Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, February 11th   Mk. 7:24-30   FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

Part 1: Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Bernadette, and the Immaculate Conception…
Part 2: Mary and the Miraculous Medal aka Medal of the Immaculate Conception by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Bernadette, and the Immaculate Conception…

1. Lourdes and Saint Bernadette Soubirous… Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a humble girl brought up in abject poverty by loving parents devoted to daily recitation of the Rosary. The story of Our Lady’s appearances and the miraculous healing waters of Lourdes are well known.

2. Less well known is that on March 25, 1858, Our Lady finally revealed her name to Bernadette, then repeated her prior request made on March 2: “I am the Immaculate Conception. I want a chapel built here.” Bernadette had no idea what this name meant. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception had only been declared a little over four years earlier on December 8, 1853. This was to authenticate the visions for church authorities. After her death, Bernadette’s body was found to be incorrupt.

3. Saint Bernadette Quotes:

“Everything is nothing to me, but Jesus: neither things nor persons, neither ideas nor emotions, neither honor nor sufferings. Jesus is for me honor, delight, heart and soul.”

“I must die to myself continually and accept trials without complaining.  I work, I suffer and I love with no other witness than His heart. Anyone who is not prepared to suffer all for the Beloved and to do His will in all things is not worthy of the sweet name of Friend, for here below, Love without suffering does not exist.”

“When my emotions are too strong, I remember the words of Our Lord: ‘It is I, don’t be afraid!’ Immediately I appreciate and thank Our Lord for this grace of rejections and humiliations from my Superior and Sisters. It is the love of this Good Master who would remove the roots from this tree of pride. The more little I become, the more I grow in the Heart of Jesus.”

“O Jesus and Mary, let my entire consolation in this world be to love you and to suffer for sinners.”

“My weapons, I decided, would be prayer and sacrifice, which I would hold onto till my last breath. Then only would the weapon of sacrifice fall from my hand, but the weapon of prayer would follow me to Heaven.”

PART 2: Mary and the Miraculous Medal aka the Medal of the Immaculate Conception by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Catherine Laboure was the privileged seer of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the most pure and Immaculate Mother of God. Beginning in 1830, not only did this humble French Sister see our Lady, talk to Our Lady, and confide in Our Lady, but Our Lady entrusted her with a very special message: The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception.

THE MISSION OF SAINT CATHERINE.  After many years of silence, the humble and obedient nun revealed to her Spiritual Director and Religious Superior that the Blessed Virgin Mary had a great desire, and this was to fabricate a very special medal and then make the medal known, so that as many as possible would wear the medal as a concrete, exterior sign of their love for Mary, devotion to Mary, and confidence in her maternal presence. With time, effort, and suffering finally the medal was approved for use and could be worn publicly.

KOLBE: THE MILITIA OF THE IMMACULATA.  Following upon the humble obedience of Saint Catherine Laboure and approval of the Apparitions of Our Lady and the Miraculous Medal, another saint came on the scene: Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Enamored with a burning love for Mary under the title of the Immaculata, Kolbe formed a group called The Militia of the Immaculata. There were two primary purposes for this Marian group: 1) To spread far and wide a burning love for the Immaculata; and 2) to be fiery Apostles of Mary fighting with her to spread the Kingdom of God by working for the salvation of souls. Kolbe would eventually be arrested by the Nazis and placed in a concentration camp. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the penalty inflicted was for ten random prisoners to be put to death. Kolbe heroically offered his life for a married man with a family who had been chosen. Thereby Kolbe was sentenced to the death penalty in Auschwitz, to die the cruel death of starvation. Despite his weak health, Kolbe outlived his other companions in the death bunker. He encouraged them, prayed with them, prayed for them, and helped them to surrender their lives to the Immaculata as he watched them die. In the end, they injected carbolic acid in Kolbe’s veins and he died as a martyr of charity, giving his life for a married man with a family.

A PRACTICE OF KOLBE THAT WE CAN IMITATE.  Saint Maximilian Kolbe could not keep his love for The Immaculata to himself; love seeks to bring others to the beloved! Kolbe would carry on his person many Miraculous Medals. He called these his Spiritual bullets—ammunition to hold back the enemy, the devil. When Kolbe met up with somebody whom he felt inspired to approach and evangelize, he would offer that person the Miraculous Medal as a free gift, under the condition that the recipient would honor Mary by wearing it. Great miracles have been attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the wearing of the Miraculous Medal, among the most renowned are the conversions of Alphonsus Ratisbonne and Claude Newman. These are two stories of conversion that are simply astounding! Look up their stories!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMITATE KOLBE AND THE SAINTS.  If indeed you have a fervent love for Mary, the Mother of God and your Mother, then not only should you want to talk to her with total confidence like Saint Catherine Laboure, that is like a child talking to her mother, but you should also have a desire to make Our Lady known and loved. 

MIRACULOUS MEDALS: THE SPIRITUAL BULLETS TO CONQUER THE ENEMY.  Why not purchase a batch of Miraculous Medals—start with 100 or more. Have them blessed by a priest. Then carry these medals with you wherever you go. Be open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. When you encounter some person that you think Our Lady wants you to talk to in her name, have the courage to open up your purse or pocket and freely give the Miraculous Medal to that person. Time permitting, upon giving the Miraculous Medal, give this blessed recipient an explanation of who it is on the medal, who was the first recipient of the medal, and most important, the whole meaning of the medal. It must be said that the medal, both front and back, is one of the best tools of Marian catechesis that you can possibly use. Explain patiently each one of the artistic details as related to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in the Economy of Salvation. Encourage the person to wear the Medal proudly as a sign of their consecration to Mary, and as a reminder that the Blessed Virgin Mary is our loving and tender Mother always ready to protect us, defend us, console us, and comfort us in our afflictions.

A SPECIAL PRAYER TO HONOR OUR LADY AND THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL.  Inscribed on the front side of the Medal is a short prayer that Our Lady wants us to memorize and to pray often: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” This prayer said frequently with faith and devotion is a powerful weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Therefore, our hope is that you will become a fiery Apostle of the Blessed Virgin Mary by wearing the Miraculous Medal, purchasing your 100 medals (for a start), studying the message, and being courageous enough to distribute and when possible explain the Miraculous Medals as Mary’s spiritual bullets to conquer the enemy of our salvation.

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

Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

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

WEDNESDAY, February 10th   Mk. 7:14-23   “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me.”

• Jesus points us to the source of true defilement. Sin doesn’t just happen. It springs from the illicit thoughts and desires we foster in secret.
• God the Father in His mercy sent His only Son to us as Savior. But to receive His mercy, we have to admit and repent of our sins. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:8-9).
• Only God can purify our hearts. Like a physician who probes the wound before treating it, God probes our heart with His Word and Spirit to bring our defilements to light so we can recognize them for what they are and call upon His mercy for pardon and healing, providing hearts are not hardened.
• Lent is fast approaching. A good Lenten practice could be to counter our major capital sin by daily and diligently practicing the opposite virtue!

PART 3: CONQUERING THE 7–HEADED ENEMY WITHIN by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

A father and his young son are taking a leisurely walk through a wooded park in the early evening. Suddenly the father stops, looks into the eyes of his son and says: “Son, I must tell you that I have a wolf within me—a ravenous, angry, vicious wolf.” As they continue walking, the boy tries to make sense of his father having a wolf within him.

They walk on and the father stops again. Looking intently into the eyes of his son, the father says: “Son, I must tell you that I also have a lamb within me—a gentle, kind, loving lamb.

As they continue walking the son is trying to understand what this means, my father has both a wolf and a lamb within him. Finally unable to bear the suspense any longer, the son grabs his father’s sleeve and says: “Dad, Dad, which one is going to win, the wolf or the lamb? The father answers, “Whichever one I feed most.”

By means of this story let us delve into the depths of our own interior lives where we must encounter both the wolf and the lamb, the flesh in battle against the spirit, darkness striving to extinguish light, nobility and courage in contrast to fear and cowardice. This story is not simply a pious, mythical fairy-tale; rather, this is our story. We are all this father with both the wolf and the lamb within, each one vying to surface so as to prove victorious. Which of the two will win in us: the wolf or the lamb? The response is clear as the sun at midday: whichever one we feed most.

THE SEVEN WOLVES AND LAMBS WITHIN—THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS AND OPPOSING VIRTUES.

As a result of the Original Sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, a moral tsunami was set in motion, like a huge stone pushed in motion from the top of a mountain. In the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and essentially good by nature, there is constant tension within. Even after the reception of the Sacrament of Baptism which washes away the stain of Original Sin, the effects of original sin remain such that our human nature is impaired, damaged, and inclined toward evil. Indeed, if that evil tendency or proclivity is not checked, but given free reign, the wolf will conquer the lamb, slavery will reign over liberty, and addictions can become the commonplace of such a person.

This being the present state of affairs, let us point out the seven wolves that are lurking within and the lambs that must be fed, cultivated, and bred to reign as the ultimate victors in the battle. These are the SEVEN CAPITAL SINS and the SEVEN OPPOSING VIRTUES.

For clarity, simplicity and ease in explaining, we will present the seven capital sins and the opposing virtues. Following will be a brief explanation on how the capital sins can be conquered in your soul; and this means the lamb will conquer the pernicious and vicious wolf always ready and on the prowl to attack!

1. GLUTTONY VS. TEMPERANCE.
2. LUST VS. CHASTITY.
3. AVARICE (GREED) VS. GENEROSITY.
4. SLOTH (LAZINESS) VS. DILIGENCE.
5. ENVY (JEALOUSY) VS ADMIRATION/GRATITUDE.
6. ANGER VS. MEEKNESS.
7. PRIDE VS. HUMILITY.

Now categorically and in an orderly fashion we will give a brief explanation of each of the Capital Sins—the wolf lurking within and the opposing virtue to be practiced. The whole purpose or thrust of this essay is to enhance our self-knowledge so that in all honestly we come to know and then come to terms with our primary weaknesses—so we can conquer the wolf and allow the lamb to dominate. This heightened self-knowledge or self-awareness will prove a huge advantage in our battle for purity and liberty, and the salvation of our immortal soul in the long run!

Many of the classical writers in ascetical and mystical theology insist upon the indispensable need for self-knowledge. The historian asserts: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” Socrates stated: “A life not examined is a life not worthy living.” The Desert Fathers have a famous two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF! Even athletes, baseball-players, boxers, etc., will study their opponents so as not to make the same mistakes that cost them the prior game.

If you like, this simple analogy can prove quite useful. Superman had incredible strength. However, he had one potential weakness: KRYPTONITE. If exposed to this element, his energy and strength were drained and sapped from his body, and he became as weak as anybody else. Likewise, Samson’s strength was in his long locks of hair, and Achilles in his heel. This essay can help you to name it, claim it, and tame it! We must name our weakness, claim this self-knowledge as indispensable, and then tame the wolf by inviting the lamb to live within!

1. CAPITAL SIN: GLUTTONY.
The Capital Sin of Gluttony can be defined as such: “Gluttony is a disordered desire to eat and drink.” The key word is disordered. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, relying on the wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas, asserts that sin is against reason and is a disorder. Saint Ignatius states that we are called to order the disordered in our lives so that we can discern the will of God.

Ask yourselves this question: “Do you live to eat or do you eat to live?” If you live only to eat, then Saint Paul calls this “The god of the belly.” We call this the Capital Sin of Gluttony—the wolf from within.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—TEMPERANCE.
The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Gluttony is that of Temperance. This virtue can be defined as: “The proper and ordered use of created goods.” Saint Ignatius in Principle and Foundation reminds us that we are called to use and not to abuse created goods. The virtue of temperance is using food as a means to have energy, strength, and stamina in order to faithfully carry out the obligations of our state of life. We must strive to conquer the wolf within—eat to live healthily, not live to eat only to satisfy our carnal pleasure!

PRACTICE TO ATTAIN TEMPERANCE: Leave the table a little hungry. In other words, stop eating before you feel full.

2. CAPITAL SIN: LUST.
A concise definition of the Capital Sin of Lust is the following: “Lust is a disordered desire for sexual pleasure.” As a result of Original Sin, one of the strong disordered tendencies is viewing a person as an object to be used, rather than as someone to be valued for their innate dignity that comes from the Creator and even more from the Sacrament of Baptism. Jesus warns us to look beyond the mere act of Fornication or Adultery. He warns us to avoid even lusting after a woman in our heart. The standard is high, but the grace of God is more than sufficient if we correspond to it.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—CHASTITY/PURITY.
The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Lust is that of chastity or purity. So as to contemplate God in this life, as well as in the Kingdom of Heaven, one of the key requirements or conditions is that of purity. The words of Jesus exemplify this truth in one of the eight Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

PRACTICE TO ATTAIN PURITY: Contemplate daily a beautiful painting, icon or picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary with your physical eyes and the eyes of your soul.

3. CAPITAL SIN: AVARICE/GREED.
A short and to the point definition of Avarice, also defined as Greed, is the following: “Avarice is a disordered desire for material things or possessions.” The philosophical system or terminology would be that of Materialism and Consumerism. Our life is focused more on what we have than who we are. In other words, our possessions can end up possessing us.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—GENEROSITY.
The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Avarice is that of Generosity. Generosity is mastered by the art of giving. The proverb of Saint Paul characterizes the thrust of his life: “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” The saints lived the Gospel of generosity to a point that would shock a person dominated by materialism, as in the case of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta who coined this pithy maxim: “We must learn to give until it hurts.”

PRACTICE TO ATTAIN GENEROSITY: Every month check your closets, wardrobe, or garage and give to the poor something that you really do not need.

4. CAPITAL SIN: SLOTH/LAZINESS.
What is sloth? It is nothing more than laziness, indolence, lack of effort needed to carry out our daily obligations. You might even call it spiritual, mental, and physical inertia in our person, once again, as a result of Original Sin. This sloth can manifest itself in resistance to physical work, mental efforts, and spiritual activity—putting off or neglecting prayer.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—DILIGENCE.
A diligent person manifests readiness and willingness to work hard with their body, their mind, and their soul. Not daunted or overcome by difficulties, they work through the difficulties. One of the best examples is Saint Joseph the Worker.

PRACTICE: Imagine a typical day in the Carpenter-shop with Jesus and Saint Joseph and you working side by side with them the whole day! No time for laziness; rather hard, methodical, systematic work done and all for the honor and glory of God!

5. CAPITAL SIN: ENVY (JEALOUSY)
A very dangerous and pernicious Capital Sin that if not overcome through grace, can bring with it many very serious, noxious consequences. This we see most clearly in the murder of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain, a result of unbridled anger fed and nourished by envy. 

Envy is a step worse than jealousy. Jealousy is sadness in our heart because we recognize that somebody has something we do not have. Envy descends deeper into the pit of evil because we rejoice when something bad happens to that person. Truly ugly!

OPPOSING VIRTUE—ADMIRATION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY.
Instead of putting down the person you envy, admire and compliment that person on their talents, successes, and triumphs. Moved by the good spirit, you will come to a keen awareness that whatever gifts they have come from the Author of all good—God Himself. A key Biblical passage to conquer envy in all shapes and forms is from Saint Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.”

PRACTICE: Every night, look back at your day and find something to thank God for and remember how blessed you are!

6. ANGER.
This Capital Sin is a transient impulse of passion that can be brought on by multiple factors. All too often, our anger is manifested by an attitude of impatience, and this impatience can be played out against others, our self, and even at times against God. Anger often has as its root cause, pride. We’re angry because we want things done our way, in our time, and according to our concept of perfection. If not held back or checked, anger can wreak havoc in our life, the lives of those around us, and the lives of a host of others.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—MEEKNESS.
In Sacred Scripture, Jesus describes two characteristics of His Sacred Heart—meek and humble. (Mt. 11:29) Contrary to common opinion, meekness is not weakness; quite the contrary, meekness is powerful emotion under control of faith and reason. One of the most famous saints known far and wide for his meekness is Saint Frances de Sales; he fought hard to acquire that virtue, and so can we!

PRACTICE: A daily prayer to help us acquire meekness is the following: “Jesus meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto thine.”

VII. PRIDE.

At the root of all sin is that of pride. Pride can be defined in many ways. However, a concise and clear definition of pride might be the following: “Pride is a disordered love for self.” In other words, the proud person places himself at the center of attention. He is number one! He wants to be recognized and applauded in what he considers his excellence and greatness! The saying rings so true: Pride comes before a fall! In every one of our sinful actions, pride is behind that action in one form or another.

THE OPPOSING VIRTUE— HUMILITY. 
A person imbued with the virtue of humility recognizes the following: All the good that I can do physically, intellectually, morally, spiritually, and totally is due to God’s grace and God’s work in my life. In the words of the Psalmist: “Not to us, not to us, but to Thee, O Lord, the honor, glory and praise.” (Ps. 115:1)

PRACTICE: Every single day go out of your way to do something kind for someone or say something kind to someone, without expecting anything in return.

So, my friends in the Lord and His Mother Mary, we have come to the conclusion of our essay on the Capital Sins that we all have rooted within our fallen nature. It is incumbent upon us, through serious prayer, examination of conscience, as well as adequate spiritual direction to discern which of the Capital Sins is our predominant one, and what might be our second most dominant. Then, with the help of God’s grace and our good will and effort, work to conquer those Capital Sins by practicing the opposite virtues so your soul will shine like the stars in firmament at night!

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. As in the opening story, we all have the wolf and the lamb hidden in the inner recesses of our heart, our mind, and our soul. We must have a humble and clear perception of this dual reality. With God’s grace and our generous effort, we can conquer the wolf within us, so that the lamb, who is a symbol of Jesus Himself, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, might shine forth brilliantly in our lives. May Mary, the Mother of the Lamb, help us to overcome evil and allow holiness to conquer and reign in our lives!

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

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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

TUESDAY, February 9th   Mk. 7:1-13   “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me.”

 Part 1: Honoring God with our hearts and our lips!  By Father Jacques Philippe
Part 2: GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY NOW AND ALWAYS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1:  Honoring God with our hearts and our lips! bBy Father Jacques Philippe

In order that abandonment might be authentic and engender peace, it must be total. We must put everything, without exception, into the hands of God, not seeking any longer to manage or “to save” ourselves by our own means: not in the material domain, nor the emotional, nor the spiritual.

We cannot divide human existence into various sectors: certain sectors where it would be legitimate to surrender ourselves to God with confidence and others where, on the contrary, we feel we must manage exclusively on our own.

And one thing we know well: all reality that we have not surrendered to God, that we choose to manage by ourselves without giving carte blanche to God, will continue to make us more or less uneasy. The measure of our interior peace will be that of our abandonment, consequently of our detachment.

He who accepts this death of detachment, of renunciation, finds the true life. The one who clings to something, who wishes to protect some domain in his life in order to manage it at his convenience without radically abandoning it into the hands of God, is making a very bad mistake: he devotes himself to unnecessary pre-occupations and exposes himself to the gnawing sense of loss.

By contrast, he who accepts to put everything into the hands of God, to allow Him to give and take according to His good pleasure, this individual finds an inexpressible peace and interior freedom.

This is the way to happiness, because if we leave God free to act in His way, He is infinitely more capable of rendering us happy than we ourselves are, because He knows us and loves us more than we can ever know or love ourselves!

PART 2:  GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY NOW AND ALWAYS! (I Cor. 6:20) By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

God in His infinite love has endowed each and every one of us with a body and a soul. How great God is in His wonderful gifts to humanity and to each and every one of us individually! The Psalmist praises God: “I am wonderfully created; I am your handiwork; I am the work of your hands.” (Ps. 139)

Indeed, we were created in the image and likeness of God. We have both an intellect and a will. The primary purpose of our intellect is to know the Truth. Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (Jn. 14:6) The primary purpose of the will is to love God with all of the fiber of our being. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mk. 12:30)

Saint Paul reminds us of an indispensable command of God: “Glorify God in your body.” (1Cor 6:20) Therefore, the basic purpose of this short article is to learn and to apply how we can truly glorify God in our bodies now and for all eternity!

1. RECOGNIZE YOUR INCREDIBLE DIGNITY!!! Saint Pope Leo the Great in his Christmas Sermon exhorts all of us with these words: “Christian, remember your dignity!” Saint Pope John Paul II insisted in his teachings on the great importance and dignity of every human person. As soon as we receive the Sacrament of Baptism, God literally floods us with sublime and ineffable gifts. First and foremost, Baptism transforms us into a living Tabernacle of the Blessed Trinity. We become a son/daughter of God, brother/sister of Jesus Christ, and intimate friend of the Holy Spirit. If we would only call to mind often our DIGNITY that flows from the Sacrament of Baptism, we would avoid committing many sins. Indeed, sin degrades our dignity!

2. RECOGNIZE YOUR DESTINY! Not only should we call to mind at all times our dignity, but we should at the same time call to mind our DESTINY!! We are destined for eternal glory in heaven. Of course to arrive at heaven, we must live up to the dignity that God has bestowed upon us here! In other words, heaven is ours if we glorify God in our bodies in this brief and transitory pilgrimage on earth. Indeed, we are a pilgrim people advancing towards our true and eternal homeland. We should never be spiritually running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off!!! No! We know our destiny is heaven and we should do all in our power to glorify God in our bodies, so as to arrive safe and sound in the arms of our loving Father! (Lk 15:11-32 —Parable of the Prodigal Son)

3. BEG MARY FOR THE VIRTUE OF PURITY. Our Lady of Fatima sadly announced over 100 years ago that most souls are lost as a result of the sins against the virtue of purity. We should consecrate our whole being to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and renew this consecration every morning as we rise from sleep. We should pray our prayer of Consecration to Mary and kiss our Scapular, which we should be wearing at all times!!! Then we should beg through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the grace to live a life of purity in all its aspects!

• Beg Mary for pure eyes to live out the Beatitude: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God. (Mt. 5:8)
• Beg Mary for a mind—memory, understanding, and imagination, that is noble and pure. As Saint Paul reminds us: “Fix your attention on the things above, and not on those of the earth.” (Col 3:2)
• Beg Mary for purity of speech, as well as listening! May we put into practice the words of Jesus: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Mt. 12:34) May our words reflect our dignity, our destiny, and our belonging to Jesus and Mary! Listening? Yes! May Our Lady attain for us the grace to associate with persons who are noble, pure, and dignified, so that in listening we are edified!
• Beg Mary for purity of our body which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. May our body, through the intercession of Mary most holy, serve only to glorify and praise God!
• May Our Lady attain for us purity of heart! By Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our heart is being transformed by imitating the sublime virtues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most pure Heart of Mary.
• May Our Lady even attain for us purity of intention! Once again calling to mind the words of Saint Paul: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (I Cor 10:31)

4. PURIFY YOUR WHOLE BEING BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD. Despite our best of efforts, even the just man falls seven times a day. Upon falling, let us never give into discouragement, much less, despair. On the contrary, may we place a limitless trust in God’s infinite mercy! Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32), let us run to the Father and launch ourselves into His loving and merciful arms! As the Prophet Isaiah encourages us: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Is. 1:18) The greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust in God’s infinite Mercy!!! Jesus promised to Saint Faustina in the Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy. He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.” (Diary 723)

5. RECEIVE THE HOLY EUCHARIST. The greatest action that a human person can carry out on earth is to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion! Your body, upon receiving Holy Communion, becomes a living tabernacle, a living sanctuary, a living castle or palace of Jesus, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father! If received properly, your whole being is transformed. Your memory is purified; your understanding is enlightened; your will is fortified; your heart is enflamed with divine love; and your body is filled with peace and joy—a presage of eternal life in heaven!

6. DEFEND THE LIFE OF THE BABY IN THE WOMB. Of course, if we truly love God, then we should love what God loves—He loves the little children in the womb, the most defenseless of all!. Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me.” (Mt. 19:14) And, “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3) We should all do whatever is in our power to promote the Pro-Life cause. How? By prayer, penance, word and action. We should all, in the depths of quiet prayer, ask the Lord and Mary His Mother, what I can do to glorify God in my body and the bodies of others, especially by becoming involved in the Pro-life movement and work!

7. REJOICE IN THE LORD THROUGH THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY! Our Lady went in haste to visit Saint Elizabeth who was with child in her old age. Upon Mary’s greeting, the baby, John the Baptist, leapt for joy in the womb of his mother Saint Elizabeth, and she said to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed the word spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Lk. 1: 45) Whereupon Mary rejoiced in her profound canticle that the Church calls The Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Lk 1:46-55) With our mind, heart, body and soul, and with Mary our Mother, let us glorify our body by rejoicing in the Lord always!!!

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

Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, February 8th   Mk. 6: 53-56   “Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”

Part 1: Love of the Most Holy Trinity… by Pope Francis
Part 2: GRAB ON TO THE MERCIFUL HAND OF GOD – FRUITS OF A GOOD CONFESSION… BY FR. ED BROOM, OMV

PART 1: Love of the Most Holy Trinity… by Pope Francis

With our eyes fixed on Jesus and his merciful gaze, we experience the love of the Most Holy Trinity. The mission Jesus received from the Father was that of revealing the mystery of divine love in its fullness. John affirms “God is love” (1 John 4: 8, 16) for the first and only time in all of Holy Scripture.

This love has now been made visible and tangible in Jesus’ entire life. His person is nothing but love, a love given gratuitously. The relationships He forms with the people who approach Him manifest something entirely unique and unrepeatable. The signs He works, especially in favor of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant to teach mercy. Everything in Him speaks of mercy. Nothing in Him is devoid of compassion.”

PART 2: GRAB ON TO THE MERCIFUL HAND OF GOD – FRUITS OF CONFESSION! By Father Ed Broom, OMV

As a result of Original Sin, all of us, with the exception of Jesus and Mary through the privilege of the Immaculate Conception, are conceived with Original Sin and commit sin, and are indeed sinners!

Saint Augustine, who lived as a slave of sin, a slave of his own sinful passions into his early 30’s, after his conversion wrote and taught some of the most beautiful and profound insights in the history of the world. Of great comfort, solace, and consolation is the teaching of Augustine on the sin of Adam and Eve, which he termed as O Happy Fault! Why you might ask, would the Original Sin be considered a Happy Fault? Augustine teaches that as a result of Original Sin, God brought good, a much greater good out of this moral evil. The greater good of course was the Incarnation of the Son of God. The Eternal Father in His Infinite Love sent to the world, and to each and every one of us individually, Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, to show us how to live, to work miracles for us, but most especially to die on the cross for us and rise from the dead in order to give us new life and life in abundance.

GOD’S MERCY THROUGH THE CHURCH AND CONFESSION.  Before ascending into heaven, Jesus decided not to leave us orphans but to be with us always, even until the end of the world. How you might ask? The response is clear and unequivocal: through the Church, and most especially through the Sacraments. Every Sacrament communicates grace, but each Sacrament communicates a specific grace of its own that differentiates it from the other six Sacraments. The Sacrament of Confession is the Sacrament of God’s mercy and the Sacrament of God’s healing. By committing sin, we wound our soul and others! By receiving the Sacrament of Confession worthily, we receive a deep inner healing.

FRUITS/EFFECTS OF A GOOD CONFESSION.  There is much that can be said about the Sacrament of Confession. However, it is the purpose of this essay to highlight the positive fruits or effects of the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Penance, Forgiveness, as well as Reconciliation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DISPOSITIVE GRACE OF THE SACRAMENT.  It must be saidk off the bat that the Sacraments are extraordinary gifts from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacraments are infinite reservoirs of grace. However, classical theology teaches us the concept of Dispositive Grace; by this is meant: one receives an abundance of graces of paltry amount of graces in direct proportion to the disposition of one’s heart. That is to say, a better preparation leads to a better disposition of heart and a more fruitful reception with more abundant graces. In other words, flippant, nonchalant, mediocre reception of the Sacraments diminishes to a great degree the graces that God wants to communicate to the soul. Indeed, a very worthy and noble spiritual enterprise in our life should be an ardent desire to receive the Sacraments with a fervent and well-disposed heart. May Our Lady help us!

Now let us go through a list of the many graces that flow from a well-prepared, well-disposed, and fervent reception of the Sacrament of God’s mercy. Indeed, let us Grab on to the Merciful Hand of God!!!

1. RESTORATION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we were to have the disgrace of falling into mortal sin, we should never despair but launch ourselves into the merciful embrace of God’s love. By mortal sin we lose sanctifying grace; a good confession immediately restores the state of sanctifying grace in our soul—that is to say, friendship with the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

2, AUGMENTS SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we have not committed mortal sin, we can still receive the Sacrament of Confession. By doing so, we are augmenting, increasing, and intensifying sanctifying grace in our souls.  Indeed, dying in sanctifying grace is our passport to heaven and eternal life! We should not be wandering around aimlessly without this passport!

3. HUMILITY.  Indeed, God loves the humble, but rejects the proud of heart.  To confess our sins well in the Sacrament of Confession demands no small quota of humility. We do not like to admit our failures, expose our dirty laundry, and simply admit that we have failed.  Confession conquers pride and we practice humility which is so pleasing to the Heart of God, as we pray in Psalm 51: A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

4. SELF-KNOWLEDGE.  Spiritual Theology, especially Ignatian, insists on the indispensable character of self-knowledge. The Desert Fathers have a two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF! Having frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Penance serves as an indispensable aid to getting to know who we are—the noble as well as the ignoble, the holy as well as the sinful, the lights as well as the shadows and darkness lurking in the inner recesses of our conscience. Confession points out to us who we really are, and it helps us to stop rationalizing, justifying, or even lying about our true identity!

5. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS.  Confession also serves immensely in our attitude towards others. A positive fruit of confession is that we recognize how low we can fall, how sinful we are. This serves as a platform and jumping-board to help us to avoid looking down on and condemning others; in other words, it helps us to be more compassionate towards others. Jesus said:  Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.

6. BECOMING MORE CAREFUL AND VIGILANT.  Along with the fruit of self-knowledge comes an attitude of watching over ourselves, being vigilant so that we do not slip and fall into the same pitfall of sin. Jesus said:  Stay awake and pray; for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

7. THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD.  The infinite reservoir of the graces that flow from the Pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus applies to the penitent sinner.  Even though invisible, in a mystical but very real way the repentant sinner is purified and cleansed by the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Blood of Jesus washes our mind, heart, soul, and conscience clean of the dirtying effects of sin.

8. CLEANSING EFFECT.  As just mentioned, sin sullies or dirties our soul, mind, and conscience. Contrariwise, Confession cleanses us. As the Prophet Isaiah points out:  Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as the snow. (Is. 1) What a nice shower, soap, and shampoo does to the dirty body, so does the Sacrament of Confession do to the dirty soul!

9. INTERIOR PEACE OF SOUL.  All of us know from experience that one of the noxious effects of sin is that it really does rob our entire spiritual life of peace, a peace that all of us so ardently long for!  Confession restores that peace. Dismissing the penitent, the priest often says: The Lord Jesus has forgiven all of your sins; go now in PEACE!!! May all of us be a living and breathing SHALOM—peace be with you!

10. JOY: REJOICE IN THE LORD.  Another poisonous effect of sin in our lives is that it dampens and often destroys joy.  Saint Paul command us: Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice in the Lord. (Phil 4:4)  Often upon exiting the confessional a radiating joy can be seen on the faces of the forgiven sinners. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of the joy of the repentant son returning home to the loving embrace of the Father. (Lk. 15)  He was willing to grab on to the merciful hand of the Father.

11. LIGHTENING OF THE LOAD. Another hazard of living in sin is the incredible heavy load of sin that weighs us down. Confessing our sins to the priest who represents Jesus Our Savior liberates us from the weight caused by sin. Jesus reminds us: Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. You will find rest for your soulss for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mt. 11:28-30)

12. LIVING OUT THE PASCHAL MYSTERY.  By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a good disposition, we live out what is termed The Paschal Mystery— the Passion, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  By this we mean, by confessing and repenting of our sins, we actually die to sin and rise from the tomb to begin a new life.

13. LAZARUS EXPERIENCE. (Jn. Chapter 11) Lazarus was dead, buried, and in the tomb for four days. Jesus came, told them to remove the stone, and then in a loud voice cried out:  Lazarus, come out! The dead man rose and walked out of the tomb, fully alive, fully restored to life! Jesus is the Resurrection and has the keys to life. By making a good confession, we are leaving the tomb of our own sinful life and walking in the light of the Risen Lord Jesus, Alleluia!

14. OVERCOMING DEPRESSION.  Many suffer from acute depression today. We would be bold enough to assert that in many cases this acute depression is in direct proportion to the individual being immersed in the quagmire of sin. Being able to unload all of the sin and its guilt, depression often is dissipated like the mist of the early morning exposed to the sun.

15. FREEDOM FROM GUILT.  Many today live with a guilty conscience and this can indeed be a real torture. Shakespeare highlights this point in Macbeth. As a result of involvement in murder, Lady Macbeth constantly feels the need to wash her hands, really desiring to be freed of the bloodshed on her conscience. In this context Shakespeare says:  Conscience does make cowards of all of us. Indeed, what hell on earth it is to live with a dirty and accusing conscience! A good confession liberates us from guilt.

16. FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY.  Jesus says that the devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. (Jn. 8) Also, Jesus also says that sin indeed is SLAVERY! Jesus came to set the captives Sea!!! Free from what? Jesus  (which means Savior) came to save us, to free us, to liberate us from the slavery caused by sin!  A good confession smashes the chains and shackles that have kept us bound as prisoners!

17. PURITY OF LIFE, PURITY OF CONSCIENCE, PURITY OF SOUL.  One of the Eight Beatitudes taught by Jesus is the following: Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God. (Mt. 5:8) Sin is impurity, in one form or another. Confession purifies the interior window of our soul. As such, we can see God in this life through contemplative prayer, and we will see Him forever in the Beatific Vision in heaven.

18. MORE FERVENT, PURE, AND EFFICACIOUS COMMUNIONS. Related to purity received through Confession is that of a more fruitful and efficacious reception of Holy Communion. If you like, follow this analogy! Once a dirty window pane is sprayed with Windex and wiped, then the light of the sun can inundate the room much more fully. Likewise, the more pure the soul, the more abundant the graces in the reception of Holy Communion. Good Confessions help us to make better Holy Communions.

19. BAD HABITS DESTROYED.  A bad habit we call a vice; a good habit we call a virtue. Indeed, it is impossible for us using our own natural resources to overcome bad habits, vices, and sin in our lives. Only God can do this! The most efficacious way is through frequent and well-prepared Confessions.

20. VIRTUES ESTABLISHED.  Of course the opposite of a vice is a virtue.  Good confessions can turn us from sinful, mean, and vicious individuals into kind, holy, and virtuous persons on the Highway of Holiness.

21.CONQUERS THE DEVIL   The devil wants us to commit sin, live in sin, and die in the state of sin so that we will be under his dominion forever in hell. A good confession is actually more powerful than an exorcism. An exorcism is a mere sacramental; Confession is a Sacrament—a powerful encounter with Jesus who both heals us and saves us!

22. CONFESSION IS MEDICINE TO THE SOUL.  The specific grace of the Sacrament of Confession is that it heals the soul of its sickness contracted by sin. Jesus is known as the Divine Physician. The priest in the confessional represents Jesus as the Divine Physician.

23. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.  Doctors will emphasize the importance of preventive medicine: getting flu-shots, frequent check-ups, blood-tests. In a word, these can all serve to prevent serious illnesses, or even diseases. Likewise, the practice of frequent Confession not only can serve as curative medicine, but also what might be called preventive medicine. Better to prevent a disease than to cure it; better to prevent a sinful pattern than to work at curing it!

24. LIVING OUT METANOIA!!!  The first preaching of Jesus in His Public Life was that of conversion: Be converted because the Kingdom of God is at hand. (Mk. 1:15)  If we really want to undergo a true conversion of heart, a true conversion of life, then Confession is indispensable! The third Luminous Mystery is the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion! Saint Pope John Paul II relates this Mystery to the call to the reception of Confession as an efficacious mean conversion!

25. REJOICING OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.  A Marian note: one of the many titles of Mary is that of Our Lady of Mercy. Saint Pope John Paul II stated that the Marian Sanctuaries—Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe—are spiritual clinics. This means: these are spiritual hospitals where the spiritually sick can receive mercy, healing, and strength. Our Lady rejoices whenever anybody enters and leaves the confessional.

In conclusion, we have highlighted a list of 25 positive effects of the worthy reception of the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy, that we call the Sacrament of Confession. God has extended His loving and merciful hand to you. Why not grab on to it, why not grasp the  hand of your merciful Father and make a good confession.

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

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

SATURDAY, February 7th   Mk. 1: 29-39   “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”  

“Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.”  – Saint Augustine

“I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally. . . . My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath.^”  – Saint John Marie Vianney (Cure d’ Ars)

HOUR OF POWER! FRUITS OF THE DAILY HOLY HOUR by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The effects of a well-made and methodical daily “Hour-Hour” are countless! The person who seriously makes the decision to make the daily Holy Hour, to be faithful to it, to have a determined determination to struggle through it on tough days and persevere until the end, will have a crown of glory in heaven after having done enormous good on earth!

SHINING EXAMPLE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD: VENERABLE ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN

Sheen, man of God that he was – preacher, writer, first Television/Radio Catholic Christian Evangelist, missionary, and Archbishop – would never attribute his success to himself, but rather to Jesus whom he met on a daily basis in the Blessed Sacrament by making his own personal Daily Holy Hour! It was Sheen who popularized the saying: “The Holy Hour is the Hour of Power!”

Sheen stated bluntly in talks to priests and Bishops that at times people would not listen to them, but to him – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen – they would listen because of the power that he was endowed with through his Daily Holy Hour – the Hour of Power.

Sheen once stated that in his fifty years as a priest (and many of those years as a Bishop), he never missed making even one Holy Hour! Not even once, in his whole life as priest and Bishop! Indeed, at the end of his life he breathed forth his soul to his Eucharistic Lord in the Blessed Sacrament!

Occupied with writing constantly, traveling around the world, speaking engagements around the clock, Radio and TV programs, heading the Missionary Office of the Catholic Church, converting huge numbers of souls personally and through letters – this great man of God, even with so many commitments, would find time for Jesus every day by making his Daily Holy Hour. The key to his apostolic success was union with Jesus, deep and growing friendship with Jesus in his Daily Holy Hour – the Hour of Power!

Now, no longer is he called Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, but VENERABLE Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. That’s right! He is on the pathway to Beatification and eventually Canonization!  Praise the Lord for such a brilliant and shining example for us!

After this biographical sketch of the life of one of America’s greatest heroes – and even more important, one of God’s heroes – we will proceed to give a list of the many fruits that emanate from faithfulness to the Daily Holy hour, your own HOUR OF POWER!!!

1. FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST. Pope Benedict XVI constantly challenged us to strive to cultivate a deep and growing friendship with Jesus. Jesus at the Last Supper called His Apostles “Friends”, but He also calls you to a deep Friendship with Him. We all seek friendship and union with others; that is communion! Obviously Jesus is the best of Friends; He is the faithful Friend who will never fail us! However, true friendships must be cultivated by visiting our friend, getting to know our friend, conversing with our friend, sharing with them our joys and sorrows, failures and successes – in a word, the most profound secrets. But even in the deepest friendship usually something is not expressed or understood. But with Jesus we can always express our inmost thoughts, fears, sorrows, even our anguish and He indeed will understand us down to the minutest detail of our experience and existence!

2. WORD OF GOD. The staple and substance of our meditation should be the Word of God. Jesus told the enemy, the devil who tempted Him, that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. The Psalmist says the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. (Ps. 119: 15) Saint Jerome reminds us, “Ignorance of Sacred Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” (Dei Verbum, Vat. II documents) In our Holy Hour we can read, meditate, listen, let our hearts be moved, and talk to the Lord – there we have simple steps for a Biblical meditation!

3. DISCIPLINE.  Notice the change in your life! Once you make the decision with determination which leads to the discipline of being faithful to your daily Holy Hour, you will have greater discipline in the other activities in the course of your busy schedule. One act of discipline in making the daily Holy Hour motivates a well-ordered and disciplined life in general!

4. PEACE AND HARMONY! With discipline comes peace. What is peace? Saint Augustine defines peace as the tranquility of order. Saint Ignatius reaffirms this using other words, namely, that the purpose of the Spiritual Exercises is to order the disordered. Our Lady of Guadalupe ordered the roses in the Tilma of Saint Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, Mexico.

5. WORK: MORE DONE AND DONE BETTER! Many of us complain about lack of time to carry out our various duties in life. Often this is because of a lack of order. The daily Holy Hour helps us carry out our daily obligations and be more faithful to our state of life with more energy of will and greater peace and joy. Why is this??? The reason is clear! When we do the daily Holy Hour, we are inviting Jesus to be part of our whole life, all that we are and all that we do. He is the secret Companion walking with us on the Highway of Life to Eternity – just like He walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus! And He does most of the work. He says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30). It is best to do the daily Holy Hour as early as possible, then the Lord Jesus accompanies you during the whole course of the day and makes your burdens light!

6. FAMILY CONVERSION AND SANCTIFICATION! Many of us have family members who have abandoned the faith, walked away from the Church, who are angry, bitter, and even antagonistic towards all that is related to God. Maybe we have talked to them, tried to convince them by the best of arguments to return, but it is simply an exercise in futility. What is lacking is PRAYER. Jesus said that some devils can be expelled only through prayer and fasting. Offering your daily Holy Hour – your Hour of Power for the conversion and salvation of your loved ones can prove exceedingly fruitful! Remember the many hours of prayer and tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son, Saint Augustine. We need more Saint Monica’s with their daily Holy Hours!

7. FERVENT COMMUNIONS.  Not only does the daily Holy Hour – the Hour of Power serve to motivate prodigal sons, lost sheep, wandering souls to return to the Good Shepherd, but also this personal encounter with the Lord improves and upgrades our reception of Jesus in Holy Communion. The greatest act we can do on earth is to receive Jesus in Holy Communion! However, the better the preparation, the more efficacious the effects of Holy Communion in our soul! May our daily Holy Hours prove to transform us into the One we receive in Holy Communion, remembering the words of Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!” (Gal. 2:20)

8. CONSOLATION. In the midst of the storms, tempests, earthquakes of life, we can always find consolation, peace, refuge, solace, and an oasis when we come to our daily Holy Hour. There are days in which the battle is fierce, the tug of the passions insistent, the devil’s attacks relentless, the seduction of the world and its false values alluring. Amidst the exterior and interior storms of life, what consolation to know that Jesus is always waiting for us to come and seek our true refuge in His Sacred Heart and in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you!’ Also, “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.”

9. GOOD EXAMPLE. There are many ways to preach the Word of God. Jesus’ last words were to go out to the whole world and tell the Good News. (Mt. 28: 19-20) Nonetheless, the word that we preach must be supported by the example of the life that we live! The person who makes the daily Holy Hour – the Hour of Power radiates goodness and inspires others to follow the same path! How many priests – even the one writing this article – have been inspired to make the daily Holy Hour due to the preaching, but especially the “living out” of the daily Holy Hour of Fulton Sheen. At the end of his life, Archbishop Fulton Sheen decided to preach retreats to priests and Bishops, and he had one goal: to convince both priests and Bishops to make the firm commitment to make the daily Holy Hour. If they made this with determination, Sheen knew this would transform lives, parishes, Dioceses, and the world at large!

10. HEAVEN! Of monumental importance is the attaining of Heaven. Union with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with Mary and the Angels and saints for all eternity, will be the end result and most sublime fruit of the faithfulness to the daily Holy Hour. Saint Alphonsus put it bluntly, “He who prays well will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned.” (CCC on prayer). If you like, Saint Augustine expresses the same concept poetically:  “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well, dies well; and he who dies well, all is well!”

In sum, my friends, right now let us make a firm commitment with determined determination to be faithful to our daily Holy Hour – the Hour of Power! If done faithfully, you will grow in Friendship with Jesus, grow in holiness and peace of soul, work well with order and discipline, be a source of sanctification and conversion for others, receive Jesus with greater purity of heart in Holy Communion, and most important, become one day a jewel in the crown of Mary, and finally contemplate the Beauty and the Glory of the unveiled Face of Jesus for all eternity. Amen.

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