Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

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Nov 27 2012

LONG LIVE CHRIST THE KING! VIVA CRISTO REY!

 

 

The last words of many of the Mexican martyrs— Blessed Miguel Pro, Blessed Jose Luis Sanchez del Rios— were an acclamation of their faith:  “Viva Cristo Rey!” and “Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!”—-  in English:  “Long live Christ the King!” and “Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!”
Listen to the message of Blessed Miguel Pro:  “We ought to speak, shout out against injustices, with confidence and without fear. We proclaim the principles of the Church, the reign of love, without forgetting that it is also a reign of justice.”
Blessed Pope John Paul II , at the beatification of Blessed Miguel Pro on September 25, 1988 honored this great
hero of God with these words of praise:  “Neither suffering nor serious illness,
neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in
difficult circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he
brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away. Indeed, the
deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate
love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to Him, even unto
death.”
These noble men of God prioritized the salvation of their immortal souls over the comfort and security of their temporal
goods, comfort, and safety of their body. As Jesus said, “What would it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? What can one exchange for the salvation of his soul?”
In a world where comfort, ease, pleasure, money, power, vanity, prestige have become practically “gods”, the
martyrs in all times, places, and cultures teach us the true meaning of our
lives: to know God, love God, obey God, be faithful to God (even to the point
of the shedding of blood) so as to win the award of eternal happiness in
heaven.

Once the great Jesuit saint and scholar St Peter Canisius was counseled by a friend to slow down and rest a little bit.  Without hesitation this loyal disciple of St Ignatius of Loyola responded:  “In heaven I will have all eternity to rest!  Now is the time to work!”    St. Paul captured this movement of the heart with these words:  “The charity of Christ compels us!”

Jesus Himself expressed this urgency, with words of passion in a world that has sunk into  lukewarmness and tepidity and mediocrity,  “I have come to cast fire on earth and I am in anguish until that fire be enkindled.” 
Jesus longs for fiery-passionate Apostles willing and ready to “cast
fire on the earth.”

The fiery Dominican preacher, St. Vincent Ferrer O.P. , poignantly asserted: 
“From a heart that is cold and icy, fiery darts cannot shoot out of the
mouth.” Nobody can give what he does not have.  
Jesus Himself reiterates this truth stating, “Out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaks!”

In this Year of Faith in which the Holy Father, in union with the Bishops throughout the world, there is a real
urgency to imitate the saints, to follow in the footsteps of the martyrs, to
give totally of oneself to Christ the King. How can this be done?
The response can be found in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. 
Authentic followers of Christ called to be prophets, evangelizers, and
missionaries must relive the 1st and most powerful novena that took
place in the upper room, the Cenacle.   In other words there must be a renewed Pentecost experience within the
church, starting with every individual person in a personal and unique way.   As Pope Benedict XVI insists in his Apostolic
letter, “Porta fidei” the year of faith is time to have a personal experience
with Jesus who is alive and active.

What happened that 1st Pentecost?   It lasted 9 days— a 9 day spiritual retreat of great power! Present in the Upper Room were the Apostles united with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The elements of this experience were the following:

1.   SILENCE.    Time and time again the present Pope and
the saints insist on  silence  as an indispensable means to attain union with
God. God cannot be heard in the cacophony of strident protests and
confusion!   The Apostles experienced
silence so that God could speak personally to their hearts.

 

2.   PRAYER.  The efficacy of apostolic success is in
direct proportion to the depth of one’s prayer life. Prayer is communication
and union with God.  Men of prayer
communicate God to others.  The Apostles
had a powerful experience with God in those 9 days.

3.   NOVENA/PROLONGED PRAYER.   Short, distracted, superficial prayer is not
sufficient to form true apostles of Christ. It is necessary longer blocks of
time to go deep in this encounter with Christ.

4.  PENANCE.   In addition to prayer the Apostles dedicated themselves to penance by means of
fasting.   Jesus initiated His Public
life by a 40 day retreat in which he prayed and fasted and conquered the
devil.  Jesus stated clearly:  “Some devils can be expelled only by prayer
and fasting.” One must empty himself of self and sensuality to allow for the
Divine invasion.

 

5.   MARY.  Mary is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, the Queen of the
Apostles and the New Star of Evangelization. 
Experience proves this fact in the 2000 years of the Church that the
greatest apostles are those who have discovered Mary, have a filial devotion to
Mary, invoke Mary constantly, offer their apostolic enterprises to Mary and
live constantly under her loving gaze.  In
the Cenacle the Apostles had Mary in the very heart of their prayer experience.
How did they profit from Mary? First, they profited by Mary’s silence that
spoke so eloquently about union with God. They profited from the prayers of
Mary that indeed can move mountains. They profited by the example of Mary. Just
contemplating her motivated them to pray with greater faith, devotion and
fervor.
THE RESULT:  POWERFUL WIND AND FIRE!

 

The room shook like that of an earthquake and tongues of fire descended on the Apostles. TRANSFORMATION!!!!   A few days earlier, paralyzed by fear of the Jews, possible torture resulting in martyrdom, these renewed and transformed
apostles preached boldly, gave witness to their belief in Jesus in word and
deed, suffered persecution and even imprisonment for the Lord.
Still more, all of the Apostles, with the exception of St. John the Beloved, suffered martyrdom for
their firm belief and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. One was beheaded, another
was crucified in the form of an X; another was crucified upside down; still
another was flayed alive (Bartholomew) that means that he was skinned alive but
did not die until he was beheaded.
All of this took place after the 1st Pentecost experience— the powerful descent and coming of the Holy Spirit with the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today more than ever do we need within the church a renewed Pentecost experience. The obstacles of materialism, sensuality, hedonism, agnosticism and atheism must be conquered by a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray!  “Come Holy Spirit, come though the Immaculate Heart of Mary!”
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Written by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV · Categorized: Blog

Nov 23 2012

GIVE THANKS TO GOD AT ALL TIMES-THE EUCHARIST!

 

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good for His love endures forever.” 
Jesus took bread and gave thanks…. After the leper was cured he turned
back to Jesus and gave Him thanks.     To
the Thessalonians Paul exhorts to give thanks to God at all times and in all
places…    The mystical theologian Meister Eckhart said
that if the only prayer we ever said were thanksgiving then that would be
enough.
The most sublime prayer under heaven
that actually unites us with heaven is the Mass and another name for Mass is
“Eucharist” which actually means “Thanksgiving”. It should be a constant effort
to grow in living out a greater appreciation and “Thanksgiving” for the
Eucharist.   Let us enumerate ways that
we can foster an “attitude of gratitude” for the greatest gift of Jesus to
us—the Most Holy Eucharist.    “Give
thanks to the Lord for He is good his mercy endures forever.”

 

1.   EXPRESS TO THE LORD GRATITUDE FOR THE
EUCHARIST.   How easy to take things for
granted, gifts for granted, people for granted, children for granted and even
spouses for granted. At the same time, worse yet due to the dignity and
greatness of the Person, we can easily take the Lord for granted in “His Real
Presence” in the Eucharist.  Lord you promised
to be with us always even until the end of time.  In the Mass, the Eucharist, and is the
Blessed Sacrament you are with us truly. For the gift of the  Eucharist Lord, we render you praise and
thanks!

 

2.   SCRIPTURAL KNOLWEDGE OF THE EUCHARIST.  Read slowly and prayerfully Jn. 6:22-71.   In the 6th Chapter of the Gospel
of John Jesus works two extraordinary miracles— the multiplication of the
loaves and then the walking on water. 
Then, while preaching in the synagogue of Caparnaum, Jesus delivers one of
the greatest discourses in the history of the world:  “The Bread of Life discourse”.   The essence of His message was a preparation
for what would happen at the Last Supper– the institution of the Priesthood
and the Holy Eucharist.  Jesus delivers the “Bread of Life” discourse.   The heart of the message is the following: 
“I am the bread of life; whoever eats my body and drinks my blood will
have everlasting life.”   The meaning!  At Mass, the Bread of Life
becomes present at the moment of consecration— “Take and eat this is my Body;
take and drink this is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”   Holy Communion shortly follows when Jesus
unites Himself to the hungering soul in the most profound and intimate way.    If done frequently, with growing faith and
fervor, the promise of Jesus is eternal life in heaven.  Let us express our gratitude by meditating
prayerfully the “Bread of Life” discourse and yearning for the Bread of Life.”

 

3.   SPIRITUAL COMMUNION.   Even outside the context of Holy Mass we
should be longing for union with the Eucharistic Lord. This can be done as
frequently as the heart desires by the making of “Spiritual Communions”. How?
Simple!  Pray as such: “Lord Jesus I
cannot receive you now in the Eucharist, but come now spiritually.”  Then praise and thank the Lord Jesus in the
depths of your soul.  Frequent Spiritual
Communions are efficacious means to keep the fire of the Lord burning within
the hearths of our interior lives!

 

4.   VISITING THE EUCHARISTIC LORD.   Jesus is the prisoner of love truly present
behind the door of the Tabernacle.  He
said, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” At times and in many places
Jesus is alone, lonely, abandoned and cold in the Tabernacle. At times we all
suffer from loneliness and welcome a cheerful visitor.  With Jesus it is the same!  Why not make it a habit of visiting Him
frequently; the Sacred Heart of Jesus will rejoice.

 

5.   GENUFLECTION.  Cordial greetings differ according to culture. A hug, an embrace, a kiss
or a warm handshake express ways of greeting friends.   With Jesus the greeting is different. The
reason?  He is King of Kings, Lord of
Lords; He is God.  GENUFLECTION.   How done? The right knee all the way down to
the ground every time you walk in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  “O Sacrament most Holy O Sacrament divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.”

 

6.   HOLY HOUR IN FRONT OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.   “The Hour of Power”.  (Fulton Sheen).  Archbishop Fulton Sheen attributes his success as preacher and radio-tele- evangelist to one thing— His union with
Jesus Christ in the daily Holy Hour.  
Sheen, already “Venerable” made no bones about it.  In his many retreats that he gave to priests
and Bishops at the end of his life, he insisted on one proposal from the
retreat: the urgency of the daily Holy Hour.  
This superb communicator commented that in his 50 years as priest and
then as Bishop, he never missed even for one day his daily Holy Hour— “The
hour of power.”   If you want to have
more spiritual power in your life, visit Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament
and make your own “Hour of Power!”
                       
7.   HOLY MASS.  Of course by far the greatest way that we can
express our love and gratitude for Jesus present in the Eucharist is to attend
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as frequently as possible. If possible, we should
aim at daily Mass.  As the Sun shines
down at midday radiating light and heat, may Jesus be the sun that rises in our
hearts every day through attendance at Mass and an ever more by fervent
reception of the Bread of Life.

 

8.   THANKSGIVING AFTER RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION.  At a thanksgiving meal it is
almost unthinkable to imagine the guests “eating and running!” Unfortunately,
it is all too common to eat the “Bread of Life” and then run or even rush as if
there were a fire.  The most precious
moments in our week or day or in our life should be the moments right after
having received Jesus in Holy Communion.  
That is the time to tell Him thanks, that we love Him, need Him, want
Him to stay with us at all times in time and for all eternity. How many
precious graces are lost because we are in a hurry when we should rest with
Him.  “Come to me all of you…. Rest in
me… I am meek and humble of heart… (Mt. 11:28-230)

 

9.   THANKSGIVING THROUGH SHARING. Now more than ever is it a time to be a missionary. Pope Benedict XVI insists in
many of his teachings that Mass must transform us into missionaries. This means
we should feel the imperative urging of the Holy Spirit to bring others to the
Eucharistic Lord Jesus present in Holy Mass and the Eucharistic. Like St.
Andrew who felt the call to bring others to Jesus— starting with his brother
St. Peter— we should feel the same urgency!
10. OUR LADY AND THE EUCHARIST.   In the Annunciation Mary
said ‘Yes” the Archangel Gabriel and the “Word became flesh and dwelt among
us”. In a certain sense we can call this Mary’s Communion because Holy
Communion is receiving Jesus into our hearts. Then spontaneously Mary, moved by
the spirit of charity, went in haste to bring Jesus to others— specifically
her cousin St. Elizabeth– about to give birth to St. John the Baptist.
Therefore, Mary is our model in life. Mary is the “Contemplative in
action”.  Her love and gratitude towards
God compelled her to bring Jesus to others. Let us follow Mary’s example and
daily cultivate an “attitude of gratitude”.   “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good for His love endures forever.”
May our faith, love, and gratitude for the Eucharist grow day by day until we
die and contemplate Jesus face to face in the Kingdom of Heaven!
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Written by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV · Categorized: Blog

Nov 20 2012

PREPARATION FOR A HOLY AND HAPPY DEATH

St. Catherine of Siena, one of the three women doctors of the church states, “The two most important moments in
our life are the present moment and the moment of our death.”   This is exactly in agreement with the prayer
that Our Lady loves most, the Hail Mary: 
“Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our
death.” Amen
Given that this moment—the moment we
die and none of us can escape it—is so important—we should do all in our power
to prepare ourselves for this moment. Either we will be saved and go to heaven
for all eternity or we will be lost and go to hell for all eternity. There is
no other possibility!   Therefore, let us
set up a plan for ourselves and our loved ones on how we can prepare ourselves
so as to have a happy encounter with Jesus. May Jesus be our Redeemer and not
our Judge!  Let us reflect seriously on
the reality of death, what happens after death and the awesome and stark
reality of eternity— which is forever and ever and ever….

 

Reflection on the reality of death can be very healthy for our spiritual life. 
Modern world and modern means of communication has a tendency to shun
the reflection on the reality of death because for the “worldly” minded person
all that really matters is the world and what the world has to offer.   The motto for the worldly is “You have one
life to live; get the best out of it! 
Let us eat, drink and be merry and have fun!”    Maybe you have heard these:  “You deserve a break today…. And do not kill
yourself.  Relax!

 

If only this passing world and all that is in the world is what there is to enjoy, then this philosophy is fully
understandable.   However, being
followers of Christ we believe that there is much more than what this world has
to offer. Jesus offers us much more and most important He offers us Friendship
with Him in this life and if we die in this friendship then He offers us the
greatest gift which is the gift of eternal life in heaven!

 

On the reality of death Jesus speaks clearly.  He says that we must be alert,
be prepared and live soberly in this passing world.   The Lord says that death will come like a thief
in the night, at the moment you least expect it. He also reminds us of the
times of Noah, when people were marrying, eating and drinking and the flood
came and buried almost everybody except a few people and pairs of animals.
In Parable form Jesus teaches us through the “Rich fool”. He had an abundant harvest and had to tear down his
barns because there was no longer enough space in his barns to contain the
abundant harvest. After the harvest he has it all planned out to the “T”!   He said, “Now I have abundance and a long
life ahead of me. Therefore, I will eat, drink and relax.”  Jesus comes down quick and hard on this man
and on this philosophy, calling the man a fool!   The reason?  
That very night his life will be taken from him and where will all of
his riches go?
As followers of Christ we must cultivate a deeply spiritual perspective of our life, our destiny and all in
the light of the reality of eternity. 
Eternity by the way means forever and ever and ever….                     
St. Benedict in his famous Rule states that we should think about death twice a day.   This is wisdom!  St. Alphonus Liguori, among his many works, he wrote a classic with the title “Preparation for death”.   Personally he made a meditation on his own
death on a weekly basis.  By the way, now
he is in heaven praising the Lord for all eternity.   The classic by Thomas Kempis, “The Imitation
of Christ” says that it is not important a long life but a holy life.”  Also the same author reminds us that it if we
meditated frequently on death then we would quickly change our lives.
St. Ignatius of Loyola in his classic
“The Spiritual Exercises”, in the week on sin, insists that the retreatants do
a meditation on the “Last things”— they are death, judgment, heaven and
hell.   A powerful meditation on the
shortness of life and the reality of hell and heaven as our two options, can be
a potent means to move us away from sin and towards the true life in
Christ.  Ignatius challenged Francis
Xavier to do the Exercises quoting Jesus, “What would it profit a man if he
were to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
We should remind ourselves of our mortality—that we do not have a permanent house here on earth, that we are pilgrims
and wayfarers heading to the city that will never end, the city of God—Heaven!

 

When driving by a cemetery we should
form a habit to pray for all of the deceased that if they have not already
arrived in heaven that they will through our prayers. At the same time, we
should remind ourselves that one day—and it is really not too far away— we
will be there laying next to those who are underneath the ground!   We should cling to no person, place or
thing— especially not to sin— but only to Jesus the Lord.   
When attending a funeral Mass we should pray fervently for the dead for whom the Mass is being celebrated and
not  canonize him before his time.  But also this should be a reminder that one
day the coffin, the funeral Mass, and then the burial will be mine! Life is
short in comparison to eternity.  The
great Saint Augustine says that our life in comparison with eternity is only a
blink of the eye. St. Peter expressed it in these words:  “For God one day is a thousand years..”  Our heartbeat is like a marching band heading to death and eternity— forever and ever and ever….

 

May we intensify our prayer life so as to be prepared to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus the Lord the moment of our
death. Let us turn to Mary and beg for the grace of a holy and happy death by
praying the Hail Mary frequently, full of faith, and fervently, that she may
attain for us and holy life and a holy and happy death.  “Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

                                                                        
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Written by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV · Categorized: Blog

Nov 13 2012

FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS: THE PRICELESS PEARL

 

 

One of the greatest treasures on a human level is to encounter a true, loyal, faithful friend.  Indeed this is a priceless pearl.   The Word of God states that to find a true friend is a true treasure.
If on a human level friendship is to be treasured, protected, cultivated and cherished, how much more should we treasure a true and dynamic friendship with Jesus?

 

Shortly before offering Himself to the Eternal Father as a Sacrificial Victim on Good Friday— dying on the cross
for all of humanity and for each and every one of us individually— Jesus
spoke at length at the Last Supper.

 

In addition to washing the feet of the Apostles, instituting the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders (the
Priesthood), and giving us the greatest commandment to love one another as He
loved us, He also offered to the Apostles and us a special relationship—-
Friendship with Him.
He said, “I do not call you servants
because the servant does not know what the Master is about; I call you  FRIENDS.  “  
Jesus Himself longs to enter into Friendship with you and me.
This “pearl of infinite price”—
Friendship with Jesus is always available to all, but especially to you and me
right now.  If you like, Jesus comes like
the Good Shepherd, with staff in hand, but with the other hand He is gently
knocking at the door. (Rev. 3)

 

The painter Holman Hunt painted Jesus the Good Shepherd, with staff in hand and knocking at the door.  An acute observer approached the painter with a complaint: the painter had forgotten to paint the door knob!   Holman Hunt held his ground and
responded:  “The door knob is present,
but within the door.”
Jesus indeed is knocking at the door of your heart, but it is up to you to open up the door and to receive Him into
your home, into the depths of your heart. Right now Jesus is knocking and
waiting for you to open!  Are you ready
and willing?
In your conversation with your Friend
Jesus, what might be some of the topics of your conversation?   The response is simple, clear and to the
point: ANYTHING!!!!  
However, to help us to initiate and
engage in this Friendly conversation with the Lord, we will offer five short
suggestions and these suggestions do not exhaust the topics that you can talk
about with the Lord. Remember!   You can
talk to the Lord about anything.
Remember also that the Lord earnestly desires for you to talk to Him. Furthermore, you should never feel inhibited at
any time and place to open up and talk to Jesus your best of Friends.  Jesus will never hurt you, humiliate you, misunderstand
you. Rather, conversation with Jesus heals, strengthens, encourages, enlightens
and sanctifies.   Off we go….
First, THANKS!   What do you have that you indeed did not receive from God? Only one thing: your sins! 
Look from within your mind, heart, soul, memory, imagination; look from
the inside out at the beauty of nature, the food you eat, the health you enjoy,
the opportunities you have had.  All of
these gifts that come from God, the author of all good gifts, should result in
a constant hymn of thanksgiving that should spontaneously flow from your
heart.  “Give thanks to the Lord for He
is good for His love endures forever.”
Second, LOVE!  The greatest of all commandments is to love
the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. (Lk.10) Spouses
should frequently express their love for the other; otherwise the love can grow
cold. Jesus wants to hear from our lips and our hearts that we indeed do love
Him. St. John of the Cross says that in the twilight of our existence we will
be judged on love. A suggestion!  The
most important time to tell the Lord you love Him is immediately after you have
received Him into your heart in Holy Communion. His Sacred Heart is united with
your heart. Then, tell Him you love Him!
 Third, PETITION/SUPPLICATION FOR SALVATION.   Jesus said, “Ask and you
will receive… (Mt.7:7). Our asking has no limits! However, begging fervently to
the Lord for our salvation, the salvation of our family members, the conversion
and salvation of sinners, as well as the salvation of the entire world,
exceedingly rejoices the Sacred heart of Jesus. Ask for the greatest gifts—
that is, the salvation of immortal souls! St. Faustina and the children of
Fatima were constantly begging Jesus for the salvation of souls; we should do
the same!
Fourth, FORGIVENESS AND MERCY. If we
hurt a dear friend then we ask pardon. By sinning we hurt the Lord and damage
our Friendship with Him. Therefore, we should apologize and tell the Lord sorry
for having wounded or even ruptured the bonds of friendship.  Archbishop Fulton Sheen defines sin as
“Hurting the one you love.”  Friendship
with Jesus—the pearl of infinite price— supersedes even our own natural
life.  For that reason St. Dominic
Savio’s motto resonates powerfully— “Death rather than sin!”
Fifth, THE WEIGHT (PROBLEM) that in the present is causing suffering to your heart.   Jesus loves us so much that He willingly
shares His life with us. That means that He shares His joys but also wants to
share with us—at least to a limited degree—a splinter of His cross.  Many of us fall into sadness and even
depression because we are trying to carry the cross in our lives by
ourselves.   We really cannot do this!  The cross is too heavy and painful, such that
it can crush us.  Either that cross makes
us better or bitter and it all depends on one thing–  If we carry the cross alone, bitterness sets
in;  however, if we share the cross with
the Lord either He can take the cross away from us or He can share carrying the
cross with us; and He always carries the bigger weight of the cross.  St. Peter says: “Cast your cares on the Lord
because He watches over you.”  Then Jesus
Himself says:  “Come to me all of you who
are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me;
for I am meek and humble of heart. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(Mt. 11:28-30).   A burden shared with a
friend is greatly alleviated.  Remember
the song:  “He ain’t heavy he is my
brother!”  Jesus is indeed our older
Brother and He desires so much to enter into friendship with us. He wants to
share His life with us and He wants us to share our life with Him. May Jesus
always be your Best Friend and that pearl of infinite price!
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Written by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV · Categorized: Blog

Nov 06 2012

THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY III: ANALOGIES…

 

 

To understand sublime truths we must
make use of comparisons or analogies. Still these analogies or comparisons fall
far short of the reality.  Why? God who
is infinite, eternal, way beyond the comprehension of the human intellect can never
be fully captured and comprehended by the limited human person. Still,  we must call to mind the words of St. Anselm:
“Faith seeks understanding.”  Therefore,
below are a few simple analogies that could shed  a little but of light on the sublime mystery
of the Blessed Trinity—our belief in One God in three separate Persons: the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

1.   ST. PATRICK AND THE THREE LEAF
CLOVER.  The great English missionary to
Ireland was moved to explain the Most Blessed Trinity by means of the “Three
leaf clover”.   This clover is indeed
one, but it has three separate clovers. 
Likewise, our God is one, but there are three separate Persons—the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

2.   H20.  The Chemical composition of water is H20. However, when exposed to
different weather conditions these chemical combinations can be transformed in
structure.  At room temperature, we have
water. When heated to a boiling point, we have steam.  Then when this chemical arrangement is
exposed to freezing weather, then the transformation is into ice.   The same chemical composition but three different
manifestations. Our God is one in nature, but three distinct Persons!

 

3.   THREE MATCHES UNITED AND LIT!  Try this one! 
Put three match heads together. Then light them and unite the three match
heads. What does this amount to? There are three separate matches, but there is
only one flame. So in the Trinity we believe in one God but three separate
Persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

4.   EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE. Imagine the existence of
one triangle that is equilateral. There is one triangle, but there are three
equal angles.

 

5.  My name:  Claude Edward Broom III.  My grandfather’s name Claude E. Broom, Sr.,
father, Claude E. Broom, Jr. my name Claude E. Broom, III. We all have the same
last name but we are three separate persons! Quite unique!

 

SOME REMINDERS OF THE TRINITY: SIGN OF CROSS
The sign of the cross calls to mind two fundamental truths of great value: the Mystery of the Holy Trinity as well
as the manifestation of Jesus’ great love for all of humanity and each and
every one of individually by dying on the cross for us.
1.   UPON WAKING.  We should make the sign of the cross and call
to mind that through Baptism we were transformed into living temples of the
Blessed Trinity and redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world.
2.  HOLY MASS.  Pay attention to the various times that the
Blessed Trinity is referred to every time that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
is being celebrated.  Incidentally, the
end or purpose of Holy Mass is Trinitarian.  
Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, is being offered as
sacrifice, victim, unbloody holocaust to 
God the Father for the salvation of the world and through the power of
the Holy Spirit.

 

3.   VARIOUS PARTS OF THE MASS.   The Mass starts with the priest signing
himself with the sign of the cross and calling to mind the Trinity.  Among the various greetings, the Pauline
(Taken from one of the letters of St. Paul) is Trinitarian: “The grace of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with you.”  The DOXOLOGY is a Trinitarian
Eucharistic praise, which the priest can say or sing:  “Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours Almighty Father forever
and ever. Amen”

 

4.   CONCLUSION AND DISMISSAL.   The Mass concludes sending the faithful to
be missionaries in the world with the Trinitarian blessing: “May Almighty God
bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen”.   Go in peace!

 

5.   HOLY WATER: BAPTISM AND TRINITY. Upon
entering church we should approach the baptismal font with reverential respect
and gently take some of the holy water on our fingers and make the sign of the
cross. This should call to mind the day of our own Baptism. (By the way we
should all know the date of our own baptism). With this we should also call to
mind the reality of the Trinity entering into our lives, our souls and minds
and hearts— God is all in all! An attitude of gratitude should be our hymn of
praise for our Baptism.

 

6.   HOLY WATER AT HOME.  Furthermore, it is a pious and laudable
tradition to always have in our homes a bottle of Holy Water.  Better yet, why not have in every bedroom a
small bottle of holy water.

 

7.   IN TEMPTATION.  In temptation, when the devil is assaulting
us, we should have quick recourse to the Holy Names of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,
but also to bless ourselves with Holy water in the name of the blessed
Trinity.  Say this prayer: “Evil spirits,
I command you in the Name of the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit to flee from me and this home. Amen

 

8.   PARENTS: THE FATHERS.    We call the priest “Father” because he is
our spiritual father. However, the father is called to be the priest of the
family. One of the principal tasks of the priest is to bless in the name of the
Holy Trinity. The father of the family—the priest of the family—can and should
bless his family members and if possible every night after he finishes praying
prayers with his family members.  He
should bless them with holy water in the name of the Trinity.

 

9.   SPONTANEOUS PRAYER. At any time during the
course of the day, what a beautiful habit it is to simply enter within the
depths of our souls and tell the 
Trinity—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that we love them, want
to love them more and want to praise them forever in heaven.
10. MARY AND THE TRINITY.  The Blessed Virgin Mary has a very special place in the heart of the most Blessed Trinity. Mary is the daughter of God the Father; she is the mother of God the Son and Mary is the mystical spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Why not beg Mary for a deeper and constant union with the Blessed Trinity!
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Written by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV · Categorized: Blog

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