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

FRIDAY, July 1st   Mt. 9: 9-13   Jesus asked: “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”

Jesus is with us! In every tabernacle throughout the world, we have the Real Presence of Jesus in the most Holy Eucharist, yearning for someone to come visit Him! In every Holy Communion we receive Jesus in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity into our very heart and being. In every holy hour, Jesus is present to us as our Lord, Savior, and best Friend!

The Question is how attentive are we to Jesus’ presence among us? Or are we busy about many things?

MARTHA & MARY: LEARNING NOT TO WORRY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Do you ever worry? If so, why do you worry? Then next: when do you worry? Still more: does your worrying help you in any way you can think of? Finally, what is it that can bring your worrying to a halt?

The whole reality of worrying so prevalent in these stressful times should be addressed, as well as what is the remedy.

Martha and Mary

Jesus had three friends, two sisters and their brother: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They lived not too far from the city of Jerusalem in a town called Bethany. Jesus was their friend and their guest. Jesus loved these three and found warmth and comfort in going to their home to visit. However, on one occasion there surfaces from the heart and lips of Martha an intense worry.

The reason for the worry? By nature Mary was more of a contemplative. This means that Mary thrived on silence, reflection, and contemplation. On the contrary, Martha was a ball of energy! By nature very active, Martha liked to get things done. She was a planner and an organizer. A homemaker and cook, she liked things to turn out according to her plans and schedule.

On one occasion Jesus was a guest and apparently Martha was off schedule and did not have things ready according to her preconceived plans. Somewhat nervous, moving a mile a minute caring and worrying for Jesus, she stopped to observe a scene that really bothered her. Despite the many tasks that were yet to be done, her sister Mary was simply sitting before Jesus apparently doing nothing; or at least Mary was not doing anything very profitable! Mary was just sitting at the feet of Jesus even though so much still had to be done!

What do you think was undone? Well, it could be that the table was not ready. Maybe in the kitchen the food was not yet totally prepared. Maybe there was not enough water for drinking or washing. Who knows, maybe the house was not as clean as it should have been! In any case, things were not ready according to the criteria of Martha and this was wrong and had to be remedied and as soon as possible!

How To Remedy It

Martha, the pragmatist and the “doer” has a simple, but what she thinks, very efficient idea: “Two hands are better than one”, or the other proverb: “Many hands make work light.” Therefore, Martha goes to Jesus to complain, what Martha deems a very justified complaint! In any case, the complaint is directed at having things ready quicker for Jesus! So Martha tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her! This seems to be a fair request, very logical, practical, well-ordered and reasonable!

Jesus gives a surprising response: a gentle rebuke! Instead of Jesus telling Mary to get up in a hurry and to help Martha so as to have the schedule run perfectly on time, according to Martha’s criteria, Jesus gently rebukes Martha. Listen to Jesus’ words: “Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. Mary has chosen the best part and she will not be deprived of it.”

How then can we interpret these surprising words of Jesus that are honestly in favor of what Mary is doing and a gentle fraternal correction to Martha?

Interpretation

Jesus is not displeased with the attention, concern, hospitality and hard work that Martha manifests toward Him. Never forget that the Church actually celebrates Martha as a saint every year on July 29^th. The point that Jesus wants to highlight in this passage, as well as all throughout Sacred Scripture, is the importance of our prayer life, the importance of silence which fosters contemplation and union with the Lord Jesus. Martha symbolizes the active life of service to others, if you like, the Corporal Works of Mercy. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a foreigner and you welcomed me…” (Mt 25: 31-46) Indeed we will be judged by Jesus on how faithfully we have lived out these works of mercy!

Mary’s Contemplative Life

However, the life of prayer or the life of contemplation has a supremely important role. It is precisely this that Jesus is trying to teach the world through the incident in Bethany and the tension that existed between Martha and Mary—two very good and holy sisters, but very different in temperament and character.

In fact Mary symbolizes all the different gestures we should strive to implement so as to live out a more contemplative lifestyle. Let us reflect upon these contemplative gestures of Mary.

1) SITS AT THE FEET OF JESUS.  Mary is simply sitting lovingly at the feet of Jesus. Contemplative souls long to sit and be with Jesus for long periods of time!

2) CONTEMPLATES JESUS.  Next, Mary simply gazes into the Face and eyes of the Lord Jesus. The Psalmist expresses this: “Look to the Lord and be radiant with joy.”

3) LISTENS TO JESUS.  While sitting with Mary, we can certainly imagine Jesus speaking to Mary. Try to imagine the way Jesus speaks, the tone of His voice as well as the content of His message. Indeed, there is much food for thought here!

4) SPEAKS TO JESUS.  It is not a monologue but a dialogue that is being carried on between Jesus and Mary in Bethany. This is the essence of prayer: to listen and to speak to Jesus. A great definition of prayer!

5) LOVES JESUS.  However, the essence of this encounter between Mary and Jesus in the home of Bethany is love. Mary loves Jesus totally and Jesus in turn loves Mary, as well as Martha and Lazarus.

6) FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS. The net result of this loving encounter is a dynamic and growing friendship between Mary and Jesus.

Why Worry?

One of the reasons why we fall into the trap of being “Worry-warts”, and end up by making others worry too (remember, worrying can be contagious!), is that we can easily neglect the contemplative dimension in our lives. We can easily fall into activism. We can fall into the proverbial modern malady that we call the workaholic. We can fall into Marthaism—a new word that I have created related to this topic!

Therefore, when you find yourself nervous, tense, emotionally drained, frenetically moving from one activity to the next—in a word, you are all stressed out and bent out of shape, you will know the reason why! You have become too much Martha and not enough Mary.

A grace to pray for: 

Beg the Blessed Virgin Mary for the grace to strike a harmonious blend between the Martha and the Mary in your life, the harmonious integration of a deep prayer life and zealous active life of fraternal charity. May Our Lady, the contemplative in the Annunciation, and Our Lady actively serving Saint Elizabeth, help us to strike that harmonious balance between deep prayer and apostolic zeal!

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, June 30th   Mt. 9: 1-8   “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.’ At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, ‘Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic, ‘rise, pick up your mat and stretcher, and go home.’”

TEN BIBLICAL MEDITATIONS FOR MAKING A GOOD CONFESSION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest blessings and gifts that flows out of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord is mercy expressed most deeply through the Sacrament of Confession. This Sacrament is also sometimes called the Sacrament of Pardon, Reconciliation, Penance, as well as Sacrament of God’s Mercy.

Words that produce inexplicable peace, joy, consolation and hope are the words that the Catholic priest expresses in the words of absolution at the end of the Sacrament of Mercy: “I absolve you of your sins: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. My son (daughter), your sins are forgiven; go in peace!” The interior knowledge that all of our sins have been totally and completely erased, obliterated, wiped out and forgiven by the Blood that Jesus shed for us on Calvary produces a joy and peace that goes beyond the ability of human words to express!

The two most important and sublime gestures that a Catholic can do on earth are the following: first, to receive with faith, devotion and burning love the Sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ; second, to confess our sins to the priest (who represents Jesus, our Healer and Friend) and receive sacramental absolution and forgiveness of our sins.

This being the case, we should strive with all the energy and fiber of our being to improve our interior disposition to receive these sacraments every time we receive them. In a word, each reception of both of these sacraments should be better and more fervent than the prior reception! That should be our ideal and constant goal! May God assist us!

Therefore, this brief article is on the Sacrament of God’s mercy with the goal of enhancing within us a greater appreciation for this great Sacrament which flows from the loving Heart of Jesus pierced with the lance from which flowed His Precious Blood and Water that first Good Friday. (Jn 19:34)

This article expresses an original perspective and dimension in this sense that it is totally and purely Biblical. Actually ten Biblical passages will be cited manifesting ten different fruits, effects, blessings, and the overall spiritual reality of this great Sacrament of the Mercy and Love of Jesus the Redeemer.

It is our hope that everyone will be moved to have a limitless trust in the greatest of all the attributes or virtues burning in the Heart of our loving Savior, His Infinite Mercy, and have confidence to make a good Sacramental Confession frequently. The Lord is waiting for you with love.

The greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust in the mercy of Jesus. That which wounds most the Sacred Heart of Jesus, even more than sin itself, is the lack of trust in His mercy. Saint Paul encourages us with these words: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.” (Romans 5:20)

The following are ten Biblical passages related to the Sacrament of Confession, but each in a unique way.  Pray over these; meditate on them; trust in God’s mercy and then make the best confession in your life: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:8)

1. Prodigal Son: Luke 15:11-32

Read and pray over the Parable of the Prodigal Son before going to Confession. Beg for the grace to understand what God really wants you to learn from this spiritual masterpiece. Every time you read and meditate upon this spiritual gem, God will enrich you with new and deeper insights.

However, in all times and places, the central message is that God the Father is full of love, mercy and compassion for all those who trust in Him. Saint Pope John Paul II wrote an entire encyclical on this one Parable: Dives in Misericordia. Read and meditate on it!

2. Psalm 51

Pray Psalm 51 before and after going to confession. This is the heart-felt Act of Contrition that King David prayed after committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah, an innocent man. Let us beg for the grace to have true repentance for our sins.

True sorrow, true and heartfelt contrition is essential to making a good confession. David humbly admits that his sin is his own doing and blames no one else. Like David, may we own up to our sins and blame only ourselves, trusting always in God’s infinite mercy!

3. John 20:21-23

Read and pray over the Institution of the Sacrament of Confession that first Easter night when the Apostles were in the Upper Room and Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you shall forgive, shall be forgiven; whose sins you shall bind, shall be held bound.”

Be exceedingly thankful for this great gift bestowed upon the Church and its members the same day we celebrate Jesus’ victorious triumph over death, the day of His Resurrection from the dead. In fact, every time we go to confession we personally celebrate death to sin in our own person and rise to a new life of grace! Every confession is a Paschal-Easter experience! The Lord Jesus is risen in us, Alleluia!

4. John 21: 15-19

Read and meditate on this conversation between Jesus and Peter. After the Apostles have made the miraculous catch of fish, Jesus walks with Peter along the shore and asks three times if Peter really loves Him. Peter is repairing for the three times that he denied Jesus shortly after the Last Supper.

Pray for the grace to truly be repentant for your sins and make a perfect act of contrition — a contrition of love! Love covers a multitude of sins. You become the repentant Peter; tell the Lord you are truly sorry for your sins and how much you really love Him. Then make a good Sacramental Confession as soon as possible.

5. Luke 15:1-7

The Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one lost sheep. Recognize that you are the lost sheep and you have great value in God’s eyes. Your soul has infinite value in the eyes of God. You were redeemed not by the blood of lambs or goats, nor bought back by gold or silver, but redeemed and ransomed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (I Pet 1:18-19)

6. John 10:11-18

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep. However, once you have experienced the loving embrace of Jesus the Good Shepherd, then it is up to you to be a Good Shepherd for the sheep that Jesus has put in your charge.

The key for us to be a Good Shepherd is that we must first be a good sheep of the Good Shepherd, hear His voice and follow Him. After we experience, after we taste and see the goodness of the Lord in Confession, then let us bring others to experience the loving embrace of the Good Shepherd!

7. Luke 23:39-43 Jesus and the Good Thief.                                            

In this passage let us firmly believe that the worst of all sinners can actually become the greatest of all saints if we simply trust.  JESUS I TRUST IN YOU… JESUS I TRUST IN YOU… JESUS I TRUST IN YOU.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen poignantly asserts: “And the good thief died a thief because He stole heaven.” Proclaim from the rooftops the infinite mercy of God, even to those who believe that their sin goes beyond His mercy! A truly inspiring experience is to read Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska.

8. Matthew 8:1-4 

A leper knelt before Jesus and said: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Every Sacrament has a specific sacramental grace—that of Confession is healing! Jesus came to cure and heal the sick, all of the sick who trusted in Him. We have to see ourselves in the leper; sin is leprosy and all of us are sinners. As Jesus touched and healed the leper, so He can touch and heal me if I allow Him.” ”Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as the snow.” (Is 1:18)

Saint Damien, who worked with the lepers on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, suffered most because he had no priest to heal his own spiritual leprosy of sin. Thank God that you have access to priests who can heal your spiritual leprosy through Confession!

9. Galatians 5:16-26

Saint Paul contrasts those who live according to the flesh with those who live according to the spirit. Those who live according to the flesh will have a harvest of corruption and death. Those who live according to the spirit will experience the fruits of the spirit and experience eternal life.

Confession helps us to put to death the works of the flesh and be led by the Holy Spirit. May we form the habit of frequent confession, so as to conquer the desires of the flesh and live the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God!

10. A Lazarus Experience John 11:1-44

Saint Augustine compares Confession to Lazarus. Lazarus was dead, wrapped in bandages and buried for four days when Jesus came and brought him back to life. What happens in Confession is the same spiritually: we leave our old life of sin, our spiritual death, in the Confessional (the bandages are symbolically our sins), and we rise to new life in the spirit.

We pray and we hope that these Biblical passages will shed new light on the precious gem, the diamond, the gift of Confession that the merciful Jesus has given to us, and serve as a jumping board to launch us into the confessional to experience the infinite ocean of God’s mercy.

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1)

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles 
Mass during the Day

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

WEDNESDAY, June 29th   Mt. 16: 13-19 SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL   

“Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. So I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.’”

On this beautiful Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, let us check our religious Vocabulary! We should all have at least some knowledge of the basics! Fr. Ed is our instructor!

HOW IS YOUR RELIGIOUS VOCABULARY??? By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the hallmarks of the greatness of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor and quite possibly the greatest Theologian in the Catholic Church, is his great clarity and precision in defining theological, spiritual, and Biblical concepts. Aquinas makes sure that one understands the concept before going into detail in explaining it.

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY FOR SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES. Every area of discipline, be it academic, music, sports, art, culinary, natural sciences, whatever, has its specific vocabulary.  Having played Baseball, I know from experience that there truly is Baseball-lingo, or vocabulary specific to Baseball. These words: Balk, Bunt, suicide-squeeze, Pop-fly, Extra-innings, Reliever, double-play, triple-play, Foul-pole. Anyone cognizant of the sport of Baseball understands the use of these words. However, for those never exposed to Baseball, these words seem like a foreign language, to say the least.

THEOLOGICAL DISCIPLINE AND LANGUAGE. This concept of vocabulary can be applied to Theology and the branches of Theology. Therefore, we would like to offer you a short explanation of these words, mostly related to theology, and a brief motivation so as to grow in your spiritual journey to heaven. Off we go!

1. THEOLOGY. Put simply, this word means “The Study of God.” Of all the human pursuits in the realm of study, Academia, acquiring knowledge, Saint Thomas states that “Theology is the Queen of all the studies.” May we have a hunger and thirst for God as the ultimate source and meaning for our existence.

2. PHILOSOPHY. The Scholastics, the theologians who lived at the time of Saint Thomas Aquinas (13th Century), stated that “Philosophy is the handmaid of theology.” The two complement each other, like hand in glove. The word Philosophy actually means, “The study of Wisdom”.  May Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, help us to pursue true wisdom—always related to God and our eternal salvation.

3. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY. The ultimate source of truth is the Bible. From Greek, Bible actually means Books—the Bible is a library of books that teach us about God. And a good definition of the Bible is the following: “The Bible is the Word of God.” Encouraged by the Psalms, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Ps. 119:105), may the Bible be a light for our path that leads us to heaven.

4. GOSPEL. There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Word actually means Good News. When we stand to hear the Gospel every Sunday, we are standing to hear the Good News, and this should fill our hearts with joy.

5. PATRISTICS. This important branch of Theology teaches about “The Fathers of the Church”. There are the Western (Latin) Fathers of the Church, and the Eastern Fathers of the Church. The most renowned of the Western Fathers would be St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. Gregory the Great. Whereas, the most renowned of the Eastern are the following: St. Athanasius, St. John Chrysostom, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nicea and St. Gregory of Nacianzen. May these Fathers—both West and East—help us to arrive at a correct interpretation of the Bible, the Living Word of God!

6. ESCHATOLOGY. This branch of Theology teaches the importance of meditating upon the Last-Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, as well as Purgatory, not to exclude the concept of eternity. Lord, teach us wisdom, to count our days, as the Psalm so eloquently reminds us.

7. CATHOLIC. In our panoramic vision of theology, we must know the meaning of the Greek word—Catholic, which means: “Universal”. The Catholic Church is a family that is open to all, nobody is excluded. The door is open, but you must cross the threshold.

8. CHRISTOLOGY. This is the all-important study of Christ—meaning, “The anointed one”.  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Reading the Gospels, we get to know the excelling riches of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

9. SOTERIOLOGY. A word not known by most Catholics, still such a word is of great importance. It means, “The Theology of Salvation”. Lord Jesus, save me!!!

10. PNEUMATOLOGY. This is a word that you probably did not use at the breakfast table this morning, but it means the study of “The Spirit, the Holy Spirit.” How important is the Holy Spirit in order for us to get to know Jesus, as in the case of the Apostles after a nine day Novena ending with Pentecost—fifty days after Easter!

11. THEOLOGY OF THE TRINITY. The most profound Mystery of the Catholic Faith is that of the Blessed Trinity—meaning, Three Persons in One God. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit!

12. MORAL THEOLOGY. Of great importance and meaning: the study of human acts. A moral person is an upright person; an immoral person, on the contrary, has chosen sin as his life-compass and direction.

13. THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES.  The term means Virtues related to God, and there are three: Faith, Hope and Charity.

14. VIRTUE/VICE. A good habit is a virtue; a bad habit is called a vice. We are called to become saints, meaning virtuous and holy followers of Christ.

15. CARDINAL VIRTUES/ MORAL VIRTUES. The word Cardinal (not simply a bird or a Baseball-player) means “Hinge-virtue”—like the hinge on a door, from which other virtues flow. There are four: Justice, Temperance, Prudence, and Fortitude.

16. SACRAMENT. From the Latin: Sacrare— to set apart as sacred, to consecrate! The classic catechetical definition of Sacrament: a sensible sign instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to the soul.”

17. ECCLESIOLOGY. A very important branch of theology meaning the Study of the Church—The Mystical Body of Christ. The Church is a community of believers united by the bond of love and grace.

18. ECUMENISM. This in a modern movement directed at fostering Christian Unity, in which one of the most important aspects would be inter-religious dialogue, striving to seek points in common and build upon these aspects of unity.

19. DOGMATIC THEOLOGY. This is the wide, expansive, all-encompassing theology of the Study of God and the articles of faith, most especially those incorporated in the Creed/ Profession of Faith recited at Mass every Sunday after the Homily.

20. CANON LAW. This would be the true and authentic compilation of the Laws of the Church. The most recent was promulgated during the Pontificate of Pope Saint John Paul II in 1983.

21. CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY. This branch of Theology studies the nature of man, the nature of the human person created in the image and likeness of God, flawed due to Original Sin, but redeemed and sanctified through the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus and the grace applied through the Sacraments—true channels of grace.

22. CHURCH HISTORY. This would be the systematic and ordered study of the History of the Church from its foundation on Peter, the Rock until the present day. Important is the saying: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.”

23. CHRISTIAN-CHURCH-ARCHITECTURE. This would be the study of the construction of the Churches throughout history and their value in the formation of the People of God. Indeed, a beautifully constructed Church can elevate the mind, the heart, and the soul to God!

24. THE THEOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE. Of those called to the total service of Christ, some are called to the Priesthood and some are called to Religious-life. Others are called to both: Religious Life and the Priesthood (as in the case of the author of this article). Religious life is designed for the individual who wants to follow Jesus radically by pursuing holiness of life and by the embracing of the vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience.

25. PASTORAL THEOLOGY. The word Pastor refers to Shepherding the flock. It is a theology motivated by apostolic zeal and an ardent desire to walk and work with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to save souls for the Kingdom of God. Saint John Bosco’s motto was: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.”

26. CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY. This is the branch of Theology that studies the different temperaments, dispositions, and emotions of the individual related to God. As a result of Original Sin, human emotions must be both ordered and purified by the grace of God.

27. THEOLOGICAL AESTHETICS. This wonderful theological branch or discipline is the study of beauty related to God. Three of the principle attributes of God are His Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. Where there is one of the three, God’s veiled but Real Presence is manifest!

28. HERMENUTICS. This is the study of the manner of construction of theological formulations, indispensable to the proper interpretation of the Bible.

29. NATURAL THEOLOGY.  An all-important branch of theology in which by the study of Nature, one of God’s most eloquent books, one can arrive at the knowledge of the Creator. In a word, the beauty of creation points to the Creator Himself—God who is the essence of Beauty! Saint Thomas Aquinas offers us the five famous proofs from nature that point to the existence of God.

30. APOLOGETICS. This is a branch of theology concerned and dedicated to defending the Articles of Faith.

31. HOMILETICS. This is the theology that deals with the art of Preaching—explaining and helping the faithful to understand the Word of God, and how to put it into practice in their daily lives.

32. MISSIOLOGY. This would be the theology of missions. Jesus’ last words were: “Go out to all nations and teach them all I taught you and baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and I will be with you always even until the end of time.” (Mt. 28)

33. HAGIORAPHY. This is a fascinating study of the history and lives of the saints, God’s friends, and our companions on our journey to Heaven. Let us get to know them, talk to them, imitate and love them, with the hope of being with them one day in Heaven.

34. JOSEPHOLGY. A study of the greatest of all the saints—the Great and Glorious Saint Joseph.

35. MARIOLOGY. Finally, we have arrived at an all-important branch of Theology, that of Mariology which means of course the study of Mary, her dogmas and devotions, and her important role in the History of salvation.

In conclusion, we hope and pray that this min-course in Theological vocabulary will motivate you to get know God more intimately, love God more ardently, and imitate the lives of the saints fervently, so that one day you will be with God in Heaven, in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for all eternity. Amen!

Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, June 27th   Mt. 8: 18-22   Alleluia Verse: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening; you have the words of everlasting life.”

Today’s readings can only be described as apocalyptic warnings in both the first reading and the Psalm. Even Jesus, in the Gospel, gives a warning to a would-be follower: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

Yesterday’s meditation was based on a rich and powerful article titled “Blessings That Flow From Marriage & Family” by Fr. Ed. Today, he gives us a staunch warning about obstacles to receiving such blessings. Very much in tune with the readings of today!

MAJOR OBSTACLES TO LIVING OUT MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Given that the family holds primary importance in the well-being of children, society, the country and the world at large, many obstacles rise to prevent, corrode and even destroy families.

This being the case, let us name and describe these major obstacles so that they can be avoided or at least overcome so as to save the family. It is the moral obligation of the Church, the political structures, academics, and the world at large to promote the family and the values that accrue to this first and most basic institution, deriving from God Himself—the family!

History has proven time and time again that the major civilizations of the world have declined and terminated in ruin primarily due to the corrosion and the attack against the stability of the family. Often included in this moral decline and destruction is capitulating to sexual immorality in one form or another. Jesus stated it unequivocally: “Blessed are the pure of heart for they will see God.” (Mt 5:8)

The following are a list of the many attacks that if not resisted can easily lead to the decline and downfall of the family, as well as the society at large. Spiritual writers, especially Saint Ignatius of Loyola, have constantly insisted on the capital importance of the principle of self-knowledge. The desert fathers had a two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF!!! This can be applied in a more vast and extensive sense of knowing the dangers militant against the stability of the family!

1. THE TRIAL MARRIAGE (COHABITATION) MENTALITY. It is a very sad fact that many, very many, young people make the decision to start to live-together, to cohabit before opting for the decision to receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. This decision is catastrophic morally. Why? For the simple reason that they decide to live in a state of mortal sin. Consequently, they sever themselves from the source of grace, the Sacramental life of the Eucharist and Confession for as long as they co-habitate. Once children arrive on the scene, these little innocent ones are deprived of the abundant graces that flow from the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Let us pray for the younger generation that they will start off on the right foot by pleasing God and getting married in the Church. Without God we are lost: with God we can do all things!

2. MODERN DRUG: THE DRUG OF PORNOGRAPHY. Whether we like it or not we all live in a modern pornographic society. Left and right, north and south, east and west we are being bombarded by images. We live in an image world. Unfortunately, many of these images are indecent; many are pornographic. The sources? Television, Radio, Movies, You-tube, Instagram, the Internet, and cell-phones, even conversations—all of these are not intrinsically evil. However, if sought out and used impurely, the effects are nothing less than catastrophic. Modern experts in addictions and moral slavery all concur with the fact that pornography is highly addictive. By many, it is termed the Modern-drug. Once the addiction takes root, then the human person, especially the woman, is viewed not in her innate dignity, created in the image and likeness of God, and through Baptism a daughter of God, but rather as an object. Objectivized she is seen as a mere object to be used, utilized, exploited and then discarded. Pope Francis calls it the throw-away society.

3. SLAVERY TO THE INTERNET, SLAVERY TO THE CELL-PHONE. Modern technology, if properly used is invaluable! However, as Saint Paul reminds us, it can be a two-edged sword. In a few seconds, almost any information we desire is at our fingertips. However, the real danger is that we can become addicted to anything and that includes our cell-phone. Unfortunately, we can become so accustomed to the phone that we give more time, more attention, and more priority to the phone. As a result, the material object of the phone has greater importance over spouse, children and family. In this area families must come together and discern very seriously where, when, and how much time should be dedicated to the use of the phone. If not, the very center of family life will not be God, but the modern idol of the CELL-PHONE. We do not want to bend our knee to the phone, but to the living God. An idol by definition is any person, place or thing that we place above God, and all that refers and relates to God—including the family, the Domestic Church.

4. POOR OR MEDIOCRE MARRIAGE PREPARATION. Recently the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in one of his catechesis mentioned the lack of proper preparation for those who have chosen the Marriage-vocation. The Holy Father calls for a more serious and intense process of preparation for Holy Matrimony. The Pope mentions the fact that without solid marital preparation, without the proper tools, once married it can easily happen that when encountering their first crisis, the young married couple fall apart. Parishes should establish solid marriage preparation courses. (In the Parish of St. Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA, we have implemented this over the past 20 years!!!)

5. THE CONTRACEPTIVE MENTALITY. Another major detriment and enemy militant against the family is the pervasive Contraceptive mentality. By this is meant the following: a lack of openness to life, to children, to the reality of procreation. In past generations, husband and wife would marry and be open to and happy in receiving as many children as God, in His Divine Providence, would send them. Today, quite the contrary, many young couples have the mentality of trying to avoid having children and with that avoidance utilizing immoral means. The Pill, Norplant, the IUD, as well as chemical means to avoid conception, procreation and openness to having a child. Of course, one of the primary purposes of the married life is that of being open to having children. Bible resources always view having children as one of the greatest blessings from God, the Author and Origin of life! (Read Pope Saint Paul VI’s short encyclical Humane Vitae, for more information on this topic.)

6. THE LGBT AGENDA. Unfortunately the LGBT agenda has inserted itself into the overall mentality of the modern world. The devil himself has inserted and embedded his presence in three principal and key places in modern society. Pope Saint John Paul II terms this the institutionalization of sin— meaning that it is a sad fact that sin is not simply an isolated fact but has encrusted itself into the very institutions of society. There are three primary places where the LGBT and the total confusion of sexual identify have found their abode: 1) Hollywood (the Mass-media), 2) Politics in general that largely promotes Liberal ideologies; 3) Academics that unfortunately are teaching even from the most tender ages the Transgender ideology! Our work is to fight through prayer, penance, and intelligent structures for the traditional and Biblical roots of the family. That is to say, we must promote and defend the family as designed and ordained by God, and that is man and woman uniting in love becoming one flesh and resulting in the bringing forth of children as a fruit of their marital union.

7. THE DIVORCE MENTALITY. It is a sad fact that nobody can deny that most marriages terminate in separations and eventually divorce, and then the separated persons choose to live in the state of adultery. Sacramentally married couples must enter into Holy Matrimony with the firm decision and conviction of living out the promise that they made on the very day of their marriage. The couple conferred the Sacrament of Marriage with these words of promise, this marital vow (both say these words individually): “I promise to be faithful to you in good times and bad, riches and poverty, health and in sickness, until death do we part.” This in a world in which many fail in willingness to make permanent commitments. Those who do marry must affirm the permanent and indissoluble character of Holy Matrimony. Only death ends their marital commitment. The word separation and divorce should not even be part of their vocabulary.

8. A PAGANISTIC, SECULAR, MATERIALISTIC WORLD MENTALITY. Couples that strive to live out their marriage absorbed, imbued and immersed with a modern paganistic, secular, materialistic world-view most likely will not survive as a marriage and family. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen expressed the concept succinctly and to the point in the book that he penned for married couples with the title IT TAKES THREE TO GET MARRIED. Bingo!!! If a married couple is to remain faithful until the end, they must be united as three: husband and wife, but the third person must be JESUS THE LORD! Indeed, Jesus the Lord is the hidden but most important Person in the Marriage. Indeed, He is the super-glue that cohesively unites the couple in love—a love related to sacrifice.

9. DRIFTING FROM THE CHURCH AND THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE. Related intimately with inserting Jesus in the center of married life is the reality of the Church titled, “The Mystical Body of Christ.” Modern liberals often assert: “I love the Bible, as well as the Person of Jesus Christ. However, I cannot stand the Catholic Church!!!” Not only is this mentality false but it also militates energetically against the teachings of Jesus Christ. He left us but promised that He would be with us always even until the end of time. (Mt 28:20) How and where is Jesus present? Precisely in the Catholic Church, and most specifically in the Sacraments—especially the Eucharist, His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. In a word, once the married couple drifts from the life of the Church and the sacramental life, that couple is in serious danger. The many ravenous wolves of secularism, hedonism, unfaithfulness, pornography, anger and despair can all viciously rent asunder the marriage structure and rapidly. Many Catholics are dying of a certain SPIRITUAL ANOREXIA—that is to say, a spiritual starvation from not nourishing on the ultimate source of strength—the Bread of Life in Holy Communion!

10. RESENTMENT, ANGER AND LACK OF FORGIVENESS. It must be said with the utmost clarity: resentment, anger and a lack of forgiveness can ruin the best of families. Sacred Scripture teaches clearly: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Eph 4:26) Husbands and wives must learn how to cope with disagreements, differences of opinion, quarrels and discords. A true sign of maturity in Marriage and Family Life is the ability of the couple, after a quarrel or disagreement, to be able to forgive each other, to reconcile and make amends, and restore peace quickly. To go to bed angry at each other could be catastrophic. At Weddings, I often tell the couple in my wedding homily that these are the three most important short phrases that should be said frequently by the couple marrying: “I love you! Forgive me! I am sorry! Lack of forgiveness leads to resentment; resentment to bitter anger, and anger even to coldness and hatred. If you like, what acid is to the stomach wall, unforgiveness and resentments are to the soul, in this case to the soul of the family. May the words of the English Catholic poet, Alexander Pope, be the motto of every married couple: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”

Let us pray fervently to the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph for the sake and for the future of the families of the world, and most especially for our own families. We are all called to become saints. Jesus taught this as an imperious command: “Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48) In most cases, holiness flows through a holy channel or vessel and that is the family. May this prayer in honor of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph, be our prayer:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee. O Sacrament most holy, o Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.