Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

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

 THURSDAY, March 4th   Lk. 16: 19-20   Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.”

• There are so many Lazaruses on our doorstep! Every person we encounter in our day is someone to acknowledge, listen to, and affirm in some way! Every person needs to be recognized in their own unique individuality.            

Part 1:  Lazarus and the Rich Man…  Excerpts from a talk by Sister Mary Clare, O.C.D.

Part 2:  LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: Lazarus and the Rich Man…  Excerpts from a talk by Sister Mary Clare, O.C.D.

There is no authentic Catholic spirituality that is not social. So if you ever come across a spirituality that says you can reach union with God, which is our ultimate goal, in isolation, you cannot do that, and that is not authentically Catholic.

We are meant to live as the Body of Christ in communion with one another. It’s really important to think about our spirituality and how it integrates into what we do every day. We are human beings made in the image and likeness of God and we have to know how we integrate who we are, our being, into what we do every day.

The three reflections that I want to look at today are: encounter with Christ, encounter with our neighbor, and discernment in practice.

In today’s society, we really have a crisis of meaning. What is life all about? And this leads to a sense of alienation. There’s a sense of loss, a sense of mourning in our society because of this.

We have a disposable culture, right? We think about life in prospect and for us it’s cheap and disposable. Just get rid of it. It’s an inconvenience (legalized abortion). We think about life in fact and it’s expensive and disposable. We can’t afford you, so we’ll get rid of you (legalized euthanasia)

That’s the kind of society mentality that we’re thinking in.

And in order to solve it, we’re grasping after truths. We’re trying to find out, “What’s the truth?” When we really need to be seeking the Truth with a capital “T”, right?  That’s going to be the answer to our problems.

We can only do that, we can only change, if we begin with ourselves. Be souls of prayer or else you will have nothing to give. We need to encounter Christ in our daily life. That means taking time out. That means spending time with Our Lord. I’ve got to encounter the Person of Christ.

In order to treat others with dignity, I must first know mine. I must know what it means to be a child of God, right? I must know what it means to be made in His image and likeness. I must experience that I have been called into being by name for a purpose. And once I’ve experienced that, then I can experience that you have been called into being by name for a purpose and reverence it.

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me to drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. Christ will give to us, but we must go to Him. He wants to give to us in abundance. I’m not perfect; I’m broken; I need to be redeemed. But I am not disposable. I’m not dispensable. I have a mission that no one else can fill. I have to believe that about myself, right? I have to know His grace is abundant.

Next is our encounter with our neighbor. As I said before, all Catholic spirituality is social. We’re meant to live in community. We’re created to live in community. And that’s true because we’re made in the image of the Trinity who is an eternal community, right? An eternal communion of three Persons. So we can’t ever let that go.

The primary way we experience community is obviously through marriage and the family; but then that extends out to the broader community of the Body of Christ, the Church; and then even beyond that into the broader community of the human family, of everyone created as a child of God.

Going back to our encounter with Christ and how this fits into neighbor, when I look at Christ, I look into the face of Christ. John Paul would say that a lot, right? Contemplating the face of Christ, He mirrors back to me who I am. He mirrors back to me my value and my dignity. 

We do the same with each other. When you look at me, the questions that come unconsciously to your mind are, “Do you see me?  Do you care?” And the immediate next questions that come to mind are, “Does anybody care?” And “Does God?” So can you see how important our interaction with our neighbor is? Because if they’re not experiencing through us that human love, how can they experience the love of God? We must do that for one another.

God puts into our paths every day the persons He desires for us to encounter. We don’t have to go looking. What we need to do is to pray for the grace of eyes to see as Christ sees. To see my neighbor, to see the person in front of me, as Christ sees them. To be able to see their need and then meet it, right? So realizing what our limitations are, what am I called to do? What’s best for the person in front of me at the moment? I may not be able to help them, but I can know somebody to refer them to. Always in that mutual self-gift. This is what we can do on a daily basis in our own lives, and what we’re called to do, one person at a time.

When we take it into the broader social picture, realize that this really is a forum of evangelization for us, and we cannot evangelize a culture that we don’t love. There’s going to be opinions that we disagree with. There’s going to be views that are objectively wrong and we can’t condone that. We must work to correct those, but we have to do it in a spirit of love. Love others back into Truth.

So discernment in practice. Ignatius tells us, first look at your state of life. Am I married?  My first obligation is to my spouse and to my family, right? We have to have that work/life balance. Because my second vocation is what I do and how I bring Christ into the world.  Anything else beyond that is extra. We have to make our choices based on that. The demand of love in front of me! Who’s the person that God has put into my path at the moment and how must I love them? In one of his homilies Bishop Vasha, talking about Lazarus at the door, said each of us must ask, “Who’s at my doorstep?”

Finally, what is the need of my local Church? Am I helping to fulfill that need or am I off doing my own thing. That’s something to look at.

“May God Our Lord be pleased and continue to bless our poor work, so insignificant in comparison to what He deserves, but all that He’s asking of us. That’s all He wants of us.  And in doing that we will come to union with Him and we will bring others to Him one person at a time. Be what you are supposed to be – a saint! For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)

PART 2:  LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Erich Fromm, a modern psychologist coined this immortal maxim: “If you are what you have, and you lose what you have, who are you?”  The greatest rock n’ roll group ever, The Beatles, composed a song, “Money can’t buy me love.” Another has offered this pearl of wisdom: “Your possessions possess you!” The Bible, the Word of God, expresses the same truth succinctly: “Love for money is the root of all evil!” Greed, sometimes called “avarice”, is one of the seven Capital Sins. In this brief essay we would like to define Greed, explain its origin, and describe practical steps to overcome this interior attitude that must be overcome if one truly desires to attain to a fully developed Christian life!

ORIGIN!  Greed is one of the seven Capital Sins, and like the other six; its origin can be traced back to our first parents when they committed the first sin, known as Original Sin. This sin caused universal repercussions upon the totality of the human race. It’s like a tsunami of immorality, set off by two people but influencing everyone in the human race (except Jesus and Mary). The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, calls it “concupiscence”— the interior tendency, proclivity or inclination that pulls or tugs us toward evil or sin!

DEFINITION!  Greed is the disordered desire for material things. The Book of Genesis constantly reminds us that all of creation is “good.” The evil is not to be found in the reality of creation, but in the human heart’s disordered desire for it! Actually, two of the Ten Commandments refer directly to Greed: the 7^th, “Thou shalt not steal”, and the 10th,  “Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s goods.”

A rich young man who knew the Ten Commandments approached Jesus and asked the Lord the way to eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the Ten Commandments; this he claimed he had done. Then Jesus looked at him with love and challenged him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have, give it to the poor, then come and follow me!” The young man’s face fell and he left the Lord sad. The reason? His possessions, possessed him! He had many possessions and was overly attached to them, preferring them to the Person of Jesus Christ! Never again does he appear in the Gospels!

In a society that has an over-abundance of things, becoming inordinately attached can happen almost imperceptibly, like a frog slowly boiling in a pot of water as the water is being heated to the boiling point!

Judas Iscariot fell in love with money and fell out of love with Jesus Christ! Ananias and Sapphira, husband and wife, whom we find in the Acts of the Apostles, were infected with greed and were struck dead for lying to Saint Peter. At the root cause was their greed, their insatiable desire for “things”.

A striking parable, related to the dangers of greed, is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man (Lk. 16: 19-31) A poor man, Lazarus, lies outside the gate of the rich man day and night. His body is filled with sores, even the dogs come to lick his sores, and he is dying of hunger. What a piteous state! In contrast, the rich man is dressed in fine purple, and feasts sumptuously at the table every day. Never once does he lift his hand to offer Lazarus so  much as a piece of bread.

After their deaths, the Rich man finds himself in torture in the pit of hell and longing for a drop of water to refresh his tongue from the fiery torments. The poor man, Lazarus, rests in heaven in the bosom of Father Abraham.

What was the principle reason for the eternal loss of the Rich man? It was not for anything that he did – (sins of commission); rather, it was for what he failed to do: the sin of omission. His greed blinded him totally to the poor man outside his gate, Lazarus, who was really Jesus Christ in disguise. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you did not feed me; I was thirsty and you failed to give me to drink. Whatsoever you failed to do to the least of my brothers that you failed to do to me.” (Mt. 25: 42,45).

How then can we conquer the sin of greed that might be lurking or hiding in the depths of our soul? Let’s give some concrete steps or advice to win the battle!

1. ADMIT IT AND CONFESS IT!  If after a thorough examination of conscience and consultation with your Spiritual Director or Confessor, you have detected greed as an insidious worm gnawing away at your interior life, then admit it, confess it and beg for healing. Jesus is the “Spiritual Physician” of our soul. He has come to heal the wounds of our sins!

2. MEDITATE ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST!  A constant and deep meditation on the life of Jesus can help to transform our spiritual perspective, our outlook on life, on material reality, and even the attitude of our heart. Follow this brief thumbnail sketch of His life: born in the stable of Bethlehem of poor parents, spent years working as a carpenter, forty days and nights in the desert fasting from all food and drink, three years without any permanent abode, “The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head”, stripped of His garments and scourged, nailed to the cross and abandoned by nearly everyone, dying and giving up almost every drop of His Precious Blood, finally being buried in a borrowed tomb— all of this a summary of the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!

3. MEDITATE ON THE LAST THINGS! One day I must die, be judged by Jesus, and either Heaven or Hell awaits me. Looking at my many possessions, are they a stepping stone or stumbling block for me to arrive at heaven? The richest man in the world and the poorest man will end up in the same place: six feet beneath the ground! Saint Francis Borgia. S.J., the Duke of Gandhi, admired the beautiful Queen who died suddenly. As he followed the casket of the Queen, the door of the casket popped open, and Francis saw this beautiful woman with her face being eaten by worms! Upon meditating on the transitory reality of beauty and wealth, Francis left all to enter the Religious life, and then became a Jesuit, a priest and a great saint!

4. LEARN TO GIVE GENEROUSLY! St. Paul challenges us to give! “There is more joy in giving than in receiving!” Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who gave all away to follow Jesus in serving the poorest of the poor, asserted: “Give until it hurts!” One of the greatest modern saints, Mother Teresa’s lifelong desire was to quench the thirst of Jesus by serving the poorest of the poor. For her, Jesus was truly present in the “distressing disguise of the poor.”

5. DO NOT WORRY, BUT TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CARE.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us not to worry, especially about material things – food or clothing. Look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. God watches over them. The key is these words of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be given to you.” If you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, then you indeed are the richest of all! Having God living within the depths of your soul is already living out the Kingdom of God that is truly within!  Remember: “If God is with us who can be against us?”

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary

St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

 

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

 WEDNESDAY, March 3rd   Mt. 20: 17-28   Jesus summoned them and said: “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• As Catholics we are familiar Matthew 25: 31-46, the Final Judgment, when Christ the King will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
• ^“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me….Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
• What Catholics hear less about, and perhaps practice less, are the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Let us enrich out Lenten offering to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, by putting into practice one or more of these works of mercy.

Seven Ways to Practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy by Fr, Ed Broom, OMV

We are all encouraged by the Lord, especially by reading and meditating on Mt. 25: 31-46, to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy—to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to welcome the foreigner, and to visit both the sick and the imprisoned.

In sum, our Final Judgment will be based largely on love of God but manifested in our love for neighbor. Indeed, using the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “We must find Jesus present in the distressing disguise of the poor.” Saint Vincent de Paul, known for his great love for the poor, actually called the poor “his masters”.

Corporal works of mercy done with the most noble of intentions pleases the Heart of Jesus immensely. However, it is equally important to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Jesus said point blank: “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process. What can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt. 16: 26)  Pope Francis lamented that one of the most common and grave neglects is the failure to preach the Word of God to the poor. First, fill their hungry stomachs. But then, fill their souls with the Bread of the Word of God and the Bread of Life, which is Holy Communion.

In this short essay we would like to go through the seven spiritual works of mercy and give some ways we can implement these all important spiritual injunctions!

First of all, the Spiritual Works of Mercy are the following:

1) Admonish the sinner;

2) Instruct the ignorant;

3) Counsel the doubtful;

4) Comfort the sorrowful;

5) Bear wrongs patiently;

6) Forgive all injuries;

7) Pray for the living and the dead.

There we have the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy. Let us take them one at a time! 

1. Admonish the Sinner

Easier said than done! Doing this can be extremely difficult but it is exceedingly necessary, now more than ever! Why is it so difficult? For the simple reason that we are born proud and do not desire to give up old and ingrained habits. If they are bad habits, they are called “vices”. We often cling to the evil, the dirty, the ugly, the impure, the unhealthy, and the sinful.

A common example merits our attention. Those who co-habit are living in sin and somebody should tell them, giving clear reasons why this is wrong. What might be the reasons to explain why it is wrong? Here are some. Premarital sex or fornication is a mortal sin. You deprive yourself of the Sacraments, both of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. You erode your conscience. You are giving public scandal, no matter how many others may be doing it. Might, or a majority, does not make right in the eyes of God.

God so highly prizes admonishing the sinner and bringing him back on the right path that He promises salvation and the expiation of many of our personal sins by simply bringing back one straying sinner. Read the words of the Apostle Saint James (Jas. 5: 19-20):

“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 way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

2. Instruct the Ignorant

We all have heard the proverb: “Charity begins at home.” This is true, especially in the formation of children and adolescents. By choosing the married state, a husband and wife profess to be open to life through procreation. That is the very first step!

Next, it is incumbent upon parents to teach their children all that refers to God—the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, prayer, Marian devotion, and much more! The primary responsibility of parents bringing children into this world is to bring these children to heaven.

The school is not the first teacher, nor the catechism teacher, nor even the Pastor or priest. No! The first teachers must be Mom and Dad. This necessarily implies the process of ongoing or permanent formation on the part of the parents. Another proverb is worthy of injecting here: “You can’t give what you don’t have.”

One field parents must master in the realm of education. for themselves as well as their children, is that of sexual morality. Parents must strive to know the Biblical and Church’s teaching on purity, live it out in their own lives, and then teach it with the utmost clarity to their children!

3. Counsel the Doubtful

Much can be said on this Spiritual Work of Mercy, but we will briefly mention one: the importance of solid spiritual direction. Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Faustina Kowalska, as well as Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, all were strongly dependent on spiritual direction so as to discern God’s will in their lives. They all are canonized saints and one of the reasons is that they humbly admitted that they were ignorant in many ways, had many doubts, and had to submit their judgments, inspirations and thoughts to a higher authority—their Confessors and Spiritual Directors.

Given that there is a shortage of priests, as well as spiritual directors, still it is incumbent upon us to find some way to have periodic spiritual direction so as to expel the many doubts that can easily cloud our mind, blur our judgment, and corrupt our actions. Saint John of the Cross put it wryly: “He who has himself as spiritual director has an idiot as his directee!” In other words, we all have blind spots that can only be enlightened by proper spiritual direction.

4. Comfort the Sorrowful

This is extremely important! Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his rules for Discernment of Spirits, outlines the strategy on how to act when we are in a state of desolation.

In desolation we may feel sad, worn down, exhausted, and alone, as if nobody really cares about us, to the point that life seems useless and without meaning. We all go through this state at times; it is part of being human. This being said, when you are aware of someone going through this state of desolation, it is incumbent on you to do all that you can to be a source of encouragement. How???

First and foremost, pray for the person. Second, a warm smile can go a long way! Third, say a word or two of encouragement. Fourth, offer a compliment on some good quality the person has. Fifth, be willing to listen to them. Sometimes, just speaking their fears and doubts out loud, dissipates them. This is very pleasing to God. We become like Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus to carry His cross.

5. Bear Wrongs Patiently

Once again, easier said than done. In this we need grace and a lot of grace! Maybe at work we have been wronged by a boss or by a co-worker. Changing jobs is unthinkable due to the economic situation. Both the boss and co-worker are not going anywhere. The most pleasing attitude in the eyes of God is simply to return to work with great humility and trust in Divine Providence.

Trust in God! He will be there with you, to help you patiently carry the cross. Of immense help could be to meditate upon Jesus carrying His cross heading towards His crucifixion. Even though Jesus fell three times, He still got up again, with the weight of the sins of the world on His weary, beaten and bloody shoulders.

We should always have Jesus before our eyes as our model and example, Indeed Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

6. Forgive All Injuries

May God help us! We have arrived at the heart of mercy in our dealing with others. Mercy is a two-way street! If we want to receive mercy from God, then we must be merciful and forgive those who have done us wrong. Biblical verses on this topic are many, very many…

• “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6: 36)
• “Do not take revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.’” (Rom. 12: 19)
• “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Eph. 4: 26)
• “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”(Mt. 6: 12  The Our Father)
• “Lord, how many times shall I forgive? Up to seven times?”…”I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt. 18: 21-22)
• “Leave your gift at the altar, and first go and be reconciled with your brother, then come and offer your gift.” (Mt. 5: 24)

Jesus from the cross:

• “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23: 34)
• “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk. 23: 43 – to the repentant thief on the cross.)

One hint in the area of forgiveness. Accept the fact that all of your life people will hurt you. The most common place where we are wounded is in the context of our family, with family members. The key is this: forgive immediately! As soon as anybody hurts or wounds you, pray for that person and forgive them immediately. If done, you will have won a major victory over self, and shown God how much you love Him by practicing mercy!

7. Pray for the Living and the Dead

Jesus told Saint Faustina that He desires that we practice at least one Act of Mercy every day. He specified that mercy can be carried out in one of three manners:

1) By kind words,

2) By kind deeds,

3) By prayer.

One of the greatest acts of charity that we can do in our lives is to simply pray for others, both the living and the dead.

With respect to the living, there should be a hierarchy of importance. If married and with a family, this should be the order: first spouse, then children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, friends, co-workers and associates, and we should also pray for those we do not like and even for our enemies!!!

Then, with respect to the dead, we should pray constantly for the dead. Saint Francis de Sales emphasizes the fact that this is one of the greatest acts of charity that we can do. Why? For this simple reason: they are totally dependent on the mercy of God and on our prayers, almsgiving or charity, as well as our sacrifices to be released from Purgatory.

The Gregorian Mass of a month’s consecutive Masses for the dead came about because Saint Pope Gregory the Great had to pray thirty consecutive Masses so as to free his deceased friend from the fires of Purgatory. A common error today is in funeral Masses, where the deceased person, despite his many moral failures, is being unofficially canonized in the funeral homily, as well as in the eulogy. True, we should be compassionate towards those who have lost their loved ones. Still, we should not canonize the deceased and jump the gun before time. Only the Pope has the right to canonize anyone! The Bible teaches clearly and unequivocally that only the souls pure and without blemish can enter the Kingdom of God. Let us not leave our deceased loved ones and friends in the fires of Purgatory through our failure to pray for them! By God’s grace, we can make reparation for their sins with our prayers and sacrifices, and thereby shorten their time in Purgatory.

Ask yourself, in humble prayer, which of these Spiritual Works of Mercy you believe the Holy Spirit is inspiring you to undertake right now. Look at your concrete living conditions and ask the Holy Spirit to pinpoint persons and areas where you will be able to implement with great generosity one or more of these Spiritual Works of Mercy. Never forget the inspiring and challenging words of Jesus: “Whatsoever you do the least of my brothers that you do unto me.” (Mt. 25: 31-46)

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

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

TUESDAY, March 2nd   Mt. 23: 1-12   “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”        

Part 1: Christians are small people… by Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel (+1964)

Part 2: SANCTITY IN THE SMALL THINGS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV  

PART 1: Christians are small people… by Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel (+1964)

The law of Christ may only be lived by people who are gentle and humble of heart. It is this gentleness and humility which are the characteristics of Jesus Christ in His filial love for God and His fraternal love for human beings. 

Whatever their personal gifts, Christians are small people. Small people, whatever their place in society, their jobs, their possessions, their class, their race, whatever the development and power of the human sciences, whatever the discoveries concerning the prodigious evolution of the human race and its history – in spite of all this, Christians remain people who are small.

Small in God’s presence because God created them and they depend on Him. Whatever the journeys that mark their lives and their fortunes, they came from God and they are going to God. They are gentle like weak, loving children, close to their Father who is strong and loving. They are small because they know that they are in God’s presence and they know only a few things, can do only a few things, and are limited in their love and in their knowledge.

They do not argue about the will of God in the events that happen, nor do they argue about what Christ has commanded them to do, so that in these events they may themselves, for their part, do the will of God.

They are gentle like the trusted and active performers of a work, the enormousness of which is hidden from them, while yet they know their own particular task.

PART 2: SANCTITY IN THE SMALL THINGS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV  

As Jesus watched at the entrance of the Temple the money being thrown into the treasure-box, He did not pay so much attention to the rich and their large sums that they threw in. Indeed, they wanted to be seen and applauded for their abundance given ostentatiously.

Then a poor widow threw a few small coins in the treasure box barely amounting to anything! This was the person that Jesus looked at with great love and approval. Why? Not for the economic substance of her offering—it was barely anything. Rather, Jesus read the depths of her heart. She was giving generously all that she had to live on.

The message is the following: man can see and judge from mere appearances. But Jesus reads the inner movements of the human heart. What often is worthy of praise in the eyes of the world, Jesus despises. On the contrary, what the world deems as insignificant, Jesus highly approves and praises.

Saint Therese and her Little Way can be our way and the way and path to holiness!

Holiness does not depend so much on the greatness of the action, but rather on the intensity of love that accompanies the action.

In other words, the secret to holiness is on a daily basis trying to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love. That is the key! So much so that Saint Therese was known to say: “Pick up a pin from the sewing room floor for the love of God and you can save a soul.” Picking up a pin physically speaking is no big deal! However, if this action is done in the Presence of God, for the intention of pleasing God, and with great purity of intention, then indeed, it has infinite value in the eyes of God!

Most of us are not involved in monumental and monolithic activities that will make the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. On the contrary, many of our actions are the most ordinary and mundane. But they can have infinite value if we know the secret of offering it up to God.

Most of the normal activities of a homemaker do not make the newspaper or the 6:00 PM news. Sweeping the floor; taking out the garbage; buying, preparing, and serving meals and then afterwards cleaning pots, pans and dishes—all of these are the glorious routine of thousands of home-makers and Moms.

If this Mom does this all with an attitude of complaining and a scowl on her face, playing out the role of the poor victim, then her merit in the eyes of God is reduced to almost nothing.

However, if this Mom rises in the morning, offering her day to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and willingly offers everything she does to please God, to sanctify her family, and to save souls, then her actions have great value.

What can be of infinite value for the sanctification of our daily actions are two specific intentions and actions. We do our actions through the powerful intercession of Mary, “God’s masterpiece of creation,” uniting our actions to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

First, the importance of going to Jesus through the intercession of Mary. Mary is the short-cut to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Saint Louis de Montfort paints this image. A poor man wants to give a bruised apple to the King. No way will the poor man have access to the King; much less will the King receive the apple, especially a bruised apple. However, the poor man knows the Queen and the Queen has a real affection for this poor man. The Queen takes the apple, cleans it, polishes it, and places it on a golden platter, next to a beautiful rose. The King, loving the Queen, receives the apple most willingly; not because of the quality of the apple but because of the person who gave him the apple, his lovely bride, the Queen.

Therefore, for us it must be the same! Our actions are like the apple. In and of themselves our actions are often tainted and spoiled by our enormous self-love and egotism. However, if we can give ourselves and our actions to Jesus through the hands and heart of Mary the Queen, then Jesus, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will not refuse it. In other words, Mary can help to ennoble and sanctify our smallest actions.

Second, we must unite our actions and intentions with Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every Holy Mass that is offered has infinite value. Why? For the simple but profound reason that Jesus is offering Himself as a Victim of expiation to the Father. The Father looks at His Son and says: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The Father can deny His Son nothing!

How is this translated from the mystical into the practical? Not too complicated! Go to Mass, but arrive early before Mass has started. Give yourself at least a good 15 minutes.

Now open up your heart to the fullest extent possible with an infinite trust in Jesus, His love for the Father, His love for you, and His love for the entire world. In opening your heart, place all that you were, are, and will be on the altar before Mass has even started. Your day and your activities—place them now all on the altar, everything absolutely everything—hold nothing back! Your cooking and cleaning, your battle with your teenage son, your struggle with your husband, your fear of the future and insecurities in the present, your slight headache and clouded mind!

The key is that you want to place all on the altar even before Mass has started. You are offering yourself and all that you have been, are now, and will be in the course of the day as an offering to the Lord. Every minute detail of who you are, what you are about, what you desire for yourself and your family is of infinite importance to Jesus. Nothing escapes the loving eyes of Jesus. He knows even the number of hairs on your head and when one falls to the ground! The Lord Jesus indeed cares for the whole world, but in particular for each and every one of us individually.

Then when Mass is being offered, especially during the Consecration of His Body and Blood, all that you have placed on the altar is being lifted on high to the Majestic Throne of the Eternal Father who sees you in His beloved Son in whom He is well-pleased. To this Son He can deny nothing.

Then, even more important, receive Holy Communion into the depths of your soul. If you are well-disposed with a heart burning with love for the Lord Jesus, there will be an explosion of graces! Your smallest actions will have infinite value because they have been offered to the Eternal Father through the loving Heart of Jesus! In sum, let us learn the art of sanctity. It is not so much in the greatness of the action, but in our purity of intention. However, of paramount importance is learning to offer ourselves to God through the pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and through Jesus, the spotless Victim offered to God the Father in the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

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

Monday of the Second Week in Lent

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

MONDAY, March 1st   Lk. 6: 36-38   ^“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.’”

• Jesus makes it clear in today’s Gospel that we must be merciful if we hope to receive God’s Mercy on the Day of Judgment! Therefore let us know, understand, and live out Divine Mercy!

LIVING OUT DIVINE MERCY… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

According to both Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Faustina Maria Kowlasksa, the virtue of mercy is the greatest attribute in the Heart of Jesus. This being the case we should strive to understand this virtue and even more important, try to live it out to the full.

Mercy could be defined as God loving and forgiving the sinner. Most clearly can this be seen in the Parable of the Prodigal Son or if you like, the Merciful Father, found in Luke 15: 11-31. The son sinned seriously, but the loving Father forgave him fully by hugging him, kissing him, placing a ring on his finger, giving him new sandals and a new cloak; and if that were not enough the father threw a huge banquet for the wayward son by killing the fatted calf amidst song and dance.

Every time we renounce and repudiate our sins, and our attachment to those sins, and make a good confession, God the Father showers us with many of the same graces. God becomes our loving Father, Jesus our best of brothers, the Holy Spirit our best friend and sweet guest of our soul, and many more choice blessings!  Praise God for His mercy!

 St Faustina and the Diary of Mercy 

The past number of years, there has been a growing knowledge, devotion and love for Divine Mercy as communicated to us through the inspired writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska. Actually Jesus gave her as title, “The Secretary of Divine Mercy”.

To give even greater weight to this modern saint and her writings, Saint Pope John Paul II’s first canonization in the new millennium—on Divine Mercy Sunday—was Saint Faustina Kowlasksa. Nothing happens by chance.

We would like to encourage all to embrace the beautiful and inspiring Doctrine of Mercy by striving to become familiar with Saint Faustina and the Diary of Divine Mercy. Following will be a brief summary of the major tenets of this doctrine.

1. God is Rich in Mercy.
God’s greatest attribute/virtue is His mercy. No matter how grave and numerous our sins, God is always ready and willing to forgive us if we simply say: “Jesus, I am sorry, forgive me!” In a heartbeat, Jesus is ready to forgive even the worst of sinners. Saint Paul reminds us with these words: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.” (Rom. 5:20) Pope Francis teaches us the following on mercy: “God never tires of forgiving us, but we become tired of asking for forgiveness!” The first canonized saint was the Good thief on the cross who pleaded for the mercy of Jesus and the merciful Savior responded: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk. 23:43) Ven. Fulton Sheen wryly rejoins: “And the thief died a thief, because he stole heaven!”

2. We Must Be Merciful.
If we want to receive the mercy of God, this is a two-way street, we in turn must be willing to forgive those who have hurt us and be merciful to them. Jesus once again teaches us: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.”(Lk. 6:36) The most renowned prayer in the world also reminds us—the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” To receive God’s mercy, we must be merciful! Jesus says not just seven times, but seventy times seven times. (Mt. 18:22) Meaning: always!

3. Confession.
God’s mercy is manifested most abundantly upon our soul when we have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession which can also be called the Sacrament of God’s mercy. Jesus expresses mercy in the person of the priest. If you have not been to confession in years, return. Jesus the Merciful Savior is gently and patiently waiting for you.

4. Hour of Mercy.
The Hour of Mercy is 3:00 p.m. The reason is crystal clear: Jesus died at 3:00 p.m. If possible, try to remember this moment every day and offer the dying Savior in His last agony to the Father for the salvation of the whole world, but especially for those who in that hour or on that day are in their last agony. God the Father will never deny His dying Son and His agony anything, or those who unite themselves to His agony.

5. Chaplet of Divine Mercy. 
A beautiful prayer! It is short, it can be prayed in a few minutes! In this we offer to the Father His beloved Son—His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Also, we beg for the salvation of all the souls spread throughout the entire world! We should love what God loves; God has a burning thirst and hunger for the salvation of souls. Remember the motto of the great Saint John Bosco: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.”

6. Novena of Divine Mercy. 
This nine day prayer starts on Good Friday and terminates on Divine Mercy Sunday. The prayer intentions are a model for anybody who sincerely desires to learn the prayer of intercession. Even though this novena properly speaking is done in this span of nine days ending on Divine Mercy Sunday, it can be done at any time during the year with great efficacy for our soul and the souls recommended in the novena. With respect to prayer—communicating with God—we can do it any time, any place, and in any condition of soul that we find ourselves.

7. Daily Act of Mercy.
In the Diary, Jesus encourages all of us to understand mercy, but also to put it into practice every day, even if it is in a very small way. Jesus told Saint Faustina that there are three specific ways that mercy can be practiced.

1) Prayer. By simply praying for the well-being of another person, you are practicing mercy!

2) Words of Kindness. We should all get into the habit of speaking to others using kind words, a kind tone of voice, and with kind gestures. What we do to others, we are really doing to Jesus. He Himself said: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do to me.” (Mt. 25:40) A kind word can lift a soul from deep desolation to peace and consolation! Why not start today!

3) Deeds. Words of kindness are key. However, our words should be supported by deeds of loving kindness. An easy way to make a check-list would be to study the Corporal works of mercy that can be found in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25: 31-46…. “I was hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison, a stranger, and sick…. When? Whatever we did to the least of our brothers, we did it to Jesus Himself!

8. Image of Divine Mercy. 
Jesus commanded Saint Faustina to have an image or painting of Him done. After being approved by her Superior and Spiritual Director, the painting was accomplished. At first, the nun was displeased because she complained that Jesus Himself is much more beautiful. But Jesus returned and told her that His grace would still flow through the image. Why not purchase an image of Divine Mercy and enthrone it in your home as an exterior sign that you desire that Jesus the King of Mercy reign completely in your home.

9. Divine Mercy Sunday.
This falls the Sunday after Easter. Jesus ardently desired that this Feast be celebrated with special solemnity and that on that day the image should be exposed publicly, honored, and venerated! Saint Pope John Paul II was instrumental in instituting this Solemnity. It is not by accident nor by chance that Saint Pope John Paul II was canonized in 2014 on Divine Mercy Sunday, along with Blessed Pope John XXIII! Saint Pope John Paul II taught Divine Mercy, especially in his encyclical “Dives Misericordia”—(God is rich in mercy). Equally important, this great modern saint lived mercy by forgiving the man “Agca” who tried to kill him on May 13, 1981.

10. Divine Mercy Promise.
One of the most exalted promises of Divine Mercy is the following! Make a good, heartfelt and contrite confession, then upon receiving the Holy Eucharist on Divine Mercy Sunday, and all of one’s sins are forgiven, as well as the temporal punishment due to those sins! In other words, one’s soul returns to the state of baptismal innocence. And if we were to die in that moment, our soul would fly directly to heaven! How sublime is the mercy of God!

11. Apostle of Divine Mercy.
Become an apostle of Divine Mercy. How? Read the Diary to become familiar with the message. Live out mercy in your life by forgiving immediately and from your heart. Buy a box of Divine Mercy cards of 1000 and give them out as many and as often as you can. Especially try to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet at the deathbed of somebody who is in their last agony. In some mysterious way, Jesus promises to have mercy on that soul, no matter how evil a life they lived! God’s mercy goes way beyond our understanding!

12. Mary and Mercy.
Love Mary, turn to Mary! Saint Alphonsus Liguori states that in God there is both mercy and justice. However, Mary is the essence and the embodiment of mercy. That is why we pray as such, “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.”

Conclusion. If we understand mercy, strive to live out mercy, promote mercy in all times and circumstances, and die trusting in God’s mercy, then the merciful Savior Jesus the Lord, when we die will say: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the home of your heavenly Father!” (Mt. 25:21)

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

Second Sunday of Lent

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

SUNDAY, February 28th   Mk. 9: 2-10 The Transfiguration “Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’”

Part 1: The Transfiguration, excerpt from Pope Francis’ Angelus Message (3/16/14)
Part 2: TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: The Transfiguration, excerpt from Pope Francis’ Angelus Message (3/16/14)

Today the Gospel presents the Transfiguration. It is the second stage of the Lenten journey: the first was the temptation in the desert, last Sunday; the second, the Transfiguration. Jesus “took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart” (Mt 17:1). The mountain in the Bible represents a place close to God and an intimate encounter with Him, a place of prayer where one stands in the presence of the Lord.

From the event of the Transfiguration, I would like to take two significant elements that can be summed up in two words: ascent and descent. We all need to go apart, to ascend the mountain in a space of silence, to find ourselves and better perceive the voice of the Lord. This we do in prayer.

But we cannot stay there! Encounter with God in prayer inspires us anew to “descend the mountain” and return to the plain where we meet many brothers weighed down by fatigue, sickness, injustice, ignorance, poverty both material and spiritual. To these brothers in difficulty, we are called to bear the fruit of that experience with God, by sharing the grace we have received.

And this is curious. When we hear the Word of Jesus, when we listen to the Word of Jesus and carry it in our heart, this Word grows. Do you know how it grows? By giving it to others! The Word of Christ grows in us when we proclaim it, when we give it to others! And this is what Christian life is. It is a mission for the whole Church, for all the baptized, for us all: listen to Jesus and offer Him to others. Do not forget: this week listen to Jesus! And now let us turn to our Mother Mary, and entrust ourselves to her guidance in pursuing with faith and generosity this path of Lent, learning a little more how to “ascend” with prayer and listen to Jesus, and then to “descend” with brotherly love, proclaiming Jesus.

PART 2: TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

For today’s meditation for the Lenten season, read and pray over very attentively the Biblical passage of the Transfiguration—the forth Luminous Mystery. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you in a very special way. Be docile, open and willing to listen to the Word of God. Our Lady pondered, meditated deeply the Word of God and she can help you to do the same!

Jesus willingly came to earth to share our human condition. Jesus has two natures: the Divine (He is God), the Human (He is man). The union of the two natures is the Incarnation. It was through Our Lady’s “Yes” that Jesus came down from heaven to earth and took on a human body. (Lk. 26-38) We’d like to offer some images for reflecting on this great mystery.

The Formation of Jesus’ Body. It was Our Lady, Mary most holy, who formed the Sacred Body of Jesus within her womb during the course of nine months. Our Lady formed Jesus, giving to Him from her own body and substance, His blood, veins, arteries, eyes, lungs, and even His most Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was Our Lady who formed the most Sacred Heart of Jesus within her most pure womb for nine months. Turn to Our Lady and beg her to form your heart. Beg Our Lady to intercede for you with her most powerful prayers to purify, to mold, to recreate your heart so that it can become more and more like the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we be able to say the words of Saint Paul, as a result of the intercession of Our Lady: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

Friendship with Jesus. One of the many lessons that flows spontaneously from the Transfiguration of Jesus is that of human friendship. Jesus ardently desired to enter into deep friendship with these men whom He chose—especially Peter, James and John. These were the three that accompanied Jesus as he ascended the mount of the Transfiguration. At the Last Supper, Jesus will call them friends!

Walk and Talk with Jesus. Jesus walked and talked with His friends. Jesus wants to walk and talk with you right now. Jesus wants to enter into a deep friendship with you now.

Mary and Friendship with Jesus. There was no one on earth, nor even in heaven, aside from the Father and Holy Spirit, who had a deeper friendship with Jesus than did His Mother Mary most holy.

Mary knew Jesus in the womb. Nobody knew Jesus better than Mary. As mentioned earlier Mary formed Jesus within her womb during the course of nine months. No greater intimacy exists in this world, on a human level, than a baby being formed in the womb of their mother.

Mary knew Jesus as a child. Jesus spent most of His life on earth with Saint Joseph and Mary in their home in Nazareth. Mary watched Jesus, talked to Jesus, listened to Jesus, contemplated Jesus—His face and His eyes. This happened for thirty long years. Turn to Mary as you strive to enter into deeper Friendship with Jesus and beg her to help you come to know Jesus better and better. Stop and talk to Our Lady right now with total confidence in her desire to help you. She is your mother and you are her child.

Santa María del Camino (Our Lady of the Way). There is a very well-known song in both Italian and Spanish with the title: “Santa Maria del Camino”—Our Lady of the Way! As Jesus climbed the Mount of the Transfiguration and made His way to the top, to the summit, His Apostles Peter, James and John walked with Him side by side. In your travels in life, beg Our Lady to accompany you, to be with you, to never abandon you, for Mary will always point you to Jesus. Mary will help you to climb the summits with Jesus and enter into deep union with Him.

Calvary and Mary. Jesus climbing the hill of Calvary is symbolic of our climbing up our own Calvary hill. We should never presume to have the strength to carry our cross by ourselves. Mary, who climbed Calvary with Jesus, can help you every step along the way. Life without Jesus and Mary can leave us sad, depressed and even bitter. That is why we cry out to Mary in the prayer Hail Holy Queen… “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope….”

Pilgrim People. We are pilgrim people heading towards our eternal destiny, which is heaven. As we climb the mountain towards our eternal destiny—heaven, Mary can guide us, help us, encourage us, and comfort us. Spend some time now and talk to Mary about your past journey in life—the smooth and the rocky paths. Talk to Mary about your present journey in life, what has changed. Now talk to Mary about your future journey, your future pilgrimage in life towards your eternal home—your hopes, your desires, possibly your fears.

Star of the Sea. The great Marian Doctor of the Church, Saint Bernard, depicts this powerful image. A ship at sea is being assaulted by constant waves; the wind is beating mercilessly against its rudder; and the waters are starting to enter the ship. There is a real danger of losing the ship, of the ship capsizing and eventually sinking. All of a sudden a beautiful star breaks through the night clouds and glimmers forth. This star seems to be pointing towards the shore. The captain, with great confidence, looks intently and deeply at the star and decides to follow it. The waves subside, the storm calms down, the winds abate. With unspeakable peace and swiftness the ship arrives safely at the shore. The ship with its captain and crew are saved. Thanks to our Lady, the Star of the Sea!

In the midst of the tempests, storms, afflictions, trials, and temptations constantly present in our lives, we must lift our gaze to Our Lady, Star of the Sea. She will safely direct us to the port of salvation, to our eternal home which is heaven.

Mountain Top and the Shore. Both the mountain top of the Transfiguration, as well as the shore, are symbolic of heavenly rest at the end of our journey, by land or by sea. Jesus wants to walk with us, talk with us, be with us and accompany us the whole way. Our Lady also wants to keep us close to her on this perilous journey.

Distractions and Temptations. It is all too easy to give up climbing the high and challenging mountain. It is all too easy to sink in the waves of our own sensuality and selfishness and give up the fight. For that reason, we want to call out to Mary, who will always lead us to Jesus. The devil has a mortal fear of Mary, even of her Holy Name. Why not in moments of temptation call upon the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary—our sure salvation!

The Transfiguration’s Many Messages. The mystery of the Transfiguration has many powerful and deeply spiritual messages. The one that we have chosen is friendship with Jesus and His mother, Mary to arrive at our eternal destination, Heaven!

Ignatian Note. The Virgin that Saint Ignatius of Loyola had special devotion to was “La Madonna de la Strada”—literally translated: “Our Lady of the street”, loosely translated: “Our Lady of the way.” In the Jesuit Mother House in Rome this beautiful image can be found.

In concluding your climb and your sea-journey with Jesus and Mary, spend some closing moments opening up your heart to its very depths and talk to Mary. Tell her all that is going on right now in your life. Ask her to be with you always, every step along the way until your reach heaven. Always remembering that the quickest path to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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