Third Sunday of Lent 

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

SUNDAY, March 20th    Lk. 13: 1-9   Jesus gives us this parable. The owner of an orchard is ready to cut down a fig tree that is not producing. The gardener pleads thus: “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.”

Jesus speaks more directly in John 15:5-6…

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

Then He gives us these most consoling words in John 15:7-8 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Lent is the time to renew and deepen our spiritual life so that we remain in Jesus and Jesus in us! The following meditation by Fr. Ed provides the steps to build a solid foundation for a deep spiritual life. Let us use this meditation to build on our strengths and fortify our weaknesses for the rest of Lent, so that we finish strong! 

HOLINESS THROUGH A ROBUST PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE… Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We are all called to become saints! Jesus said this very clearly in the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom, with these words: Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy. (Mt 5:48) Also, in one of the Beatitudes the Lord exhorts us: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice (or holiness), for they will be satisfied. (MT 5:6) Saint Paul to the Thessalonians reiterates the same challenge: This is the will of your heavenly father: your sanctification. (1 Thess 4:3) Bible verses constantly remind us of our call to holiness. If that were not sufficient, the lives of the saints and their words motivate us to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. The following are a few examples:

+++ Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all.”

+++ Saint Jose Escriva de Balaguer: “The greatest crisis in the modern world is the lack of saints.”

+++ Cure of Ars – The devil stated that if there were four more saints like the Cure of Ars aka St. John Marie Vianney, his kingdom would be destroyed. Wow! The power of the saints!

One of the most important documents in the modern world, Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, is entitled: The Universal Call to Holiness. In other words, not a mere fraction are called to be holy, but absolutely all are called!!! None are excluded.

On one occasion, in a homily, I asked the people this simple question: “How many of you want to go to heaven?” All raised their hands. Then I asked: “How many of you want to be saints?” Very few raised their hands. Then I intervened saying: Who is in heaven? God the Blessed Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels, and the SAINTS!!! Therefore, if you want to get to heaven, you have to become a saint!

Let us give a path we can undertake to arrive at becoming a saint, and that is by striving to maintain a robust prayer life. We will offer ten concrete suggestions to arrive at this most noble of all enterprises—to become holy as our heavenly Father is holy!

1. CLEAN THE WINDOW OF YOUR SOUL.  The sunlight cannot beam through a dirty window. Likewise, God’s grace and the Holy Spirit cannot penetrate a dirty or sullied heart; that heart must be purified by means of a good sacramental confession. Trust in God’s mercy and have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession. Try to prepare well and make the best confession in your life. This will clear the window pane of your soul to receive the divine invasion of God’s grace. Remember the words of Jesus in one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.” (Mt 5:8)

2. GIVE TIME!  So that the Holy Spirit could descend powerfully on the Apostles and Mary on Pentecost, they had to pray at length, not just a few minutes or a few hours! Rather, they made a novena—nine days in which the Apostles, united with the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayed fervently for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as in striving for perfection in any activity, be it sports, music, academics, languages, writing, or painting, the time spent is essential; so it is with the art of all arts, the art of prayer! We must give quality time to learn to pray well!

3. PLACE!  Also of great importance is that of finding some place to pray. In that place there must be silence! Remember that God spoke to the prophet Elijah when he arrived at the mountain, not in the fire, nor in the earthquake, nor in the storm and thunder; rather, God spoke to Elijah in the silence of a gentle breeze! Find a place of silence. Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged all that the famous Hour of Power (which he kept faithfully for more than 50 years) should be done in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This is the ideal place! However, it is not possible for everyone. Most likely for many the Holy Hour must be done in some quiet corner of their home, called by the Church documents, The Domestic Church.

4. MATERIAL TO PRAY WITH!  Saint Teresa of Avila, one of the few women Doctors of the Church, known as The Doctor of Prayer, stated that we should never go to prayer without having a book with us as a guide. Of course, the greatest value and importance as a stimulus and motivation for prayer is the Bible—the Word of God. Another great source of immense richness is the Liturgy: the prayers present in Holy Mass, as well as in the Liturgy of the Hours. Holy words spark holy thoughts, and holy thoughts spark holy desires—there we have the essence of prayer! From eyes, to head, to heart! Pope Francis adds “…from heart to your feet”— bring the fruits of your prayer into the lives of others!!!

5. PRAYER METHOD.  Spiritual writers in the mystical life of prayer frequently suggest that we utilize some form or type of prayer method. Methods are useful in all forms of learning: languages, sports, driving, and cooking. But it is even more important in learning the art of all arts, the art of prayer. Methods abound, but we would suggest a method that Pope Benedict XVI proposed in his document Verbum Domini—the Word of God! In this superb writing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he recommends the prayer method known as LECTIO DIVINA. Following, we give a brief summary of this method to come to our aid:

1) LECTIO—Read the text very carefully with the help of the words of Samuel in the Temple: Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening!!!

2) MEDITATIO—In imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ponder, ruminate, think deeply on the Word of God, its meaning and purpose in your own life, and how it can help you grow in holiness.

3) CONTEMPLATIO—Imagination! Use your imagination and try to picture that you are truly present in the scenes presented in the Scriptures. Saint Ignatius calls this Composition of Place. Especially try to imagine the face and then eyes of Jesus gazing at you with love.

4) ORATIO—Moved by the Holy Spirit enter into conversation with the Lord Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and then the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the most important part of the method that actually leads to this intimate conversation and dialogue with Our Lord Jesus. Saint Teresa of Avila explains prayer as simply a dialogue of friendship between two friends who love each other! Talk to the Lord as long as you want. He is never in a hurry and longs for you to talk to Him, love Him, and establish a deep friendship with Him.

5) ACTIO—After you have finished your formal prayer period put into practice what you experienced in your intimate time of prayer with the Lord. Take as your example the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Annunciation leading to the Visitation. In the Annunciation, we contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary absorbed in prayer as our contemplative model. In the Visitation, we see Mary launching into action to serve her cousin Elizabeth in her need as our active model. In sum, our prayer should move us to put love into action. If you like, prayer should transform us into Contemplatives in Action!

6) TRANSFORMATIO—Finally, the net result of fervent and efficacious prayer should be that of a life being transformed. In the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me! (Gal 2:20)

6. THE HOLY SPIRIT.  On one occasion, while talking to a Jesuit priest in spiritual direction, Saint Teresa of Avila complained that her prayer life seemed to be stagnant. This Jesuit director suggested that Saint Teresa pray more to the Holy Spirit to aid her in her prayer struggle. She did this and almost immediately she noticed a marked transformation in her prayer life. Saint Paul in the Letter to the Romans states: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes with ineffable groans so that we can say ‘Abba, Father.’” (Rom 8:26) Therefore, as you start off your prayer period never forget to invite the presence of the Interior Master of Prayer (cf Teresa of Avila)—the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Here is a short but efficacious prayer: “Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary!”

7. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.  Athletes need coaches; musicians need teachers; new teachers need mentors. Likewise, with regard to the art of prayer we all need some trained person to guide us, orient us, encourage us, sometimes correct us; in sum, someone to direct us on the right path! That person in spiritual theology is called a Spiritual Director. Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and many other saints are unanimous in asserting that we all have a dire need for a Spiritual Director to help us grow in holiness and advance in the way of perfection in the sometimes challenging and arduous ascent up the Holy Mountain of prayer. (Saint John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel.) Beg Our Lady of Good Counsel to help you find a good Spiritual Director; this indeed is one of those pearls of infinite value!

8. SPIRITUAL READING.  Of capital importance in our growth in the art of prayer is the importance of good reading, especially on the topic of prayer. There are many books written on prayer and we will suggest the following:

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part IV (4) on Prayer
• Introduction to the Devout Life, Saint Frances De Sales
• The Life – Interior Castle – Way of Perfection, Saint Teresa of Avila
• Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
• Treatise On Prayer, Saint Alphonsus Liguori
• Fire Within – Deep Prayer, Deep Conversion – Prayer Primer, Fr. Thomas Dubay

These are just a few from the masters, but they can truly teach us the art of all arts, the art of prayer. Spiritual reading is absolutely essential for serious growth in our prayer life. Part of spiritual direction will be to address spiritual reading, especially on the prayer.

9. PRAYER AND PENANCE.  On one occasion while taking a walk, I noticed a black bird, a crow, in front of me on the path. As I drew closer, the bird did not take flight. I thought that maybe I had a latent Franciscan charism with the birds and animals. But to my chagrin, this was not the case. The reason? The bird did not fly because the creature had a broken wing. This triggered in my mind this reflection and application! The bird could not fly due to a broken wing. In a parallel sense, for us to fly high, to really soar into the heights of prayer in our spiritual life, we desperately need two wings: the wing of prayer accompanied by the wing of penance. Not only does prayer and penance lift us toward the heights of holiness, but others as well! Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes both insisted on the importance of both prayer and sacrifice or penance as the most efficacious means for the conversion of poor sinners. Our Lady of Fatima said with great sadness: “Many souls are lost because there is no one to pray and offer sacrifices for them.”

10. THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND PRAYER.  Saint Louis de Montfort in his classic True Devotion to Mary states unequivocally: The shortest, easiest, and most efficacious path to Jesus is through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, it must be said as we come to the conclusion of our essay on building a robust prayer life that we must invite the Blessed Virgin Mary into our life, and that means into our prayer life which is our union with God. The Holy Spirit descended powerfully on Pentecost upon the Apostles who were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Therefore, if we truly desire to establish a strong, robust, dynamic life of prayer that will help us become holy as our heavenly Father is holy, we must have frequent, fervent, filial, and confident recourse to Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our own dear Mother. Mary, teach us to pray, and give us an ardent desire to fall daily in love with Jesus, our Lord, God, Friend, and Savior!

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

SATURDAY, March 19th    Mt. 1:16, 18-21, 24a   SOLEMNITY OF SAINT JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

“Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’”

Together let us celebrate, honor, and love the great Saint Joseph, and seek his intercession!

ST. JOSEPH: OUR SUBLIME MODEL FOR SAINTLY FATHERHOOD by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

If we want to look to the saints as models then we should raise our eyes, mind and heart to the greatest of all saints and that is, of course, Saint Joseph!

The Church celebrates liturgically Glorious Saint Joseph twice a year: March 19th and May 1st. In March he is celebrated under the title Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary. In May his title is Saint Joseph the Worker.

In this short essay we would like to focus on Glorious Saint Joseph as patron of families and patron of fathers. As we all know, in the world in which we live the family is definitely in crisis, as well as fatherhood. For these two reasons we would like to raise our minds and hearts to Saint Joseph to pray for families, as well as to serve as a splendid and shining model for fathers to follow.

One of the titles given to Saint Joseph in the beautiful prayer that we call the Litany of Saint Joseph is the poetic expression: Saint Joseph, Ornament of the Domestic Life, pray for us. What do we mean by the word ornament?  Very simply, an ornament has as its nature and purpose to adorn, to beautify, to dignify, to make noble. If Saint Joseph is given a more prominent role in the family, then families indeed will become more beautiful, more noble, more loving, more pure — in a word, more holy!

Therefore, we encourage all families to invite the Glorious Saint Joseph to be a living member of your family, of course in union with Mary, the spouse of Saint Joseph, and Jesus, Our Lord. Two suggestions on how to invite Saint Joseph to have a more prominent presence and role in the sanctification of your family. First, purchase either an attractive statue of Saint Joseph and place it in a prominent place, or you might prefer to purchase an attractive painting of this great saint. Next, on a daily basis, have the family pray together a prayer to Saint Joseph; it might even be the Litany of Saint Joseph. Do not be surprised to experience real changes improving your family life in a short time if this is done. The great Saint Teresa of Avila, woman Doctor of the Church, who loved and promoted devotion to Glorious Saint Joseph commented that sometimes saints delay in their intercession. But not so with Saint Joseph, he works quick! She said that he is the saint to beg graces from in all circumstances and situations.

Now let us move on to another dimension of the personality of the Great and Glorious Saint Joseph and that is with respect to his Paternity—or if you like, Saint Joseph in his role as Father.

The Church actually gives Saint Joseph a theological category that places him in the apex or zenith of all of the saints and this is called Protodulia. By this title, we mean that Saint Joseph as saint is the first to be venerated among all the saints. Saint Bernardine of Siena and other saints give the reason and it is because of the dignity of his office or the dignity of his sublime vocation. For, according to the vocation that God gives to any individual, He will always give corresponding graces commensurate with that vocation. The Sacrament of Marriage enables a husband and wife to be faithful to each other, and to be responsible and holy parents. Holy Orders enables the priest to carry out his priestly duties with grace, order, love, and perfection.

Likewise, God called the great Saint Joseph to be both spouse of Mary, the Mother of God, as well as to be the earthly father to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Therefore, it stands to reason, that due to these two sublime duties, Saint Joseph would be endowed with a super abundance of graces. For this reason, we want to love Saint Joseph, pray to Saint Joseph, and trust in the power of his intercession.

SAINT JOSEPH AS FATHER

One of the most astounding and mind-boggling works of the Eternal Father was to send His Only Son Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and to allow His Son to become a little Baby — vulnerable, weak and totally dependent upon a human mother and a human father — Mary and Saint Joseph. Indeed, Saint Joseph was and always will be the earthly father of Jesus! This was the will of the Eternal Father for all eternity. And of course, Saint Joseph was the best of all earthly fathers.

We would like to highlight only a few sublime qualities of Saint Joseph as father so that it will serve as a springboard for many fathers to imitate. We all desperately need good role-models to imitate, and now, more than ever, fathers need a role model, and Saint Joseph is by far the best!                                                                                                                             

The following are five specific qualities that Saint Joseph lived as father to Jesus and as a model of all present and future fathers. May Glorious Saint Joseph intercede for fathers that they will faithfully carry out the sublime role that God has entrusted to them.

1. First, Saint Joseph was a faithful son of the Eternal Father.

What is meant by this is simply the following: to be a good father, one must first and foremost be a noble, loving, and obedient son to the heavenly Father. All fathers must pray with utmost sincerity the prayer of the Lord: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” A true father must have God the Father as his guide, source, life, and inspiration. May fathers, in imitation of Saint Joseph, cultivate a deep relationship with the heavenly Father, and learn the true meaning of the Lord’s prayer, The Our Father…

2. Second, Saint Joseph was a faithful and loving spouse.

The Liturgy highlights how Saint Joseph cherished his wife, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The word cherish means that he really loved her. It is true that both Saint Joseph and Mary decided upon and lived faithfully a virginal marriage, under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, on a human level there existed a most profound and dynamic love that bound them together, a love imbued with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, to be true and genuine fathers, husbands must love God, but then they must really love their wives. For when they love their wives, this love overflows and descends upon their children, like rainfall that falls and moistens the parched ground. A gesture of kindness and love given to his wife, is a gesture of kindness and love given to their children!

3. Third, good Saint Joseph was a teacher.

He taught Jesus, on a human level, many important practices. He taught Jesus how to speak and say Abba — Daddy! He taught Jesus how to walk. He taught Jesus the art of being a craftsman as a carpenter. Now listen to this: Saint Joseph even taught Jesus how to pray! Take the words of the Psalms, such as “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want…” (Psalm 23:1), Saint Joseph prayed these words and taught the Child Jesus to pray them. How sublime! The great Saint Joseph taught the Logos, the Eternal Word of God the Father, how to pray using human words!

The documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church insist on the fact that the parents—both father and mother—are the primary teachers of their children, most especially in that which refers to the faith. May good Saint Joseph be a model for parents to truly be the first and best teachers of their children in all areas: academic, social, human, emotional, but especially as teachers of morality, spirituality, and all that refers to the good of the soul of the child and their eternal salvation.

4. Saint Joseph was present to his child and to his wife.

What we mean by present refers to the all-pervasive sad fact that so many fathers today actually become what we might term Drop-out Dads! This term Drop-out Dad has a multiplicity of interpretations, all nefarious and noxious to the well-being of the child and the family at large. Here are a few: divorcees, those involved in adultery, those hooked to vices (drinking, porn, drugs, casino gambling or the horses), those who are physically present but emotionally disengaged or disconnected.

This indeed becomes a vicious cycle passed on from one generation to the next. Contrariwise, good Saint Joseph was always, and we emphasize always, available to the needs of his family — both wife and Son! Saint Joseph prayed with the family, worked with the family, ate with the family, went to the Synagogue and Temple with the family, laughed with the family, relaxed with the family, and finally died in the arms of those he loved most — Jesus and Mary!

5. St. Joseph was willing to sacrifice for his family.

A very important final note on the noble, sublime, and holy presence and person of the great Saint Joseph was his willingness to sacrifice himself and suffer for Jesus and Mary. Not in one isolated case but many times, and intense sufferings!

Saint Joseph suffered due to the Virginal Conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, until the angel cleared his doubt, and Saint Joseph took Mary to be his wife. Saint Joseph made the long and grueling trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, in total obedience to the governing authorities, accompanying his pregnant wife on a donkey those many miles. Upon arriving, Saint Joseph received nothing but rejection: “There was no place for them in the Inn.” 

Then Saint Joseph had a dream that the wicked King Herod wanted to kill his Son. In the bitter cold and darkness of night, the faithful, strong, and obedient husband and father, good Saint Joseph, fled with his family to Egypt, thereby saving Jesus from being slaughtered. The strong, valiant, courageous, and trusting Saint Joseph experienced all these episodes and more, motivated by a most profound love for his family — his wife and his Child!

True and authentic fathers have a compelling need to look up to the valiant and courageous Saint Joseph as model and guide. In other words, true fathers must be willing to work hard for their children, sacrifice for their children, and even be willing to suffer for their children, and sometimes suffer painfully for their children to bring them to safety from the many wiles of the modern Herods! Our human nature shirks and recoils from the prospect of suffering. However, it is part and parcel of human existence.

LOVE OF ST. JOSEPH

Saint Joseph sacrificed himself and suffered intensely for one reason: love. This great saint loved God; he loved his wife Mary, and he had an all-encompassing love for his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. May our modern fathers, our modern Dads, lift up their eyes to good Saint Joseph and beg for his heavenly intercession, especially in moments of trial when pain and sacrifice are demanded. No doubt, good Saint Joseph will be present, powerful and providential in his assistance!

The first devotees (those truly devoted to) this great and glorious Saint Joseph were both Our Lady and Jesus, the Lord. For all of us to have an integral, well-balanced and complete relationship with Jesus and Mary, then we must also have a great love for glorious Saint Joseph.

So we would like to end with a prayer to Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph:

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.

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

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

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

FRIDAY, March 18th    Mt. 21:33-43, 45-46   “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”

A WOUNDED HEALER OR A WOUNDED WOUNDER? By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Making a prophecy about Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah speaks about wounds, about wounds that would be inflicted on the Body of Jesus Christ. The Prophet states: “It is by His wounds that we are healed.” (Is 53:5) Of course, the Prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, projecting himself into the future, was prophesying the Sorrowful Passion of Jesus.

Jesus’ scourging at the Pillar, His crowning with thorns, His falling under the weight of the cross and His wounded shoulder where the weight of cross cut deeply, His hands and feet nailed to the cross, and finally His Sacred Heart wounded and pierced with the lance are all graphic and evident depictions of the wounds of Jesus.

OUR WOUNDED PERSON.  Every person entering into this wounded world of humanity, enters wounded. The Original Sin inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, is the first wound that is inflicted on us, even though we did not will this. Our personal and actual sins wound us still more. Add to this living in a wounded and dysfunctional family that is the world, and the imperfections in our own natural family, and we can see that we receive many wounds; and we in turn, wound others.

In a word, as part of wounded humanity, all of us are walking, gaping, and dripping wounded persons. Whether we know this, deny this, or simply ignore this wounded condition, does not change the reality of all of us as wounded humanity and wounded individuals.

Therefore, turning the corner, with our hearts and minds lifted on high with great hope and trust in God and His infinite love for all of humanity, and His overflowing love for each and every one of us individually, let us present a plan to work for our healing, the healing of our family, the healing of the Church, and the healing of the world at large. Indeed, healing is a real possibility!

Off the bat, it must be asserted this all-encompassing truth: either we will be wounded wounders or we will be wounded healers! Our hope and prayer is that you will choose to be part of the army of the wounded-healers!

This being the case, let us look at some positive and concrete steps that we can take to attain to this healing so as to be an instrument of healing in the world, starting in our own family. Let’s start!

PLAN FOR PROCESS OF BEING A WOUNDED HEALER

1. HUMBLE ADMISSION OF MY WOUNDED NATURE.  Now if we are living in a state of denial in which we state that we are really not wounded, then the healing process will never take place. There is a well-known proverb in Spanish: “No hay peor ciego que aquel que no quiere verl no hay peor sordo que aquel quen no quiere oir.” Translation: “There is no worse blind man than he who does not want to see; there is no worse deaf man than he who does not want to hear.” Many alcoholics will never be healed for the simple reason that they do not admit that they have problems with drinking. Quite simply, we must admit, “I am a wounded person!”

2. BEG FOR HEALING.  Time and time again the blind, the deaf, the paralytics, the lepers, and many wounded people would approach Jesus with faith and trust and they would be healed, and more often than not, the healing was immediate! Like Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, first we must beg the Lord to see our blindness, to recognize our woundedness, and then beg the Lord to stretch out His hand and heal us. “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7)

3. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION.  The Sacraments are exterior signs instituted by Christ to confer grace. One of the Sacraments that was instituted specifically for healing is the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy. If you like, every time we sin, our soul is marked with a wound, a moral wound. The more often we sin, the deeper are the moral wounds. To the contrary, a well-prepared, well-done Confession heals these wounds. The Precious Blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross on Good Friday, washes and heals our moral wounds—that we call sins. Any person who has made a good Sacramental Confession can testify to the joy, peace, happiness, lightness of soul, and the healing presence and power of God when they leave the confessional. What medicine is to the sick body, Confession is to the ailing soul!

4. COMMUNION.  The specific Sacramental grace of Confession is healing of the soul. Whereas the specific Sacramental grace of Holy Communion and the Eucharist is nourishment of the soul. Still, one of the secondary effects of a worthy and fervent Holy Communion is that of healing. Such that the Council of Trent specifies that Holy Communion can serve as an antidote to heal our daily minor infirmities—meaning our venial sins. On one occasion, Saint Faustina experienced great weaknesses in her chest due to lung failure. She received Holy Communion and experienced the power of the Real Presence of Jesus healing even her bodily weakness! The healing by Jesus in His Eucharistic Presence in the body of St. Faustina, He does in our soul in every Holy Communion received worthily, that is, in the state of grace. The same Jesus who healed many people sick in body and soul some 2000 years ago is still healing people today! His strength never abates!

5. FORGIVENESS, MERCY, RECONCILIATION.  Jesus stated that if you come to the altar to offer your gift and you recognize that your brother has something against you, leave your gift and first be reconciled with your brother. Then return to offer your gift to God. Jesus does not address who was at fault, who was right and who was wrong. Reconcile regardless! Many wounds foul and festering in our hearts and souls derive from resentments (often for years) that we cling to and are unwilling to relinquish. By reconciling, we set the captives free—ourselves as well as the other person! If they refuse to reconcile, be at peace, but continue to pray for them. As the Catholic English poet, Alexander Pope put it: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.”

6. HONEST CONVERSATION BEFORE JESUS ON THE CROSS.  Another most efficacious means by which the healing process of our soul can take place is through prayer. Like the little boy, Marcelino, in the movie Miracle of Marcelino, or in Spanish Marcelino Pan y Vino, we should sit before Jesus nailed on the cross and contemplate His gaping wounds—in His hands and feet, and His side pierced by the lance. Now open up your heart to Jesus. Tell the Lord Jesus about your hurts, your wounds, your cuts and bruises from the past all the way up to the present, and even your fears about possible future wounds. Jesus is the best of listeners, and He has great love and compassion for you and your wounds. Simply by opening up to Jesus, the wounded-healer, your healing will begin to place.

7. KISSING THE WOUNDS.  After your open and loving conversation with Jesus on the cross, end by approaching the Crucifix, Jesus hanging on the cross for love of you, and thank the Lord. Tell the Lord how much you love Him. Then one by one, kiss each one of His five wounds that He suffered for love of you! Saint Francis and the saints did this, why can’t we? This expression of love brings great comfort to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as to the Heart of Mary, His Mother.

8. PRAY THE ANIMA CHRISTI.  One of the prayers that Saint Ignatius treasured most was the ANIMA CHRISTI. This prayer can serve as an excellent prayer of thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. When you have the Real Presence of Jesus in the very depths of your soul, His Precious Blood flowing through your veins, His wounds ready to heal your wounds, then pray the prayer Anima Christi. In this prayer you actually pray for healing from the Body of Christ that you have just received in Holy Communion. By His wounds we are healed.

9. LEARN TO LOVE GOD AND LEARN TO LOVE OTHERS.  The famous novelist, Taylor Caldwell, in her masterpiece about Saint Luke, Dear and Glorious Physician, presents a vivid scene illustrating the power of love as a healing force. There is a man who is very sick and who has gone to many physicians seeking healing, but to no avail. Hearing of the healing power of Saint Luke, the Dear and Glorious Physician, he approaches Luke. The love, compassion, kindness, and gentleness that exude from this Dear and Glorious Physician heals the sick man then and there. Apparently the man had no physical sickness, but rather a gaping spiritual wound. Quite simply, he needed the human love and compassion which he had never received. For this reason, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta commented that New York City is the poorest city because of the lack of love and coldness in people’s hearts. The good news is you don’t have to wait for someone to love you. If you learn to love God and truly practice loving and serving others, healing will take place in your entire being!

10. OUR LADY: HEALTH OF THE SICK! Among the many titles given to Our Lady, one is that of Health of the Sick. It is recorded in the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux that she was suffering a serious malady. Lifting up her gaze, she saw a beautiful statue of Our Lady and she prayed to her. The future saint was healed instantly. Saint Frances de Sales received great emotional healing by lifting his gaze to Our Lady of Victory and praying the Memorare, attributed to Saint Bernard. If you turn to Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and offer to her your wounds, she will heal those wounds by her most powerful intercession.  “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” (Memorare Prayer)

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, we enter a wounded world with our own wounds from Original Sin. Other wounds continue to come through our personal sins. People wound us, often those with whom we share our lives, that is to say, our family members. We, too, wound others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. There are really two options: either we will be Wounded Wounders or we will become Wounded Healers. Let us choose the latter. Let us turn to Jesus, the Wounded Healer and place our wounds in His wounds, and ask Him to transform us into Wounded Healers in a broken and wounded world. Mary Our Lady, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, be there to touch and heal wounded humanity!

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

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

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

THURSDAY, March 17th    Lk. 16:19-31  “”Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted, whereas you are tormented.’”

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS: GREED by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Erich Fromm, a modern psychologist coined this immortal maxim: “If you are what you have and you lose what you have, who are you?” The greatest rock n’ roll group ever, The Beatles, composed a song, “Money can’t buy me love.” Another has offered this pearl of wisdom: “Your possessions possess you!” The Bible, the Word of God, expresses the same truth succinctly: “Love for money is the root of all evil!” (1Tim: 6-10) Greed, sometimes called Avarice, is one of the seven Capital Sins. In this brief essay we would like to define Greed, explain its origin and describe practical steps to overcome this interior attitude that must be overcome if one truly desires to attain to a fully developed Christian life!

ORIGIN! Greed is one of the seven Capital Sins, and like the other six, its origin can be traced back to our first parents when they committed the first sin, known as Original Sin. This sin caused universal repercussions upon the totality of the human race. It’s like a tsunami of immorality, set off by two people but influencing everyone in the human race (except Jesus and Mary). The Angelic Doctor, Thomas Aquinas, calls it “concupiscence”— the interior tendency, proclivity or inclination that pulls or tugs us toward evil or sin!

DEFINITION! Greed is the disordered desire for material things. The Book of Genesis constantly reminds us that all of creation is good. The evil is not to be found in the reality of creation, but in the human heart’s disordered desire for it!

Actually two of the Ten Commandments refer directly to Greed: the 7th and the 10th: “Thou shalt not steal.” (7th); “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.” (10th).

A rich young man who knew the Ten Commandments approached Jesus and asked the Lord the way to eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the Ten Commandments; this he proudly claimed he had done. Then Jesus looked at him with love and challenged him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have; give it to the poor and then come and follow me!” (Mt 19:21) The young man’s face fell and he left the Lord sad. The reason? He had many possessions and was overly attached to them, preferring them over the Person of Jesus Christ. Never again does he appear in the Gospels!

In a society with an over-abundance of things, to become attached inordinately can happen almost imperceptibly, like a frog slowly boiling in the bath tub as the water is heated to the boiling point!

Judas Iscariot fell in love with money and fell out of love with Jesus Christ! Ananias and Sapphira, whom we find in the Acts of the Apostles, a husband and wife infected with greed, were struck dead for lying to St. Peter. But the root cause was their greed, their insatiable desire for “things”.

A striking parable, related to the dangers of greed, is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man (Lk 16:19-31) The poor man Lazarus lies outside the gate of the Rich man day and night. His body filled with sores, dying of hunger, even the dogs come to lick his sores. What a piteous state! In contrast the Rich man, dressed in fine purple, feasts sumptuously at the table every day. Never once does he lift his hand to offer Lazarus so much as a piece of bread.

After their deaths, the Rich man finds himself in the pit of hell in torture longing for a drop of water to refresh his tongue from the fiery torments. The poor man, Lazarus, rests in heaven in the bosom of Father Abraham.

What was the principle reason for the eternal loss of the Rich man? It was not for anything he did, the sin of commission; rather, it was what he failed to do, the sin of omission. His greed blinded him totally to the poor man outside his gate, Lazarus, who was really Jesus Christ in disguise. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you did not feed me; I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink. Whatsoever you failed to do to the least of my brothers that you failed to do to me.” (Mt 25:45)

How then can we conquer the sin of greed that might be lurking or hiding in the depths of our soul? Let us give some concrete steps or advice to win the battle!

1. ADMIT IT AND CONFESS IT!  If through a thorough examination of conscience and consultation with your Spiritual Director or Confessor you have detected greed as an insidious worm gnawing away at your interior life, then admit it, confess it and beg for healing. Jesus is the “Spiritual Physician” of our soul. He has come to heal the wounds of our sins!

2. MEDITATE ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST!  A constant and deep meditation on the life of Jesus can help to transform our spiritual perspective, our outlook on life, on material reality, and on the attitude of our heart. Follow this brief thumbnail sketch of His life: born in the stable of Bethlehem of poor parents, years working as a carpenter, 40 days and 40 nights in the desert fasting from all food and drink, three years without anyone permanent abode, “The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20), stripped of His garments and scourged, nailed to the cross and abandoned by almost everyone, dying and giving up every drop of His Precious Blood, and finally being buried in a borrowed tomb— all of this a summary of the life Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!

3. MEDITATE ON THE LAST THINGS!  One day I will die, be judged by Jesus, and either Heaven or Hell awaits me. Looking at my many possessions, are they a stepping stone or stumbling block to heaven for me for all eternity? The richest man in the world and the poorest will end up in the same place: six feet beneath the ground! St. Francis Borgia, S.J., the former Duke of Gandhi, admired the beautiful Queen who died suddenly. Following the casket of the Queen, the lid popped open and Francis saw the face of this most beautiful woman being eaten by worms! Meditating upon the transitory reality of beauty and wealth, Francis left all to enter the Religious life, becoming a Jesuit and a priest, and then a great saint!

4. LEARN TO GIVE GENEROUSLY!  St. Paul challenges us to give! “There is more joy in giving than receiving!” (Acts 20:35) Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who gave all away to follow Jesus in serving the poorest of the poor, asserted: “Give until it hurts!” One of the greatest modern saints, Mother Teresa’s lifelong desire was to quench the thirst of Jesus by serving the poorest of the poor. For her, Jesus was truly present in the “distressing disguise of the poor”.

5. DO NOT WORRY BUT TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CARE.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us not to worry, especially about material things, food or clothing. Look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. God watches over them. The key is these words of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you.” (Mt 6:33) If you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, then you indeed are the richest of all! Having God living within the depths of your soul is already living out the Kingdom of God that is truly within! Remember: “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) Recall Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall lack!”

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

WEDNESDAY, March 16th    Mt. 20:17-28   “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your slave.”

After Jesus, we have no better model to follow in loving and serving others than our Blessed Mother! “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.” (Lk 1:46-48)

LET US LEARN TO LIVE AND LOVE THROUGH MARY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Mary is the quickest, shortest, easiest path to Jesus. We can call her the shortcut! We are all called to holiness—meaning to be saints. Jesus said: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” This is a command! Therefore, the Holy Mother of God, Mary most holy can help us in our joyful pursuit of holiness which ends in heaven!

THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.  One of the most efficacious tools, or we might even call it spiritual weapon, that we should use to fight the good fight and run the good race so as to wind the victory and prize of eternal life is the MOST HOLY ROSARY. Over centuries the saints and popes have strongly encouraged the faithful to pray the Rosary and to trust in Mary’s most powerful intercession. The prayer of Saint Bernard encapsulates this truth in the famous Marian prayer The Memorare, with these words: “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.”

MYSTERIES OF JOY, MYSTERIES OF LOVE.  In this short essay we will focus on how we can learn to live for and love God and be truly happy by offering a few brief suggestions taken from the five Joyful Mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rosary is a spiritual gold-mine for us to dig into; so let us dig in right now!

THE ANNUNCIATION (Lk 1: 26-38).  Mary encounters God through His angelic messenger, the Archangel Gabriel. We offer three precious pearls to glean and polish from this profound encounter.

1. LISTEN AND TALK TO GOD.  Mary teaches us the importance of silence in our lives. Mary teaches us the importance of listening to God, especially through the Word of God. Mary teaches us the importance of talking to God—that means the real importance of prayer, of talking to God with fervor and devotion from the depths of our hearts. Mary teach me how to pray!

2. SAYING “YES” TO GOD: THE KEY TO HAPPINESS.  All of us are given freedom to choose between good and bad; we can use or abuse our freedom. Mary said YES to God in these words: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word. (Lk 1:38) This is a universal truth: we all want to be happy in this world and always! Why then is it that so many people today want to be happy but walk around with a sad face that they display to the whole world? The reason is very clear: they say NO to God. Our Lady teaches us true freedom and the key to true joy: learning to say YES to God! Starting today, through the intercession of Mary, let us learn to say YES to God.

3. MARY TEACHES US HOW TO RECEIVE JESUS INTO OUR HEARTS.  By saying YES to God, Mary conceived Jesus in her most pure womb and the depths of her most pure and Immaculate Heart. Saint Pope John Paul II makes a beautiful parallel between Mary’s YES to God and our AMEN when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. The end result of Mary’s YES and our AMEN in Holy Communion is the reception of Jesus into our hearts. Let us beg through the intercession of Mary to say YES to God and receive Jesus with burning love in our hearts in Holy Communion.

THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH (Lk 1:39-56).  Like the Annunciation, this Mystery is rich in teaching and growth in holiness for us if we talk to Mary and try to imitate her. Let us take three lessons.

1. AVOID LAZINESS.  Once Mary knew what the will of God was, she did not wait, or procrastinate, or put it off until tomorrow. Rather, she went quickly or in haste. Let us avoid laziness in all times, places, and circumstances. The proverb is so true: “Idleness is the workshop of the devil.”

2. GREETING WITH JOY.  Let us learn from Mary not to wait for others to greet us, but to greet others FIRST and with JOY! This is humility and charity—meaning, putting others first and valuing them for their innate dignity.

3.  SERVICE IS OUR SOURCE OF JOY.  Mary went to visit her elderly cousin, Saint Elizabeth, who was pregnant in her old age, so as to be at the service of her cousin in her need. Saint Paul teaches us: There is more joy in giving than in receiving. (Acts: 20:35) Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “We must learn to give until it hurts.” Starting today let us make it a firm proposal: I will look for opportunities to serve others in imitation of Mary who went in haste to visit and serve Saint Elizabeth! If done, we will experience deep joy within our hearts and souls.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS IN BETHLEHEM (Lk 2:1-7).  In this mystery, we celebrate the most important Birthday in the history of the world, the birth of Jesus that we call Christmas. The birth of Jesus separated the division of time into B.C. and A.D. The lessons that Mary can teach us are innumerable. We will offer three!

1. LIFE IS A JOURNEY.  Mary went on a long journey and arrived at her destination, Bethlehem. Our life is a journey towards heaven. Let us ask Mary, Saint Joseph, and of course, Jesus, to accompany us every step along the way amidst life’s trials and sufferings in our journey towards our final destination, HEAVEN!

2. ACCEPTING TRIALS AND REJECTION.  Mary experienced many trials, contradictions, and sufferings in her life, but she trusted in God all the more. Upon arriving she experienced rejection: There was no room for them in the Inn! When we experience trials, suffering and rejection in our lives we should run to Mary and seek refuge. Immaculate Heart of Mary, be my sure refuge!

3. POVERTY.  Mary and the Holy Family chose to experience and live a life of poverty. One of the biggest obstacles in modern society is that of MATERIALISM—that means, being too attached to material things. If you like: Our possessions can possess us. Jesus was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a poor, cold, damp, and foul-smelling stable (refuge for animals) in Bethlehem. Mary, please teach me that true happiness does not come from possessing things, but from allowing God to possess me!

THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE (Lk 2:22-40).  When Jesus was only 40 days old, He was presented in the Temple through the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary and good Saint Joseph. Once again, we will offer three wonderful lessons from this fourth Joyful Mystery.

1. OBEDIENCE.  Mary and Saint Joseph obeyed God by presenting their first born son in the Temple of Jerusalem as prescribed by the Mosaic Law. If we truly want to experience joy in the depths of our souls, we must learn to imitate Mary in the virtue of obedience. Those in the modern world desire all too often to follow their own will which leads to sadness and eventual destruction. Like Mary, may we learn to obey the Word of God, as well as the Church and her Magisterial teachings, with a well-formed conscience.

2. LIGHT TO ALL THE WORLD.  Jesus in the arms of Mary is presented to the elderly Simeon who calls Jesus LUMEN GENTIUM—Light for the People. Mary teaches us that Jesus must be our true and overflowing Light. Mary, my Mother, give me eyes to perceive the Light of Jesus in the world, in my life, and in all the circumstances of my life.

3. THE SWORD OF SORROW. The Prophecy of Simeon entailed announcing that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction, and that a sword of sorrow would penetrate and pierce the heart of Mary. The meaning may be difficult for us to understand, and possibly even more difficult to put into practice: the value of suffering. We must learn to offer our sufferings to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, so that these sufferings can have infinite value in the salvation of souls! We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

THE FINDING OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE (Lk 2:41-51).  Present in this fifth and last Joyful Mystery is a hidden sorrow, but great joy. The sorrow, of course, is that Mary and Joseph lose Jesus for three long days. Their joy is in finding Jesus. There is much for us to meditate upon in this Mystery. However, we will give three golden nuggets!

1. MANY PARENTS LOSE THEIR CHILDREN.  Today many parents can identify very easily with this Mystery because they lose their children in that their children no longer practice their faith. This pierces the hearts of their parents! Mary teaches us not to give up hope, but to pursue our children through prayer. LET US LEARN TO LIVE AND LOVE THROUGH MARY!

2. Mary is the quickest, shortest, easiest path to Jesus. We can call her the shortcut! We are all called to holiness—meaning to become saints. Jesus said: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” This is a command! Therefore, the Holy Mother of God, Mary most holy can help us in our joyful pursuit of holiness which ends in heaven.

3. THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.  One of the most efficacious tools, or we might even call it spiritual weapon, that we should use to fight the good fight and run the good race so as to win: “The victory and prize of eternal life is the MOST HOLY ROSARY. Over centuries, saints and popes have strongly encouraged the faithful to pray the Rosary and to trust in Mary’s most powerful intercession. The prayer of Saint Bernard encapsulates this truth in the famous Marian prayer, The Memorare, with these words: Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.