That first Easter Sunday night, as the Apostles hid in the upper room in fear of the Jews and possible execution from the Romans, Jesus walked through the wall in His glorified Body and greeted them: “Peace be with you! (Shalom!) Breathing on them He said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive they shall be forgiven; whose sins you  retain they shall be retained.” (Jn. 21: 21-23)

By this gesture, Jesus was bestowing upon the Apostles, future Bishops as well as future priests until the end of the world, the ability in His Name to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Jesus’ Easter Sunday night gift was none other than giving us forgiveness, peace, joy, freedom and liberty, by instituting the Sacrament of Confession. Gratitude for this sublime gift should have no bounds or limits in our hearts!   “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.”

However, a problem exists far and wide today: this gift is misunderstood, forgotten,  abused and sorely neglected!   The nature of  a “Gift” is that it is to be well used and graciously received by the recipient!  In too many churches and Parishes throughout the world, the line for Holy Communion, never ends!  On the contrary, the confessional line dwindles to nothing, except the scrupulous sacristan who confesses three times a day!  Let us first present some of the major obstacles, roadblocks and objections to confession; then some practical tips on how to draw close to this infinite source of grace!    SOME TYPICAL OBSTACLES AND OBJECTIONS!

1. TOMORROW.  Too often the devil convinces us to follow the “Philosophy of tomorrow”. Simply do it, but tomorrow!  We all know that tomorrow never exists; we only have today!  C. S. Lewis in  SCREWTAPE LETTERS, presents Satan in discussion with others devils on how to successfully win souls to hell.   The  best idea presented to Satan was to get the people to believe they have a long life and that they could put off their conversion for tomorrow!  The devil of “Tomorrow” has won over man penitents who never make it tot he confessional!   What should be done today, now, should not be put off till tomorrow.  St Augustine presents Jesus as the Pilgrim knocking at the door.  He knocks and knocks, but if the door is not open He will never return.  Why not open today your heart to the Lord’s forgiveness!

2.  ACT  OF CONTRITION!   I do not know the “Act of Contrition”; so I cannot go to confession!  Easily resolved!  Just ask the priest and he will give you a card with the “Act of Contrition”. Resolved!  Just go!  Then, see if you can memorize an “Act of Contrition!”

3. CONFESSION INVENTED BY PRIESTS– NOT IN BIBLE!     FALSE!  it can be found in the Bible in the  Gospel of John, chapter 21: 21-23. Jesus breathes on them the Holy Spirit and empowers them to forgive sins in His name:  “The sins that you forgive will be forgiven; the sins you bind shall be held bound…” A very  clear and convincing Biblical passage substantiating the institution of the Sacrament of Confession! (Jn 20:21-23)  Read it memorize it!

4. PRIESTS ARE TOO BUSY!   Another false claim!   The two greatest actions that a priest can carry out, related to his reception of Holy Orders, is the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the celebration of the  Sacrament of Confession. Likewise, the two most important phrases a priest can say are:  TAKE AND EAT THIS IS MY BODY; TAKE AND DRINK THIS IS MY BLOOD. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME….  and     “I ABSOLVE YOU OF YOUR SINS IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT….”   These words and actions of the priest are by far the most important manifestations of his priesthood.   By calling upon a priest to hear your confession you are helping that priest to become a better and more holy priest!  Holy priests usually spend much time in the confessional; take for example The Cure of Ars, Padre Pio and St. John Bosco! They all spent long hours in the confessional in their thirst for the salvation of souls. St. John Bosco’s motto was: “Give me souls and take all the rest away!”

5.  I HAVE NO SIN TO CONFESS!  Impossible!  There were only two perfect persons that lived on the face of the earth: Jesus, the Son of the living God, and Mary, the Immaculate Conception!  They were born without sin and were impeccable their whole lives. However, in the case of the rest of humanity, we were conceived with Original Sin, commit many actual sins and need God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Penance.   The words of the late Pope Pius XII ring so true today:  “ The sin  of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.”   It is not that you do not have sin; it is that you are blind to your sin!

6. RATIONALIZATION/MODERN PSYCHOLOGY.  Modern psychological schools tend to downplay, or worse yet, simply deny that  “sin is sin”, especially in the realm of sexual morality!  Simply follow your feelings; be free and uninhibited!   The Church has never promoted license and following sinful tendencies but self-control through prayer, fasting, sacraments, Marian devotion and hard work!

7. EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING WHAT YOU CALL SIN!   Never forget, the Church is not a democracy!  Jesus never promised that to follow Him was going to be easy!  On the contrary, he unequivocally stated the conditions to follow Him: “Whoever wants to be my follower, must renounce himself, take up his cross and follow me.”   Keep in mind!  The cross leads to the glory of the Resurrection and eternal life. Confession is dying to sin and living life and life in abundance. It is the sacramental realization of the Paschal mystery in the human heart: death to sin and rising to the new life of grace!    

8. MY SIN (SINS) ARE TOO BIG!   False!   The greatest attribute  of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is His Infinite Mercy.  The essence of  Devotion to Divine Mercy,  written by “The Secretary of Divine Mercy” St Faustina Kowalska, is that Jesus is Mercy Incarnate.   The greater the sinner, the more he has a right to God’s mercy. Also, the greatest sinners can be the greatest saints, under one condition: TRUST IN HIS INFINITE MERCY!  Remember the words of St. Paul: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.”   Never be fearful to draw close to the merciful Heart of Jesus.  Remember the Prodigal son, but remember even more the  Merciful Father of the Prodigal Son. His arms are open to receive you!

9. PRIEST WILL YELL AT ME!  If it  happened in the past, then forgive the priest!   He was probably just having a bad day, as we all do! That was half of your penance! Most likely, it will not happen again! Most priests are kind, merciful compassionate and encouraging confessors! Pray for priests!  Once St. Faustina went to confession and it did not go well, as if the priest did not understand her, nor she the priest. Jesus revealed to her that the reason was  simple: she did not pray for the priest-confessor before entering the confessional.  The next time she did pray for the priest and her confession was excellent!  Before entering the confessional, say a short pray for the priest— maybe even to his guardian angel!                                                    

10. PRIEST WILL TELL MY SINS!   Never!  The priest is bound with the strictest observance to maintain what is called the “Seal of the Confession”.  That means that a priest can never reveal to others what he has heard in the confessional! Otherwise, strict canonical sanctions can be leveled against that priest.  So much so that there have been priests who were almost coerced into divulging the sins of the penitent. One famous case is in the life of St. John Nepomucene.  Father John  was the confessor  to the Queen and the King wanted to know the sins of his wife, so he tried to bride, coax, force, coerce, the priest into revealing the sins of the Queen.  In short, Father John resisted and was martyred, by being thrown over a bridge and drowning then dying as a martyr!  He dies as a “Martyr for the seal of the Confessional”.  So, do not worry! your sins are known to God, the priest(who easily forgets them) and to yourself!  Be at peace!

                                                                    
11. I AM AFRAID!    Time and time again Jesus rebuked the Apostles– and  all of us too– not to be afraid. Jesus said, “Fear is useless,  what is needed is trust!  One of the tactics of the devil is to petrify us with useless, groundless, hopeless, fear! How often have  we feared persons, places and circumstances and events and these fears had no really substance or meaning! Our motto should be:  “Jesus I trust in you!”  St. Paul put it bluntly, ” The Holy Spirit is not a cowardly spirit!”  Pope John Paul II exhorted us: “Do not be afraid to open the doors to Christ!”  That door is your heart!

12. I AM ASHAMED!  Another tactic of the devil is to take away our shame when we decide to commit sin, but then to fill us with so much fear and shame that he paralyzes us, preventing us to draw close to God’s infinite fountain of grace in the confessional!  Shame is related to pride, because we have an inflated view of who we really are. No matter what you think, we are always sinners. But that is the precise reason for Jesus’ coming: to save us from sin.  The name  “Jesus” means God saves! From what! Sin!  And sin forgiven through sacramental confession! How great God’s mercy!

13. I WILL FALL AGAIN INTO THE SAME SIN!  Probably true! However be careful! Classical catholic moral theology for priests-confessors is the theological principle  called “The principle of graduality”. This means precisely this: frequent confession will not eliminate and obliterate all sins and the tendencies toward sin immediately, however gradually the sin will be conquered. How?  There will be a gradual lessening of the “gravity” of the sins and the number of the sins. That is why it is called “The Principle of grduality”– meaning, the sins are gradually overcome through the grace of God and the good will and effort on the part of the penitent! Conversion often is slow, laborious and painful, but efficacious if one takes serious frequent and well-prepared confessions!   Be resilient, like a “Super-ball!” If you fall, bounce higher, launching yourself into the merciful arms of your loving Father! He is waiting for you!

14.  JESUS IS TIRED OF ME SINNING! Never! Right from the mouth of Satan! Jesus knows human nature and that we are “made of clay” and that we are the epitome of weakness. He Himself stated this in the Garden of Gethsemane: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!” If one falls many times, the love of the Merciful Heart of Jesus for you is always overflowing, like a river after a huge, torrential downpour of rain!

15. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY????   Might be the case!  Ask the priest and he will cue you in and help you with the confession!  Next time, however, prepare yourself better by acquiring a good booklet with an examination of conscience, explaining the ten (10) commandments, so that you have done a thorough and complete “Examination of conscience”.. Priests are “Doctors of the soul”. Doctors can get to the root of the sickness by pointed and opportune questions; priests the same, can help the “Sick of soul” to arrive at the heart and center of their spiritual malady and attain healing!   Mission accomplished!

16. DEVIL WILL TONGUE TIE ME!  Could be! However, prayer to the Holy Spirit is the answer! Remember St Peter and the Apostles, Holy Thursday night in the Garden, when Jesus was arrested, they fled and Peter– with his tongue– denied Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ three times! However, after the first and most efficacious novena of Pentecost, their hearts were filled with fire, their minds with light and their bodies ready to suffer for the sake of the Name  and Person of Jesus the Lord!  Tongue-tied by the devil, unlock, by a short but fervent prayer to He who can teach us how to speak: THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE INTERIOR MASTER AND TEACHER OF THE SOUL!

17. I FORGET MY SINS!  Alzheimer’s indeed can kick in even when we are in our “late-twenties” especially when we are nervous and before special victories! Remember, often before major spiritual victories, the enemy tries to intervene with tension, friction and confusion!  Still, the best remedy  to avoid “Forgetting my sins” is simply to prepare well the night before and to write down the sins on a sheet of paper and have them written as a guide in the confessional! Don’t forget to destroy the sheet afterward; otherwise,  they may appear in the local newspaper next week!

18. NO PRIESTS AVAILABLE!   Indeed pray for more vocations to the priesthood, due to the shortage of vocations: “The harvest is rich, but the laborers are  few!”  Still, search and you will find parishes, sanctuaries, monasteries, Cathedrals, seminaries, retired priests, that indeed are available in most countries!  Interesting note!  St. Damian– the priest who died tending the lepers in Molokai (remote island in Hawaii)– sadly complained that his biggest suffering was his inability to go to confession , as there were no other priests on the forlorn island.  Tenacious and persistent to the last, he would  row out to a priest(or Bishop) on a ship and yell out his sins to the priest on deck!  Give thanks that you do no have to go to these extremes!

19. PENANCE WILL BE TOO BIG!   Hardly! Most likely the penance given is less than you deserve! Even if it seems to be somewhat weighty,  look to the wall in the church and contemplate Jesus  crucified and remember that He suffered all the bitter pains of His passion– down to the most minute detail of pain– due to your personal sins and mine!  Remember the film “The Mission” (With Robert Dinero), in which  a brother kills his own brother. For penance, the surviving brother is obliged to carry wherever ho goes indefinitely  a ball of cumbersome things and tied to a rope! Finally after striving to scale a huge mountain falling and rising due to the weight and cumbersomeness of the load, the priest confessor orders the weight to be cut and severed!  Quite a penance! Yours in comparison, literally nothing! Our novice master taught us–  showing a spirit of true generosity– to always do double the penance of what the confessor imposed!  Two wings to fly to heaven: prayer and penance! Soar high  into the divine atmosphere!  Be generous in accepting the penance and be willing to walk the extra mile

20. OTHERS MAY HEAR MY SINS!  HARDLY!  However, two precautionary measures! First, make sure you close the door to the confessional upon entering! While leaving, keep the door open!  This is called “Common sense!”  Use it! Second,  speak gently nd softly and do not yell! Penitents waiting should have the courtesy to stand far enough way that they cannot hear your sins! Or at least to cup their ears!!!!

                                                                                                                                                       
21. ANONYMOUS!    You might prefer that the priest,  not know who you are! Fine! No problem! That is the reason why the church has given the option to choose to go behind the screen, so as to maintain your anonymity, or if you prefer to go face to face to have a more open confession with the priest! Your choice!   The church and the priest will respect your choice! Anonymity should be respected!

22. ANOTHER PRIEST PREFER!   Perfect!  All penitents have the option to choose their confessor!  Choose whichever priest that you prefer to be your confessor! However, a bit of advice! If your confessor is not available  due to travel, sickness or simply unavailability, then go to another priest! Never forget! Every validly ordained priest is an “alter-Christus”– meaning he is “Another Christ.”  Also, that it is not so much the priest that is forgiving you! Rather, it is Jesus forgiving you and the priest is simply the “Instrument”.  Jesus is the “Writer”; the priest is the  “pen” in Jesus’ Hand!

23.  I CONFESS DIRECTLY TO GOD!   You should before you go to confession!  Interesting note!  You should confess your sins directly to God before entering the confessional. However, as catholics, that is not enough.  Jesus’ forgiveness is mediated through the instrumentality  of the priest in the Sacrament of Forgiveness.  Crush your pride and confess to the priest. Jesus loves a meek, humble and repentant heart!

24. PRIEST A SINNER JUST LIKE ME!    True, but it still does not matter! The priest could be even a greater sinner, but God’s grace still is mediated through his priesthood and the Sacrament of Confession. Dr. Scott Hahn gave a superb example, through the analogy of a doctor.  A patient went to the doctor with lung problems– pneumonia!  He told the doctor his problem.  This doctor, with respect to his own personal life would eat too much, smoke, refuse exercise, and drink excessively. Still, the doctor upon giving the medicine and antibiotics, resulted in thre cure of the sick-patient!  The same with respect to priest-confessor and penitent relation. The priest might be a great sinner, but Jesus still can use him as instrument of mercy and forgiveness in confession!

25.   I WILL SHOCK THE PRIEST/HE WILL THINK LESS OF ME!   Wrong! Wrong! Priests are trained to be ready to deal with all cases of sin!  The human heart, due to Original sin and personal sin, is capable of the most heinous sins. Jesus came to save sinners, not the saints. Some of the greatest saints in the New Testament had committed serious sins before meeting Jesus. Examples: the Magdalen, from whom Jesus cast out 6 devils and was a “loose woman” before her conversion, Zacheus and Matthew, publicans, Peter, who denied Jesus three times and of course the Good thief, who died a thief because he stole heaven!    Also, priests admire profoundly humble, penitent, sincere, sinners throwing themselves in the arms of the Merciful Father

Let us turn to Mary, “Mother of Mercy”.  Pope John Paul II stated that Marian Sanctuaries are “Spiritual Clinics”– the reason being, so many sinners make pilgrimages there to meet Mary who points to Jesus, present in Mass and in the Confessional!   Years ago, I had the privilege of confessing in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the city of Mexico. I sat in the confessional for 7 hours– non-stop– I had to  leave because they were closing up, but the line was twice as long as when I started. Praise be to Jesus through the intercession of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy. “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope….                                          

Healing paralytics, curing the blind, raising the dead, cleansing diseases, closing the mouth of hungry lions, penetrating the clouds and causing a torrential downfall of rain, stopping the rain, preventing disaster to visit a town, city, country, parting the Red sea in two walls— what do all of these miraculous events have in common? Right!  They were all accomplished by the prayer of fervent “Prayer-warriors”.   And that “Prayer-warrior ” can be you if you desire it!

The last few verses of the Letter of James presents as a model for fervent prayer the prophet Elijah. The prayer of a fervent man is powerful indeed.  When the prophet lived there was a drought for 3 and a half years, Elijah prayed and the sky poured forth rain and the earth produced its fruit.  (James 5: 17-18).  One man with a fervent prayer-life can actually change the climate, the weather and pierce the skies so that they pour down rain.

Jesus said that Poland was about to be chastised, utterly destroyed. However, this chastisement was prevented due to one holy “Prayer-warrior”, one holy soul, and that soul was Helena Kowalska; we know her as  ST. MARIA FAUSTINA.   God is much more pleased with one fervent and saintly soul, then with 10,000 mediocre individuals.  It is precisely this that gives us fire— a fervent prayer life.  Jesus said that He came to cast fire on the earth and that He is not at peace until that fire be enkindled!  May you, my friend, be transformed into the “Fiery arrow” in the hands of Jesus the warrior.  Therefore, how then can we transform an anemic, weak, insipid, mediocre spiritual life into a life overflowing with sanctity, as well as abundant apostolic fruits?     The answer to this is the most simple: learning the greatest of arts, the “Art of all arts”, the art of prayer.  

Prayer is the breath of the soul; prayer is the key that opens up the gateway to heaven; prayer is the strength of man and the weakness of God— because He gives to the person that really loves and trusts Him.  “He who learns how to pray well learns how to live well,”says St Teresa of Avila, “Doctor of the Church/Doctor of prayer”. Prayer is a matter of life and death; so much so that the great Doctor of the Church, St Alphonsus Liguori, asserted poignantly: “He who prays much well be saved; he who does not  pray will be damned; he who prays little places in jeopardy his salvation.”   The point!  Want to make it to heaven? Then learn how to pray well!
Some tips on how to attain a powerful prayer, especially of petition!

                                                                                                                                                            
1. MOTIVATION OF FAITH.   Life teaches that we will never undertake or carry out any initiative if we do not believe that it is worth the time, effort, and suffering involved.  Great athletes, successful businessmen,  superb students— all have one thing in common: a determined determination and  purpose to arrive at their goal. Prayer is of capital importance, but we must convince ourselves of this!  Our models, the saints, were so convinced that they spent long hours in prayer  and for that reason they were able to conquer insurmountable difficulties and undaunted by countless obstacles accomplish unspeakable apostolic miracles!

2. HUMILITY.    Beyond a shadow of doubt, God resists the proud but he lifts up the humble.  Off the bat, at the very start of the explanation of prayer, the Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights pride as a major obstacle.  The  example given is the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. (Lk.18)  The humble Publican, who would not dare to lift his eyes to heaven and constantly beating his breast– Lord, have mercy on me a sinner— found favor with God. The Blessed Virgin Mary reiterates this message:  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, because he has looked upon the LOWLINESS   (Humility of his handmaid). A humble heart recognizes that all the good he has done comes from God and all of his sin and misery is his own!

3. TRUST.  Prayer must be accompanied by an interior attitude of Trust.  If God indeed is a loving Father then he will provide for all of my needs.  If an earthly Father labors to provide for his children, how much more will our Heavenly Father for us!  A prayer that should often spring from our lips and start in our hearts is   JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!      

4. PERSEVERANCE.  A major drawback in cultivating a successful prayer of petition is the lack of perseverance.  Many of us like to impose time limits on God!  We believe in the “Infallible Novena”. Nine days, to St Jude (The miracle-worker) will do it!   This is called “Micro-wave” spirituality”.   Food can be cooked in 2 minutes, so God should be able to work at the same time pace as the “Micro-wave!”  Wrong! Never stuff God into your limited time-structure and force Him to do it your way, in your time and in your manner!  Allow God to work in His time and manner!  It took the great St Monica more than 30 long years of prayer, penance, fasting, copious tears after which resulted one of the greatest conversions in the history of the world— the conversion of St Augustine!  Be patient!  Pray, pray, pray and persevere till the end!     

5. PENANCE. Add dynamite and power to your prayer by incorporating penitential practices to your daily routine.  Getting up early and being on time, giving up a dessert, drinking water over soda,  prolonging your prayer time an extra 5 minutes, getting up from the table with a little bit of an appetite, forgoing condiments on your meal— all of these are penitential practices– that if done with the gold of love– can prove very pleasing to God. Consequently, the quality of prayer is enhanced! Like an eagle soaring into the heights, with its two wings, so are we called to reach the heights of holiness through the practice of prayer and penance!

6. PURITY OF INTENTION.  Often prayers are not heard because the intentions are not pleasing to God. Furthermore, it could be that we are praying for something that could be downright poisonous to our spiritual life.  A 4-year old child in a garage that points to the brown liquid in the jar, pleading to drink it!  She thinks it is chocolate milk, whereas it is really rat poison.  Mother must say “No!”  It could be we think we are begging God for chocolate milk, but in fact it is poison! In sum, God can say “No” to us when he sees that the petition , if granted, would be detrimental to the well-being of our soul!

7.  MARY.  In our prayer of petition, we should never forget to invite the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us, to pray with us, to guide us in our prayer, to help us to persevere in our prayer, to purify our intentions in prayer.  If we go to the King accompanied by the Queen, the King cannot resist!  The “weak-point” of Jesus is Mary His Mother.  To Mary, Jesus can deny absolutely nothing!     

                                                                             
To live out Lent fruitfully the church strongly encourages us to undertake three pracices that will lead us to a true conversion of heart, to leave the slavery of sin so as to experience the true liberty of the sons and daughters of God.   The key word is GENEROSITY with the Lord.  Indeed the Lord cannot be outdone in generosity.  We give Him one with a generous heart and He gives us a hundred in return!

What are these three specific Lenten practices?  Outlined clearly in Mt. 6:1-18.— the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday.  They are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Put in three-dimensions. Go up! Go out!  Go in!   Go up to God through prayer— the key to salvation and the life-breath of our soul!  Go out to others in charity through the practice of “Almsgiving”. Finally, go in to one’s inner self by the practice of mortification, penance and fasting to purify of the old yeast and allow the new leaven(Christ) to ferment and grown within us!  Remember!  Up to God! Out  in charity to others!  In to one’s heart through personal conversion. Undertaking these practices seriously culminates in  a “Lent well-spent”, conversion of heart, and death so as to rise with Jesus Christ on Easter— which is the real meaning of the Paschal Mystery!

Let us outline some practical ways in which we can practice almsgiving. In the strictest sense of the word, “Almsgiving” means giving money to the poor or needy! However,  a more extensive interpretation to almsgiving can be easily conveyed and practiced so as to derive abundant spiritual fruit. Jesus wants us to be fruitful.  “I am the Vine and you are the branches. I have called you to bring forth fruit and fruit in abundance”. (Jn 15) Some practical ways!

                                                                              
1.  SMILE.   A friendly, joyful, exuberant, welcoming, endearing smile can easily lift up a disheartened, downcast, depressed brother or sister. Intersing note!  A smile costs nothing, but it is highly contagious and can cause a “domino-effect” of goodness!  Try smiling at your spouse, children, brothers or sister; even more, try smiling at somebody you do not like for the love of Jesus; that could break the ice and rekindle lost friendships!  One of the most evident signs that we are followers of Christ is a bright, clean radiating smile from a loving soul!

2.  PRAY!  Pray for somebody, another form of almsgiving.  As a priest for more than 25 years upon receiving birthday gifts, Ordination-anniversary gifts, Christmas or Easter gifts, by far(no comparison) the best gifts are gifts of prayer and the most sublime, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass— Opus Dei, the WORK OF GOD, “Par excellence”!   A short but fervent prayer for somebody can restore peace to the soul, communicate great lights in moments of confusion and can even be the grace needed to surmount a  insidious and powerful temptation! Not until the final judgment will we see the powerful influence of prayer on the lives of individuals, societies and the world at large. Prayer  communicates power because it connects us with the Omnipotent, All-powerful God Himself, who indeed can move the highest mountains!

3. KIND WORDS!   Another manner of giving alms is through the proper use of the tongue!  Uttering “Kind words” indeed is an authentic and powerful form of almsgiving.  A kind word said and graciously received can accomplish incalculable good.  Fr Lovasik wrote a spiritual classic specifically addressing this topic, and the title of the book is  KINDNESS.   St. Bonaventure concisely summarizes the proper use of words as such: “One should speak on three occasions: to accuse oneself, to praise God, and to edify one’s neighbor.”   Undoubtedly, kind words edify, which means builds up the character of another!                                                     

4. ENCOURAGING WORDS!  Closely related to kind words are encouraging words; many of these should be incorporated in our daily vocabulary. Why is it that athletes usually win more at “Home” than “Away”?  For the simple reason that the fans at home strongly encourage their team! Learn encouraging words and expressions!  “Well-done!”   “You can do it!” “Excellent!”  “You are a winner!”   “May God be with you!”   “God will provide!”  “You are a champion!”  “Priceless!”  “Fantastic!”   “You could not have done better!”   All of these expressions and many more, are encouraging words, wind in the sail, bright and shining Sun to help our brothers and sisters on our journey and pilgrimage to Heaven!

5. VISIT THE SICK AND ABANDONED!  Almsgiving can translate into going the extra mile and visiting the sick, the marginalized, the elderly, the abandoned and the forgotten. Remember Jesus’ words: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do to me…’ (Mt 25). What to do with these poor who are truly a reflection of the suffering Jesus? Remember the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “We must see the distressing disguise of Jesus in the poor….” But first we must contemplate Jesus,  the Eucharistic Lord in the Monstrance, consecrated Host and Holy Communion.  First receive Jesus; then visit Jesus in the poor!

6. LISTEN.   Almsgiving can even extend it’s arms to the “art of listening”.   St James, with his characteristic bluntness, remarks: “We should be slow to speak, but quick to listen.”  Pope Benedict XVI  exhorts the modern and noisy world to this practice— the practice of silence so as to be truly capable of listening to others in charity. Why?  Silence leads to reflection, reflection to meditation, and meditation to union with God.   If we are capable of listening to God then God gives us spiritual ears to listen attentively and lovingly to our brothers and sisters!  How many people in the modern world, especially in the hustle and bustle of the big cities, are yearning and longing for an attentive ear. May you be that ear! But first, lend your ear to God; then, lend it to your neighbor!

7.  TRAFFIC MANNERS!  Believe it or not, almsgiving can even be interpreted in our behaviour on the road, freeway and while stranded in traffic!  Blessed John Paul II, in one of his discourses, stated that Christians must recognize that they are Christians always, and that includes, behind the wheel, in the car on the freeway and even in the midst of traffic jams! How! Avoid the honking-complex!  Instead of speed, leave 5 minutes early! If cut off, do not curse, but bless!  God gave you an opportunity to practice patience and humility! Take advantage of it! Pray for your  brothers and sisters on the highway. The highway is symbolic of our journey to heaven!  Let us arrive happily and safely! Ask “Our Lady of the Way”  (La Madonna de la Strada)— the Virgen that St Ignatius of Loyola chose, to be with you in your travels!                                                                         
8. AVOID GOSSIP!  Many ugly habits exist in the world and one of them is engaging in gossip! This practice is “Anti-almsgiving”.  Instead of building up the person, gossip tears him down; it tears down the person spreading the gossip; furthermore, it tears down those listening to the gossip!    If you are aware of gossiper on the way, take to the hills!  Why?  Our ears are not “Garbage bins”! Gossip is nothing other than verbal garbage! Do not allow your ears to be polluted with that type of garbage!  Only say things that will edify and build up others!

9. GIVE MONEY TO THE POOR, CHARITY, THE CHURCH!   Recognize that by doing so, you are really giving it to Jesus Christ!   Buying food for the hungry, hosts and wine for the Masses, catechism books for the children, purchasing of beautiful statues, paintings, stain glass windows to embellish the House of God— all of the above-mentioned are fruits of your generous monetary donations to your church, the “House of God”!

10. FRATERNAL CORRECTION.  Finally a difficult but at times necessary form of almsgiving is that of executing a timely, opportune, loving and compassionate “Fraternal correction”.  Interesting note is that this is the specific Lenten message of Pope Benedict XVI  for the year 2112!   Edmund Burke’s immortal statement applies here:  “So that evil advance it is sufficient that good men do nothing.”   One of the most common but forgotten sins is that of omission— namely, not doing what should be done!  A house   burning down, Fire!  A wolf in the back yard, cry out, “Wolf!”  Mistakenly taking poison, Quick the Paramedics!  With respect to the body, we move quick to find healing and remedies!  But how slow to react when there exists moral  jeopardy to the salvation of the soul!   Immodest dress of ones’s teenage daughter, a son living with his girl-friend, ugly and abusive language, a relative living a same-sex relation, politicians promoting abortion, contraception, sterilization— are not these areas where “fraternal correction” is sorely needed!!!!  Remember the consoling words of St. James:” My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”  (James 5: 19-20). Kindness, love, compassion, humility, concern, calmness— are all virtues that must be exercised for successful fraternal correction. However, the fruits are nothing less than the salvation of a soul— a soul saved by the Precious Blood of Jesus and an immortal soul having more value than the whole created  universe. (St Thomas Aquinas).    

The Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Gate to Heaven, the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the alpha and omega (beginning and end), the Light of the world, the Prince of Peace, Saviour Redeemer, Son of God and Son of Mary,  the Reason for our life and purpose of our existence—- all of these are titles for one Person and that Person is JESUS CHRIST!

Still  another title should be added to the endless titles of honor given to the greatest man walked on the face of the earth and that title is FRIEND.  Jesus is not an impersonal God— as the Deists believe– but rather a personal God that  is very involved in our lives. So much so that He became one of us in the Incarnation.  A short but excellent catechetical definition of Jesus is, “The Son of God made man.”    He became one of us, like us in every way, eating, drinking, sleeping, weeping, suffering, rejoicing, except in one way: He never sinned!

At the Last Supper Jesus said He loved His own and he loved them to the very end. In this sublime moment, shortly before He would be tortured, crucified and be drained of every drop of His Precious Blood for our salvation,  He addressed the Apostles in a most endearing, loving and unforgettable manner, by saying, “I do not call you servants, but I call you FRIENDS  because the servant does not know what the master is about…”   Being called FRIEND  of Jesus was addressed to the Apostles, but also to you and to me.  Jesus longs, yearns and desires with a burning Heart to enter into deep  FRIENDSHIP  with you right now. Let’s see how!

1. KNOW HIM!  Get into the habit of reading, meditating, pondering and praying over the Word of God every day.   Remember the words of St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Sacred Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”  Find a time, a place, good will, and beg the assistance of the Holy Spirit; it is truly the Holy Spirit who reveals to us who Jesus really is.  (Read the Acts of the Apostles)

2. TALK TO HIM.  Jesus longs for you to simply open up your heart and talk to Him. St Ignatius of Loyola calls this a  “Colloquy”— meaning entering into a heart to heart conversation with the Lord.  Eloquence,  perfect English, poetic expressions, all of these are not necessary to talk to the Lord.  Actually. St Teresa of Avila specifies this note on prayer: the deeper the prayer the more simple and the more affective— meaning the more from the heart!

3. WORRIES!   We all  have worries, preoccupations, stress, tensions, fears, doubts, and many insecurities.  Why not simply open your heart and express to the Lord in the utmost sincerity what is bothering you right now. Do not be afraid!  (Motto of Pope John Paul II).  The Lord is the best of listeners and the greatest of lovers.  He invites you to come and to cast all of your cares on Hum.  “Come to me all of you who are weary (with worries and problems) and find life burdensome. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart. For you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mt 11:28-30)

4. JOYS.  Equally important, run to the Lord rejoicing and pour out from a joyful and exuberant heart your joys, successes, victories and sunny days!  He wants to share in them and to augment them all the more.  “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice in the Lord!” (Phil.4:4)

5. PLANS.   We all have plans, goals, dreams. aspirations, projects that are present in our minds and in our hearts.  Why not bring all of these to the Lord.  He is very interested in your plans. Jesus is Architect, Constructor, Artist, Creator, and “Master-planner”. In all of these He is the most organized, ordered, and effective. Ask Him to bless your projects, help you to carry them to a successful conclusion and bring forth unspeakable success.  The Psalmist summarizes the concept perfectly: “Lord, give success to the work of our hands; give success to the work of our hands….  ALSO..   “If the Lord does not build the house in vain do the workers labor…”   All too often our works results  in  nothing; we go nowhere fast (like walking on a treadmill or like a hamster doing the Ferris wheel) for the simple reason that we do not invite the Lord into our projects. Invite Him and success is yours!                                                                                

6. TEMPTATIONS.  Part and parcel of the human predicament is the reality of temptation.  The Bible clearly states this truth that our life on earth is a battle and that if we want to follow the Lord we must — as good and well-trained soldiers– prepare for the battle field!  Jesus, as pioneer and model for us, went before us and taught us how to conquer the temptations that assail us on a daily basis, by He  Himself being tempted in the desert. (Read Mt 4).  Prayer, fasting, the power of the Word of God which is like a two-edged sword, separating bone from marrow— these were the weapons that the Captain of our faith triumphed over the devil. In temptations, call on the Lord!  “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…(The Our Father).

7. SIN.  Even if we sin, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ still loves us and all the more. When Jesus called Matthew and was  invited to the banquet that Matthew prepared for Him, the Pharisees criticized Jesus because He ate with publicans and sinners. Jesus forcefully defended the poor and the sinners with these clear and penetrating words:  “It is not the healthy that need the doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners.”  Your sin should not push you away from Jesus, but  be a launching pad into His loving arms. (Remember the Parable of the Prodigal Son/ “Merciful Father”).  “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.” Never forget!  The greatest attribute of the Heart of Jesus is His Infinite Mercy.  JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!!!!

8. SICKNESS!  Remember the Gospels and the “Favorites” of Jesus!  Who were they! Not the wealthy, rich, comfortable, accommodated, the millionaires!  On the contrary! The blind, the deaf, the mute, the lepers, the paralytics, the outcasts, the marginalized, the dregs of society— all of these were the “Favorites” of the Lord. Jesus willingly and joyfully healed the paralytic, lowered through the roof.  You and me are the paralytic!  We are paralyzed mentally, at times physically, often emotionally and always morally— because we are sinners!  However, that is precisely “Why” Jesus came into the world as Divine Physician to heal us of our infirmities, but especially of our moral and spiritual infirmities.  Looking for a Doctor/Physician? Why not try Jesus, whose name means, “God saves!”

9. SHARE YOUR FRIEND WITH OTHERS!   Andrew could not contain his overflowing joy upon meeting the “Treasure of His life”— the Person and Friendship of Jesus the Lord.  The love of God compels us, as Paul affirms, and so Andrew rushed to Peter, his brother, to inform him that he had found the Lord. Jesus saw Peter and called him rock!  This would be the rock on which He would build His church— the Catholic Church with the Papacy!  But it started with Andrew, filled with enthusiasm, in sharing his “Treasure”— Jesus the Lord with Peter!  Think!  What person in your life, right now can you bring to Jesus! Be courageous enough to accept the challenge!  James  consoles us with the fact that if we bring a wandering soul back to the Lord  many of our sins will be expiated and  we will save our own souls. (James 5)

10. MARY AND JESUS.    Without a doubt, the quickest, most secure, the most efficacious path to finding, cultivating and growing in “Friendship” with Jesus Christ is through the person that knew Him best, loved Him most ardently, bore Him in her womb for nine months, lived with Him for 30 years, followed Him as His first and best disciple, stood under the cross when He was dying and rejoiced in contemplating Him in His risen glory! Of  course, this is  the BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  Go to Mary; go to her Immaculate Heart and she will secure a safe haven and refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that she herself formed within her most pure womb. Friendship with Jesus, is the greatest gift in this world and in the  next. May Our Lady attain this priceless jem for you and me for now and for all eternity! Amen!

Master of all story-tellers, was none other than Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; nobody every has or will come close to the expertise of Jesus in teaching, but especially in the “art” of telling stories.  Name of the powerfully effective stories: PARABLES.   A short but effective definition for a parable is “An earthly story, with a heavenly message.”  (Pastor Adrian Rogers).  The Sower and the seed, the  Talents, the wise and foolish virgins, the Good Samaritan, the lost sheep, are among these literary masterpieces utilized by the “Master”– Jesus, the Teacher– to communicate eternal truths!    However, the classic and undoubtedly best of all of the Parables of Jesus is the “Parable of the Prodigal Son”, which also could be titled,  “The Parable of the merciful Father”– focusing more on the “Mercy” of the Father above the “Misery” of the son!   Actually the word “Mercy” in English, translated into Misericordia in the  Latin languages means precisely that: the misery of man (his sin) meets with the loving embrace of the heart of God;  “cordia”, meaning heart!

The Gospel of St. Luke is renowned for the manifestation of mercy. However, the pearl of all chapters on mercy is  LUKE 15.   In this  masterpiece of spiritual literature, Jesus  offers to the world three parables, all related, and indeed can be called, “The Lost and Found chapter”. (Fr. Al Hall, OMV) Why? For the simple reason that the three parables deal with both “losing” and finding.   The lost sheep, sought out and found by the loving and concerned Shepherd; the lost coin, swept after, found and retrieved by the diligent woman; and finally, the lost son, found and embraced by the Father— the Parable of the Prodigal Son.     Therefore, with the grace of God’s assistance, let us undo, unpack, unravel, the precious gems that await for us in the “Parable of the Prodigal Son/ The Parable of the merciful Father”.

1. YOUNGER SON’S REQUEST.  “Give me the inheritance”. A blunt offence, even insult to the Father. Why? The inheritance normally would come after the father actually died.  The  selfish son cared more about money, fun, pleasure, and sin than the person of his “Father” who gave him life, food, clothing, shelter and basically all that he had!   The essence of sin is “ingratitude”.  Shakespeare poignantly noted:  “More painful than a serpent’s tooth is that of an ungrateful child.”

2. LIBERTY.   The  Father respects the liberty and freedom of his son, who he indeed loves so much but will not coerce his freedom and force love.   The essence of sin also is the “abuse” of our freedom. Instead of “using” our freedom to glorify God, we abuse our freedom to slake our own selfish desires!

3. SIN.   Two other Biblical definitions of sin, related to this Parable are:  “Turning our back on the love of our Father….”  also… “Distancing ourselves from the Father’s home.”  Sin also is going to a “Foreign land” a land of sin.  T. S. Elliot poetically describes it as “Wasteland”.

4. FALSE HAPPINESS.  This son deceives himself into believing that in drinking, eating, abandoning himself to licentiousness, he will find happiness! False!  All in this world long for happiness!  Why so many sad and discouraged faces?   The reason!  They are looking for happiness where  true happiness is not to be found! Sin is a mirage, “a spiritual optical illusion”.  The clown masks happiness, but is really sad. Remember the song:  “Like the tears of the clown when nobody is around.”

5. ABSOLUTE POVERTY AND MISERY.   The poor son— poor spiritually, morally, socially, and now even economically– is reduced to abject misery. Jesus portrays this masterfully, by immersing the son amidst a pack of pigs, who enjoyed life more than he did! At least they had enough to eat, but he scarcely had enough pods to pop in his dry mouth!  Also, for the Jews, the pig was considered an impure, uncouth, untouchable animal; not only that but pig/pork meat was against the Jewish/kosher dietary law!   The message!  Sin denigrates, depreciates, lowers, debases the human person to a level that descends beyond the animal level. Animals simply follow instinct!  Man, created in the image and likeness of God and Son of God through grace, must follow faith guided by reason!                                                                                

6. MOMENT OF CONVERSION: EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.   Finally, entering into himself, the miserable son, starts to examine his conscience, to examine his life. Comparison!  His life at home with his Father and family, contrasts this with his dissolute and unhappy life  in the foreign land, loose women and now with the pigs!  In the former, happiness and peace; in the latter, sadness, pain and misery!  The reason!   The former, the life of grace; the latter, the life of sin!

7. DECISION AND CONVERSION.    True contrition comes upon him and he formulates his own act of contrition:  “Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; take me back as one of your hired slaves… In the depths of his heart, he is ready to change and leave his sinful past!

8. RETURN.  Imagine the return!   Possibly every day  the loving and merciful and patient father would climb the hill,  cup his eyes, and peer out into the distance with hope upon seeing his lost son. The day finally arrives!  However, the father peers into the distance and sees a figure who slightly resembles his son, but even more differs from his son.  Approaching the father is a young man ( but appears much older), emaciated, disheveled hair, a long and matted beard, tattered clothes falling from the body, and his gait— not springy– but slow and halting and stumbling!  Could this be his son? As the distance closes, the father is convinced that this indeed is his son, transformed, rather deformed due to an unhealthy life.

9. CERTAINTY!  The Father is certain; this indeed is his wayward son!    Upon meeting, the Prodigal son, who had been practicing his act of contrition the whole time, starts to recite his act of sorrow.  The father, however, totally oblivious to the words of the wayward son,  has already forgiven him a thousand times in the depths of his heart!       

10. FATHER’S FORGIVENESS: GOD’S FORGIVENESS.  As soon as true sorrow is expressed in the heart, God’s forgiveness is instantaneous; His forgiveness is less than a heartbeat!  “Indeed God is slow to anger and quick to forgive!”   Not only does the father forgive, but the father will abound in bestowing the most choice gifts upon the repentant son!  Below follow the gifts and the symbolic interpretation.

A.) KISS.   The Father kisses the son. The “Kiss’ is the universal symbol of love!  Although the son doubted the love of the father; still the love of the father never changes.  A trick of the devil is to make us believe that after we have sinned, then God’s love for us either diminishes or simply stops!

B.) HUG.  This warm hug/embrace symbolizes the forgiveness of the father and God the Father. God is always ready and willing to forgive us always, all sins, at all times and in all places— irrespective of the greatness of the sin— God’s mercy is infinite.  As Paul states in Romans, “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.”

C.)  RING.   Signifies “dignity”.  Despite the level of degradation he had descended in, still the innate dignity of the human person always exists! However, “ring” also is a  promise and firm decision to remain faithful in the future.  Remember the promises made on the wedding day:  “I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in riches and in poverty, until death do we part.”  Repentance demands a willingness and decision to be faithful and avoid all dangerous occasions.

D.)  NEW CLOAK/ROBE.  Symbolic of sanctifying grace. Adam and Eve sinned and they recognized they were naked.    Mortal sin to the soul, defrocks the soul of the beautiful garment of sanctifying grace. Repentance restores that pristine beauty.   The  “Garment and beauty of sanctifying grace” should be treasured even above human life itself. For that reason the saints are unanimous in saying: “Death rather than sin!”  (St. Dominic Savio, St Maria Goretti, St., Ignatius of Loyola).

E.)   THE SANDALS.  Given so that the son could walk on the straight and the narrow path that leads safely home. Once we know the “Way” who is Jesus Christ, who said clearly: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then there is no turning back.  The song illustrates that: “I have decided to follow Jesus (3 times), no turning back, no turning back, no turning back!!!”

The path that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, but the path that leads to eternal life is narrow and few find it and traverse it.  The “Sandals” are given freely to choose that narrow path that leads to eternal glory. It is the way of Calvary that leads to Good Friday, but culminates in the glory of the Resurrection!  The last word is “Alleluia, Victory!”

F.)  THE FIESTA/PARTY/BANQUET.   Has a double symbolic interpretation. The Banquet is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass— this indeed is our most sumptuous spiritual banquet. However, if we nourish ourselves frequently from this banquet, then another eternal banquet awaits us and that is heaven!  “Whoever eats of me will live forever…” (Jn.6 Bread of Life discourse).

G.)  FATTED CALF/LAMB.   Symbolism is clearly— “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of thew world…” (John the Baptist’s words/ words incorporated in the Mass) If we nourish ourselves on this Lamb: which is Jesus who immolated Himself on the cross on Calvary on Good Friday, we will have life and life in abundance!   SACRAMENTAL CONNECTION!  St. Ignatius points out that a good confession serves to purify the window of the soul so that one can receive the Eucharist with better disposition!

11. ELDER SON!   The real loser in the whole parable is the elder son– very symbolic of the smug, righteous, proud, arrogant Pharisees that Jesus frequently rebuked for their lack of kindness and mercy. Not only would he refuse to enter to celebrate the return of his younger brother— due to envy and anger and pride, three of the  capital sins (spiritual of nature); but worse yet– like Cain, the elder son kills the younger brother in his heart!  He does not call him “brother” any longer, but calls him, to the face of his father, “your son”! How dangerous the sin of pride! Pride blinds us to the goodness in others; it hardens our hearts; it shuts God out; it causes our heart to shrivel, shrink, and die!

12. THE PRODIGAL SON!  Pope John Paul II in his masterpiece, his encyclical on the Prodigal Son,  “Dives Misericordia”— God is rich in mercy, gives us the  most simple but most true interpretation!  Every one of us, all of us sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, are truly the “Prodigal son!”  Why? For the simple and clear reason that we entered the world as sinners, we are sinners, commit many sins and fail all too often. Even the just man falls seven times a day! However, God is merciful and always ready and willing to forgive us!

13. THE FATHER.   The Parable could be called the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” or “The Parable of the Merciful Father”.   John Paul the Great expressed the fact that the “Father” in the parable is none other than our “Heavenly Father”. Indeed the greatest virtue or attribute of God the Father is His  MERCY!!!!     The greatest sinners can be the greatest saints under one condition:  believe firmly in God’s infinite, unfathomable, eternal, loving mercy! Indeed what is “Mercy’?  Nothing less than   GOD’S LOVE FORGIVING THE REPENTANT SINNER!

14. OUR ATTITUDE! At all times and in all places, we should trust in Jesus, with a  BOLD CONFIDENCE!      The Magdalene, Zacheus, Simon Peter, St. Matthew,  the woman at the well(Jn4) woman caught in adultery (Jn. 8) and finally the “Good Thief”— what did all of these have in common?  Two things: their great sins, but there even greater   TRUST  in Jesus’ Infinite mercy!

15. MARY AND MERCY.  St. Augustine makes an astute observation on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, related to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  “The Doctor of grace” commented:  “If the Prodigal son had a mother in the home like the “Blessed Virgin Mary” then he would have never left the house.”  If we have wandered from our true home— the church, God’s grace, the sacramental life— the Blessed Virgin Mary is praying for you, loving you, and inviting you home.  “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope…”