Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

 SUNDAY, JANUARY 17th   Jn. 1: 35-42   Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called “Cephas” which is translated Peter.

• Later Jesus will say, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
• Jesus last words in the Gospel of Matthew are: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
• Jesus came as Savior to save sinful mankind. Jesus left us His Mystical Body the Church to apply the graces of His Passion, death and Resurrection to men of good will until the end of time. There is only one reason for this – a reason we should ponder and mediate upon often!

Your Soul Is Worth So Much by Fr. Ed. Broom, OMV

All the money, possessions, houses, mountains, oceans, animals, all of creation itself has much less value than your immortal soul. Your immortal soul has infinite value. Nobody in the world can fully plumb the depths of the value of just ONE immortal soul.

How do we know this? Jesus articulates this with luminous clarity: “What would it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process? What can a man give in exchange for his immortal soul?” (Mk. 8:36)

Saint Ignatius of Loyola launched that Biblical passage like a fiery arrow at the young, proud, and self-reliant Francis Xavier, challenging the future patron of the missions to make the Spiritual Exercises. Xavier made the Spiritual Exercises and they transformed his life!

However, it was that fiery, piercing arrow from the Sacred Heart of Jesus the Lord that broke down the resistance of Xavier—“What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process?” (Mk. 7: 36)

The angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, reiterates the same message. Aquinas affirms that everything in the created world is not equal to just one immortal soul! “Truly, I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” (Mk. 9: 1)

For a moment enter into a natural contemplation on the beauty of nature. The beautiful blue skies, the pure white clouds, the multi-colored leaves turning in autumn, the white snow–capped mountains, the colorful bans of the rainbow–a beautiful arc spanning the horizon, the powerful and eternal waves crashing against the shore, the majestic eagle soaring into the heights, and the night sky covered with a multitude of sparkling lights to our eyes’ delight—all of these natural phenomena are a mere glimmer of the majestic beauty and greatness of one immortal soul. One immortal soul in the state of grace far transcends in greatness every natural beauty that the naked eye can contemplate. For that reason, once Saint Catherine of Siena was granted a vision of one soul in the state of grace and she fell to her knees in ecstasy by its stunning beauty!

Another powerful proof to capture the infinite value of one immortal soul is the apostolic zeal that motivated the saints in their work, sacrifices, sufferings, and even their death! Following are a few examples of the saints and their insatiable hunger for the salvation of immoral souls….

Why did the Cure of Ars—Saint John Marie Vianney, spend from 13-18 hours in the confessional day and night, in the cold of winter and the blistering humidity and heat of the summer, confessing sinners? Why? Why? Why?

For one simple reason: love for God and love for what God loves most, the salvation of immortal souls! Why would Vianney eat two or three potatoes a day, sleep three hours at night battling constantly with the devil, scourge himself to the point of shedding blood, and weeping copious tears for sinners? One simple reason—the love of God and love for immortal souls! This patron of Parish priests knew keenly the value of a soul reconciled to God through the Blood of Christ washing the soul clean in every absolution given!

Again, you tell me why Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina willingly accepted the stigmata in 1918, while absorbed in prayer. His hands and feet were pierced through like his Beloved crucified Lord and Savior. His side was pierced, like Jesus’ side pierced by the lance causing blood and water to come gushing forth. Jesus promised this modern saint that he would bear this stigmata for fifty long years, and then at the end of his life it would disappear. Why did Padre Pio accept this excruciating pain of the stigmata? Once he was asked if it hurt. The saint responded curtly that it was not a decoration! Padre Pio suffered the stigmata to imitate his beloved Savior, the Crucified Lord, but also to repair for sins and for the conversion of sinners. In other words, this saint willingly bore this suffering for the salvation of immortal souls, and he paid a dear price!

Still more, why did the three little shepherd children of Fatima—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta willingly accept constant sacrifices that entailed great suffering, even though they were mere children? Why? Why? Why? The response is the same: their love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and their love for  what Jesus and Mary love most in this world—immortal souls! The list of the sacrifices that these children underwent at such tender young ages, staggers the imagination and shows the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of generous souls.

Jacinta. Let us just take the sacrifices of Jacinta Marto, the youngest of the three seers at Fatima. What radically transformed the three of the children, but especially Jacinta, was the graphic vision of Hell on July 13, 1917. Seeing souls tossed about without equilibrium like waves tossed at sea, hearing their desperate cries never to be relieved, seeing hideous animals (the devils) trans-piercing these souls causing them eternal torment, provoked in little Jacinta a profound conversion of heart and life! Little Jacinta, small in stature but a giant in her love for souls, was ready to offer all she had for the salvation of immortal souls.

On one occasion, tending their sheep on a blistering hot summer day, the three children were dying of thirst, so Lucia fetched a pitcher of water from a neighboring farmhouse. But both Jacinta and Francisco implored Lucia to pour the water into the ground so that they could suffer thirst! Why? Once again for the salvation of immortal souls! Due to their extraordinary generosity and the love of Jacinta for souls, when Saint Pope John Paul II beatified this little girl, he called her a “Little victim soul”.

Saint Faustina.  In the Diary of Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus revealed to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska His great love for souls. However, Jesus pointed out that love for the salvation of souls is measured by the willingness to suffer for these souls! The more we love, the more willing we are to suffer for those we love!

The Blood of Jesus. Finally, the Word of God teaches us most poignantly the value of souls related to the Precious Blood that Jesus shed for all of us, and for each one of us individually, on that First Good Friday,

Now, you will be saved if you invoke as Father he who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. (I Peter 1:17-19).

In sum, your individual soul was saved by the Precious Blood that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shed for you on Calvary that first Good Friday. Indeed, if you were the only person created in the whole universe, Jesus would have shed every drop of His most Precious Blood for your immortal soul. How precious and valuable indeed you and your soul are in the eyes of Almighty God!!!

 

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

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16th   Mk. 2: 13-17   “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Part 1: GOD ALONE … by Father John Tauler, O.P.
Part 2: MEDITATION, MASS, MERCY, MISSION, MARY! by Father Ed Broom, OMV 

PART 1:  GOD ALONE … by Father John Tauler, O.P.

What worse harm can hell and devils do to me than hinder my loving God for whom all creatures continually yearn? Let a man press onward with all his might to God through every one of his life’s happenings; let him make no great matter of what occurs to him, whether sweet or bitter. Let it all flow away behind you; meddle with it no more, for it has ceased to concern you; follow God with all your best reason.

Thus may one attend to every external duty without externizing himself; thus does God remain present to his mind amid a multiplicity of affairs, while he remains safe from the effects of that multiplicity. That happy state comes only from refusing to fasten one’s spirit upon anything whatsoever except God alone. Go not forward or backward or sideways; take no account of pleasure or profit, men’s favor or their disfavor, but simply and solely consider God.

• Saint Teresa of Avila beseeched God thus: “Oh, how hard a thing am I asking of Thee, my true God! I ask Thee to love one who loves Thee not, to give health to one who prefers to be sick and even goes about in search of sickness!”
• Enslaved in sin, Saint Augustine cried out in anguish amid a torrent of tears, “How long, how long, tomorrow, and tomorrow? Why not now? Why not is there this hour an end to my uncleanness?”
• Even Mary had to consent to the action of God’s grace in becoming the Mother of God! Saint Alphonsus Ligouri says, “Our Blessed Lady gave the consent which the Eternal Word was waiting for before He would become her Son. Along with her consent Mary gave herself so completely to the matter of the salvation of all human beings that there and then she began to carry us all in her womb. And she did so with far greater love than any other mother could ever feel for the child within her.”
• Saint John Chrysostom puts these words into the mouth of Jesus: “I am not come that they should continue sinners but that they should change and become better!”
• Jesus can only change us and make us better with our consent, with our willing cooperation! What then does the “change and better” we are called to become look like? Fr. Ed Broom gives us the blueprint!

PART 2: MEDITATION, MASS, MERCY, MISSION, MARY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

If you can strive to live out these five “M’s” in your life, no doubt, you are on the Highway to holiness. The five M’s: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, Mission, and Mary!

In our brief exposition we will strive to offer a short explanation of each and every one of the letters that starts with M—a five letter alliteration! Easy to remember: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, Mission, and Mary! Ready, set, go!

1. MEDITATION. As followers of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, an indispensable quality or aspect of our following of the Lord is that of daily MEDITATION. In the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, we pray: “Give us this day our daily Bread…” After fasting forty days and forty nights, the devil tempted Jesus who was hungry to change stones into bread. Jesus responded to this temptation quoting from the Old Testament: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Deut. 8:3) Jesus emphasized the proper priorities or hierarchy of values that we must embrace, the Bread of the Word of God. The Bread of the Word of God that nourishes the mind prevails over the physical bread that sustains the body. Physical bread terminates in the stomach to be digested; the Bread of the Word of God in the mind to be absorbed in Truth! Let us make a concerted effort and a determined determination to find time on a daily basis to meditate upon the Word of God. If possible, let us follow the invitation of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: “To make the Hour of Power!” Daily meditation on the Word of God will communicate to your person light, peace, joy, and a keen awareness that the Lord is walking with you during the course of the day. “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” (Psalm 23:1)

2. MASS. Underneath the firmament of heaven, while traveling as pilgrims toward our eternal homeland that is Heaven, there is no greater prayer on earth than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is the Divine rainbow that connects Heaven with earth. It is the cross of Christ that connects us to the Heavenly Father. It is the renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary. Jesus offers His Precious Blood and His five wounds to the Eternal Father for the salvation of the entire world. In every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the entire Paschal Mystery is accomplished. That is to say, in every Holy Mass this happens, in a mystical and invisible but very real way the Sacrifice of Calvary, the Passion and death, but also the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As much as possible and according to circumstances in our life and our specific vocation, we should make an effort to attend and participate in Holy Mass, fully, actively and consciously. If we are in the state of sanctifying grace, then we should hunger for the Eucharist, the Bread of life. “As the deer yearns for the running streams, so my soul yearns for you, O Lord.” (Psalm 41:1)  The fervent, frequent, faith-filled reception of Holy Communion is the greatest act that a human person can carry out this side of Heaven! Our sanctification and salvation, as well as that of the world at large, depends on Holy Mass and fervent Holy Communions! Let us tap into this infinite reservoir of grace right now!

3. MERCY. What is MERCY? It is nothing less than the Infinite Love of God forgiving the sinner. According to Saint Faustina, Saint Pope John Paul II, and the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Mercy is the greatest attribute or virtue in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Often a huge roadblock in our journey to holiness is a certain pride or resentment, disguised as a lack of forgiveness. Often almost unaware, we cling to resentments in which we have not fully forgiven. This serves as a true roadblock and obstacle in our itinerary to holiness. It might even be that we hold on to a resentment or grudge against God for something that He has allowed to transpire in our lives. Or perhaps some person hurt us, and we have not fully forgiven that person. Perhaps we have failed in one way or another and we are unwilling to forgive ourselves and seek forgiveness from God through the Sacrament of Confession. When we truly learn to forgive, we set the captive free; and that captive is our own miserable self!

4. MISSION. From Baptism, all are called to be true missionaries. Anointed as priest, prophet, and king, the Sacrament of Baptism empowers us with a triple mission. As priestly people we offer sacrifices for our sins and those of the whole world. As kings we learn to serve as Jesus teaches us: “The Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in ransom for many.” (Mt. 20: 28) Then as prophet, we are all called to preach and spread the Word of God by word and by example. Furthermore, the last words of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Matthew are: “Go out to the whole world and teach them all that I taught you. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”  (Mt. 28: 19-20) In the quiet of prayer, beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind to discern and to follow up on the specific way or ways in which you can spread the Word of God and proclaim the Kingdom. All of us are called to be passionate and fiery missionaries. If we love Jesus, then we should love what He loves most—the salvation of immortal souls. With an aching Heart, Jesus proclaimed: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire is enkindled.” (Lk. 12:49)  As a missionary, may you cast fire and start a conflagration!

5.MARY: THE MOTHER OF GOD, THE MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, AND OUR LOVING MOTHER. It is interesting, the order or juxtaposition of this exposition. Indeed, Mary lived out to the fullest extent possible these first four M’s: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, and Mission. Hence, she can assist us to live them out most efficaciously!

a) MEDITATION: Twice in the Gospel of Saint Luke in Chapter Two, Mary is presented as a model for meditation. After the visit of the Shepherds, the Evangelist states that Mary pondered these things in her heart. The word ponder means to meditate, to ruminate (the way a cow chews the cud), to reflect seriously upon these happenings related to Jesus. Then about twelve years later, when the Child Jesus was found in the Temple after three days of sorrowful search, once again Mary pondered these events in her Immaculate Heart. Hence, Mary serves as a contemplative model of meditation for all of us!

b) MASS. When Our Lady appeared in Mexico (Guadalupe), France (Lourdes), and Portugal (Fatima), unequivocally she asked that a Church be built. Why? So that people would go frequently to this sacred place where Jesus is offered to God the Father in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of immortal souls. Saint Pope John Paul II asserted that in every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Mary is present as she was at the foot of the cross on Calvary when Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial Victim for the salvation of the world. (Jn. 19: 25-27)

c) MERCY. Among the many mystical and poetic titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of Mary as MOTHER OF MERCY. In fact, one of the greatest spiritual literary masterpieces ever written on Mary exalting Mary’s sublime virtue of mercy is “The Glories of Mary” by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. This unique, classic spiritual masterpiece comments on one prayer—the Hail Holy Queen. In this beautiful prayer recited at the end of the Holy Rosary, we pray: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope…”  Saint Alphonsus asserts that nobody should ever fear approaching Mary because Mary is PURE MERCY!  She is the quickest bridge to the merciful Heart of Jesus. In our battles to conquer our pride and resentments, Our Lady is a most efficacious means and intercessor!

d) MISSION. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary motivates our hearts, filling them with the fire of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to others and bring others to Christ—both! For that reason, one of the greatest Missionaries in the history of the Church, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pointed out with accurate precision: “Mary was the first Missionary of Charity.” Why? Because in the Mystery of the Visitation Mary went in haste to bring Jesus to Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist in her womb. Therefore, let us humbly implore Mary the Missionary that through her most powerful prayers she would ignite in our hearts a fiery and passionate desire to set all on fire in the world with the love for Christ!

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, let us strive to live out the spiritual alliteration of the 5 M’S: 1) MEDITATION, 2) MASS, 3) MERCY, 4) MISSION, and 5) MARY! If carried out with energy of will, intelligence, and perseverance, we will have entered on the super-highway to Heaven. Let us push the pedal to the medal and reach our eternal goal!

 

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

Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15th   Mk. 2: 1-12   “They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.”

• Sin is compared to leprosy, to deafness, to blindness. Today’s Gospel reminds us that sin is also compared to paralysis.
• Sometimes we are the paralytic. It seems impossible for us to convert from habitual sins – we feel caught in their grip.
• When Saint Faustina tried to overcome a certain imperfection, she found that it grew in frequency. Discouraged, she asked Our Lord, “Why?” He said it was because she tried to overcome it by her own efforts and will power, instead of turning to Him!
• Moreover, the devil seeks to trip us up in several ways: 1) the devil may convince us that it’s hopeless – we will never be able to give up certain sins. This leads us to despair and giving in to more and worse sins; 2) the devil may convince us that our sins aren’t so bad; others sin way worse than we do. This leads to complacency and compromising with evil; 3) The devil may convince us, like Saint Faustina, that we can overcome these sins by our own efforts and will power. This leads to false starts and false hopes that we can do this if we just keep trying, to little or no effect.
• All three of these tactics of the devil lead to a decline in virtue and increase in vice – the slippery slope that puts our salvation at risk!
• The solution is always the same – the Person of Jesus Christ.  We can escape enslavement to sin with the help of the Divine Physician – without Him we can do nothing!

HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC: JESUS CAME TO HEAL!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Wounded, scarred, paralyzed, aching and limping – all words that describe you and me in our spiritual state of soul! We are all wounded because of Original Sin, and also due to personal sin. Good News! There is a “Healer” and His name is Jesus. Let us turn to His healing presence and power!

1. THE PARALYTIC!  First, each of us has to recognize, “I am that paralytic!” Sin is a form of “moral paralysis.” From conception and birth until now, our souls experience paralysis. But there is good news! There is a Healer!

2. THE STRETCHER-BEARERS!  Call to mind how many “stretcher-bearers” God has sent into your life to bring you to Jesus, the Healer. Rewind the film of your life and see these providential persons – call them Good Samaritans – whom God placed in your path that resulted in your encountering Jesus the Healer! Give thanks

3. PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND POWER!  The place where Jesus was teaching was packed! But these stretcher-bearers did not give up! Let us learn not to give up. Remember the words of Knute Rockne: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Jesus confirmed this, “By your patience, you will save your soul.” (Lk. 21:19)

4. CREATIVITY / INGENUITY!  Wow! Climbing up on the roof and lowering the man down through the roof on a stretcher. How admirable their perseverance, but also their creativity! Where there is a will, there is a way. To encounter Jesus, no sacrifice should be too big!

5. PROPER ORDER OF VALUES!  Jesus first heals his sins: “Your sins are forgiven.” In your life, your soul has infinite value. Your soul is worth more than the whole created universe! (Saint Thomas Aquinas) You were redeemed not with the blood of goats or calves, nor with silver or gold, but by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

6. CRITICS OF JESUS.  Jesus is criticized! Let us learn to control our tongue. Remember the words of Saint James, “We should be slow to speak and quick to listen.” Read James, Chapter 3: 1-12 on the dangers of the sins of the tongue!

7. HEALING!  “Get up, take your mat, and go home!”  Let us ask Jesus to heal us of our paralysis! Let us have recourse to Confession which heals us of our spiritual paralysis so we can walk, run, and fly high after Jesus! The Christian was made to fly high in the spiritual atmosphere of God’s love and holiness. Lord, give us these wings!!!

8. DANGERS!  What persons, places and things have led us into the paralyzed state of sin in the past? Let us make a firm purpose to avoid them now and may God’s grace assist us!

9. PARALYZED HUMANITY!  After you have been healed, place on the “mat” – the altar in Holy Mass – all those you know and love who indeed are paralyzed in sin but are too blind to admit it. Or they simply prefer sickness over health. With the priest, lift these loved ones on high during the Consecration at Mass. It is the same Healing Jesus who is Present and capable of healing them, as well as us!

10. MARY, HEALTH OF THE SICK!  In Lourdes, France many miracles of healing take place every year. The miraculous waters have healed countless sick bodies. However, the most numerous healings occur in the early evening when Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the monstrance and taken in procession. May the prayers of Mary, “Health of the sick”, come to our rescue so that we will be healed by Jesus in body, mind, heart and soul. Then we can be a wounded-healer to heal wounded humanity in this wounded world!

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

Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14th   Mk. 1: 40-45   “A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’”

• This same Jesus is with us every moment of every day! We are as blessed as this leper… as blessed as the apostles and the holy women who walked with Jesus through the towns and countryside of Palestine… as blessed as the crowds who witnessed His miracles and His mercy.
• Jesus is here in our midst… do we receive Him with faith and love? The leper’s body is cleansed at the touch of Jesus’ hand. We are cleansed in Confession when the priest raises his hand and says, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We receive the touch of His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion at every Mass! Our communion is union with the Lord. Even the angels are amazed at such a profound mystery! Each time we receive Christ worthily, He conforms us more to His image.
• Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, Jesus is present and part of it… at home… at work… at school… driving… shopping… cleaning… cooking… resting… praying… sleeping. He is always with us! We can talk to Him, praise Him, thank Him, ask for His help, ask for His pardon, ask for His direction, and He will answer us!
• Every moment of our lives He calls to us… “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants to touch us so we can be made clean and healed of all that wounds us! All that we need is humility and faith!

WOUNDED HEALER OR A WOUNDED WOUNDER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Making a prophecy about Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah speaks about wounds, about wounds that would be inflicted on the Body of Jesus Christ. The Prophet states: “It is by His wounds that we are healed.” (Is. 53:5) Of course, the Prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, projecting himself into the future, was prophesying the Sorrowful Passion of Jesus.

Jesus’ scourging at the Pillar, His crowning with thorns, His falling under the weight of the cross and His wounded shoulder where the weight of cross cut deeply, His hands and feet nailed to the cross, and finally His Sacred Heart wounded and pierced with the lance are all graphic and evident depictions of the wounds of Jesus.

OUR WOUNDED PERSON.  Every person entering into this wounded world of humanity, enters wounded. The Original Sin inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, was the first wound that was inflicted on us, even though we did not will this. Our personal and actual sins wound us still more. Even more, living in a wounded and dysfunctional family that is the world, and our own natural family, we receive many wounds; we in turn, wound our family members and others.

In a word, as part of wounded humanity, all of us are walking, gaping, and dripping wounded persons. Whether we know this, deny this, or simply ignore this wounded condition, it does not change the reality of wounded humanity and wounded individuals.

Therefore, turning the corner, with our hearts and minds lifted on high, with great hope and trust in God and His infinite love for all of humanity, and His overflowing love for each and every one of us individually, let us present a plan to work for our healing, the healing of our family, the healing of the Church, and the healing of the world at large. Indeed, healing is a real possibility!

Off the bat it must be asserted this all-encompassing truth: either we will be wounded wounders or we will be wounded healers. Our hope and prayer is that you will choose to be part of the army of wounded-healers!

This being the case, let us look at some positive and concrete steps that we can take to attain this healing so as to be an instrument of healing in the world, starting in our own family. Let’s start!

PLAN FOR PROCESS OF BEING A WOUNDED HEALER

1. HUMBLE ADMISSION OF MY WOUNDED NATURE. If we are living in a state of denial in which we say that we are really not wounded, then the healing process will never take place. There is a well-known proverb in Spanish: “No hay peor ciego que aquel que no quiere verl no hay peor sordo que aquel quen no quiere oir.” Translation: “There is no worse blind man than he who does not want to see; there is no worse deaf person than he who does not want to hear.” Many alcoholics will never be healed for the simple reason that they do not admit that they have a problem with drinking. Quite simply, we must admit, “I am a wounded person!”

2. BEG FOR HEALING. Time and time again the blind, the deaf, the paralytics, the lepers, and the many wounded people would approach Jesus with faith and trust, and they would be healed, and more often than not, the healing was immediate! Like Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, we must beg the Lord first to be able to see our blindness, to recognize our woundedness, and then beg the Lord to stretch out His hand and heal us. “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7)

3. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION. The Sacraments are exterior signs instituted by Christ to confer grace. One of the Sacraments that was instituted specifically for healing is the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy. If you like, every time we sin, our soul is marked with a wound—a moral wound. The more often we sin, the deeper are the moral wounds. On the contrary, a well-prepared, well-done Confession heals these wounds. The Precious Blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross on Good Friday washes and heals our moral wounds—these we call sins! Any person who has made a good Sacramental Confession can testify to the joy, peace, happiness, and the healing power and presence of God they experienced when they left the confessional. What medicine is to the sick body, Confession is to the ailing soul!

4. COMMUNION. The specific Sacramental grace of Confession is healing of the soul. Whereas the specific Sacramental grace of Holy Communion and the Eucharist is nourishment. Still, one of the secondary effects of a worthy and fervent Holy Communion is that of healing. Such that the Council of Trent specifies that Holy Communion can serve as an antidote to heal our daily infirmities—meaning, our venial sins. On one occasion, Saint Faustina experienced great weaknesses in the chest due to lung failure. She received Holy Communion and experienced the healing power of grace and the Real Presence of Jesus healing even her bodily weakness! It is the same Jesus who healed the many sick people 2000 years ago. His strength never abates!

5. FORGIVENESS, MERCY, RECONCILIATION. Jesus stated that if you come to the altar to offer your gift and you recognize that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift and first be reconciled with your brother. Then return to offer the gift to God. Many wounds, foul and festering in our hearts and souls, derive from resentments (often for years) that we cling to and are unwilling to relinquish. By forgiving some person who has hurt you, and asking for forgiveness from those you have hurt, you are setting the captive free, and that captive-prisoner set free is yourself! As the Catholic English poet put it: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” (Alexander Pope)

6. HONEST CONVERSATION BEFORE JESUS ON THE CROSS. Another most efficacious means by which the healing process of our soul can take place can be through prayer. Like the little boy, Marcelino, in the movie Miracle of Marcelino or in Spanish Marcelino Pan y Vino, we should sit before Jesus nailed on the cross and contemplate His gaping wounds—His hands and feet and opened side—and unload. Tell the Lord Jesus about your hurts, your wounds, your cuts and bruises from the past all the way up to the present, and even your fears about possible future wounds. Jesus is the best of listeners and He has great love for you and compassion for your wounds. Simply by opening up to Jesus, “The Wounded-Healer”, your healing will take place.

7. KISSING THE WOUNDS. After your open and loving conversation with Jesus on the cross, end by approaching the Crucifix, Jesus hanging on the cross for love of you, and thank the Lord. Tell the Lord how much you love Him. Then one by one, kiss each and every one of His five wounds. Saint Francis and the saints would do this, why can’t we? This expression of love brings great comfort to the Heart of Christ, as well as to the Heart of Mary, His Mother.

8. PRAY THE ANIMA CHRISTI. One of the prayers that Saint Ignatius treasured most was the ANIMA CHRISTI. This prayer can serve as an excellent prayer of thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. When you have the Real Presence of Jesus in the very depths of your soul, His Precious Blood flowing through your veins, His wounds ready to heal your wounds, pray that prayer. In this prayer you actually pray for healing from the Body of Christ that you have just received in Holy Communion. By His wounds we are healed. (See Appendix below for the Anima Christi Prayer)

9. LEARN TO LOVE GOD AND LEARN TO LOVE OTHERS. The famous novelist, Taylor Caldwell, in her masterpiece about Saint Luke, Dear and Glorious Physician, presents a vivid scene illustrating the power of love as a healing force. There is a man who is very sick and has gone to many physicians seeking healing, but to no avail. Hearing of the healing power of Saint Luke, the Dear and Glorious Physician, he approaches Luke. The love, compassion, kindness, and gentleness that exude from this Dear and Glorious Physician heals the sick man then and there! The man apparently had no real sickness. Quite simply, he needed the human love and compassion that he had never received before. For this reason, the saintly Mother Teresa of Calcutta commented that New York City is the poorest city because of people’s coldness towards each other due to a lack of love in their hearts. Therefore, if you learn to love God and truly practice loving and serving others, healing will take place in your entire being! And you will bring healing to others!

10. OUR LADY: HEALTH OF THE SICK! Among the many titles given to Our Lady is also that of Health of the Sick. It is recorded in the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux that she was suffering a serious malady. Lifting up her gaze, she saw a beautiful statue of Our Lady and she prayed to her. The future saint was healed instantly. Saint Frances de Sales received great emotional healing by lifting his gaze to Our Lady of Victory and praying the Memorare, attributed to Saint Bernard. If you turn to Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and offer to her your wounds, she will heal those wounds by her most powerful intercession. “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” (Memorare Prayer)

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, we enter a wounded world with our own wound from Original Sin. Other wounds come and continue to come through our personal sins. People wound us, often those with whom we share our lives, that is to say, our family members. We, too, wound others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. There are really only two options: either we will be Wounded Wounders or we will become Wounded Healers. Let us choose the latter. Let us turn to Jesus, the Wounded Healer and place our wounds within His wounds, and as a result we will be transformed into Wounded Healers in a broken and wounded world. Mary our Mother, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, be there to touch and heal wounded humanity!

Appendix:

ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me
and bid me come to you.
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever. Amen.

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

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

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

 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13th   Mk. 1: 29-39   “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”

• Jesus is our model for prayer. Every so often we need a Prayer Booster shot!

Part 1: Excerpt from Thirsting for Prayer by Fr. Jacques Philippe
Part 2: PRAYER PLEASING TO THE POWERFUL LORD by Father Ed Broom, OMV 

PART 1: Excerpt from Thirsting for Prayer by Fr. Jacques Philippe

 The first thing that should motivate us and encourage us to enter into a life of prayer is that God Himself is inviting us to do it. Man searches for God, but God seeks out man even more actively. God calls us to pray to Him because right from the start, and far more than we can imagine, He ardently desires to enter into communion with us.

The firmest foundation is God’s call: “Pray without ceasing!” (1 Thes  5:17), “Watch and pray!” (Mt 26:41), “Pray at all times!” (Eph 6:18). We pray because it is God who asks us to. And in asking us to pray, He knows what He is doing. His plans are infinitely beyond anything we can glimpse, desire or imagine. In prayer there is a mystery that absolutely surpasses our understanding.

What drives a prayer life is faith – faith as trusting obedience to God’s proposal. And we cannot even imagine the immense positive repercussions of this humble, trusting response to God’s call; just like Abraham, who set out without knowing where he was going, and so became the father of a whole nation.

The benefits are neither instantaneous nor measurable. If we pray in an attitude of humble submission to God’s word, we will always have the grace to persevere. Our prayer life will be rich and beneficial to the degree that it is inspired by this approach of a confident, obedient response to God’s call.

God knows what is good for us, and that should be enough for us. God invites us, so to speak, to “waste time” on Him, and that is enough. It will be a “fruitful waste,” in the words of St. Therese of Lisieux. St. John of the Cross says, “The person who flees prayer is fleeing everything that is good.”

Human life only finds its full balance and beauty when God is at its center. “Serve God first!” said St. Joan of Arc. Faithfulness to prayer is what effectively ensures that we can give this central place to God in specific ways. Without faithfulness to prayer, giving priority to God risks being nothing more than a good intention, or even an illusion. If we don’t pray, we will subtly but surely put our own egos at the center of our lives, instead of the living God. We will be distracted by a huge number of different desires, demands, and fears.

By contrast, if we do pray, even though we have to fight against the weight of our own egos and our habits of self-centeredness and selfishness, we will find that we are working in the direction of detachment from ourselves and re-centering on God little by little… that gives Him (or restores Him) to the right place – the first place – in our lives. And in this way we discover the unity and consistency of our lives. “He who does not gather with me scatters” (Lk 11:23). When God is at the center, everything else falls into place.

PART 2:  PRAYER PLEASING TO THE POWERFUL LORD by Father Ed Broom, OMV 

“In mental prayer,” adds St. Peter of Alcantara, “the soul is purified of its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope; the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident; temptations are conquered, sadness dispelled, the senses are renovated, the drooping powers revive; tepidity ceases, the rust of vices disappears. Out of mental prayer issue forth, like living sparks, those desires of heaven which the soul conceives when inflamed with the fire of Divine Love. Sublime is the excellence of mental prayer, great are its privileges; to mental prayer heavenly secrets are manifested and the ear of God attentive.”

With these powerfully convincing words of one of the men who was instrumental in directing the great Saint Teresa of Avila in the reform of the Carmelite Order, Saint Peter of Alcantara, we invite all to read, reflect and pray over these humble but hopefully helpful words to help you to grow in the “Art of all arts” (Saint Alphonsus M. Liguori), the art of prayer!

1. HOLY SPIRIT.  Constantly beg with fervor and faith the Holy Spirit for the gift of prayer. The Holy Spirit is known as The Interior Master who indeed can teach us to pray and motivate us to carry it out. Saint Paul in the letter to the Romans emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit in prayer: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes with ineffable groans so that we can say Abba, Father.” (Romans 8: 26)

2. GIVE TIME AND EFFORT. Make a proposal today that you will try to pray every day a little more and a little better. God cannot be outdone in generosity. Saint Ignatius challenges us in Annotation #5 in the Spiritual Exercises to have MAGNANIMITY— this means in simple English to be generous with God. Why not get up 10 minutes earlier to give the Lord an extra ten minutes in prayer?

3. PURITY OF HEART. A common obstacle that militates against prayer is sin; sin dirties or sullies the window pane of the soul, thereby blocking the penetration of Divine light. CONFESSION! Making a good confession can cleanse the interior window of the soul so as to contemplate the Face of God with ever greater clarity, so we can live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

4. SPIRITUAL READING ON PRAYER. Saint Teresa of Avila is the Doctor of prayer. To enter the Carmelite Order, she required that the woman be able to read. The reason? She knew from experience how much someone could learn—especially with respect to the topic of prayer— by simply reading good books on the topic. Close to five hundred years have passed and now there is an infinite reservoir of good books on the topic of prayer.

5. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. The great Mystical Doctor of the Church, Saint John of the Cross, said with tongue in cheek, “He who has himself as a spiritual director has an idiot as a disciple.” In other words, we all have blind spots and need the experts to point them out to us. Learners we all are; therefore we must have someone well-trained in the spiritual life to come to our aid and help us to overcome the many obstacles in our prayer life and to help us persevere in our pursuit of surmounting the mountain of holiness! Periodic spiritual direction and talking about one’s prayer life can be of incalculable value!

6. STRUGGLE / SPIRITUAL COMBAT. It would be ingenious and naïve to presume that prayer is always going to be a piece of cake! As in the learning and perfecting of any talent or art, much time, effort, and struggle is needed. Athletes put it this way, “No pain, no gain!” The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents as an example of prayer the struggle and combat in the person of Jacob. One night Jacob had a visitor and it was an angel. The two struggled the whole night and Jacob would not release the angel until he was given a blessing. The blessing was given but Jacob’s sciatic nerve was damaged, and from that time on he walked with a limp. The Church takes this as a model for prayer as combat. At times we have to struggle through our prayer life. An elderly priest once told me that prayer can be like pushing a wheel-barrow full of cement up a steep hill!!!

7. PERSEVERANCE.  Once again, Saint Teresa of Avila can come to our rescue with this excellent suggestion—never give up prayer, under no condition! Her classical saying resounds so powerful and true for those who take their spiritual life seriously. The woman Doctor of the Church asserts: “We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.” Saint Alphonsus Liguori went so far as to say: “He who prays well will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned. ”Saint Augustine chimes in with this poetic expression on prayer: “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well, dies well; he who dies well, all is well.” Excellent! Let us listen to and follow the teachings of the saints; they were the Masters of Prayer and are now contemplating the Lord Jesus face to face in the Beatific Vision that we are all called to one day!

8. TEXTS TO PRAY FROM. Once again, Saint Teresa of Avila teaches us that for beginners, as well as the proficient, books are indispensable to set the fire aflame in prayer. Of course the best book to be used in prayer is the Bible, the Word of God. And in the Bible, the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John— have the primary place of importance! However of great importance are the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament. In this masterpiece inspired by the Holy Spirit, we have the major sentiments that should come into play in a well-rounded and mature prayer-life. Praise, thanksgiving, supplication, petition, contrition, wonder, fears and worries, hopes and dreams, and above all, Love— all of these are sentiments present in the Psalms and we can make these sentiments our own!

9. HOLY MASS.  Never should we ever forget that of all the prayers existent underneath the heavens, that unite heaven and earth, past, present and future—the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass stands alone. If possible, we should aim for daily Mass and Holy Communion. If we are already in the habit of attending daily Mass and Holy Communion, then we should make a concerted effort to upgrade our participation and improve in our interior disposition in the reception of the Eucharistic Lord. The greatest gesture that the human person can do in this world is to receive Jesus with a proper disposition in Holy Communion. Saint Faustina stated that the angels experience a holy envy for us because not one of the angels can receive Holy Communion, not even the Cherubim or the Seraphim!

10. MARY AND PRAYER. We should never exclude the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary from our prayer life. The first point we made was to invoke the Person of the Holy Spirit to teach us to pray. The first novena of the Church culminated in Pentecost— a powerful wind and fire and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Mary’s presence for nine days and nine nights in prayer and fasting facilitated the down pouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their radical transformation. (Acts 2). When Mary appeared at Fatima and Lourdes she insisted on prayer for world peace and for the conversion of sinners. Why not turn to Mary and beg her to pray for you that you cultivate a deeper and deeper prayer life!  “Come Holy Spirit, come through the heart of Mary.”

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