Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 16, 2020

July 16 2020

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 IS 26:7-9, 12, 16-19

The way of the just is smooth;
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD,
we look to you;
Your name and your title
are the desire of our souls.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
When your judgment dawns upon the earth,
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.
O LORD, you mete out peace to us,
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.

O LORD, oppressed by your punishment,
we cried out in anguish under your chastising.
As a woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,
so were we in your presence, O LORD.
We conceived and writhed in pain,
giving birth to wind;
Salvation we have not achieved for the earth,
the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.
But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise;
awake and sing, you who lie in the dust.
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the land of shades gives birth.

Responsorial Psalm 102:13-14, 15, 16-18, 19-21

R. (20b) From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.
You, O LORD, abide forever,
and your name through all generations.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion,
for it is time to pity her.
For her stones are dear to your servants,
and her dust moves them to pity.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Alleluia MT 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11: 28-30

Jesus said:
“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.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

44 Man is by nature and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.

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

THURSDAY, JULY 16TH Mt. 11:28-30   Our Lady of Mount Carmel  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

  • St. Augustine says the heaviest burdens that men carry are their sins. Every confession is a liberation! For sins – even venial sins – are a wearisome burden. We come away from the Sacrament of Confession strengthened, energized, and ready to enter the battle again. Nunc Coepi… now I begin… as often as necessary!
  • Confession is likely the most misunderstood and under-utilized Sacrament! In reality, it is a powerhouse of graces and growth in holiness if used properly!
  • Frequent confession with a regular confessor – every two weeks, if possible, or at least once a month! Prepare properly! Use a good examination of conscience booklet for mortal and venial sins. Write down your sins and bring your list with you. Express to God deep remorse for your sins and a firm purpose of amendment! All this before you step foot in the confessional!
  • Now you are ready to enter the confessional and express your sins to the priest. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (amount of time) since my last confession and these are my sins.” You have the choice of confessing behind the screen or face to face with the priest. The priest may give you counsel, after which he will give you some form of penance. Then these wonderful words of Absolution – “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” One last and necessary step to make a good Confession – carry out the penance the priest gave you as soon as possible. Show God your good will by doubling the penance! Rejoice in the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!
  • CCC 1456. “All mortal sins, of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious, must be recounted by them in confession” and by kind and by number. The kind relates mostly to the sixth and ninth commandments when we have to be specific about what sin was committed, as well as how many times. The Catechism goes on to say that even though it is not strictly necessary, confession of venial sins is strongly recommended. Don’t kid yourself! These so called minor sins are major stumbling blocks in our growth in virtue!
  • We cannot stress enough the importance of frequent confession – every 2 to 3 weeks, a month at the most – to confess our mortal and venial sins to a regular confessor! Both our confessor and we ourselves will know when we are confessing the same sins over and over, which indicates a weak purpose of amendment. Our Confessor can counsel us on ways to overcome these pitfalls in our spiritual life!
  • That being said, there may be times when we are confessing the same deeply rooted venial or mortal sins over and over again but with this significant and essential difference – over time we find we are committing them with less and less frequency. This is called the principle of graduality. Deeply ingrained sins can only be overcome by this painstaking and deliberate weeding out. It requires persistence and a determined determination to give up sin! The support, encouragement, and prayers of a regular confessor in this process is essential!
  • Sometimes the Holy Spirit will give us deeper sorrow for a past sin already confessed and forgiven but that is weighing heavy on our heart due to deeper awareness of how this sin offended God, hurt us, and hurt others. This is called a “devotional confession.” It is a confession of love and can earn us many graces, as well as take time off Purgatory!
  • GRACES OF CONFESSION… Now Let us appreciate the MANY GRACES that flow from the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of God’s Mercy!!!
  • Mortal sin separates us from God and from receiving Holy Communion. Confessing all our mortal sins to the priest in Confession restores us to sanctifying grace and intimate friendship with God, enabling us to once again receive Jesus in Holy Communion!
  • A good Confession reconciles us with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, wounded and weakened by our sins.
  • Confession gives peace to our conscience and fills us with spiritual consolation.
  • Confession removes some of the temporal punishment due to our sins according to the sincerity of our remorse and the penance the priest gives. Every sin entails an improper attachment of one kind or another which must be purified here on earth or after death in Purgatory. 
  • Our improper attachments are also purified through prayer, works of mercy, self-denial for love of God and neighbor, and above all, through patient acceptance of the crosses God permits to visit us. Saint Therese says we should beg to suffer reparation for our sins here, so we can go straight to heaven when we die!  
  • Confession weakens the hold of the seven capital sins in our soul and strengthens us to fight against temptations. Note: the seven capital sins are not actual sins but strong tendencies to sin that become actual sins when we consent to them in our heart, mind, or body.
  • Confession fosters humility by reminding us of our utter dependence on the grace of God to say NO to sin and lead a virtuous life.
  • Confession renders our conscience more refined, more delicate. We become aware of our sins sooner and they burn our soul until we find relief in confessing them.
  • Confession increases our abhorrence of sin and our love for God helping us to recognize and avoid near occasions of sin.
  • Confession brings healing of our intellect, memory, and will from the effects of our past sins.
  • Confession purifies our soul so that we can see God more clearly… “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.”
  • Confession teaches us to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful!
  • Today, let us beg for the grace to make frequent and fervent confessions with a regular confessor so our good God can begin to transform our heart and our life.
  • Lastly, before entering the confessional pray for the priest, thank God for him and for his priesthood. Then ask your Guardian Angel to talk to your confessor’s Guardian Angel so that you and the priest will understand each other, and you’ll obtain all the graces God wants to shower upon you.
  • St. Augustine says, “The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save what He has made!”

Today let us not forget the celebration of the beautiful Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It  is Our Lady who leads us to the cleansing and healing waters of Confession through the prompting of the Holy Spirit! So that we may be purified by her Son and made worthy of our dignity as sons and daughters of the Father!

Reflection on Our Lady of Mount Carmel… by Saint Pope John Paul II

In Carmel and in every soul moved by tender affection for the Blessed Virgin and Mother, there has thrived a contemplation of her who from the beginning knew how to open herself to hearing God’s Word and to obeying His will. For Mary, taught and formed by the Spirit, was able by faith to understand her own history and, docile to the divine promptings, “advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her Only-begotten Son the intensity of His suffering and associating herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s heart” (Lumen Gentium).

This intense Marian life, which is expressed in trusting prayer, enthusiastic praise, and diligent imitation, enables us to understand how the most genuine form of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, expressed by the humble sign of the scapular, is consecration to her Immaculate Heart. In this way, the heart grows in communion and familiarity with the Blessed Virgin, as a new way of living for God and of continuing here on earth the love of Jesus the Son for His Mother Mary. 

Thus, as the blessed Carmelite martyr Titus Brandsma expressed it, we are put in profound harmony with Mary the Theotokos and become, like her, transmitters of divine life: “The Lord also sends His angel to us… we too must accept God in our hearts, carry Him in our hearts, nourish Him and make Him grow in us so that He is born of us and lives with us as the God-with-us, Emmanuel.”

Over time this rich Marian heritage of Carmel has become, through the spread of the holy scapular devotion, a treasure for the whole Church. By its simplicity, its anthropological value, and its relationship to Mary’s role in regard to the Church and humanity, this devotion was so deeply and widely accepted by the People of God that it came to be expressed in the memorial of July 16th on the liturgical calendar of the universal Church.

End of Reflection by Saint John Paul II (+2005)

Wear the Brown Scapular, the Garment of Grace, at all times and pray this Consecration Prayer to Mary every morning:

Mary, my Queen and my Mother, I give myself wholly 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. Since I am your own dear Mother, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

You may also do or renew your Consecration to Jesus through Mary using Father Ed Broom’s Book: “Total Consecration through the Mysteries of the Rosary.” (Tan Books) Your daily Holy Hour will be the daily meditations in the Book over 5 weeks (the four different Mysteries of the Rosary and The Seven Sorrows of Mary).

 

 

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 15, 2020

July 15 2020

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 IS 10:5-7, 13-16

Thus says the LORD:
Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger,
my staff in wrath.
Against an impious nation I send him,
and against a people under my wrath I order him
To seize plunder, carry off loot,
and tread them down like the mud of the streets.
But this is not what he intends,
nor does he have this in mind;
Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,
to make an end of nations not a few.

For he says:
“By my own power I have done it,
and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd.
I have moved the boundaries of peoples,
their treasures I have pillaged,
and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.
My hand has seized like a nest
the riches of nations;
As one takes eggs left alone,
so I took in all the earth;
No one fluttered a wing,
or opened a mouth, or chirped!”

Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?
Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it?
As if a rod could sway him who lifts it,
or a staff him who is not wood!
Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire.

Responsorial Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15

R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.
Your people, O LORD, they trample down,
your inheritance they afflict.
Widow and stranger they slay,
the fatherless they murder.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

And they say, “The LORD sees not;
the God of Jacob perceives not.”
Understand, you senseless ones among the people;
and, you fools, when will you be wise?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

Shall he who shaped the ear not hear?
or he who formed the eye not see?
Shall he who instructs nations not chastise,
he who teaches men knowledge?
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

Alleluia MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

43 Admittedly, in speaking about God like this, our language is using human modes of expression; nevertheless it really does attain to God himself, though unable to express him in his infinite simplicity. Likewise, we must recall that “between Creator and creature no similitude can be expressed without implying an even greater dissimilitude”;17 and that “concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in relation to him.”

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15TH  Mt. 11:25-27 “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”

  • Jesus words today immediately follow His words in yesterday’s Gospel, where He condemned those who are hard of heart! The opposite of the hard hearted are the childlike – those who love God without reserve and place all their trust in Him, the only One worthy of our total trust and love!
  • It is not reasonable to place all our trust in human beings; it’s not even fair to do so! It places a burden on them they cannot possibly carry, expectations they cannot possibly fulfill! It is asking them to fill the shoes of God Himself! Something none of us can do!
  • However, most of us are more hard hearted than childlike – more proud than humble. We need to see ourselves in the light of Truth and so think less of ourselves, to have any idea of the greatness of the Father’s love for us!

We offer three meditations to help us turn our heart to the Father with filial and childlike trust.

  1. From Humility to Mercy. We have to be humble. We have to know ourselves. The knowledge of self that St. Therese had: “I am nothing, I can do nothing; all is God’s grace.” And, “I was capable of committing the most heinous sins had not God cleared the path before me.”
  2. Practical steps to practice humility. How to live humbly.
  3. Throw yourself without fear into the arms of the Father. “He will embrace you, He will heal and save you!”

From Humility to Mercy… by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (+1153)

When in the light of Truth men know themselves and so think less of themselves, it will certainly follow that what they loved before will now become bitter to them. They are brought face to face with themselves and blush at what they see.

Their present state is no pleasure to them. They aspire to something better and at the same time realize how little they can rely on themselves to achieve it! It hurts them and they find some relief in judging themselves severely. Love of truth makes them hunger and thirst after justice, and conceive a deep contempt for themselves.

They are anxious to exact from themselves full satisfaction and real amendment. They admit that to make satisfaction is beyond their own powers – when they have done all that is commanded them they acknowledge that they are still unprofitable servants.

They fly from justice to mercy, by the road Truth shows them: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. They look beyond their own needs to the needs of their neighbors and from the things they themselves have suffered they learn compassion. 

Practical steps to grow in humility… by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta  (+1997) 

These are a few ways we can practice humility:

  • To speak as little as possible of one’s self.
  • To mind one’s own business.
  • Not to want to manage other people’s affairs.    
  • To avoid curiosity.
  • To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.
  • To pass over the mistakes of others.
  • To accept insults and injuries.
  • To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.
  • To be kind and gentle even under provocation.
  • Never to stand on one’s dignity.
  • To choose always the hardest.

Throw yourself without fear into the arms of the Father… by Saint Albert the Great (+1280)

Abide in the Father in the secret place of your soul as tranquilly as though there had already risen upon you the dawn of Eternity, the unending Day of God.

Strong in the love of Jesus, go forth from yourself, with a heart pure, a conscience at peace, a faith unfeigned; and in every trial, every event, commit yourself unreservedly to the Father, having nothing so much at heart as perfect obedience to His will and good pleasure.

Let us not forget this truth: the moment a man, by the help of the Father, succeeds in overcoming his own will, that is, in freeing himself from every inordinate affection and care, to cast himself and all his miseries unreservedly into the bosom of the Father, that moment he becomes so pleasing to the Father that he receives an outpouring of grace.  

This grace brings love of the Father, and this love drives out all fear and hesitation, and fills the soul with confidence and hope. What is more blessed than to cast all our care on Him who cannot fail? As long as you lean upon yourself you will totter. Throw yourself without fear into the arms of the Father. He will embrace you, He will heal and save you.

If you think often of these truths they would bring you more happiness than all the riches, delights, honors of this false world, and would make you more blessed than all the wisdom and knowledge of this corruptible life.

 

 

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 14, 2020


July 14 2020

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

Reading 1 IS 7:1-9

In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah,
Rezin, king of Aram,
and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah,
went up to attack Jerusalem,
but they were not able to conquer it.
When word came to the house of David that Aram
was encamped in Ephraim,
the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled,
as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz,
you and your son Shear-jashub,
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,
on the highway of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;
let not your courage fail
before these two stumps of smoldering brands
the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans,
and of the son Remaliah,
because of the mischief that
Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah,
plots against you, saying,
“Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force,
and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”

Thus says the LORD:
This shall not stand, it shall not be!
Damascus is the capital of Aram,
and Rezin is the head of Damascus;
Samaria is the capital of Ephraim,
and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.

But within sixty years and five,
Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
Unless your faith is firm
you shall not be firm!

Responsorial Psalm 48:2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.

For lo! the kings assemble,
they come on together;
They also see, and at once are stunned,
terrified, routed.
R. God upholds his city for ever.

Quaking seizes them there;
anguish, like a woman’s in labor,
As though a wind from the east
were shattering ships of Tarshish.
R. God upholds his city for ever.

Alleluia PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

42 God transcends all creatures. We must therefore continually purify our language of everything in it that is limited, imagebound or imperfect, if we are not to confuse our image of God –“the inexpressible, the incomprehensible, the invisible, the ungraspable”– with our human representations.16 Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God.

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

 TUESDAY, JULY 14TH    Mt. 11:20-24   “If today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Today’s Alleluia verse)

  • Have we heard His voice? Yes, we have. Are our hearts hard? Sometimes!
  • Jesus reproaches the towns where He has done great works because they have not repented. They have had Christ as their Teacher and He has performed mighty deeds in their midst. Leading citizens asked for and received miracles for all to see!
  • It was in Capernaum that the Centurion’s servant was near death when Jesus healed him. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; say the word and my servant will be healed.” Likewise it was here that the daughter of the Synagogue official, Jairus, was raised from the dead! Yet the people refuse to repent and believe.
  • What hard hearts they have! What stubborn, stiff necked people they are! Jesus says if Tyre and Sidon (pagan cities) had seen such mighty deeds, they would have repented. Even Sodom would have repented and not been destroyed if they had seen what the citizens of Capernaum saw! Therefore, these people will face a worse fate!
  • How blessed we are! At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “I will not leave you orphans.” (Jn. 14:18) And He instituted two Sacraments: the Most Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood.
  • Pope Pius XI summed up the identity of the priest as follows: “‘This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.’ (1 Cor 4:1) The priest is the minister of Christ, an instrument, that is to say, in the hands of the Divine Redeemer. He continues the work of the redemption in all its world-embracing universality and divine efficacy, that work that wrought so marvelous a transformation in the world. Thus the priest, as is said with good reason, is indeed ‘another Christ’; for, in some way, he is himself a continuation of Christ. ‘As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you’ is spoken to the priest, and hence the priest, like Christ, continues to give ‘glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will.’” (Pius XI, Ad Catholici Sacerdotii)
  • How blessed we are! In every Mass, there are two parts. In the Liturgy of the Word, through the power of the priesthood, we hear the preaching of Jesus and see His miracles in the Gospels, then hear the teaching of His present day apostle in the homily. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, through the power of the priesthood and working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes down from heaven to earth in the hands of the priest at the words of Consecration. So that we can be nourished by His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion.  
  • We experience the merciful and healing touch of Jesus in the Sacrament of Confession and know the peace that comes from hearing the words of absolution spoken by the priest, in Persona Christi.
  • Through our prayer life, we’ve heard His voice and felt His Presence in our holy hours. And if we stop and think about it, we have seen miracles of grace in our lives!
  • Today, Jesus is cautioning us! The Gospel either blesses or curses those who hear it! A more terrible punishment awaits those who sin against the Truth they have heard! To those to whom much is given, much is expected!
  • We have heard and seen far more than the cities Jesus condemns today! It is good to ask ourselves… Are we hard-hearted? Are there times when we don’t want to hear the Truth that Jesus presents in the Gospels and through His Holy Church? Maybe we don’t want to admit we’re living in sin? We don’t want to see that we’re tepid and lukewarm when it comes to praying and fasting? We have material comforts we don’t want to give up that keep us from serving Christ wholeheartedly? We’re not ready to cut ties to worldly friends and pursuits, even though they keep us from soaring high in the spiritual life?
  • Unless we put on Christ by being more concerned about pleasing God than people… Unless we live and defend the Truth of Christ as preserved and taught by His Holy Church… Unless we make a sincere effort every day to pray more fervently and practice some small act of penance… Unless we show our faith and hope in God by patient acceptance of the changing circumstances in our lives and fortunes… Unless we’re growing in charity towards others by the kindness of our actions and words, especially forgiveness and mercy… we are hard-hearted like the Jews that Jesus condemns today!
  • We are called to be living witnesses to Christ as St. Paul reminds us: “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2 Cor 2:14-16)
  • Let us beg for the grace to be the aroma of Christ in our family, in our work, and in our world!

To help us on our path to sanctity, let us take to heart the counsel of St. Teresa of Avila…

The Necessity of Growing in Sanctity…   by St. Teresa of Avila

I tell you, daughters (and sons), I have known people of a very high degree of spirituality who have reached this state, and whom, notwithstanding, the devil, with great subtlety and craft, has won back to himself. For this purpose he will marshal all the powers of hell, for, as I have often said, if he wins a single soul in this way he will win a whole multitude. The devil has much experience in this matter.

 If we consider what a large number of people God can draw to Himself through the agency of a single soul, the thought of the thousands converted by the martyrs gives us great cause for praising God. Think of a maiden like Saint Ursula. And of the souls whom the devil must have lost through Saint Dominic and Saint Francis and other founders of Orders, and is losing now through Father Ignatius, who found the Company (of Jesus, the Jesuits)–all of whom, of course, as we read, received such favors from God!

What did they do but endeavor that this Divine Union should not be frustrated through their fault? Oh, my daughters (and sons), how ready this Lord still is to grant us favors, just as He was then! In some ways, it is even more necessary that we should wish to receive them, for there are fewer than there used to be who think of the Lord’s honor! We are so very fond of ourselves and so very careful not to lose any of our rights! Oh, what a great mistake we make! May the Lord in His mercy give us light lest we fall into such darkness!

St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for Us!

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 13, 2020

July 13 2020

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 IS 1:10-17 

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.

When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Responsorial Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia MT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 10:34-11:1 

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

41 All creatures bear a certain resemblance to God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. the manifold perfections of creatures – their truth, their goodness, their beauty all reflect the infinite perfection of God. Consequently we can name God by taking his creatures” perfections as our starting point, “for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator”.

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

 MONDAY, JULY 13TH    Mt. 10:34 – 11:1   “I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” 

  • This is a strong warning of the dangers we face as believers. Mary, the Mother of God was acquainted with that sword… “And your own heart a sword shall pierce so that the hearts of many may be revealed.” (Lk. 2:33)
  • That sword cuts deep into our heart when family and friends challenge us – even ridicule and heckle us because we love Christ. We obey and defend His Church. We have fervor and devotion in frequenting the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist. We are faithful to prayer in our daily Holy Hour and we have devotion to Mary and the Rosary. We have concern for the poor or those otherwise marginalized in society. We make an effort to avoid occasions of sin such as gossiping, immodest dress or behavior, immoral movies, pornography, drinking or drugs. In other words, we have given our lives to Christ! We are Catholic Christians!
  • All who love Christ feel the cut of that sword and bleed inwardly as we continue to see the moral decay of our society at the expense of human lives and immortal souls!
  • Parents feel the pain of that sword when they are rejected for speaking the truth to a son or daughter living in sin.
  • Every young man who answers God’s call to the priesthood, or young woman to the religious life, and encounters opposition from their family, feels the cold blade of that sword.
  • The first and greatest commandment is to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength – all other loves must emanate from our love for God and His love for us to be true love!
  • From thence flows the beauty of married love… parental love… filial love (love of children for their parents)… and fraternal love (brotherly love) – which for followers of Christ becomes charity – a love encompassing every person as a child of God created in His image and likeness, and therefore our brother or sister in Christ.
  • The truths of Christ and His Church exist whether others recognize them or not. Our greatest act of evangelization is to witness to these truths by living them! By loving others when they don’t love us, don’t understand us, don’t treat us well, even cause us harm.
  • Perhaps it seems counter to our nature to love God whom we can’t see more than those we can see… our parents… our brothers and sisters… our spouse… our children and grandchildren… even our friends!
  • That is why God became man, to show us what the love of God looks like, and how we are to imitate Him in loving others. What Jesus teaches us is that if we fail to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, we will fail in loving others, and surprisingly, we will fail in loving ourselves.
  • For we are not allowing God, who created each one of us in His image and likeness, to complete the work He has begun in us and has planned for us from all eternity! And we’re not allowing others to do that either!
  • But when we love God first and love Him more, we receive and give love from its source – the Heart of God! He who created us out of love… became man, suffered and died for us out of love… who even now stands at the door waiting for us to open our heart so that He may enter and take possession of us out of love, desires to set us on fire with His divine love and mercy, and with Him to set the whole world ablaze!
  • Was it easy for Jesus to watch His followers leave Him when He told them they must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life eternal? To hear them say, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Was it easy for Jesus to turn to His Apostles and ask, “Will you leave me also?”
  • Was it easy for Jesus to say to Peter, the future head of His Church, “Get thee behind me Satan” when Peter denied Jesus’ prophesy of His suffering and death, and thereby His mission?
  • Was it easy for Jesus to accept the chalice of suffering as He pleaded with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but thine be done.”
  • Was it easy for Jesus to receive the kiss of betrayal from Judas in the Garden? Or to look with sorrow into the eyes of Peter after he denied Jesus not once, but three times? Or to see His Mother’s anguish as He carried His cross up Calvary, then stand at the foot of the cross those three agonizing hours until He breathed His last, and her own heart was pierced by the sword?
  • Jesus came to save us by His Holy Cross… If we want to be saved and bring others to salvation, we must do as Jesus commanded: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.”  
  • Jesus has promised to give us the grace to meet every challenge. If we refuse this grace and this challenge, then we are not worthy of Him!  
  • “Let us prefer absolutely nothing to Christ, because neither has He preferred anything to us.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

LET THE WITNESS OF THIS SAINT SPEAK TO OUR HEARTS!

Sunday, 11 October, Pope John Paul II canonized Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, a Jewish philosopher, convert to the Catholic faith, Carmelite nun and martyr at Auschwitz. The canonization took place during a solemn concelebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

QUOTES OF TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS…

“Things were in God’s plan which I had not planned at all. I am coming to the living faith and conviction that – from God’s point of view – there is no such thing as chance and that the whole of my life, down to every detail, has been mapped out in God’s Divine Providence and makes complete and perfect sense in God’s all-seeing eyes.”

“The deeper someone is drawn to God, the more he has to ‘get beyond himself’ in this sense, that is, go into the world and carry divine life into it.”

“I felt that those who understood the Cross of Christ should take it upon themselves on everybody’s behalf.”

“Even now I accept the death that God has prepared for me in complete submission and with joy as being His most holy will for me. I ask the Lord to accept my life and my death … so that the Lord will be accepted by His people and that His Kingdom may come in glory, for the salvation of Germany and the peace of the world.”

“Ave, Crux, Spes unica. (I welcome you, Cross, our only hope).”

WHAT IS PAUL’S WITNESS?   ROMANS 8:28-39   We Are More Than Conquerors…   

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | JULY 12, 2020

July 12 2020

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 IS 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm PS 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Reading 2 ROM 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will have life forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:1-23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”


Catechism of the Catholic Church

40 Since our knowledge of God is limited, our language about him is equally so. We can name God only by taking creatures as our starting point, and in accordance with our limited human ways of knowing and thinking.

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

 SUNDAY, JULY 127H   Mt. 13: 1-23 Parable of the sower and the seed…

  • Some seed falls on the path… Someone who hears the Word of God but has no preparation, no knowledge, no understanding is not likely to persevere. Someone new to the faith needs to be guided in the faith! Introducing someone to the Good News of the Gospel carries with it the responsibility of discipleship! How often have we encouraged those who have done the Spiritual Exercises to invite others and then accompany them! Take the Spiritual Exercises with them to help them understand, persevere, and be confirmed in the Truth! Otherwise, the Word will be easily stolen by the enemy.
  • Some seed falls on rocky ground where there is little soil… The Word is heard and received with joy, but the roots are shallow and die quickly because acceptance of the Word was based on feelings, rather than being rooted in the intellect or will. When the good feelings pass, the person moves on. Our feelings must be guided by reason informed by faith, that is, firmly rooted in the truth of Christ preserved and taught by Holy Mother Church, protected from error by the Holy Spirit. 
  • Some seed falls among thorns…  The thorns choke the Word, preventing it from growing. This has happened to all of us. We carry thorns of hurts from the past or thorns of worries about the future. The Word of God is always competing with these two deadly enemies – the past and the future! Bitterness and resentment from past hurts are thorns that can choke the Word in our heart, and we never put the Word into practice! Worldly concerns for riches – that is to say, material security and comforts are thorns that also choke the Word in our heart; we become self-reliant instead of God-reliant!
  • St. Faustina in Divine Mercy in My Soul addresses this early in #2 of the Diary:  “O My God 2 When I look into the future, I am frightened, but why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, as the future may never enter my soul at all. It is no longer in my power, to change, correct or add to the past; for neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God. O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire, I desire to use you as best I can. Although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence. And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, offering You each day this heart burning with love for Your greater glory.” May Faustina’s prayer become our prayer!!!
  • Some seed falls on rich soil…  The Word is heard… it is understood… it bears fruit and yields a rich harvest! What makes the soil rich? Some soil is rich by nature, but most of the time the soil is rich because it has been well tended, with consistent watering, weeding, and proper nutrients! We all want to be that rich soil so that the Word will take root deep within us and yield an abundant harvest of souls for the Master! How do we become rich soil… what is our preparation?
  • Jesus accused the Pharisees of having hardened hearts! The soil of our heart must first be softened by our good will and our good intentions – love of God and love of souls. Spending our daily holy hour in deep prayer with the Lord increases our love for God and for what God loves – the salvation of souls! Jesus Christ – the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity – became man, and suffered and died on the cross to save each one of us! How is it possible that we don’t see His great love for us and respond to His desire to enter into a deep and abiding friendship with us as we converse with Him daily in our Holy Hour! Once, we understand that, how is it possible that we don’t see the value of each person in His eyes???
  • The soil of our heart must be watered daily by means of voluntary sacrifices, meaning ones we choose, and by patient acceptance of the involuntary sufferings that God permits in our life each day, for our salvation and the salvation of others.
  • The soil of our heart is weeded by frequent Confession. This Sacrament is a Powerhouse of Graces!!! We should be going to Confession every two to three weeks. Why? Because Confession is both curative and preventative! If we have no mortal sins, confess venial sins – the graces earned, forgive confessed sins and prevent future sins! Also, in an area where we are being strongly tempted, we can do a devotional confession – meaning tell the priest we are renewing sorrow for and confessing a past sin already forgiven, thereby earning the graces necessary to resist the temptations that are assaulting us! I truly believe this is the most under-valued and under-utilized Sacrament! Perhaps the greatest benefit of frequent confession is that the graces are cumulative – with frequent use of this Sacrament, overtime we find ourselves sinning less seriously and less frequently.
  • The soil of our heart receives essential nutrients by fervent Holy Communions! If we cannot get to Mass, we can watch Mass on-line and make a fervent Spiritual Communion. If we’re not able to do either one of these, we can still make a Spiritual Communion and invite Jesus into our heart. It is actually a good idea to make a Spiritual Communion several times a day! You cannot invite Jesus too often to find rest in your Heart and be part of your day!
  • We add extra and beneficial nutrients to the soil of our heart by studying the Faith and reading the lives of the Saints – the living icons of the Gospel!
  • Finally, if we faithfully pray the Rosary each day, our Blessed Mother will enrich the soil of our heart with the grace of daily perseverance, and the grace of all graces, final perseverance!

Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe You are truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist. Since I cannot receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As if You were already come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You. Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, never let me to be separated from You. 

 We can also pray the prayer of the Angel of Fatima:  “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love you.”

 Pray for Priests – without them we would not have Jesus’ Mercy in Confession or Jesus’ Real Presence in the Most Holy Eucharist!

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