Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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

FRIDAY, April 29th   Jn. 6: 1-15   Alleluia Verse: “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Yesterday we were reminded that we must become like little children and believe without seeing if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Today, Jesus teaches us to pray always in submission to our Heavenly Father as He did, with total trust and confidence in our Loving Father who only permits evil to bring a greater good out of it!

JESUS: OUR MODEL PRAYER-WARRIOR! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In all His words, actions, silences, miracles—Jesus serves as the best Model for us to study, meditate, contemplate, and of course imitate.

JESUS AT PRAYER.  A good part of His private life, which lasted a good thirty years as the son of a carpenter in Nazareth, Jesus was absorbed in prayer. At the moment of His Baptism, Saint Luke presents Jesus absorbed in prayer. In the first Chapter of Mark, we read: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mk 1:35)  Before choosing the twelve Apostles who would carry out His mission, Jesus spent the whole night in communion with the heavenly Father, once again, in prayer.  

JESUS AS MODEL OF PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.  The essence of this short essay will be to show Jesus’ deep, filial, fervent, humble, and you might even say heart-rending prayer that Holy Thursday night, shortly after the Last Supper, in the Garden of Olives. Let us step back and calmly contemplate all of the elements of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Olives, also called the Garden of Gethsemane. May this be an inspiring lesson for us so that we will strive with all the fiber of our being to improve and upgrade our own personal prayer life!

1. PRAYER—PLACE.  Jesus habitually would go to the Garden of Olives where He would dedicate prolonged periods of silence to prayer, immersing Himself in a profound dialogue with Abba—Father! Likewise, we should have some specific place that is propitious for prayer, a place that fosters deep recollection and union with our Heavenly Father and with our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen found his prayer-abode in Church in front of the Blessed Sacrament. If this is not possible for you, at least find a place where there is silence. Why? God speaks most eloquently when we are not bombarded by noise-pollution. With the young Samuel we can listen and respond: “Speak O Lord, for your servant is listening!” (1 Sam 3:10)

2. PROSTRATION.  In the Garden, Jesus prostrates Himself on the ground. Abram did this and God spoke to him. The Magi prostrated themselves before Jesus, the Infant King, and gave Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Finally, at Fatima in 1916, the Angel taught the children—Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta—to kneel, and then prostrate themselves to address their prayers to God. The bodily posture of prostration is very deep in symbolism. It means humility, submission to God, and penance in recognition of our nature as sinners. God loves a humble heart; He wants us to submit our will to His will and He wants us to humbly beg pardon for our many sins!

3. FILIAL PRAYER.  By filial we mean a prayer of loving trust and confidence between Father and son or daughter. Jesus calls His Father Abba—which loosely translated is Daddy! Like Jesus, our prayer must be one of loving trust in our Heavenly Father who loves us infinitely and cares for us always. Jesus assures us that not one sparrow will fall to the ground outside the Father’s care; and as for us, the Father even knows how many hairs we have on our head. (Mt 10:20-30)

4. SUBMISSION TO GOD.  With His Passion, suffering, and death looming before Him, in a heart-rending prayer in the Garden, Jesus asks God the Father to remove this chalice of suffering from Him. However, Jesus ends with total submission to His Heavenly Father: “Father, not my will but your will be done!” (Mt 26:39) Our sanctification, growth in holiness, and perseverance depends in large part on assuming this attitude of Jesus—submitting our will to the will of our Heavenly Father. We reiterate Jesus’ interior disposition of heart when we pray the Our Father: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

5. PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER.  A very interesting highlight of the model-prayer of Jesus in the Garden is that Jesus says this prayer three times: “Father, if it be possible, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.” The lesson? We must persevere in our prayer life to the very end. The message of the insistent widow clamoring for justice to the unjust judge is simply this: we must keep praying and never give up. Saint Teresa of Avila expressed it in these words: We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.

6. PRAYER: COMPANIONSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP.  In His humanity, Jesus desired His friends to stay and pray with Him in this critical moment. For this reason, Jesus kept His three best friends—Peter, James, and John, close to Him. However, this companionship in prayer was a total failure as His three chosen friends fell asleep, and more than once, when Jesus needed them the most. In essence, they failed Him. This is a key lesson for all of us. If we do not propose to pray well, fervently, and with trust, then like the Apostles, more than likely we will pray poorly, if at all, but also we will succumb to temptation and give in to sin. Jesus left us with these poignant words: “Stay awake and pray because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40) May we propose to be faithful to the Lord in good times and bad, in health and sickness, in riches and poverty, until the end of our lives. Spouses promise faithfulness to each other; so should we promise faithfulness to Jesus!

7. JESUS SWEATS BLOOD.  According to Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the suffering of Jesus was so intense that He sweat Blood and for these reasons. All of the sins of humanity were descending upon Him like a torrential downpour—from the sins of Adam and Eve, your sins and mine, and all sins, even up to the last generation and last person in the world. However, what caused Jesus to suffer most was the cruel reality that many people, despite Jesus’ intense suffering for their sins, would willfully decide to reject His redemptive act, and choose to live and die in their sins unrepentant. Thus they would willfully lose their soul and be eternally damned. This reality of Jesus’ loving sacrifice rejected is what caused Him to suffer the most, to the point that He sweat huge drops of His Precious Blood. This bloody and anguished prayer of Jesus should motivate us to acknowledge our sins and make a firm purpose going forward to the best of our ability to renounce all sin, and renounce all that leads us to sin in any size, shape, or type! And if we fall, to return to grace as soon as possible through a good Sacramental Confession!

8. PRAYER OF REPARATION.  Moreover, Jesus shedding His Precious Blood and His anguish of Heart should challenge us to offer frequent reparation for our sins and those of the whole world. In the words of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

9. THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION.  Immersed in the most profound state of desolation, God the Father consoles Jesus by sending an angel to Him, The Angel of Consolation. Exactly what went on in this encounter, we will know only in eternity. However, the most immediate interpretation and application should be the transference of the Angel of Consolation in the Garden to our own relationship with Jesus. Yes! You and I are called to be the ever present and active Angel of Consolation in the life of Jesus and in His Mystical Body that we call the Catholic Church. Why not try to make an effort to console the Wounded Sacred Heart of Jesus with your prayers of consolation and reparation? There are so many sins that need to be repaired for, today more than ever! Abortions, contraception, the practice of homosexuality and transgenderism, euthanasia, despair, and an overall religious indifference that is downright appalling! These sins and countless others need to be objects of our fervent prayers of reparation so as to be the modern Angel of Consolation in the life of Jesus!

10.  OUR LADY OF SORROWS.  In all of our meditations on the Passion of Jesus, most specifically the Agony in the Garden, which is the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, we want to ask Our Lady of Sorrows to pray with us and pray for us so that our prayers might be transformed into a fragrant aroma of incense ascending on high to the heavenly heights—to the throne of God Himself, where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. May our prayers, united with the prayers of Our Lady of Sorrows’ fervent prayers, bring consolation to the wounded Heart of Jesus and result in the salvation of countless souls!  

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

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

THURSDAY, April 28th   Jn 3: 31-36   “You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe.”

May we earnestly beg for the belief and trust of an innocent child in our walk with Christ through this life!

LESSONS FROM THE CHILD JESUS: GOD’S WISDOM! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus stated it very clearly: “Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18: 3) Also, on one occasion when the Apostles were trying to prevent the children from coming to Jesus, the Lord said forcefully: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19: 14)

OUR LADY OF FATIMA AND CHILDREN.  One of the most famous modern approved apparitions is that of Our Lady of Fatima. God sent His Mother from heaven to a little town in Portugal, Fatima, in the year 1917, six times from Mary 13 until October 13. Who did Our Lady appear to? The brilliant? The scholars? The rich and important? The flashy and ostentatious? To none of these did Our Lady appear. Rather, she appeared to three little children—tenders of sheep, and with no formal education! God’s ways are not our ways—this is certain!

GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL DESIGN.  God could have chosen limitless possibilities to ransom or to save humanity after the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, the sin that we call Original Sin. God could have come as a powerful King, or a rich millionaire, or as a brilliant genius, or a plethora of other flashy, fantastic ways! But no! God’s ways are as different from our ways as the heavens are above the earth! In His Providential Design, God willed to save the world by what theologians call The Incarnation—meaning? That God willed to become one of us, to become a man like all of us with one exception—He was born without sin, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross to save us from our sins!

AS A CHILD.  Furthermore, God willed to enter the world by the same means by which we entered the world—through a woman. God chose Mary to be the channel by which He would enter humanity. The Ever Virgin Mary conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and maintained her virginity even in the moment of giving birth to Jesus.   

JESUS THE CHILD—THE SON OF GOD.  Jesus was the baby-child born of Mary. This Virgin Mother took Him in her tender arms, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and nestled Him close to her most pure and Immaculate Heart. Then Mary placed Jesus on the hay in the manger. The word manger comes from French and means to eat!  It was the feeding trough of the animals. Later on, as a man, Jesus would challenge people to nourish themselves on His Body and Blood, if they wanted to live—and live forever. “I am the Bread of life. Whoever eats my Body and drinks my Blood will have everlasting life and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6: 22-71—Bread of life discourse)

BETHLEHEM: HOUSE OF BREAD.  There are no coincidences or unplanned circumstances in God’s providential design. The word Bethlehem actually means House of Bread. It is no surprise that Jesus who was born in the city of The House of Bread would declare Himself The Bread of life and challenge us that our eternal salvation hinges upon our consuming Him in Mass and Holy Communion as The Bread of Life.

THE IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THE CHILD JESUS.

There are many lessons to learn from God becoming man, being in the womb of Mary for nine months, and finally being born as a little Baby. Let us dig deep into this goldmine of wealth and derive abundant treasures for our meditation and imitation, transformation and sanctification, and perseverance! What then are the lessons of the Child Jesus?

1. DEPENDENCY.  Even though the Child Jesus was God, the Son of God made man, still He made Himself totally dependent on others, most especially Mary and Saint Joseph. Jesus would live this attitude of dependency on His Heavenly Father during the whole course of His life. In our spiritual lives we must develop and cultivate a child-like dependency on God in all times, places and circumstances. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to trust our Heavenly Father by contemplating nature—the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, who neither sow nor reap yet they are provided for. (Mt 6: 25-34) In His Public life, Jesus had no permanent home saying: “The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest His head.” (Lk 9: 58) Still Jesus’ needs were met.

2. HUMILITY.  The littleness of the Child Jesus is an extraordinary example of humility. God loves the humble, but casts down the mighty from their thrones. (Mary’s Magnificat Lk 1: 52) He chose the Publican over the Pharisee, humility over an overweening pride. (Lk 18: 9-14) As a fully grown man, on one occasion Jesus described His Sacred Heart using two descriptions: “I am meek and humble of heart.” (Mt 11: 29) Arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, and self-importance, are all alien to the person of the child, and most especially the Child-Jesus! May He inspire us to pursue a life of great humility!

3. POVERTY.  Once again, even though Jesus was, is and always will be God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, He chose to enter the portals of this world not in a palace, castle, or opulent mansion. On the contrary, He entered this world being born in a stable that served as a refuge for animals. A good part of the warmth of that little cave came from the heat generated by the presence and breath of the animals that were there! How simple and humble! We must learn that pursuing money, possessions, power, and esteem will not fill us with authentic joy. Pleasure, yes, but true joy no! The Child Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem, teaches us to find true happiness not in the created world, but in the Creator of the world—Jesus the Lord. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen penned it so eloquently: The Creator of the universe had no place to be born in His own creation!

4. INNOCENCE.  In a world where innocence is being lost even among children due to uncontrolled use of modern technology and false ideologies, the Infant Jesus teaches us clearly and unequivocally the importance of striving to live lives of innocence—freedom from sin. Still more, the Innocent Child Jesus in the arms of Mother Mary, challenges us to strive to protect the innocence of our children threatened by so many modern wolves!

5. CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY: INSPIRING TRUST.  In the overly complicated world that we have created, we should all long for a more simple, humble, frugal, and transparent, as well as detached life-style. Models for us a would be Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and the children of Fatima—Saint Jacinta Marto, Saint Francisco Marto, and their cousin Lucia De los Santos. Contemplating the Baby Jesus resting peacefully in the arms of Mary, His loving Mother, may we learn to strive for Evangelical Poverty and simplicity of life. Saint Ignatius of Loyola points out that nobody is afraid to approach an innocent little Baby—a strong, aggressive warrior, yes—but not an innocent little Baby.

May the Infant Baby Jesus, resting in the loving and tender arms of His Mother Mary, inspire us to greater trust and greater dependency on God, with greater humility, greater simplicity, and a life of detachment from things, so that we can be totally anchored and rooted in God!

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

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

WEDNESDAY, April 27th   Jn. 3: 16-21   “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24) Yesterday we meditated on Jesus’ Carrying of the Cross and our carrying of the cross with suggestions for penitential acts we can practice that are pleasing to God and help us grow in sanctity.

As a follow up, today’s meditation is a review of the Ignatian Daily Examen Prayer. Our best intentions to take up our cross and follow Jesus are worthless unless we carry them out. For this reason, Saint Ignatius insists on the Daily Examen Prayer, a prayer we do daily to hold ourselves accountable to our loving God for keeping our good resolutions.

IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN: A SURE BRIDGE TO HOLINESS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Ignatius insisted on never neglecting the Daily Examen. For no reason whatsoever would this great saint justify skipping over and neglecting this all important prayer. Starting now, why not make a proposal to make your own personal Daily Examen. If done, the fruits are countless and the blessings copious from such a tool, an indispensable tool to erect a solid structure for a life of authentic holiness.

In this brief essay we will highlight and briefly explain the five classical steps of making the Daily Examen. Then, as a means for motivation, we will highlight some of the blessings that will descend upon you in your spiritual life.

If you read through essays, writings, articles and even books on this topic, the order and words vary, but the concept never changes. The key element is that the Daily Examen should be proposed by all those with good will and put into practice. Let’s go!

THE FIVE CLASSICAL STEPS FOR THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN

1. RECALL THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 

First Step. All authentic prayer starts with calling to mind the all-abiding Presence of God. We are never far from God, and God is never far from us! Saint Paul, quoting the Greek poet, expresses it as such: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Therefore, start your Daily Examen by gently calling to mind the all-abiding, all-permeating presence of God. God is present in all times, all places, all circumstances, and all events. Even when our life seems to be a dark night of the soul, God is as present as the sun shining at midday! Add to this that our God is a loving Father who always desires what is best for His children. Therefore, we should respond with trust, confidence, and love.

2. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! (Ps 136:1) 

Second Step. Saint Ignatius insists on the importance of gratitude. We should all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Saint Ignatius states that the very essence of sin is ingratitude— a lack of rendering to God a heartfelt thanks! In all humility, every gift that we have in our life—intellectual, athletic, artistic, spiritual, supernatural, etc.—all are gifts from the Father of all gifts. Therefore, rewind the film of your life since your last Daily Examen to see what you have been gifted with and allow your heart to expand in an overflowing act of thanksgiving. In a word, all that we have (except our sins—those we willfully chose and God allowed) are gratuitous gifts from our all-bountiful Heavenly Father. Indeed, God loves a grateful heart and He is ready and willing to shower thankful hearts with more and more blessings! How much Jesus suffered when after healing ten lepers, only one came back to pay Him thanks!

3. BEG GOD TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU.

Third Step. In your Daily Examen beg for the Gift of Gifts, the Holy Spirit to shed light on your intellect, to help you rewind your past block of time—your past day to see the totality of how you lived that day! Humility is truth, and you want to beg in all honestly to see what you have done in the past day, but even beyond your exterior actions, you want to beg for the grace to see your interior intentions. We should never forget that man sees the surface, the mere exterior, but God can read our hearts and even our most hidden intentions.

4. GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE. 

Fourth Step. During the Examen, as pointed out above, most likely you will become aware of God’s incredible goodness and His many gifts to you in the past day; give thanks again to God for His blessings. However, in all sincerity and truth the Holy Spirit will also point out some of your thoughts, words and actions, and even some intentions, that were off the mark and not pleasing to God. Only God is perfect and the Bible teaches us that the just man falls seven times a day. Be aware of these moral failures and beg for forgiveness.

5. RESOLUTION, RECONCILIATION, AND RENEWAL. 

Fifth Step. The last step points to the future. With a keen awareness of God’s infinite love for us and His infinite goodness in giving us so much, but also aware of our own human weakness, we propose to love God more every day starting right now, and to avoid any person, place, thing or circumstance that can lead us off the path of true discipleship of the Lord. In other words, the Daily Examen heightens our awareness and self-knowledge and this can serve as preventive medicine. If we know where the pit-fall is in our path, we can sidestep it, jump over it, or walk a different path! The desert Fathers insist on this two-word axiom: KNOW-THYSELF!!!

NOW THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING THE DAILY EXAMEN, which are incalculable! We will mention only three!

1. CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD AND PRAYER. 

If the Daily Examen is done faithfully, that is to say, on a daily basis, with hard work and good-will, we become even more aware of God’s loving presence in our lives. God is not some distant, ethereal, mythical figure of the past! In our daily Examen, He becomes all the more real to us. In truth, we are never alone! God became man, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for our sins, and rise to eternal life. It is to this life that He calls us. If you like, He will become your Best Friend, always at your side. He wants you to share every moment of your existence with Him. By doing this, we will sin less. Saint Teresa of Avila asserts that one of the primary reasons for sin is becoming oblivious to the all abiding Presence of God!

2. AVOID PITFALLS! 

With a more acute awareness of the intentions and movements of our heart, which is like a garden that has both beautiful flowers and ugly weeds, we can avoid giving in to our bad tendencies. When the bad spirit is knocking at the door of our heart, we must close the door with lock and key! Many sins are committed due to weakness of the will, but also due to ignorance of who is knocking at our door! The Daily Examen heightens our awareness of the tactics of the enemy, as well as self-knowledge of our weaknesses, two key components for growth in holiness!

3. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS. 

The Daily Examen is like shining a floodlight on our heart, our soul, and the inner workings of our conscience. We become aware of how good and loving God really is. However, with a penetrating awareness, we become cognizant of how weak we really are at times, and how prone to slip and fall into the mire of our own sinfulness. This keen self-knowledge can help us to be more kind, patient, and compassionate with our struggling brothers and sisters! If God is patient with us, how much more must we be patient with others! God allows what is evil to bring greater good from the evil – charity being the greatest good of all!

To conclude, determine now to make the daily Examen Prayer. It shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes. If you miss a day, begin again, start back up the very next day. In doing so, you will sin less, your friendship with Christ will grow, and you will find more peace and joy in your life!

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

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

TUESDAY, April 26th   Jn. 3: 9b-15   Alleluia Verse: “The Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Today, we will meditate again on Jesus’ Carrying of the Cross and our carrying of the cross! We all have crosses in our lives; it is what we do with our crosses that makes us different.

TRUE LOVE IS TO SACRIFICE AND SUFFER FOR THE LOVED ONE!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross for us. Not only did Jesus suffer and shed every drop of His most Precious Blood for the salvation of all humanity, but He suffered all those excruciating pains for you and for me.

The saints point out that if you were the only person living in the world, Jesus would have undergone all of the most gruesome and horrible pains of His Sorrowful Passion just for you. As Saint Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Galatians: “Jesus suffered and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20)

In the Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina states that we can truly understand the meaning of love by one’s willingness to suffer for the loved one. Jesus loves us so much that He would willingly have suffered His Passion not once, but many times over, for each and every one of us. He was the innocent Lamb suffering for guilty sinners. How great is the love of Jesus for you and for me.

On a human and natural level, we all know how much suffering we experience when we manifest a great love for someone and that person is cold and indifferent to us, possibly even ignores us. Our heart breaks!!!

So it is with respect to our relationship with the greatest of all lovers—the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves us with a burning fire in His Sacred Heart. Jesus said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk 12:49) The conflagration of fire in the Heart of Jesus for you and for me can barely be contained, but how do we respond to this furnace of love?

Jesus complained to Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque as He displayed His Sacred Heart surrounded by thorns with fire bursting forth: “Behold this Heart that has loved so much and has received only coldness, ingratitude and indifference in return. Console my Heart.”

One of the ways in which we can console the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Heart overflowing with love and mercy, is to love what He loves, by offering sacrifices, even though they be small, for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners. Jesus does not look so much at the greatness of the action, but rather, at the intensity of love in the action. Remember the Biblical story of the Widow’s mite!!!

In fact, immortal souls can be saved from the fires of hell and attain eternal salvation if, like the children of Fatima, we can form the habit of offering small sacrifices to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary with purity of intention and great love. Pope Saint John Paul II called Jacinta, “A Little Victim Soul” because she did just that!

Therefore, we would like to offer a list of small sacrifices that you can undertake and share with your family. Every small sacrifice is a concrete manifestation of your love for Jesus and what Jesus loves most: the conversion and salvation of poor sinners for all eternity!!!

SACRIFICES OFFERED WITH LOVE TO JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

1. HEROIC MINUTE (MOMENT).  Promoted by Saint Josemaria Escriva Balaguer, the Founder of Opus Dei, as soon as you hear your alarm clock, spring to your feet and make your Morning Offering for the day. The Cure of Ars stated that he who starts the day well, is most likely to live the day well, and end it well!

2. CURBING THE TONGUE.  We should all read James Chapter 3—the best chapter on the sins of the tongue! A great sacrifice that we can make, especially when we find ourselves frustrated and angry, is to follow the advice of Saint James: “We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (Jas. 1:10)

3. KIND AND ENCOURAGING WORDS.  Never allow a day to go by in which you fail to say Thank You to God, as well as say Thank You to others. To say both please and thank you are condiments that give special seasoning to the domestic life. (Read the book named KINDNESS by Fr. Lovasik)

4. SMILE EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  A nagging headache, a lingering cold, pangs of a stomachache, we all experience these at times. Often, we trumpet and publicize them! How difficult, but how pleasing to God it would be, if when we don’t feel up to par physically, we smile at our husband or wife or another family member instead! Sadness and a frown are contagious; but a smile and joy are also contagious. A sincere and radiant smile is one of the clearest signs of being a follower of Christ!

5. BANISH BAD THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY!  Indecent and bad thoughts, we all have them! However, the question is what do we do with them? Once a priest asked a man if he entertained bad thoughts. The man responded: “No, Father, they entertained me!” As soon as we become aware of any bad, impure, indecent, or sinful thought, we should immediately, manfully and forcefully reject that thought in our will and invoke the grace of God and the help of Mary most pure!

6. CUT OFF ON THE FREEWAY? PRAY AND DO NOT CURSE!  All of us have experienced through years of driving on the Freeway or residential streets, people cutting in front of us and cutting us off. And if we’re honest, sometimes we do the same!!! Our immediate reaction is to cuss or curse them out! However, the Lord Jesus would prefer that we pray for them. Jesus says that we have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us! Next time some driver cuts you off, pray a Hail Mary for him that he may have a safe trip now and arrive safely at Heaven later. How hard that is—the flesh recoils, but how pleasing to God when we overcome our resistance!

7. PRAY ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  Unfortunately, many people follow their feelings more than they follow faith and reason. The saints prayed often, even when they did not feel like praying. Jesus experienced a profound desolation and sadness in the Garden of Olives, but He prayed all the more fervently. May Jesus be our sublime example, especially in prayer!

8. READ A CHAPTER FROM THE BIBLE EVERY DAY, OR EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED.  The mental/spiritual discipline of reading, especially the best of books, can be a real sacrifice for many. Start with the Gospels and read a chapter every night. If you do this, you will begin to know, love, and desire to follow Jesus more closely in your life. It is impossible to love someone we don’t know very well. We come to know Jesus by reading and meditating upon the Bible, the Word of God!!!

9. DO THE TASK AT HAND, YOUR DAILY WORK, BETTER!  All of us are assigned by God a job or work to carry out each day. It might be to study if we are a student, or perform the work of a homemaker, a factory or office worker, a teacher, nurse or doctor, etc. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we could improve our work ethic! How easy it is to come late, to cut corners, and to do the job by halves. As the saying goes: “If a job is worth doing, then it is worth doing well.” Saint Paul reminds us: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

10. TAKE THE LAST PLACE AND THE SMALLEST PORTION.  Due to pride, vanity, and gluttony we naturally prefer the place of honor. Also, we prefer the best and biggest portions. Why not get in the habit of seeking the lowest place and the least portion. Jesus reminds us of true greatness: “God casts down the proud, but He exalts the humble.” (Lk 1:52)

To conclude, we have offered a list of ten concrete ways in which we can make small sacrifices in our daily lives. Maybe choose one or two a day and be faithful to your proposal. Never forget that love is manifested by the willingness to suffer for the loved one. How much Jesus loves us and suffered for us. What are we willing to sacrifice and suffer for Jesus, the Greatest of all Lovers!!!

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

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

MONDAY, April 25th   Mk. 16: 15-20   “The Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.”

The Apostles are left behind not knowing what to do with themselves. Not until Pentecost, with the presence of Mary and the unction of the Holy Spirit, are they able to throw themselves into the work of preaching and teaching to save souls! Their deeds are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles where we see the nascent Church taking root.

May the presence of Mary and the unction of the Holy Spirit in our lives move us to greater generosity and zeal in working with Jesus for the salvation of immortal souls! 

Today, St. Ignatius poses three questions to us: What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What more will I do for Christ?

WORKING WITH JESUS TO SAVE SOULS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

If we truly love God, then we should love what God loves most! And that is: the salvation of immortal souls. In all of creation, both man and woman are at the very pinnacle or zenith of creation in the natural world. All the rest of creation—stones, plants, and animals will one day cease to exist. Not so with the human person.

MOMENT OF CONCEPTION.  At the very moment of conception, God intervenes in a most powerful way. He infuses an immortal soul into that little person! By immortal soul we mean a spiritual entity that contains within it memory, understanding, imagination, and will—the power to choose. Furthermore, this soul created by God will live forever, beyond the limits of time and space. This thought is mind-boggling and staggers the imagination.

TWO ROADS.  Psalm 1 speaks of the two different roads; one leads to peace, fruitfulness, and goodness; the other, like chaff, is blown away by the wind. Expressed in other words, the human person at the end of his life will either be saved and united with God forever in heaven or lost and condemned to the eternal sufferings of hell. There is no other possibility!

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.  Our life on earth is very short, indeed very short! If we compare our human existence to all of eternity, it is barely a grain of sand in the immense ocean of forever. Saint Augustine explained the concept of eternity in these dense but powerful words: “Our life in comparison with eternity is a mere blink of the eye.” The Psalmist expresses eternity as such: “The life of man on earth is like the flower of the field that raises its head in the morning and withers and dies as the sun goes down.” (Ps 103:15) Have you ever watched smoke from a pipe, cigar, or even chimney; it issues forth and dissipates in almost no time. Saint Peter, the first Vicar of Christ, had a few words to say on this timely topic: “With the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.” (2 Pt 3:8)

THE INFINITE VALUE OF THE HUMAN SOUL.  The Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, stated that one human soul, created in the image and likeness of God, is worth more than the whole created universe. To prove the importance of the assertion of Aquinas call to mind the sober but all important truth that Jesus shed every drop of His most precious Blood to save all of humanity. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, emphasizes the fact that if you were the only person in the whole created world, Jesus would have suffered all of the excruciating pains of His bitter passion for the salvation of your immortal soul alone. How important you are in the eyes of God!

APOSTOLIC ZEAL IN THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS.  It becomes crystal clear in the lives of the saints, the ardent fire that burned in their hearts to do all they could to collaborate with Jesus in the salvation of immortal souls. Indeed, if we really do love Jesus then we should love what He loves most—the salvation of immortal souls! A few examples to illustrate this point!

SAINT PADRE PIO.  Why was it that Saint Padre Pio willingly received and accepted from Jesus the five wounds of Christ in his body that we call the stigmata, not for a day, or a week, or a month, but for fifty long years in which there were days where he suffered intensely? On Fridays, this great modern saint actually shed blood from these wounds, and on all of the days of Lent. Once some naïve person asked Padre Pio if the wounds hurt. He quipped: “These are not Christmas decorations!” Of course they caused pain, and very intense pain. Why on earth would this man suffer so much for so long? The answer is clear and to the point: because He loved Jesus and loved to work with Jesus for the conversion and salvation of souls, as well as for the purpose of repairing for sins!

THE CURE OF ARS (Saint John Marie Vianney).  How could it be that this man spent more than forty years as a priest, most of the time nailed to the confessional? He would spend 12 hours, 15 hours, even up to 18 hours a day in the confessional reconciling sinners to God. He slept on the floor about three hours a night and ate a couple of potatoes a day. Also we should mention the fact that the Cure of Ars had frequent bouts and battles with the devil. Why on earth would any man submit himself to so many privations, sacrifices, and sufferings? Why??? The response once again is simple: he loved God and desired most ardently to collaborate with God in the salvation of immortal souls.

SAINT JACINTA MARTO.  This was one of the little shepherd children who had the privilege of seeing and communicating with the Guardian Angel of Portugal three times. Then, with her brother and cousin, saw and communicated with Our Lady six times—from May 13 up to October 13, 1917. This little girl, who never learned to read and write, arrived at a point where she became a little Victim Soul—meaning she willing offered all of her sufferings to Jesus though the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the conversion of sinners and salvation of souls. The various forms of her sacrifices were astounding. Here are a few!

1. FOOD.  She gave up eating her favorite food—the sweet grapes from the hillsides of Portugal.

2. FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT.  She loved to dance (an innocent dance). This too she sacrificed.

3. HUNGER.  She would actually give her lunch to the poorer children as she went to the pasture to tend her sheep.

4. THIRST.  On a hot day in the summer, Jacinta, with Lucia and Francisco, sacrificed drinking fresh, cold water so as to suffer more for Christ.

5. BODILY PENANCE.  Jacinta, like Lucia and Francisco, wore a rough rope around her little waist that chafed her skin causing her great discomfort.

6. HEADACHES.  On one occasion her head was pounding violently causing her great pain and she started to complain. Francisco, her brother, reminded her to offer that also as a sacrifice. She did this willingly.

7. SUFFERING AND DEATH.  Jacinta suffered in a Hospital far from her parents—in a certain sense abandoned. Our Lady appeared to her and asked if she would be willing to suffer a bit more for the salvation of souls? Jacinta willingly said YES! She died there alone at age nine.

All of these heroic sacrifices Jacinta willingly carried out after Our Lady showed her, as well as Lucia and Francisco, a graphic vision of hell, where poor sinners go who have so few to pray for them. This vision motivated Jacinta to give her life to Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as what Saint Pope John Paul II called a little victim soul for the salvation of souls.

NOW IT IS OUR TURN.  Now it is up to you and me to enter into our hearts in conversation with God, in the presence of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, to discern with sincerity and truth: what can we do to work with Jesus and Mary for the salvation of immortal souls??? Our Lady of Fatima stated with great sadness: Many souls are lost for all eternity because people do not offer prayers and sacrifices for them. If we love God, then we should love what God really loves most! What is that? It is clearly this: THE SALVATION OF IMMORTAL SOULS. One soul is worth more the whole created universe. The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are waiting for your answer right now!