Thursday of the First Week in Lent

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

THURSDAY, March 10th    Mt. 7:7-12   “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.’”

If Jesus said this, then why is it that sometimes we ask and don’t receive; we seek and do not find; we knock and the door is not opened for us?

The answer is in the next sentence in the Gospel: “Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? 

God knows that what we are asking for is detrimental to the salvation of our soul. Or sometimes God has a greater good in mind for us even in this life than we could ever imagine! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)

A man once asked Padre Pio to cure him of his blindness. The Saint responded that he could cure him, but if he did so, the man would lose his soul for all eternity. There is our earthly good to consider, but at the same time, there is our far greater eternal good! This life is short; eternity is forever, and ever, and ever!

Even knowing this, the problem is that when we do not receive, or find, or the door is not opened, we sometimes fall into discouragement or desolation. We need help to fight this!

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AGAINST WHAT? DISCOURAGEMENT! YES, DISCOURAGEMENT! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Enemy number one is sin!  After the reality of sin, we must constantly be on guard, day in and day out, morning and evening, and in all circumstances to fight forcefully against the devil of discouragement.

SAUL AND YOUNG DAVID.  Even though chosen to be the King and leader of the Israelites, King Saul experienced frequent bouts of discouragement that easily led to depression. Young David would come to King Saul’s aid and play a musical melody on the harp. This would assuage and alleviate Saul at least temporarily of the bad spirit of discouragement.

Like Saul we all confront persons, places, circumstances, health situations, that can easily lead us down the road of discouragement.

SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA AND DISCOURAGEMENT.  The great Saint Ignatius of Loyola understood keenly the reality of discouragement. So much did he understand this reality that he penned fourteen rules, The Rules for Discernment of Spirits for the first week, and several of these rules deal with this topic. One of the manifestations of a state of desolation is that of discouragement—sadness, lack of faith, hope and love, a tugging toward the sensual—in a word, seeing the world as if it were a dark and endless tunnel.

NO SHAME TO BE IN DESOLATION OR TEMPTED TO DISCOURAGEMENT.  None of us should be ashamed if we find ourselves immersed in a state of discouragement. Often it is the devil himself who provokes discouragement. However, it is incumbent upon all of us to be aware of this often subtle temptation, and we must fight forcefully against it. Indeed, if we give in to discouragement it can really wreak havoc in our lives.

SPIRITUAL STRATEGY.  This being said, we would like to offer to all a game-plan, a strategy that we can utilize so as to prove victorious in our battle against the all-present reality of discouragement.  

1. VIGILANCE AND BEING AWARE!  The first principle that should be enunciated in the battle against discouragement is the admission of the simple fact that in our lives there will be constant temptations to give in to discouragement. With this heightened awareness, we will not be taken off guard when the devil of discouragement is knocking at the door of our hearts. Keep the door of your heart locked key and bolt from this devil!

2. PRAYER AND CONSTANT PRAYER.  Jesus says that we should pray always and without giving up hope. Saint Paul reiterates the same idea when he says that we should pray constantly and give thanks to God in all circumstances.

3. THANKSGIVING: CULTIVATE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.  Following up on the previous idea, we should live in a constant mode of thanksgiving. God is good at all times and in all places. All that we have in our lives on a natural plane, artistic plane, talent plane, and most important, in our supernatural life of grace are gifts from the Father of all good gifts. Although it might seem paradoxical, when we are in a state of discouragement we should call to mind some of the gifts generously bestowed upon us by our good God. Often it happens that the discouragement will disappear like the early morning dew that evaporates as soon the sun breaks through. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.” (Ps 136:1)

4. EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE.  Another helpful step in conquering discouragement is that of self-knowledge which can be attained through a Daily Examine of Conscience. Saint Ignatius says that those who are serious about growing in their spiritual life should never neglect the Daily Examen. This can be of incalculable benefit for the simple reason that the Daily Examen done well can help us get to the root cause of why we are tempted to give in to discouragement. The classical spiritual writers insist on the capital importance of self-knowledge. The desert Fathers coined the two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF!!!

5. SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR.  Also, the saints insist that those who are pursuing an authentic life of holiness must seek out some periodic and systematic spiritual direction.  We all of us have blind spots and cannot really see ourselves as we are. An experienced, spiritual, and well-educated spiritual director can help to pull us out of discouragement, as well as help us from falling into the pit of discouragement.

6. TRANSPARENCY WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR.  As a follow-up, it is extremely important and necessary that we do not hide, blur or camouflage our state of soul to our spiritual director. Saint Ignatius, in his rules for discernment, highlights the fact that the devil wants us to keep our interior state of desolation to ourselves, and that often is discouragement. Then the devil can easily turn a mole-hill into a huge mountain. On the contrary, revealing our state of discouragement to a well-trained director can lift the cloud and God’s light, peace and joy will return to our soul. In all humility, we need each other to help us through the pits and valleys, the dark nights and struggles of life.

7. CHECK YOUR HEALTH AND REST.  Often we may experience discouragement for the simple reason that we feel weak, sickly, depleted of energy. Two suggestions: get a physical checkup to see if there is something wrong on a physical plane. Next, make sure you are getting a good night’s rest. You would be surprised how a good night’s rest can literally change the tide. Many temptations descend upon us for the simple reason that we are not sufficiently well-rested!

8. GET OUT OF YOURSELF AND SERVE, HELP OTHERS!  A trained spiritual director in Chile, Father Aldunate, S.J., was able to reform countless numbers of wounded people who suffered desolation, discouragement and depression. He formulated this program: 1) Confession, 2) Daily mental prayer and sharing, 3) Serving/helping others! What a simple but great and extremely efficacious program this Chilean Jesuit priest formulated. First, get back in the state of grace through the Sacrament of Confession and receive Holy Communion. But also, mental prayer, we call it meditation, for an hour a day; Fulton Sheen called it the Holy Hour. Then finally, get out of yourself and into the lives of others by serving them. How? Help the poor, visit patients in the hospitals, go to nursing homes and visit the residents, and finally, smile at the discouraged! This program worked miracles and it still can today, if we are willing to follow it!

9. TALK TO THE SAINTS.  Often those who suffer discouragement experience at the same time a certain feeling of loneliness. They feel that nobody really seems to care about them, or if they do care, it is very little. Even if this were the case, we are never really alone because we have the saints. The saints are God’s friends in heaven, but they are our friends too! Despite their many trials in life, the saints lived in an atmosphere of almost constant joy. Why? Because they were convinced that God really loved them. When you feel discouraged, remember that God loves you infinitely, but also God’s friends—the saints in heaven—love you and they are your friends always! Get into the habit of talking to the saints.

10. OUR LADY: CAUSE OF OUR JOY.  Of course our essay would be incomplete if we did not invite Our Lady into our lives. After he died, Saint Dominic Savio appeared to Saint John Bosco and told Bosco that his greatest joy on earth was his tender and loving devotion to the Blessed Mother—Our Lady Help of Christians. In the midst of the dense clouds of confusion, depression and discouragement, let us lift our gaze to Mary and cry out: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life our sweetness and our hope…

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

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

WEDNESDAY, March 9th    Lk. 11:29-32   Bible Verse: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.”

MERCY: JESUS’ GIFT TO YOU RIGHT NOW! By Fr Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus came to save sinners. The name JESUS means SAVIOR. The primary purpose of the Incarnation and the Paschal Mystery—the Passion, suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, the Lord, was to save us from eternal perdition and to bring us to heaven. By the completion of Jesus’ Paschal Mystery, the gates of heaven flew open, and now all of us have access to union with the Blessed Trinity forever. All of us can be saved if this is the most ardent desire and yearning of our hearts.

THE UNIQUE AND UNCONDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION.  True and easy as this may sound, salvation depends principally on one condition—the primary, indispensable, and immutable disposition of our heart—and that is trusting fully and totally in the MERCY that Jesus offers us in every time, every place, every culture, and to every individual person.

EXAMPLE.  If you like, imagine this scene. A rich man has a fruit orchard in which there are luscious fruits of all kinds, sizes, and shapes. This rich man happens to be your friend. One day he says to you: “Listen, at any time of the day you are free to go into the orchard and take and eat any of the fruits that your heart desires. The only condition is that you have to provide your own means of transportation to arrive at the orchard. Then pick and eat to your heart’s delight!” God has a GARDEN and that is the Sacred Heart of His Son, Jesus. He invites all to visit Jesus’ Sacred Heart and eat and drink from it in abundance. The food and drink from His Heart is His MERCY!

CONFESSION AND MERCY.  Reading and reflecting upon this message, the next question that might surface in your mind might be the following: if that is the case, how can I reach this orchard where can I attain this precious and free fruit? The response is amazingly simple: THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION!!! Jesus, present in the ordained priest, is waiting for all of us in the confessional. When we receive the Sacrament of Confession and receive absolution—that means, the forgiveness of our sins—it is not so much the priest who is forgiving our sins, rather it is Jesus who truly forgives. The priest is the mere instrument, and Jesus, Son of the living God, is the One who forgives.

GIFT OF GOD’S INFINITE MERCY AND THE PROMISE OF MERCY SUNDAY.  Now is the time, in a very special way, that we want to take advantage of the Infinite Mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sunday following Easter is MERCY SUNDAY. Saint Pope John Paul II admitted that Mercy Sunday 2000 was the happiest day in his life for two specific reasons: 1) The first reason was that the saintly pontiff proclaimed that day to be solemnly celebrated as MERCY SUNDAY— actually the crowning moment of Easter, the Easter Octave. 2) This same day Saint Pope John Paul II canonized SAINT FAUSTINA KOWALSKA—known as the Secretary of Divine Mercy. With these two pontifical actions, Saint Pope John Paul II was filled with immense and overflowing joy. Incidentally, Saint Faustina was the first saint to be canonized in the new millennium.

CONTENT OF THE PROMISE OF DIVINE MERCY.  By making a well-prepared and sincere Confession in the Season of Lent, and then participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, and of course the most important element in the Mass, receiving Holy Communion fervently, then the great gift or promise is received! This means that after having received Holy Communion—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, the Merciful Savior—your soul becomes absolutely pure, white as the snow, innocent as a dove, bright and resplendent as the midday sun, precious as the most valuable of all diamonds. Another means of expressing this: it is as if you were baptized a second time. What happens in the Sacrament of Baptism for adults? It washes away all of their sins and the temporal punishment due them. This also means that if you were to die in that moment you would not have to spend an instant in Purgatory, but you would fly like an eagle to Heaven to be with the Blessed Trinity, Mary, and the angels and the saints for all eternity.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOMENT.  This being the case, why not take advantage of the Infinite Mercy that Jesus, through His Mystical Body the Church, is offering you right now. Remember the rich man and the orchard analogy! God is the rich man who is infinitely rich; the orchard and the abundant fruits symbolize His Mercy, which is the greatest of all of His virtues. It is up to you to make the effort to make it to confession and confess honestly and sincerely your sins to the priest who represents Jesus. This results in forgiveness, and then on Mercy Sunday, total forgiveness of your sins and the temporal punishment due for your sins!

PRAISE GOD’S MERCY.  With the Psalmist let us praise with all of our heart, mind, and soul, God and His Infinite Mercy: GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. (Psalm 107:7)

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

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

TUESDAY, March 8th    Mt. 6:7-15   “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

The Our Father is the prayer that Jesus, the Son of God made man, taught us to pray.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be Thy Name. 
Thy Kingdom come. 
Thy Will be done, 
on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our trespasses, 
as we forgive those who trespass against us. 
And lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

As simple as this prayer is, because of our fallen nature, it is not easy to put into practice, as we have all experienced! Fr. Ed’s meditation is a welcome assist in pursuing holiness!  

BE HOLY AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS HOLY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All of us are called to become saints. How do we know? Jesus commanded us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48) In other words: Become a saint! Most saints have not been officially canonized, but are anonymous, unknown except by God alone.

Given that this is a serious command given by Jesus Himself, to be holy—to become a saint, let us briefly highlight ten of the most salient notes or characteristics of the saints. This will serve to motivate each and every one of us to become whom God has called us to be—a Saint!

1. ANTITHESIS OF SAINTLINESS: SIN. 

Let us start with the negative. Saints have an abhorrence; they truly detest the one major evil in the world—the reality of sin. Modern culture glamorizes and even promotes sin; the saints fight against it. The motto of Saint Dominic Savio for his first Holy Communion was the following immortal assertion: DEATH RATHER THAN SIN!

2. PRAYER!

It is absolutely impossible to come across and read the life of any saint who did not take their prayer life seriously and spend sizable blocks of time dedicated to prayer, which is union and friendship with God. (St. Teresa of Avila) Face it, we can all improve in our prayer lives; we can pray more and we can always pray better. May the Holy Spirit enlighten and inspire us to upgrade our prayer life in our pursuit of holiness.

3. HUMILITY.

Saints are truly humble. By humility we mean the following: saints attribute all the good that they have done to God, the origin, author and end of all good. When complimented on any good done, almost spontaneously the saint responds: Thanks be to God!

4. HUNGER FOR HOLINESS.

An authentic saint has a real hunger and thirst for exactly that—holiness, to become a saint. If you like, the saint lives out the first verse of Psalm 41: “As the deer yearns for running waters, so my soul yearns for you O Lord, my God.” A saint admits that they are not a saint, but they really long to be a saint one day. This longing, this yearning indeed is half the battle in attaining the crown of holiness, the triumph of winning the crown of saintliness. Many yearn for money, power, pleasure, success, and possessions. Not so the saint! Their one desire is to love God fully, totally and unreservedly, and so become the saint that God has called them to be!

5. CHARITY. 

The saint is motivated to assimilate and carry out in word and deed the greatest of all the Commandments—the Command to love both God and neighbor. If you want to see a graphic image of charity, lift up your eyes to Jesus crucified, Jesus hanging from the cross, and you have a clear image of charity. We are called to love God totally and to love our neighbor as ourselves. On one occasion, Jesus appeared to Saint Thomas Aquinas after he had achieved enormous accomplishments, and asked the saint what gift he desired most. Immediately Aquinas responded: Lord, grant me the grace to love you more and more each day.” Saint John of the Cross asserted: “In the twilight of our existence we will be judged on love.” Saint Frances de Sales adds to this with these words: “The measure that we should love God with, is to love Him without measure.”

6. ZEAL FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.  

Two saints met, one a youngster, the other, a priest. The youngster looked up and saw on the wall a few words written in Latin and he asked the priest what those words were and what they meant. The priest responded by saying that those words were his motto and they were: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” The boy responded with: “I am the cloth, you are the tailor; make me a saint!” The priest was Saint John Bosco; the youngster was Saint Dominic Savio. An authentic saint loves God and loves what God loves—the salvation of immortal souls, including their own! One soul is worth more than all creation in the natural world. The reason for the excruciating pain that Jesus willingly suffered in His Passion and the outpouring of His most Precious Blood was precisely this: to save immortal souls for all eternity. The stigmata for fifty years of Saint Padre Pio—the 13-18 hours daily in the Confessional in the life of the Cure of Ars, Saint John Vianney—the heroic sacrifices of the little children of Fatima—the victimhood of Saint Faustina, all had one motivational reason and force: love of God and hunger and thirst for the salvation of souls.

7. STRUGGLING SINNERS THAT RISE WHEN THEY FALL. 

Many have been deceived into an artificial, sugar-sweet, somewhat romantic vision of a saint as someone exempt from human weaknesses and moral failures. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Saints are born sinners. However, a common characteristic of the saint is that upon falling, sinner that they are, they resiliently bounce back; they return to the Lord through Confession with good will, true contrition, and a firm purpose of amendment. Venerable Bruno Lanteri taught NUNC CAEPI— meaning, if we fall, then we must rise immediately and trust all the more in the grace and mercy of the loving Heart of Jesus. It is no surprise that in the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus reminds us that the greatest sinner can become the greatest saint if they TRUST FULLY IN HIS MERCY. Venerable Fulton Sheen reminds us that the first canonized saint was a murderer, an insurrectionist, and a thief who hung on a cross next to Jesus on Calvary. As Sheen points out: “And he died a thief because he stole heaven.” Read and meditate on the Parable of the Prodigal Son that can also be termed, the Parable of the Merciful Father.” (Luke 15:11-32)

8. FERVENT LOVE FOR THE SOURCE OF ALL HOLINESS: THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 

The ultimate source of grace, purity, strength and holiness is Jesus Himself. The most efficacious means by which can we unite ourselves with Jesus in His Mystical Body is through the Sacraments. The greatest of all of the Sacraments is the Most Holy Eucharist, for the simple but profound reason that the Eucharist actually is Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! Jesus is the Holy of Holies! Jesus is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity! Though it may sound banal or even trivial or even a cliché, there is a real truism behind this one liner: “You become what you eat!” Bad eating habits can produce health problems; good eating habits can contribute to health and longevity. In a parallel but real sense, when we nourish our souls with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, with faith, love, devotion and fervor, then we start to think like Jesus, feel like Jesus, act like Jesus, become like Jesus, until we can say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

9. OPEN AND DOCILE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Father Jacques Philippe wrote a short masterpiece on this topic with the title, “In the School of the Holy Spirit.” In this short but inspiring book, Father Jacques constantly reminds his readers that holiness essentially depends on one basic attitude, action, and plan of life: being docile to the Holy Spirit and His heavenly inspirations. As the Consoler, Counselor, Interior Master, Paraclete, Sweet Guest of the Soul—the Holy Spirit speaks gently but insistently to the pure, humble, and docile soul guiding them in the proper course of action that leads to holiness of life, that leads us to become the saints that we are all called and destined to become! Saint Paul reminds us: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with ineffable groans so that we can call out Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:26) It is precisely for this reason that Pope Saint John XXIII stated: “The saints are the masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.”

10. MARY AND THE SAINTS.

Our Lady, Mary most holy, is the Queen of Angels, Queen of Virgins, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Martyrs, Queen and beauty of Carmel, Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and finally Mary is Queen of all of the Angels and Saints. After he died, Saint Dominic Savio appeared bathed in heavenly glory to Saint John Bosco and told the holy priest what gave him the greatest joy in his short life on earth (14 years and 11 months). It was precisely this: his great love and confidence in the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Dominic ended this encounter with Saint John Bosco by exhorting him to spread devotion to Mary to the greatest extent possible. Mary inspires the saints to pray fervently. Mary inspires the saints to return to God after they sin. Mary encourages the saints to love Jesus with their whole being. Mary’s presence helps the saints to avoid moral dangers. Mary’s maternal and loving presence helps the saints to move from desolation to consolation. For that reason, the saints cry out to Mary in these words: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.”

Our final prayer and hope is that all of our readers will become saints and great saints. Our hope and prayer is that all of you will one day be a very precious, resplendent and glorious jewel in the crown of Mary so as to contemplate and praise the Blessed Trinity for all eternity.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us so that we can attain the grace to truly become the saint that God has destined for us to become for all eternity.”

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

 

Optional Memorial of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs

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

MONDAY, March 7th    Mt 25: 31-46   “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

We have meditated on the Corporal Works of Mercy, taken from Matthew 25. It is necessary to meet people’s basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, welcoming the foreigner, visiting the sick and imprisoned. But then we must attend to their spiritual needs.

Today, Father Ed takes us through the beautiful Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy. We are composite beings of body and soul; so must we serve our neighbor in body and soul!

SEVEN WAYS TO PRACTICE THE SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We are all encouraged by the Lord, especially by reading and meditating on Mt 25:31-46, to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy—to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to welcome the foreigner, and to visit both the sick and the imprisoned.

In sum, our Final Judgment will be based largely on love of God but manifested in our love for neighbor. Indeed, using the words of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “We must find Jesus present in the distressing disguise of the poor.” Saint Vincent de Paul, known for his great love for the poor, actually called the poor “his masters”.

Corporal works of mercy done with the most noble of intentions pleases the Heart of Jesus immensely. However, it is equally important to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Jesus said point blank: “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process. What can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt 16:26) Pope Francis lamented that one of the most common and grave neglects is the failure to preach the Word of God to the poor. First, fill their hungry stomachs. But then, fill their souls with the Bread of the Word of God and the Bread of Life which is Holy Communion.

In this short essay we would like to go through the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and give some ways we can implement these all important spiritual injunctions!

First of all, the Spiritual Works of Mercy are the following:

1) Admonish the sinner; 2) Instruct the ignorant; 3) Counsel the doubtful; 4) Comfort the sorrowful: 5) Bear wrongs patiently; 6) Forgive all injuries; 7) Pray for the living and the dead.

There we have the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy. Let us take them one at a time!

1. ADMONISH THE SINNER

Easier said than done! Doing this can be extremely difficult but it is exceedingly necessary, now more than ever! Why is it so difficult? For the simple reason that we are born proud and do not desire to give up old and ingrained habits. If they are bad habits, they are called “vices”. We often cling to the evil, the ugly, the impure, the unhealthy, the sinful.

A common example merits our attention. Those who co-habit are living in sin and somebody should tell them, giving clear reasons why this is wrong. What might be the reasons to explain why it is wrong? Here are some. Premarital sex or fornication is a mortal sin. You deprive yourself of the Sacraments, both of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. You erode your conscience. You are giving public scandal, no matter how many others may be doing it. Might, meaning majority, does not make right in the eyes of God. 

God so highly prizes admonishing the sinner and bringing him back on the right path that He promises salvation and the expiation of many of our personal sins by simply bringing back one straying sinner. Read the words of the Apostle Saint James):

“My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas 5:19-20)

2. INSTRUCT THE IGNORANT

We all have heard the proverb: “Charity begins at home.” This is true, especially in the formation of children and adolescents. By choosing the married state, a husband and wife profess to be open to life through procreation. That is the very first step!

Next, it is incumbent upon parents to teach their children all that refers to God—the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, prayer, Marian devotion, and much more! The primary responsibility of parents bringing children into this world is to bring these children to heaven.   

The school is not the first teacher, nor the catechism teacher, nor even the Pastor or priest. No! The first teachers must be Mom and Dad. This necessarily implies the process of ongoing or permanent formation on the part of the parents! Another proverb is worthy of injecting here: “You can’t give what you don’t have.”  

One field that the parents must master in the realm of education, for themselves as well as their children, is that of sexual morality. Parents must strive to know the Biblical and Church’s teaching on purity, live it out in their own lives, and then teach it with the utmost clarity to their children!

3. COUNSEL THE DOUBTFUL

Much can be said on this Spiritual Work of Mercy, but we will briefly mention one: the importance of solid spiritual direction. Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Faustina Kowalska, as well as Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, all were strongly dependent on spiritual direction so as to discern God’s will in their lives. They all are canonized saints and one of the reasons is that they humbly admitted that they were ignorant in many ways, had many doubts, and had to submit their judgments, inspirations and thoughts to a higher authority—their Confessor and Spiritual Director.  

Given that there is a shortage of priests, as well as spiritual directors, still it is incumbent upon us to find some way to have periodic spiritual direction so as to expel the many doubts that can easily cloud our mind, blur our judgment, and corrupt our actions. Saint John of the Cross put it wryly: “He who has himself as spiritual director has an idiot as his directee!” In other words, we all have blind spots that can only be enlightened by proper spiritual direction.

4. COMFORT THE SORROWFUL

This is extremely important! Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his rules for Discernment of Spirits, outlines the strategy on how to act when we are in a state of desolation.  

In desolation we may feel sad, worn down, exhausted and alone, as if nobody really cares about us, to the point that life seems useless and without meaning. We all go through this state at times; it is part of being human. When you are in a state of desolation, open up to your Spiritual Director, and if you don’t have one, to a Confessor familiar with the Spiritual Exercises. This is essential!

That being said, when you are aware of someone else going through this state of desolation, it is incumbent on you to do all that you can to be a source of encouragement for them. How???

First and foremost, pray for the person. Second, a warm smile can go a long way! Third, say a word or two of encouragement. Fourth, offer a compliment on some good quality the person has. Fifth, be willing to listen to them. Sometimes, just being able to speak their fears and doubts out loud dissipates them. This is very pleasing to God. We become like Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus carry His cross.

5. BEAR WRONGS PATIENTLY

Once again, easier said than done. In this we need grace and a lot of grace! Maybe at work we have been wronged by a boss or a co-worker. Both the boss and co-worker are not going anywhere. Changing jobs is unthinkable due to the economic situation. The most pleasing attitude in the eyes of God is simply to return to work with great humility and trust in Divine Providence.

Trust in God! He will be there with you to help you patiently carry the cross. Of immense help would be to meditate upon Jesus carrying His cross heading towards His crucifixion. Even though Jesus fell three times, He still got up again, with the weight of the all sins of the world on His weary, beaten and bloody shoulders.

We should always have Jesus before our eyes as our model and example. Indeed Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Ask Jesus to help you; He will be your Simon of Cyrene!

6. FORGIVE ALL INJURIES

May God help us! We have arrived at the heart of mercy in our dealings with others. Mercy is a two-way street! If we want to receive mercy from God, then we must be merciful and forgive those who have done us wrong. Biblical verses on this topic are many, very many…

“Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk 6:36)

“Do not take revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.’” (Rom 12:19)

“Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Eph 4:26)

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”(Mt 6:12 The Our Father)

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive? Up to seven times?”…”I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mt 18:21-22)

“Leave your gift at the altar, and first go and be reconciled with your brother, then come and offer your gift.” (Mt 5:24)

Jesus from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk 23: 34)

Jesus to the repentant thief on the cross. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23: 43)

One hint in the area of forgiveness. Accept the fact that all of your life people will hurt you.

The most common place where we are wounded is in the context of our family, with family members. The key is this: forgive immediately! As soon as anybody hurts or wounds you, pray for that person and forgive them immediately. And as often as the hurt returns, pray for them and forgive them again! If done, you will have won a major victory over self, and shown God how much you love Him by practicing mercy!

7. PRAY FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

Jesus told Saint Faustina that He desires that we practice at least one Act of Mercy every day. He specified that mercy can be carried out in one of three manners: 1) by kind words; 2) by kind deeds; 3) by prayer.

One of the greatest acts of charity that we can do in our lives is to simply pray for others, both the living and the dead.

With respect to the living, there should be a hierarchy of importance. If married and with a family, this should be the order: first spouse, then children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, friends, co-workers and associates, and we should also pray for those we do not like and even for our enemies!!!

Then, with respect to the dead, we should pray constantly for the dead. Saint Francis de Sales emphasizes the fact that this is one of the greatest acts of charity that we can do. Why? For this simple reason: they are totally dependent on the mercy of God and on our prayers, almsgiving or charity, as well as our sacrifices, in order to be released from Purgatory!

The Gregorian Mass of a month’s consecutive Masses for the dead came about because Saint Pope Gregory the Great had to pray thirty consecutive Masses so as to free his deceased friend from the fires of Purgatory.

A common error today is in funeral Masses, where the deceased person, despite their many moral failures, is being unofficially canonized in the funeral homily, as well as in the eulogy. True, we should be compassionate towards those who have lost their loved ones. Still, we should not canonize the deceased and assume they are saved. Only the Pope has the right to canonize anyone! The Bible teaches clearly and unequivocally that only the souls pure and without blemish can enter the Kingdom of God. Let us not leave our deceased loved ones and friends in the fires of Purgatory through our failure to pray for them! By God’s grace, we can make reparation for their sins with our prayers and sacrifices, and thereby shorten their time in Purgatory.

Ask yourself, in humble prayer, which of these Spiritual Works of Mercy do you believe the Holy Spirit is inspiring you to undertake right now? Look at your concrete living conditions and ask the Holy Spirit to pinpoint persons and areas where you will be able to implement with great generosity one or more of these Spiritual Works of Mercy. Never forget the inspiring and challenging words of Jesus: “Whatsoever you do the least of my brothers that you do unto me.” (Mt 25: 31-46)

First Sunday of Lent

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

SUNDAY, March 6th    Lk. 4: 1-13   “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.”

SPIRITUAL COMBAT: WEAPONS IN YOUR ARSENAL by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The word of God teaches us that our life on earth is warfare and the Lord reminds us that if we have decided to follow Him, we must be prepared for combat. The Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens the Gifts of the Holy Spirit within our souls and transforms us into “Soldiers of Christ the King”. With the Cristero Martyrs of Mexico, our battle cry must be “Viva Cristo Rey”— long live Christ the King!

The devil exists, has keen intelligence (in a perverted way), is exceedingly sly and crafty, and is constantly at work and persistent in his temptations. However, God, Mary, and the  angels and saints are far more powerful than the devil.

Two extremes must be avoided with respect to the devil. These were warnings given by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI. The first extreme to avoid is to deny that the devil exists. Indeed this is one of the tactics of the devil. On the other hand, we should never give the devil too much importance. Fearful alarmists speak more of the power of the devil than of the Omnipotence of God Himself. Let us avoid the two extremes!

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS TO CONQUER THE DEVIL… 

VIGILANCE.

Stay awake and pray so that you are not put to the test and overcome by the temptations of the devil. The precise reason for the Apostles’ fall, abandoning Jesus in the Garden, was that they were not vigilant in prayer.

NAME IT AND CLAIM IT.

When the temptation breaks it can prove exceedingly useful to simply admit in a very calm manner, “I am being tempted by the devil, the enemy of God!” Name it! Claim it! And then tame it! Discovering the enemy on the attack is half the battle. Ignorance of the enemy’s presence can augment his power over us.

AVOID THE NEAR OCCASION OF SIN.

Often we are tempted because we place ourselves in the near occasion of sin. Remember the many proverbs! “Do not play with fire!”…“He who plays in danger will perish in danger!” … “He who walks on thin ice will fall in!” One of the reasons why Eve ate from the forbidden fruit was due to the simple reason that she was near the tree that God told her not to eat from. Why did she go near that tree to begin with?

STATE OF DESOLATION.

While in this state, St. Ignatius arms us with four key weapons: more prayer, more meditation, examine your conscience (to see why you are in desolation), and finally, apply yourself to some suitable penance. Some devils are expelled only through prayer and penance!

SACRAMENTALS.

The proper use of Sacramentals can prove to be very efficacious in fighting against the devil, and especially three: the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Medal of Saint Benedict, and finally, Holy Water. St. Teresa of Avila insists on using Holy Water to expel the devil from our presence. Why? The devil is inflated with pride and Holy Water is small and inconspicuous—this the devil hates and cannot endure. Exorcists have recourse to Holy Water!

FIERY DARTS THAT PENETRATE HEAVEN.

When being assaulted by the enemy it is highly recommended to offer short and fervent prayers; these can prove exceedingly efficacious in putting the devil to flight. Some examples of these short but powerful prayers might be: Jesus, I trust in you… Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation… Lord, save me… Lord, come to my rescue…and of course, invoking with faith and confidence the Holy names of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph.

REJECT IMMEDIATELY.

Part of the problem in spiritual combat is the lethargic, slow and anemic response to temptation. God’s grace must always prevail through the weapon of prayer. Still, we must engage our own will in manfully and forcefully rejecting the temptation from the start. Frequently temptations get a stronghold over us because we open up the door and the tail of the devil enters, and then it is difficult to kick him out!

LAZINESS.

On one occasion in the Diary of St. Faustina, the devil was roaming the corridors frantically looking for someone to tempt. St. Faustina stopped the devil and told him out of obedience to Jesus, to tell her what was the greatest danger for the nuns. Reluctantly the devil responded—lazy and indolent souls!

All of us have heard the proverb: “Idleness is the workshop of the devil!” This means that if we do not have anything to do, the devil will give us plenty to do. The great St. John Bosco mortally feared vacation time for his boys in the Oratory. Why? Too much free time gives full entrance and reign to the devil in the life of the youth! How often have we sinned preceded by moments, hours or even days of indolence and laziness!

Our philosophy should be that of St. Alberto Hurtado, “There are two places to rest: the cemetery and heaven.” The present is the time to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. May St. Benedict’s motto be ours: Ora et Labora—Prayer and Work.

JESUS IN THE DESERT AS SUPREME EXAMPLE: HIS THREE WEAPONS.

Of course the best example for all is Jesus who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (Jn 14:6)

At the end of forty days in the desert, the devil came to tempt Him. Jesus forcefully and easily conquered the devil by using three weapons that we must learn to use: prayer, fasting, and the use of the Word of God.

Jesus had a prolonged prayer experience in the desert. Added to that was forty days of fasting; He ate nothing. Finally the devil tempted Him using the Word of God, but Jesus also used the Word of God as a sharp arrow to puncture the efforts of Satan. Fervent and prolonged prayer, constant self-denial, and familiarity with the Word of God—meditating on it and putting it into practice, are efficacious weapons indeed to combat and conquer Satan. 

OPENNESS WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR.

Once again, the Master, Saint Ignatius, comes to the rescue! In the 13th Rule of Discernment of Spirits, Ignatius warns us that the devil likes secrecy. When we are in a state of desolation, the devil counsels us to keep it secret, keep it to ourselves. Whereas opening up to a Spiritual Director can conquer the temptation and dissipate the desolation. By way of example, clamming up is like having a cut or wound that is left unattended and hidden beneath a band aid. Until that wound is exposed to the sunlight and a disinfectant applied, not only will the wound not heal, but it will become all the more infected and risk the danger of gangrene, or worse yet, amputation.

Once the temptation is revealed to an able Spiritual Director it is often conquered.

Overwhelmed by temptation, doubt and confusion shortly before making her vows, St. Therese was tempted to leave the convent. She opened up to both her Novice Mistress and her Superior revealing her state of soul. Almost immediately the temptation disappeared, she made her vows and went on to become one of the greatest modern saints. What would have happened if following the counsel of the devil she had kept her state of soul secret and acted upon it? Undoubtedly we would not have Saint Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church.

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL.

In our battle with Satan, we should use all the weapons in our arsenal. God chose Saint Michael the Archangel as the faithful angel, the Prince of the Heavenly Host, to cast into hell Satan and the other rebellious angels. St. Michael, whose name means, “Who is like unto God”, is just as powerful now as he was in the past.

In the midst of the storm of temptations, why not lift up your heart to St. Michael and call upon him. You can pray the famous prayer “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…” (see below) Or simply beg for his intercession! His help from the heights of heaven will help you to be victor in your combat with the devil.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

MARY MOST HOLY.

As a whole, the Mexican people have great devotion to Mary, especially under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. However, in Guadalajara, Mexico, in addition to venerating Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patron of Mexico and the Americas, they honor her with another title:  “La General del ejercito!” — meaning she is the “General of the Army”.

In our battle against the ancient serpent, Genesis 3:15 honors the woman who crushes the head of the serpent with her heal. “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between her offspring and yours; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” (Gen. 3:15). Indeed the ancient serpent, the devil can strike out at us with his ugly tongue and spew out venom, but when we rely on and trust in Mary she will crush his ugly head.

Viva Cristo Rey! Viva Maria Reina! Long live Jesus and Mary!