Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Saint Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

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

Thursday, September 16th   Lk. 7: 36-50   “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

First points for reflection:

• The Pharisee, Simon says to himself: “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Simon probably thinks he is not a sinner, whereas the woman knows she is.

• We are reminded of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

• The tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

• Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

• In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Pharisee, Simon: “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

Second Points for reflection:

• Scripture says, “The just man falls seven times and rises again.” (Prov. 24:16) How often do we examine our conscience? When we prepare for Confession? Once every two weeks? Once a month? Every two months, maybe longer?

• St. Ignatius exhorts us to examine our conscience daily! Fr. Ed gives the example, the closer we get to the light, the more we can see the spots on our white shirt or dress!

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! (Ps. 136:1)

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 to see the totality of how you lived that 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 your exterior actions, you want to beg for the grace to see 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 become aware again of God’s incredible goodness and His many gifts to you in the past day; give thanks again 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 this 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! In our daily Examen, He will become all the more real to us. In truth, we are never alone! God became man, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise to eternal life. It is to this life He calls us. If you like, He will become your Best Friend, always at your side. He wants you to share every moment of your 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, two 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 a 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. If you miss a day, begin again, start back up the very next day.

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

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

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

Wednesday, September 15th   Lk. 2: 33-35   OUR LADY OF SORROWS    “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then he said to the disciple ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

• Let us enter into the Two Hearts that love and suffer for us and our eternal salvation more than anyone else can, by contemplating one of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the Crucifixion of Jesus.

FIFTH SORROW OF MARY – JESUS IS CRUCIFIED.

BIBLICAL PASSAGE:  Jn 19: 16-30. (READ AND CONTEMPLATE SLOWLY)  

In this fifth sorrow, Mary is witnessing with her own eyes and her own sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, her beloved son, Jesus suffering a most cruel death nailed to a cross.

BE THERE WITH MARY.  In your prayerful contemplation be present with Mary as she watches the soldiers roughly thrust His Sacred Body onto the cross. She sees them extend Jesus’ hand that blessed the children and healed the sick, and nail it to the wood of the cross. Blood comes spurting forth—the Precious Blood that Mary gave to Jesus. As they extend His other hand, Gibson’s film shows His shoulder being brutally and mercilessly pulled out of the joint as Jesus writhes in pain. As Our Lady witnesses this, the sword of sorrow pierces her heart.

HIS FEET.  Next they nail to the wood of the cross Jesus’ feet, no more to walk about bringing Good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, sight to the blind, and liberty to the oppressed—the rejected and abandoned of society. (Lk 4:18) The feet that Mary watched taking their first steps are now fastened tightly to the cross with nails. His Sacred Blood comes gushing forth to forgive our sins and attain for us eternal salvation. Let us thank Mary for giving to Jesus His Sacred Humanity that He offers now as a holocaust for our salvation!

THE CROSS LIFTED UP.  Be with Mary as the cross is elevated on high and then roughly thrust into the ground, racking Jesus Body with more pain. Our Lady watches with her eyes and contemplates in her Immaculate and sorrowful heart all that Jesus is willing to suffer for our redemption, and in her heart, she again gives her fiat.

JESUS’ LAST WORDS.  With Our Lady, let us stand underneath the cross and contemplate Jesus lacerated and bloody body. Let us listen to the words that He pronounces as He ends His earthly life. Jesus ascends the pulpit for the last time and delivers His most eloquent sermon. We are present with Mary to listen to His words attentively. The Gospel highlights the attitude of Mary: “For her part, Mary pondered the Word of God in her heart.” (Lk 2:19) Our Lady can teach us to pray and to ponder the Word of God in our hearts. Jesus reminds us: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4)

Now with Mary, let us listen to the last words of Jesus and derive much spiritual fruit. Which words of Jesus touch you the most right now?   

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS:

1) “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

2) “I thirst.”

3) “Woman behold thy son; son behold thy Mother.” From that moment the beloved disciple received Mary into his home.

4) “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”

5) “Amen, amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

6) “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”

7) “It is finished.”

THREE STYLES/FORMS OF LIFE—UNDERNEATH THE CROSS.  Venerable Fulton J. Sheen states that beneath the cross we encounter three forms of life…          

FIRST, SAINT MARY MAGDALENE.  Once a public sinner, she was converted by the love of Jesus and the loving presence of Mary. Jesus actually cast seven devils from her. The Magdalene is symbolic of PENITENCE—she was a truly penitent sinner, with tears of sorrow, and a firm purpose of amendment of life.

SECOND, SAINT JOHN.  He was the Beloved disciple who laid his head on the most Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Last Supper. Saint John represents the PRIESTHOOD. Furthermore, in the person of Saint John we have all of humanity. Why? Because when Jesus was giving Mary as Mother to Saint John, He was giving Mary to all of humanity, and to each of us individually as our universal Mother! From that time, John took Mary into his home. The deeper spiritual meaning of this is that Saint John was taking Our Lady into the very depths of his heart. We also want to take Mary into the depths of our hearts now and always! 

SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD.  In the midst of these great sorrows, we are called to rejoice because we are not orphans, and we will never be orphans, because Our Lady, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of all of humanity, is truly our Mother too! See yourself as a little child in the arms of Mary.  Jesus Himself reminds us: “Unless you become like a little child you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3) Our Lady will teach us, just as she taught Saint Therese and Saint Faustina the importance of spiritual childhood. Indeed, Our Lady’s love for all of us, and each and every one of us individually, far transcends what we could ever imagine! Saint Augustine expresses the reality of Mary’s spiritual maternity in these words: “If you were to put all the love, of all of the mothers, of all times and places together, then the love that Mary has for you is much greater!” Indeed how great is Our Lady’s love for God, and for you and me! Stop to reflect on this truth and talk to Mary about your great desire to be her son/daughter.

THIRD, OUR LADY.  Magdalene represents Penitence. John represents the Priesthood, as well as our Spiritual Childhood as Mary is our spiritual Mother. Finally, Our Lady represents INNOCENCE. Our Lady was conceived without the stain of Original Sin, and she lived sinless, never giving in to even the slightest sin during the whole course of her earthly life! As the poet Wordsworth expressed about Our Lady: “Woman! Above all women glorified, our tainted nature’s solitary boast.” Therefore, as we stand with the most pure, innocent and sorrowful Mother at the foot of the cross, we want to honestly beg her for the grace to recognize our sinfulness, and then beg Mary most holy for the grace to renounce all sin in our lives! “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

MARY’S INTERCESSION IN OUR MORAL STRUGGLES. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins! In our temptations, let us turn to Our Lady and beg for strength to resist. In our falls and failures let us turn to Our Lady and beg for a true change and conversion of heart. In our weakness, let us beg Our Lady for the grace to renounce sin through frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Confession and frequent and fervent Holy Communions, so that we can die to sin and rise up to new life in Christ Jesus!

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

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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

Tuesday, September 14th   Jn. 3: 13-17   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

• The little child asked Jesus, “How much do you love me?” Jesus stretched his arms and hands on the cross and said: “I love you this much!”

FIFTEEN WAYS JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED IN LOVE FOR US… Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen comments on the many names and titles that we can give for Jesus. Jesus is often called the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Bread of Life, and the Living Water. He might also be called the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, as well as the Good Shepherd.

However, the name that most perfectly exemplifies the purpose of Jesus’s coming and the purpose of His death and Resurrection is that of Savior! Jesus’ mission was to save all of humanity, our immortal souls from the clasp of the devil and the fiery pit of hell.

Jesus went beyond simple actions to save all of humanity, as well as the soul of each and every one of us individually. He went to the extreme limits!

Jesus chose to undergo all of the most excruciating pains of His Passion and death to save all of humanity and that includes your individual soul. How precious you and your soul are in the eyes of Jesus the Lord!

Saint Ignatius of Loyola points out that Jesus went to the extremes of suffering in His Passion for two reasons:

1) To show us the gravity and serious reality of sin—sin nailed the God man to the tree.

2) LOVE.  “There is no greater love than to die for the one you love.” Especially Jesus choosing the most humiliating and painful of deaths—that of the Roman crucifixion!

CHRIST SUFFERED FOR LOVE OF US…

Jesus willingly, totally, and lovingly underwent all of the most excruciating pains for the love of you and me. Still more, Jesus would have willing undergone these sufferings if you were the only one in the whole universe.

How precious are you and the salvation of your immortal soul in the eyes of Almighty God!

Spend some time in silence to contemplate these many manners of the suffering of Jesus!

1. Suffering

Jesus was sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane — all for your soul! Big drops of His Precious Blood trickled to the ground.

Lord, you willingly suffered for our sins out of love!

2. Abandonment

The defection of His best Friends. He suffered this for your immortal soul. Friends abandoning us when we most need their presence and friendship is bitter indeed.

Lord, have mercy on us when we neglect coming to you in prayer, and in the Sacraments of Confession and Mass and Holy Communion.

3. The Scourging at the Pillar

Jesus was brutally bound, stripped, and then mercilessly whipped to the point that His Sacred Body was reduced to an open, gaping wound. All of this for love, pure love! Pools of His Precious Blood bathed the ground for love of you and me.

Lord, have mercy on us for the times we dressed and acted immorally.

4. The Crown of Thorns

They pressed a crown of sharp and piercing thorns on His head that penetrated His brow and skull, even to His brain. This was the price of our immortal redemption!

Lord, have mercy on us for immoral and sinful thoughts!

5. The Cross

The cross He carried was loaded with all of the sins of the world, including your sins and mine. So heavy was the cross that Jesus fell more than once under the heavy weight.

Lord, forgive us our trespasses.

6. The Wounding of His Shoulder

St. Bernard and other saints have meditated on a very painful wound —the bloody wound from the heavy weight of the cross cutting into His shoulder. Jesus carried your sins and mine, allowing His shoulder to be cut and splintered to the bone, shouldering all of our moral misery.

O Lord, we carry but a splinter of the cross, and you carry the rest!

7. The Weight

The weight of the cross, the sun and heat of the day, caused Jesus to sweat immensely.

O Lord, you bore all this for love of poor sinners.

8. Stripping of His Garments

Jesus approached the top of Mount Calvary, where his crucifixion awaited Him. The soldiers brutally grabbed Him and ripped off His garments. By doing so His wounds were opened again causing blood to pour forth like a stream. Jesus suffered this for the sins against the virtue of modesty and against the virtue of chastity!

O Lord, grant us pure minds, bodies and souls!

9. Crucifixion.

Finally Jesus arrived at His destiny — the top of the hill called Calvary. Awaiting Him there was even more intense suffering — that of the crucifixion.

When Jesus’ sacred Hands were nailed to the cross, His precious Blood came gushing forth. His feet were nailed to the cross and once again Blood came gushing forth—all of this to repair for the many times that we have used our hands, feet and members to offend God in many different ways.

Lord, have mercy on us! Lord forgive us! Now, O Lord, I give you my hands and feet to serve you in others!

10. Insults.

As Jesus hung between heaven and earth, suffering His last hours in bitter agony, still more sufferings descended upon Him. There were those close to the cross who shouted out bitter words and insults.

Not only did Jesus suffer physical abuse, but also verbal abuse. The angry and bitter words cut into His very heart and soul. However, Jesus did not become bitter. Rather, He responded with these words… 

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Jn 23:34)

11. Apparent, total abandonment

One of the worst sufferings imaginable is to think that even God has abandoned or forsaken you! Saint John of the Cross explains this in his mystical writings called “The Dark Night of the Soul”.

Jesus experienced this dark night of the soul in the apparent absence of the Face of His eternal Father—at least in His human nature He cried out: “My God, My God why have you abandoned me.” Jesus suffered this willingly for those who have abandoned God by rejecting Him or by giving in to serious sin, another way we reject the Presence of God.

Lord, there is no limit to the suffering you are willing bear for our sins!

12. Unrepentant thief

Until the end, Jesus was working to save souls. One of the thieves, despite the over-flowing mercy of Jesus, hardened his heart all the more. Indeed one of the greatest sufferings of Jesus was to experience His infinite love rejected.

Lord, may our love for you bring comfort to your wounded Heart.

13. Exhaustion! Physically, Jesus lost so much of His Sacred Blood that His breathing became all the more labored. His exhaustion became extreme. Up to the very end, Jesus was giving all He had to save souls.

Jesus, how great is your love of us!

14. Indifference

There, underneath the cross, the soldiers shot dice to see who would win the garments of Jesus — with total indifference to the Person and mission of Jesus. How much Jesus suffers to this very day due to religious indifference, apathy and a nonchalant “who-cares” or “whatever” attitude of life.

Jesus came to cast fire in a world cloaked in a dense cloud of indifference! May God have mercy on us for taking Him for granted!!!

Lord Jesus, set my heart on fire for love for you and love for the salvation of immortal souls!

15. Love, but not loved.

Possibly the greatest interior agony of Jesus was the hard and cruel fact of His mission of love being rejected. Jesus gives freedom to every individual on earth. Therefore, He forces Himself on nobody. His love not being accepted, especially His love manifested by His suffering, caused Jesus mortal anguish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, meditate slowly and fervently upon all of the different ways or manners that Jesus willingly suffered for you and the eternal salvation of your immortal soul. Then meditate upon the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and act on these words: “What have I done for Jesus Christ? What am I doing for Jesus Christ? What will I do for Jesus Christ?”

May Our Lady, who suffered and offered herself to Jesus for the salvation of countless souls, help us to appreciate more and more the infinite love that God has for your soul and for mine. We have been redeemed, not by gold or silver nor the blood of animals, but by the Precious Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

Monday, September 13th   Lk. 7: 1-10   Jesus and the Centurion….

Part One:

“The centurion sent friends to tell him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof… say the word and let my servant be healed.’ Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s response, saying, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’”

Part Two:

There is another expression of faith in the Gospels where a father begs Jesus to heal his son possessed by an evil spirit (Mk 9: 17-27):

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ^‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’

‘If you can’? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief!’

Jesus rebuked the impure spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said. ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.”

Part Three:

In our lives, we have our own test of faith in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. At the time of Communion, the priest genuflects, takes the consecrated host and holding it slightly raised above the chalice, says aloud: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”

Then together with the people, the priest says: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

How firm is our faith in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist, in Holy Communion that we receive and consume for the transformation of our heart, mind, body, and soul?

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’ He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.” (Jn 6: 53-59)

There are some whose daily responsibilities simply do not permit them to participate in daily Mass and Holy Communion. This is not addressed to them. Yet there are others who could make the sacrifice to participate in daily Mass and Holy Communion, but are unwilling to do so with their litany of excuses. They can deceive others; they can even deceive themselves, believing their own lies; but they cannot deceive God!

Why make an issue of daily Mass and Holy Communion when it is not required? Because while not a requirement of law, it is a requirement of love. If our beloved Savior humbles Himself to come to us daily under the appearance of bread, desiring to unite Himself to us in an ever deeper union, how can we turn a blind eye, deaf ear, and deaf heart to such a profound love!

The most profound and intimate Gift of Love that we can have in this life, is the intimacy of receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, our Lord God and Savior, into our heart, mind, body and soul daily, thereby transforming us a little more each time into Himself. Let us leave this on the heart of each reader. How are you responding to Jesus’ yearning for deeper union of heart, mind, and soul with you, with all the gifts of grace and virtues that He alone can impart to you? Always remembering that deeper union with Jesus in Holy Communion brings deeper union with our brothers and sisters in Christ, for we truly become One Body in Christ!

Part Four – Final Reflection:

Taken from Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) – Pope Francis’ First Encyclical…

Personal Experience of Christ.

In faith, Christ is not simply the one in whom we believe, the supreme manifestation of God’s love; He is also the one with whom we are united precisely in order to believe. Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus Himself sees them, with His own eyes: it is a participation in His way of seeing.

St. John brings out the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus for our faith by using various forms of the verb “to believe.” In addition to “believing that” what Jesus tells us is true, John also speaks of “believing” Jesus and “believing in” Jesus.

We “believe” Jesus when we accept His word, His testimony, because He is truthful. We “believe in” Jesus when we personally welcome Him into our lives and journey toward Him, clinging to Him in love, and following in His footsteps along the way.

To enable us to know, accept, and follow Him, the Son of God took on our flesh. Christian faith is faith in the Incarnation of the Word and His bodily Resurrection; it is faith in a God who is so close to us that He entered our human history.

St. Paul has left us a description of the life of faith. In accepting the gift of faith, believers become a new creation; they receive a new being; as God’s children, they are now “sons in the Son.” The phrase “Abba, Father,” so characteristic of Jesus’ own experience, now becomes the core of the Christian experience. The life of faith as a filial existence, is the acknowledgement of a primordial and radical gift that upholds our lives.

Salvation by faith means recognizing the primacy of God’s gift. As St. Paul puts it, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God.” Faith’s new way of seeing things is centered on Christ. Faith in Christ brings salvation because in Him our lives become radically open to a love that precedes us, a love that transforms us from within, acting in us and through us.

Faith knows that God has drawn close to us, that Christ has been given to us as a great gift that inwardly transforms us, dwells within us, and thus bestows on us the light that illumines the origin and the end of life.

We come to see the difference, then, that faith makes for us. Those who believe are transformed by the love to which they have opened their hearts in faith. By their openness to this offer of primordial love, their lives are enlarged and expanded. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). “May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17).

Ecclesial Experience of Christ

The self-awareness of the believer now expands because of the presence of Another; it now lives in this Other and thus, in this love, life takes on a whole new breadth. Here we see the Holy Spirit at work. The Christian can see with the eyes of Jesus and share in His mind, His filial disposition, because he or she shares in His love, which is the Spirit.

In this way, the life of the believer becomes an ecclesial existence, a life lived in the Church. When St. Paul tells the Christians of Rome that all who believe in Christ make up one body, he urges them not to boast of this.

Those who believe come to see themselves in the light of the faith they profess: Christ is the mirror in which they find their own image fully realized. And just as Christ gathers to Himself all those who believe and makes them His body, so the Christian comes to see himself or herself as a member of this body, in an essential relationship with all other believers.

The image of a body brings out the vital union of Christ with believers and of believers among themselves. Christians are “one” but in a way that does not make them lose their individuality; in service to others, they come into their own in the highest degree.

Thus Faith is necessarily ecclesial; it is professed from within the Body of Christ as a concrete communion of believers. It is against this ecclesial backdrop that faith opens the individual Christian toward all others.

Christ’s word, by virtue of its power at work in the heart of the Christian, becomes a response, a spoken word, a profession of faith…. It is meant to find expression in words and to be proclaimed. For “how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14).

End of Reflection on Lumen Fidei by Pope Francis

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

Sunday, September 12th   Mk. 8: 27-35   The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it.”

Part One: Celebrate The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary with the Oblate Community, taken from Oblates of the Virgin Mary website, posted September 10, 2020

Part Two: What are the Evangelical Counsels? From the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Part One:

Celebrate The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary with the Oblate Community.

The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary honors the Virgin Mary and marks the very mention of her name as holy and deserving of respect and devotion. Through this post, we’ll walk through the significance and history of her feast day before noting its importance to the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. For those of you who are familiar with the Oblates and our spirituality, it will come as no surprise that all Oblates are called to renew their vows on this special feast day. 

What is The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary?

The Most Holy Name of Mary feast day honors Mary, the Mother of God, as blessed. It takes place each year on September 12th, four days after the feast of the Birth of the Blessed Mother. The feast day encourages us all to pray for her intercession to deepen our love of Christ and our relationship with the Lord.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “We venerate the name of Mary because it belongs to her who is the Mother of God, the holiest of creatures, the Queen of heaven and earth, the Mother of Mercy. The object of the feast is the Holy Virgin bearing the name of Mirjam (Mary); the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God and all the graces we have received through her intercession and mediation.”

History of the Holy Name of Mary Feast Day

The Most Holy Name of Mary originated in Spain in the sixteenth century. In 1683, Pope Innocent XI extended the feast day to the universal Church and gave it the September 12th date. The date is significant because it marks a battle victory for Christian Europe against the Muslim Turks.

The Christians prayed for the intercession of Mary throughout their long and arduous campaign before achieving victory.

Celebrating the Most Holy Name of Mary

There is no better way to celebrate the Most Holy Name of Mary than by attending Mass, whether that be online or in person. To honor Mary on this feast day, you might also consider the following prayers and reflections:

• Pray and spend time reflecting upon the Hail Mary
• Pray one or more of these prayers for Mary’s intercession
• Pray and reflect upon the Rosary
• Use the Ven. Bruno Lanteri Prayer Booklet for your prayers

Importance to the Oblate Communities

The Oblates of the Virgin Mary have a special connection with Mary and pray often for her intercession. Venerable Bruno Lanteri, who founded the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, said “the Congregation of the Oblates is not my work, but the work of Mary Most Holy… She is its foundress, its mother, and its teacher.” The devotion of the Oblates is also expressed through our motto, “Think of Mary; call out to Mary.”

You can read more about the connection between the Oblates and the Virgin Mary in the book, Men of Mercy, Sons of Mary: The Lanterian Way by Dr. Cabrini Pak.

“I have known almost no other mother than Mary most holy, and throughout my life I have received nothing but caresses from such a good Mother.”

Venerable Bruno Lanteri

Renewal of Vows

Each year, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary by renewing their vows and dedication to Our Lord and Our Lady.

“In his life of consecration an Oblate should remember that, just as God continuously calls him to the intimacy of love, equally constant must be his generous and faithful response. He should therefore frequently examine his fidelity in collaborating with God who works within him. In this spirit it is convenient to renew the consecration even with the whole community in the celebration of the solemnity of the Most Holy Name of Mary, September 12. On the same day they also renew with the whole community their act of entrustment to Our Lady.”

Norm 12.1 of our Rule

Part Two: What are the Evangelical Counsels? From the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Evangelical counsels, consecrated life…

CCC 915 … The perfection of charity, to which all the faithful are called, entails for those who freely follow the call to consecrated life the obligation of practicing chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom, poverty and obedience. It is the profession of these counsels, within a permanent state of life recognized by the Church that characterizes the life consecrated to God.⁴⁵⁴

CCC 916 … The state of consecrated life is thus one way of experiencing a “more intimate” consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God.⁴⁵⁵ In the consecrated life, Christ’s faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.⁴⁵⁶

One great tree, with many branches…

CCC 917 … “From the God-given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of the religious life lived in solitude or in community. Different religious families have come into existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied for the progress in holiness of their members and for the good of the entire Body of Christ.”⁴⁵⁷

CCC 918 … From the very beginning of the Church there were men and women who set out to follow Christ with greater liberty, and to imitate him more closely, by practicing the evangelical counsels. They led lives dedicated to God, each in his own way. Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became hermits or founded religious families. These the Church, by virtue of her authority, gladly accepted and approved.⁴⁵⁸