Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th  Lk 9: 7-9    “”Herod said. ‘John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he kept trying to see him.”

• Herod was curious, but definitely not a believer! We receive the gift of Faith in Baptism. But unless Faith is nourished and exercised, it withers and dies! That is why Jesus said, “When the Son of man comes will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:8)
• Therefore, today’s meditation is on growing our faith so we can put it into practice! How do we grow our faith? By praying and meditating on the Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus in the Scriptures – His words, actions, gestures, the movements of His Heart… consider two words: “Jesus wept!”

PART ONE: “God is Indeed Here – Importance of Prayer” by Saint Francis de Sales
PART TWO: GROWING IN FAITH THROUGH THE HOLY ROSARY by Fr. Ed Broom

“God is Indeed Here – Importance of Prayer” by Saint Francis de Sales    

We do not see our God, and although faith warns us that He is present, not beholding Him with our mortal eyes, we are too apt to forget Him, and act as though He were afar. Before beginning to pray, it is needful always to rouse the soul to a steadfast remembrance and thought of the Presence of God. This is what David meant when he exclaimed, “If I climb up to Heaven, Thou art there, and if I go down to hell, Thou art there also!”

Therefore, when you make ready to pray, you must say with your whole heart, “God is indeed here.” You also recognize His Sacred Presence by calling to mind that He is not only present in the place where you are, but that He is very specially present in your heart and mind, abiding there as Heart of your heart, Spirit of your spirit. Therefore, David calls Him “the Strength of my heart” and Saint Paul said that in Him “we live and move and have our being.” Dwell upon this thought until you have kindled a great reverence within your heart for God who is so closely present to you.  

Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love. It is a healing water which causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, which washes away the soul’s imperfections, and allays the thirst of passion. Especially I commend earnest mental prayer to you, more particularly such as bears upon the Life and Passion of Our Lord. If you contemplate Him frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him, you will grow in His likeness, and your actions will be molded on His.

He is the Light of the world; therefore, in Him we shall be enlightened and illuminated. He is the Tree of Life, beneath the shadow of which we must find rest. He is the Living Fountain of Jacob’s well, wherein we may wash away every stain. If we cleave to the Savior in meditation, listening to His words, watching His actions and intentions, we shall learn in time, through His grace, to speak, act and will like Himself. Believe me, there is no way to God save through this door. We could not here below contemplate the Godhead, were it not united to the Sacred Humanity of our Savior, whose Life and Death are the best, sweetest and most profitable subjects for meditation. Give an hour every day to meditation. If you can, let it be early in the morning, when your mind will be less cumbered, and fresh after the night’s rest. End.

• Another efficacious means to meditate on the Life, Passion and Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is through the eyes and Immaculate Heart of Mary by praying the Mysteries of the Rosary. A transforming experience that leads to imitation of Jesus and Mary in our daily lives!
• Moreover, Mary asked the children of Fatima and all believers to pray the Rosary daily until the end of time! For peace in the world, peace in our country, peace in our homes, and peace in our own hearts!

GROWING IN FAITH THROUGH THE HOLY ROSARY  by Fr. Ed. Broom, OMV

Jesus sent His Loving Mother, Mary most holy, from heaven to the small town of Fatima, in Portugal in the year 1917. The Queen of heaven and earth appeared to three little shepherd children, Lucia de los Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto—brother and sister.

Our Lady appeared six times and every time that she appeared she repeated the message: PRAY THE ROSARY! She revealed her name and identity as OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY. In Lourdes, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Saint Bernadette, and revealed her name and identity as THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

Therefore, we would like to present ten reasons why we should form the most important habit of praying the Rosary, not sporadically or sometimes or simply upon an impulse. Rather, we should form the habit of praying the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary every day; if possible, we could even pray the Rosary more than once a day, as was often the habit in the lives of many of the saints! Therefore, let us launch into reasons to convince us of the dire importance of loving Our Lady, by loving what she loves and by obeying her command—pray the holy Rosary!

1. OUR LADY TOLD US TO!  If a mother repeats to her child an order many times it is because the mother believes in the depths of her heart that the order she is commanding is of great importance. Likewise, the Mother of God and our Mother, Mary most Holy, at Fatima commanded the children, as well as the world at large, six times to pray the Rosary! If it is a command to obey our earthly mothers (the 4th Commandment), how much more should we obey our Heavenly Mother, Mary most Holy!

2. THE ROSARY IS A BIBLICAL PRAYER. Many non-Catholics condemn the recitation of the Holy Rosary. However, very few of those who condemn this most beautiful prayer realize or recognize the fact that the Rosary is a prayer that almost totally has its origins in the Word of God itself! For example, the first series of Mysteries that we call the Joyful Mysteries are all of them found in the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapters One and Two! This being said, we can get to know and love the Word of God by meditating upon the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary!

3. GETTING TO KNOW, LOVE AND IMITATE JESUS BETTER. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and the instrument God used to give us the Spiritual Exercises, offers us a fruit that we should beg for when we meditate or contemplate on the life of Jesus; that fruit, or we might call it virtue, is to arrive at intimate knowledge of Jesus, so that we love Him more ardently, and follow Him more closely. In a parallel sense, when we form the habit of praying the Rosary well, giving our whole self to entering into the scenes or mysteries of the Rosary, one of the most sublime fruits is the same that Ignatius presents. In praying the Rosary, we get to know Jesus, love Jesus, and desire to follow Jesus through the prayers and intercession of the first disciple of Jesus, His Mother Mary!

4. SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL. Recent Popes, Blessed Paul VI and Saint John XXIII, called the Rosary a summary of the Gospel. This was said even before the insertion of the relatively new mysteries of the Rosary, The Luminous Mysteries. In a short, clear, methodical and systematic form we have the Infancy of Jesus in the Joyful Mysteries. Followed by the Luminous Mysteries, which are a good summary of the Public Life of Jesus (30-33 years of age). Then we have the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus in the Sorrowful Mysteries. Finally, as the summit of the whole prayer, we have the Glorious Mysteries, which of course present Our Lord’s Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, the Coming of the Holy Spirit, and Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven and Coronation as Queen of heaven and earth. As the Popes have alluded to, the contemplation of the mysteries of the most Holy Rosary is a clear and concise summary of the Gospels—the conception, life, death and Resurrection of Jesus seen through the eyes and heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

5. MARVELOUS PRAYER THAT CAN LIFT US TO THE HEIGHTS.  The Rosary is indeed a marvelous prayer that can lift us to the heights of holiness if prayed well and with perseverance. This prayer is vocal in that we vocalize the beautiful prayers, the Our Father and Hail Mary. It is a meditative prayer in that we reflect upon the meaning of the mysteries and how they can be applied to our own lives right now. Furthermore, it is a contemplative prayer, meaning that we are summoned to enter into the scenes or mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. We are not called to be passive spectators, like going to a movie; rather we are called to enter into these contemplative scenes and become part of the lives of Jesus and Mary! If this is done, we become transformed. The saying is true: tell me with whom you associate, and I will tell you who you are. How true if we apply this to our frequent association, contact and conversation with Jesus and Mary and Saint Joseph! We will be transformed, becoming more and more like them. Our desire and goal are the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal.2:20)

6. PRAYER OF PEACE OF MIND, HEART AND SOUL, AND WORLD PEACE. In a world in which there is so much tension, fighting, selfishness, and egotism we need a peace-program. Of course the key element is to expel the negative with the most positive possible, and that is to place Jesus and Mary as King and Queen of our world, country, state, city, home, family, and even our individual lives and hearts! At Fatima, Our Lady insisted that the Rosary be prayed to end World War I and also to prevent another war. Our Lady made the warning that if the world did not pray enough, another and worse World War would erupt. And so it happened! Sad to say, not many years after the cessation of World War I, the more bloody and gruesome World War II broke out. Sin and War is due to a lack of the presence of God. The recitation of the most Holy Rosary is the exact opposite. In the Rosary, we invite Jesus into our hearts, families, society and world through the prayerful, peaceful, but powerful presence of Our Lady, Queen of Peace!

7. CONQUERING VICES. Sin can grab hold of us and we become slaves to sin. Jesus Himself says that sin is slavery. A well-known convert once said that before becoming Catholic, he liked going to book stores to look over the books and buy some of them. However, while there, no matter how hard he tried, he could not resist, almost as if he were drawn by a magnet, checking out and browsing through the bad magazines. Though not a Catholic yet, he started to pray the most Holy Rosary, and immediately, his desire to look at the indecent magazines left him totally. He attributed this miracle to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Rosary. Among the many virtues that Our Lady desires to attain for us is the virtue of purity. One of Our Lady’s messages in Fatima was that most souls are lost for all eternity due to the sins of the flesh, that is to say, sins against the virtue of purity. Jesus expressed this most clearly in one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart; they will see God.” (Mt 5:8)

8. FAMILY UNITY. One of the most sorrowful realities in the modern world is the breakup of the family unit. Vatican II calls the family the Domestic Church. Saint Pope John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.” After the attack on the World Trade Center, Sept. 11, 2001, Pope Saint John Paul II published a spiritual masterpiece with the title Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary. We encourage all of our readers to read and meditate upon this spiritual masterpiece so as to get to know and love the most Holy Rosary more and more. In this papal document, the saintly pontiff encouraged the world at large to pray the Rosary, but especially for two intentions. First, he exhorted us to pray the Rosary for world peace. Second, he warmly encouraged us to pray the Rosary for the sake and salvation of the family. The Rosary priest, Father Patrick Peyton, expresses this truth in these timely maxims: “The family that prays together, stays together”. And, “A world at prayer is a world at peace!” This being said, every family should make a concerted effort to pray the Rosary together for the sake of their own family, as well as for all of the families of the world, and that peace would reign in the world starting first and foremost within our own individual hearts!

9. THE ROSARY AS A SPIRITUAL SLINGSHOT TO CONQUER THE DEVIL. In one of the most important meditations in the Spiritual Exercises, with the title The Two Standards, Saint Ignatius presents our spiritual life in the light of a fierce combat between Satan and his disciples fighting against Jesus and His disciples for dominion in our souls! Given today’s materialism, consumerism, hedonism, agnosticism, moral relativism, and militant atheism, the devil can hide behind each of these erroneous philosophical systems to trap us and finally enslave us! It almost appears as if we are David against Goliath! (I Samuel 17) David was much younger and smaller, with no military preparation, no sword, no shield, not even any armor. On the other hand, Goliath was a giant, with much experience in battle, wearing armor and wielding a huge crescent sword that he had used to kill many, with a shield bearer preceding him. Goliath curses little David, but David proceeds with confidence in the name of Yahweh, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The little shepherd boy approaches the line of battle quickly and resolutely, reaches for a stone, places it in his slingshot and launches it at Goliath. The stone takes off like a rocket and rivets itself in the forehead of Goliath, who quickly cascades to the ground. As the giant lays unconscious on the ground, David wields the sword of Goliath and cuts off his head! Victory!!! Today we are surrounded by many Modern Goliaths, as mentioned and named above. Therefore, for us to win the fierce battle, we must place ourselves under the military leadership of the Blessed Virgin Mary, carry proudly our spiritual weapon— the most Holy Rosary, and use it frequently and confidently. We have sure hope with such a weapon and so great a leader that the battle will be won and the victory will be ours!

10. SPIRITUAL TREASURES STORED UP IN HEAVEN. One of the greatest saint-mystics in the Catholic Church is Saint Gertrude, the Great. Not only is she the author of the classic Herald of Divine Love (read it!!!), but also she was a great mystic and visionary. Jesus often would appear to her and talk to her with great familiarity and love, as He desires to do with us. On one occasion, the saint saw Jesus in heaven. The scene was beautiful! Bathed in light and beauty, Jesus had a huge pile of coins, shiny and glimmering golden coins. As Saint Gertrude contemplated this scene, Jesus placed another golden coin on the top of the huge pile. Curious as to the meaning of the scene, this great lover of Jesus and Mary, Saint Gertrude, begged the Lord to explain its meaning. Without any hesitation Jesus said that those golden coins were the many fervent Hail Marys that Gertrude had prayed, and that she had just finished another, upon which Jesus was depositing another golden coin for all eternity. Therefore, if you want to be a multi-billionaire in heaven, start right now and pray the Rosary, pray the Hail Marys that compose the Rosary. Indeed, Jesus through the intercession Mary, His Mother, the Mother of the Church, and your loving Mother, will store up for you abundant treasures in heaven.

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

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd   Lk. 9:1-6   “Jesus sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God.”

• In Today’s Gospel, Jesus talks to the twelve about their Mission of spreading the joy of the Gospel. First we encounter Christ – in our daily Holy Hour, in frequent Confession, in Mass and Holy Communion live-streamed or in person, and in our daily rosary – Mary’s ladder to heaven! Then we bring Christ to others – in Gift of Self according to the circumstances of our life and the needs of those around us – beginning with our family, then our parish and our community.
• Saint Paul says in bringing Christ to others we are to fight the good fight and run the race to the finish! But there is another fight we must win if we are to serve Christ and win the crown of glory, and that is fighting against discouragement!
• These are challenging times. We may find ourselves at times fighting sadness, discouragement, and a certain lethargy. Therefore, we need to keep this article handy and apply the remedies therein liberally as needed!
• Let us begin today by meditating on this article on fighting discouragement!

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, AGAINST WHAT? DISCOURAGEMENT! YES, DISCOURAGEMENT! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Enemy number one is sin! After the reality of sin, we must constantly be on guard, day in and day out, morning and evening and in all circumstances to fight forcefully against the devil of discouragement.

SAUL AND YOUNG DAVID. Even though chosen to be the King and leader of the Israelites, King Saul experienced frequent bouts of discouragement that easily led to depression. Young David would come to King Saul’s aid by playing a musical melody on the harp. This would assuage and alleviate Saul, at least temporarily, of the bad spirit of discouragement.

Like Saul, we all confront persons, places, circumstances, health situations, economic setbacks that can easily lead us down the road of discouragement.

SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA AND DISCOURAGEMENT. The great Saint Ignatius of Loyola understood keenly the reality of discouragement. So much did he understand this reality that he penned fourteen rules, The Rules for Discernment of Spirits for the First Week. Several of these rules deal with this topic. Manifestations of a state of desolation are that of discouragement, sadness, lack of faith, hope, and love, a tugging toward the sensual, in a word, seeing the world as if one were a dark and endless tunnel.

NO SHAME TO BE IN DESOLATION OR TEMPTED TO DISCOURAGEMENT. None of us should be ashamed if we find ourselves tempted to discouragement. Often it is the devil who is provoking this discouragement. However, it is incumbent upon all of us to be aware of this often subtle temptation of discouragement and fight forcefully against it. For if we give into discouragement, it can really wreak havoc within our lives.

SPIRITUAL STRATEGY.  This being said, we would like to offer to all a game-plan, a strategy, that we can utilize so as to prove victorious in our battle against the all-present reality of discouragement.  

1. VIGILANCE AND BEING AWARE! The first principle that should be enunciated in the battle against discouragement is the admission of the simple fact that in our lives there will be constant temptations to give in to discouragement. With this heightened awareness, we will not be taken off guard when the devil of discouragement is knocking at the door of our heart. Keep the door of your heart under lock and key, and flee from this devil!

2. PRAYER AND CONSTANT PRAYER. Jesus says that we should pray, and pray always, without giving up hope. Saint Paul reiterates the same idea when he says we should pray constantly and give thanks to God on all occasions.

3. THANKSGIVING: CULTIVATE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE. Following up on the previous idea, we should live in a constant state of thanksgiving. God is good, in all places and at all times. All that we have in our natural life, and more important, in our supernatural life of grace, are gifts from the Father of all good gifts. It might seem paradoxical, but most especially when we are in the state of discouragement, we want to call to mind the gifts so generously bestowed upon us by God, and often discouragement will disappear like the early morning dew that evaporates as the sun breaks through the clouds. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever. (Ps 136:1)

4. DAILY EXAMINE. Another helpful step in conquering discouragement is that of self-knowledge which can be attained through the Daily Examen of Consciousness. Saint Ignatius says those who are serious about growing in the spiritual life should never neglect the Daily Examen. This can prove of incalculable benefit for the simple reason that the Daily Examen, well done, will help us get to the root cause of why we are tempted to give into discouragement. The classical spiritual writers insist on the capital importance of self-knowledge. The desert Fathers coined the two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF!!!

5. SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR. Also the saints insist that those who are pursuing an authentic life of holiness must all seek out some periodic and systematic spiritual direction. We all of have blind spots and cannot really see ourselves as we are. An experienced, spiritual, and well-educated spiritual director can help to pull us out of discouragement, as well as to help us from falling into the pit of discouragement!

6. TRANSPARENCY WITH OUR SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR. As a follow-up, it is extremely important and necessary that we do not hide or camouflage our state of soul with our spiritual director. Saint Ignatius, in his rules for discernment, highlights the fact that the devil wants us to keep our interior state of desolation, which is often discouragement, to ourselves. In this way, the devil can easily turn a mole-hill into a mountain. On the contrary, revealing our state of discouragement to our spiritual director can lift the cloud and allow God’s light, peace, and joy to return to our soul. In all humility, we need each other to help us through the pits and valleys, the dark nights and struggles of life.

7. CHECK YOUR HEALTH AND REST. Often we experience discouragement for the simple reason that we feel weak, sickly, depleted of energy. Two suggestions: get a physical checkup to see if there is something wrong on a physical plane. Next, make sure you are getting good rest at night. You would be surprised how a good night’s rest can change the tide. Many temptations descend upon us for the simple reason that we are not sufficiently well-rested!

8. GET OUT OF YOURSELF AND SERVE, HELP OTHERS! A trained spiritual director in Chile, Father Aldunate, S.J., was able to reform countless numbers of wounded people who suffered desolation, discouragement, and depression. He formulated this program: 1) Confession, 2) Daily Mental Prayer, and 3) Serving and helping others! What a simple but extremely efficacious program this Chilean Jesuit priest formulated. First, get back in the state of grace through the Sacrament of Confession, and then Communion. Engage in mental prayer, we call it meditation, an hour of prayer daily. Fulton Sheen called it the Holy Hour. Finally, get out of yourself and into the lives of others by serving them. How? Help feed and clothe the poor; visit the sick in the hospitals or in nursing homes, and finally, smile and say a kind word to those who are discouraged!

9. TALK TO THE SAINTS. Often those who suffer discouragement experience at the same time a certain feeling of loneliness. They feel that nobody cares about them, or, if they do care, it is very little. Even if this were the case, we are never really alone because we not only have God, we have the saints! The saints are God’s friends in heaven and they are our friends too! Despite their many trials in life, the saints lived in almost constant joy. Why? Because they were convinced that God really loved them. If you feel discouraged, remember that God loves you infinitely, but also remember God’s friends—the saints in heaven—who love you and are your friends too. Get into the habit of talking to the saints.

10. OUR LADY: CAUSE OF OUR JOY.  Of course our essay would be incomplete if we did not invite Our Lady into our lives. After he died, Saint Dominic Savio appeared to Saint John Bosco and told Bosco that his greatest joy on earth was his tender and loving devotion to the Blessed Mother—Our Lady Help of Christians. In the midst of the dense clouds of confusion, depression, and discouragement, let us lift our gaze to Mary and cry out:  Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope!

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

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22nd Lk. 8: 19-21   “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

• Hearing the Word of God is what happens in our daily Holy Hour meditating on Sacred Scripture. Acting on what we hear is what happens during the rest of our day.
• Hearing the Word of God is following the counsel of our Confessor or Spiritual Director with sincere effort and good will.
• Hearing the Word of God is patiently working through the unplanned, unexpected events and circumstances that come up every day. As the saying goes: “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans for today!”
• Hearing the Word of God is seeing the need in those God places in our path each day, and doing what we can to help them– a kind word, a helping hand, a prayer.
• Hearing the word of God is listening to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit to do what we were not intending to do, say what we were not intending to say, and go where we were not intending to go. ^“You will hear a voice saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (Is 30:21)
• These are the saddest words we can say when we hear these promptings: “I don’t feel like doing that” or “I’m too tired to do that.” These are opportunities missed and graces lost, for that moment will never return again!
• Let us then, delve deeper into the Presence and Action of the Holy Spirit in our lives and beg for the grace to follow His lead!

FIRE, FIRE, FIRE—COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME!!!   By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Pentecost arrived fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead by means of a powerful wind and fiery tongues that settled over the heads of the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This was the official Birthday of the Catholic Church—a day for immense rejoicing!

As a consequence, the Apostles who received this fire, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit were transformed into valiant soldiers and martyrs for Christ, witnesses of the Risen Jesus by shedding their blood. From being a fearful, cowardly, confused, doubtful, motley group of men, they underwent a transformation and became valiant, courageous, eloquent, creative men who impressed the whole world. Without any formal education, nobody could withstand their eloquence, conviction, and love for Jesus who died and rose from the dead!

PERSONAL PENTECOST EXPERIENCE. As we age, our health declines and our physical energies, abilities, and human capacities—this is part and parcel of our human condition inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, due to Original Sin. However, the Holy Spirit, who is truly God, the Third Person of the most Blessed Trinity, never ages, nor declines in strength, nor does His Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding and Strength. We can tap into the power, presence, and potency of the Holy Spirit at any time and place if we so desire. In a word, we can experience our own personal Pentecost at will, upon our own choosing. Therefore, why not prepare for our own Pentecost and humbly beg this through the intercession of Mary, who is the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit right now. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is patiently waiting for all of us to invite Him into our memories, understanding, emotions, mind, heart, body, and will— in a word, He wants to take possession of our whole being! It all depends on our free will to accept this free invitation from the Holy Spirit, who is the Sweet Guest of our soul!

NOVENA PAR EXCELLENCE!  That first novena about 2000 years ago, that culminated on Pentecost day, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary, can be renewed right now. Actually, the word NOVENA means nine. Therefore, we would like to offer to you a simple novena to the Holy Spirit. This consists of the following: every day for nine days we invite you, as well as your family and friends, to do something to show your love, gratitude, and appreciation for the Holy Spirit. Let us give Him this Gift! Ironic as it may seem, per the Catechism of the Catholic Church, among the many titles for the Holy Spirit is precisely that “Gift of Gifts”. However, now we desire to generously offer Him our nine humble gifts plus one (the tenth!) in living out our novena. Off we go!

1. PRAYER. Every day we invite you to pray to the Holy Spirit. Prayers are numerous and many are exceedingly beautiful and poetic. But I will offer a very simple prayer to the Holy Spirit easy to memorize. It is the following: “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary!” Saint Louis de Montfort asserts: “Those who love Mary, the Holy Spirit flings Himself into their souls.”

2. ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. This Book of the Bible, authored by Saint Luke, is known as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. In this action book of the Bible, we encounter in almost every chapter the powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit. This will be more demanding but one day in your novena read the Acts of the Apostles, the full 28 Chapters!!! No doubt, by a prayerful reading of the Acts of the Apostles, you will get to see first-hand the various powerful, creative, and fascinating ways that the Holy Spirit is building up the Primitive Church using docile instruments – the Apostles and disciples of Christ.

3. SING A SONG / HYMN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT! There are many! One of the classics is simply Come Holy Ghost with the several strophes. Or if you like, Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Or if you like the Latin, Veni Sancte Spiritus. With respect to song, Saint Augustine encourages us: “He who sings, prays twice!” Better yet, before or after your family Rosary, sing to the Holy Spirit with your whole family!

4. READ A BOOK/ CHAPTER ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.  There are many books written on the Holy Spirit; choose one that you like best. A book that I have found to be very helpful is “In the School of the Holy Spirit” by author Jacques Philippe. Short, easy to read and understand, the work can inspire you to love the Holy Spirit all the more!

5. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Many Catholics are oblivious to the very important fact that upon receiving the Sacrament of Baptism, not only are we transformed into living Tabernacles of the Blessed Trinity, but also we receive many Gifts and among these are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Pray that they will become operative in your life.

6.MEMORIZE THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. These Gifts are most important in our spiritual life if we truly desire to become saints, as we are all called to be, in the words of Jesus: “Be holy, as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48) The Church Fathers compare our spiritual life to being in a big Sail-Boat with seven-sails. To glide with speed and graceful ease to the shore, which is symbolic of heaven, we must open up the sails to the wind. Wind in the sails transports the boat to the shore. The boat is our soul, the seven sails are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the shore is heaven. Therefore, let us memorize and activate the SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: 1) Wisdom, 2) Knowledge, 3) Understanding, 4) Counsel, 5) Fortitude, 6) Piety, and 7) Fear of the Lord. May these Seven Gifts powerfully compel us to growth in holiness and the eternal shores of salvation!

7. PRAYER AND SACRIFICE. Our soaring high in the spiritual life can be compared to a bird in flight with two wings. A wounded bird with one wing is land-bound. But with two healthy wings, the bird can soar into the heights and perch on the highest mountain. Likewise, in our spiritual life, not only must we pray, but also practice penance and offer up sacrifices. Our Lady of Fatima told the children that many souls are lost because people do not offer up enough sacrifices for them. Therefore, make a sacrifice; give up something, renounce something you like for the Divine Invasion of the Holy Spirit in your soul. Example: Mary and the Apostles prayed and fasted for nine days and nights. (Acts 2:1-11)

8. FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Pray that you will experience the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. According to the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are nothing less than the inner sweetness that we experience in our soul when we correspond openly to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among these fruits are the following: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

9. GET TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT: TITLE/ NAMES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. Many are the titles/names for the Holy Spirit. The more we get to know exactly who the Holy Spirit is through the multiplicity of His Names, then the more we get to know Him. Here are a few for your growth in knowledge and love towards the Holy Spirit: Counsellor, Consoler, Interior Master, Paraclete, Advocate, Gift of God, Finger of God, Interior Architect, Sweet Guest of the Soul (Refer to the Sequence in the Missal for the Solemnity of Pentecost), and last but not least, DOCILITY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. Pope Saint John XXIII stated: “The saints are the Masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Jacques Philippe, in his literary work on the Holy Spirit, In the School of the Holy Spirit, states unequivocally that our sanctification and growth in holiness depend on one factor: DOCILITY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT! We must make a constant and concerted effort to be more docile to the Heavenly inspirations of the Holy Spirit. For that reason, let us turn to she who was always most docile to the Holy Spirit, Mary, Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and pray often: “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary.”

10. A final challenge for every day, the nine plus one novena: pray the prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Among the many writings that I have done over the years, this prayer for the activation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I believe to be one of the most simple, but also sublime. Below is my prayer to be open to the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit …   By Father Edward Broom, OMV

Come Holy Spirit, come fill my heart with your heavenly love. Enlighten my mind so that I may know the Truth, live the Truth, and be willing to die for the Truth.

Come Holy Spirit, come in the dark and lonely moments of my life, come to console me and comfort me. You who are the Sweet Guest of the soul, make me aware of your constant and living presence, so that I recognize that I am never alone because you are with me as a Faithful Friend.

Come Holy Spirit, come, you who are the Interior Master, teach me how to pray. I do not know how to pray well. I implore you to intercede for me with ineffable groans so that I can cry out: “Abba, Father!”

Come Holy Spirit, come in moments of doubt and confusion, be my light and counselor. Help me to make decisions, not according to my will but according to your holy will.

Come Holy Spirit, come in moments of weakness, give me strength. You who are the courage and strength of the martyrs, obtain for me interior strength to fight against sin, my fallen human nature, and anything that is not pleasing to you.

Come Holy Spirit, come, grant me a filial love for you and a sincere love for my neighbor, especially for those I live with and meet every day. Set my heart on fire with love.

Come Holy Spirit, come sanctify me with your presence. You who are the sanctifier, attain for me an ardent yearning for holiness of life. “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” May I attain holiness of life so as to attain the promise of eternal life.

Come Holy Spirit, come, produce in me a reverential fear that motivates me to avoid all that is displeasing to you, and to avoid any persons, places, things, or circumstances that could damage my friendship with you.

Come Mary, Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Temple of the Holy Spirit, you who had the most intimate and constant union with the Holy Spirit, pray for me so that my knowledge and love of the Holy Spirit will grow daily until I am with you forever in heaven, worshiping forever the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

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

MONDAY, SEPT. 21st   Mt. 9: 9-13   Feast of Saint Matthew   “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

• Saint John Chrysostom commented: “We see by the prompt and complete obedience of Matthew, who left all his worldly possessions in an instant, that the Lord had called him at just the right moment.” 
• The “right moment” is the “present moment” – Jesus is present in every moment and every circumstance of our life asking us to follow Him. How often do we say No? How often do we choose our will instead of His will, our way of doing things instead of His way? We want to beg for the grace to say Yes to Jesus at all times and in all circumstances!
• “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Father Francisco Suarez, S.J. warns us that “all resistance to grace hardens the heart.” Next time, we will be less willing to respond to the Lord. Even Saint Augustine felt the urgency of responding to the Lord saying: “I fear Jesus may pass by and not come back.”  
• In every moment Jesus draws close to us, regardless of our age or circumstances. His eyes meet ours in an intimate way as He invites us to follow Him, to walk with Him, to stay with Him. “He chose us before the creation of the world to walk blameless and holy in His sight.” (Eph 1:4)
• Our body is mortal – it will die. Saint Teresa of Avila said: “Should not we mock our body in death that so often mocked us in life?” Our soul, however, is immortal – it will live forever! Indeed, in heaven – and we may hope that by cooperation with God’s grace we will reach there – our soul will be clothed with a new and glorious body untouched by sin!
• To fortify and strengthen us for the journey, today we will meditate on the value, the dignity and the destiny of our Immortal Soul!

THE INFINITE VALUE OF YOUR SOUL by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Imagine discovering in your backyard a treasure of gold! Imagine being bequeathed ten diamonds, each of them worth more than a million dollars! Once again, imagine receiving an inheritance—an enormous mansion on a luxurious plot of land and it’s all yours! Finally, imagine winning the 50-million dollar lottery! Of course, on a human and natural plane we would all rejoice to the skies, and relax with the awareness that the rest of our life will be luxury, pleasure, ease and indescribable comfort.

Beyond a shadow of doubt, those immersed in the worldly, paganistic, and materialistic mindset would long for any one of the above scenarios. Why? The whole thrust of their life is based on purely materialistic possession and gain.

Let us now flip the coin and turn in the opposite direction, and meditate upon the value, now through the eyes of God, of one soul, of one immortal soul, your own immortal soul. In all truth, your individual, personal, and unique soul, your immortal soul has much more value than all of the riches described above. In the eyes of God—the God of Life, the God of Truth, and the God of Love, your soul is worth more than the whole created universe. Saint Peter says that our soul was not redeemed or bought back by the blood of goats or heifers, nor gold or silver, but was redeemed by the Blood of Jesus! How precious and valuable are our souls—redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (cf 1Pt. 1:18-19)

This being said, let us reflect together, even for a few short minutes, on the reality, importance, and grandeur of your immortal soul. The following are concrete points for your reflection, meditation, and prayer.

1. ORIGIN OF YOUR SOUL.  At one time your soul did not exist. Its coming into existence, its origin, came from God in the precise moment of time and manner that God so willed. When? Precisely in the very moment of your conception in the womb of your mother was when your immortal soul came into existence. This existence of your soul will never cease, in time and in eternity!

2. IMMORTALITY.  It is precisely this point—IMMORTALITY! By immortal is meant quite simply this: your soul is destined to exist forever and ever and ever. In a real sense it is God-like because God can never cease to exist.

3. HUMAN BIRTH AND SUPERNATURAL BIRTH AND THE SOUL.  Every year with immense joy we celebrate our Birthday and the Birthday of our loved ones. Ice-cream, cake, candles, balloons, and gifts make up the essential qualities of the celebration. Often many relatives and friends flock to celebrate the birthday-boy/birthday-girl! However, it should be recalled and celebrated with even greater joy the Spiritual Birthday of every Christian, and every Catholic Christian. Of course, we are referring to the day of our Baptism; this was our Spiritual Birthday. This was the day and moment in which our soul underwent a radical transformation, moving from the natural plane to the supernatural plane; if you like, a quantum leap!

4. THE SOUL’S RADICAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH BAPTISM.  In the very moment that the priest/deacon baptized us pronouncing our name saying:  “(Name), I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”—our soul received the three Divine Guests to inhabit our soul: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! We should strive to recall this profound and penetrating reality of our great dignity through Baptism—the profound and mysterious fact that we are truly living Temples of the Blessed Trinity! Sons and Daughters of God!

5. TARNISHING AND BLACKENING THE SOUL.  Even though the Sacrament of Baptism removes Original Sin and imbues and permeates the soul with the Blessed Trinity, due to the abuse of our freedom it often happens that the beauty of the soul is tarnished, darkened, and even blackened by the reality of sin and unfortunately the reality of Mortal Sin. Honesty before God and our own conscience demands the humble admission of falling into mortal sin and darkening, sullying, and damaging the greatest Gift that God has given to us—our immortal soul! Living in denial of sin, especially mortal sin, can be catastrophic for us in time and for all eternity.

6. CONFESSION: THE CLEANSING OF THE SOUL!  Following on the heels of the reality of mortal sin is the keen awareness of God’s greatest attribute—that of His Infinite Mercy. Pope Saint John Paul II has stated that Mercy is the second name for God’s Love. God’s Mercy is channeled through His Church, known as the Mystical Body of Christ. In concrete practice, God’s Mercy is mediated through His Sacraments. Reconciliation, Penance, Confession are various names for the Sacrament that can transform our souls from being tarnished, sullied, even blackened by the ugly stain of mortal sin into once again glorious, pure, and resplendent palaces of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Majestic Mansions of the dwelling place of the Blessed Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

7. VIGILANCE: DEFEND AND PROTECT THE IMPORTANCE AND BEAUTY OF THE SOUL.  How often have we come across homes that have various levels of protection? Let us count the various protective barriers to the home: barbwire, iron gates, pointed iron bars, iron/brass doors, loud alarms, angry pit-bulls, security cameras, and even at times security guards. Given the fact that our immortal soul is worth more than the whole created universe, just one soul, then logic would tell us that we should use all the spiritual means available to protect our soul from robbers and thieves that are on the constant lookout to rob us of sanctifying grace! In all honesty, how little we do to protect our soul from mortal poison and danger, and how little we do or have done to protect our children and families from the all-intrusive thieves on the prowl to steal the precious grace in their souls. Starting now: let us be more vigilant to protect and defend our soul, and those of our families, from these prowling thieves, whose names are the devil, the flesh, and the world!

8. CALL TO MIND OUR DIGNITY AND DESTINY.  Constantly, even on a daily basis, we should remind ourselves of an essential part of Principle and Foundation—our purpose and end in life. It was Saint Thomas Aquinas who articulated this truth so clearly: your immortal soul is worth more than the whole created universe. All God’s natural creation pales in the face of the reality of one immortal soul and that is your own immortal soul! Let us frequently call to mind our dignity and our destiny. Our dignity? Sons and Daughters of God through the Sacrament of Baptism! Our destiny? To be a member of the Court of Heaven—seeing face to face the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1Cor 13:12)—with Mary as our Mother and Queen, the angels our companions, and the saints our best of friends for all eternity!

9. TRUE LOVE.  Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love in these words: “Love (charity) is willing the good of the other.”  What then is the greatest good for a human person? It is the salvation of their IMMORTAL SOUL!!! If we truly love God and love what God loves, then we should love our neighbor and work ardently, constantly, fervently, incessantly for the salvation of our soul and the souls of others. Saint James states the following with respect to the salvation of a soul: “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone brings him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas. 5: 19-20)

10. MARY AND OUR SOUL.  On a very important and concluding note, let us entrust our life, our temptations, our struggles, our desires, our aspirations, and the salvation of our immortal soul to Mary. Aside from God Himself, there is no person in the universe who cares and desires the health, protection, and salvation of our immortal soul more than the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us pray as many Rosaries as possible and entrust the hour and moment of our death into the hands and Immaculate Heart of Mary. She will lead our soul safety to the port of salvation—the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

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

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20TH  Mt. 20:1-16 “Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The last will be first…  Thomas à Kempis (Imitation of Christ p. 98-9)

God highly values the man who out of true humility belittles and forgets himself, judges himself unworthy of all gifts and benefits, does not flaunt them when received, and does not seek the praise of others.

Blessed is he who humbly accepts afflictions from the hand of God as did Job and offers and abandons himself totally to the divine will.

Blessed is he who always seeks to follow that will and chooses whatever is more pleasing to God; he who accepts the worst as the best, rejoices when he meets with insult and endures temporal afflictions, knowing they are for his soul’s benefit.  END

COMMENT:
We have all been subject to envy in our life. The opposite virtue is Fraternal Charity. A great act of Fraternal Charity, one that is very pleasing to God, is to add Prayers of Reparation to our prayer life. We have prayed with this article on Prayers of Reparation before—how many of us have put it into practice??? How many have remained faithful to the practice??? Nunc Coepi – Now I begin!

ENRICH YOUR PRAYER LIFE WITH PRAYERS OF REPARATION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We should constantly be striving to improve upon our prayer life. What air is to our lungs, so is prayer to our soul. It is essential; it is a matter of life and death! The forms of prayer are multiple. One of the simplest ways to understand the key forms of prayer is by means of a four-letter acronym: A. C. T.  S.

A—stands for Adoration, the highest form of prayer that we can offer to Almighty God. This is the prayer of the highest choir of angels in heaven.

C—stands for “Contrition”—meaning? We are all sinners and we are called to repent firmly for our own personal sins, trusting always in God’s mercy!

T—stands for “Thanksgiving”.  All that we have—aside from our own personal sins—are gifts from the infinite bounty and generosity of Almighty God’s love!

S—stands for “Supplication”. Not a word well-known or used in common parlance. It simply means the prayer of petition. Saint Augustine says with great clarity: “We are all beggars before God.” We all need God desperately for everything!

In this short essay we would like to focus most specifically upon the prayer form of Contrition—which means sorrow for our sins. However, an integral part of Contrition should also be our desire to make many forms of reparation for our sins, as well as for the sins of the world at large. We pray in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy that Jesus gave to the world through Saint Faustina Kowalska: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.” That is to say, our prayer should take on a universal dimension; actually the word Catholic means “Universal”—all embracing, open to all people who live upon planet earth and also all those who have passed from this world to the next! Without further ado, let us launch into a prayer in which we want to beg pardon and reparation—meaning to make up for and to satisfy God’s justice—for all people, ourselves and the whole world!

You might be wondering, then who should we pray for, in what order of importance, where should we pray, when should we pray, how should we pray and with what disposition of heart? We would like to offer a list of those for whom we should pray; remember, with true contrition and for the purpose of Reparation!

1. ME, MYSELF AND I! Well, you might be thinking that this is somewhat egotistic, self-centered or even narcissistic! Not true! God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind: to praise Him and to save our own individual soul. It is not egoistic to pray for our conversion, sanctification, growth in holiness, and final perseverance. Rather, it is a matter of life and death. We all must individually, in the words of the Apostle Saint Paul, “work out our salvation in fear and in trembling.”

2. OUR FAMILY MEMBERS. Our prayers should extend to our family members, first and foremost! Spouses should pray for each other, then their children, then their parents, and finally other blood-relatives. God brought you together in a family; you should pray fervently prayers of reparation for the many sins of all of your family members. May your prayers serve to make up for the damage that they have done through their many sins.

3. CATHOLIC CHURCH AT LARGE IN ITS ENTIRETY! The Catholic Church is the church that has the most members in the entire world—more than one billion members presently! To be dead honest, not all are ready to be canonized right now! All are sinners, and to make things worse, most Catholics do not even practice their faith—that is to say, they do not even attend Sunday Mass. Just this one comment merits a huge dose of reparation from many fervent souls!

4. YOUR SPECIFIC LOCAL CHURCH. Now the specific local Catholic Church that you attend consists of many sinners. Many of these Catholics do not attend Mass. Most likely, many question certain Church practices. Many have gaping wounds that they are not striving to heal. Many have never begged pardon for their own sins, much less the sins of members of their families. For these in our local church, our local parish to which we belong, let us offer fervent prayers of reparation: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

 5. SOCIAL SINS THAT HAVE BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE FIBER OF THE SOCIETY. Pope Saint John Paul II has coined this long theological term. What it means is simply this: there are some serious sins that are not only individual and personal, but have actually embedded themselves into the very fiber, marrow, if you like, heart of society. These structural sins would be the following: abortion, legalization of same-sex unions, the legalization in some States of euthanasia—killing the elderly and infirm. For these social sins embedded in and encrusted onto the very fabric and heart of society, we beg pardon and willingly intend reparation. About every 20 seconds an innocent baby is being murdered through the abominable crime and heinous sin of abortion. “O Lord, have mercy on us and the whole world.”

6. SINNERS WHO DENY THEY “ARE” SINNERS. There is a class of individuals—indeed very prevalent and widespread in society today—and they are those individuals who claim stridently that they actually have no sins whatsoever. Pope Pius XII of blessed memory, stated: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” Many Catholics have not approached the Sacrament of Confession for years; we might even say DECADES!!! They blurt out, with an air of pride and arrogance: “Well, I have no sins!” We all know they have many sins, but unfortunately they have suppressed, put to sleep or even killed their conscience! For this large mass of individuals who claim to be great saints, we must beg pardon and offer prayers of reparation for their sins and for their eternal salvation!

7. DEATHBED SINNERS. A very important class of people that we must pray for most urgently (Jesus constantly reminds Saint Faustina to pray for these) are those individuals who are about to die and most unfortunately they are in the state of mortal sin, and their eternal salvation is in grave jeopardy. For this reason, the great woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Catherine of Siena asserted: “The two most important moments of our life are the following: now and at the hour of our death.” Why? We only have this precise moment. “the now”. However, of prime and eternal importance is the precise moment we die. If we die in the state of grace our soul will be saved for all eternity; but if we die in the state of mortal sin, our soul will be lost for all eternity. Let us beg mercy, pardon, conversion and reparation for those who are dying right now in this precise moment. “Lord, have mercy on deathbed sinners and on the whole world.”

8. PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, AND BISHOPS. Of prime importance, all should offer up fervent and constant prayers for those who have consecrated their lives to God and the Church—namely, priests, Bishops, and men and women Religious. These individuals, who are called to a very lofty mission within the Church, are also sinners. The letter to the Hebrews explains this with utmost clarity: “Every high priest is taken from among men, and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset with weakness, and so for this reason must make sin offerings for himself as for his people.” (Heb. 5:1-3). The devil will often tempt priests, Bishops, and Religious all the more, because if they fall they cause a greater scandal to the people and enormous damage to the Church at large. For their sins, we beg the Lord Jesus, the Supreme High Priest, to have mercy, and we beg for reparation for the damage they have caused in the Church and the world at large!

9. LOCAL AND SPECIFIC INTENTIONS. We all have within our hearts and our personal lives many intentions that we would like to present to the Lord. In this we should beg the Holy Spirit for light to see the areas in our personal life where we must beg pardon, mercy, and reparation. Every time we go to Confession, we are called to confess our sins with humility, sincerity, and a firm purpose of amendment—we really want to transform our lives! However, there is another important element that is part and parcel of making a good Sacramental Confession and that is the aspect of “Penance”. We must carry out the penance the priest has imposed upon us. This too is Reparation. We willingly accept the penance the priest gives us, and possibly accept to do more, to repair for our past sins. A priest, who helped to form us as future priests, suggested that we should always do double the penance that the priest imposed on us in confession. Great advice so as to live out reparation!

10. SOULS IN PURGATORY. Our essay would be incomplete if we failed to mention a special group of souls that we should intercede for frequently and with great fervor: the poor and abandoned souls in Purgatory. This is a group of individuals who have passed from this life to the next and are saved, but are in need of purification for the sins that they committed in life. They are totally dependent on the mercy of Almighty God. However, a channel through which the mercy of God is actualized is through us, the living, praying and offering sacrifices for these abandoned souls in Purgatory. Apply the Golden Rule in this circumstance, which is: “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” If you were an abandoned soul in Purgatory, beyond a shadow of doubt, you would desire many of the living to offer fervent prayers for your eventual entrance into heaven. In other words, with respect to Reparation, the souls of those who have passed from this life to the next must be purified and their sins repaired for, and we the living are called to this very lofty and noble mission!

In conclusion, let us enrich our personal prayer life by learning a prayer intention that possibly we have never done or have never really done it well and completely: that is the prayer of Reparation. Jesus and Mary have their Hearts wounded, with thorns embedded in them. These are the sins of humanity. It is our spiritual duty, by means of reparation, to take out the thorns and gently place roses in the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Indeed, they will rejoice in our acts of reparation and have a special place for us in their Hearts, in time and for all eternity. Amen.
 

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