Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen,
Bishops and Doctors of the Church

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2^ND Jn. 1: 19-28   “There is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 

Part 1:  Jesus, mild and merciful… by Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Part 2: CONQUER DISCOURAGEMENT: USE OF BIBLE VERSES! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: Jesus, mild and merciful… by Saint Gregory Nazianzen (+ 390)

Now Christ is born to you and is God, and becomes man and sojourns among mankind. And that He might instill a sense of humility in us, it is in this setting that He takes on flesh and becomes part of the human race. It was, after all, for our sakes that He became man and assumed the form of a servant, and for our transgressions that He was led off to die.

This is the way the Savior brought salvation, even though as the God who created the entire universe at a word, He could have done so also by the mere expression of His will. What He did give us was greater and more compelling: He embraced human feelings and the human condition!

Where then does duty lie for us, the disciples of Christ the mild and merciful, who did so much for us? Shall we not emulate the Lord’s compassion? Shall we not be kind to our fellow servants so that the Lord may in equal spirit repay us to the measure of our own kindness? Shall we not gain our own lives through gentleness?

• Shall we not emulate the Lord’s compassion?  Are we not to be repaid according to the measure of our own kindness? Shall we not gain our own lives through gentleness?
• It is easy to be kind and gentle with others when we are filled with consolation. It is a different story when we are in desolation, when we are sad and discouraged. May we follow the suggestions of Fr. Ed Broom, OMV to conquer discouragement and desolation by meditating on the Word of God!

PART 2: CONQUER DISCOURAGEMENT: USE OF BIBLE VERSES! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Our interior state can be compared to the weather changes that change, modify, and vary constantly. One day, you awake and there is sunshine streaming through your window pane; the birds are singing joyful songs of praise; the fragrance of spring flowers penetrates and permeates wherever you go; the blue sky and gentle breeze lift your heart; still more, everybody seems to have a winning smile radiating from their countenance. It seems to be the portal of Heaven.

Then the following day presents to you, in marked contrast, a gray, drizzly morning; the sun totally hidden behind the clouds. The cold and chilly winter air seems to penetrate your whole being to your very bones. Gray, dark, ominous clouds hover over you, ready to envelop and engulf you in their dreary chill. Crossing the street, a car honks loudly at you and the angry driver has his fist raised on high to let you know his feelings! Everybody hurries on to their daily activities, oblivious to the fact that you even exist. Everything is gray, dreary, cold, chilly, crude and cruel, sad and desolate; in the words of the English poet, T.S. Elliot, life seems to be a mere Waste Land and you are immersed in the midst of a dense fog!

Whether we like it or not, we are confronted with both of these realities, in one form or another, constantly. Part of being human means being exposed to the constant reality of both consolation and desolation. One of the most clear manifestations of desolation is the temptation to give in to discouragement. What exactly is this so called state of desolation as defined by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his classical text The Spiritual Exercises? This is Ignatius’ explanation:

“I call desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love, the soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from desolation.” (Spiritual Exercises #317, Rule 4 of Rules for the Discernment of Spirits)

The thrust and purpose of this short essay is to help us to conquer the reality of desolation in our lives, most specifically, that of giving into discouragement. We would like to offer ten encouraging Biblical passages that we invite you to immerse yourself in especially when it seems as if the clouds are descending, the rain is beating against you, and you feel as if you are in a long, dark, and damp tunnel where there seems to be no way out! Never forget: with God’s help which is omnipotent—all-powerful, we can exit and escape from the most desolate, sad, and despairing of situations. May the Word of God be your light, support, strength, and Rock-Foundation!

1. THE PSALM OF THE GOOD-SHEPHERD. (Psalm 23) Prayerfully and calmly read the most famous Psalm in the Bible, once, twice, or as many times as you like, starting with the words: “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…”  The Lord will shine light in your darkness!

2. “Behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the world.” (Mt 28:20) These were the last words of the Lord Jesus on earth before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. In discouragement, all too often we feel lonely—nobody is there for me, nobody really cares about me. Not so! The Lord promised to be with you always, even until the end of the world.

3. Do not be afraid! (Mt. 11:28-30). Time and time again Jesus reminds the Apostles and us not to be afraid, but rather to trust, to place all of our trust in Him. In addition to these four consoling words of Jesus are the five words that Jesus told Saint Faustina to paint on the Divine Mercy image: “Jesus, I trust in you.” May the Lord cast out your fears as you trust totally in His Love, Presence, and Friendship.

 4. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and find life burdensome, 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) Prayerfully repeat these words and the burden of your sorrows, the weight of your cross, the darkness of your sadness and desolation will dissipate like a cloud evaporates in the sun-light.

 5. “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) These ten short words contain the power to alleviate the heaviest of crosses due to the simple reason that we know that the Lord is in control and He can do whatever He wants. However, whatever the Lord does is always for our welfare, for our spiritual progress, and for the salvation of our immortal soul.

6. “For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Lk. 1:37) These short seven words actually were addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, referring to the Virginal conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Immersed in the dense cloud of desolation, we feel as if we are lost and that nothing can possibly save us from this horrible interior state. Quite the contrary! The Word of God reminds us that absolutely nothing is impossible for God. He can move the highest mountains of our discouragement and desolation in a split-second if we trust in Him.

 7. “Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) Once again, just a few words—11 in total—offer us infinite consolation and strength. The Lord commands us to unload, to unpack, to release the burden of discouragement that weighs us down. Give all to the Lord Jesus and He will resolve the most intricate and complicated scenarios.

8. “I have come to set captives free.” (Isaiah 61:1/Lk. 4:18) If seven is one of those numbers of perfection, once again we have a seven-word Biblical passage gleaned from the Shakespeare of the Bible—the Prophet Isaiah. Jesus will quote the same passage in His early preaching! In a state of desolation and discouragement we might feel as if we are bound, as if we are chained, as if we are shackled, as if we are a real slave of our interior state of darkness. Jesus, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Liberator, came to break and destroy our interior slavery, and often that is discouragement. We might even pray: “Lord, free me; Lord, liberate me; Lord, shatter the bonds that enslave me!”

 9. “Do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given you besides. (Mt. 6:31-33) A good part of our desolation and discouragement stems from a lack of trust in God, and useless and needless worry. These comforting, consoling, and challenging words of Jesus can put you back on the right path of trusting in His loving and Divine Providential plan in your life. Jesus says, “Do not worry!”

 10. “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” (Lk. 1:28) These words of the Hail Mary that come from the Archangel Gabriel can prove to be most powerful in the midst of the dark nights, the dark tunnels, the stormy interior tempests that we all experience. Let us pray slowly, with trust and confidence, the HAIL MARY, and Mary, who is truly “our life, our sweetness, and our hope” (Hail Holy Queen), will hurry to our rescue and place us in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our true refuge in our tribulations, afflictions, and most profound desolation.

It is our firm hope and prayer that when you are passing through that painful and difficult time of desolation and discouragement, the quiet, peaceful, trusting, and prayerful reading of these Biblical passages will dissipate the dense clouds in your heart, so that you will experience and feel the sunshine and warmth of God’s Infinite Love and Mary’s tender embrace!

 

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

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1   Lk. 2:16-21   “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”  SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

• May we meditate on these readings, reflecting on them in heart, like the Blessed Virgin Mary!

 Part 1: God chose the weak… by Saint Augustine of Hippo

 Part 2: KNOW, LOVE AND IMITATE MARY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Part 3: Mary’s Magnificat (Lk. 1:46-55) – May we sing this Song of Praise with Mary!

God chose the weak… by Saint Augustine of Hippo

And because we find something like this written: “God chose the weak things of this world to disconcert the strong, and the low-born things of this world He chose, and the things that are not like those that are, that the things that are might be brought to nothing” (1 Cor 1:27-28), we have to remind ourselves that our Lord Jesus Christ came not only for the salvation of the poor, but also of the rich, not only of commoners, but also of kings. He refused, all the same, to choose kings for His disciples, refused rich people, refused the nobly born, refused the learned; but instead He chose poor, uneducated, low-born fisherman, in whom His grace would shine through more clearly.

He came, you see, to give the potion of humility and to cure pride. And if He had first called a king, the king would have said that it was his rank that was chosen; if he had first called a learned man, he would have said it was his teaching that was chosen. Those who were being called to lowliness and humility would have to be called by lowly and humble people. And so it is that Christ did not gain a fisherman through an emperor, but an emperor through a fisherman.

PART 2: KNOW, LOVE AND IMITATE MARY!

Mary is the loving Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Mary is intimately intertwined and linked to the Blessed Trinity. This short Marian essay that follows offers seven separate titles that the Church offers to strengthen our knowledge, love, devotion and desire to imitate Mary. Saint Louis de Montfort states clearly: The quickest, easiest, and shortest path to Jesus is through His Blessed Mother, Mary most holy. Loving Mary brings us to love Jesus, and Jesus brings us to the very Heart of God the Father. 

SEVEN MARIAN TITLES TO FOSTER LOVE & DEVOTION.

1. THE MASTERPIECE OF CREATION. In his over-flowing love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Louis de Montfort penned this title: Mary, the Masterpiece of Creation. Reflect on masterpieces in the world! The Pieta by Michelangelo, The Divine Comedy written by Dante, the Last Supper painted by Leonardo Davinci, The Prodigal Son, painted by Rembrandt, the Majestic Major Basilicas in Rome, Confessions written by Saint Augustine, the Summa Theologica composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas— all of the above are literary and artistic accomplishments that leave us almost stunned by their striking beauty and depth. In the same way we can say that two of the greatest creations of God are the Incarnation of the Son of God and the creation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was actually instrumental in the working of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Mary is indeed The Masterpiece of Creation. What do you admire most in her???

2. MYSTICAL SPOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. As mentioned above, Mary has an intimate union with the Blessed Trinity. Of course this includes her relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Immaculate Conception was the work of the Holy Spirit—Mary conceived without the stain of Original Sin. The Virginal Conception is the operation of the Holy Spirit—Jesus was conceived in Mary by the overshadowing (Shekinah—Hebrew) of the Holy Spirit. The Church was born upon the Coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost—Mary was there in prayer, silence, and fasting for nine days before this monumental event. Do you want to have a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit? Then, learn to love Mary; she is His Mystical Spouse!

3. THE MYSTICAL ROSE. In the literary Masterpiece of Dante, the Divine Comedy, as Saint Bernard ascends to the higher regions of heaven, he lifts up his eyes to contemplate a beauty that captivates him beyond the expression of human language as he sees THE MYSTICAL ROSE. This beautiful flower in the center of the Garden of Heaven is the Blessed Virgin Mary. A flower known for its captivating beauty, aromatic redolence and fragrance, and softness of touch. So it is in drawing close to Mary, The Mystical Rose. Mary brings us to an understanding of true beauty and appreciation of grace in our soul. Mary attains for us a spiritual sense in which we are almost magnetically drawn to what is pure, noble, holy and saintly. Finally, Mary though her powerful but gentle presence secures for us a gentleness, meekness and tenderness in dealing with others, so important for drawing souls back to God!

4. MOTHER OF MERCY—OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE. Many titles in one, Mary is indeed our Mother in the order of grace and helps us to maintain grace in our souls by avoiding sin. Upon falling, Mary attains for us the grace to rebound with resiliency and throw ourselves in the arms of our Merciful and Loving Father. She attains for us life and life in abundance through a deeper love for Jesus. In the midst of the bitterness of life, she fills our souls with sweetness. Finally, in a world that has lost meaning, purpose and hope, Our Lady buoys us up on the wings of eagles to view beyond this life and to peer into heaven, our true home. Read the classic book of Saint Alphonsus Liguori Hail Holy Queen. Pray slowly and often the beautiful prayer said at the end of the Holy Rosary: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

5. GATE OF HEAVEN. The purpose of our short, transitory, unpredictable, ephemeral life on earth is to attain heaven. By cultivating a dynamic love, devotion and trust in Mary, we are on the highway to heaven. True, there are many detours and potholes along the road. Mary helps us in the midst of turmoil, stress, uncertainty, tension and suffering to have our eyes fixed on the purpose of our life—to get to heaven. One of the beautiful titles for Mary is GATE OF HEAVEN. As a loving and tender Mother, she is praying for you right now so that you will love Jesus fully and totally in this life, so as to praise Him forever in heaven.

6. STELLA MARIS—STAR OF THE SEA! One of the most famous prayers/poems ever written on Mary was by the Mellifluous Doctor, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, with the title Stella Maris—Star of the Sea. In the midst of the tempestuous sea of life, surrounded by so many dangers from within and from without, we must have our eyes lifted on high and contemplate Stella Maris—Star of the Sea. That beautiful, shining and glimmering Star of the Sea is Mary. Way before the invention of electricity, sailors depended greatly on the light of the stars to navigate them to the port safely and securely. Amidst the storms of life, we must lift our gaze on high to Mary, Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. Indeed, by her most powerful prayers, she will lead us safely to the Port of salvation, our heavenly home. Never was it known that anyone who turned to Mary was left unaided. (Memorare, Saint Bernard)

7. QUEEN OF ALL HEARTS. Finally, we conclude with one of the favorite titles of Saint Louis de Montfort, Our Lady, Queen of all hearts! May you always strive with all of the energy of your whole being to seek refuge in the two most special and secure places: the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary! May Jesus be the King of your heart and Mary the Queen of your heart in time and for all eternity!

Let us conclude with an inspiring quotation from Saint John Eudes regarding the Heart of Mary: The Heart of Mary is a sun that spreads its rays and warmth throughout the world. It is constantly working in every way possible for the salvation of souls. May Our Lady’s prayers set our hearts on fire with love of Almighty God and the salvation of Immortal Souls!

PART 3: The Magnificat – May we never tire of praying this Prayer of Mary!  (Lk 1:46-55)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. 
From this day all generations will call me blessed: 
the Almighty has done great things for me, 
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation. 
He has shown the strength of his arm, 
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, 
and has lifted up the lowly. 
He has filled the hungry with good things, 
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy, 
the promise he made to our fathers, 
to Abraham and his children forever.

 

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

 

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31st   Jn.1:1-18   “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.”

Part 1: The Glory of God… by Fr. Maurice Zundel
Part 2: ROAD MAP TO HEAVEN Excerpt: Intro to Plan of Life… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: The Glory of God… by Fr. Maurice Zundel (+1975) Swiss mystic and philosopher

Working out our salvation… maintaining our equilibrium and pursuing our perfection… how can we resist the fact that God has no other possible revelation but ourselves, that we are the only expression of His face in the area where we live and that the others have the right to ask me to be Jesus Christ: in spite of all my shortcomings, I am entrusted with the mission of being Christ.

That, I believe, is the gate of light opening out on the mystery of Jesus: that the Incarnation is continued through us and that we, that is each of us, we are Christ for others. Saint Augustine says so: “We have not only been made Christians, we have been made Christ,” and not only Christ to live in union with Him, but to bear the light and the presence of Christ to others, to be what He would be in our place, to continue the act of the washing of the feet, to be given, consumed, eaten like Christ, to be nourishment for others.

Let us ask our Lord that He may take possession of souls who will bear His testimony totally and, in our daily lives, let us try to renew our courage and our enthusiasm at every moment by thinking that our Lord is entrusted into our hands, and that the possibility that Christ be received today, that He become flesh and that He dwell among us, depends on us.

• We might be thinking, “How can I do this”? Fr. Ed Broom, OMV answers this question with detailed explanations and examples in his new book Road Map to Heaven for anyone who sincerely wants to become the light of Christ in “this present darkness” (Eph 6:12) —a world in desperate need of a Savior. Excerpt provided.  

PART 2: ROAD MAP TO HEAVEN Excerpt: Intro to Plan of Life by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS PLAN OF LIFE???

Before outlining a methodical, organized, systematic, cohesive, and practical Plan of Life, let us first try to explain this so called Plan of Life. What on earth is a PLAN OF LIFE???

ORDER THE DISORDERED.  In the texts of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Annotation #1, we read that one of the primary purposes of the Spiritual Exercises is to order the disordered in our life so that we can discover God’s will and carry it out.

ORIGINAL SIN AND PERSONAL SIN.  As a result of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve (Gen 3), disorder entered into the world and on all levels.  Natural disorder, social disorder, family disorder, physical disorder, mental disorder, emotional disorder, moral disorder, and spiritual disorder—all this became a sad but all too true reality.  In His Incarnation, life, Passion, death, and Resurrection, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to restore order in the world and in our personal lives.  Because, in a word, sin is the essential reason for disorder at all levels.

PLAN OF LIFE AND ORDERING THE DISORDERED.  So as to be able to order the disordered in our lives we must have some plan, some project, some methodical and systematic program.  That is the purpose and the proposal for composing one’s Plan of Life—to put in order the disorder in our lives.  A well-composed and practical Plan of life that is lived out can have incredible value in our lives, and put us on the right path to arrive safely at and through the Heavenly Gates.

FRUSTRATION AND SADNESS WITHOUT A PLAN OF LIFE.  The huge majority of people do not know where they are headed, have no concrete purpose in life, and float around like a leaf blown by the wind.  They live with constant stress, anxiety, nervous tension, and very often suffer slight to serious depression.

PLAN OF LIFE AND GOAL IN LIFE.  On the contrary, the person who has a Plan of Life to live by has a huge advantage!  He knows where he has come from—God! He knows where he is heading—Heaven.  He knows how to get there—Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Finally, by composing and writing out a Plan of Life, he has given himself a Spiritual Road Map so as to arrive at his final destiny—the Kingdom of God!  Therefore, we encourage you to compose and write out your own Plan of Life, your Spiritual Road Map, you might even call it your SPIRITUAL GPS!!! That will lead you and keep you safely and securely on the Highway to Heaven.

SPIRITUAL GUIDE OR DIRECTOR.  It must be said from the start of this Plan of Life project, that those who undertake this most noble enterprise of composing their personal Plan of Life must have the help of a Spiritual Director, some spiritual guide, some spiritual person to accompany them.  Saint Ignatius of Loyola, as well as Saint Teresa of Avila, insisted on the dire need to have a Director in the spiritual life.  The temptations, obstacles, and pitfalls in the spiritual life are far too numerous for anyone who seriously undertakes this spiritual journey to go along this way without some form of spiritual direction.   Therefore, we warmly exhort all of those who plan to compose their Plan of Life to secure some form of spiritual direction.  We all have many blind-spots, and without the help of some qualified person outside our own experience, we can easily be deceived and tricked!

HOW MANY FORMS OF THE PLAN OF LIFE ARE THERE?

There are several forms of the Plan of Life.  However, in our short and humble work we will be offering essentially two forms.  You can do one or the other, or you can do both—the liberty of the sons and daughters of God!  Each person should feel free to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in their life.  Of course this free movement should be moderated, guided, and checked by a trained Spiritual Director.  God speaks through many channels and one is through the guidance of a Spiritual Director.

WHAT THEN ARE THE TWO PLANS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE?

The first form of the Plan of Life we would call or term a Chronological Plan of Life.  By chronological we mean a Plan of Life in terms of a division in time brackets.  This means that you want to step back and have an eagle’s overview, an eagle’s panoramic vision of the time that God has so generously given to you.  Then immersed in prayer you want to humbly beg for the grace to utilize the time that God has given to you to the maximum potential.  In other words, you do not want to be wasting time in this short life that God has given to you.

THE TIME BRACKETS.  The time brackets can be divided from the General to the Specific as defined in philosophical language.  In every time bracket you want to discern and decide—with the help of the Holy Spirit and your Spiritual Director—what you would like to offer to the Lord.  In other words, your Plan of Life is an offering, an oblation, a sacrifice that you want to give to God.  If God has given you so much, should you not be ready and willing to give God something in return?  Call to mind how much Jesus gave for you as He hung on the cross that first Good Friday, shedding every drop of His Precious Blood for the eternal salvation of your immortal soul.  His love demands a response of love on your part.  This is the spiritual motivation of the Plan of Life—to give yourself—your time, your efforts, your energy, your mind, heart, will, and whole being to God as an acceptable holocaust of love, thanksgiving, and praise!

Therefore, you want to look at the year and what you can offer to the Lord. Then scroll down to the month bracket and what your generous offering to the Lord can be.  Following the month, of course, is the week.  Much can be done in the course of the week.  What are you willing to give to the Lord?  Then move to the 24 hours in each day.  A well-ordered and well-organized Plan of Life can offer to the Lord many golden nuggets in the course of these 24 hours!  Now what about the hourly basis?  Read and pray carefully over the text and see what you can give to the Lord during some hours in the course of the day.  How about minutes and even seconds?  In a word, God has given us all—we belong to God, and we want to give all that we have to our loving and almighty Heavenly Father.  We want to be generous with God.  It is true that God cannot be outdone in generosity, but He is waiting patiently for our generous response.

Thus we come to the conclusion of our Chronological Plan of Life.  It is a good practice to correct, modify, reform, and improve your Plan of Life at least on a yearly basis with the help of a good Spiritual Director.

HOW ABOUT OUR PROFESSIONAL/VOCATIONAL LIFE?

The second form of the Plan of Life is what we call the Professional/Vocational Plan of Life.  We all have a universal vocation—to become saints!  The Plan of Life can help us to pursue true sanctity of life.  However, all of us have a particular and specific vocation in life.  By vocation we mean from the Latin vocare—calling!  What might be specific vocations?  Quick and to the point the response would be the following: married, single, Religious, Priesthood.  These are distinct and different vocations in life.  The chapters included herein on the Professional/Vocational Plan of Life can best be applied to lay people engaged in the activities of the world.  The faithful laity in the Church, the lay persons, are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Mt 5:13-16)

How then, you might ask, is this Professional/Vocational Plan of Life written out or organized?  Good question and here is the response.  We have written several chapters on certain specific categories in which you are invited to look at your life so as to analyze and examine with great sincerity and honesty how you are really living out these categories.  The first public preaching of Jesus was the following: Be converted because the kingdom of God is at hand. (Mk 1:15)  The essential message is one word CONVERSION!!! The word transcribed from the Greek is METANOIA, which basically means that we are all imperfect in many ways, we all have many disorders that come from Original Sin and personal sin, and we must change—leave the wrong, the disordered, the sinful, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, the new man!

Therefore, specific chapters that we have outlined and explained are the following, with the earnest hope that you will sincerely look into these areas in your life and humbly admit that there is a real and urgent need to make some changes.  Only God is perfect; all of us are definitely a Work in Progress…

Here is the list of specific categories for the PROFESSIONAL/VOCATIONAL PLAN OF LIFE:

1. PURITY OF INTENTION.  In your Profession and Vocation, learning to do the ordinary with extraordinary love.

2. MARRIAGE.  1) AS A SPOUSE.  How can you improve and upgrade your relationship with your spouse, whom you are called to love until death do you part?  2) AS A FATHER/MOTHER.  If God has given you the great gift of having children, how can you improve your relationship with your children?  How can you bring them closer to God?

3. WORK.  God calls us to work.  God said to Adam: By the sweat of your brow will you earn the bread you eat. (Gen 3)  We are all called to work, but we can easily become lazy, negligent, cut corners, even fall into dishonesty.  Part of the Professional/Vocational Plan of Life is to step back so as to view your work and see how you can make improvements.  Never forget: The Lord is truly our Master.  He will pay us according to our work.  What we sow is what we will reap!

4. SOCIAL LIFE/NETWORK.  Maybe God is calling you to change a social or family relationship?  Maybe God is asking you establish a new one? Be open to change!

5. PERMANENT INTELLECTUAL FORMATION.  As in all professions, how can you keep growing in the knowledge of your faith?  What do you need to study to grow in your knowledge and love of God?

6. APOSTOLIC LIFE.  If you love God then you should love what God loves: the salvation of immortal souls!  How can you be a better fisher of men?

7. PENITENTIAL LIFE.  Prayer and Penance are the two wings on which you can fly high to God and to heaven!  What penitential practices should you undertake? Jesus said: Unless you do penance, you will perish! (Lk 13:3)

8. PRAYER LIFE.  What changes can you make in your prayer life to draw you closer to Jesus, draw you into deeper union with Jesus, your Best Friend?

9. SACRAMENTAL LIFE.  How is your reception of the Sacraments?  How can you be more fervent and faithful in your reception of the Sacraments, especially Confession and the most Holy Eucharist?

10. MARIAN ELEMENT.  If we really do love Jesus, then we must love the one He loved most on earth, and that is His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. How can you establish a more filial and loving relationship with Mary who is our life, our sweetness, and our hope?

Hence you are being called through prayer and spiritual direction, with utmost sincerity, to look into different categories in your Professional/Vocational life, to examine and analyze them, and to honestly admit that there is still much to be changed, not with sadness but with great gratitude!!!  God is calling you to become a saint and, therefore, He is calling you into a deeper conversion of life.  Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the writing out of this Plan of Life, with the help of a good Spiritual Director, is one of the most efficacious tools to arrive at ordering the disordered in our unruly, confused, disoriented, and chaotic lives.  This is highly recommended by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the context of the Spiritual Exercises.  If done well, you will never regret it; rather you will be eternally grateful to God as you travel with speed and graceful ease on the Highway to Heaven!

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

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

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30th   Lk. 2:36-40   Alleluia Prayer: “A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. Today a great light has come upon the earth.”

Part 1: Saint John the Apostle… by Pope Benedict XVI
Part 2: PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1:  Saint John the Apostle… by Pope Benedict XVI

According to tradition, John is the disciple whom Jesus loved, who in the fourth Gospel laid his head against the Teacher’s breast at the Last Supper (cf. Jn 13:23), stood at the foot of the cross together with the Mother of Jesus (cf. Jn 19:25), and lastly witnessed both the empty tomb and the presence of the Risen One Himself (cf Jn 20:2; 21:7).

Let us be content here with learning an important lesson for our lives: the Lord wishes to make each one of us a disciple who lives in personal friendship with Him. To achieve this, it is not enough to follow Him and to listen to Him outwardly: it is also necessary to live with Him and live like Him. This is only possible in the context of a relationship of deep familiarity, imbued with the warmth of total trust.

This is what happens between friends; for this reason Jesus said one day: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends… No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you (Jn 15:13, 15).

May the Lord help us to study at John’s school and learn the great lesson of love, so as to feel we are loved by Christ to the end (Jn 13:1), and spend our lives for Him!

PART 2:  GETTING TO KNOW JESUS AS YOUR BEST FRIEND by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the primary purposes of doing the Spiritual Exercises is to get to know Jesus, love Jesus, follow Jesus, imitate Jesus and then to bring others to Jesus so that they can become good friends with Jesus.

GRACE TO BEG FOR. Today we will be begging for the grace of deep knowledge of Jesus, so that we love Him more ardently or passionately, so that we can follow Him as true disciples all the more closely.

GREATEST PURSUIT IN LIFE. Indeed there is no greater pursuit in the short life that God has given to us then to truly fall in love with Jesus. This is the end and purpose of Principle and Foundation—to know, love and follow Jesus in this life so that we can be happy with Him forever in heaven.

FALSE PURSUITS IN LIFE: SADNESS!  Open up your eyes and look around you and notice so many people, young and old, moving in so many different directions, like  chickens with their heads cut off. They seem to be driving on the freeway without any destination; it seems as if the faster they drive, the less they know where they are heading. The reason for this confusion, disorientation, and sadness, almost leading to depression is because they have not encountered Jesus in their lives or they have lost Jesus.

WAYS TO MEET JESUS.  There are many ways that we can meet Jesus in our lives. Today we will encounter Jesus in the Gospel, which means Good News, and contemplate Jesus performing powerful signs that we can call MIRACLES.

WHY MIRACLES? WHAT ARE MIRACLES?  You might ask these questions and they are good questions: Why did Jesus perform miracles? What are miracles? Well, God performs miracles and Jesus is the Son of God made man. Jesus performed miracles to prove that He is not only man but also, He is God. A miracle is a supernatural event or happening that goes beyond the mere natural.

FORMS OF MIRACLES.  Jesus worked many miracles, but especially two types: one was over nature and the other over the healing of human bodies. The first type: he could walk on water, turn water into wine, multiply the loaves and the fishes, and calm the storm. Over human bodies that suffered some type of ailment, He would heal and often instantaneously. Can you name any? If not, we can help you! Jesus gave sight to the blind, speech to the mute, hearing to the deaf, and the ability to walk to the paralytics. Jesus also healed the lepers of their serious skin disease. However, the greatest miracles of Jesus were when He actually brought people who died back to life.

Let us now plunge into the infinite abyss of the power, love and goodness of Jesus and meditate upon and contemplate His miracles.

READ Mt. 8: 23-27: THE CALMING OF THE STORM.

CONTEMPLATION: USE OF YOUR IMAGINATION. Try to imagine that you are present in this scene. The Apostles are in the boat with Jesus in Lake Galilee. Remember, some of the Apostles are experienced fishermen—Peter, Andrew, James, and John. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a violent storm kicks up. The Apostles are terrified! See them in this state of panic. They fear for their lives. Maybe this is the end!

JESUS ASLEEP. What is equally fascinating is that in all of this, Jesus is fast asleep in the boat. Actually, it is the only time in all of the Gospels that we find Jesus asleep—in the midst of a violent storm on the lake. If you were in a storm in the middle of a lake, would you be fast asleep?

POWER AND ASSURANCE OF JESUS. Terrified, the Apostles wake Jesus from His sleep. He rebukes the violent winds and immediately they calm down to a whisper. At the same time, Jesus rebukes the Apostles for their lack of faith.

APOSTLES’ REACTION. The Apostles are totally amazed at the power that Jesus has over this violent storm. They are getting to know Jesus better and better as they spend more time with Him, even in the midst of this violent storm.

MIRACLE OVER NATURE. This is one of the many miracles Jesus performs over nature to prove that He is the Master even of nature. The following are five points to help us get to know Jesus better, love Him more ardently, and be willing to follow Him more closely.

1. STORMS IN LIFE. Have you ever had a storm or storms in your life? Storms can come in many forms, shapes, sizes, and places. Storms can also come and catch us by surprise, as in the case of the Apostles in the boat with Jesus. Rewind the film of your life and pick out one storm that really seemed to shake your boat. See yourself in your own little boat, the wind picking up force, the waves battering against your boat, even the hiss of the wind as violent waters kick up over the boat, splashing you in the face. Now, very important in the Spiritual Exercises, talk to Jesus about this storm. He really wants to enter into dialogue with you.

2. HOW DID YOU REACT? Enter into your heart and remember what your reactions were in that turbulent time. Did you cry out? Did you doubt? Did you wonder and question why? Did you start to give in to despair? Talk to Jesus now about your inner feelings and emotions at that time. This is the essence and importance of the Exercises—learning to talk to Jesus about our lives, our inner experiences, our storms.

3. WHERE WAS JESUS? Now ask yourself: where was Jesus? Remember that when the Apostles are in the midst of this violent storm, Jesus is not far away. On the contrary, He is very close to them, probably a few yards away! Do you ever feel that Jesus is distant from you? Do you ever feel as if Jesus has fallen asleep on you? Talk to Jesus about this; He is very interested in you and wants to have a heart-to-heart conversation with you.

4. YOUR SOUL AND JESUS. In the boat in which the Apostles are experiencing this violent storm, Jesus is present with them the whole time. This boat is symbolic of your soul. Are you aware of Jesus present in the depths of your soul? If you are in the state of grace, then Jesus is living in the boat of your soul, the boat of your very heart. Now is the time to get in touch with the Presence of your Best Friend, Jesus the Lord, living in the boat of your soul and your heart.

5. STORMS IN YOUR LIFE. To live in this world is to be exposed to trials, turbulence, small storms, and even raging storms. Maybe you are in a moment of calm now, thanks be to God. However, future storms will come to batter against the bark of your soul. Like the Apostles, do not be afraid to call out to the Lord Jesus. Jesus is just as powerful today as He was 2000 years ago. Call out, “Lord, save me!”… “Lord, strengthen my faith and trust in you!” Once someone went through a violent storm in their life that took quite a toll on them. They asked in prayer: “Lord, where were you?” Jesus answered, “I never left you.”

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

Optional Memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr

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

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29th   Lk. 2:22-35   “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Part 1: The Light Whose Brilliance is Eternal… from a sermon by Saint Sophronius
Part 2: PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

 PART 1:  The Light Whose Brilliance is Eternal… from a sermon by Saint Sophronius

The true Light has come, the Light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this Light. Let all of us share in its splendor, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the Light whose brilliance is eternal.

Rejoicing with Simeon, let us sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, the Father of the Light, who sent the true Light to dispel the darkness and to give us all a share in His splendor. Through Simeon’s eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which He prepared for all the nations and revealed as the glory of the new Israel, which is ourselves. As Simeon was released from the bonds of this life when he had seen Christ, so too we were at once freed from our old state of sinfulness.

By faith we too embraced Christ, the salvation of God the Father, as He came to us from Bethlehem. Gentiles before, we have now become the people of God. Our eyes have seen God Incarnate, and because we have seen Him present among us and have mentally received Him into our arms, we are called the new Israel. Never shall we forget this presence; every year we keep a feast in its honor. 

PART 2: PRESENTATION OF THE JESUS IN THE TEMPLE… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

MEDITATION / CONTEMPLATION

1. CHILD JESUS IN THE ARMS OF MARY. Now we come to the Infant Jesus in the arms of Mary when He is barely forty days old. Contemplate Mary gently holding her treasure—the Lord Jesus, the Son of God and Our Savior—in her arms. Be present and imagine it! Let it become alive to you!

2. PILGRIMAGE. Mary and Saint Joseph travel to Jerusalem to present the Infant Jesus in the Temple. JOY! There is joy in this trip. Why? The Holy Family is united in their love for God and their desire to carry out God’s holy will. Accompany Mary who carries the Infant Jesus in her arms. Walk with Mary, contemplate her and talk with her along the way. She desires to enter into deep conversation with you. With the utmost sincerity, tell her all that is on your mind, all that is in your heart, the deepest secrets that have been hidden in the inner recesses of your soul. Mary is your loving Mother, companion and friend.

3. SAINT JOSEPH. Union with Mary and Jesus can never exclude the person of the great Saint Joseph. The first lover of Jesus and Mary was good Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph can bring you to a deeper knowledge, love and union with Mary and Jesus. Good Saint Joseph has the most sublime role in the world, after Mary and Jesus. Saint Joseph is called by God the Father to be the husband or spouse of the Virgin Mary, but even more important, Saint Joseph is called to be the Foster Father of Jesus. Talk to Saint Joseph as if he is your spiritual father: he cares for you, he loves you and can attain for you many choice graces.

4. TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM. Arrival in Jerusalem, “The City of Peace”, culminates in going to the majestic, beautiful, and awe-inspiring Temple of Jerusalem. This enormous and majestic temple took many years to build under the order and direction of King Solomon, the son of King David.

5. OUR LADY AS TEMPLE. Our Lady was the temple and resting place of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ during the nine months of her pregnancy. Indeed, Mary was a more beautiful temple than the Majestic Temple of Jerusalem. The Temple of Jerusalem contained symbolically the presence of God. Our Lady contained within her womb the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus—she was the “True Temple of God”. With what love and tenderness did Our Lady cherish Jesus within her womb, and then once born, how much love and tenderness did she shower upon Him, her greatest “Treasure”.

6. OUR LADY AS TEMPLE: YOU AS TEMPLE. From the moment you were baptized you became the Temple of the Living God—The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our Lady is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Through your Baptism you are a son or daughter of God the Father, brother or sister to Jesus Christ, and intimate friend of the Holy Spirit. Beg Our Lady to help you recognize your great dignity, as well as your eternal destiny—which is none other than to be with Our Lady in heaven to glorify the Trinity for all eternity.

7. PROPHET SIMEON. Indeed, the eyes of this elderly mystic perceive Jesus, the Savior of the world, in the arms of Our Lady. He rejoices exultantly and praises God, for finally the day has arrived to not only see Jesus, the Son of Mary, but to actually hold Jesus in his arms. Now Simeon is ready to go—even to die in peace, if this is God’s will, because his eyes have finally beheld the promised One of Israel.

8. GREATER PRIVILEGE. Now you should rejoice because you have an even greater privilege than Simeon. In Mass and the Consecration, in the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, you can see Jesus, the Son of Mary, on a daily basis. Beg Our Lady to give you the eyes of faith to see Jesus in Mass in the Consecration, in Holy Communion, as well as in the Tabernacle or Monstrance in His Eucharistic Presence. Beg Our Lady with this prayer: “Mary, give me the eyes to see Jesus in His Eucharistic Presence, and to love and adore Him with your Immaculate Heart!”

9. OUR LADY OF SORROWS—THE FIRST SWORD OF SORROW. As the Prophet Simeon marvels at the Infant Jesus, he turns his gaze to Our Lady and makes a prophecy which is the first sword of Sorrow to pass through the pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk. 2:34-35).

10. MARY’S LOVE EVEN IN SUFFERING. One of the most noble characteristics of Our Lady is her total openness to the will of God in absolutely everything. This includes that Our Lady is even willing to accept all of the sufferings that God in His Divine Providence wills to send her. The sufferings of Mary are many and intense.

11. THE SWORD. The sword prophesied by Simeon points to the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus the Lord.

“But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (Jn. 19:33-34).

This first sword is a clear reference to the sword that pierces Jesus’ side and penetrates His Sacred Heart, causing Blood and water to gush forth, after He has breathed forth His spirit on the cross. Jesus suffers no pain in that moment because He is already dead. However, seeing this, Our Lady suffers intense pain.

12. QUEEN OF MARTYRS. For this reason, the great Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church and author of The Glories of Mary, proclaimed Our Lady to be the Queen of Martyrs. The sword does not penetrate her flesh, but indeed it penetrates to the very depths of her tender heart and soul.

13. YOUR SORROWS AND OUR LADY OF SORROWS. We all have our joys to share with Our Lady, but also, we all have our many sorrows to share with Our Lady. Never be afraid to open up and pour out from the depths of your own broken heart, your deep sorrows, your wounds, your bruises, and even your scars. When a child falls down and scrapes their knee, their mother is the one who runs to their aid, lifts them up, and kisses and bandages the wound. Our Lady is always ready and willing to pick us up out of the mud after we have fallen, help us clean up by means of making a good Confession, and help us start again with renewed hope.

14. CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY. Hopefully, all who are reading this have made their Consecration to Mary. If not, why not consecrate yourself to Mary now, this moment. Consecration to Our Lady means giving to her all that we are and all that we have—this includes our struggles, sufferings, and even our failures. She is always there, ready and willing to stretch out her loving hands to lift us up and to clasp us to her Immaculate Heart!

Purchase and wear a brown Scapular and say this prayer each morning:

My Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you, and to show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Whereas I am your own, good Mother, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA