One of the concrete manifestations of good will towards God and a desire to grow in holiness through prayer and living out an attitude of “Magnanimity” by doing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, is by formulating and writing out in a clear, methodical and practical way a Plan of Life. The variety of ways to hammer out a plan of life are limitless. The Plan of Life proposed in this article focuses on the various areas in our total life, and how we can improve and make our life a fragrance pleasing to God. Let us make the Psalmist’s prayer, our prayer: “O Lord, give success to the work of our hands; give success to the work of our hands.” (Ps. 90: 17)

Of capital importance, a well-formulated Plan of Life serves to order the disordered in our lives. Due to Original Sin and actual sin, our lives are marked by upheaval, confusion and disorder. The Holy Spirit is a God of order. Our Lady of Guadalupe gently arranged in an orderly way the roses in the tilma of Saint Juan Diego. From order comes peace of heart, mind, and soul. The Augustinian definition of peace is “Tranquility of order.”

Before writing out your specific plan of life, why not give this spiritual project a specific theme, motto or emphasis for the year. Some suggestions! Choose a corporal or spiritual work of mercy that you feel God is challenging you to embrace and live out this year. Maybe you prefer to take one of the 14 Stations of the Cross and that can be your motif. Or else you can choose one of the Eight Beatitudes (Mt. 5: 1-12) and strive to live that out with the help of your plan of life. Perhaps you would like to have a Marian thrust and choose one of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary as your guiding star for the year. Finally, you might prefer choosing a Biblical scene or verse that captivates your attention. Jesus inviting Peter to walk on the water (Mt. 14: 28-29); or one of Jesus’ words from the cross, “I thirst” (Jn. 19: 28); or the words of the Apostles to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Lk. 17: 5). It could even be the essence of the Divine Mercy devotion in the simple words painted on the image itself: “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Now that we have chosen a guiding theme for the New Year, let us proceed in the specifics of our Plan of Life with various concrete areas to examine honestly and make short, practical proposals to continue our growth and improvement in these areas. Much better to formulate proposals that are practical and realistic, than idealistic proposals that go up like smoke before the first week of January has transpired! Remember the words of Jesus Himself: “He who is faithful in the small, will be faithful in the greater.” (Lk. 16: 10) The essence of the spirituality of St. Therese is to do the ordinary things of one’s daily life with extraordinary love. There we have the secret and key to holiness!

PLAN OF LIFE: CONCRETE PROPOSALS AND SPECIFIC CATEGORIES….

I.   PRAYER LIFE. 

Examine seriously the tone, tenor and present status of your prayer life. Pray over this to come up with some concrete way that you can make an improvement. SUGGESTION! Why not decide to add just five extra minutes to your prayer every day. This may seem insignificant, but your faithfulness for five more minutes will earn many graces for you and others!

II.   CONFESSION/RECONCILIATION.  

By birth we are all sinners. Until our dying day we must fight fiercely but trusting more in God’s grace to overcome sin in our lives. Sin is our mortal enemy number one. One of the most efficacious means to conquer sin is through the reception of the Sacrament of Confession. God’s healing touch and grace manifests itself most abundantly through this Sacrament. PROPOSAL! Go to confession more frequently. The more frequently, the more graces you receive to avoid sin! You can decide how often. Also, prepare yourself better the night before you confess, and trust more in God’s mercy! Victory through God’s mercy!

III.   HOLY MASS AND HOLY COMMUNION.  

Our eternal salvation depends on allowing Jesus to save us. The name “Jesus” means Savior. Jesus outlines a clear and concrete plan of action for us to be saved in His “Bread of Life Discourse” (Jn. 6: 22-71). Read it and meditate upon this Word of life. To sum up Jesus’ message in a few words, the salvation of our immortal soul depends upon eating and drinking. Adam and Eve ate and they brought death to the world. Jesus promises us eternal life through eating and drinking His Body and Blood through reception of Holy Communion. He states clearly without stammer or stutter: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever eats my Body and drinks my Blood will have everlasting life and I will raise Him up on the last day.” (Jn. 6: 35,48)  ACTION POINT! Why not aim for Daily Mass and Holy Communion? If this is already your practice, come ten minutes early before Mass and offer your own intentions, depositing them on the altar. The graces that will flow into your heart are in direct proportion to your preparation and disposition. One Holy Communion could transform us into saints! Fantastic and true!

St. Charbel Maklouf.  This saint received permission to celebrate Mass at noon every day, so he could spend the whole morning preparing for Mass and the rest of the day giving thanks.

IV.    APOSTOLIC LIFE. 

To be a follower of Christ is to be a missionary. The last words of Jesus before ascending into heaven were, “Go out to all the world and teach them all that I taught you…and behold I will be with you always even until the end of time.”(Mt. 28: 19-20) We are challenged to grow in our faith, but also to share our faith. Indeed, one of the best ways to fortify one’s own faith is to share it with others! TRY IT! What might be a concrete way? In your family, suggest the daily recitation of the Rosary. By praying one of the four Mysteries of the Rosary each day—the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious—every four days we are praying over the key events in the life of Christ! Outside our home, invite a fallen away Catholic to return to the Catholic Church. If we love God, we should love what God loves—the salvation of souls!

V.    PERMANENT FORMATION. 

Pope Benedict XVI called for a year of faith beginning October 11, 2012 and exhorted us to read the Documents of Vatican II, most specifically the four Dogmatic Constitutions: Dei Verbum (on the Word of God), Sacrosanctum Concilium (on the Liturgy), Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium (Documents on the Church in the modern world). Catholic-Christians today must make a concerted effort to learn their faith more deeply; our Catholic faith is a fathomless ocean in its depth and width. DECISION! Set aside at least 15 minutes every day to apply yourself to a serious study of your Catholic faith.

VI.   PENANCE.  

To take flight, a bird needs two wings. So as to soar high in the spiritual life, the soul needs to apply itself seriously to two practices: PRAYER AND PENANCE. Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three little shepherd children and insisted that they pray—especially the most Holy Rosary—but also that they offer up sacrifices for the conversion of poor sinners.  Jesus expressed this bluntly: “Unless you do penance, you will perish.” (Lk. 13: 3) COUNSEL! Friday is the day that we are obliged to do penance; why not choose one of the following: no meat, give up sweets for the day, fast from watching television, eat less, make the Way of the Cross, do not complain the whole day!!!!

VII.   WORK.  

All of us are called to work. God said to Adam that he would earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.  St. Paul exhorts us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We also all know, probably from personal experience, that idleness is the workshop of the devil. Examine carefully your daily work to see areas for improvement. PROPOSAL! Be punctual in starting, hard in working, and honest in the hour you leave. Remember that you are working for the Lord. As St. Paul reminds us, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God!” (1 Cor: 10-31)

VIII.    VOCATIONAL CALL.  

Most are called to the life of marriage; some are called to the Priesthood and Religious life, and others are called to the single life. If one is called to the married life, then a thorough examination of conscience and concrete proposals can be made with respect to one’s plan of life! Examine your life and respond to these questions. How can I be a better wife or husband? A better son or daughter? How can I improve as a father or mother?  Pray over this and the Holy Spirit will inspire you with a concrete proposal.

IX.    SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. 

In addition to frequent confession, spiritual reading, and serious theological studies, those who are pursuing the path of perfection should have some form of periodic Spiritual Direction. St. John of the Cross put it bluntly: “He who has himself as spiritual director has an idiot for a disciple.” In other words, we all have blind spots and need someone other than ourselves to help us on the demanding and rigorous path to becoming a saint. ADVICE! Pray that God will help you to find this guide. If you have already discovered one, be thankful, humble, docile and obedient! 

X.   MARY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE. 

A successful plan of life would be incomplete if Mary were neglected. As St. Louis de Montfort asserts with the utmost conviction: “The quickest, easiest and most efficacious path to holiness is through true devotion to Mary.” In other words, Mary is the shortcut to God! PROPOSALS! The Daily Rosary, so pleasing to Mary. Consecration to Mary through “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort or Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary with daily meditations by the author of this article. Then strive to live in the presence of Mary and imitate Mary’s virtues. Why not choose your weakest virtue this year and beg for Mary’s intercession to conquer yourself! Mary is the weak point of God. He can never resist her prayers!

Let us conclude with words of wisdom taken from Adolphe Tanquerey in his classic “The Spiritual Life”.

“The man who holds to a well-defined rule of life saves considerable time: 1) He wastes no time in hesitation. He knows exactly what he is to do, and when he is to do it. Even if his schedule is not mathematically detailed, at least it sets off time-periods and lays down principles with regard to religious exercises, recreation, work, etc… 2) There is little or nothing unforeseen, for even should the unusual occur, he has already provided for it by determining beforehand, exercises that may be shortened and the manner of making up for them. At all events, as soon as these exceptional circumstances cease to exist, he immediately comes back to his rule. 3) Inconstancy likewise vanishes. The rule urges him to do always what is prescribed, and that every day and at every hour of the day. Thus, the habits are formed that give continuity to his life and assure perseverance; his days are full days, teeming with good works and merits.” (Tanquery, Spiritual Life, # 560)

The greatest born of women…

Jesus declared:  “Of all men born of women, none was greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt 11:11) Jesus rarely offered praise as to the qualities of others, but He did in the person of His cousin, Saint John the Baptist.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages us to honor the saints and highlights two specific areas in which the saints can motivate and encourage us to pursue a pathway of holiness and become the saints that we are all called to become. As Jesus stated: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48)

First, the saints can pray for us; they have a power of intercession before the Throne of God. Being God’s friends, they can indeed help us through their prayers. Second, their holiness of life! Like all of us born in Original sin and struggling to overcome our bad inclinations, the saints had to work, and work hard, to conquer the moral evils in their lives. Instead of capitulating to their desires, following the suggestions of the devil, and becoming enamored with the world, they decided to follow Christ—His words, teaching, and example. The saints serve as brilliant models of virtue for us to strive to emulate, imitate, and pattern our lives after as examples for others.

Therefore, let us lift our gaze to one of the most brilliant stars shining in the firmament of heaven, Saint John the Baptist, to seek his intercession and strive to imitate his holiness of life. Indeed, we become like those whom we associate and communicate with.

1. THE MARIAN ENCOUNTER. Even while in the womb of his mother, Saint Elizabeth, the Baptist had a unique encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Mary greeted Elizabeth the infant in her womb, John, leaped for joy. John was purified and sanctified in his mother’s womb by the word of Mary and the silent Presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. May we allow Mary’s words and prayers to purify and sanctify us. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.”

2. A CHILD IN OLD AGE.  Saint Elizabeth and the infant John the Baptist teach us a very important and pertinent message: human life is precious and sacred from the very moment of conception until natural death. From the book of Job: “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb; the Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Let us always respect life, and leave human life and its destiny in the Providential Hands of our loving Father.

3. NAME: JOHN!  His name was given by the Archangel Gabriel to Zachary in the Temple; thus his father and mother named him John! As the prophet reminds us: “I have called you by name from your mother’s womb to be a prophet to all the nations.” (Jer 1:5)

4. DESERT EXPERIENCE.  Before launching into his busy ministry of preaching, baptizing and pointing the way to Jesus, the Baptist went through an intensive period of preparation. He spent long years in the desert. While there he learned from experience the value of key virtues that would help him arrive at the apex of sanctity. What were some of these practices? Silence, so as to hear the voice of God. Prayer, intimate communion with God. Penance, the Baptist practiced intense penance, fasting, mortification and self-denial to dominate the cravings of the flesh. Detachment in dress in the sense that he wore camel’s fur and rough dress. All of these practices were preparing him to live out a very austere, fervent and authentic mission.

5. VOCATION: PREPARATION.  All of us have a double vocation. The universal vocation is to holiness, to become the saint that God has called us to be. Second, is our specific vocation. This we discern with the help of God’s grace and proper discernment. As John prepared for his vocation, so should we strive to be faithful to our vocation. For most it is marriage; for others it is the single life; still for others it is the priesthood, or Religious life for men or women. Some men have a double vocation: the priesthood and Religious life, living in community as brothers, as is the case with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, the religious community of the author. The better the preparation for each one of us to live out our call to holiness and our specific vocation, the more efficacious the results.

6. BAPTISM: REPENTANCE.  One of the primary roles in the mission of this great saint, John the Baptist, was to administer a baptism of repentance, disposing many to receive the Baptism of Jesus. The Baptism of John was a call to repentance, to renounce sin in all its forms and follow a life of justice, honesty, and virtue.

7. HUMILITY OF THE BAPTIST.  The humility of the Baptist was extraordinary.  His dress, his words, and his mere presence radiated profound virtue, and one of the hallmarks of his virtuous life was that of humility. Meditate briefly on some of the words of this great and humble man of God referring to Jesus:

• “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
• “I am not worthy even to untie His sandal strap.” (Jn 1:27)
• “I am just a voice of one crying out in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord.” (Jn 1:23)
•  “I am the friend of the Groom; when He comes, I disappear.” (Jn 3:29)
• “I should be baptized by you (referring to Jesus) and you come to me?” (Mt 3:13)

8. The Baptist was called to carry out one of the key moments in the Life of Jesus: baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. Not only did the Baptist carry out this important moment of baptizing Jesus, but also he was present during a Trinitarian Theophany. This means that the Baptist witnessed a revelation of the greatest Mystery in the Catholic faith: the most Blessed Trinity—the belief in One God and three separate Persons. At the Jordan River the voice of God the Father could be heard; Jesus entered into the Jordan River; and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The Baptist can help us to appreciate our own Baptism more, but also strive to understand, inasmuch as is possible, the profound mystery of the Blessed Trinity. In fact, the Blessed Trinity lives in our soul in the moment of our Baptism. How sublime, but how true!

9. PENITENTIAL LIFE-STYLE.  The Baptist serves as a counter-cultural model for the modern world. Most especially this becomes manifest in two areas: 1) manner of eating; 2) style of dress. In our modern world that promotes the opposite, the Baptist can help us to be counter-cultural and even to swim against the current. In a society prone to gluttony, wasting food, exotic and luxurious eating, the Baptist by his lifestyle points to frugality and austerity in eating, and even a call to fasting. In a world prone to vanity, immodesty and even provocative dress, the Baptist teaches by his lifestyle the importance of detachment and modesty in wardrobe. Our Lady of Fatima stated that many immodest fashions would enter the world that would offend God greatly. The Baptist ate locusts and wild honey, and wore camel’s fur. How radically different from our modern lifestyle! Perhaps we should eat less, buy less, and pray and fast more!

10. COURAGE AND FORTITUDE OF THE BAPTIST.   The Baptist was not like a reed blown by the wind. He cared little about public opinion, nor did he suffer from the lack of human respect. He had clarity of vision. He understood with absolute clarity his mission or vocation. He had no identity crisis as so many have today. He never buckled under pressure. The Baptist had the courage to denounce King Herod publicly without fear of the consequences for himself. He called a spade a spade, and called Herod out for living with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. This was no ordinary public scandal. It was not only adultery, but public, scandalous and incestuous adultery!

11. PERSECUTION FOR THE TRUTH.  Herod had the Baptist arrested, but Herodias hated the Baptist for his public reprimand of them. The Baptist was thrown in a dark, damp, humid, smelly prison cell. He was living out one of the Beatitudes that Jesus preached: “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my sake; for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 5:10) If we decide to follow Christ, sooner or later persecution will knock at our door. Rejoice! Our reward in heaven will be great!

12. THE MOST NOBLE OF DEATHS!  The Baptist met his death in the context of Herod’s birthday celebration. The exotic and sensuous dance of the daughter of Herodias (Salome was her name) delighted Herod. Under the influence of wine, the King made the extravagant promise of giving the girl anything she might ask for, even to half of his Kingdom. Moved by envy, hatred and revenge, the mother told the girl to request the head of the Baptist on a platter. Executioners were dispatched, the Baptist was decapitated, and his head brought on a platter into the birthday party and given to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

13. MODEL FOR SOCIETY ON CHASTITY AND MARRIAGE.  The primary reason for the death of the Baptist was precisely this: to defend the indissoluble character of holy matrimony. The shedding of the blood of the Baptist was an eloquent testimony for the defense of marriage and the sinful character of adultery, unfaithfulness, and incest. In a society where marriages are being rent asunder, especially due to impurity, the Baptist raises the banner of purity, faithfulness, and commitment to one’s promises.

14. DOUBLE LITURGICAL CELEBRATION.  The Church has such a great honor and esteem for Saint John the Baptist that twice a year he is celebrated. He is celebrated for his birthday, June 24^th. Then he is celebrated for his birthday into Heaven, August 29^th – also known as the Passion of Saint John the Baptist.  Like the Baptist, may we live and die being faithful to the Lord.

15.  JOHN THE BAPTIST: A MODEL FOR US TO FOLLOW.  Let us strive to pay more attention to the Presence and Person of Saint John the Baptist in Sacred Scripture.  He is an Advent model; also, a Lenten figure; but also, a perennial figure—a saint that we should pray to, imitate, love, and long to be united with one day in Heaven.

Let us welcome Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ into the very center of our lives; let us give Him a most warm welcome. It seems as if we are always preparing for something or someone! Graduation ceremonies, weddings, quinceaneras, relatives and friends coming for the Holidays, a son coming back from service overseas—all of these are key events that we prepare for and long for with all our heart. Usually the standard is as such: the more detailed the preparation, the more warm and joyful is the moment of encounter.

Lent is a time of preparation for the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These forty days of fervent prayer, generous almsgiving and intense penance culminate in the full-blossoming of the Paschal Mystery—the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS.  What Lent is for Easter, Advent is for Christmas and the Christmas Season. In a word, the more intense our living out the Season of Advent, the more joyful will be that Christmas night when we encounter the Infant Jesus in the arms of His Blessed Mother. This silent night will indeed be the most holy of all nights.

LIVING OUT ADVENT.  In fact, if we do not make an honest and concerted effort to live out the Season of Advent, when Christmas arrives late that night on the 24^th of December, the Christmas joy we should be experiencing will be stunted, stymied, and possibly smothered by materialism and other things secondary to the reason for the season. In fact, the real reason for the season is not so much gifts, money, food, and possessions. The authentic reason for the season is the Person and purpose of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen stated that of all the titles that we can give for Jesus (Christological titles), that of Jesus as Savior is by far the most important. This is for the simple reason that Savior highlights the primary reason for His Incarnation, Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection. Jesus—meaning Savior—came to save us in totality: from sin, from sadness, from the slavery of the devil, from eternal death and the torments of hell. Jesus is the universal Savior.

Therefore, we will offer some key decisions and actions that we can carry out in Advent so that the Infant Jesus will be truly born, not only in the stable of Bethlehem, but in the very depths of our heart, the very center of our soul.

COME LORD JESUS: BE BORN IN MY HEART, MY SOUL!              

1. CONFESSION.  I begin by picturing my own soul as the stable for animals. Dirty, smelly, musty, cobwebs, cold and damp, a hard rock surface scattered with hay and dirt—all the above describe that stable of Bethlehem. All of these elements symbolize my soul. As a result of sin, my soul is sullied. Sin is also the hard rock of my resistance to God’s grace. Sin is coldness to God’s invitations and the way I treat others at times. The cobwebs woven by spiders can point to the cobweb of bad habits or vices that I wove for myself through the weeks, months or even years. All of this can be transformed by God’s grace by means of a good Sacramental Confession. Get a clean-sweep by the broom of the Confessional!

2. RECONCILE.  How true it is that Confession reconciles our heart with God; our friendship with God is renewed. However, there is another step that most of us perhaps have to make to bridge the gap, to heal the breach, to mend what is broken. That is, we must strive to be reconciled with our brother/sister, friend, or any other person whom we have wounded due to our pride, ego, and self-love. Jesus states it very clearly. If we are about to offer our gift and are aware of our brother having something against us, then we should leave our gift, be reconciled with our brother, and then return to offer our gift. (cf Mt 5:23-24) The Lord Jesus cannot be born in the heart of someone who is hating his brother, resenting his brother, or harboring vengeance against his brother. Jesus praises those who are peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (cf Matt 5:9) As the Catholic English poet, Alexander Pope, expressed so succinctly: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” Advent culminating in Christmas should be a time in which peace is reigning in our hearts.

3. PRAYER.  We should never underestimate the indispensable value, power and importance of prayer. Prayer unites us with God. Prayer rains down peace in our hearts. Prayer is a balm that soothes our hearts and fills us with joy. Prayer bridges and connects heaven to earth. Prayer is the key that unlocks the heart of God Himself with all the infinite treasures that He so desires to shower down upon us and the entire world. What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul. The most sublime, abundant, copious graces flow from Heaven to earth through the person who prays patiently, persistently, perseveringly and potently. (Lk 1:1-8—Read the Parable of the persistent and persevering widow.) Advent is a most propitious time in which we should sincerely apply ourselves to prayer. What prayers you might ask? We can offer a plethora of the variety of prayers at our disposal: Bible readings, the Psalms, Lectio Divina, the Holy Rosary, spontaneous prayers from our heart, Eucharistic visits, and the greatest of all prayers—the Holy Mass.

4. HOLY MASS: ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS.  As a priest, Religious and Spiritual Director, the best advice I can give to anyone striving to live out the Season of Advent and prepare for the coming and birth of Jesus on Christmas is attending Holy Mass. Of course, first taking into account our state and vocation in life, when at all possible attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass I do believe to be the greatest preparation and best gift that we can give to Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph as we prepare for Christmas. There is nothing more sublime! Nothing greater! In fact, the word Bethlehem actually means House of Bread. Therefore, in a very real sense, every time we receive Holy Communion with faith, devotion and love, our soul becomes a Little House of Bethlehem. Our soul welcomes Jesus, who is truly “The Bread of life” into our own Bethlehem—our own House of Bread. There is a true connection and meaning in this play on words. Look at your schedule. Determine those days in which participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, fervent reception of Holy Communion, and perhaps even some Eucharistic adoration can be part of your advent journey to the stable of Bethlehem, where the Infant Jesus awaits you in the womb of Mary, soon to be in the arms of Mary and Saint Joseph.

5. MARIAN TIME OF MOST ABUNDANT GRACES.  It would indeed be remiss if we did not give time to invite Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our own dear Mother—our life, our sweetness and our hope, to accompany us. In fact, to honor Mary is to honor and praise the Blessed Trinity. Mary is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Thus, Mary is the short-cut to the very heart of the Blessed Trinity. Mary can be honored and venerated in countless ways in Advent, culminating in Christmas. The following are some suggestions: Pray the most Holy Rosary (Joyful Mysteries), sing Christmas hymns and carols glorifying God through Mary, spend time in prayer at the Manger scene awaiting with Mary the birth of Jesus, and then behold Jesus in Mary’s arms. Also, the sending of Christmas cards often reflects the beauty and prominence of Mary in Advent and Christmas.

Finally, from the depths of your heart, thank Mary for saying YES to becoming the Mother of God and your own dear Mother, and as a result, opening up the Gates of Heaven for you. Indeed, the more you can invite Mary to be with you, talk to you, walk with you, and accompany you in Advent, the more joyful and glorious will be that Christmas morn when Jesus is born in time and in your heart, and God Himself will be yours for all eternity!

On one occasion I planned to greet the catechism children by giving them their Catechism book that they would use for the year. There was a big group of the children. After distributing the texts one at a time, I was expecting to hear something, something very small, but very important: Thank You! To my chagrin not one of the 25 students expressed a word of gratitude. I left the classroom in dismay feeling sad for the children, but also for their parents, for their lack of gratitude—no apparent attitude of gratitude.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, offers a long list of the virtues in the Summa Theologica among which are some that are categorized as the social virtues. One of the primary ones is that of gratitude, thankfulness. In a very real sense gratitude, thankfulness, and the whole attitude of gratitude, is an all-important virtue that makes our social life more meaningful, more agreeable, more wholesome and healthy.

In fact, a person imbued with a sincere attitude of gratitude, that spontaneous and frequent thank you resounding from their heart and lips, is definitely a sign of being well-trained, well-educated and refined.

WORDS OF WISDOM ON THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE AND US…

Let’s go through a panorama of places where thanksgiving and gratitude are manifested: among the saints (God’s dear friends), in literature, in the Mass, and in Sacred Scripture. Actually Sacred Scripture is replete with references to the dire importance of gratitude.

1. SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA.  This great Saint who left us the Spiritual Exercises, the Rules for Discernment, and the Jesuit Order aka the Company of Jesus, leaves us some gems on gratitude and the lack of it. He actually stated that the essence of sin is Ingratitude—a failure to recognize God’s providential Hand in giving us gifts. Saint Ignatius, in the steps doing the daily Examen, states that we should always start off examining our day by first rendering thanks to God for all that He has given us in the course of the past 24 hours. God loves a cheerful giver, but God is also enchanted with a person who manifests gratitude, a grateful heart.

2. MEISTER ECKHART (1260-1328).  This mystic, writer, theologian and philosopher when referring to the art of prayer and thanksgiving stated the following: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is – Thank You – it will be enough.” How important indeed is an attitude of gratitude.

3. SHAKESPEARE.  In one of his classic tragedies, Macbeth, Shakespeare made this cutting statement related to gratitude and the lack of it: “More painful than a serpent’s tooth is that of an ungrateful child.” How cutting and even devastating it can be, when parents give and give to their children and receive nothing more than ingratitude in return. How important it is for children to simply say “Thank You”, especially to those who brought them into this world, who gave them their life’s breath.

4. THE MASS/THE EUCHARIST.  How fascinating this reality! The greatest of all prayers underneath the sun is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; it is the prayer par excellence. Another name for the Mass is the Eucharist—which actually is translated as Thanksgiving. Every time we enter into the Church for Holy Mass we are indirectly saying “Thank You” to God, Eucharist—thanksgiving! 

5. THANKSGIVING DAY.  Every year, on the 3rd Thursday in November in the United States of America, the National Holiday of Thanksgiving is joyfully celebrated. It is usually one of the most traveled celebrations every year.  Of course, thanksgiving in all respects should characterize this National Holiday. The hope is that the spirit of this day of thanksgiving perseveres and imbues our lives, for all the days of our lives.

SACRED SCRIPTURE AND THANKSGIVING—ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

Let us glean a few key Biblical verses that highlight the importance of expressing and living our gratitude. If there ever was an individual, in fact a great saint, who constantly preached, taught, reminded others and lived out thanksgiving, this attitude of gratitude, it was the Apostle to the Gentiles, the great Saint Paul. Let’s read, meditate and assimilate the doctrine of Saint Paul on gratitude.“And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were all called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col. 1:15) How interesting this really is, the interconnection between peace of heart and being thankful. Perhaps if we had more grateful people in the world we would experience greater peace.

1. “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer, petition and thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

2. “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thes. 5:17)

3. “In whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17)

4. “Give thanks for the faith.” (Romans 1:8)

5. “Give thanks for fraternal charity.” (Col. 1: 3-4)

SOME POSITIVE FRUITS OR BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE.

After giving a list of manifestations of thanksgiving from the lives of the saints, from literature, from the Mass and from Saint Paul who constantly encouraged his communities in his letters to render thanksgiving, we would like to encourage all to cultivate this attitude of gratitude by emphasizing the numerous positive fruits or benefits that flow from this heart-warming attitude of gratitude.

1. THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION.  Every time you express gratitude by word or gesture this pleases God Himself. God smiles down upon you every time you make a simple gesture of gratitude.

2. SOCIAL DIMENSION.  By expressing gratitude the domino effect kicks in. Try it! Very often when we say “Thanks”/“Thank You”, the response will be “You’re Welcome” or “Thank You!” Let’s start the ball rolling in our attitude of gratitude.

3. FAMILY.  In the context of the family, when we are able to constantly render thanks to others there is more peace, harmony, mercy, good will and love. Also, the virtue of humility crowns the attitude of gratitude.

4. PERSONAL GROWTH.  Once I can say “Thank You” to others, I recognize how dependent I really am on others, and as mentioned earlier, the virtue of humility blossoms and flourishes.

5. THE WORK ENVIRONMENT.  All too often in the context of the work environment there is abundant criticism, gossip, back-biting, sarcasm and irony, vulgarity, and even cursing. To neutralize this caustic, toxic and even lethal atmosphere, thanksgiving can transform the whole labor milieux. It is interesting how the reality of evil can be overcome and conquered by goodness. The attitude of gratitude and a thankful heart can turn a gloom and doom atmosphere into peace, joy, harmony, mutual understanding and love.

To conclude our short conversation, let us all make a decision right now to have an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!!! Let us get in the habit of saying “Thanks” at home, at work, in stores, and in family gatherings. But most especially, let us constantly give thanks to God! All the good we had in the past, we have now, or we will have in our lives is the sheer goodness of God who loves us and constantly wants to give us even more graces and blessings. May the words of the Psalmist echo in our minds, hearts and lips: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 136: 1)

Even though such persons claim to be Catholic-Christians, it is not uncommon to hear them call into question some key doctrines; one of these is the reality of Hell. In fact, to deny the truth does not change the reality of such a truth. I can say that there is no wall, but if I walk into it (having denied its existence), I will end up with a bruise or two as well as a bump on my head.

Another common phenomenon is to hear the following: “I cannot see how a good God could send anyone to hell.” You probably have heard this assertion more than once. The problem with this assertion is that it is a half-truth, which by the way is a half-lie. It is murky, unclear and ambiguous to say that God does not want to send anyone to hell because in truth it is our choice due to an abuse of our freedom. In a word, instead of using our freedom, we end up abusing our freedom—this is called sin.

JESUS AND HELL.  Jesus spoke about the reality of heaven—that He is going to prepare a place for us so that where He is we also might be. (Jn 14: 1-3) However, Jesus spoke much more frequently about the stark reality of hell. The reason for the multiple repetition of hell from the lips of the Master is pure love; He does not want us to end up in that horrible, horrendous haven of eternal torment and no-return. 

Therefore, instead of spouting out various erroneous speculations that either hell does not exist or that practically nobody is going there, why not turn to the Master, Jesus Himself, and rely upon His words. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him. Jesus, in fact, speaks very frequently about the reality of Hell.

A priest-friend once stated in a homily a very poignant and convincing point as to the reality of Hell. He conveyed this truth. Jesus’ Passion, suffering, scourging and death on the cross was not for nothing, but rather to save us from the reality of Hell. In fact, according to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Jesus died on the cross to show us the horrendous evil of sin—which if not repented can lead to hell—as well as to show us the immensity of God’s love for us. Love, pure love, motivated Jesus to undergo all of the horrendous tortures associated with His most cruel Passion, suffering and death on the cross.

Let us outline now some of the key places where Jesus teaches us about Hell. The passage will be indicated, a brief summary, and the possible reasons why some individuals could suffer the permanent and horrendous reality of hell.

1. MT. 25: 31-48.  The Parable of the Universal Judgment. Jesus separates the goats on the left from the sheep on the right. The goats symbolize those who will be damned; the sheep, the saved. This passage points to most of the Corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry and thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting both the sick and the incarcerated. If done, salvation is the recompense; if neglected, separation from God is the eternal consequence. In a word, if we want to attain heaven and avoid hell, let us make a constant and concerted effort to serve Christ in the poor, the hungry, the suffering and the forgotten.

2. LK. 16.  Another Parable of Jesus that points to an eternal chastisement is the Parable of the Rich man and the poor man Lazarus. Somewhat related to the Parable above found in Mt. 25, it points to a failure in human relationships. This Parable highlights a marked literary contrast: a very rich, well-dressed, well-fed man and a poor man, so poor that he is almost dying of hunger. It is not that the Rich man is cruel, insulting, or mean-spirited toward the poor man Lazarus. No! The primary reason for the Rich man ending up in the lake of fire was not what he did to Lazarus, but rather what he failed to do. This is the all-too-common sin of omission—not doing what we should be doing. How often in fact do we sin due to omission? Perhaps more often than we are aware of! In Mass, in one of the Penitential Acts, we confess that we sin in thought, word, deed and omission—not doing what we should be doing!

3. JN. 15.  THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES.  Jesus presents a well-known image of His time, as well as ours, of a vine that produces fruit, grapes that can eventually produce wine. Jesus insists on the indispensable condition of the vine and the branches—they must produce fruit, and fruit in abundance. If not, the vine branches will be pruned and some of the branches cast into the fire to be burnt and consumed. Jesus is the true Vine, and we are the branches. We must be united to Jesus if we are to produce fruit, and fruit in abundance. A classical interpretation is that the person in the state of mortal sin is cut off from Jesus. By dying in mortal sin, we are lost for all eternity. May the sap of the vine fill our veins—sanctifying grace—so that we will bring forth spiritual fruit in abundance!  In concrete, we should be filled with apostolic zeal and an ardent desire to save souls for the Heavenly Banquet.

4. MT. 5: 27-30.  SERMON ON THE MOUNT. A very poignant passage that very clearly refers to Hell is found in the Sermon on the Mount. It is related to how we use or how we abuse our body and its members. With utmost clarity, Jesus says that if we are not using our body for the proper purpose then there should be a sharp severing. In short, if the eye, the hand, or the foot is being used for the wrong purpose—being abused—then Jesus calls for a severing. Especially noteworthy today, is the abuse of the eyes. How many people today are abusing their eyes by viewing websites, material, shows, images and pictures that are highly offensive to God!!!

5. MT. 7:13-14.  THE NARROW GATE.  In unequivocal terms Jesus says that if we want to get to Heaven and avoid the fire of Hell then we must strive to enter in through the narrow Gate. The Road that leads to perdition—Hell is wide and spacious. (Read # 153 in the Diary of St. Faustina)

6. MT. 8:12—TORMENTS AND SUFFERINGS AS SUCH… “Be driven out into the darkness. Where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” Jesus describes hell as a place of darkness, as well as the unending torture that results in the wailing cries of despair of the damned and the grinding of their teeth in utter pain and anguish.

7. MT. 13:41-42.  THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS.  Jesus offers us the Parable of the Weeds. It is the devil who sows the weeds. The weeds are the offspring of the devil. They are those who sow evil in the hearts of men. At the end, they will be sorted out and they will be cast into the fiery furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of death. These are the people who give bad example, scandalizing and poisoning the hearts of many by their errors and sins.

8. MT. 18: 6.  THE MILLSTONE AWARD.  Jesus says that scandals will eventually enter into the world. But woe to those who cause one of the innocent ones—the children—to be scandalized. Better for them to have a millstone hung around their neck and be cast into the depths of the sea.

9. I CORINTHIANS 6: 9-10.  Saint Paul speaks very clearly on the serious sins of individuals that will prevent them from entering into heaven—implying of course the reality of eternal condemnation. This is the key and foundational passage: “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor boy prostitutes, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.” In other words, it is true that God is infinite in mercy, but those who do not repent of their serious sins and die in that state will lose their immortal souls.

10. REVELATION 20. THE LAKE (SEA) OF FIRE.  Those whose names were not found written in the Book of Life were cast into the sea of fire. Satan and the false prophet were cast into this lake or sea of fire. Having our names written in the Book of life should be our greatest desire. In the words of Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “The grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace.” This would be to have our names written forever in the Book of Life.

In conclusion, we must accept the totality of the Deposit of Faith and not fall into the modern phenomenon of Cafeteria Catholicism. By this term is meant that we pick and choose only what is agreeable to our spiritual palate or taste buds. Even though it is not a pleasant and consoling concept, Hell truly exists, and it is a possibility for all of us because we can abuse our free will, commit mortal sin, willingly stay in mortal sin, and die in that terrible state. Never forget, death comes like a thief in the night, we know not the hour, nor the day. Don’t play Russian roulette with your salvation! Keenly aware of this serious reality let us pray, practice penance, have recourse to frequent Confession, receive the Holy Eucharist with great love, and have an overflowing and tender love for Mary. If we follow these steps we will avoid Hell and attain eternal life in Heaven.