy-boy” sofa!

7.   COMPLIMENT!  Compliment somebody that you are jealous of with sincere honesty.  This could be a major victory over self! Remember the words of Sacred Scripture: “Easier to conquer an army than oneself!” The battle for the Kingdom is within one’s own heart!

8.   PRAY AN EXTRA ROSARY! Even though you do not feel like it, pray an extra Rosary for the conversion of sinners. Remember the words of Our Lady of Fatima, “Many souls are lost because there is nobody to pray and offer sacrifices for them.”

9.   GREETING!  Greet somebody that you do not particularly like in a warm and welcoming way. Overcome bitterness and resentment by
concrete acts of love!

10. PRAY FOR SOMEBODY THAT HURT YOU.  Still lingering is a long-term resentment. Pray for somebody that hurt you deeply.  Recall the words of Jesus as He hung on the cross:  “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
HOLINESS!  Holiness of life can be gained by doing small actions with great love. The essence of the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux is to do the ordinary things of life with an extraordinary love!
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VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH. (Lk. 1: 39-56)

Mary is model, teacher, guide, inspiration, life, sweetness and hope to all to raise their eyes to her with love.  In the beautiful prayer of St. Bernard, the Memorare, we pray with confidence: “Never was it known that anyone who had recourse to Mary was left unaided…”
May is the month of Mary and it concludes with one of the most beautiful Marian Feast days— the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin St. Elizabeth.  Many superb spiritual lessons can be learned from this Marian gem, which also is the 2nd Joyful mystery. Let us descend into the “Spiritual mine” and grab on to the excellent treasures.
Mary and the Anunciation
1.   CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION.   The last part of the prior mystery— the Annunciation/Incarnation— ends with Mary’s “Fiat”— that is to say Mary’s “Yes” to God.  The exact words are: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me
according to your word.”   In that moment, one of the most moments in the history of the world took place: the Incarnation of the Son of God.   That is to say, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, descended from Host heavenly throne, and became Incarnate (man) in the most pure womb of the Virgin Mary! In rapt awe, we humbly adore this sublime mystery!
2.   COMMUNION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY.  Mary did not keep the “Gift” of Jesus to herself, but went in haste to share the gift to others. She started an 80 kilometer journeyed, traveling uphill to Ain Karim to visit her cousin Elizabeth to help her in her need.  Pope Benedict XVI in his Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” insists that Mass and Holy Communion must transform us into ardent missionaries, to bring the Good News of Jesus to the whole world.
3.   IN HASTE.  Mary did not procrastinate, put off, delay, make excuses, rationalize or justify postponing her trip; rather, she followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and moved immediately.  Lesson! Upon receiving good inspirations from the Holy Spirit, we should be both docile and prompt and obedient to respond.

4.   TRAVEL WITH MARY AND TALK TO HER.  Enter into an Ignatian contemplative scene and imagine Mary traveling.  Her joy, her quick pace, her awareness of Jesus within her, her determination to carry out God’s will despite the possible obstacles— all of these, made up the long trek to Ain Karim.  You can accompany Mary, admire her majesty, but also be inspired by her humility and simplicity; during this long journey with Mary, open up your heart and talk to her about what is going in in your life. Why not even tell her what is most heavy on your mind.  Mary is the best of listeners!

5.   EUCHARISTIC PROCESION.  Remember!  The little Jesus is already present in the womb of Mary. Therefore, as you travel, remember that this indeed is a “Eucharistic Procession”  (a Corpus Christi procession).  Mary always wants to draw us closer to Jesus; her last words at the wedding Feast of Cana were:  “Do whatever He tells you!”  Great advice! Beg for the grace to have a greater faith, love and devotion towards the Eucharist!

6.   JOY!   This is the 2nd Joyful mystery.  Being with Jesus and Mary is the true and authentic source of joy.  Mary’s canticle (Her Magnificat) emphasizes this truth: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices (finds joy) in God my Savior…” May we always seek joy in the authentic source: JESUS THER LORD!
7.   GREETING!   Most likely, Mary greeted Elizabeth with the typical Jewish greeting,  SHALOM— peace be with you!   Our homes, our families, our communities, our groups, our parishes, our activities, should be characterized by a “Shalom” atmosphere.   A warm, welcoming, and inviting milieu should be created. An essential note of apostolic effectiveness is that of creating a warm and welcoming environment. Mary teaches us this by her greeting!

8.   BABY JOHN LEAPS FOR JOY!  At the sound of Mary’s greeting the infant John in the womb of St. Elizabeth leaps for joy.  What is happening here?  Jesus, already even before being born, is acting as Redeemer, by freeing John His cousin and Precursor from the bond of Original Sin.   Message!  Contact with Jesus and Mary though prayer undoubtedly will serve as a powerful means to diminish the grip of sin upon us and to eventually shatter the binding force and slavery of sin.  Sin indeed is slavery and Jesus and Mary came to give us true freedom, the freedom of the sons and daughters of God! “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
9.   PRO-LIFE PASSAGE “PAR EXCELLENCE!”  Both of these women in the modern society could be candidates for abortion. Why? One was very young, Mary; whereas, the other was very old, Elizabeth.  However, both had an infinite trust in God’s Divine Providence and gave birth to the greatest:  St. John the Baptist and JESUS, THE SON OF GOD! At all times, by our meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, may we be staunch defenders of human life, from the moment of conception until natural death.  God is the author and origin of life and only He has the right to take life to Himself!
10.MARY AND ACTIVE SERVICE.  Love for God cannot limit itself to words, but must manifest itself in actions, in service, in seeing Jesus truly present in others!  Not only did Mary greet Elizabeth, but she also actively served her aged, pregnant cousin in her need!  With a little bit of imagination(Ignatian Contemplation), we can picture Mary and accompany her in active service!  What might have been some of the activities that Mary would have carried out with joy and love? Traveling to the well to gather water— no running water back then!  Sweeping the dust and dirt from the humble home—no vacuum cleaners 2000 years ago! Washing, hanging and drying clothes—no expensive washing machines to quicken the work.  Cooking, baking, preparing meals, setting the table, washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen— No “Burger-King”,” Pizza-Hut  or “KFC” available! Nor were there overflowing refrigerators, to be checked and emptied in the waste every week!  All of these humble, domestic chores Mary would have carried out with the greatest love and attention to aid’ her cousin Elizabeth.  Remember!  Holiness does not depend on the greatness of the act, but in the great love that accompanies every action— even if it appears to be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world.  The secret of the sanctity of St Therese and Mary in the mystery of the Visitation is to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love!   That is sanctity!

In conclusion, let us contemplate the life, words, gestures, actions of Mary, most holy, especially in the Mystery of the Visitation, and be motivated to transfer our contemplative life into active service of our brothers and sisters, who are really Jesus Christ! “Whatsoever
you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.”
Thank you Mary for your “Yes!”
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MERCY AND CONFESSION: HINTS TO CONFESS WELL!

 

   

 

In the context of an Ignatian retreat it is always beneficial to prepare oneself to make an excellent Confession. To make a good confession demands prior preparation!  The better the prior preparation, the more abundant the graces and the more overflowing the river of peace in your soul! Following are ten short helps to make the best confession in your life!
1.   IMPROVEMENT/UPGRADING THE RECEPTION.  As Catholics two of the most important actions we can accomplish are to go to Confession and to receive Holy Communion.   In these Sacraments we have a direct contact with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   This being the case, we should make a concerted effort to improve our encounters with Jesus in these Sacraments.   In other words we should never take these Sacraments for granted. Also be keenly aware of the concept of dispositive grace.  The abundance of graces are received
in direct proportion to the disposition of the recipient.   On the walls in the sacristies of the Missionaries of Charity is written:  “Say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, last Mass and only Mass.”  We can apply the same principle:  “Confess as if it were your first, last and
only time.”

 

St. John Bosco in action as confessor
2.   PRAYERS BEFORE. All is grace! A source of abundant grace is the Communion of saints.  Why not pray to the holy Confessors to help
you to make a good confession.  The following are a few:  The Cure of Ars (Saint John Marie Vianney), St. John Bosco, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Saint Leopold Mandic, Saint Padre Pio, Saint Francis Regis, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Saint Anthony Claret, and Saint Ignatius of Loyola.  “Get a little help from your friends(the saints)….” Pray to them to help you to confess well—that each concession you make is better than your prior confession!

3.   PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE. Have a good examination of conscience booklet.  Find a quiet and contemplative place to examine your conscience. Utilize the crucifix and Divine Mercy image to elicit sorrow and trust.  Written! Write down the sins so that you will not forget them once in the confessional!  Also, pray for your confessor— to his guardian angel—before you enter the confessional!
4.   SELF-KNOWLEDGE.   One of the classical steps to make a good confession is contrition but also firm purpose of amendment.  This entails rewinding the film of your life and seeing the various falls into sin. But also to capture what were the preceding causes that led to the sin. Maybe it is a person that jeopardizes your spiritual life. Who knows maybe it is a recurring situation at work or family? Maybe it is your physical state of weariness?  Still more, maybe it is some improper use of the electronics media and lack of prudence?   You will notice often a pattern that is established that leads to the slippery path and collapse.  For this reason the faithful observance of one’s DAILY EXAMEN can prove a valuable tool to know oneself and even supply for the necessary knowledge to avoid the near occasion of sin.

5.   BIBLICAL PASSAGES TO PREPARE.   The Church highly recommends the use of Sacred Scripture as a means to prepare us for a better reception of the Sacraments.  Two excellent passages I would recommend: Lk. 15 and Psalm 51.  Lk. 15 presents the Parables of God’s Mercy, and the greatest is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. By praying Psalm 51 you have one of the best “Act of Contritions” ever composed, by
none other than King David after having committed adultery with Bathsheba and killing an innocent man. Praying with the Word of God adds extra power to one’s prayer!

 

The Father and the Prodigal son meet– God’s mercy!
6.   FREQUENT CONFESSION.   The saints highly recommend frequent confession as a most efficacious means of growing in sanctifying grace.  Confession either restores sanctifying grace or it augments it. Of course this presupposes a thorough preparation!

7.   SACRAMENTAL GRACE. Each sacrament communicates grace. However every sacrament communicates a specific grace pertinent to that specific sacrament. For example, the specific sacramental grace communicated in the Eucharist or Holy Communion is that of NOURISHMENT. It is the Bread of life for the journey on the way to eternal life.   The Sacramental grace of Confession is different. It is HEALING!  Jesus came to feed us with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.  Furthermore, He came as Divine Physician. Time and time again in the Gospels we see Jesus healing. The blind, deaf, deaf-mute, lepers, paralytics, even the dead, were healed and brought back to life by Jesus.  Even now within the context of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ,  Jesus heals us. The Sacraments of healing are the Sacraments of Confession and the Anointing of the Sick.

 

Jesus loves and forgives the sinner always
8.   QUALITIES OF A GOOD CONFESSION.   In the Diary of Saint Faustina the most important qualities of a good confession are highlighted in # 113: 1) complete sincerity and openness; 2) humility; 3) obedience.  Adhering to these qualities one cannot go wrong!  Reminder!  We want to strive to make better Communions and Confessions until the end of our lives!

9.   AVOID DISCOURAGMENT. Even though one might fall frequently, never give in to discouragement.  Some bad habits have possibly clung to us for decades.  Many have a “Micro-wave” spirituality—namely instant holiness! It does not work that way!  Change is often tedious, laborious and painful.  The key is to keep praying, working, fighting as a true soldier of Christ to be liberated from the shackles of sin. Of course a key message from the Diary is that the worse thing possible is to fail to trust in God’s infinite mercy!  As St. Paul reminds us, “Where sin abounds God’s mercy abounds all the more.”

10. MARY AND MERCY. Never forget to invite Mary to be present in your remote preparation for Confession, your immediate preparation for Confession. Even ask Mary to enter with you into the Confessional so that you make the best confession in your life. Blessed Pope John Paul II called the Marian sanctuaries—Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe—“Spiritual clinics”. How true! Lines of penitents await  to meet the merciful
Jesus in the confessional in these Marian Sanctuaries. Among the many beautiful titles of Mary are the following:  “Mother of Mercy, Mother of Good Counsel, Health of the sick.”   Behind many powerful conversions is of course the grace of God but also the maternal intercession of Mary!
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MERCY—THE GREATEST ATTRIBUTE IN THE HEART OF JESUS.

 

Both Blessed Pope John Paul II,   as well as the first canonized saint in the new millennium—Saint Faustina Maria Kowalska— stated unequivocally, that the greatest virtue or attribute in God is His infinite mercy.
All throughout the Bible, but especially the New Testament, but most specifically in the Gospels, we see displayed marvelously the Mercy of God!
Jesus is the Incarnation of the Mercy of God. The examples are abundant! Jesus forgives the woman with more than six husbands, the Samaritan woman at the well. Mercy!!! (Jn. 4) Jesus comes to the rescue of the woman caught in adultery, who was just about to be stoned to death.  “Whoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone….” Mercy again! Jesus forgives a woman who was a prostitute and possessed by seven demons— Saint Mary Magdalene. Mercy has no limits in Jesus as we see Him forgiving Zacheus, the tax collector.  This little man  was ready to climb a sycamore tree just to see Jesus. He showed his repentance by giving half of his money to the poor and four times as much money to anybody he might have defrauded. Jesus rejoiced by saying that today salvation has come to the house of Zacheus!
The Gospel accounts and teachings of Jesus are replete with the idea of Jesus’ infinite mercy.  However, let us focus on one breath-taking manifestation of Jesus’ mercy— THE CONVERSION OF THE GOOD THEIF!!!
LUKE 23:33-43. THE CONVERSION OF THE GOOD THIEF ON THE CROSS. Points for meditation:
1.   The good thief had lived a very sinful life.

2.   Stealing, killing, and a  revolutionary-responsible for starting conflicts!

3.   CURSING JESUS.  He starts out with his companion by cursing Jesus out!!!

4.   CONVERSION!  This good thief by  being with Jesus was transformed.

5.   MERCY AND LOVE.   He heard Jesus forgive. Mercy is the love of God forgiving the sinner. It is always available!

6.   “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” The first word of Jesus on the cross was mercy and 
forgiveness!

7.   HEART MOVED!  His hard heart was softened by the Sacred and merciful Heart of Jesus.

8.   BEGGED FORGIVNESS.   The thief humbly and with a contrite heart begged for forgiveness.  “Lord remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

9.   MERCY. Jesus is so merciful that His Heart is always moved instantaneously to forgive a repentant heart. The repentant thief was forgiven in a heartbeat.  “God is slow to anger and quick to forgive.” We should try to be slow to anger and rich in mercy and quick to
forgive.  Jesus also said:  “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.”  Mercy is a two-way street.  If we want to experience the mercy of the Heart of Jesus then we must be merciful to others.

10. SAINT.    Here we have the first canonized saint.  Jesus canonized the thief.  “Amen I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise.”  As Archbishop Fulton Sheen so astutely remarked, “And the thief died a thief because he stole heaven.”

Today you will be with me in Paradise

 

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