Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

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Sep 22 2023

THE GREATEST SERMON FROM THE GREATEST TEACHER (JESUS)

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT! (Mt. Chap 5-7)

The Public Life of Jesus lasted about three short years—from when He was age 30 until 33. Jesus never neglected prayer, His intimate union and communion with His Heavenly Father. However, flowing naturally and forcefully from His deep prayer life was an extremely active ministry with the people He came to serve, solace, and save.

HIS BUSY ACTIVE LIFE OF SERVICE.  Jesus’ active life of service could be summarized in three basic activities: 1) Miracles over nature and abundant miracles healing physical ailments; 2) Exorcisms in which he would cast out a devil and at times a whole Legion; 3) Preaching and Teaching, but unlike the Scribes and Pharisees, with great authority.

HIS TEACHING MASTERPIECE.  In the four Gospels, of greatest importance in the category of Jesus’ preaching would be what has been termed the SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (Mt. Chap 5-7)

In these three chapters, these three spiritual gems of teaching, Jesus lays out for our reading, meditating upon, and living out, the essence and heart of His message. If meditated upon with utmost sincerity, the Sermon on the Mount can be considered nothing less than radical. In fact, to live it out to perfection transcends and supersedes human capacity; we need an abundant outpouring of God’s grace.

In this short article, we would like to highlight some of the essential messages of this Sermon by the greatest of all Teachers, Jesus, the New Moses, and beg for the grace to understand the message, but even more, to put the message into practice. In fact, Jesus states in this Sermon: “Not all those who say Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my Heavenly Father.”  (Mt. 7:21) Let us beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and strengthen us to live out the Gospel challenge.

1. THE BEATITUDES (MT. 5:1-12) Pope Saint John Paul II stated that the Beatitudes present us with a window into the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Indeed, if we really want to have a glimpse into the Sacred Heart of Jesus then we should read and meditate upon the Eight Beatitudes. They are radically opposed to the world and its values, diametrically opposed. A summary: embracing poverty, weeping for a purpose, practicing meekness (powerful emotion under control), hunger and thirst to be holy in body and soul, merciful forgiveness, purity of heart and sentiments, peace over discord and war, and finally, a willingness to be persecuted, rejected, maltreated—these are the basic sentiments and teachings of the Beatitudes. How radically opposed to what the world teaches and offers us!  

2. RADICAL AND ABSOLUTE PURITY.  One of the Beatitudes challenges us to embrace a radical standard of purity: “Blessed are the pure of heart; for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8) Building upon this lofty edifice of purity, Jesus challenges us all the more. Not only must we strive to live purity in our body and our actions, but even with the use of our eyes, our heart, and even our innermost intentions. Adultery can be committed by sexual relations with the wrong person, but also, adultery can be committed with the eyes: “You have heard it said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt. 5:27-28). In a society immersed in sexual immorality (we actually live in a pornographic society), this challenge of Jesus is all the more difficult, but all the more necessary, to be a true follower of the Lord.

3. WHAT ABOUT LOVING YOUR ENEMIES?  The Law of talon stated: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Strict Justice). Jesus says that if someone hits us on the right cheek, turn the other cheek to them. If asked to walk a mile, walk two. If asked to give our shirt, give them our coat as well. Then Jesus commands us to both pray for and love our enemies. (Mt 5:39-43) Without the grace of God, this is sheer madness and utterly impossible. But Jesus paved the way and gave us the supreme example as He hung upon the cross, reviled and hated by his enemies, by uttering these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34)

4. BECOME THE SAINT THAT GOD CALLS YOU TO BE.  At the conclusion of the first chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts us with another challenge—the Universal Call to Holiness! We are all called to become the saint that God had in mind for us from all eternity. Jesus expresses it in these words: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) By reading the lives of the saints, we come to know in flesh and blood how the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount have truly been lived out. May we all accept the challenge to become the saint that God has called us to be from the beginning of time! The modern and well-loved saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, expresses it in these words: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all.”

5. THREE KEY PRACTICES TO BECOME SAINTS. (Mt. Chapter 6)  The Heart of the Sermon on the Mount offers us three essential, as well as indispensable practices to achieve the Universal Call to Holiness. One practice builds upon another. These three practices? Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. How fascinating these practices are and how well they are harmonized and synchronized with the Heart of the Church Liturgical year. This Gospel passage and these three essential practices appear in the Mass kicking off the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. One priest offers us a catchy and easy to remember dynamic: Go up! Go in! Go out! We must go up to God through prayer, go in through the practice of fasting and penance, and finally, go out to others by charity in the giving of alms. Examine your life on how you are living out or not living out these three keys to holiness!

6. THE LORD’S PRAYER—THE OUR FATHER. (Mt 6:9-13; Lk. 11:2-4)  The Our Father appears twice in the Gospels. Undoubtedly this is the prayer par excellence. This is so for the simple reason that it emanates from the Sacred Heart of Our Lord and Master, Jesus the Lord. In this prayer, consisting of seven key petitions, are found the source and fountain of all wisdom, knowledge, and strength to live a life of authentic holiness. “Give us this day our daily bread….” (Mt. 6:11)  May the Lord grant us health to work and sustain ourselves and our family. May we have a hunger for the Bible which is truly bread for our minds. And may we have a real hunger for the Eucharist—the Bread of life. (Read Bread of Life Discourse Jn. 6:25-59)

7. DEPENDENCE AND TRUST IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE. (Mt. 6:25-34)  We live in a world where people worry—they are nervous, stressed out to the max, and questioning the many whys of existence. Jesus responds perfectly to this lack of trust and this fretful and constant worrying. More than once Jesus commands us: DO NOT WORRY!!!

Jesus challenges us to trust! The words of Jesus are simple and to the point. He tells us not to worry about what we are to eat or drink, or even what we are going to wear. These are worries and preoccupations of the pagans immersed in the world. “The Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Mt. 6:8)

Jesus offers examples from nature on how God provides for the natural world and then asks will He not provide for us? Birds do not worry about their next meal. God provides for their food in every moment. The flowers of the field do not worry about where the closest beauty salon can be found and how they can pay for an exotic hairdo and manicure! In fact, Jesus points out that the flowers of the field excel the beauty of King Solomon in his Kingly array! It is up to us to do one thing: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you.” (Mt. 6:33)

8. THE GOLDEN RULE. (Mt. Chapter 7) “Do to others what you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” (Mt. 7:12) Believer as well as non-believer—agnostic, atheist, fervent Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew—every single person on the face of the earth understands this famous GOLDEN RULE! We all want to be treated with kindness, love, compassion, mercy, respect and dignity—everyone on the face of the earth!!! Therefore, let us always have this as our rule of life—to treat all exactly the way we want to be treated! What a wonderful world this would be if we took this rule seriously!

9.  ANSWER TO PRAYERS.  We all too often receive all too little! The reason? Either we do not ask, or we ask poorly, or we do not persevere and trust when we pray. The following is an easy acronym to remember this key concept on prayer: A.S.K. = ASK… SEEK… KNOCK! Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7) Let us take a cue from the message of Jesus and storm heaven with prayers by asking for miracles, seeking even when the skies are gray, knocking even when it seems as if the door has a double padlock. The key to prayer is perseverance. In the words of the great woman Doctor of the Church, the Doctor of Prayer, Saint Teresa of Avila: “We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.”

10.  THE TWO FOUNDATIONS: ROCK AND SAND.  Jesus concludes the Three Chapter Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) by presenting to us a marked contrast in construction—that of a house. The house built on rock, solidly constructed, could weather and withstand the violent storm; it did not cave in and collapse. However, the house built on sand, once exposed to the inclement weather, collapsed and was totally ruined. The Master Teacher, Jesus the Lord, is essentially stating that this house is our spiritual life. If we base our spiritual life upon feelings, emotions, fads, popular and public opinion, then our spiritual life, our spiritual edifice, is built on sand and we will eventually cave in and succumb to our enemies—the devil, the flesh, and the world. Our spiritual edifice is built on rock when we have a solid prayer life, a fervent Sacramental life, a serious life of asceticism and penance, and a tender and filial devotion to Mary—our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

By prayerfully meditating upon the Sermon on the Mount, the very heart of the teachings of Jesus the Master, we will be lifted on high and motivated to become the great saint that God has called us to be. Remember the words of Jesus the Master: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)

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Written by marym7 · Categorized: Blog, Uncategorized

Aug 23 2023

PRAISE GOD FOR THE BEAUTY OF CREATION

God can speak to us in many ways. In nature the sun reflects the resplendent glory of God’s face. Meditation on the Bible lifts our mind and heart to God because indeed the Bible is the Word of God. God speaks to us through circumstances, through persons, places and things that He places in our path. In fact, nothing happens by chance. Rather all that has been, is, and will be has been determined in the mind of God in what theologians call DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

Let us return to the glorious splendor and magnificence of nature. Of course, we cannot state that God is actually the beauty of nature. This is the error of the heresy of Pantheism. However, God is the Creator of all the splendor and magnificence and beauty of nature, and the beauty of nature points clearly to the beauty of the Creator behind His creation. In other words, by allowing our eyes to be captivated, mesmerized, enthralled by the majestic splendor of Creation, we can easily be lifted up to God Himself, and consequently burst forth in a hymn, canticle or song of praise.

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI.  Of the many saints present in the firmament of God’s glory in Heaven, Saint Francis of Assisi stands out as one of the most prominent in his love for the utter beauty of creation. Flowing from this inner knowledge of the beauty of creation, Francis wrote one of the first poems in the Italian language—“The Canticle of the Sun.” In this glorious hymn of praise, through nature Francis praises Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and other elements of nature, all emanating from the loving and providential Hand of God, the Creator. 

OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF GOD AND NATURE.  Let us step back and open our eyes to God’s Book of Creation and ask ourselves what are the elements of God’s creation that seem to touch and move our hearts in the most profound manner? I can help by pointing out, on a personal note, one of my favorites: THE REALITY OF THE SUN!

THE SUN.  The sun is fascinating! It rises and sets every day. The rising points to the key moment in the Life of Jesus, namely, His rising from the dead and hopefully our own rising from the dead to be united with the Risen Lord. Then the sunset points to the close of day and can easily set the stage for a meditation on the closing moments of our life—the stark but serious character of our mortality. One day we will all have to die and render an account to the Lord of the living for what we have done with the time, treasure, and talents He has bestowed upon us.

Again, the sun rising. As an ordained Catholic priest, this ascension calls to mind the greatest act on earth (the Opus Dei), the consecration in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Once the words of consecration have been pronounced over the bread and wine, and the two elements are elevated, Jesus the “Son of God” and “The Light of the World” becomes present in my hands. This indeed is the greatest miracle! From the rising of the sun to its setting, may there be a perfect offering of praise made to God. (Book of Malachi)

With respect to the physical qualities and its influence on us, the sun radiates most especially two essential qualities: light and heat. These essential physical qualities point to a supernatural quality and even the reality of a PERSON—the Holy Spirit. Of course, the Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. In His utter goodness, He radiates in abundance both light and heat.

LIGHT.  By light He illuminates our intellect so that we can perceive God Himself in His handiwork and His Word, as well as in the persons, places, events and circumstances in our lives. But of great importance, pertinent to our reflection today, we can perceive God in the beauty of Creation.

HEAT.  In addition to light, the sun also emits heat. Actually, the sun is like an enormous fire-ball!!! Both enormous and intense! From this many offshoots or sparks can ignite our mystical and poetical mind! Both stark and serious, glorious and triumphant! Let’s go!

FIRE OF ETERNAL LOSS.  Hell does exist and Jesus describes it in terms of the eternal fire. When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the children on July 13, 1917, she presented Hell as a lake of enormous fire.

FIRE OF PURGATORY.  Once again, contemplating the sun one can come to the reality of Purgatory. If we die in the state of sanctifying grace but still need to be purified of sin, the fire of Purgatory is our lot. Short or long—that depends on how we lived our lives. Dying with much egotism—most likely a longer duration! Saint John of the Cross depicts the human person in terms of a piece of cold, rusty, hard and smelly piece of iron thrown into a blazing fire. The fire burns away the dross until the iron becomes like the fire itself. So the fire of God’s love must burn away our dross and rust so that we can be worthy to enter His Eternal Dwelling Place.

THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Still following up on the analogy of fire is the Presence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) Among the many images for the Holy Spirit—dove, wind, cloud, that of FIRE is one of the most prominent. This we witness on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary in tongues of fire. Jesus also mentioned fire in these words: “I have come to cast fire on the earth and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk. 12: 49) This fire is both the Holy Spirit, as well as Jesus’ ardent love for the Eternal Father and for the salvation of our immortal souls

THE FIRE EMANATING FROM THE HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY.  Once again we turn to Jesus and now His Mother Mary related to fire in our image of the sun. Most of the images of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary depict fire. This intense fire that emanates from their hearts and surrounds them represents love. All too often, it is a love that is neither appreciated, nor accepted. Jesus complained to Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque manifesting His suffering Sacred Heart: “Behold the Heart that loves so much and receives only coldness, indifference and ingratitude in return.”

THE GARDEN OF GOD’S BEAUTY: THE SUNFLOWER AND IT’S LIFE.  Of all God’s glorious plants in the realm of flowers, the Sunflower has a prominent place, especially pertinent to our topic. The life, sustenance, preservation and very existence of the Sunflower depends upon the terrain, the planting, the cultivation, the moisture and rain, but most especially upon exposure to the sun. If this flower receives only a constant downpour of rain, its head droops almost as if it were weeping, almost as if it were a weeping willow. But when exposed to the light and the heat of the sun, the sunflower blossoms. It is almost as if it were standing on its hind legs and chanting a hymn of praise to God, the Creator of all that is good—but most especially the sun.

An interesting linguistic note. In Spanish the word sunflower is translated as such: GIRASOL—meaning, turn towards the sun. How poetic but true is the Spanish translation. The sunflower really does turn towards the sun.

HUMAN AND SUPERNATURAL SUNFLOWERS. Using a poetic, mystical, and sacramental lens, we can assert that we are all called to be a supernatural sunflower. In this sense, the more we draw close to Jesus, the Son of God, present in the Tabernacle, the Monstrance, and Holy Communion, then the more we will rise, grow, and fortify our whole being.

Then at the conclusion of our earthly life, our whole being will be both translated and transferred to God’s Eternal Garden in Heaven. There we will contemplate the radiant Face of Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father, for all Eternity. May Our Lady, the Rosa Mystica, help us to attain this most glorious reality!

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Written by marym7 · Categorized: Blog

Aug 22 2023

PRAISE GOD FOR THE BEAUTY OF CREATION

God can speak to us in many ways. In nature we see God’s beauty, splendor, glory and majesty. The sun reflects the resplendent glory of God’s face. Meditation on the Bible lifts our minds and hearts to God because indeed the Bible is the Word of God. God speaks to us through circumstances, through persons, places and things that He places in our path. In fact, nothing happens by chance. Rather all that has been, is, and will be has been determined in the mind of God in what theologians call DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

Let us return to the glorious splendor and magnificence of nature. Of course, we cannot state that God is actually the beauty of nature. This is the error of the heresy of Pantheism. However, God is the Creator of all the splendor and magnificence and beauty of nature, and the beauty of nature points clearly to the beauty of the Creator behind His creation. In other words, by allowing our eyes to be captivated, mesmerized, enthralled by the majestic splendor of Creation, we can easily be lifted up to God Himself, and consequently burst forth in a hymn, canticle or song of praise.

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI.  Of the many saints present in the firmament of God’s glory in Heaven, Saint Francis of Assisi stands out as one of the most prominent in his love for the utter beauty of creation. Flowing from this inner knowledge of the beauty of creation, Francis wrote one of the first poems in the Italian language—“The Canticle of the Sun.” In this glorious hymn of praise, through nature Francis praises Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and other elements of nature, all emanating from the loving and providential Hand of God, the Creator. 

OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF GOD AND NATURE.  Let us step back and open our eyes to God’s Book of Creation and ask ourselves what are the elements of God’s creation that seem to touch and move our hearts in the most profound manner? I can help by pointing out, on a personal note, one of my favorites: THE REALITY OF THE SUN!

THE SUN.  The sun is fascinating! It rises and sets every day. The rising points to the key moment in the Life of Jesus, namely, His rising from the dead and hopefully our own rising from the dead to be united with the Risen Lord. Then the sunset points to the close of day and can easily set the stage for a meditation on the closing moments of our life—the stark but serious character of our mortality. One day we will all have to die and render an account to the Lord of the living for what we have done with the time, treasure, and talents He has bestowed upon us.

Again, the sun rising. As an ordained Catholic priest, this ascension calls to mind the greatest act on earth (the Opus Dei), the consecration in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Once the words of consecration have been pronounced over the bread and wine and the two elements are elevated, Jesus the “Son of God” and “The Light of the World” becomes present in my hands. This indeed is the greatest miracle! From the rising of the sun to its setting, may there be a perfect offering of praise made to God. (Book of Malachi)

With respect to the physical qualities and its influence on us, the sun radiates most especially two essential qualities: light and heat. These essential physical qualities point to a supernatural quality and even the reality of a PERSON—the Holy Spirit. Of course, the Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. In His utter goodness, He radiates in abundance both light and heat.

LIGHT.  By light He illuminates our intellect so that we can perceive God Himself in His handiwork and His Word, as well as in the persons, places, events and circumstances in our lives. But of great importance, pertinent to our reflection today, we can perceive God in the beauty of Creation.

HEAT.  In addition to light, the sun also emits heat. Actually, the sun is like an enormous fire-ball!!! Both enormous and intense! From this many offshoots or sparks can ignite our mystical and poetical mind! Both stark and serious, glorious and triumphant! Let’s go!

1. FIRE OF ETERNAL LOSS.  Hell does exist and Jesus describes it in terms of the eternal fire. When Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the children on July 13, 1917, she presented Hell as a lake of enormous fire.

2. FIRE OF PURGATORY.  Once again, contemplating the sun one can come to the reality of Purgatory. If we die in the state of sanctifying grace but still need to be purified of sin, the fire of Purgatory is our lot. Short or long—that depends on how we lived our lives. Dying with much egotism—most likely a longer duration! Saint John of the Cross depicts the human person in terms of a piece of cold, rusty, hard and smelly piece of iron thrown into a blazing fire. The fire burns away the dross until the iron becomes like the fire itself. So the fire of God’s love must burn away our dross and rust so that we can be worthy to enter His Eternal Dwelling Place.

3. THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Still following up on the analogy of fire is the Presence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2) Among the many images for the Holy Spirit—dove, wind, cloud, that of FIRE is one of the most prominent. This we witness on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary in tongues of fire. Jesus also mentioned fire in these words: “I have come to cast fire on the earth and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk. 12: 49) This fire is both the Holy Spirit, as well as Jesus’ ardent love for the Eternal Father and for the salvation of our immortal souls.

4. THE FIRE EMANATING FROM THE HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY.  Once again we turn to Jesus and now His Mother Mary related to fire in our image of the sun. Most of the images of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary depict fire. This intense fire that emanates from their hearts and surrounds them represents love. All too often, it is a love that is neither appreciated, nor accepted. Jesus complained to Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque manifesting His suffering Sacred Heart: “Behold the Heart that loves so much and receives only coldness, indifference and ingratitude in return.”

5. THE GARDEN OF GOD’S BEAUTY: THE SUNFLOWER AND ITS LIFE.  Of all of God’s glorious creations in the realm of flowers, the Sunflower has a prominent place, especially pertinent to our topic. The life, sustenance, preservation and very existence of the Sunflower depends upon the terrain, the planting, the cultivation, the moisture and rain, but most especially upon exposure to the sun. If this flower receives only a constant downpour of rain, its head droops almost as if it were weeping, almost as if it were a weeping willow. But when exposed to the light and the heat of the sun, the sunflower blossoms. It is almost as if it were standing on its hind legs and chanting a hymn of praise to God, the Creator of all that is good—but most especially the sun.

An interesting linguistic note. In Spanish, the word sunflower is translated as such: GIRASOL—meaning, turn towards the sun. How poetic but true is the Spanish translation. The sunflower really does turn towards the sun.

HUMAN AND SUPERNATURAL SUNFLOWERS. Using a poetic, mystical, and sacramental lens, we can assert that we are all called to be a supernatural sunflower. In this sense, the more we draw close to Jesus, the Son of God, present in the Tabernacle, the Monstrance, and Holy Communion, the more we will rise, grow, and fortify our whole being.

Then at the conclusion of our earthly life, our whole being will be both translated and transferred to God’s Eternal Garden in Heaven. There we will contemplate the radiant Face of Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father, for all Eternity. May Our Lady, the Rosa Mystica, help us to attain this most glorious Reality!

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Written by marym7 · Categorized: Blog, Uncategorized

Aug 21 2023

THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL

THE THREE ENEMIES OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

The classical spiritual writers highlight the three principal enemies to the salvation of our immortal souls: the devil, the flesh, and the world. Ignorance of these three chief enemies can prove catastrophic and disastrous related to our progress in holiness and virtue, and perhaps a real threat jeopardizing our salvation.

WHAT ARE THESE ENEMIES?  Jesus describes the devil as the father of lies, a liar and a murder from the beginning. (cf Jn. 8: 44) The flesh is our fallen human nature that seeks ease, comfort, and pleasure, often over carrying out God’s will in our lives. The world in which we live tries to convince us that true happiness can be found in the things the world offers us over our eternal destiny which is Heaven.

TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY: ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT.  The classic on consecration to Mary is that of True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. In this rather lengthy process of preparation for consecration to Mary, the saint insists that we spend the length of close to 11 days meditating upon the world and its enticements. Saint Louis invites us to meditate upon the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. Chapters 5 thru 7), and also, various chapters from the classic The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a. Kempis.

The focus and thrust of this article is to present how Jesus Christ, His teachings and doctrine, are not only at odds, but are diametrically opposed to most of the worldly values. The problem is that we live in the world. However, Jesus says that while we live in the world, we should not let ourselves be part of the world.

How easy it is to allow the world and its values to insinuate and seep into our lives. It can be compared to dust slipping into the house, sliding under the door without our even being aware of it. For that reason, dusting and sweeping is a constant chore. So it is in our spiritual lives; we must be constantly dusting and sweeping the dust from our minds, hearts and souls.

WORLDLY VALUES IN CONTRAST TO THE VALUES OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL

Perhaps one of the best means to make this marked contrast between the values of the world and the values and ideals of Christ is the meditation at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes. These eight Beatitudes are diametrically opposed to all that the world falsely offers us. Unless we refer our lives to the Gospel and the Beatitudes, we can easily become engulfed in the world, enamored with the world, and live our lives totally dependent on what the world offers us.

THE BEATITUDES OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (MT. 5:1-12)

  1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
  2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
  3. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
  4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
  5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
  6. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”
  7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
  8. “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven, for men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

How easy it is for us to be enveloped, absorbed, mesmerized and eventually blinded by the world and worldly values. Then our thought processes, our decisions, and our actions are motivated more by worldly standards, while the standards of Christ and the Gospel are relegated to a second place, or worse yet, are totally obliterated from our thoughts and actions.

THE BEATITUDES: SURE PLAN TO REMEDY A WORLDLY LIFESTYLE.  If we can read, meditate, understand and start to live out the Beatitudes as the rock foundation of our spiritual life, worldliness can be conquered.

Off the bat, if we decide to pattern our lives on the Eight Beatitudes, we will be seen by many as fanatics; we will have to go against the grain; we will have to be counter-cultural; and we will be subject to attacks, at least in the verbal arena.

The saints were those who lived a radically different life by embracing the Beatitudes and living them out. Let us take a saint for every Beatitude and see how these lovers of Christ and the Gospel, going against worldly values, lived out these attitudes of the Heart of Jesus. May the example of the saints inspire us to do great things for God with Christ as our Model. Indeed, Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.

1. BLESSED ARE THE POOR.  Perhaps the most famous saint outside the Bible is Saint Francis of Assisi. Leaving a life of ease, pleasure, comfort and sensuality, Francis embraced Lady Poverty as his spouse. His father was a merchant who sold expensive and elegant clothes. Francis wore them, danced and sang and lived the party life. Once converted, Francis gave up all he had materially to follow the poor Christ. Contrast the poverty of Francis to the modern materialistic world. Beg for the grace to be detached from the world of having things, and desire instead to possess Christ as the pearl of infinite price. He who has Christ has everything; he who does not have Christ (though he be a multi-billionaire) is really poor and miserable!

2. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN.  A saint that we can take who exemplifies this Beatitude of mourning is Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine. Her wayward and spiritually lost son, Augustine, was immersed in the pleasures of the world. In fact, he had an addiction, as many do today, and that was to his sexual appetite. He would pray: “Lord, give me chastity, but not yet.” Monica wept profuse tears, and as predicted by Saint Ambrose, in the classic “The Confessions” written by Augustine, we see how he was converted and became a great saint. In the world, people weep many tears at the loss of money, pleasure, power, and material possessions. This Beatitude teaches us to weep for individuals, perhaps our children and relatives, who have exchanged the love of God for the love of pleasure and sin.

3. BLESSED ARE THE MEEK.  Only once in the Gospels do we have Jesus explaining and describing His Heart: “…learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart…” (Mt 11: 29) Contrary to what the world thinks, meekness is not weakness, but powerful emotions under control. Let us take as a model for this virtue the great Saint Frances de Sales. By nature, young Frances was irascible, impatient, and prone to anger. He finally dominated these bad inclinations, but it took time. There was an incident in the latter part of his life when he was talking with a friend and a rude man barged into his room and insulted the mother of the saint. Frances allowed the man’s insults and did not respond. Afterwards, he told his friend that he did not want to lose in one minute what took him close to 40 years to acquire—a meek, patient and well-controlled emotional life. Let us learn from the saints. The world attacks and seeks revenge; but “the meek are slow to anger and rich in mercy.” (Psalm 86: 15)

4. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER FOR HOLINESS.  The Venerable Lucia de los Santos, the oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, when she made her first Communion, receiving the Lord Jesus into her heart for the first-time, begged Jesus to make her a great saint. Her two little cousins, Francisco and Jacinta, who died at ages 10 and 9, are already canonized saints. In general, the saints have a great longing—to become the saint that God has called them to be. Leo Bloy stated the following: “The biggest tragedy that could befall any of us is to fail to become the saint that God has called us to be.” In general, the worldly person could care less about becoming a saint, caring more to be exceedingly known, applauded and honored, and have statues made of them even in life.

5. BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL. The saints are merciful, having the merciful Heart of Jesus as their model. To exemplify this Beatitude let us take the modern saint Pope Saint John Paul II. He wrote a superb Encyclical, “God Rich in Mercy”, and he lived what he preached. One of the clearest manifestations of his mercy was related to the attack on his life. On May 13, 1981, he was shot and almost died. That same year, on Christmas Eve, the saintly Pope went into the prison cell of the would-be assassin and forgave the attacker. Those immersed in the world have as their motto: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth—the law of revenge”. Those who embrace the Beatitude of the merciful are ready to forgive even the gravest of offenses, calling to mind the words of Jesus as he hung on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23: 34)

6. BLESSED THE PURE OF HEART.  What a challenging attitude of heart in a world immersed in sensuality, impurity and the modern drug—porn. Let us take as our model the little girl who died at 11 years—Saint Maria Goretti. Rather than give into the sexual passions of Alessandro Serenelli, the little girl preferred to be stabbed to death—14 times in total. She valued her immortal soul and her great love for God over the safety of her body. Now she is a great saint and patron for all, but especially for the young and the teens. So many today are slaves of the world and the sexual pleasures the world has to offer. However, if we want to see God in time and in eternity, we must live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.”

7. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.  In a world where wars are constantly raging and perhaps will be until the end of time, Jesus preached the importance of trying to be a Peacemaker. Let us take another young saint—Dominic Savio. There was an episode in his life where two teens grew to hate each other. They planned a rock-duel with the intention of hurting the other, even to the point of death. Aware of this, Savio placed himself between these two enemies (risking his own life), lifted on high the cross, and then invited the two who were bent on murder to throw the first stone. Totally embarrassed, they dropped their stones, and at the command of Savio, both shook hands and went off to make their peace by making a good confession. How often the worldly seek fights, quarrels, and attacks over the smallest offense. On the contrary, the peacemakers seek both harmony and peace in social relationships.

8. BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED.  There is a clear category of saints who lived out to perfection this Beatitude of being persecuted; this would be the MARTYRS. There are many, and of course Jesus is the King of Martyrs. Perhaps one of the most famous and relatively modern martyrs is the person of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. As a child, he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary offering him the choice of two crowns—a white one and a red one; he chose both. The white crown symbolized purity which he lived his whole life. The red crown, martyrdom. Kolbe offered his life for the salvation of a married man in the concentration camp of Auschwitz. He was left in a bunker to die by dehydration and starvation. After two weeks passed and he still was not dying, the executioner injected him with carbolic acid and then incinerated his body, so that he would be seen no more, as Kolbe had predicted. The world flees from suffering in all forms. The martyrs understand suffering to such a degree that they are willing to die for love of Christ and the salvation of immortal souls.

In conclusion, there are three principal enemies or obstacles to our growth in the spiritual life: the devil, the flesh, and the world. We have presented clear and concise means how to think, decide and act against the worldly values that can so easily blind and enslave us, through meditating on the Eight Beatitudes, and the manner in which the saints lived out these simple but sublime attitudes of the Heart of Christ. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that if we desire to have a window into the Heart of Christ, then we have to meditate upon the Beatitudes.

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Written by marym7 · Categorized: Blog

Aug 17 2023

JESUS: OUR DIVINE PHYSICIAN AND HEALER

SACRAMENT: THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, spent close to thirty long years in His Private and Family life, mostly in Nazareth. Then, at thirty, He left to enter into His Public Ministry. This period and stage of His life lasted about three years. His suffering on the cross lasted close to three hours from 12 noon until 3:00 p.m.—now known as the Mercy Hour. He spent three days in the tomb, Good Friday until Easter Sunday. Then rose from the dead, glorious and triumphant, to live always and give life to all of His believers in abundance. There in a nutshell we have the Life of Jesus, our Lord God and Savior; a concise, historical perspective and summary.

PUBLIC LIFE ACTIVITIES.  During those brief three years of Jesus’ Public Life, He carried out three basic activities: 1) preaching and teaching in abundance; 2) miracles in abundance healing bodily infirmities and even raising the dead to new life, as well as miracles over nature like turning water into wine and walking on water; 3) exorcisms—casting out a devil or devils from those who suffered demonic possession. G.K. Chesterton stated that Jesus moved like a lightning bolt; He wasted no time. Still, Jesus would always find time for prayer, and even long blocks of time, such as praying the whole night before choosing the 12 Apostles.

JESUS: THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN.  One of the key roles and activities of Jesus in His Public Ministry was that of Healer; we can call Him the Divine Physician. Not only would He heal the body of the sick person, but even more important, He would heal the soul. The most clear case was when he healed the paralytic. First Jesus forgave the man’s sins (healing his soul), then He restored the man’s limbs.

JESUS THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN CONTINUES HIS WORK.  Before ascending into Heaven, where He would sit at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus promised that He would be with us even until the end of time. (Mt. 28: 20) How is it then that Jesus ascends on high and is still with us yesterday, today, and until the end of the world? The response is the following: in His Mystical Body, which we call the Catholic Church.

HIS POWERFUL HEALING AND GRACE.  The power and grace of Jesus present to us until the end of the world is available to all who believe and live in Jesus in the Church, and most specifically in the Sacraments. 

THREE CATEGORIES OF SACRAMENTS.  The Sacraments are external signs instituted by Jesus to confer grace and they are seven in number. They can be divided into three categories: Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion), Service (Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony), and Healing (Penance or Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick).

FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY OF MIND.  Never have we lived in a world with so much information. With good internet service and search-engines, such as Google, we can search out almost any information we want and in a matter of seconds. However, never have we lived in a time and epoch in which there is so much confusion, especially on moral and spiritual matters.

HEALING THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK.  Our theme that we would like to develop today is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Our style will be didactic, actually catechetical. We will pose simple questions that surface and give a succinct answer with the hope that all who are searching greater clarity on this topic will discover it, relish it, and share it with others.

CONCISE CATECHESIS ON ANOINTING OF THE SICK.

1. WHAT IS THE NAME?  Before, the Sacrament was called Extreme Unction.  However, more recently, the Sacrament is called “The Anointing of the Sick”. 

2. JESUS AND THE SICK.  This Sacrament has an intimate relationship and connection with the Public Life of Jesus, the Divine Physician. Not only did Jesus preach and teach, but He went from town to town healing many people of various diseases efficaciously and immediately.

3. MYSTICAL BODY: THE CHURCH.  Jesus continues His work and ministry of healing, but now through His Mystical Body which is the Catholic Church. The two Sacraments of Healing are Confession and the Anointing of the Sick.

4. MINISTER OF THE SACRAMENT.  Neither a lay person, nor even a Deacon, can administer this Sacrament. It must be administered by a validly ordained Catholic priest. The priest actually represents Jesus, as the Divine Physician.

5. BIBLICAL PASSAGE.  Whenever we witness Jesus’ healing, implicitly this points to this Sacrament. However, there is a key passage in the last chapter of the Letter of Saint James that explicitly states the person and purpose of the Sacrament. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the Church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will save the sick person; and the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5: 14-15)

6. FALSE NOTION AND CONCEPT.  Unfortunately, due to ignorance and lack of adequate education, many still believe that once an individual receives this anointing, then the Phantom of death is ready to carry the individual away.  Quite the contrary, at times, after reception of this Sacrament there is a healing and resurgence of physical strength. It is not the Sacrament of the dead; it is one of the Sacraments of Healing.

7. WHO CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT?  Those who are gravely ill, those who are up in years and debilitated, even those who have to undergo an operation and will be put under with anesthesia.

8. HOW IS THE SACRAMENT OF THE SICK ADMINISTERED?  The priest uses a prayer ritual with inspiring and comforting prayers. He places his hands on the head of the sick person and prays briefly in silence. Then the priest anoints the forehead and the hands of the sick person.

9. WHAT ARE THE KEY WORDS—THE FORM OF THE SACRAMENT.  Every Sacrament to be valid must have the minister, form and matter.  The form or the words for the Sacrament of Anointing to be valid are the following: “Through this Holy Anointing, may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen” (The forehead is then anointed). The priest proceeds: “May the Lord who frees you from sin, save you and raise you up.” Amen. (The hands are then anointed with holy oil.)

10. THE MATTER.  As mentioned above, every Sacrament to be valid must have the minister, form, and matter. The matter for the Anointing of the Sick is the Holy Oil of the Sick that the Bishop blesses always in Holy week.

11. HOW OFTEN, FREQUENCY.  “If a sick person who received this anointing recovers their health, they can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the sick person’s illness becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the sacrament prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.“ (CCC #1515)

12. A GOOD PREPARATION.  To have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession is an excellent preparation to receive properly the Anointing of the Sick. Both are Sacraments where we encounter Jesus, the Divine Physician.

13. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS THAT FLOW FROM THIS SACRAMENT?

1) A PARTICULAR GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  It gives great peace, strength, and courage in the face of physical suffering. When suffering visits a sick person, there can come with it the temptation to give into despair. This sacrament bolsters hope and trust in Our Merciful Savior. The devil never goes on vacation. The enemy will often attack with more fierce and violent temptations during moments of sickness. This Sacrament can help ward off the fiery darts of the devil.

2) HEALING.  Of course, one of the principal effects is that of healing of soul, but also there can be healing of body, if the Lord so wills, for the salvation of the person. Remember, Jesus is the Divine Physician present especially in this Sacrament.

3) UNION WITH THE PASSION OF CHRIST.  Suffering in itself has no intrinsic value. However, if one’s suffering is united to the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus, this suffering has infinite value. The suffering of the sick can serve for the conversion of sinners, the liberation of souls from Purgatory, as well as the sick person’s purification of past sins.

4) ECCLESIAL GRACE.  Pope Saint John Paul II taught that our lives either lift the Church up or bring the Church down. By praying and offering one’s suffering in union with the suffering, Passion and death of Jesus, the whole Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, can be sanctified. It is true that we are called to be our brother’s keeper on our way to eternal salvation. The sick and their suffering united to Christ can have infinite redemptive and salvific value for a multitude of souls.

5) PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL JOURNEY.  “If the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing from this life; so, it is also called sacramentum exuntium (the sacrament of those who are departing). The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that marks the whole Christian life, that of Baptism that sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation that strengthen us for the combat of this life. The last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house.” (CCC 1523)

14. WHAT ABOUT THOSE IN A COMA?  This is a very good question: can those who are in a coma, in the state of unconsciousness, receive this Sacrament? The response is YES. Furthermore, if the person in a coma would have desired to go to confession and receive pardon and absolution, then the Sacrament of Anointing serves to pardon and purify sin.

15. THE TRIPLE RITE OF SACRAMENTS.  The ideal and desire for every Catholic follower of Christ is to get to Heaven. Of course, it is best to use the most efficacious means—the reception of the Sacraments. There is a continual Rite wherein the gravely ill person can receive three Sacraments in one continual rite or action. The first to be received would be Confession; this would be followed by the Anointing of the Sick; finally, Holy Communion could be received. This is an excellent means to prepare oneself to meet the Lord immediately after death.

16. APOSTOLIC PARDON? WHAT IS IT?  Another good question is the reception of what is called the APOSTOLIC PARDON.  This great gift from the Church is administered in conjunction with the Anointing of the Sick, actually right after the anointing. Done by the priest, these are the words of the Apostolic Pardon: “Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all the punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.“

17. THE EFFECTS OF THIS PARDON?  The Church in its infinite mercy, bounty and goodness, through the merits of the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ grants us a Plenary Indulgence—meaning that upon death we can have immediate access to Heaven!!!

18. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE WITH THE SICK.  All too often we put off; we procrastinate; we delay our duties and obligations. When confronted with the possibility of death, do not delay in calling the priest so that he can hopefully administer these three Sacraments to prepare our loved ones for their last battle against the enemy and their journey to heaven.

19. TRUE LOVE.  Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love as willing the good of the other. The greatest good is what? Our eternal salvation! May we teach, promote, and encourage the reception of this often misunderstood Sacrament—the Anointing of the Sick. Be an Apostle of God’s mercy!

20. OUR LADY: HELP OF THE SICK.  Let us lift up our gaze to Mary, known under the titles Help of the Sick and Health of the Sick, to pray for us that we will be deeply united to Jesus in His Mystical Body the Church and have frequent recourse to the all the Sacraments which are the most efficacious means to our sanctification and salvation.

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Written by marym7 · Categorized: Blog

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