Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

FALSE COMPASSION AND PURGATORY

“Well, thanks be to God, he is no
longer suffering!”  “Undoubtedly, now he
is in a much better place!”   “He is home
safe!”    “Heaven is definitely, where he
is now!”    All of these pious platitudes
are often expressed at the death of a loved one and often on the very day of
his funeral and burial!
My response to these seemingly
“Compassionate” expressions would be: 
How do we know he is no longer suffering?  Also, what source of certitude do  we have that he is in heaven and in this
better place?   “Home safe?”  Who told you or did you actually see him?
Only the Holy Father, the Pope, has a
right to officially canonize somebody after he is died and buried. Furthermore,
the process of canonization does not take place upon the person’s burial but
after a long and tedious study to see if he really lived heroic virtue. Moreover,
3 miracles, after he has died must be attributed to his intercession.
Following are three common errors
often committed regarding our deceased brothers and sisters, who we must love
and be concerned about and concerned about for their entrance into heaven.  Then, we will offer three concrete acts of
charity we can do towards our deceased loved ones!
First,  UNOFFICIAL CANONIZATION PROCESS!   No priest or deacon or even Bishop can claim
with certitude that an adult who has died is definitely in heaven.   We must trust in God’s infinite mercy and
always be buoyed up by the virtue of hope. However, to proclaim officially that
this deceased person is in heaven is a grave error.  Why?  If he is in heaven, then no need to pray for him after his death; the
prayers will only be wasted.   Nobody will pray for him!
Second, OMIT PRAYING FOR HIM.    Listen to this!  St. Pope Gregory the Great, had a friend that
died.  The Pope offered not only one Mass, nor a week, but a full month of Masses (30 Masses) for His friend, who ,
after the Masses were offered appeared to the Saintly Pope revealing that he
was now in heaven, but only after the Holy Pope had offered 30 Masses  for him. 
This is the origin of the “Gregorian Masses”    (30 consecutive Masses) offered for the
deceased!
Third,  FALSE COMPASSION: USE OF PIOUS PLATITUDES!  Hearing sayings such as “He
is no longer suffering!’  Or  “He is in a better place now!”  Furthermore, “He is in heaven with the angels
and saints!”   None of us knows where he is!   We are not the Pope, nor God, nor a
canonized mystic, that his secret insights to the destiny of the dead!   These sayings of “False compassion” also
will prevent prayers, sacrifices, and Masses from being offered for the dead
person.   And if he indeed is in Purgatory, he may detained there much longer than if frequent, fervent and
trusting prayers were offered for the relief of his immortal soul!
What then can we do to alleviate the souls of our departed brothers and sisters?
First, PRAY!  Once we have died, we can no longer merit!  However, while we are living we can still merit by prayer, by sacrifices, by acts of charity and by receiving the Sacraments—especially the Most Holy Eucharist— with fervent dispositions.   We can never go wrong by praying at any time and in any place for the souls in Purgatory.  Their sufferings are most intense but our prayers are an allaying balm of refreshment preparing them for final union with the Most Blessed Trinity in Heaven.
Second, MASSES!  By far, the most efficacious means and prayer to alleviate the pains of the souls in Purgatory is the offering of the most
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the purification of the stains of the souls still detained in Purgatory.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, often depicted celebrating Mass, can be seen consecrating the Precious Blood, and
below him is seen a vision of Purgatory.  The Precious Body and Blood Jesus purify the sins of the soul in Purgatory
and grant him release from this temporary state of Purification and access to
heaven.   One of the primary reasons why St. Nicholas wanted to become a priest was precisely this: to offer as many Masses
as possible for the souls in Purgatory to give them wings to fly to heaven!   These souls in Purgatory who have
merited from your prayers and sacrifices will be eternally grateful for your charity towards  and in turn will pray for you!
Third, INDULGENCES!   The Church, being mother and teacher, and
having an infinite resource of spiritual treasures, offers us many opportunities
to receive INDULGENCES!   What are the
conditions?   Here they are! Confession,
Sacramental Communion, the Rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or the
Rosary in family, or reading the Bible prayerfully at least a half an hour,
praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, and last but not least, being
detached from sin, even the affection to venial sin!   If all of these conditions are carried out,
and the Communion is offered for  a soul
in Purgatory , then a Plenary Indulgence can be applied to that soul and  be granted freedom from Purgatory!
The Film “The Greatest Miracle” which refers to Holy Mass, shows an elderly pious and holy woman “Cata”, receiving Holy Communion.  Her Guardian Angel points out that this woman has a very pure soul. Upon receiving Holy Communion,  Purgatory is open, the Guardian Angel descends into Purgatory and takes a soul to Heaven, where the angels and saints and God Himself receive that soul!
Indeed, we can become the “Divine Firemen” to pray, sacrifice and offer Masses so as to liberate those poor and dependent souls—dependent upon God’s mercy and our love— and bring them safe to the Lord.  “The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall want.”
Finally, the saints have pointed out that especially on Marian Feast days— The Assumption, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Mount Carmel—many souls are alleviated of their sufferings and many are taken on these days to heaven! Mary, Mother of God, Mother of mercy, pray for our beloved deceased love ones and bring them safely to heaven!
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ENEMIES OF THE SOUL: WORLD, FLESH, DEVIL!

 

Our Life on earth is a constant battle!   The Book of Sirach warns
us:  “When you decide to follow the Lord,
prepare yourself for battle.”  Lent is a
40 day period of training in discipline as well as spiritual battle.   The First Sunday of Lent we encounter Jesus
in the desert in mortal battle with the devil, using the tools of prayer,
fasting, and the Word of God.   One of
the Ignatian classics in the Spiritual Exercises is the “Two Standards”—the
Standard of Jesus our General and Leader in opposition to Satan, who is the
enemy of our souls.   Ignatius insists on
begging the grace to know the strategies of the enemy so as to fight the good
fight and win!
The devil tempts us often through
entering into our imagination and suggesting indecent images and trying to
seduce us into sin.     Due to Original
Sin, the flesh rebels against the spirit. 
Laziness, gluttony, greed, lust—are four of the Capital sins related to
the temptations of the flesh!  If not
resisted then we become slaves to the flesh and of sin.
Of paramount interest in this short essay is striving to understand what is the “World”, as in opposition to
following Jesus and His values and standards! 
The world as enemy is insidious, seductive, tricky and not always easily
discovered because indeed we must live in the world but not to be part of it,
as Jesus warns us!    
Adolph Tanquerey in his classic   THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, # 210   offers us a clear and concise explanation of
what the “World” is in opposition to Jesus’ standards!
The world we speak of here is not the
total aggregate of men upon the earth, among whom are found both choice souls
and irreligious men; but the sum-total of those who oppose Jesus Christ and are
slaves of the threefold concupiscence. 
These are: 1) UNBELIEVERS,   hostile to religion, precisely because it
condemns their pride, their love of pleasure, their lust for riches; 2) THE
INDIFFERENT,  who do not want a
religion that would stir them out of their apathy; 3)  HARDENED SINNERS, who love sin because
they love pleasure and are loath to part with it; 4)  WORLDLINGS,  who believe and even practice their religion,
yet, combine it with the love of pleasure of luxury and of ease, and who not infrequently
scandalize their neighbor by giving them occasion to say that religion has but
little influence on morals.  This is the
world which Jesus cursed because of its scandals:  “Woe to the world because of scandals!’ (Mt
18:7)   Of this world St. John says:  “The whole world is seated in wickedness.” (I
Jn. 5;19).
After Tanquerey’s superb explanation of the “World” in opposition to Jesus and His standards, let us examine and
explain some concrete manifestations of how worldliness, like dust particles,
can seep into our mind, hearts and souls and block our spiritual progress!  Frequently, “Worldliness” is betrayed by
maxims, proverbs, sayings and clichés that often are “Half-truths”, but that
also means “half-lies”; it is not always easy to sift the wheat from the weeds!  Following are twenty  WORLDY SAYINGS/MAXIMS, PROVERBS  and a short explanation as to why these
are  really  half-lies, and dangerous to true followers of
Jesus, who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!  

 

1.   “You have one life to live; therefore
live it up!”  True, we have one
life!  But this life is given from God
and meant to be spent for God’s honor and glory and the salvation of our soul!                          
2.   “Eat, drink, and be merry because
tomorrow we will die!”   True! But true
joy (“being merry”) does not come from food and drink but from union with
God.  Our Lady taught us this in the
Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit  rejoices 
in God my Savior…”
3.   What is the criteria that many women
have in marrying a man?  The “Worldly”  5-B’S. 
    He should have BRAINS, BRAWN, BEAUTY, AND
BIG-BUCKS!!!!    But what about the
beauty and nobility of religion in a man and nobility of moral character?
4.   
“Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.”  Actually this saying comes from the Old Testament,
but is interpreted in modern culture as “Even Steven!”  In other words, he has done you harm, get
revenge!  The Italians call it “La Dolce
vendetta!”—the sweet revenge!   What a
marked contrast with Jesus’ teaching on love and mercy:  From the cross, Jesus said:  “Father forgive them for they know not what
they are doing.” Also, the most renowned prayer in the world, from the lips and
heart of Jesus Himself:  ”Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
5.   “It’s MILLER TIME!!!!!”   What is this famous beer commercial
inviting? Obviously to guzzle down beer, but how often to excess and leading to
dependency, alcoholism and the destruction of countless families!  Check out how many tombstones should have
“It’s Miller time “ engraved on it for drinking and driving and crashing andkilling!
6.   “ I GOT TO BE FREE!   I GOT TO BE ME!  I’VE GOT TO DO MY OWN THING!” True, we are
all called to freedom, but not a freedom to give into the desires and cravings
of the flesh, but true liberty which is found in following Jesus!  Actions have responsibilities and have
consequences!
7.   “Finder’s keepers; loser’s weepers!”  Wrong!  Why is there a lost and found in schools, auditoriums, and even churches?  Because for the simple reason that if somebody misplaces something, an honest person will return it!
8.   ENJOY!!!! Often said by the Waitress!Jesus said said something a bit different: “Whoever wants to follow me
must renounce himself, take up his cross and follow me!  Whoever loves his life in this life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it in the next life!”
9.  “Take it easy!”    “Now, do not overdo it!”  “You might get a heart-attack!” Venerable
Archbishop Fulton Sheen observes that many people in the modern world suffer
from boredom and the reason is that they are not giving 100% of themselves!  Jesus never said, Take it easy, but “take my
yoke upon you and learn from me!” A Materialistic, sensual and hedonistic
society embraces these three words   TAKE IT EASY!!!
10. ‘REST UP NOW!”     Sheen also stated that there are two
philosophies of life: 1st “The fast and then the Feast or Good
Friday and then Easter Sunday; 2nd, the Feast and then the
headache!   St. Alberto Hurtado asserted:  “There are two places two
rest: the cemetery and Heaven.”  In other words, work now and rest later!
11.  “He deserves it; give him a lesson; give him some of his own medicine!”  Once again, these three short maxims all promote revenge! Let us leave judgment to Jesus and in the meantime practice mercy towards others!
12.  “ It will not go to waste, because it will go to my waist!” Another way to promote the Capital Sin of Gluttony!
13.  “She is a real KNOCK-OUT!”   True, spiritually, because she is improperly dressed and can “knock out”, “black out” your spiritual life!
14. “Everyone else is doing it!”  “Just do it!” No!  If it is against the commandment, even though it is majority,  do not do it!

 

15. “Go with the flow!’   “Be with it!”  “Be modern!” As followers of Jesus Christ, we must be counter-cultural; we must swim
against the current; we must be willing to be called  “Crazy” for the sake offollowing Christ and carrying the cross!
16.  “It is only a white lie!’  In Spanish, “Una  mentira piadosa!”  (“A pious” lie!”).  Once Charlie Brown said to Lucy, “Lucy, it is only a white lie!” Lucy, retorted, “Charlie, I did not know that lies came in colors!”
17.  “Five-finger discount!”  A short modern juvenile expression for breaking the 7th Commandment:  “Thou
shalt not steal!”
18. “Do it later!”  If something is worth doing, it is worth
doing later!  In Spanish, “La filosofia
de la manana!”   Wrong!  What is not done, upon the moment, inspired
by God’s grace, will not be done or be done poorly! Remember that “Time is of
the essence and life is short, like the flower that rises in the morning and
withers and dies in the evening!”
19.  “Just take a second look!”  David did and he ended up by committing
adultery and murder!   The wife of Lot
did and she was transformed into a pillar of salt!  No! 
Spiritual writers insist upon custody of the senses, especially the eyes
which are the gateway and mirror to the soul!
20.  BALANCE/MODERATION: DO NOT OVERDO IT NOW!  True and false!   The devil can push us to extremes. However,
often the word “Balance”, “Moderation”, “Calm down” can be a camouflaged way to
support laziness and mediocrity!  Compare
your life to that of St. John Vianney (Cure of Ars), or St. Francis Xavier, or
St. Dominic Savio, or St. John Bosco, Or St. Peter of Alcantara or even the
children of Fatima!  In the eyes of the  world  all of these were “Extremists!”, had gone
overboard, and could be called simply crazy! 
But the Catholic church calls them  SAINTS!!!!!!!
Friends in Christ, the WORLD can easily seep into our minds, and heart and life almost without being aware.  The world desensitizes us to spiritual values.  Walking down a dusty road, we are not aware of the dust until we enter our house and look in the mirror. 
Use this reflection as an examination of conscience!  Three excellent ways to detect WORLDLINESS  and fight against it would be 1) The daily examen, 2) Frequent Confession to the priest, 3) PeriodicSpiritual Direction.

 

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Love rejected: how painful!

 

To be forgotten, to by by-passed, to be a but of a sarcastic joke, to be a human object of derision, to be looked
down upon as insignificant or even useless, to be treated like  an animal or like trash— all of these are
ways in which the human person can experience the horrible reality of being
rejected!  However, the most painful form of rejection comes about when those who are considered our loved ones— the
ones who really “should” love us most, turn a cold shoulder to us, ignore us,
are apathetic towards us manifested by indifference!  How that can pierce to the heart!
This brief essay/ meditation will address three ideas related to the topic of rejection: three rejections of
Jesus, three ways that we can be responsible for rejecting Jesus even today,
maybe even now, and how we can remedy and repair for rejection by offering
Jesus a warm welcome!  (Three different ways)                                
FIRST REJECTION OF JESUS!   CHRISTMAS NIGHT!   Of all times to be rejected, Jesus was actually rejected before He was born. Good St. Joseph, sought for lodging in the Inn— and more than once—all his pleadings and searching for lodging were responded with a cold and cutting:  NO! “There was no room for Him in the Inn!”  Similar to this in today’s world is ABORTION!   Abortion is the rejection and the killing ofthe baby before he has a chance to be born.  Jesus was rejected before He was born! 
Human life must be respected and defended from conception until natural
death!

 

SECOND REJECTION OF JESUS: HIS RETURN TO NAZARETH AS ADULT!  Jesus returns to
His  home-town and preaches in the
synagogue.  Spellbound at His teaching,
the people still rejected Him!  
Why?    “Is not this the carpenter
son of Joseph and Mary his mother?” 
Consequently Jesus responds and says that a prophet is well-received but
not in his own home! All too frequently, fervent followers of Jesus meet most
resistance and even outright hostility and rejection in their own homes, among
their family members!                                                               
THIRD REJECTION OF JESUS: GOOD FRIDAY
ON CALVARY!  Despite all the good that
Jesus had done, before the eyes of the Public, the healing of the sick, the
expulsion of devils and even the raising of the dead—still Jesus met with
antagonism, hostility, persecution, hatred, and total REJECTION!   Jesus’ life ended by being nailed to the
cross between two thieves.  Jesus’
reaction to all this was mercy:  “Father
forgive them for they know not what they are doing!”
Jesus still receives rejection now and at this very moment of time! How? 
MORTAL SIN is the concrete way that Jesus is being rejected by modern
man.  To commit a mortal sin three
conditions are necessary: 1) grave matter, 2) full knowledge, 3) full consent
of the will!   The time, manner and ways—
unfortunately—are countless, but here are three that occur with ever greater
frequency.                              
FIRST REJECTION OF JESUS:   SKIPPING SUNDAY MASS DUE TO LAZINESS!   This sin pierces deeply and penetrates the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. Before dying Jesus wanted to bestow to the world His
greatest GIFT,  the Gift of His very Self
on the cross and perpetuated perpetually in every Holy Mass!  In many places fewer than 25% of Catholics
attend Holy Mass, thereby rejecting Jesus. If we are responsible for this
rejection, let us repent, do penance and repair for it by fervent assistance at
Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion with ever-growing love!                                                   
SECOND REJECTION:  INDECENT VIEWING OF MOVIES, PROGRAMS AND
WEBSITES!  Before, it was exceedingly
difficult to get a hold of Porn—in the back of the Whiskey in liquor stores.
Today, the moral poison can be easily found and accessed at the touch of a
dial, mouse, remote-control. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton made the prophecy that a
black box would enter the homes of America wreaking moral havoc!  Could the prophecy have been related to T.V
and the internet?                                        
THIRD REJECTION:  TRIAL MARRIAGES!  Not only is this a serious rejection of
Jesus, but it is a permanent state of rejection of Jesus.  For many specious reasons, the couple decides
to live-together without the blessing of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.  Often justified, by these words:  “We have to try it out to see if we are compatible!”  In the meantime, God is rejected, the Sacraments cannot be received, and scandal—public bad example—is spread!
For our part, we should not reject Jesus in our lives, but rather to receive Him as the “Sweet Guest of our souls”.   A warm reception of Jesus into our hearts should be the goal of our lives, every day until Jesus receives us into our Eternal abode, heaven!                                            
FIRST WELCOME OF JESUS! PRAYER!  Our prayer should be  humble, fervent,
attentive, and persevering !  Every time we pray well, we indeed are welcoming Jesus into our hearts!  No better goal in life could we aim at then striving to pray a little bit more every day and a little bit better! For that
reason Saint Augustine, hit the nail on the head with these words:  “He who prays well lives well; he who lives
well dies well; he who dies well  all is well!”  Excellent! Let us pray well and
receive the Divine Guest into our souls as often as possible.                                         
SECOND WELCOME: MAKING A GOOD CONFESSION!   Mortal sin is rejecting
Jesus from our hearts; a good confession is receiving Him back into our
souls!  A big difference between saints and sinners is the following.  Both saint
and sinner are made of the same cloth—Original sin from conception and birth!
However, the sinner, after sinning, delays in returning to the loving embrace
of God the Father. On the contrary, the saint falls but — very much like a
SUPER-BALL—is resilient and bounces even higher, trusting even more in the love
and mercy of God that has no limits!                               
THIRD WELCOME: THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION!   To saint Faustina Kowlaska, the angels revealed two reasons why the angels in heaven experience a holy envy for us,  the human beings, that God created!  The first is that we can suffer, like Jesus, and attain countless merits!  The second is that we can receive Holy Communion into our bodies and souls.  Even though the angels transcend all human beings in their being, having a much more keen intellect and much more powerful
will, still they cannot receive Jesus in Holy Communion!  What a privilege we indeed have!
In conclusion, let us lift our gaze to Mary who never—even for the slightest moment—rejected God! But in every
moment of her existence she received, welcome and loved God. Mary help us to receive Jesus in this life so that he will receive us forever into Heaven! 
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FORTIFYING OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE: COUNSELS!

Our Spiritual Life is a daily combat!  Therefore, to prepare well for spiritual we have to be “Soldiers of Christ” well prepared for the battle!  The following are ten concrete counsels to fight the good fight, to run the race, so as to receive  one day the crown of eternal glory!
1.   THE HEROIC MOMENT!    Conquer from the very outset! As soon as the Alarm-clock sounds, you are on your knees, making the sing of the cross and consecration the day to Jesus through Mary.   The Founder of Opus Dei calls this the “Heroic moment”.  For many whose predominant capital sin is Sloth/Laziness, this major victory could be the beginning of many other victories during the rest of the day!  
Time wasted is never recovered. This very day will never return as the water that rushes down the stream will never be seen again.  St. Alphonsus Liguori mad a private vow,  “The seraphic vow”— meaning, he made a promise to never purposely waste time!  St. Alberto Hurtado S.J. expressed it succinctly:  “There are two places to rest: the cemetery and heaven”.
 
2.   FORGIVE IMMEDIATLEY!   We have built within us the Old Testament Law of Talon— namely,  “Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.”  In other words, a desire for revenge is our inheritance as a result of Original Sin.  When hurt, the time for victory, must be immediate!  If we do not choose forgiveness and mercy, the process of death possesses us: anger, resentment, bitterness, coldness, hatred and finally active revenge!  Shakespeare stated wisely, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”  Still better are the words of Jesus in the Our Father,  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” Still the clincher is Jesus scourged, nailed to the cross and almost breathing His last, uttering words of the most tender mercy:  “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”   A saint that could exemplify this virtue is SAINT MARIA GORRETI. After having been stabbed 14 times she still forgave her assassin and her mother did the same! Love triumphs over hatred!   
                                                
3.   STUDY DILIGENTLY!    Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed the “Year of Faith”, starting October 2012, concluding November 2013.  The Supreme Pontiff issues a clarion call to go back to basics and to learn our faith.  We cannot love what we do not know!  Jehovah witnesses meet at their church congregation weekly, study in family weekly and go out to witness and preach weekly.  What would happen if Catholics would do the same????    Many Catholics today can identify with the closing verse of the book of Jonah:  “These poor people cannot distinguish between their right hand and their left hand.”  Another spiritual writer, put it even more bluntly:  “Many Catholics  cannot tell the difference between a Sacrament and a bicycle pump! 
 
Therefore, the Holy Father challenges us to read and study the CATECHSIM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH and the Documents of Vatican II. Let us dive in now!  St. Albert the Great, as a youth struggled with his studies!  Once while escaping from his studies he met Mary who asked him to ask her for facility in studies. Immediately upon asking the Mother of God, the Holy Spirit enlightened his mind and he became one of the most brilliant men in the Church as well as the world!    
                                                         
4.   MORTIFICATION COURAGEOUSLY!    Jesus said that unless we deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Him, we cannot be His followers.” Lent is a penitential season in which we go with Our Lord to the desert to Fast and pray. However, never learned our forgot by huge numbers of Catholics FRIDAYS are days of penance. That  means that we all are called to practice some form of penance all the Fridays of the year.  Giving up meat, abstaining from desserts, drinking water rather than beverages, simply eating less, or giving up television or visiting that elderly sick and abandoned grandma in the nursing home—all of these (an there are many more) are ways that we can practice penance. Be motivated!  Do it to repair for your past sins, those of your family and the whole world; also, following the
words of Our Lady of Fatima for the conversion of poor sinners!   Blessed Jacinta Marto could not exert herself too much in making sacrifices!  Why?  She understood the value of a soul! It was redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus!
                                                         
5.   SERVE JOYFULLY!    A true follower of Jesus, undoubtedly will
be a servant. Jesus said it and lived it!  “The Son of man has not come to be served but to serve and give His life in ransom for many.”  What a marvelous example, there at the Last Supper, Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples and serving them, taking the position of slave and servant!  Satan said, “I will not serve, thereby meriting hell!  Mary said, “I am the handmaid(servant) of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  With these words, “The Word became flesh and lived among us.”Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta insisted on the SMILE—serving with joy—as a clear sign of God’s presence among us!
 
6.   PRAY FERVENTLY!  Many of us, perhaps lately, have lost out
fervor in our prayer life!  Why not beg for a renewal! Beg the Holy Spirit for  FIRE!  We ask for money, pleasure, power and ease in life!  Why not beg for FERVOR OF FIRE in your prayer life!  “Ask and you will receive…” (Mt. 7:7)  St. Philip Neri prayed and fasted for 9 days before Pentecost in one of the catacombs in Rome.  RADICAL PENTECOST EXPERIENCE!    The Holy Spirit came down in balls of fire and entered his mouth and heart!  Young men tempted against purity upon placing their heads on the heart of St. Philip were freed from temptations against purity!                                     
 
7.   BECOME A GOOD SAMARITAN ON THE HIGHWAY OF LIFE!  How easy it is to become indifferent to others in need!  How common it is for us to cross the street when we see the beggar approaching us!  How tempting to turn on the TV when the Holy Spirit is clamoring in my spiritual ears to sit down and talk and encourage a lonely person in my family! Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta pointed out that the poorest city in the world that she ever visited was New York City! Poor not in money nor possessions, but bankrupt of love and tenderness!  Jesus became a Good Samaritan to you in many ways, persons and circumstances; now it is your turn to be the Good Samaritan! Now!  St. Martin of Tours the soldier, one cold winter night, saw a poor, half-naked man on the ground shivering, took his cloak, cut it in two with his sword, gave half to the poor man.  That night Martin saw Jesus wearing the cloak. This gained for Martin conversion to Catholicism, the priesthood, Episcopacy, sanctity of life and now we call him SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS!
 
8.   DAILY RETREAT WITH THE LORD!   Martha was rebuked for her activism! Mary was praised for sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him, talking to Him and loving Him.   Why not cultivate the contemplative in you and set apart every month a day of retreat!   Plan it way ahead!  Maybe some holiday, vacation day, free day on your calendar!  Give 3-4 hours of meditation, Holy Mass, Rosary, Lectio Divina, some good spiritual reading; maybe dust your soul off with a good confession.   Recharge these spiritual batteries once a month and you will find that the rest of the month, spiritually, will flow much more smoothly!   In Montserrat the soldier, wounded in the battle of Pamplona, had a vision of Mary, who gave him the outline and blueprint for the SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, the greatest retreat program in the world!   Spiritual Exercises done well can transform lives, societies and the while world! Let us do them and promote them! 
                                          
9.   SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: ORIENTATION/FOCUS/ PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION.   Hard as it might seem due to the lack of directors, still it is extremely necessary to have a “Spiritual checkup periodically! Whittle away prayer time, give in to resentments, allow the bad thoughts to enter and remain, not fight desolation manfully and immediately, allow the winds and dust of worldliness to settle— all of these are often signs of a lack of “Spiritual direction”. Spiritual direction fosters a more fervent prayer life but also can serve as wonderful preventive medicine!  St. Faustina Kowalska commented that one of the greatest graces and keys to grow in holiness is to find a good spiritual director and to be submissive and obedient to him.  St. John of the Cross, “Patron of Spiritual Directors”, pray for us!   
                                                       
10. MARIAN COLLOQUY!    Call to mind the Oblates of the Virgin
Mary’s motto: “Maria cogita, Maria invoca”—meaning, to think of Mary and to invoke Mary!  A sure sign of growth in holiness is a fervent, warm and loving devotion to Mary, the Mother of the
Church, the Mother of God and my Mother.  Our Lady said to St. Therese that she was Queen, but more than Queen she is 1st Mother!   St. Bernard, the Marian mystical poet, portrays Mary as the “STELLA MARIS”— meaning the STAR OF THE SEA!   In the midst of the tempests, torments, and earthquakes of life, lift up your eyes and contemplate Mary,  STAR OF THE SEA!  She will direct the ship of your soul safely to the shore of heaven!
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LIBERTY: FREEDOM OF THE SONS OF GOD

On the 4th of July every year USA celebrates the day of Independence, the day of freedom from the yoke
of oppression.  We rejoice in this breaking of shackles, the oppression of domination, and the unjust treatment suffered
for many years.   Although there is joy and festive celebration every 4th of July, true freedom can only
come from one PERSON: JESUS CHRIST!   It is Jesus who truly gives us liberty, true freedom, the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!

What then are ways in which we can experience this true interior liberty, a liberty that no exterior force can rob?  Here are some true pathways to freedom!

 

1.   BAPTISM!  This Sacrament frees the soul from the
shackles of sin, the dominion of the devil, and introduces the person to a
relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

2.   FORGIVENESS!  Hatred, envy and jealousy, resentment and
growing bitterness, cultivating plots to seek out revenge—all of these interior
sentiments transforms the individual into a slave.  Jesus Himself said that sin indeed is
slavery.  Therefore, when a wounded
person can open his heart to forgiveness and mercy, he has freed a prisoner.
Who?  He indeed was the prisoner of his
own lack of forgiveness. Hatred enslaves; love  
ennobles and sets the slave free. 
Jesus came to set the captives free!
                                                                
3.   CONFESSION!  Many people live in fear, doubt, insecurity,
and depression!   What a sad existence!  Usually the reason is very
simple: sin accumulating in their hearts and suffocating the joy that comes
from God.  Sin is like carrying a heavy
weight.  The movie THE MISSION portrays a
brother killing his own brother. For penance, the priest has given him the duty
to carry a weight attached to a cord wherever he goes and for an extended
period of time.  As the penitent slowly ascends
a mountain, and as the weight and incline drag him to the ground, the priest
admits that the murderer has carried out his penance.  The cord is cut and the heavy weight cascades
down the mountain; the sinner, accomplishing his penance and truly sorry for
his sin is set free!   What an excellent
cinematic depiction of what sin is but even more important what sorrow,
confession, contrition, and penance can do! 
It can set captives free and communicate TRUE FREEDOM!   This is the freedom of the Sons and
Daughters of God!  Seeking true freedom
of conscience, of guilt, why not try confession?   The price could not be better and the Healer
is the best—Jesus, who came to save and heal the sinners and broken-hearted! He
is waiting for you in the Confessional!                    
                               
4.   BE A GOD-PLEASER AND NOT A PEOPLE
PLEASER!   A subtle form of slavery is
the following: trying to please everybody!  
Our first objective in life should always be to discern what is the Will
of God for me and to carry it out quickly, joyfully and enthusiastically!   If our desire is always to cater to the
whims of others, try to follow the flow, to be modern and be with it, then we
will always end up sad and confused! 
Before deciding and acting, our question should be: is this course of
action pleasing to God?  If in the positive, carry it out!   A model for us
is the person of St. John the Baptist!   He was not a people-pleaser; he did not cater to popular opinion; nor
did he strive to ingratiate himself with the King, at that time King
Herod.  On the contrary, he denounced the
relationship of King Herod which was sinful, incestuous and adulterous!  Herod threw John in prison.  As he celebrated his birthday party,  who was the truly free individual?  Not Herod! Herod was indeed a slave of sin:
lust, gluttony, greed, pride.   John
experienced the true freedom of the sons of God, despite the dungeon, chains
and darkness! Decapitation followed, but John was the true victor!  Are you at times a slave to popular opinion,
the mode, what others might think and say? 
Call to conversion and freedom now! 
Be not a “People-pleaser”; rather, be a “God-pleaser”!      
                                                           
5.   OUR LADY/ MARY MOST HOLY GIVES TRUE
FREEDOM!   After conceiving Jesus through
the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary moved in haste to visit her cousin St.
Elizabeth.  Moved by the Holy Spirit,
intent upon charity through service, joyful in God who was within, Mary arrives
and greets St. Elizabeth!   Upon this
greeting, true LIBERTY was communicated and experienced!   Upon hearing Mary’s greeting the baby John
leapt in her womb!   The words of  Mary and the silent presence of Jesus— the
Hidden Redeemer already acting— resulted in John being liberated from the
stain of Original Sin.   The bond was
broken and the stain of sin cleansed through the word of Mary and the Presence
of Jesus!   Experience has proven that
Marian Sanctuaries are indeed, “Spiritual clinics”. Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe,
are all classical examples of pilgrims who are sinners have recourse to
sacramental confession— sometimes after many years- and consequently are set
free from the bonds of sin and the clutches of Satan!   Indeed  Mary has been called to crush the ugly head of
the enemy and to cast out sin by her presence.  
“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
After a radical conversion, upon his legs being shattered in the Battle of  Pamplona, St. Ignatius of Loyola was inspired by the Holy Spirit to compose the classic, that has changed the world  THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES.  At the
end of the Exercises, in the famous CONTEMPLATION TO ATTAIN LOVE,  the contemplation challenges the retreatant
to “Magnanimity”— great generosity of soul— to offer himself totally to
God, but especially his “Liberty”.   We conclude with this inspiring but challenging prayer and challenge you to pray
it and to live it; the result will be true “Liberty” of spirit!

 

 “Take, Lord, and receive all my  liberty   my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me.  To Thee, O Lord, I return it. All is thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.  Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.” (Spiritual Exercises  of St. Ignatius of Loyola # 234)
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