Third Sunday of Advent

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

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13th   Jn. 1: 6-8, 19-28   “A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.”

• We are a little more than half-way through Advent. Let us recall that Advent is a time of silence, of waiting, of expectant preparation –for He comes… Let us persevere in our preparation for the long awaited Messiah prophesied of old, the Savior of the world, and our own personal Savior.

Part 1: Pastoral Letter on the Season of Advent by Saint Charles Borromeo
Part 2: ADVENT: TIME FOR GREATER SILENCE AND PRAYER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: Pastoral Letter on the Season of Advent by Saint Charles Borromeo (+1584)

Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see.

This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love He has shown us in this mystery. In His infinite love for us, though we were sinners, He sent His only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of His grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.

Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share His power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.

The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to His presence He will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with Him the riches of His grace.

PART 2: ADVENT: TIME FOR GREATER SILENCE AND PRAYER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Advent is a season of very special graces! It is time of waiting, hope and joy. Waiting—for the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Hope—because Jesus came to save us; and finally Joy—because Jesus’ birth, life, death and Resurrection is a promise of eternal life for those who obey His commandments and love Him.

SILENT NIGHT.  On Christmas Eve, it is most appropriate to sing the hymn Silent Night. In the profound depths of that most special night Jesus was born in silence. How important silence is for those who truly are seeking the presence of God. The prophet Elijah sought God in his mountain experience. This mysterious God was not found in the earthquake, nor in the peals of thunder, nor in the flashes of lightning. Rather the Almighty God could be found in the gentle whispering of the wind, in the gentle breeze.

NEED FOR SILENCE.  In the midst of a world so absorbed in noise—you might even call it “noise pollution”—there is an urgent need for silence. Indeed, there are many positive fruits that flow from silence. We will mention just a few so as to encourage us to seek out times in our day for silence.

1. CLARITY OF THOUGHT. For us to have great clarity in our thought process we have an absolute need for silence. Bombarded by a constant onslaught of noise as we are, having a period of silence allows a clear, transparent, and honest thought life to blossom and bring forth fruit. The sublime theological writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas were written in silence. The literary expertise of the writings of Shakespeare were born of silence. The penetrating depth and insight of the theory of relativity discovered by Albert Einstein took place in the aura of silence. The greatest mystics, contemplatives and saints encountered God in silence. So may all of us seek and relish moments of silence in our daily lives!

2. DETECTING THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE ENEMY. In our lives, we are constantly bombarded by negative thoughts and the source of these thoughts is the enemy that we call the devil. Saint Ignatius calls him “the Enemy of our salvation”; Saint Thomas Aquinas calls him “the Tempter”; Saint Peter compares him to a roaring lion on the loose seeking to devour us. (1 Pt. 5:8) If we do not have moments of silence, even zones of silence in our life, then it will prove almost impossible for us to discern and detect the ugly tail of the devil who is always seeking ways to tempt us, manipulate us, and coax us to fall into sin. Silent reflection gives us a more acute awareness of the strategies and manipulations of the enemy of our salvation. In the desert, Jesus was in silence as He prayed and fasted. The devil attacked Jesus, but He rebuffed the enemy relying on the power and efficaciousness of the Word of God. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4) Spiritual warfare must be engaged in through silence and prayer.

3. HEAVENLY INSPIRATIONS FROM ON HIGH. Not only can we pick up the tactics of the enemy in the depths of a silent and discerning heart, but even more important, we can pick up the Heavenly vibes—meaning, the inspirations that come from the Holy Spirit. As a point of fact, God is always present; His whole being penetrates and permeates the whole universe. God is never absent from us, but we can so easily become absent from Him. A dogmatic atheist who categorically denies God’s existence, cannot alter or modify to the slightest degree the reality of God’s existence. Saint Paul quoted the Greek poet with reference to God’s omnipresence: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) This being said, the Holy Spirit desires to speak to our hearts but He respects our liberty to the max! If we are too busy, engrossed in noise, frenetic activities, non-stop movement and constant chatter then there is no room for the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts through His heavenly inspirations. Never forget, the Birthday of the Church—Pentecost was preceded by fervent prayer, fasting, the presence of Our Lady (Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit) and silence. Therefore, only with silence and a recollected heart can we pick up those Heavenly vibes and be transformed by God Himself—the Holy Spirit!

4. DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES. Discovering the will of God in our lives and striving to implement it, this is indeed the key to holiness, as well as peace of mind, heart and soul. If we are running a mile a minute, if we are moving like a chicken with its head cut off, if we are in a constant state of agitation, if we have fallen into a perpetual state of activism putting our activities above God Himself, then it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to discern God’s will in our lives. Discernment of one’s vocation or one’s state of life is possibly the most important decision in one’s entire life. Marriage or the single life, priesthood or the religious life—the choice one makes in this vocational arena is of paramount importance. A wrong choice due to excessive noise, little or no reflection, bad advice from worldly friends can prove to be nothing less than a disaster. For this reason, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who bequeathed to the world the Spiritual Exercises, offers a series of reflections or meditations, so as to help the retreatant discern what is his/her state of life. This Ignatian process of discernment done in SILENCE and reflection with a well-trained spiritual director can prove to be invaluable in choosing one’s vocation, giving honor and glory to God, and pursuing one’s own personal conversion and sanctification. Moreover, there may be other times in our lives when serious discernment must be made regarding major life changes related to employment, relocating one’s famiy, health related issues, etc. This too requires the Ignatian process of discernment done in SILENCE and reflection with a well-trained spiritual director. Again, it must be emphasized, this cannot be done without silence!

5. EXAMPLE OF SAINT JOSEPH. Great Saint Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus, the Eternal Son of the Father. Saint Joseph is also the husband of Mary, the Queen of the angels and saints. Theology gives to Saint Joseph the cult of protodulia—first in veneration among the saints. A very interesting note about the great Saint Joseph is his profound silence. We have no recorded word of Saint Joseph in all of Sacred Scripture. The silence of Saint Joseph speaks very eloquently. He was silent as an example to us, so that we would learn in silence to listen to the Word of God and put it into practice.

In sum, may we all appreciate and value SILENCE. If done with an attitude of prayer, God will speak to us most eloquently in the depths of our hearts, for our salvation and the salvation of many others!

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

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

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

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12th  Lk. 1:39-47 “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Part 1: Points of Meditation taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part 2: MARY IS TRULY OUR LOVING MOTHER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

• Elizabeth speaks these words to Mary praising her for her faith and trust in God and His promises. Do we have faith and trust in God’s promises? This is one of the promises God made to us from the cross. ^“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
• At that moment Mary became Mother of us all according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, Second Vatican Council. We present these numbers from the Catechism for your enrichment and an ever greater love and devotion for our Blessed Mother Mary!

CCC 964. Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. “This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ’s virginal conception up to his death”; it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion: Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: “Woman, behold your son.”

CCC 967. By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a “preeminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus) of the Church.

CCC 968. Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. “In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.”

CCC 969. “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”

PART 2: MARY IS TRULY OUR LOVING MOTHER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Therese of Lisieux, a young Carmelite saint who died at the tender age of 24 years, loved the Blessed Virgin Mary very much and she was known to have said: “It is true that Our Lady is Queen of Heaven and earth, but at the same time she is more Mother than Queen.” This is the wonderful topic that we would like to address in this short exposition on the Blessed Virgin Mary, “God’s Masterpiece of Creation.” (Saint Louis de Montfort)

MARY AS MOTHER.  In all truth it can be asserted that Mary is indeed the Mother of God. Mary is also the Mother of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ. But of great importance to each and every one of us, Mary is our own loving Mother.

MARY’S TITLES AND PRIVILEGES.  Mary indeed has many titles, for example, Mystical Rose, Tower of David, Tower of Ivory, Ark of the Covenant, Virgin most pure, Virgin most holy, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star, and many other poetic, mystical, as well as Biblical titles. Nonetheless, of all the titles and privileges that can rightly be given to Mary, the greatest of all of these is this: MARY IS THE MOTHER OF GOD!

MARIAN DOGMAS.  Up to this point, the Church has officially declared four Marian dogmas, a truth revealed by God through the Church that must be accepted. They are: Mary’s Immaculate Conception, Mary’s Divine Maternity, Mary’s Perpetual Virginity, and finally, Mary’s Assumption into heaven. Of these sublime Marian privileges or Marian dogmas, the greatest and most sublime is Mary’s Divine Maternity—which means that Mary was chosen by God to be His Mother; Mary is truly the Mother of God. This we celebrate every year on Christmas, as well as to start off the New Year on January 1st.

MARY AS MOTHER: THE ROLE OF A MOTHER.  On a natural plane, a mother has these basic qualities. First and foremost, the nature of a mother is to give birth or give life to the child that she has nurtured in her womb. Second, a mother nurtures the child first within her womb, and then as her little child. Third, a mother is intent upon clothing her child, so as to protect them from the cold and from sickness. Fourth, a mother is always watchful to protect her child from danger and the possibility of getting hurt. Fifth, a mother is intent upon educating her child and in many ways: physically, intellectually, morally and spiritually. Sixth, a mother will treat her child’s wounds after they have fallen and scraped their knee, kissing the wound for quick healing. Seventh, a mother listens to her child whenever they want to open up and express what is in the depths of their heart. Eighth, a mother has the courage to correct her child when her child has made some error or is moving in a dangerous direction. Ninth, a true mother comforts her child by her warmth, tenderness, concern, compassion, and loving care. Tenth and finally, the most important and characteristic note of an authentic mother is that she loves her child. It is a love without limits, irrespective of where the child is and what the child has done—her love is vast as the ocean! All of these maternal qualities can be attributed to Mary our Mother on a higher and more sublime plane. Let us now look at these motherly attributes and apply them to Mary as our Heavenly Mother. Again, in the words of Saint Therese: “It is true that Our Lady is Queen of Heaven and earth, but at the same time she is more Mother than Queen.”

1. MARY AS MOTHER GIVES LIFE.  Mary is the full of grace from the very moment of her Immaculate Conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. Grace is the supernatural life of the soul. Mary prays for us so that we will attain grace beginning with our Baptism; she prays for us so that this grace will grow and abound during our entire life; finally, she prays for us to have the grace of all graces, and that is to die in the state of grace, so that we will be saved for all eternity. Mary my Mother, attain for me life and life in abundance!

2. MARY AS MOTHER NURTURES OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. Through a fervent prayer life in which we speak often and confidently to Mary, our loving Mother, she attains for us growth in our spiritual life. Once again, Mary, the full of grace, attains for us special insights in our intellect and touches of grace in our soul, so that we may grow and flourish like a healthy tree growing alongside an abundant and gushing stream.

3. MARY AS MOTHER HELPS TO CLOTHE US.  Adam and Eve, after committing the Original Sin, recognized their nakedness. On a spiritual plane, when we are imbued with sanctifying grace through Baptism, we are spiritually clothed with the most exquisite garment. Mary as our Mother prays for us that we will always be clothed with this garment of grace, and if we lose it due to mortal sin, Mary as our Mother prays for us so that we will recover grace quickly through a good Sacramental Confession.

4. MARY AS MOTHER WATCHES OVER HER CHILDREN TO PROTECT THEM.  Mary as Mother is keenly aware of the many dangers that her children are exposed to from within and from without. The devil, the flesh, and the world are in constant pursuit of our attention, as well as our soul. Mary as Mother has her careful, attentive, and watchful eye gazing upon us with love, and she warns us through grace and through inspirations of the dangers that encroach upon us.

5. MARY AS MOTHER EDUCATES US.  As a good mother strives to provide a good education for her children, so does Mary. Father Robert Fox, a true expert on Our Lady, most especially Our Lady of Fatima, pointed out that Our Lady of Fatima came in a very special way as TEACHER!!! The words and messages of Our Lady of Fatima turn out to be a superb and excellent teaching, an excellent catechism, a clear and poignant signpost on how to arrive at what is most important—our eternal salvation. Jesus and Mary are the best of Teachers; let us listen to them and obey their advice!

6. MARY AS MOTHER HEALS HER WOUNDED CHILDREN.  If a child falls off a bike into a mud-puddle and cuts their knee, their mother is the first one to run and succor the child. Lifting the child out of the mud, kissing the child, embracing the child, cleansing the child and changing their clothes, dressing the child’s wound, and finally giving the child some hot chocolate—these are all gestures of a loving mother. When we are wounded, Mother Mary comes to us speaking words of wisdom: Let it be… Do not worry… I am here to bring you healing. We should bring our gaping wounds to both Jesus, the Wounded-Healer, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus the Wounded Healer!

7. MARY AS MOTHER LISTENS TO US.  A true mother is ready to listen to what is in the heart of her child. On a much loftier plane, Mary as our Mother is always ready to listen to us, to respond to our problems, to help us in our needs. The beauty of Mary as LISTENER is the simple but all-consoling fact that Mary is never too tired, occupied, absorbed, or if you like, too busy to listen to us whenever we want to talk to her. We should get in the habit of talking to Mary as often as our heart desires. Mary’s ears are always attentive to the supplications of her children. Moreover, not only does Mary listen to us with her ears, but also with her Immaculate Heart, and she understands us perfectly!

8. MARY AS MOTHER CORRECTS HER WANDERING CHILDREN.  A loving mother is not bashful or slow to correct an errant child. If there is a wandering and hungry wolf outside, the mother will keep her child inside and lock the door, especially if that child is curious and tends to wander. Fraternal Correction indeed is a dimension of the theological virtue of charity, which Saint Thomas Aquinas defines as: “Charity is willing the good of the other.” An example of Mary correcting her children is, again, in the Fatima messages. Mother Mary warned that most souls are lost due to sins of the flesh, and that many souls are lost due to a lack of prayer and sacrifice. Gently but firmly, Mary as Mother exhorts us, her children, to intensify our prayer life, to be willing to live a more sacrificial life, and to strive to live a life of greater purity. This reminds us of the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the pure of heart; for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

9. MARY AS MOTHER COMFORTS HER CHILDREN.  In the midst of the many sufferings, trials, tribulations, afflictions, and setbacks in this short life on earth, which is merely a short pilgrimage on the highway to heaven, Our Lady as loving Mother ardently desires to comfort us. Among the many consoling titles of Mary is Our Lady of Consolation. Still more, the Marian prayer that we say to conclude the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of the HAIL HOLY QUEEN. This consoling prayer starts with these words: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our Life, Our Sweetness and Our Hope! Beyond a doubt, these few words are like a gentle dew descending upon the dry and parched desert of our soul. Indeed, in the sorrows, sadness, and failures that we all experience in life, which is a valley of tears, we should run to Mary as our Mother to comfort us. She will come quickly to soothe our sorrows with the comfort and consolation of her loving heart!

10. MARY AS MOTHER TRULY LOVES US, AND LOVES US INTENSELY!  A natural mother loves her children. However, human love has limits and it often wanes, declines, and can even grow cold. This is reality! Not so in the case of Mother Mary. The love of the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary never wanes, diminishes, or grows cold. It is a constant, intense, and faithful love. Mary as Mother loves us irrespective of where we are, what we have done and what we have failed to do. Her love for us is most pure and perfect. Possibly the best way to understand to a limited degree the love Mother Mary has for you and for me would be by meditating upon the words of the Doctor of Grace, the great Saint Augustine: “If you were to put all the love, of all of the mothers, of all times and places together, the love that Mary has for you is much greater!” In other words, it is impossible to fathom the inexpressible, sublime, and ineffable love that Mary as Mother has for you!

In conclusion, we hope and pray that starting now you will experience the extraordinary power of the presence of Mary in your life, most especially as your Heavenly Mother. As Mother, she will attain life and life in abundance for you. As Mother, she will nurture and strengthen your spiritual life. As Mother, she will clothe you with the royal garment of sanctifying grace. As attentive Mother, she has her loving eyes fixed upon you at all times. As a good Mother, she will help you to be educated in the Gospel—the Good News of salvation that Jesus her Son taught. Wounded? Mary is also known as Health of the sick, and like Jesus, she will intercede as physician and bring you healing. Never too busy, Mary as Mother will lend you an attentive ear; she is the best of listeners. If you are a wandering sheep from the fold, Mary, as Mother of the Good Shepherd, and aware of the presence and danger of the wolves, will bring you back to the fold. In the midst of the sorrows and failures of life, Mary is “your life, your sweetness, and your hope.” (From the Hail Holy Queen) Finally, Mary as Mother loves you intensely with her Immaculate Heart and desires that one day you will be with her forever in heaven to praise, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Amen.

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

Friday of the Second Week of Advent

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

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11th   Mt. 11:16-19   “Wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

• Truly we can say to the Lord: “Stay with us, because our souls are full of darkness and you are the one true light; you alone can satisfy the longings that consume us. For we know that above everything that is beautiful and good, the greatest is this: to possess you forever, O Lord.” (St. Gregory Nazianzen)
• Let us continue to prepare our hearts, our minds, and our souls to celebrate the most important Birthday of all—that of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with hearts full of gratitude and thanksgiving, for He is truly the Light in our darkness!

PREPARING FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT BIRTHDAY! By Father Ed Boom, O.M.V.

The key to the success of the party or celebration depends upon the prior preparation for the party. In other words, the more intense the preparation, normally and in most cases, the more successful the celebration.

This concept can be and should be applied every year in the preparation for the most important Birthday in the history of humanity—the Birthday of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—the day we call CHRISTMAS!

Due to Materialism, Consumerism, Hedonism, growing Agnosticism, as well as militant and rapidly growing Atheism, the true meaning of Christmas is slowly being suffocated in modern society. Once a Christian nation, the United States is gradually turning into a secular, even paganistic nation. Instead of the motto, “In God we trust”, the common prevalent mode and mood is, “In money and material things I trust!”

BLACK FRIDAY: A TRAGEDY SYMPTOMATIC OF THE TIMES.  Probably many of the readers remember 2008 on Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving—when people were waiting the whole night in the cold so they could “shop until they drop” and a terrible tragedy occurred. The doors of a Wal-Mart in Long Island, New York, opened wide to the stampeding of buyers. Such was the rush, like a pack of buffaloes, that one of the employees was trampled and killed. The manager of the store closed the doors to mourn for his employee; still many outside were clamoring that they had a right to buy. Symptomatic of our times, buying material things presides and prevails over the importance of the human person. Materialism and the love for things are valued more than the life of a human being. Indeed, something has truly turned sour!

CHRISTMAS. May the true understanding of Christmas, the Reason for the Season, wake us up to what is truly valuable and matters in life. Indeed, Christmas can teach us many sublime lessons, and Advent is the time to prepare intensely for this most important of all birthdays!

First Lesson: GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL OF HUMANITY.  The Letter of Saint John highlights God’s initiative in the Plan of Redemption with these words: God loved us first. (1 Jn. 4: 19) Pope Francis pointed out in one of his writings the danger of Pelagianism. This is a false philosophy that states that we can be saved by our own human efforts. Totally wrong! We can only be saved by God!!!

Second Lesson: MEANING OF THE NAME JESUS!!!  This name, given to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel, signifies Jesus’ mission—the reason why He came to earth, and it was and is to SAVE all of humanity. The name Jesus means SAVIOR!!! Advent which leads to Christmas is a time in which we have to humbly admit our dire need to be saved by Jesus. A very short but powerful prayer that we should say often is: LORD JESUS, SAVE ME!!! As Peter sank in the waves of Lake Galilee, he cried out, “Lord, save me!!!” (Mt. 14: 30) This should be the ardent and earnest prayer issuing from our hearts in Advent and Christmas. Jesus will save only those who willingly allow themselves to be saved.

Third Lesson: HUMILITY.  Jesus described the qualities of His Most Sacred Heart using two words: “I am meek and humble of Heart…” (Mt. 11: 29) The whole ambience and environment of Christmas, and all that leads up to it, expresses most eloquently the virtue of humility: Mary on a donkey, rejection from one Inn to the next, bowing down to enter an animal shelter in Bethlehem, the humble Shepherds as the first guests, a humble Carpenter and his young Virgin wife—all of these elements point to how much God loves the humble and those who strive to practice the virtue of humility. Make this your prayer: “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”

Fourth Lesson: POVERTY!  Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen expressed it succinctly but powerfully: “The Creator of the universe had nowhere to be born in His own creation.” Even before being born, Jesus had no place in the Inns that Saint Joseph knocked at; He had to be born in a stable, a refuge for animals. What an example of humility and poverty! We can glean many spiritual treasures and jewels from this reality. Money, materialism, consumerism, possessions, and hoarding—all of these can obtain for us bodily pleasure which depends on external stimuli. However, they cannot bring us true happiness. Indeed, true happiness can only be found in encountering God, allowing God to possess us and ourselves possessing God! Jesus is the reason for the season and the true source of happiness in this life, as well as eternal life in the life to come!

Fifth Lesson: BETHLEHEM, ITS EUCHARISTIC MEANING.  The word Bethlehem actually means House of Bread. How interesting the fact that Jesus, who would call Himself the Bread of Life (Bread of Life discourse: John 6), would be born in the town of Bethlehem—the House of Bread. This Advent leading to Christmas, your heart and soul must be a true Bethlehem where Jesus wants to be born, if possible every day, through the reception of frequent and fervent Holy Communions—the Bread of Life.

Sixth Lesson: CLEAN THE STABLE.  It must be said that the stable of Bethlehem did not exude the best of smells; on the contrary, it must have exuded the ghastly odor of animals and animal dung. This is symbolic of our soul that clings to sin. We must cleanse and sweep out our souls through a good Sacramental Confession, so that as Christmas approaches in this Advent Season, Jesus will be born with great joy in the depths of our souls.

Seventh Lesson: THE FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST.  As a consequence of making a good Sacramental Confession, sweeping and cleaning our souls spotless, then indeed we can become what Saint Paul says in his writings: “Become the fragrance or the aroma of Christ!” (2 Cor 2:15)  A Christian is called to radiate the Presence of Christ in the world!

Eighth Lesson: THE EFFORT IT TAKES TO FOLLOW THE STAR.  The Magi had an ardent yearning to encounter the Newborn King. However, it was not easy; rather it took time, effort, suffering, and searching to finally arrive at their destination, where they found the Child Jesus in the arms of Mary. For us to live out Advent fully and so experience the true joy of Christmas—the birth of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings—we must make an effort to follow the Star. Symbolically and mystically, the Star means to be docile and open to the inspirations that the Holy Spirit sends us. We must have our spiritual radar open to God’s interior voice that speaks in the depths of a contemplative heart, and be ready to say and respond: “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening!”

Ninth Lesson: PEACE TO ALL OF GOOD WILL!!!  The choir of angels announced: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will.” (Lk. 2: 14) Advent and Christmas should be a time and a Season in which we try to eradicate from our hearts the bitter roots of resentment, bitterness, rancor, anger, jealousy, and envy that can dampen or destroy our interior peace. Saint Augustine defines peace as, “The tranquility of order.” Saint Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises challenges us to order the disordered in our lives.

Tenth Lesson: MARY AND SAINT JOSEPH: MODELS IN LIVING OUR ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS.  Indeed, if we truly desire to live out Advent which leads to Christmas, with the best of dispositions, let us turn to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the greatest of all the saints, good Saint Joseph. May we make Jesus the center of our hearts and our lives as they did.

May this Advent be the best Advent in your life, so that Jesus may be born in your own interior Bethlehem—the House of Bread. May your soul, through Mary’s prayers, be a well swept and clean house, so that the Son of God can abide in it, in time and for all eternity!

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

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

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

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10th   Mt. 11:11-15   “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

 CALL TO HOLINESS by St. Louis de Montfort

Chosen soul, living image of God and redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, God wants you to become holy like Him in this life, and glorious like Him in the next. 

It is certain that growth in the holiness of God is your vocation. All your thoughts, words, actions, everything you suffer or undertake must lead you toward that end. Otherwise you are resisting God in not doing the work for which He created you and for which He is even now keeping you in being. 

What a marvelous transformation is possible!  Dust into light, uncleanness into purity, sinfulness into holiness, creature being taken up into Creator! A marvelous work, I repeat, so difficult in itself, and even impossible for a mere creature to bring about, for only God can accomplish it by giving His grace abundantly and in an extraordinary manner. The very creation of the universe is not as great an achievement as this.

Chosen soul, how will you bring this about? What steps will you take to reach the high level to which God is calling you? The means of holiness and salvation are known to everybody, since they are found in the Gospel; the masters of the spiritual life have explained them; the Saints have practiced them and shown how essential they are for those who wish to be saved and attain perfection. These means are: sincere humility, unceasing prayer, complete self-denial, abandonment to Divine Providence and obedience to the will of God. 

Let us reflect on these means to be saved and attain perfection, or at least work toward perfection. At first, they may seem unattainable, but nothing is impossible with God!

1. Sincere Humility:  I know I am little and can do only little things to please my Heavenly Father. Even if the world were to think I was great, I know I am not. Whatever good I do is God’s grace. Of myself, I can do nothing.

2. Unceasing Prayer:  My intention is to offer all that I am and all that I do each day for the honor and glory of God.

Morning Offering Prayers:

Prayer of Consecration to Mary: “Mary, my Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you. To show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my entire being without reserve. Dear Mother, as I am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen”

Morning Offering: “O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the needs of all those I pray for daily, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen”

Other Essential Daily Prayers:

• Daily Holy Hour
• Daily Rosary
• Participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion on Sundays and as often as possible on weekdays (actual or virtual).
• Other prayers I am inspired to pray.

Evening Prayer—Ignatian Examen Prayer
Five steps: 1) Thanksgiving to God for His abundant blessings; 2) Beg for the grace to review my day objectively; 3) See where my heart has been during the course of the day; 4) Humbly admit my failures; 5) Renewal/Proposal for the following day as a result of self-knowledge so as to avoid falling into the failures of the past.

3. Complete Self-denial: There are Acts of Self-denial and then there is the act of Complete Self-denial—both should be practiced daily.

Acts of Self-denial are called penances. The penance chosen varies from person to person, but generally I give up something I like, or do something I know I should do, but don’t like to do. The idea is to order the disorder in my life. It could be related to eating, sleeping, working, recreation, interpersonal relationships, etc. Helpful hint: which sins do I confess frequently? It stands to reason that is where to begin by practicing the opposite virtue!

Complete Self-denial is total surrender: I do all for the honor and glory of God!

• First, as I go through my day I check myself: Am I where God wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do—be it prayer, work, study, recreation, being available to others, etc. If I am faithful to my daily Holy Hour, the Holy Spirit will guide me by means of my interior thoughts, movements of my heart, people He places in my path, etc., to know what God is asking of me at any given time.
• Second, I accept each moment as it happens as God’s permissive will for me, whether good or bad. An example, interruptions are God’s way of showing me His plans for my day! For this reason, I hold everything loosely in my hands, so God can rearrange things, take something out, put something else in, and in this way He leads, and I follow. When it involves the cross, I beg for the grace to surrender and walk the thorn-strewn path He has chosen for me.
• Third, when in doubt, I don’t act; I wait for clarity. I ask myself what would Jesus and Mary do? If I am still in doubt, I seek counsel from my Confessor or Spiritual Director and I am obedient to the counsel I receive.  
• Lastly, God honors my desire, my intention, and my will to obey perfectly, even if I cannot reach such perfection in this life.
  

4. Abandonment to Divine Providence and Obedience to the Will of God…

• In Jesus’ own words: “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt. 6: 31-34)
• According to Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, God is so good, that 1) He could only permit evil in order to bring a greater good out of the evil, 2) a greater good that would not exist without the evil, 3) so that we when we look back, we will thank God even for the evil that brought us so great a good.
• Without the sin of Adam and Eve, there would be no Jesus, Son of God made man, and no Mary, Mother of God and our own dear Mother! Do we not say, “O happy fault that brought us so great a Savior”? If we accept and then give everything that happens in our life to Jesus, including our sins and failings, He will turn all into the gold of salvation for ourselves and others as well. Do you believe this?

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

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF SAINT JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOATIN

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

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9th   Lk. 1: 26-38   “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

• Probably most of us are carrying burdens right now. These are difficult and challenging times. Let us go to Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph with our burdens and suffering to find rest.
• In this Advent season of preparation, let us contemplate some of the hardships Saint Joseph and Mary encountered before and after the birth of Jesus. Let us pray over their sufferings with compassion, a compound word—“com” with, “passion” to suffer—to suffer with them, just as they suffer with us.
• Let us also pay particular attention to Saint Joseph in this meditation. He is silent in the Scriptures, yet he is a commanding figure. We can see Mary entrusting herself and the Christ child entirely to his care. He will act on our behalf with the same love and devotion as he cared for Mary and Jesus, if we ask him!
• Perhaps after this meditation, this prayer by Fr. Ed Broom will become your prayer. It never fails to help me feel their presence in my life and bring me comfort.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul,
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine,
All praise and thanksgiving be every moment thine.

CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATION TO LIFT UP OUR HEARTS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All that which surrounds the true reality of Christmas—meaning the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—is hardship, trial and suffering for these basic reasons: obedience to the will of the heavenly Father, and love for the salvation of all of humanity, as well as for each and every one of us individually! Let us briefly contemplate the many hardships of good Saint Joseph, as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Mystery of the birth of the Lord Jesus.

1. THE TRAVEL. Mary and good Saint Joseph had to travel many miles to arrive at their destination—Bethlehem, the city of David, which translated actually means “The house of bread”. How interesting and meaningful it is that He who would call Himself “The Bread of Life”, would be born in Bethlehem “The House of Bread”. Contemplate this painful, but all too true scene of a young pregnant woman—already in her ninth month—traveling many miles mounted on a donkey! How uncomfortable, burdensome, and downright painful to travel as such! The weather? The Gospels do not tell us about the weather, nor the climate. However, we can imagine the cold; we can imagine the searing and cutting winds; we can imagine the real possibility of precipitation, at least some rain. All of this would have added to the suffering of the young maiden and her loving spouse, good Saint Joseph. Obviously the traveling was not done in one day, but would have taken several days. Where would they sleep at night? We really do not know, but possibly some place on the route, with no comfortable shelter to say the least. Bandits along the way, thieves looking for an easy prey, and other suspicious individuals could have been present along this long trek to Bethlehem. Do you think this crossed the mind of good Saint Joseph?

2. ARRIVAL. After we have traveled and arrived at our destiny, we normally await a warm greeting from relatives or at least friends. This is common courtesy! None of this happened when Saint Joseph arrived with his pregnant wife, mounted on a donkey. Good Saint Joseph made the most sincere efforts to find shelter, but all seemed to be an exercise in futility. After knocking at the door of the inn, or most likely several inns, the response was always the same: “There is no room for you in the inn.” In a word, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus within the womb of Mary, received a cold and harsh rejection! All of us know the pain involved in having a door shut in our face, the pain of rejection! The Holy Family was rejected; this inflicted much pain. However, there was no bitterness on the part of Mary and good Saint Joseph. Why? Despite the pain of rejection, they humbly submitted to will of the Heavenly Father. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (The Our Father)

3. BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS. Jesus is both God and man. He is the Creator of the entire universe. All belongs to Him and all flows from His loving and creative power. Archbishop Fulton Sheen expresses the painful truth most eloquently: “The Creator of the universe had nowhere to be born in His own creation.” Where was He born? Not in a castle, or a palace, or a luxurious mansion. No, none of these luxuries! He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This stable was actually a refuge for animals who could find there shelter and rest from the inclement weather conditions. Should there be rain or sleet, or the wind kicking up its powerful force—this stable would serve as a sure and secure refuge. What animals might find refuge in this stable? Sheep, lambs, cows, and oxen. The climate and environment? Cold, dirty, musty, damp, smelly—the odor of hay and even animal remains, to be perfectly blunt and honest. Often I have contemplated good Saint Joseph, once he had safely reached the stable with Mary and gently taken her off the donkey, thinking about how he might heat up the little place. In your contemplation, imagine good Saint Joseph gathering up branches, sticks, and debris so as to start at least a small fire to provide Mary and the Baby to be born with some warmth. In your contemplation, lend good Saint Joseph a hand! All of this, once again, speaks of the great suffering that Mary and Joseph experienced for love of you and me.

4. BIRTH OF JESUS. Then in the quiet of the night, that “Silent Night”, as the angels contemplated from heaven and as the Eternal Father decreed from all eternity, Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a sweet, peaceful, calm birth in which the ever Blessed Virgin Mary did not lose the glory of her virginity but was indeed Mother, the Mother of God, the Mother of the future Church, and the Mother of each and every one of us in the realm of the spirit. Even though Jesus was born of Mary in the cold, in the night, in the musty damp air, and on the hard floor of the cave, the overflowing joy of Mary was intense. She who said “Yes” to the angel in the Annunciation, now brought forth Jesus, the fruit of her womb, the Savior of the entire universe!

THE THREAT OF HEROD. Involved in the Christmas mystery is the person of the wicked King Herod. Insecure, proud and vain, ruthless in intent—the wicked King Herod planned to eliminate the little Child Jesus. Imagine the suffering of good Saint Joseph, as well as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, knowing that this wicked King planned on murdering their Child! Traveling toward Egypt at night, possibly they heard the horses’ hooves and the footsteps of those who were looking for Jesus. What incredible, almost unspeakable suffering both good Saint Joseph and Mary experienced in this critical moment of their lives and the life of the little Jesus. The little Jesus was saved. However, the wicked King Herod sent out soldiers who brutally massacred the holy and innocent children—all the little boys two years and under, in and around Bethlehem.

In conclusion, it can be of immense profit for all of us who seek to really live Christmas—the birth of the Lord Jesus—to the fullest extent possible, to contemplate the pain, the sufferings, and afflictions that Saint Joseph and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had to undergo so as to carry out the will of the heavenly Father, as well as suffer for our salvation! With great thanksgiving and love, may the Lord Jesus who was born in the city of Bethlehem be born in the very depths of your mind, heart, and soul this Christmas!

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