Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, June 13th   Mk. 4: 26-34    Jesus said to the crowds:

“This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

• The message of these two parables is that God gives the growth!

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

CCC 1996. Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.” (2Cor 5:17-18)  

CCC 2002. God’s free initiative demands man’s free response.

What is our response? We can give lip service to God’s offer of grace. All of us have been guilty of that at one time or another. The proof is in our actions.

This meditation is a call to an honest assessment of our life of grace. Perhaps sharpening our pencils. What areas can we grow in? And in what specific ways? This guided meditation can help us discern.                 

THE WILL OF GOD – SEEK GRACE IN YOUR LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

On one occasion the great mystic, Saint Catherine of Siena, was granted a vision into the state of one soul imbued with sanctifying grace. Upon contemplating the beauty of this one soul in God’s grace, she fell to her knees. Enthralled and totally captivated by its beauty, she thought it was God Himself!

Of all of the gifts that we can receive on earth as pilgrims traveling towards our eternal home, the grace of God is by far the greatest treasure. It is the pearl of infinite price!

Whereas the worldly and sensual pursue money, fame, power, and pleasure as their ultimate source of happiness (which really is a lie and illusion), God’s true friends pursue ardently and constantly to grow in grace. Another rather simple way to understand the life of grace is simply this: friendship with God. God desires ardently to be our Friend, but He respects our freedom to accept His friendship or not.

The life of grace all starts in the moment that we receive the Sacrament of Baptism. The graces that flow from Baptism are extraordinary, almost mind-boggling—how good God really is. Once the water is poured on the head with the words: “I baptize you, In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, invisible but real miracles occur: an intimate relationship with the Blessed Trinity, the infusion of the theological virtues—faith, hope and charity, the moral virtues, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Still, of paramount importance is the reality of Grace that permeates and imbues the soul in the moment of Baptism!

With the waters of Baptism, we enter into a deep and intimate friendship with our Triune God and we become partakers of His divine nature—we become sons and daughters of God and have an inheritance—if we persevere in grace—in heaven forever! For that reason the saints teach us: grace is the seed of eternal life.

Given that grace in our soul is the greatest gift and presence, we should do all in our power to preserve grace, grow in grace, so as to die in the state of grace. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church and author of the classic Glories of Mary, states that the grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace. This should be our prayer every day for our soul, and the souls of our loved ones, as well as the whole world. Indeed, Jesus came as universal Savior—to save the whole world through His Paschal mystery—His passion, death and Resurrection from the dead!

Then there are the two worst things in the universe, which are the following. First, committing a mortal sin (this indeed is terrible). Second, worse still is dying in the state of mortal sin; this, of course, results in eternal separation from God for all eternity! May God save us from the reality of mortal sin! Nonetheless, if we do have the misfortune of falling into mortal sin, we should never give into despair. On the contrary, we should have a limitless confidence in God’s infinite mercy and have recourse to the wonderful Sacrament of God’s mercy that we call Confession! The Psalmist reminds us with these encouraging words: “God is slow to anger and rich in kindness.” (Ps. 103:8) Saint Paul reiterates the same theme: “Where sin abounds, the grace of God abounds all the more.” (Rom. 5:20)

WAYS TO GROW IN THE GRACE OF GOD

We should do all in our power to preserve God’s grace in our soul, but also to grow daily in God’s grace. God’s intimate friendship and His grace in our soul are worth more than the whole created universe.  The natural realm in which we live can never be compared to the supernatural realm in which we find the concept and reality of grace. As a fish swims in water, as a bird flies in the sky, so should we be swimming and flying in the atmosphere of grace! This should be the most ardent desire of our heart, mind and soul!

1. PRAYER

Every time we pray with humility of heart, purity of intention, and a desire to please God, we immediately grow in grace. For that reason we should treasure prayer, our prayer life and the prayer life of others, as the highest and greatest of all realities. Parents who teach their children to pray are the best of parents; parents who are slothful and negligent in educating their children in the area of prayer will have to give an account on the day of their judgment! Because of the numerous distractions of daily life, how easy it is for parents—who must be the first educators of their children—to be negligent and sloppy in teaching their children to pray! May God have mercy on us!

2. CHARITY

The Word of God teaches us this consoling truth: “Love covers a multitude of sins.” If we can respond to the ways and opportunities that God offers us on a daily basis to practice charity and service, or even alms-giving, towards others then we have another means to augment grace in our souls. In the movie Little Boy, the little boy is given what the priest calls the “Magic list” to accomplish, so that his father will return home, safe and sound, from the World War. The “Magic list” is nothing more than the Corporal Works of Mercy listed in scripture Mt. 25:31-46. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; thirsty and you gave me to drink; a foreigner and you welcomed me; sick and in prison and you came to visit me; dead and you provided for the burial.” Beg the Holy Spirit in prayer which of these He is calling you to carry out in practice in your life, so as to increase grace in your soul! Always remembering that charity begins at home; we are to practice these in our own home with our own family with great generosity first.

3. PENANCE  

Jesus stated that some devils can be cast out only through prayer and fasting. (Mt. 17:21) The Lord also reminds us: “Anyone who wants to be my follower must renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt. 16:24) Every time we say “no” to our selfish desires and “yes” to a sacrifice that the Holy Spirit has inspired in our heart, then once again the grace of God rises in our heart! An added blessing from God when we undertake a life of sacrifice is the conquering of our bad habits, accompanied by interior peace of mind, heart and soul! Let us be generous with God who loves us so much!

4. SACRAMENTS: THE EUCHARIST

Of course, the greatest action in the whole universe is that of receiving the greatest of all Sacraments: The Eucharist! The Holy Eucharist—Holy Communion, is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Receiving Our Lord with the best of dispositions, that is in the state of grace, with faith, love, humility, and a desire for deeper conversion through His love, is an infinite source of grace because this Sacrament is God Himself! For this reason, there is no greater action we can do as pilgrims and wayfarers on earth than to receive Jesus with frequency, lively faith, and burning love! If you like a simple image, receiving Jesus with burning love in your heart causes the gas gauge in your spiritual tank (your soul) to shoot up way beyond full. Beg for the grace to have a daily hunger for the Bread of life so as to constantly skyrocket in grace—to penetrate the high heavens while yet on earth! In the Our Father we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread…” Perhaps Jesus is challenging you to aim at daily Mass and daily Holy Communion so as to surmount the highest mountains in the realm of grace!

5. OUR LADY: HAIL MARY

On one occasion, the German mystic and saint, Saint Gertrude, saw Jesus in heaven. He was resplendent in glory, but He was doing an intriguing gesture: placing a golden coin on top of a huge mound of other gold coins. The saint was just finishing praying the Hail Mary to our Lady. Jesus responded in this manner. “Gertrude, every time you pray the Hail Mary to my mother with faith and devotion, I am depositing a Golden coin in heaven that will be yours for all eternity.” If we want to be multi-billionaires in heaven, let us love Mary and the prayer that Mary loves so much—the Hail Mary. In the Hail Mary we greet the Queen of Heaven and earth with these beautiful words: “Hail Mary, Full of Grace.” 

Therefore, let us get in the habit of praying the daily Rosary, saying the beautiful prayer Hail Mary.  If done, Our Lady, through her powerful intercession will be storing up for you infinite treasures and an eternal home in heaven!

May we love grace, treasure grace, strive to grow in grace, and finally die in grace through the intercession of Mary, the “Full of grace.”

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

SATURDAY, June 12th   Lk. 2: 41-51   Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.”

In her Memoirs Lucia explained: Our Lady told us, in the July secret, that God wished to establish in the world devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Our Lady said, “Jesus wishes you to make me known and loved on earth. He wishes also for you to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and these souls will be loved by God, like flowers placed by me to adorn His throne.”

SWEET IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, BE MY SALVATION Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The Month of May is the Month of Mary; the Month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. The Month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Immediately after Pentecost, the Church enters into Ordinary Time until Advent. However, there are three important Solemnities that the Church celebrates after Pentecost (and in this order): The Blessed Trinity, Corpus Christi, and the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Saturday following the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. How logical and consoling to celebrate these two Liturgical days one following the other. In other words, it is impossible to separate the Hearts of Jesus and Mary; they beat in unison!

The most Sacred Heart of Jesus is closely and intimately related to the Immaculate Heart of Mary biologically, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and totally. Biologically and physically in this real sense: the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was intimately formed in the most pure womb of His Mother, Mary most Holy, during the course of nine months. Emotionally and spiritually never were there two Hearts so united as the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Their sentiments, goals, feelings and desires harmonized perfectly! The purity, love, holiness, and humility in these two Hearts radiated like the noonday sun.

In our lives, we are assaulted and attacked by so many dangers from within and without—the devil, the flesh, and the world—to mention just three, that we must seek a sure refuge. Our most secure refuge, harbor of safety, port of salvation must be the two Hearts: The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our rest and refuge can only be found in these two Hearts!

Let us meditate briefly on what the saints have said to proclaim the greatness of being devoted and consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May these great Marian saints spur us on to a greater love and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

“If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.” (St. Louis de Montfort)

“My heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” (Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia)

“Tell everyone that God grants graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” (St. Jacinta Marto)

“Mother dear, lend me your heart. I look for it each day to pour my troubles into.” (St. Gemma Galgani)

“The Immaculate Heart alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become in her hands powerful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God’s Kingdom.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe)

What then can we do to cultivate a greater knowledge and love for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary?

1. PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.

Try to cultivate the habit of praying this short Fatima prayer to enkindle your love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary: “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.” Prayed frequently and fervently during the course of the day enkindles our love for Mary’s Heart.

2. BIBLICAL-GOSPEL VERSES REFERRING TO THE HEART OF MARY.

Actually, twice in the Gospels surface passages that refer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The first is the Shepherds visit; the second is when Jesus is lost and found in the Temple. Both are found in the Gospel of Saint Luke. Once the Shepherds leave after visiting Jesus in the arms of Mary, Our Lady ponders this event in her Immaculate Heart. Again, once Jesus has been found in the Temple after three days of sorrowful search, we find Mary meditating and pondering trying to penetrate the meaning of these events in her Immaculate Heart. Of course Mary serves as a model for all of us: we should strive to meditate daily and ponder the Word of God in our hearts!

3. ENTHRONE THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.

A wonderful practice and devotion that can really serve to unite and fortify families in the modern, paganistic, materialistic and atheistic world is to formally enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in your homes. Purchase two beautiful pictures of the two Hearts. Invite the priest to your home. Have your home blessed and then have the priest carry out the formal process of consecrating your entire family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Make sure that the two Hearts are enthroned in a prominent place in your home, so that all those who enter there have no doubt that Jesus and Mary, symbolized by the love in their Hearts, are the King and Queen of your home; they have dominion over all that goes on in your home.

4. FAMILY PRAYER AND ROSARY IN FRONT OF THE TWO HEARTS. 

Vatican II states very clearly that the Family is the Domestic Church, the Church in miniature. Prayer is at times a struggle for all of us, both young and old. However, means or tools that can truly facilitate our growth and perseverance in our prayer life are these two spiritual gems: praying the most Holy Rosary, and praying in front of these beautiful images of the Two Hearts. Therefore, when you bring your family together to pray every evening, come in front of the two images of Jesus and Mary—the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Know that they are looking at you with love. In this way, distractions will be diminished and prayer will be more fervent and pleasing to these two loving Hearts.

5. CONSOLE THE IMMACULATE AND SORROWFUL HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY.

In a later vision, Sr. Lucia de los Santos of Fatima was given to contemplate an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, in this subsequent vision the Immaculate Heart of Mary was surrounded by big, as well as sharp thorns that were piercing Mary’s Heart. This being said, true lovers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are called to contemplate this moving scene.

The most clear interpretation of Our Lady’s Heart surrounded by sharp and penetrating thorns would be the suffering that the Hearts of Jesus and Mary experience due to the sins of humanity. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen defines sin in these words: “Sin is hurting the one you love!”  

Therefore, if we truly love the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, let us do all we can to console them for the many sins of the world. Why not transform this meditation into a heartfelt prayer and beg for pardon, mercy, and reparation for the following sins? Make a prayer of reparation and consolation in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially aware of the thorns piercing both of their loving Hearts.

LITANY OF REPARATION FOR THE SINS AGAINST THE HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY—LET US REMOVE THE THORNS BY OUR LOVING PRAYERS AND ATTENTION.

1. ABORTION. For the many sins that destroy human life even before it is born, we offer reparation and mercy to the loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

2. EUTHANASIA. For the efforts in many parts of the world to legalize and promote Euthanasia—assistance in killing the elderly and infirm, we turn to their loving Hearts for the grace to respect life at all stages, from the moment of conception until natural death.

3. SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND LICENSE. We lift our gaze to the most pure Hearts of Jesus and Mary begging pardon and mercy for the many sins against the true meaning of marital love. Sweet Heart of Mary, be our salvation.

4. SINS OF DESPAIR. For the many in the world who have given up all hope of living due to their pain, suffering and crosses. May the Hearts of Jesus and Mary be their comfort, support and consolation!

5. BITTERNESS, ANGER AND HATRED. For the many individuals who have been hurt in one way or another by others and given in to bitterness, anger and hatred. May the loving and merciful Hearts of Jesus and Mary be their secure refuge of healing.

6. FOR PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND BISHOPS. May those who have failed in their promises and commitments as priests, Bishops and Religious be drawn back to faithfulness, fervor, and zeal for the salvation of souls through the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and the prayers of the Apostle Saint John, the Evangelist.

7. FOR COLD, INDIFFERENT AND LUKEWARM HEARTS. For the widespread coldness, indifference and tepidity of so many would-be followers of Christ, may the fire of love that burns in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary enkindle in these indifferent hearts a renewed vigor and enthusiasm for the desires and intentions of these two Loving Hearts.

8. FOR THOSE DYING AND IN MORAL DANGER. For those poor souls who have abandoned the Hearts of Jesus and Mary by embracing an immoral and sinful lifestyle, who are now in their last moments of life. May they seek refuge in the merciful and loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary and thereby attain eternal salvation.

9. FOR THOSE WHO ARE BLIND DUE TO THE FIRE OF THEIR PASSIONS.  May the fiery love of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary surrounded by thorns purify their inner vision so they can contemplate the true beauty of Heavenly Realities over the false glimmer and glitter of the seductions of the flesh and the world with its empty promises!

10. FOR THE MULTITUDES OF CATHOLIC-CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE LEFT THE PRACTICE OF THE FAITH. Let us turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the huge multitudes of Catholics who have abandoned the practice of their Catholic faith. May God’s grace, through the Intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, bring them back to the harbor of salvation—the Catholic Church.

Friends in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the midst of so much struggle, toil, uncertainty, and suffering let us calmly and gently lift up our eyes on high to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us seek our refuge, our harbor of safety, our security, our peace, and our eternal salvation in these two Hearts. May these short but powerful prayers resound frequently in the depths of our own hearts. “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.”  And, “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.”

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

FRIDAY, June 11th   Jn. 19: 31-37   Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Part 1: The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Us… St. Peter Julian Eymard

Part 2: Our Spiritual Goldmine: Jesus in Our Hearts! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for us… From the writings of St. Peter Julian Eymard as presented by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

Of the virtues Our Lord in the Eucharist is now practicing in order to inspire us to follow His example, none is more basic than His poverty. Jesus wanted to be the poorest of the poor, in order to be able to stretch out His hand to the lowliest of men and say to them, “I am your brother.”

Consider…  No man was ever born in more wretched conditions than the Word Incarnate, who had the trough of animals for His cradle, their shelter for His home. As a child, He fed on barley bread, the bread of the poor. In the hidden years He took up the awl and the hammer to earn bread by the sweat of His brow. During His apostolic life He lived on alms. He died in a state of destitution that will never be equaled… stripped of His garments, His honor, His Divinity hidden!

Now that He is risen and glorious, He still takes poverty for His companion… Jesus, dwelling in our midst in His Sacrament, is poorer than during the days of His mortal life! His home is often but a poor church, worse perhaps than the cave of Bethlehem, where His tabernacle may consist of nothing more than four boards, which themselves are worm-eaten! His priests or His faithful people must give Him everything: the matter of the Sacrament, the bread and the wine; the linen on which to place Him or with which to cover Him; the corporals, the altar cloths.  He brings nothing from heaven except His adorable Person and His love! Silent, obedient, humbly waiting in the tabernacle for His faithful to come visit Him… for His ministers to take Him out for adoration, to visit the sick, to be viaticum for the dying.

What is Jesus teaching us? He’s teaching us that He is to be imitated twice over: once as the God-man who lived a mortal life in Palestine and once again as the same Incarnate God who is now living His glorified life in the Blessed Sacrament… in poverty, silence, humility, obedience, compassion, merciful forgiveness, love.

Christ is to be followed and His virtues imitated here and now as they are lived by Him in the Holy Eucharist in our midst! The Eucharistic Presence of Jesus is the Mystery of Faith that we are called upon not only to venerate and adore, but to model our lives on in this valley of tears as a condition of reaching our heavenly home.

PART 2: OUR SPIRITUAL ­GOLDMINE: JESUS IN OUR HEARTS! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Prime time of the greatest importance in our life, without doubt, is when we have the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus in our hearts. The Real Presence could not be a better descriptive term! Upon receiving the Eucharist, Holy Communion we truly have the Real Presence of Jesus in the depths of our heart, mind, and soul. Really and truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, the Eternal Son of God the Father permeates, imbues and penetrates our whole being with His Real Presence.

Entering into the 35^th year of my Priesthood, I am keenly aware of the sad fact that many people, after receiving Holy Communion—Jesus into their souls—all too often do not know what to do. Fumbling with their hands, picking at their fingernails, looking into their phone, staring at me, contemplating their watch are often the attitudes of many right after receiving Jesus in His Real Presence in Holy Communion.

This flippant, distracted, and bored bodily posture betrays the clear fact that many, all too many, practicing Catholics have lost belief and faith in the Real Presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Due to a diluted, overly sentimental catechesis perhaps many never learned what the Eucharist truly is! How else can we describe this except as a full-blown Catholic identity crisis! As Catholics, if we neither know nor believe in the Eucharist as the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, then Catholics we are not!

The essential thrust and purpose of this brief essay is to help us to believe firmly in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Mass, in the Eucharist, in Holy Communion. Then consequently to strive with all the fiber of our being to receive Jesus with more faith, devotion and love. By far, there is no greater action underneath the sun that we can do than to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. However, we must receive Him with increasing faith, confidence, purity of heart, devotion, hunger and love. One Holy Communion well-received could transform us into great saints. 

DISPOSITIVE GRACE. The lack of fruits in the reception of Holy Communion is not due to the Sacrament we receive but due to the lack of a proper disposition in receiving the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! The better the disposition of our heart, the more abounding and copious the graces!

The following points consist of what we can do and how we should act upon receiving the most Holy Eucharist, the Real Presence— The Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Eucharistic Lord. Every Holy Communion that we receive should be received as if it were our first, our last, and even our only Holy Communion!

1. PRAISE THE LORD! The Eucharistic Jesus is truly God. Therefore, the highest form of prayer that we can offer to God is that of praise. Unite your whole being with the angels and saints in Heaven and praise the Lord with all of your heart. As a primer, you might even recite the Divine Praises:  “Blessed be God; Blessed be His Holy Name; Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man; Blessed be the Name of Jesus; Blessed be His most Sacred Heart; Blessed be His most Precious Blood; Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar….” Beg the angels and saints to help you in your prayer of Eucharistic praise.

2. THANK THE LORD. Eucharist actually means Thanksgiving. What do we have that we have not received from our Divine Benefactor, God Himself? All the good that we have in our total person is a generous and bountiful manifestation of God’s love for us. The only thing that God did not give us is our sins; we chose those! May the prayer of the Psalmist resound in the depths of our hearts after receiving Holy Communion: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1)

3. BEG PARDON OF THE LORD.  How true Sacred Scripture: “The just man falls seven times a day.” Due to our many sins, we have fallen short of the glory of God in many times, places and circumstances. With David, who committed adultery and murder of an innocent man, with heartfelt compunction let us beg for mercy for ourselves and the whole world, praying part of Psalm 51: “Lord have mercy on me, have mercy on me. My sin is always before my eyes… A humble and contrite heart you will not spurn… send forth your spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew he face of the earth.”

4. BECOME BARTIMEUS THE BEGGAR. The great Saint Augustine asserted: “We are all beggars before the Lord.” Let us imitate Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, and implore the Lord to help us in our desperate need. Holy Communion is truly Jesus the Light of the world; beg Jesus to take the scales from your eyes so you can contemplate His Face with ever greater clarity.

5. BEG FOR OTHERS THE GRACES THEY NEED.  Our reception of Holy Communion should be Catholic—meaning universal!  Saint Paul states: “The love of God compels us.”  This love should be both universal and all-embracing such that we beg and pray for the many graces that so many people stand in desperate need of! Now that the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beats in your heart, heed the words of Jesus Himself: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.” (Mt. 7:7)

6. INTERCEDE FOR DEATH-BED SINNERS.  A category of persons who often stand in desperate need of prayers are those individuals who are in their last moments, in their last and ultimate agony. By far the most important moment in our life is the moment of our death. That will determine our eternal destiny— either Heaven or Hell and forever and ever and ever! In your thanksgiving after receiving the Eucharistic Lord Jesus, who said from the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34), beg for the conversion and salvation of deathbed sinners. Who knows how many souls will be saved by praying fervent Eucharistic prayers for them after receiving our Eucharistic Lord and Merciful Savior!

7. REST ON THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.  Jesus said: “Come to me all of you who find life burdensome and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden, light.” (Mt 11:28-30) After receiving Holy Communion, you can imitate Saint John the Evangelist, the Best Friend of Jesus, and simply rest lovingly and peacefully on His Sacred Heart—the best resting Place.

8. CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD…  Saint Peter expresses a very important human sentiment and situation that we all experience during the course of our lives, every week and perhaps even every day—problems, worries, anxieties and confusion. Saint Peter expresses this state of soul in this short but clear concept: “Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” (1Pt. 5:7) As the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beats in your heart, He will come to alleviate your worries, to remove them or at least to help you carry your crosses! Jesus is your Best Friend who will never fail you!

9. BEG FOR A HEART-TRANSPLANT! Our heart, mind, and soul can be compared to a Garden. Amidst the roses, tulips and daffodils flourish the ugly but all too-prevalent weeds! If the weeds are given permission to grow, to flourish and spread then in a matter of time they will suffocate the beautiful flowers! The Garden analogy applies to virtues and sins. The flowers are our virtues; the weeds, our sins. If not uprooted, the vices will dominate our lives and sin will reign! Upon reception of Holy Communion, we should beg the Lord Jesus to uproot and exterminate the weeds in our soul, so that the flowers of virtues can flourish and blossom. May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus transplant our hearts and make us saints!

10. OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST AND THANKSGIVING. Finally, beg the Immaculate Heart of Mary to speak to the Heart of Jesus to praise Him, to love Him, to worship Him. Saint Louis de Montfort suggests praying Mary’s canticle of praise, the Magnificat, in thanksgiving for the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beating in the depths of our soul. May Mary’s words echo in our hearts after we receive Jesus in Holy Communion: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” (Lk. 1: 46-55)

In conclusion, the most important gesture and moment in our lives is when we receive the Eucharistic Jesus in the depths of our heart and our soul in Holy Communion. Then the moments, the minutes after Holy Communion must be the most precious moments in our whole human existence. Let us strive with all the fiber of our being to prepare properly to receive the Eucharist, but also strive to improve our THANKSGIVING after the reception of Holy Communion. Our sanctification, our growth in grace, our growth in virtue and overcoming vice, and our final perseverance can truly depend on the manner in which we treat the Lord Jesus after receiving Him in Holy Communion. May Our Lady of the Eucharist, the angels and saints come to our help!

Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

THURSDAY, June 10th   Mt. 5: 20-26   “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

• Today’s Gospel calls for conversion of heart—conversion from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. We may know what Christ is asking of us, but are we able to do it?
• Yesterday we suggested there are two essential practices that facilitate conversion of heart. The first was covered in yesterday’s meditation—our firm commitment to the Daily Examen Prayer, with Fr. Ed’s full exposition of why to do it, how to do it, and the fruit derived therefrom.
• Today’s Meditation is focused on the second essential practice and that is entering into a deep and abiding Friendship with Christ Jesus! Friendship with Jesus is the reason we do our Daily Examen Prayer—to avoid hurting the One who loves us and whom we want to love in return. Jesus is the only one knows and loves us better than we know and love ourselves. He created each one of us out of love to share His life with us here on earth and forever in Heaven.
• Let us beg our Mother Mary for the grace to love Jesus a little more every day as our best and dearest friend, for this is when we will really soar in the spiritual life!

PART 2.  FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986 shortly after my ordination at the hands of Pope Saint John Paul II, I was contemplating a compelling portrait of Jesus. It was an image of His Sacred Heart, with flames of fire radiating from His Heart. However, what seemed to really captivate me most in the moment, were six words in Spanish that have been almost a motto of my life as a Catholic, Religious and priest, and follower of Christ. These words were: “Jesus, el Amigo que nunca falla.” Translation: “Jesus, the Friend that never fails!”

Christological names are many: The Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, The Way, Truth, and Life, the Alpha and Omega, Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, as well as Lamb of God, Son of man, and Son of God. Each of these names, like a precious diamond exposed to the sun through a process called refraction, reflects a different luminosity of the majesty, greatness and beauty of Jesus, the Son of the living God.

However, there is still another title that has captivated me for many years now and hopefully will captivate your heart and it is, Jesus, the Friend that never fails us.

On Holy Thursday, as Jesus sat at the Last Supper, about to give to all of humanity until the end of time two extraordinary gifts—we call them Sacraments—Holy Orders and the Most Holy Eucharist, He also called the Apostles, and each one of us, by a special name: “I call you friends!” In this most important moment in His life, shortly before being crucified for love of you and me, Jesus called the Apostles, and us, His intimate Friends.

Our Catholic-Christian religion has rules, precepts, orders, prohibitions, decrees and commands, this we cannot deny. The Ten Commandments are part and parcel of our deposit of faith. Nonetheless, if we limit our Catholic faith to nothing more than a series of rules, precepts, and Commandments to obey, then we missed the boat, missed the mark by focusing on something very important, but not that which is most important and essential.

The essence of Catholicism is a love-affair. It is a deep, dynamic, and growing relationship with three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The second Person of the most Blessed Trinity is Jesus, the Son of God become man. He came into the world to save us. But Jesus also came into the world to establish a deep, dynamic, and abiding Friendship with each and every one of us.

The Bible says that to find a true friend is indeed a treasure. We might even call it the pearl of infinite price that we should be willing to give everything else to acquire. Of all the friends that could exist in this world, friendship with Jesus is by far the best! In the painting of the Sacred Heart, He is the Friend who will never fail us in time and for all eternity. Even the best of friends are destined to fail each other sooner or later. But Jesus never fails us. We indeed fail Him, but He will never fail us, never!

For this reason one of the best motivations for us to strive energetically to observe the Ten Commandments is for the simple reason that we desire to establish, cultivate and grow in a dynamic Friendship with Jesus.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen coined one of the best definitions of sin on the market: “Sin is hurting the one you love.” True, sin is breaking one of the Commandments. However, above and beyond the mere breaking of a Commandment, by sinning seriously we are breaking the Heart of Jesus, who loves us so much that He died on the cross to prove His Love and Friendship for all of humanity, but also for each one of us individually!

If you were the only person in the created universe, your Faithful Friend, Jesus would have come into the world preaching, teaching, and exorcising demons, but especially this, He would have suffered all of the torments of His Passion, from the Agony in the Garden to His crucifixion on the cross, up to the shedding of His last drop of Blood when the lance pierced His Sacred Heart, just for you! All of this, Jesus, your Best Friend, willingly suffered for love of you so that He would be your Best Friend in time and for all eternity, and that you would be a true friend to Him.

Therefore, when you examine your conscience going through the Ten Commandments, why not take a fresh and new approach in preparation for Confession. And it is simply this! Recognize that your sins, in addition to breaking the Commandments, especially hurt Jesus, the One who loves you most and who wants to be loved by you!

Sin is saying “no” to the love of Jesus, your Lord and Savior, who is madly in love with you and has a burning desire for you to correspond to His love. Even more, by sinning you are breaking the Heart of your best friend Jesus. However, by making a good confession, you are healing the wounds in His Sacred Heart and restoring your friendship with the Friend who will never fail you, a friendship that does not end at the graveside, but will last forever in eternity in heaven.

Therefore, by saying “no” to sin, you are really saying “yes” to the love of God and “yes” to a deep and growing Friendship with Jesus.

Face it, if sinning is simply breaking a series of cold and impersonal rules, then chances are we will go back to sinning. However, if we see sin in a personal light, hurting my best Friend Jesus, wounding His Heart, then I will stop, think, and renounce this temptation to sin.

May Our Lady and good Saint Joseph pray for us! They were the ones who loved Jesus best, had the deepest friendship with Him on earth, and now and for all eternity, they are the beloved of Jesus.

Let us pray.  

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours.

Jesus Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Jesus, be my best Friend now, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Amen.

Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church

“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

WEDNESDAY, June 9th   Mt. 5: 17-19   “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

• What practicing Catholic has not confessed breaking any number of the Ten Commandments, mortal or venial sins, and despite our best intentions, found ourselves confessing them again!
• Jesus understands our frail and fallen natures better than we do, and His Heart is full of compassion and mercy for the sorrowful penitent. The important thing is to have a sincere desire, as well as make a sincere effort not to sin again, better known as a firm purpose of amendment.
• This is a Two-Part Meditation. Today and tomorrow we will present two remedies guaranteed to help us carry out that firm purpose of amendment and thereby sin less seriously and less frequently. If we put both remedies into practice, our spiritual life will soar!

PART 1: THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN: A SURE BRIDGE TO HOLINESS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Ignatius insisted on never neglecting the Daily Examen. For no reason whatsoever would this great saint justify skipping over and neglecting this all important prayer. Starting now, why not make a proposal to make your own personal Daily Examen. If done, the fruits are countless and the blessings copious from such a tool, an indispensable tool to erect a solid structure for a life of authentic holiness.

In this brief essay we will highlight and briefly explain the five classical steps of making the Daily Examen. Then, as a means for motivation, we will highlight some of the blessings that will descend upon you in your spiritual life.

If you read through essays, writings, articles and even books on this topic, the order and words vary, but the concept never changes. The key element is that the Daily Examen should be proposed by all those with good will and put into practice. Let’s go!

THE FIVE CLASSICAL STEPS FOR THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN

1. RECALL THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 

First Step. All authentic prayer starts with calling to mind the all-abiding Presence of God. We are never far from God, and God is never far from us! Saint Paul, quoting the Greek poet, expresses it as such: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Therefore, start your Daily Examen by gently calling to mind the all-abiding, all-permeating presence of God. God is present in all times, all places, all circumstances, and all events. Even when our life seems to be a dark night of the soul, God is as present as the sun shining at midday! Add to this that our God is a loving Father who always desires what is best for His children. Therefore, we should respond with trust, confidence, and love.

2. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! 

Second Step. Saint Ignatius insists on the importance of gratitude. We should all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Saint Ignatius states that the very essence of sin is ingratitude —a lack of rendering to God a heartfelt thanks! In all humility, every gift that we have in our life—intellectual, athletic, artistic, spiritual, supernatural, etc.—all are gifts from the Father of all gifts. Therefore, rewind the film of your life since your last Daily Examen to see what you have been gifted with and allow your heart to expand in an overflowing act of thanksgiving. In a word, all that we have (except for our sins—those we willfully chose and God allowed) are gratuitous gifts from our all-bountiful Heavenly Father. Indeed, God loves a grateful heart and is ready and willing to shower thankful hearts with more and more blessings! How much Jesus suffered when after healing ten lepers, only one came back to pay Him thanks!

3. BEG GOD TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU.

Third step in your Daily Examen is to beg for the Gift of Gifts, the Holy Spirit to shed light on your intellect, to help you rewind your past block of time—your past day! Humility is truth, and you want to beg in all honestly to see what you have done in the past day, but even beyond the exterior actions, you want to beg for the grace to see even your interior intentions. We should never forget that man sees the surface, the mere exterior, but God can read our hearts and even our most hidden intentions.

4. GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE. 

Fourth Step. During the Examen most likely you will again become aware of God’s incredible goodness and His many gifts to you in the past day; give thanks to God for His blessings. However, in all sincerity and truth the Holy Spirit will also point out some of your thoughts, words and actions, and even some intentions, that were off the mark and not pleasing to God. Only God is perfect and the Bible teaches us that the just man falls seven times a day. Be aware of these moral failures and beg forgiveness.

5. RESOLUTION, RECONCILIATION, AND RENEWAL. 

Fifth Step. The last step points to the future. With a keen awareness of God’s infinite love for us and His infinite goodness in giving us so much, but also aware of our own human weakness, we propose to love God more every day starting right now, and to avoid any person, place, thing, or circumstance that can lead us off the path of true discipleship of the Lord. In other words, the Daily Examen heightens our awareness and self-knowledge and these can serve as preventive medicine. If we know where the pit-fall is in our path, we can sidestep it or jump over it or walk a different path! The desert Fathers insist on this two-word axiom: KNOW-THYSELF!!!

NOW THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING THE DAILY EXAMEN, which are incalculable! We will mention only three!

1. CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD AND PRAYER.  If the Daily Examen is done faithfully—that is to say, on a daily basis, with hard work and good will we will become more and more aware of God’s loving presence in our lives. God is not some distant, ethereal, mythical figure of the past, and He will become all the more real to us. If you like, He will become your Best Friend, always at your side. The truth is, we are never alone! Jesus is our Best Friend who wants us to share every moment of our existence with Him. Because of this, we will sin less. Saint Teresa of Avila asserts that one of the primary reasons for sin is becoming oblivious to the all abiding Presence of God!

2. AVOID PITFALLS!  With a more acute awareness of the intentions and movements of our heart, which is like a garden that has both beautiful flowers and ugly weeds, we can avoid giving in to our bad tendencies. When the bad spirit is knocking at the door of our heart, we must close the door with lock and key! Many sins are committed due to weakness of the will, but also due to ignorance of who is knocking at our door! The Daily Examen heightens our awareness of the tactics of the enemy, as well as self-knowledge of our weaknesses, key components for growth in holiness!

3. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS.  The Daily Examen is like shining a floodlight on our heart, our soul, and the inner workings of our conscience. We become aware of how good and loving God really is. However, with penetrating awareness, we become cognizant of how weak we really are at times, and how prone to slip and fall into the mire of our own sinfulness. This keen self-knowledge can help us to be more kind, patient, and compassionate with our struggling brothers and sisters! If God is patient with us, how much more must we be patient with others! God allows what is evil to bring greater good from the evil – charity being the greatest good of all!

To conclude, determine now to make the daily Examen Prayer. It shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes a day. If you miss a day, begin again, start back up the very next day.

Note: See tomorrow’s Points of Meditation to learn about PART 2 to help us sin less seriously and less frequently, and thereby soar in our spiritual life!

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA