Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

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

TUESDAY, November 30th   Mt 4: 18-22   FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW   “He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”

• As baptized Christians, we are all called to become “Fishers of Men”! How does that work? What might that look like? Fr. Ed has much to say on this topic! May today’s saint and one of the chosen twelve Apostles – Saint Andrew inspire us!

GOD’S DESIRE: THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest desires of Almighty God is the conversion of sinners. That poor sinners will leave their sinful lifestyles and turn back to the love of God.

Furthermore, Our Lady, who is the one closest to God Almighty, shares this same desire: that poor sinners will renounce their sinful lifestyles and return to God. Our Lady of Lourdes, who appeared 18 times in the year 1858 to the little peasant child, Bernadette Soubirous, asked the little girl to pray and to offer up sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.

Very similar to the message of Lourdes was that of Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared 6 times in the year 1917 to three simple shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Our Lady said with great sorrow in her heart that many souls were lost because there were not sufficient prayers and sacrifices offered for these poor sinners.

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to the three children of Fatima and revealed to them a graphic vision of Hell! From then on the children, but most especially Jacinta, offered many sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. This vision of hell left such a profound and indelible impression upon Jacinta that she offered all she possibly could in her short life for the conversion of poor sinners and so win souls for God.

Jacinta’s Sacrifices

The sacrifices of this little girl, canonized by Pope Francis together with her brother Francisco, were constant and heroic:

• She sacrificed her favorite food: the sweet and delicious grapes that grew on the hillsides of Portugal.
• She wore around her waist a rope which caused her discomfort all day.
• She sacrificed her lunch for the poor whom she met on the roadside.
• On a hot summer day, dying of thirst, she sacrificed drinking water.
• With the reminder of her brother Francisco, she offered up her headache.
• She prayed the prayers the angel taught her, prostrate on the ground.
• She prayed many, many Rosaries to Our Lady for the conversion of sinners.
• Interrogated and threatened by the local authorities, she was willing to suffer being boiled to death in oil rather than deny that she saw Our Lady.
• Finally, Jacinta, after much suffering which she willingly offered for the salvation of souls, died almost alone in a hospital far from her home. She was nine years old.

All this she did out of love for Almighty God and for the conversion and salvation of sinners. How much love this little girl had for God and God’s crown of creation in this world—the human person!

The saints are different in many ways, coming from different historical periods, diverse family backgrounds, widely diverse cultural environments, endowed with different temperaments as well as intellectual gifts. However, all the saints have this in common: a great love for God and a great love for what God really loves most in all of His creation, the salvation of souls, the salvation of all the human persons that He has created. This is what He desires first and foremost: their eternal salvation.

On one occasion, a child entered into the office of a priest. The young boy, looking up on the wall, saw a few words written in Latin. Inquisitive, the boy asked the priest the meaning of those few words. These words were the motto and motor-force of the life of this great priest. The interpretation would be: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” The name of this priest was the great Saint John Bosco; the name of the boy was Saint Dominic Savio. This boy turned to Bosco and said: “I am the cloth and you are the tailor; make me a saint.” Before the boy turned 15 he was already dead. However, he had reached his ardent desire: he died a saint! Both Bosco and Savio had this point in common: a great love for God and an inflamed love for the salvation of souls.

One of the most pervasive maladies in the modern world, even within the Catholic Church, is the cancer of mediocrity. This is an all-pervasive, poisonous and contagious spiritual disease in which many Catholics, millions upon millions, have no fire, no zeal, no burning desire to work with God for the salvation of immortal souls!

The Word of God speaks powerfully against this spiritual condition with these words from the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation: “The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God’s creation, says this: I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:14-15)

Mediocre Catholics are lukewarm; they are tepid; they are lifeless. They are languid, slovenly and lazy. They have no fire, no zeal, no life, no strong desires. They have lost their first love, if indeed they had love in the first place! They suffer from an appalling spiritual anemia. They are living but not really alive spiritually! As the Word of God says so forcefully, God vomits or spits them out of His mouth. Living in this spiritual environment, all of us must fight forcefully so as not to slowly descend into this dangerous pit of mediocrity. The lives of the saints can spur us on as in the following…

CONVERSION TO GOD AND A ZEAL FOR SOULS

Both Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier underwent powerful conversions which transformed both of them into fiery warriors of God, with an ardent desire to save many souls. Ignatius was converted by receiving a near-fatal wound in the battle of Pamplona and by reading the lives of saints. Upon reading about the saints, a fire and ardent zeal were ignited in Ignatius’ heart to work with God for the salvation of souls. In his classic, the Spiritual Exercises, he presents a meditation/contemplation The Call of the Temporal King so as to follow the call of the Eternal King. One of the primary purposes of this meditation is for us to listen attentively to the Call of the Eternal King, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to work side by side with Jesus in striving for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls.

Saint Francis Xavier went through his conversion by means of the doing the Spiritual Exercises under the direction of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Paris. After completing the Exercises, Xavier was also radically transformed and converted into a fiery warrior and disciple of the Lord of Lord’s, the King of King’s, Jesus Christ. After Xavier was ordained a priest, he became the secretary of Ignatius. The Pope wanted to send priests to India and other countries in the Far-East, following the missionary mandate of Jesus to go out to the whole world to preach and baptize. So Ignatius sent Francis Xavier. The last words that Ignatius said to Xavier, who would become one of the greatest missionaries in world history, were: Go set the world on fire! Thousands upon thousands of souls were saved in India, Malaysia, and even Japan by Xavier, who desired ardently the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls. Many nights he could no longer lift up his arm because he had baptized so many individuals during the course of the day—that is truly love for the conversion and salvation of souls!

Now it is your turn! Enter into silence which will lead you into prayer. The Lord of Lord’s and King of Kings is calling you right now. He wants you to work with Him for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls. What can you do right now to bring at least one soul to conversion? Be creative! At the same time, place them in the hands of Mary and offer your prayers and sufferings for them, like little Jacinta did, with great trust in Mary’s intercession! Listen to these encouraging words in the Letter of Saint James: “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his ways will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”  (James 5:19-20)

In imitation of the saints, let us work hard now and we can rest for all eternity with the angels and saints, with Our Lady who is Queen of the angels and saints, and with our Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! May we all be motivated by the virtue of apostolic zeal and an ardent desire to work with God in the salvation of countless sinners! Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that one soul is worth more than the whole created universe! Why? Saint Peter teaches us: “You were ransomed from your futile conduct handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless and unblemished lamb.” (I Peter 1:18-19). May the reality of the Precious Blood of Jesus that He shed on the cross on Good Friday for the conversion of sinners, with all of the pain and anguish He suffered for the salvation of their immortal souls, ignite within us zeal for the conversion and salvation of sinners. Right now God is speaking to your heart with these words: GO NOW AND SET ALL ON FIRE!!!

Monday of the First Week of Advent

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

MONDAY, November 29th   Mt. 8: 5-1   “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

• Jesus is amazed at the faith of this centurion! Do we have faith? Perhaps our faith is not as strong as we would like it to be?
• Perhaps the Christmas Gift we can prepare for the Infant Jesus is to pray the Rosary daily, and even more than one Rosary whenever possible! Why? The four mysteries of the Rosary are the short version of the Life of Christ.
• Through the Rosary we come to know Jesus better, walk with Him in the key moments of His life and His death—all done for love of us, as well as His Resurrection—the promise of our own if we have Faith!
• In truth, countless other blessings flow from praying the Rosary as well. Read and pray over Fr. Ed’s meditation below and be amazed at what Our Lady does for us through praying the Rosary!  

GROWING IN FAITH THROUGH THE HOLY ROSARY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus sent His Loving Mother, Mary most holy, from heaven to the small town of Fatima, in Portugal in the year 1917. The Queen of heaven and earth appeared to three little shepherd children, Lucia de los Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Our Lady appeared six times and every time that she appeared she repeated the message: PRAY THE ROSARY! She revealed her name and identity as OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY. In Lourdes, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Saint Bernadette, and revealed her name and identity as THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

Therefore, we would like to present ten reasons why we should form the most important habit of praying the Rosary, not sporadically or sometimes or simply upon an impulse. Rather, we should form the habit of praying the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary every day; if possible, we could even pray the Rosary more than once a day, as was often the habit in the lives of many of the saints! Therefore, let us launch into reasons to convince us of the dire importance of loving Our Lady, by loving what she loves, and obeying her command—pray the holy Rosary!

1. OUR LADY TOLD US TO! 

If a mother repeats to her child an order many times it is because the mother believes in the depths of her heart that the order she is commanding is of great importance. Likewise, the Mother of God and our Mother, Mary most holy, at Fatima commanded the children, as well as the world at large, six times to pray the Rosary! If it is a command to obey our earthly mothers (Fourth Commandment), how much more should we obey our Heavenly Mother, Mary most holy!

2. THE ROSARY IS A BIBLICAL PRAYER. 

Many non-Catholics condemn the recitation of the Holy Rosary. However, very few of those who condemn this most beautiful prayer realize or recognize the fact that the Rosary is a prayer that almost totally has its origins in the Word of God itself! For example, the first series of Mysteries that we call the Joyful Mysteries are all of them found in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapters One and Two! This being said, we can get to know and love the Word of God by meditating upon the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary!

3. GETTING TO KNOW, LOVE AND IMITATE JESUS BETTER. 

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and the instrument God used to give us the Spiritual Exercises, offers us a fruit that we should beg for when we meditate or contemplate the life of Jesus; that fruit, or we might call it virtue, is to arrive at intimate knowledge of Jesus, so that we love Him more ardently, and follow Him more closely. In a parallel sense, when we form the habit of praying the Rosary well, giving our whole self to entering into the scenes or mysteries of the Rosary, one of the most sublime fruits is the same that Ignatius presents. In praying the Rosary, we get to know Jesus, love Jesus, and desire to follow Jesus through the prayers and intercession of the first disciple of Jesus, His Mother Mary!

4. SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL. 

Recent Popes, Saint Paul VI and Saint John XXIII called the Rosary a summary of the Gospel. This was said even before the insertion of the relatively new mysteries of the Rosary, The Luminous Mysteries. In a clear, methodical and systematic form, we have the Infancy of Jesus in the Joyful Mysteries. Followed by the Luminous Mysteries, which are a good summary of the Public Life of Jesus (30-33 years of age). Then we have the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus in the Sorrowful Mysteries. Finally, as the summit of the whole prayer, we have the Glorious Mysteries, which of course present Our Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, the Coming of the Holy Spirit, and Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven and Coronation as Queen of heaven and earth. As the Popes have alluded to, contemplation of the mysteries of the most Holy Rosary gives a clear and concise summary of the Gospels—the conception, life, death and Resurrection of Jesus seen through the eyes and heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

5. MARVELOUS PRAYER THAT CAN LIFT US TO THE HEIGHTS. 

The Rosary is indeed a marvelous prayer that can lift us to the heights of holiness if prayed well and with perseverance. This prayer is vocal in that we vocalize the beautiful prayers, the Our Father and Hail Mary. It is a meditative prayer in that we reflect upon the meaning of the mysteries and how they can be applied to our own lives right now. Furthermore, it is a contemplative prayer, meaning that we are summoned to enter into the scenes or mysteries. We are not called to be passive spectators, like going to a movie; rather we are called to enter into these contemplative scenes and become part of the lives of Jesus and Mary! The saying is true: tell me with whom you associate and I will tell you who you are. How true if we apply this to frequent association, contact and conversation with Jesus and Mary and Saint Joseph! We will be transformed, becoming more like them. Our desire and goal are the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

6. PRAYER OF PEACE OF MIND, HEART AND SOUL, AND WORLD PEACE.             

In a world in which there is so much tension, fighting, selfishness, and egotism we need a peace-program. Of course, the key element is to expel the negative with the positive, and the most positive is to place Jesus and Mary as King and Queen of our world, country, state, city, home, family, and even our individual lives and hearts! At Fatima, Our Lady insisted that the Rosary be prayed to end World War I and also to prevent another war. Our Lady made the warning that if the world did not pray enough, another and worse world war would erupt. And so it happened! Sad to say, not many years after the cessation of World War I, the more bloody and gruesome World War II broke out. Sin is due to a lack of God’s presence in our minds and hearts. The recitation of the most Holy Rosary is the opposite. We are inviting Jesus into our hearts, our families and society through the prayerful, peaceful, but powerful presence of Our Lady, Queen of Peace!

7. CONQUERING VICES. 

Sin can get a hold of us and we become slaves to sin. Jesus Himself says that sin is slavery. A well-known convert once said that before becoming Catholic, he liked going to book stores to look over the books and buy some of them. However, while there, no matter how hard he tried, he could not resist, almost as if he were drawn by a magnet, checking out and browsing through the bad magazines. Though he was still a Protestant, he started to pray the most Holy Rosary, and immediately, his desire to look at the indecent magazines left him totally. He attributed this miracle to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Rosary. Among the many virtues that Our Lady desires to attain for us is the virtue of purity. One of Our Lady’s messages in Fatima was that most souls are lost for all eternity due to the sins of the flesh, that is to say, sins against the virtue of purity. Jesus expressed this most clearly in one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart; they will see God.” (Mt 5:8)

8. FAMILY UNITY. 

One of the most sorrowful realities in the modern world is the breakup of the family unit. Vatican II calls the family the domestic church. Saint Pope John Paul II says, “the family is the basic cell of society, and as the family goes, so goes the rest of society.” After the attack on the World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001, Pope Saint John Paul II published a spiritual masterpiece with the title Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary. We encourage all of our readers to read and meditate upon this spiritual masterpiece so as to get to know and love the most Holy Rosary even more! In this papal document the saintly pontiff encouraged the world at large to pray the Rosary, but especially for two intentions. First, he exhorted us to pray the Rosary for world peace. Second, he warmly encouraged us to pray the Rosary for the sake and salvation of the family.

The Rosary priest, Father Patrick Peyton, expresses this truth in these timely maxims: “The family that prays together stays together” and, “A world at prayer is a world at peace!” This being said, every family should make a concerted effort to pray the Rosary together for the sake of their own family, as well as for all of the families of the world, and that peace would reign in the world starting first and foremost with our own individual hearts! The movie that is a “must see” is Pray: The Story of Patrick Peyton. An amazing testimony to the man and the power of the Rosary! Watch it!

9. THE ROSARY AS SPIRITUAL SLINGSHOT TO CONQUER THE DEVIL. 

In one of the most important meditations in the Spiritual Exercises, with the title The Two Standards, Saint Ignatius presents our spiritual life in the light of a fierce combat between Satan and his disciples fighting against Jesus and His disciples for dominion in our souls! Given today’s materialism, consumerism, hedonism, agnosticism, moral relativism, and militant atheism, the devil can hide behind each of these erroneous philosophical systems to trap us and finally enslave us! It almost appears as if we are David against Goliath (I Sam. 17)!

David was much younger and smaller, with no military preparation, no sword, no shield, nor even any armor. On the other hand, Goliath was a giant, with much experience in battle, wearing armor and wielding a huge crescent sword that he had used to kill many, with a shield bearer preceding him. Goliath curses little David, but David proceeds with confidence in the name of Yahweh, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The little shepherd boy approaches the line of battle quickly and resolutely reaches for a stone, places it in his slingshot and launches it at Goliath. The stone takes off like a rocket and rivets itself in the forehead of Goliath, who quickly cascades to the ground. As the giant lays unconscious on the ground, David wields the sword of Goliath and cuts off his head! Victory!!!

Today we are surrounded by many Modern Goliaths, as mentioned and named above. Therefore, for us to win the fierce battle, we must place ourselves under the military leadership of the Blessed Virgin Mary, carry proudly our spiritual weapon—the most Holy Rosary, and use it frequently and confidently. We have sure hope with such a weapon and so great a leader that the battle will be won and the victory will be ours!

10. SPIRITUAL TREASURES STORED UP IN HEAVEN.

One of the greatest saint-mystics in the Catholic Church is Saint Gertrude, the Great. Not only is she the author of the classic Herald of Divine Love (read it!!!), but also she was a great mystic and visionary. Jesus often would appear to her and talk to her with great familiarity and love, as He desires to do with us. On one occasion, the saint saw Jesus in heaven. The scene was beautiful! Bathed in light and beauty, Jesus had a huge pile of coins, shiny and glimmering golden coins. As Saint Gertrude contemplated this scene, Jesus placed another golden coin on the top of the huge pile. Curious as to the meaning of the scene, this great lover of Jesus and Mary, Saint Gertrude, begged the Lord to explain its meaning. Without any hesitation Jesus said that those golden coins were the many fervent Hail Marys that Gertrude had prayed, and that she had just finished another, upon which Jesus was depositing another golden coin for all eternity. Therefore, if you want to be a multi-billionaire in heaven, start right now and pray the Rosary, pray the 50 Hail Marys that compose the Rosary every day! Indeed, through the intercession Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mother of the Church, and your loving Mother, Jesus will store up for you abundant treasures in heaven!

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

SUNDAY, November 28th   Lk. 21: 25-28, 34-36   Jesus says: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

This will be our third meditation on Advent by Fr. Ed—you might call it a trilogy—to help us make this the most fruitful Advent of our lives! We began with meditating on the value and necessity of Silence and Prayer for a fruitful Advent. Next we learned to prepare to receive Jesus through the virtues, heart and intercession of good St. Joseph. Today we meditate on the Three Comings of the Lord Jesus.

ADVENT: GET READY TO WELCOME EMMANUEL by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Every year we have the extraordinary opportunity to welcome the Lord Jesus into our hearts with the Season of Advent which culminates on Christmas Day—the Birthday of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Actually, the Church invites us to meditate upon the three comings of the Lord Jesus. Indeed, this could be a most fruitful meditation. What then are the three comings of the Lord Jesus?

HIS FIRST ARRIVAL

The Lord Jesus came, born in the Flesh about 2000 years ago of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the stable of Bethlehem. Saint John, in the Prologue, reminds us in these words: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1:14)

HIS SECOND COMING

Jesus will come again and it will be at the end of time. The day, the hour, the moment, the circumstances are unknown to us. The Will of God the Father will determine those times. Jesus constantly reminds us: “Stay awake and be vigilant because you know neither the day nor the hour. He will come like a thief in the night.” (Mt 25:13)

HIS ONGOING PRESENCE

The third coming of the Lord Jesus is actually now, tomorrow, and constantly, in a very different but very real way. Jesus comes through grace. He is so loving and generous that He comes through grace in many ways and with different intensity. The following are Jesus’ comings through grace: in prayer, through works of charity and almsgiving (Read Mt 25:31-46), through penances and sacrifices offered to God for the conversion of sinners. Furthermore, and in a much more powerful way, grace is communicated through the worthy reception of the Sacraments. A Sacrament is an exterior sign instituted by Christ to confer grace. Most especially, grace pours forth in abundance through the frequent and fervent reception of the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist—His Real Presence among us in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!

FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR HEART

Aware now of the three different manners in which Jesus has come and will come until the end of the ages, let us strive to prepare our hearts for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day. However, may it be our most ardent desire that Jesus be born in the very depths of our own soul this Christmas. The word Bethlehem means House of Bread. May our soul be a true Bethlehem—House of Bread—where Jesus can be born.

We will offer five simple but efficacious practices to dispose our hearts to welcome Emmanuel—God with us!

1. CONFESSION

Let us all have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession in the Holy Season of Advent. Let us clean our own interior Cave of the dirt, the cobwebs, the foul smell—not of animals—but of sin. In the words of Saint Paul, may we be the fragrance of Christ!

2. GOD’S WORD 

Saint Jerome stated poignantly: “Ignorance of Sacred Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Daily find some quiet place and good time of the day, with a ton of good will, to encounter the Lord in His Word. Live out the Our Father: “Give us this day our Daily Bread!” This Daily Bread is the Word of God. Jesus stated this very clearly by rebuffing the temptation of the devil: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4)

3. PRAY MORE

Here is the Advent question for you: what do these letters mean? A.S.A.P.? Why not baptize the more secular interpretation surfacing in your mind—as soon as possible, and say instead always say a prayer! This indeed is a Season in which we must make a concerted effort to pray more and sin less! 

Actually, a life of sin and a life of deep prayer are diametrically opposed, like trying to mix oil with vinegar, or mix fire with a fire hose, or combine light with darkness. The more frequently and fervently we pray, the more we distance ourselves from the reality of sin.

4. FASTING, ESPECIALLY FROM THE TONGUE

There are many ways that we can practice fasting, and variety is the spice of life. Eating less or even depriving ourselves of food can be very beneficial. Jesus said: “Some devils can be cast out only by prayer and fasting or penance.” (Mt 17:21) However, we must add to the physical form of abstaining from food, the verbal abstaining from sinning with our tongue. 

How often do we sin with our tongue and offend God and offend our neighbor, most frequently our family members? Vulgar words, off-the-cuff expressions, bitter sarcasm and irony, white lies, vociferous explosions, and it must be said: gossip, gossip, and again gossip! 

Why not enter into Advent by reading James Chapter 3—the famous chapter on the Sins of the Tongue! Better yet, read it individually and pray over it, but also, read it as a family! Make this commitment, following the advice of Saint Bernard, we should open our mouth on three occasions: 

1) To Praise God, 

2) To accuse ourselves of our own faults, 

3) To edify our neighbor. 

If this is lived out in our family, how many blessings will abound!!!

5. MARIA COGITA, MARIA INVOCA 

One of the most salient characteristics of the physiognomy of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary (the author of this article belongs to this Congregation) is a tender and confident love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The next essential in the charism of the Oblates is the saying: Nunc Coepi—Begin Again! Meaning, I will begin again after I fall into sin, even if it be a thousand times a day! 

However, the Oblate lives in the spiritual atmosphere or milieu of Mary—inhaling and exhaling Maria cogita, Maria invoca—meaning: Think about Mary, Invoke Mary. Being faithful to the spirit of the Season of Advent, we accompany Mary, who with great joy and expectation longs for the birth of Jesus her Son, Jesus our Elder Brother, Jesus the Savior of the world!

The success of the Feast Day is in direct proportion to the preparation prior to the Feast. Equally true is this concept related to the celebration of Easter or Christmas! The more generous our souls are in giving ourselves to Jesus and Mary before the Feast of Christmas, the more joyful and exultant will be the very Feast Day! May God’s great love and generosity towards us spur us on to great generosity starting right now!

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, November 27th   Lk. 21: 34-36   Jesus says: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Tomorrow we enter a perfect season, the Season of Advent, to help us prepare for the end times, at least for our end time, for we know neither the hour nor the day when we will be called to give an accounting of our life—all our thoughts, words, deeds, and even our most secret intentions.

Yesterday we learned the importance of Silence and Prayer in anticipation of the most important Birth in all of human history—the Birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

Today Fr. Ed helps us prepare further for the Coming of Christ through the life and example of good St. Joseph, spouse of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus.

FIVE WAYS ST. JOSEPH SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE OUT ADVENT by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Joseph can help us to live a most fruitful Advent, and for many reasons. Let us quietly meditate upon five extraordinary virtues of this greatest of all saints so that we can live a most fervent Advent season and allow Jesus to be born in the depths of our hearts this Christmas!

1. SILENCE

Not once in the Bible do we hear a word from the great Saint Joseph. This silence of Saint Joseph is very eloquent. It teaches us a fundamental attitude to enter into deep prayer: silence.

If we are constantly bombarded by noises then it is impossible to hear the Word of God, the Holy Spirit who speaks to us in the gentle breeze of silence. Also, the silence of Saint Joseph teaches us the importance of example. We must prove our authenticity by words, but also by our actions. Saint Joseph taught the world by the holy way that he lived. May he be an example for us to do the same!

2. PRAYER

Saint Joseph was a man of prayer. What an extraordinary role he played in the history of salvation. He was both the spouse of Mary, the Mother of God, as well as the foster-father of Jesus, the Son of the living God. Saint Joseph actually taught Jesus to speak and to address God as “Abba”—meaning “Daddy”.

In a certain sense Saint Joseph taught Jesus to use human words to talk to the Heavenly Father—this is prayer. Therefore, if Saint Joseph taught Jesus how to pray, how much more could he teach me how to pray if I simply ask for his help? Start now and say: Saint Joseph, teach me how to pray!

3. COURAGE 

In a society where too many men shirk their obligations toward their wives, children, and family, Saint Joseph shines as a model of courage and fortitude. He traveled many miles in the cold and wind, only to meet with rejection— “There was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:7) He found refuge in an animal shelter for the birth of Jesus.

He arose in the night to flee into Egypt, saving the Child Jesus from the vicious and murderous threats of King Herod. “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’” (Mt 2:13)

Faced with so many difficulties, Saint Joseph stood tall and confronted the obstacles with manly courage. May the men of the present generation lift up their gaze to the gentle but courageous man of God—good Saint Joseph.

4. PROVIDE AND PROTECT

Saint Joseph both protected and provided for the Holy Family. He was a hard worker—exercising the trade of a Carpenter. He earned their bread by the sweat of his brow. He thought not of himself, but of how he could best provide for and protect the family that God had entrusted to his care.

As we draw close to Christmas, let us beg good Saint Joseph to provide for and protect our spiritual lives. Materialism, consumerism, hedonism are the gods of the present culture. These actually suffocate our spirituality.

Saint Joseph’s prayers can help us to look beyond the buying, having, and possessing. He can help us realize that true joy and happiness does not come from having things, but in possessing God. To hold the Child Jesus in our arms and in our hearts is worth more than all of the money and possessions of the entire world. Good Saint Joseph can teach us this simple but profound lesson!

5. ST. JOSEPH, OUR LADY, AND JESUS

To arrive at a true and authentic devotion to Mary, Saint Joseph can serve as a powerful bridge. Aside from Jesus Himself, nobody on earth knew, understood, cherished and loved the Blessed Virgin Mary more than good Saint Joseph. Turn to Saint Joseph and beg him for the grace of greater knowledge of and love for Mary, his beloved spouse. Through his intercession, your devotion to Mary will grow by leaps and bounds!

Then turn to Saint Joseph and beg him for the grace of intimate knowledge of Jesus, that we may love Jesus more ardently, and follow Jesus more closely. Aside from Mary, no one on earth knew Jesus better than good Saint Joseph.

The Holy Family is complete only when all three members—Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph—are recognized, honored and loved. May the prayers of good Saint Joseph open your heart to the immense treasures that God has in store for you this Advent Season. Then may Jesus be born in the depths of your heart this Christmas Day!

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, November 26th   Lk. 21:29-33   Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Neither Christ nor His words will pass away! Christ is the Head of His Church and we are the Body of Christ. May our greatest desire be to live fully the life of Christ’s Church on earth by participating fully, actively, and fervently in the life and Sacraments of the Church.

The Church year ended with the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Liturgical cycles begin again with the Season of Advent. Fr. Ed helps us prepare to enter this time marked by prayer and great anticipation!

ADVENT IS A TIME FOR GREATER SILENCE AND PRAYER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Advent is a season of very special graces! It is time of waiting, hope and joy.  Waiting—for the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Hope—because Jesus came to save us; and finally Joy—because Jesus’ birth, life and Resurrection is a promise of eternal life for those who obey His commandments and love Him.

SILENT NIGHT

On Christmas Eve it is most appropriate to sing the hymn Silent Night. In the profound depths of that most special night Jesus was born in silence. How important silence is for those who truly are seeking the presence of God. The prophet Elijah sought God in his mountain experience. This mysterious God was not found in the earthquake, nor in the peals of thunder, nor in the flashes of lightning. Rather the Almighty God could be found in the gentle whispering of the wind, in the gentle breeze.

In the midst of a world so absorbed in noise—you might even call it “noise pollution”—there is an urgent need for silence. Indeed, there are many positive fruits that flow from silence. We will mention just a few so as to encourage us to seek out times in our day for silence.

1. CLARITY OF THOUGHT

For us to have great clarity in our thought process we have an absolute need for silence. Bombarded by a constant onslaught of noise as we are, silence renders a clear, transparent, and honest thought life to blossom and bring forth fruit. The sublime theological writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas were written in silence. The literary expertise of the writings of Shakespeare were born of silence. The penetrating depth and insight of the theory of relativity discovered by Albert Einstein took place in the aura of silence. The greatest mystics, contemplatives and saints encountered God in silence. So may all of us relish moments of silence in our daily lives!

2. DETECTING TEMPTATION

In our lives we are constantly being bombarded by negative thoughts and the source of these is the enemy that we call the devil. Saint Ignatius calls him “the enemy of our salvation”; Saint Thomas Aquinas calls him the “Tempter”; Saint Peter compares him to an angry lion on the loose seeking to devour us. If we do not have moments of silence, zones of silence, then it will prove almost impossible for us to be able to discern and detect the ugly tail of the devil who is always seeking ways to tempt us, manipulate us, and coax us to fall into sin. Silent reflection gives us a more acute awareness of the strategies and manipulations of the enemy of our salvation.

In the desert Jesus was in silence as He prayed and fasted. The devil attacked Jesus but He rebuffed the enemy relying on the power and efficaciousness of the Word of God. “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4) Much of spiritual warfare must be engaged in through silence and prayer.

3. HEAVENLY INSPIRATIONS

Not only can we pick up the tactics of the enemy in the depths of a silent and discerning heart, but even more important we can pick up the Heavenly vibes—meaning, the inspirations that come from the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, God is always present; His whole being penetrates and permeates the entire universe. God is really never absent from us, but we can so easily become absent from Him. A dogmatic atheist who categorically denies God’s existence, cannot alter or modify to the slightest degree the reality of God’s existence. Saint Paul quoted the Greek poet with reference to God’s omnipresence: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

This being said, the Holy Spirit desires to speak to our heart but He respects our liberty to the max! If we are too busy and overly engrossed in noise, frenetic activities, non-stop movement and constant clatter then there is no room for the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts through His heavenly inspirations. Never forget: The Birthday of the Church—Pentecost was preceded by fervent prayer, fasting, the presence of Our Lady (Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit), and silence. Therefore, with silence and a recollected heart we can pick up those Heavenly vibes and be transformed by God Himself—the Holy Spirit!

4. DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

Discovering the will of God in our lives and striving to implement it is indeed the key to holiness as well as peace of mind, heart, and soul. If we are running a mile a minute, if we are moving like a chicken with its head cut off, if we are in a constant state of agitation, if we have fallen into a perpetual state of activism putting our actions above God Himself, then it will be very difficult if not impossible to discern God’s will in our lives. Discernment of one’s vocation or one’s state of life is possibly the most important decision in one’s entire life. Marriage or the single life, priesthood or the religious life—the choice one makes in this vocational arena is of paramount importance. A wrong choice due to excessive noise, little or no reflection, bad advice from worldly friends can prove to be nothing less than a disaster.

For this reason, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who has bequeathed to the world the Spiritual Exercises, offers a series of reflections, meditations, so as to help the retreatant discern what is his/her state of life. This Ignatian process of discernment done in SILENCE and reflection with a well-trained spiritual director can prove to be invaluable in choosing one’s vocation, giving honor and glory to God, and pursuing one’s own personal conversion and sanctification. This cannot be done without silence!

5. THE EXAMPLE OF ST. JOSEPH

Great Saint Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus who is the Eternal Son of the Father; Saint Joseph is also the husband of Mary, the Queen of angels and saints. Theology gives to Saint Joseph the cult of protodulia—first in veneration among the saints. A very interesting note about the great Saint Joseph is his profound silence. We have no recorded word of Saint Joseph in all of Sacred Scripture. The silence of Saint Joseph speaks eloquently. He was silent, as an example to us, so that we would learn in silence to listen to the Word of God and put it into practice.

In sum, may we all appreciate and value SILENCE. If done with an attitude of prayer, God will speak most eloquently in the depths of our hearts.