Holy Thursday 
Chrism Mass

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

THURSDAY, April 14th    Jn. 13: 1-15   Psalm Response: “Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ. ”  

Jesus is about to be crucified—to suffer, die, and be buried, and then rise from the dead only to ascend into heaven! The Last Supper can be likened to His Last Will and Testament. What does Jesus leave us? The Greatest Miracle: His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearance of Bread and Wine in the Most Holy Eucharist. “Take and eat, this is my Body.” “Take and drink, this is my blood.”

GOD’S GREATEST GIFT: THE HOLY EUCHARIST by Fr. Ed Boom, OMV

Filled with fear and dread of being murdered, the Prophet Elijah fled from the wicked Queen Jezebel who planned to murder him because Elijah killed the false Prophets of Baal. After a days’ journey on foot, heading towards the Holy Mountain, the mountain of God, Elijah was consumed by the spirit of desolation and discouragement and fell into a deep slumber, not even close to arriving at his destination. (I Kings 19: 4-8)

GOD’S ANGEL.  Concerned about the Prophet and his long journey, God sent an angel to comfort, encourage and motivate Elijah and in this fashion. The angel woke Elijah from his deep slumber encouraging him to keep on as his journey was long.

THE BREAD AND NOURISHMENT FOR THE JOURNEY.  With words of encouragement, the angel offered Elijah some bread to eat because the journey indeed was going to be a long and grueling one. Elijah ate the bread but instead of rising and undertaking his long trek, he returned to his slumber. Once again the angel woke Elijah insisting and encouraging him to eat the bread and to walk until he arrived at the holy mountain where he would find safety, security and a sure haven in the presence of God.

ELIJAH OBEYS, EATS AND WALKS!  Obedient to the angel, Elijah for the second time eats the bread offered to him from the angel. From the strength that was derived from that bread—which he ate not once but two times—Elijah gets up and walks. The distance was long, he walked forty days and forty nights from the energy and strength that came from the encouragement of the angel of God but also from the bread that filled him with new life!

HOLY MOUNTAIN.  Elijah’s destination was the holy mountain of God. God spoke to him not in the hurricane, not in the fire, nor even in the strong impetuous wind. Rather, God spoke to Elijah in the gentle and sweet breeze. This holy mountain is symbolic of our eternal destiny: heaven! Once arrived, we will be with God forever and able to talk to Him as our best of Friends, face to face for all eternity. Like Elijah, we should all strive to undertake the long and grueling journey to arrive at the holy mountain where God awaits us for all eternity.

ELIJAH AND OUR OWN LIVES. Like the Prophet Elijah, we all have our struggles, our battles, our dreary days, our temptations, our moments of desolation—those times in which we simply want to throw the towel in and give up! The key is that we must rise up and eat, not from a plain or ordinary bread, rather we must nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life. Not once or twice but as often as possible. Indeed, if it is within our means, to nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life every day!

Let us enter into a topic that has a transcendental value and importance in our lives in the short time we have in this earthly pilgrimage to our eternal destiny. We will take the Biblical passage and person of Elijah as our model and example. If we really desire to arrive at our eternal destiny which is heaven then we must nourish our minds, hearts and souls on the Bread of Life as frequently as possible, but also as fervently as hearts and souls can exert.

Therefore, this short literary work will focus upon how we can upgrade, improve, and magnify the effects of the reception of Holy Communion in our lives. In a word, the most important action that we can carry out this side of eternity is to receive Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the Sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist. No action of the human person can supersede it in importance. This being the case, let us set up action points and guide-lines to receive Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with increasing faith, devotion, fervor and love.

1. FAITH IN THE REAL-PRESENCE.  Over the past fifty years statistics have pointed out that huge numbers of Catholics either do not believe in the Real-Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, or at least have a very unclear and foggy notion of WHO is truly present in the Consecrated Host! After the double-consecration in Mass, Jesus is truly and substantially present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is not a mere symbolic presence as in the case of Protestant services, but rather it is the REAL-PRESENCE!  Due to materialism and living in a neo-paganist and secular society, we must constantly remind ourselves of this most august and sublime reality.

2. THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT: DISPOSITIVE GRACE!  One of the most important theological concepts in living out Sacramental theology is that of Dispositive-grace. In brief, this means that the grace that comes to us, especially from the reception of the most Holy Eucharist, is commensurate with or in direct proportion to the disposition of our soul. In other words, there is no fault in the Sacrament, rather the fault, if any, is in the recipient of the Sacrament. Why? For the simple and unequivocal reason that the Holy Eucharist, your reception of Holy Communion, is the reception of Jesus Himself—the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God of Gods, True-God and True-man! It has been said that one Holy Communion well-received could transform you into a saint!

3. PREPARE YOURSELF BETTER.  As a natural follow-up to the concept of Dispositive-grace is that of our preparation before receiving Holy Communion. Indeed, it should be a constant task and goal in our life to work on making better preparations to receive Holy Communion. Being honest with ourselves, we must all admit and confess with the utmost sincerity and humility that we can make progress and a lot of progress in our preparation receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion.

4. HUMAN EXAMPLE: THE BRIDE AND HER WEDDING.  In the Diary of Saint Faustina on Divine Mercy, in the last book of the Diary—Book VI, she gives excellent guidelines on how to receive Jesus better in Holy Communion. (Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul #1804-1828) One of the comparisons or analogies that Saint Faustina brings forth is that of a Bride being prepared to meet and marry the Bridegroom. On a human level all of us understand this analogy. How many countless details does the future bride implement to make this the happiest day in her life? Here are just a few: the dress with its size, color and texture; the beauty parlor including her makeup and manicure of her nails; her shoes, and the length of her veil. Not only her physical appearance, but many other details: the guests, the Banquet Hall, the Church, the rug, the choir, the priest, the Readings and the homily, the altar servers. How much time, money, and energy are employed for the wedding day, which hopefully is the happiest day of their lives! Building upon this analogy, Jesus is the wedding Bride-groom of our soul every time we receive Him in Holy Communion. Should we not be more demanding upon ourselves in the time, effort, and manner in which we receive Him into the inner-chamber of our soul?

5. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: THE SAINTS!  The most famous music-group, the Beatles, composed a song titled “With a little Help from My Friends”. Our true, faithful and most authentic friends are the saints. They are bright luminaries who point us to Jesus, the Light of the world, and to Heaven where the Face of Jesus will be our eternal lamp and light. They were the ones who received Jesus with a fervent and loving disposition in Holy Communion. Consequently, upon dying, Jesus received them warmly and enthusiastically into Heaven. Their greatest desire on earth was to love God with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength. Their whole life was centered around the Holy Mass and reception of the most Holy Eucharist. Therefore, a most efficacious means to make better and more fervent Holy Communions is to humbly beg the saints in heaven to pray and intercede for us that our Communions will become fiery explosions of love for the Lord Jesus!

6. COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL: LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY! If possible, view the movie El Gran Milagro or The Greatest Miracle. This movie in a clear, appealing, and dynamic fashion explains the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with claymation, all in 70 minutes. Among the themes worthy of highest praise is the presentation of how the Guardian Angel teaches the importance of living out the Mass by participating, fully actively, and consciously and by living out to the full the OFFERTORY of the Mass.

By this is meant that the priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but the faithful who participate in the Mass are called to make their own offering —called the Offertory! This is done by making a spiritual offering of ourselves and placing it on the paten where the priest’s Host is deposited. Also, we are called to place our intentions in the chalice where the wine will be transformed into the Precious Blood of Jesus. If this is done seriously, our Communions will have infinite value and efficacy for you, the Church, and the whole world, even the souls in Purgatory!

8. WHAT MIGHT BE ELEMENTS FOR MY OFFERING TO LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY?  Actually you can offer anything that may occur to you. If offered with good will and purity of intention, God accepts all! The possibilities are infinite! However, there are three areas that might be employed to help you to live more fervently your Offertory and derive countless, untold blessings!

1) THE SOULS IN PURGATORY. The suffering souls in Purgatory are already saved, but they must still be purified by the fires of God’s loving justice. Remember the words of the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation: “Nothing impure can enter the Kingdom of God.” (Rev.21: 27 By far the most efficacious means to purify, sanctify, and liberate the poor souls detained in Purgatory is by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for them and the worthy reception of Holy Communion received for them. Saint Nicolas of Tolentino, O.S.A. desired to be a priest primarily so that he could help to free souls from the fires of Purgatory by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them.

2) THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS.  What Jesus and Mary desire most in this world is the conversion and salvation of sinners! By offering your Masses and Holy Communions for the conversion and salvation of sinners, the Hearts of Jesus and Mary overflow with joy.

3) PERSONAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. We all must work day and night upon our own personal conversion. The most efficacious and powerful means by which we can convert our hearts from hearts of sinners into hearts of saints is by worthy, frequent, fervent and faithful reception of Holy Communion. Indeed, every worthy reception of Holy Communion is a SPIRITUAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. In all truth, the Heart of Jesus takes possession of our heart and there is a real transformation! We become what we eat! We consume the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus and we become like Him. In time we will be able to say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2: 19-21)

9. YOUR FIRST, LAST, AND ONLY COMMUNION. In some convent sacristies there is a plaque on the wall that the priest is invited to read as he vests and prepares for Holy Mass that reads as such: “Priest, man of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” What would happen if you made this decision starting today with respect to your participation in Mass and reception of Holy Communion—to receive your Holy Communion as if it were your first, your last, and your only??? Most likely your Holy Communions would be much more fervent. What do you think?

10. OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST AND HOLY COMMUNION. As a concluding note, we should contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary and beg for her most powerful intercession in our reception of Holy Communion. In a very real sense Mary received her first Communion when she said YES to the Archangel Gabriel with the words: “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1: 38) Then the Gospel of Saint John states: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. 1: 14) Pope Saint John Paul II made this parallel connection: “The Yes of Mary to the Angel and our Amen when we receive Holy Communion have a real similarity; both result in the reception of Jesus into the depths of the heart.” Therefore, let us humbly implore the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Eucharist, for the most special grace to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with lively faith, with frequency, and with a burning fervor and love, so that we will be able to set the whole world on fire with the love of God!

Copyright 2022 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

Wednesday of Holy Week

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

WEDNESDAY, April 13th    Mt. 26:14-25   Verse before the Gospel: “Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.”  

Two Part Meditation/Contemplation anticipating Holy Thursday…

Jesus is about to be crucified—to suffer, die, and be buried, and then rise from the dead only to ascend into heaven! Hence, the Last Supper can be likened to His Last Will and Testament. What does Jesus leave us? The Greatest Miracle: His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearance of Bread and Wine in the Most Holy Eucharist. “Take and eat, this is my Body.” “Take and drink, this is my blood.”

Part One: GOD’S GREATEST GIFT: THE HOLY EUCHARIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Filled with fear and dread of being murdered, the Prophet Elijah fled from the wicked Queen Jezebel who planned to murder him because Elijah killed the false Prophets of Baal. After a days’ journey on foot, heading towards the Holy Mountain, the mountain of God, Elijah was consumed by the spirit of desolation and discouragement and fell into a deep slumber, not even close to arriving at his destination. (I Kings 19: 4-8)

GOD’S ANGEL.  Concerned about the Prophet and his long journey, God sent an angel to comfort, encourage and motivate Elijah and in this fashion.  The angel woke Elijah from his deep slumber encouraging him to keep on as his journey was long.

THE BREAD AND NOURISHMENT FOR THE JOURNEY.  With words of encouragement, the angel offered Elijah some bread to eat because the journey indeed was going to be a long and grueling one. Elijah ate the bread but instead of rising and undertaking his long trek, he returned to his slumber. Once again the angel woke Elijah insisting and encouraging him to eat the bread and to walk until he arrived at the holy mountain where he would find safety, security, and a sure haven in the presence of God.

ELIJAH OBEYS, EATS AND WALKS!  Obedient to the angel, Elijah for the second time eats the bread offered to him from the angel. From the strength that was derived from that bread—which he ate not once but two times—Elijah gets up and walks. The distance was long, he walked forty days and forty nights from the energy and strength that came from the encouragement of the angel of God but also from the bread that filled him with new life!

HOLY MOUNTAIN.  Elijah’s destination was the holy mountain of God. God spoke to him not in the hurricane, not in the fire, nor even in the strong, impetuous wind. Rather, God spoke to Elijah in the gentle and sweet breeze. This holy mountain is symbolic of our eternal destiny: heaven! Once arrived, we will be with God forever and able to talk to Him as our best of Friends, face to face for all eternity. Like Elijah, we should all strive to undertake the long and grueling journey to arrive at the holy mountain where God awaits us for all eternity.

ELIJAH AND OUR OWN LIVES. Like the Prophet Elijah, we all have our struggles, our battles, our dreary days, our temptations, our moments of desolation—those times in which we simply want to throw the towel in and give up! The key is that we must rise up and eat, not from a plain or ordinary bread, rather we must nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life. Not once or twice but as often as possible. Indeed, if it is within our means, to nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life every day!

Let us enter into a topic that has a transcendental value and importance in our lives in the short time we have in this earthly pilgrimage to our eternal destiny. We will take the Biblical passage and person of Elijah as our model and example. If we really desire to arrive at our eternal destiny which is heaven then we must nourish our minds, hearts and souls on the Bread of Life as frequently as possible, but also as fervently as hearts and souls can exert.

Therefore, this short literary work will focus upon how we can upgrade, improve, and magnify the effects of the reception of Holy Communion in our lives. In a word, the most important action that we can carry out this side of eternity is to receive Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the Sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist. No action of the human person can supersede it in importance. This being the case, let us set up action points and guide-lines to receive Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with increasing faith, devotion, fervor and love.

1. FAITH IN THE REAL-PRESENCE. Over the past fifty years statistics have pointed out that huge numbers of Catholics either do not believe in the Real-Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, or at least have a very unclear and foggy notion of WHO is truly present in the Consecrated Host! After the double-consecration in Mass, Jesus is truly and substantially present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is not a mere symbolic presence as in the case of Protestant services, but rather it is the REAL-PRESENCE!!!  Due to materialism and living in a neo-paganist and secular society, we must constantly remind ourselves of this most august and sublime reality.

2. THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT: DISPOSITIVE GRACE! One of the most important theological concepts in living out Sacramental theology is that of Dispositive-grace. In brief, this means that the grace that comes to us, especially from the reception of the most Holy Eucharist, is commensurate with or in direct proportion to the disposition of our soul. In other words, there is no fault in the Sacrament, rather the fault, if any, is in the recipient of the Sacrament. Why? For the simple and unequivocal reason that the Holy Eucharist, your reception of Holy Communion, is the reception of Jesus Himself—the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God of Gods, True-God and True-man! It has been said that one Holy Communion well-received could transform you into a saint!

3. PREPARE YOURSELF BETTER. As a natural follow-up to the concept of Dispositive-grace is that of our preparation before receiving Holy Communion. Indeed, it should be a constant task and goal in our life to work on making better preparations to receive Holy Communion. Being honest with ourselves, we must all admit and confess with the utmost sincerity and humility that we can all make progress and a lot of progress in our preparation for receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion.

4. HUMAN EXAMPLE: THE BRIDE AND HER WEDDING. In the Diary of Saint Faustina on Divine Mercy, in the last book of the Diary—Book VI, she gives excellent guidelines on how to receive Jesus better in Holy Communion. (Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul #1804-1828) One of the comparisons or analogies that Saint Faustina brings forth is that of a Bride being prepared to meet and marry her spouse. On a human level all of us understand this analogy. How many details, countless details, does the future bride implement so as to make this the happiest day in her life. Just a few: the dress, its size and color and texture, the beauty parlor and the makeup, the manicure of her nails, her shoes, and length of her veil. Not only her physical appearance, but many other details: the guests, the banquet Hall, the Church, the rug, the choir, the priest, the Readings and the homily, the altar servers. How much time, money, and energy is employed for the wedding day, which hopefully the happiest day of their lives!!! Building upon this analogy, Jesus is the Wedding Bride-groom of our soul every time we receive Him in Holy Communion. Should we not be more demanding upon ourselves in the time, the effort, the manner and the details in which we receive Him into the inner bridal-chamber of our soul???

5. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: THE SAINTS!!! The most famous music-group, the Beatles, composed a song titled With a little Help from My Friends. Our true, faithful and most authentic friends are the saints. They are bright luminaries that point us to Jesus, the Light of the world, and to Heaven where the Face of Jesus will be our eternal lamp and light. They were the ones who truly received Jesus with a fervent and loving disposition in Holy Communion. Consequently, upon dying, Jesus received them warmly, enthusiastically and lovingly into Heaven. Their greatest desire on earth was to love God with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength. Their whole life was centered around Holy Mass and the reception of the most Holy Eucharist. Therefore, a most efficacious means to make better and more fervent Holy Communions is to humbly beg the saints in heaven to pray and intercede for you that your Communions will become fiery explosions of love for the Lord Jesus!

6. EXAMPLE PAR-EXCELLENCE OF PREPARATION AND THANKSGIVING. One of the saints who can serve as a brilliant luminary and example in the reception of Holy Communion is SAINT CHARBEL MAKLOUF. This Lebanese contemplative monk who was canonized by Saint Pope Paul VI spent most of his life as a Religious-priest in a monastery in silent prayer and work. However, what is pertinent to our theme is his celebration of Holy Mass and his reception of the most Holy Eucharist. In a nutshell, his whole life was focused on the celebration of Holy Mass and the reception of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord. How, you might ask? Very simple! He was given permission to celebrate Mass at 12 noon every day. The whole of his morning was spent in preparation for Holy Mass and Holy Communion. Then after he finished celebrating his noon-day Mass, Saint Charbel would spend the rest of his day rendering constant thanks for Mass and Holy Communion. What an example for us! In a certain sense we should aim at this same objective and pursuit. Our life should be centered and focused on Jesus who is truly present in every Mass and every Holy Communion. May our lives be a constant preparation to receive Jesus with burning love, a most fervent reception, and then may the rest of our day be a living act of Thanksgiving for this greatest of gifts. Incidentally, the word Eucharist actually means THANKSGIVING!!!  With the Psalmist let us lift our hearts in prayer: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Ps. 136: 1)

7. COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL: LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY! If possible, view the movie El Gran Milagro or The Greatest Miracle. This movie in a clear, appealing, and dynamic fashion explains the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with claymation, all done in 70 minutes. Among the themes worthy of highest praise is the presentation of how the Guardian Angel teaches the importance of living out the Mass by participating, fully, actively, and consciously by living out to the full the OFFERTORY of the Mass.

By this is meant that the priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but the faithful who participate in the Mass are called to make their own offering in the Mass—called the Offertory! This is done by making a spiritual offering of ourselves and placing it on the altar, actually placing it on the paten where the priest’s Host is deposited. Also, we are called to place our intentions in the chalice where the wine will be transformed into the Precious Blood of Jesus. If this is done seriously, your Communions will have infinite value and efficacy for you, the Church, and the whole world, even the souls in Purgatory!

8. WHAT MIGHT BE ELEMENTS FOR MY OFFERING TO LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY? Actually you can offer anything that may occur to you. If offered with good will and purity of intention, God accepts all! The possibilities are infinite!!! However, there are three areas that might be employed to help you to live more fervently your Offertory and derive countless and untold blessings!

1) THE SOULS IN PURGATORY. The souls in Purgatory, these suffering souls, are already saved, but they must be purified by the fires of God’s loving justice. Remember the words of the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation: “Nothing impure can enter the Kingdom of God.” (Rev.21: 27 By far the most efficacious means to purify, to sanctify, and to liberate the souls detained in Purgatory is through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for the poor souls, and the worthy reception of Holy Communion received for them. Saint Nicolas of Tolentino, O.S.A. desired to be a priest primarily so that he could help to free souls from the fires of Purgatory by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them.

2) THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS.  What Jesus and Mary desire most in this world is the conversion and salvation of sinners! By offering your Masses and Holy Communions for the conversion and salvation of sinners, the Hearts of Jesus and Mary overflow with joy.

3) PERSONAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. We all must work day and night upon our own personal conversion. There is no more efficacious and powerful means by which we can convert our hearts from hearts of sinners into hearts of saints, than by worthy, frequent, fervent and faithful reception of Holy Communion. Indeed, every worthy reception of Holy Communion is a SPIRITUAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. In all truth, the Heart of Jesus takes possession of our heart and there is a real transformation! We become what we eat! We consume the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus and we become more like Him. In time we will be able to say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2: 19-21)

9. YOUR FIRST, LAST, AND ONLY COMMUNION. In some convent sacristies there is a plaque on the wall that the priest is invited to read as he vests and prepares for Holy Mass that reads as such: “Priest, man of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” What would happen if you made this decision starting today with respect to your participation in Mass and reception of Holy Communion—to receive your Holy Communion as if it were your first, your last, and your only??? Most likely your Holy Communions would be much more fervent. What do you think?

10. OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST AND HOLY COMMUNION. As a concluding note, we should contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary and beg for her most powerful intercession in our reception of Holy Communion. In a very real sense Mary received her first Communion when she said YES to the Archangel Gabriel with the words: “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1: 38) Then the Gospel of Saint John states: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. 1: 14) Pope Saint John Paul II made this parallel connection: “The Yes of Mary to the Angel and our Amen when we receive Holy Communion have a real similarity; both result in the reception of Jesus into the depths of the heart.” Therefore, let us humbly implore the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Eucharist, for the most special grace to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with lively faith, with frequency, and with a burning fervor and love, so that we will be able to set the whole world on fire with the love of God!

Tuesday of Holy Week

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

TUESDAY, April 12th    Jn. 13:21-23. 36-38   Verse before the Gospel: “Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.”  

THE GRACE TO BEG FOR:  Beg for the grace to meditate upon how much Jesus suffered for love of you and me, but in return beg for the grace to suffer with Christ.

THE CRUEL CROWNING WITH SHARP THORNS, by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

After the atrocious and diabolic scourging of Jesus at the Pillar, we proceed to contemplate Jesus being crowned with sharp and painful thorns. Not only that, but the sheer mockery of the thorns being woven into a mock-crown added to the cruel bitterness of such an atrocious gesture.

IGNATIAN CONTEMPLATION.  Therefore, let us set the stage, compose the scene, and beg for the graces necessary to derive abundant fruit from this Ignatian contemplation. Let us call to mind the place, the circumstances, the time, the persons involved, the words spoken, and derive abundant fruit from the supreme act of love that Jesus suffered for love of you and me.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO BRING TO THIS CONTEMPLATION.  It is essential that we constantly call to mind the reason behind these scenes, why Jesus underwent so much suffering physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, and spiritually in His cruel and bitter Passion. It was precisely for this reason: His intense and over-flowing love for all of humanity. However, on a very personal note, He suffered every detail of His most bitter Passion, leading to the shedding of every drop of His Precious Blood on the cross, for love of you. If you were the only person existing in the world, Jesus would have undergone all of His suffering for love of you and the eternal salvation of your immortal soul!!!

FROM SCOURGING TO CROWNING.  After the Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar, eventually culminating in the Carrying of the Cross and His Crucifixion on Good Friday, Jesus spent long and painful hours in custody in a relatively small chamber with torturers. This chamber was indeed small with little ventilation and He was surrounded by individuals who had as their sole purpose to taunt Him, mock Him, deride Him, scoff at Him, in a word to torture Him. This is the overall context of the Crowning with Thorns.

REFERENCE TOOL.  As a contemplative guide and reference tool, as was suggested in the Scourging at the Pillar, you can utilize the spectacular movie of Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ. Saint Ignatius insists on the proper training and use of our imagination as a source and tool to augment and fortify our prayer life. However, the movie should be viewed to supplement the contemplation and not to supplant it. Also, the movie should be viewed not simply as a Hollywood rendition but as a contemplative prayer.

CONTEMPLATE JESUS SACRED HEAD CROWNED WITH THORNS…

1. TRANSITION FROM THE SCOURGING TO THE CROWNING. 

It should not be forgotten that very recently, a few hours earlier, Jesus has been brutally scourged at the Pillar, a treatment that would have easily decimated and killed almost anybody else. Therefore, it is to be recalled that Jesus has lost immense amounts of blood and underneath His garment, His body is basically a gaping, oozing, open wound! In other words, the entire Body of Jesus experiences constant and intense suffering. All of this was done for love of you and the salvation of your soul. Stop and talk to Jesus about His great love for you! Ask Him to help you to love Him more and more.

2. BOUND AND DRAGGED.

Almost like an animal, Jesus is roped, dragged, and pushed around until he arrives at his destiny—the little chamber where He will undergo almost unspeakable torments and tortures for several hours this night—Holy Thursday night, leading up to Good Friday! Jesus is bound so as to give us true freedom from our mortal enemy number one—SIN!

3. THE TORTURES OF JESUS CONTINUE: NOW WITH THEIR HANDS! 

The cruel torturers have Jesus the whole night and they ceaselessly taunt, mock, deride, and torture Him with very little relief. They smack Jesus’ Sacred Face with their hands, then punch Him with their fists mercilessly and with utter cruelty. They even tug at and pluck His beard as prophesied in the Old Testament. In silence Jesus suffers all this like a lamb that is led to the slaughter—as prophesied by Isaiah. Try to be present to this scene and console the Lord with your words and your heart, with compassion and love.

4. MORE TORTURES: SPITTING IN HIS FACE. 

Most of us would agree that one of the most terrible and humiliating insults that could be leveled against us is to be spat upon, but worse yet, to actually be spat upon in the face! This is done to Jesus again and again! Try to be present and contemplate this terrible insult.

5. TORTURING JESUS BY THEIR WORDS. 

Not only does Jesus suffer through physical actions of torture as mentioned already, but Jesus is tortured by words: insults, derision, taunting, diabolic jeers and laughter, biting sarcasm, vulgarities. How true the statement: words can kill!!! How often have we been responsible for hurting Jesus by our words??? Enter into this scene and try to imagine the coarse and insulting words hurled at Jesus. For your part, try to console your suffering Savior!

6. ANOTHER IDEA TO ADD TO JESUS’ SUFFERING: THE CROWN. 

One of the torturers hatches another diabolic idea and plan: Jesus has been hailed by some as a King, the King of the Jews; if that is the case then He needs a crown!!! The idea surfaces: why not make Him a crown, a mock-crown of sharp thorns!

7. IMAGINE THE FASHIONING OF THE CROWN. 

Be present to this diabolic construction of the Crown of Thorns. Outside there must have been some rose bushes from which thorns, sharp-thorns could be extracted. Contemplate the evil and malicious intent of this individual torturer as he molds and weaves this mock crown—THE CROWN OF THORNS! 

8. PICTURE THE CROWN IN YOUR MIND’S EYE! 

The mock Crown of Thorns is weaved in a circular fashion with almost countless thorns. Some thorns are bigger than others. SHARP!!! These thorns are very sharp, able to both pierce and penetrate causing excruciating pain. See how carefully the torturer holds it after terminating his diabolic construct so that he will not be cut by one of the thorns.

9. THE MOCK-CROWNING. 

Contemplate this most painful scene. As depicted in the movie, The Passion of the Christ, the torturer who constructed the Crown of Thorns loudly cries out derisive and sarcastic insults: HAIL, THE KING OF THE WORMS!!! Then the torturer presses and pushes the sharp Crown of Thorns deep into the Sacred Head of humble and gentle Jesus.

10. CONTEMPLATE WHAT HAPPENS TO JESUS. 

Upon receiving the Crown of Thorns, Jesus winces in agonizing pain but accepts this suffering for love of you and me. Try to imagine in your contemplation the thorns passing through Jesus’ hair, piercing His brow, penetrating His skull, some say even arriving at His brain. Contemplate the Crown of Thorns encircling Jesus’ entire Head and the pain reverberating through His whole being.

11. HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD. 

Of course, due to the thrust and sharpness of the thorns, Jesus’ Precious Blood comes spurting forth. Muster up courage to contemplate the Precious Blood of Jesus running down His face, running down His cheeks, entering into His beard, even trickling down to the floor. Talk to Jesus, console Him and thank Him for shedding His Precious Blood for the salvation of your immortal soul. Sorrow with and for Jesus humbly enduring the painful crown of thorns embedded in His Sacred Head and the endless blasphemies hurled at Him the whole night and even into the morning.

12. THE REED: GIVE HIM A SCEPTER IF HE IS INDEED KING! 

To further humiliate Jesus, they concoct another derisive and insulting plan: why not find a reed that can serve to represent the scepter that a King holds as a symbol of his power. So that is what they do. They find and force a reed into His bound hands, and there Jesus sits with a crown of sharp and penetrating thorns on His head and a reed—a mock-scepter in His hands. Now they are ready to salute and hail Jesus as King with the utmost sarcasm and venom. Contemplate Jesus and console Him as much as you can with a sincere and compassionate heart. Tell Jesus how much you desire for Him to be the Lord of Lords and King of Kings of your entire life!!!

13. A NIGHT OF SUFFERING, INSULTS, AND MOCKERY. 

So this is how Jesus spends the entire night before He is forced to carry His cross and stretch out His hands to be nailed to the cross, all for love of you and me. You might even try to imagine that you are present in the background in that small, asphyxiating, foul-smelling, and dungeon-like cell where Jesus is spending the last hours of His life before being crucified. Imagine what they say to Him, imagine what they do to Him, and then console and comfort your loving Savior.

14. LIKE A LAMB LED TO THE SLAUGHTER; HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH. 

Contemplate the Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah in depicting Jesus as the gentle and innocent Lamb that was led to the slaughter and did not resist. Talk to Jesus about your own sufferings and beg Jesus for the grace to understand the meaning of suffering, especially the meaning of your sufferings in the light of His Passion and Suffering.

TRIPLE COLLOQUY. 

Saint Ignatius invites us at times to make a triple Colloquy or conversation. By Colloquy is meant a heart to heart conversation.

1. Talk to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, about the suffering of Jesus that you have been contemplating—Jesus the suffering-servant. Conclude with the Hail Mary.

2. Talk to Jesus from the depths of your heart and tell Him how much you love Him and how much you want to console His Broken Heart. Conclude with the prayer Anima Christi—Soul of Christ.

3. Talk to God the Father who allowed Jesus to suffer for all of humanity, but in a special way for your own personal salvation. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer—the Our Father…

SOUL OF CHRIST – ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me,
Within Your wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from You.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
And bid me come to You
That with Your Saints I may praise You 
Forever and ever.  Amen.

Monday of Holy Week

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

MONDAY, April 11th    Jn. 12:1-11   “Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”  

In today’s contemplation, may our “costly perfumed oil” be our ardent love for Jesus and deep sorrow for all He suffered for our sins and our eternal salvation!

THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS FOR LOVE OF YOU AND ME by Father Ed Broom, OMV

GRACE TO BEG FOR:  Beg for the grace to meditate upon how much Jesus suffered for love of you and me, and in return, beg for the grace to suffer with Christ.

AGONY OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN: FOR YOU AND ME!

ESSENCE AND HEART OF LOVE. 

The very essence and heart of love is the readiness and willingness to suffer for the loved one. Jesus Himself said: “No greater love has a man than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15: 13) Absolutely all that Jesus suffered and underwent in His Passion was accepted and endured for love of all of humanity. However, Saint Ignatius highlights another aspect of this mystery of love: Jesus suffered the most bitter torments and agony for you in a personal and individual way. In fact, if you were the only person God ever created, Jesus would have suffered His most bitter and painful Passion for love of you and the salvation of your immortal soul. Indeed, how great is the love of Jesus for you and for me! In the Diary of Saint Faustina we read and meditate upon the concept of suffering, in which Jesus communicates to Saint Faustina and to us that love is truly measured by the willingness to suffer for the loved one.

LOVE DEMANDS A RESPONSE OF LOVE. 

This being said, it must be emphasized that while it is true that Jesus loves us so much, as will be evident in the following meditations, it is also true that the lover, who is Jesus the Lord, ardently desires for us to love Him in return. We want to beg for this special grace.

GRACE TO BEG FOR. 

The grace to beg for in the week of the Passion of Jesus is not an easy grace. We beg for the grace to meditate upon how much Jesus suffered for love of you and me, and in return, we beg for the grace to suffer with Jesus. Some sentiments we may beg for would be the following: to suffer with Jesus, have compassion for Jesus, console the Heart of Jesus, and at least to some degree enter into Jesus’ agony, then strive to penetrate the reason for such excruciating suffering.

ENTERING INTO THE SCENE: THE GARDEN OF OLIVES (GETHSEMANE). 

With calmness, trust, generosity, and great love, let us enter with Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane, a place where He went habitually to pray. With His Best Friends—Peter, James, and John, let us accompany Jesus and derive abundant fruit from our meditation.

1. CREATE THE SCENE WITH YOUR IMAGINATION. 

Imagine it being night, somewhat chilly with a slight breeze, and a full moon enlightening the contour, landscape, and vegetation of the Garden, which of course abounds in olive trees. Be truly present in the scene.

2. PICTURE JESUS IN THIS MOVING SCENE. 

He is a young man about 33 years of age. For the last three years, in the company of the twelve Apostles, He has been actively engaged in His public ministry which consisted basically of three activities: abundant preaching, miracles over nature and physical healings, and numerous exorcisms—the casting out of devils. All of this was done for love of you and me, and for the salvation of many souls.

3. JESUS’ DEMEANOR AND ASPECT. 

Unlike any other time, on this night Jesus manifests sadness, fear, tension, vulnerability, real suffering, and even agony. Bewildered at seeing the Lord Jesus in such a state, the Apostles are confused, disoriented, and themselves sad. During the course of the Spiritual Exercises we have learned the word that expresses the spiritual state of Jesus, His state of soul, that of DESOLATION.

4. BE WITH JESUS. 

Like the Apostles, be with Jesus, accompany Him and enter into His heart, mind, and soul. Jesus begins to experience a sadness even unto death. We know, though it be a very sad truth, that when Jesus most needs His best friends—Peter, James, and John, they fall asleep. For your part, strive to stay awake and enter into the heart of Jesus, into the very soul of Jesus. Be the Angel of Consolation for Jesus. Be His best friend!

5. LISTEN TO THE HEART-RENDING WORDS OF JESUS.

He opens up the depths of His soul in filial confidence to Abba—Father. This is a model prayer for us and for the whole world. Jesus’ words express humility, trust, obedience, docility, filial trust, total conformity and acceptance of the will of the Heavenly Father. The words of Jesus: “Father (Abba), if it be possible, remove this cup (chalice) from me. However, not my will but your will be done.” (Mt 26: 39) Listen attentively to the words of Jesus and strive to penetrate the deep meaning of this message for you. The Apostles, however, fall into a slumber. Instead of fighting against desolation, they give in to it. How important it is for us to recognize when we are in the state of desolation and to fight manfully and forcefully against it—the Ignatian agere contra!

6. JESUS WORDS TO THE APOSTLES AND TO US.

Seeing His friends asleep, Jesus exhorts them: “Stay awake and pray so that you do not be put to the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26: 41) Despite these words of fervent exhortation, the Apostles return to their sleep. Perhaps like the Apostles our will has weakened and we too have fallen asleep when we should have been fervently dedicated to prayer. Rewinding the film of our life: how often has it happened that our falling into sin was preceded by a state of desolation, a drifting away from prayer, a spiritual slumber, and then crash—the fall into sin. In truth, our fall into sin is in almost direct proportion to our weakness in prayer, our sleep in prayer, or our abandonment of prayer.

7. IN THE DEPTHS OF DESOLATION, JESUS MODELS PRAYER FOR US. 

In desolation the Apostles fail to pray, whereas Jesus prays more and with more intense fervor!!! So fervent is His prayer in Gethsemane that Jesus actually begins to sweat huge drops of Blood which then trickle to the ground. Be present with Jesus and contemplate the drops of Blood, His Blood-sweat, and contemplate these drops falling to the ground. What a powerful example of perseverance for us. How easy it is for us to give up prayer on any pretext whatsoever. But not so with Jesus! In the midst of the most intense desolation, He prays even more with astounding fervor and passion, with all His being—heart, emotions, mind, body, and soul. Let us humbly beg the Lord Jesus for fervor in our prayer life, and that we would learn from Him to pray with every fiber of our being.

8. WHY THE SUFFERING AND THE SWEATING OF BLOOD??? 

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen explains the WHY of Jesus suffering so much, the reason behind the excruciating agony of Jesus. This is the reason: all the sins of humanity are descending upon Jesus in the Garden of Olives. Jesus, the God-man takes upon Himself the guilt of the sins of the whole of mankind—past, present, and future—which now descend upon Jesus like a torrential downpour of rain; from the original sin of Adam and Eve traversing the sins of mankind throughout the course of time including the last sin of the last person in human history. Jesus takes upon Himself all these sins; as a consequence, huge drops of Blood pour out of the pores of His Sacred Body and fall to the ground.  

9. OUR SINS TOO. 

We cannot deny the fact that our many sins are also descending upon the suffering and bleeding Body of Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Let us humbly beg the Lord Jesus to have sorrow, contrition, and firm purpose of amendment for our many sins and thereby receive Jesus’ Mercy. Indeed, Jesus is really and truly suffering for all of the sins of the world, but for yours and mine and in a very personal way!

10. THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION. 

Contemplate and enter into this most touching scene. In the midst of this most excruciating pain of Jesus, His agony and the sweating of huge drops of Blood, God the Father sends to Jesus an angel. This angel might be called THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION. 

Contemplate the angel who draws close to Jesus and even embraces the Lord in His suffering. In truth, this ANGEL OF CONSOLATION is you! Yes! You must be this Angel of Consolation. Draw close to the Lord. Embrace Him with great love. Talk to Him from the very depths of your heart. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for your sins. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of your family members. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of the Church. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of the whole world! Beg the Lord Jesus for the grace of conversion of poor sinners, especially of deathbed sinners, those sinners who will die within the next day.  Now console the Lord and thank the Lord Jesus for all that He underwent for you, starting in the Garden of Gethsemane. And love the Lord with your whole heart and being!

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

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

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

SUNDAY, April 10th    Lk 22: 14-23: 56   Verse before the Gospel: “Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.”

PASSION WEEK … 10 WAYS WE CAN WALK WITH JESUS THIS WEEK by Fr. Ed Broom. OMV

If we really love Jesus as Our Lord, God, Savior, and Friend then we should have a firm desire to follow Jesus in His public life where He performs miracles, casts out demons and preaches simple but profound sermons. At the same time, we must be constantly on guard lest we become one of those proverbial fair-weather friends—meaning faithful only when the sun shines! We must be willing to walk with the Lord in His sufferings, His Passion and His crucifixion, and the shedding of His Precious Blood.

Therefore, we offer for your pondering, prayer and meditation ten specific ways that you can walk close to Jesus in His Passion to console Him, comfort Him, accompany Him this Holy Week. Here is the list of ten!

1. READ THE GOSPEL PASSION NARRATIVES

Go to the most authentic sources to meditate upon and contemplate the Passion narratives. These would be the four Gospels: Matthew Chapters 26 & 27, Mark Chapters 14 & 15, Luke Chapters 22 & 23, and John Chapters 18 & 19. Pray, read, meditate, reflect and contemplate upon the love that Jesus has for you and for the whole world. Each Evangelist brings a different aspect to ponder.

2. MEDITATION THROUGH FILM

This week would be the most opportune time to view the classical movie of Jesus’ suffering directed by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ. However, do not view it as simply a Hollywood rendition, an ordinary movie. Rather, view it as a prayer, a contemplation, a means by which to walk step by step with Jesus as did Mary, His Sorrowful Mother. Ponder which scenes touch you the most and why.

3. ANOTHER MOVIE: MIRACLE OF MARCELINO

The touching movie Miracle of Marcelino (1955 version) can definitely help you enter into the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus with the love and heart of a child. Jesus stated: “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18:3) Now it is your turn, try to talk to Jesus in a simple and childlike manner. Console Jesus with your own words and with your presence. Thank Jesus and tell Him from the depths of your heart how much you earnestly desire to love Him more and more, aware of how much He loves you.

4. THE WAY OF THE CROSS

One of the most efficacious practices of devotion and piety for centuries is to make, better said, to pray The Way of the Cross. Walk with Mary and the Magdalene on the Via Dolorosa that culminates in the Crucifixion of Jesus, which He underwent for love of you and me. How precious you are in the eyes of Jesus that He willingly suffered all of His Passion and death for the salvation of your immortal soul that you might be with Him forever in heaven!

5. THE FIVE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

Take each of the Sorrowful Mysteries and contemplate them with great depth—beginning with the Agony of Jesus in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Carrying of the Cross, leading up to Jesus’ Crucifixion and death. Be present with Jesus to suffer with Him and comfort Him in each of His sorrows.  

6. MEDITATE ON THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen for many years in New York City would give his famous Sermon on the Seven Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. What are they?

1. “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)

2. “I thirst!” (Jn 19:28)

3. “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46)

4. “Woman behold thy son; son behold thy Mother.” (Jn 19:26-27)

5. “Amen I say to you: today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23:43)

6. “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk 23:46)

7. “It is finished!” (Jn 14:30)

Kneel or sit before a Crucifix and slowly repeat these seven words, these seven short sentences. Pray over them; relish them, take them to heart; memorize them; then beg for the grace to live them out in your life—obedient to the Father in all things, as Jesus was!

7. MEDITATE ON AND CONTEMPLATE THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY

Among the many titles attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of Our Lady of Sorrows. This pious devotion, starting with the Franciscans, has been to pray over and to contemplate the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Pope Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter, The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary, exhorts the lovers of Jesus and Mary to “Contemplate the Face of Jesus through the eyes and Heart of Mary.” 

Mary willingly suffered in the depths of her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart what Jesus suffered physically in His Sacred Body, His Sacred Flesh, which Mary gave to Him in His Incarnation by the Holy Spirit. These are the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

1) Prophecy of Simeon in the Temple. (Lk 2:34-35)

2) Flight of Joseph, Mary and the Infant Jesus into Egypt. (Mt 2:13-18)

3) The Loss and Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Lk 2:41-51)

4) Jesus meets Mary on the Via Dolorosa—on the Calvary walk. (4th Station of the Cross)

5) Jesus is crucified with Mary present. (Jn 19:16-37)

6) Jesus’ Crucified Body is taken from the Cross and placed in the arms of Mary. (La Pieta)

7) Jesus’ Crucified Body is taken from the arms of Mary and buried. (Jn 19:38-42)

Spend some time with Our Lady of Sorrows; no one loved Jesus more or suffered more with Him. Through the eyes and heart of Mary contemplate the sufferings and sorrows of her Son Jesus. Strive to console both with your sorrow, love and compassion!

8. CONTEMPLATE JESUS ON THE CROSS—THE CRUCIFIX

Now in the silence of your room, spend some time simply gazing at Jesus hanging on the cross for love of you and your family, and the salvation of your immortal souls. Then rise and with love, tenderness, and devotion kiss the wounds in His hands; kiss the wounds in His feet; kiss the wound in His side from which flowed Blood and Water. Tell Jesus how much you really love Him, and how you desire to love Him more and more every day of your life until you die and pass from time into eternity!

9. READ A GOOD COMMENTARY

There are many on the Passion of Christ. But truly worthy of reading and meditation is the Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German Mystic and Stigmatist.

Any legitimate source that we can utilize to enhance our knowledge and love of Jesus in His Passion is worth pursuing!

10. “Repent and Believe in the Good News.” (Mk 1:15)

This was the first preaching of Jesus in His public life. These are the words that the priest might have pronounced when he imposed ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday, at the very commencement of the Season of Lent. These words of Jesus, inscribed in ashes on our forehead, set in motion Lent and the daily challenge for every follower of Christ.

That is to say, we are all called on a daily basis to be converted from sin. How? Jesus invites and challenges us to change our mind-set; as Saint Paul says to “put on the mind of Christ” (Phil 2:5), to have a fresh way of thinking, feeling, and acting. Our daily conversion comes about through a firm determination in the depths of our soul to renounce sin and to contemplate and imitate Jesus who is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Therefore, if we sincerely want to follow Jesus Christ in His Suffering, Passion and Death we must make a concerted effort to put to death all that is earthly, carnal, base and sinful in us. Then we must aspire to what is noble, pure, holy and worthy of praise in the eyes of God.

May Our Lady, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and Our Lady of Sorrows help us and intercede for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.