Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Friday after Ash Wednesday

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

FRIDAY, March 4th    Mt. 9: 14-15   Isaiah 58: 6-8

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
            releasing those bound unjustly,
            untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed
            breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
            sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
            and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
            and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,

TO SERVE IS TO REIGN; TO REIGN IS TO SERVE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We are building upon the solid structure of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Principle and Foundation: We were created to praise God, to reverence God, and to serve God, and by this means to save our soul. Jesus makes it very clear in Mt 25: 31-46 whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to Him! In other words, Principle and Foundation challenges us to go out of our comfort zone, to leave our security blanket, to step out of the boat into the cold water at the Lord’s command so that we can truly serve! May Mary, the humble servant of the Lord, assist us in our true vocation—the vocation that leads to heaven—the vocation of authentic service!

 BIBLICAL REFERENCES ON THE VOCATIONAL CALL TO SERVE.

SATAN—THE ANTITHESIS OF SERVICE. 

It must be said that Satan/Lucifer raised his voice in a clarion call of rebellion against the will of Almighty God with the resounding NO to obeying God—NON SERVIAM!!! I will not serve God. From which a battle ensued against the angels who due to their own free-will and determination decided that they would not serve God, obey God or submit to His holy will. God marshalled forth Saint Michael the Archangel, the Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, whose name means who is like unto God. Those rebellious angels, transformed into hideous and horrendous devils, were expelled from heaven and cast into the fiery pit of hell. (Read Rev. 12 and Isaiah 14: 12-15 —the Fall of the Angels) In sum, all of the tragedies started, and still start ,when there is a failure to serve God, a failure to obey God, a failure to submit one’s will to the will of our Lord, God, Father, and Creator! Sometimes, due to concupiscence and the effects of Original Sin, we battle within our own divided heart to submit our will in obedience and service to our Heavenly Father.

OUR LADY’S YES TO GOD AND SERVICE. 

There could not be a more marked and significant contrast than the NON SERVIAM of Lucifer/Satan and the YES of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Listening to the invitation of the Archangel Gabriel to obey God, to submit her will to the will of God, and to serve God, Mary gives her total consent to the will of the Heavenly Father and becomes, among her many beautiful titles the HUMBLE SERVANT OF THE LORD. Mary’s YES to God to be His servant in all times and places radically transformed the world. Mary said to God through the intermediation of the Archangel Gabriel: “Behold I am the handmaid (the servant) of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy will.” (Lk 1: 38) As a result of Mary’s YES “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1: 14) It is incumbent upon us, in imitation of Mary and her powerful intercession to give our YES to God in service; if done we are truly living out Principle and Foundation in our lives in the realm of the universal call to service! May the example and prayers of Mary come to our aid!

SERVING IN TWO COMPLIMENTARY WAYS: MARTHA & MARY… (Lk 10: 38-42)

At times Jesus would stop in Bethany to visit three of his good friends, two sisters and their brother: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus enjoyed their friendship immensely. On one occasion, Jesus was in their home in Bethany, a town close to the city of Jerusalem, and Mary and Martha were present to Jesus but in two separate ways. Martha was busy with the details of hospitality; we can imagine: cleaning, preparing the meal, the table, etc. Mary was simply sitting at the feet of Jesus. What was she doing? Listening to the Words of Jesus, talking to Him, possibly asking some questions, gazing at Jesus and simply loving the Lord as her Best-Friend. Tense, nervous and somewhat frustrated, Martha tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus comes to the defense of Mary with these words: “Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things; Mary for her part has chosen the only thing necessary and she will not be deprived of it.” 

With respect to our call to serve in our consideration of Principle and Foundation, this passage with Mary and Martha teaches us a very important lesson: like Martha we are called to serve Jesus and to serve others, very true!!! However, we should be very careful so as not to fall into the modern heresy of Activism, or as Saint Pope John Paul II called it Horizontalism, or as Pope Leo XIII termed it Americanism, or if you like, the danger of being transformed into the so called Workaholic! We must serve our brothers and sisters. However, we should never place serving them over giving God our first-fruits, giving God our best, giving God our all. In this same chapter Luke 10, a man asks Jesus what is the greatest of all the commandments and the response (From the Great Shema of the Old Testament): “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength… and then love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 10:27) In sum, as we delve deeper into the Principle and Foundation in our lives, we should examine our conscience, step back and examine our lives to see if we have a bit of the Martha in our lives, the Activism/ Horizontalism/Workaholic tendency! If so, then we are definitely called to serve our brothers and sisters, but always to put God first in the very center of our lives. Remember, as creatures of God, we are first called to praise God and then comes our attitude of service!

MT 25: 31-46… OUR FINAL JUDGMENT—ON LOVE & SERVICE. HOW WILL YOU FARE???

Once again, going deeper into the topic of service, we visit and meditate upon the last Parable that Jesus gives us in the Gospel of Matthew— “The Parable of the Last Judgment”. The Shepherd will separate the goats from the sheep, the goats on the left and the sheep on the right, the damned and the saved. Our final judgment and eternal destination will depend on our love for God manifested by the love that we show towards our brothers and sisters in need. Jesus could not speak with greater clarity: “Whatsoever you do to the least of your brothers, that you do to me.” (Mt 25:40) Examine your Principle and Foundation, and the key term in this meditation SERVICE related to the way you are living out the classical Corporal Works of Mercy. How do you fare? For Jesus, love and service are almost interchangeable! Examine your life!

1. “I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME TO EAT…” Have you fed the hungry at home, or outside your home, or any place where there has been an opportunity? Saint Mother Teresa, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Katherine Drexel, Saint Alberto Hurtado, Saint John Bosco, Saint Joseph Cottolengo and countless other saints saw Jesus in the hungry. To live out Principle and Foundation on SERVICE how can you feed the hungry?

2. “I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME TO DRINK…”  From the cross Jesus cried out: “I thirst!” At the well, Jesus asked the Samaritan woman: “Give me to drink!” In the Parable of Dives and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31), the rich man, Dives, failed to give the poor man, Lazarus, food and drink and consequently Dives suffered the loss of his soul. How can you live out Principle and Foundation and SERVICE by slaking the thirst of those around you? Inscribed above the altars on the walls of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, The Missionaries of Charity, are the words that Jesus uttered from the cross I THIRST!

3. I WAS NAKED AND YOU CLOTHED ME.  Naked can be interpreted as lacking or in need of something. Many lack dignity, respect, care, concern, compassion, someone to talk to, learning/education, doctrine/catechism, knowledge of the faith. And literally, there are people who lack proper food, clothing and housing. What is your response to the cry of Jesus in the poor of the world? How can you SERVE the naked? Remember the conversion of Saint Martin of Tours was triggered by a Roman soldier cutting and sharing his cape with a poor, half-naked and shivering man lying on the hard and cold ground! Pray over this: how can you alleviate the plight of the many naked of the world; this too is living out Principle and Foundation and our vocation or call to SERVE!!!

4. A FOREIGNER AND YOU WELCOMED ME. Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph were foreigners; they were exiles and immigrants. Many of us are immigrants or come from parents or relatives who were immigrants. Remember the Golden Rule and the call to live out Principle and Foundation in SERVICE— “Do to others what you want others to do to you!” (Mt 7:12) Jesus is present in these people: the lonely, the poor, the neglected, the forgotten, the ostracized, the insulted, the marginalized, the immigrant, the homeless, the misunderstood, the deaf and the mute… Remember the words of Jesus, our Lord, God and Savior: “The Son of man has not come to be served, but to SERVE and to give his life in ransom for many.” (Mt 20-28) Remember: we will be judged on the way we treat and serve others in imitation of the Lord Jesus our model.

5. I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME.   We all know from personal experience how difficult it truly is to suffer. We all know from experience how challenging and hard it is to be sick. Many of us know how hard it is to spend time, days or maybe weeks in a Hospital bed. But at the same time we all know how consoling, comforting, encouraging, and supportive it is when God has placed a Good Samaritan in our path to help us in our sickness. A kind word, a welcoming gesture, a warm smile, an extended hand, a handshake, a warm hug, a fervent prayer—all of these are gestures that can lift us from the valley of tears and darkness to the mountain-peak of hope. By caring for the sick we are living out Principle and Foundation in the realm of SERVICE! “To serve is to reign and to reign is to serve.

6. I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU CAME TO VISIT ME.  Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen on one occasion made a visit to a Prison. He had the opportunity to talk to close to 1000 inmates. He made this startling comment: “We are all prisoners in one way or another. The only difference between you prisoners and me is that you got caught and I did not!” What the saintly Archbishop was really saying is the fact that all of us are sinners, all of us are at times prisoners of our own moral slaveries. The fact that we are not incarcerated in some County Jail is the grace of God. Saint Philip Neri seeing a man lying in the gutters of Rome commented: “There go I save the grace of God.” We are all capable of the most heinous of crimes, commented Saint Therese, the Little Flower, if God’s grace did not sustain us, support us and protect us! Saint Therese also commented with great humility: “The only reason why I did not commit the most heinous of crimes was because God cleared the path for me.” Take a step back and look at your life, at your social milieu, at those people God has placed in your path, and beg for the grace to recognize those who are really in PRISON… Maybe you know somebody who is a slave to some vice: Drinking, Porn, Drugs, Gambling and Casinos, Compulsive buying. These are the modern prisoners; they are prisoners and slaves of their own passions, of their own sins. With respect to Principle and Foundation and once again SERVICE, what can you do to help these people? What can you do to set the captives free???

May Our Lord Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints help us to look into our lives and become aware of the many opportunities that God offers us to serve Him—in those we meet, those we live with, those we work with, those that we bump shoulders with. These people are really Jesus in disguise!

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

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

THURSDAY, March 3rd   Lk 9: 22-25   “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Today Fr. Ed shows us why we want to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus!!!

FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986 shortly after my ordination at the hands of Saint Pope John Paul II, I was contemplating a compelling portrait of Jesus. It was an image of His Sacred Heart, with flames of fire radiating from His Heart. However, what seemed to really captivate me most in the moment, were six words in Spanish that have been almost a motto of my life as Catholic, Religious and priest, and follower of Christ. These words were: “Jesus, el Amigo que nunca falla.” Translation: “Jesus, the Friend that never fails!”

Christological names are many: The Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, The Way, Truth, and Life, the Alpha and Omega, Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, as well as Lamb of God, Son of man and Son of God. Each of these names, like a precious diamond exposed to the sun through a process called refraction, reflects a different glimmer of the majesty, greatness and beauty of Jesus the Son of the living God.

However, there is still another title that has captivated me for many years and hopefully will captivate your heart and it is Jesus, the Friend that never fails us.

On Holy Thursday, as Jesus sat at the Last Supper, about to give to all of humanity until the end of time two extraordinary gifts—we call them Sacraments—Holy Orders and the Most Holy Eucharist, He also called the Apostles, and each one of us, by a special name: “I call you friends!” In this most important moment in His life, shortly before being crucified for love of you and me, He called the Apostles and us His intimate Friends.

Our Catholic-Christian religion has rules, precepts, orders, prohibitions, decrees and commands, this we cannot deny. The Ten Commandments are part and parcel of our deposit of faith. Nonetheless, if we limit our Catholic faith to nothing more than a series of rules, precepts, and Commandments to obey, then we have missed the boat, missed the mark by focusing on something very important, but not that which is most important and essential.

The essence of Catholicism is a love-affair. It is a deep, dynamic, and growing relationship with three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The second Person of the most Blessed Trinity is Jesus, the Son of God become man. He came into the world to save us. But Jesus also came into the world to establish a deep, dynamic, and permanent Friendship with each and every one of us.

The Bible says that to find a true friend is indeed a treasure. We might even call it the pearl of infinite price that we should be willing to give everything else to acquire. Of all the friends that could exist in this world, friendship with Jesus is by far the best! In the painting of the Sacred Heart, He is the Friend who will never fail us in time and for all eternity. Even the best of friends are destined to fail each other sooner or later. But Jesus will never fail us. We indeed fail Him, but he will never fail us, never!

For this reason one of the best motivations for us to strive energetically to observe the Ten Commandments is for the simple reason of desiring to establish, cultivate and grow in a dynamic Friendship with Jesus.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen coined one of the best definitions of sin on the market: “Sin is hurting the one you love.” True, sin is breaking one of the Commandments. However, above and beyond the mere breaking of one of the Commandments, by sinning seriously we are breaking the Heart of Jesus, who loved, and stills loves us so much, that He died on the cross to prove His love and Friendship for all of humanity, and for each one of us individually!

If you were the only person in the whole created universe, your Faithful Friend, Jesus, would still have come into the world preaching, teaching, and exorcising demons, but especially this: He would have suffered all of the torments of His Passion, from the Agony in the Garden to His crucifixion on the cross, up to the shedding of His last drop of Blood when the lance pierced His Sacred Heart. All of this Jesus, your best Friend, willingly suffered for love of you so that He would be your Best Friend in time and for all eternity.

Therefore, when we examine our conscience going through the Ten Commandments, why not take a fresh and new approach in preparation for Confession. And it is simply this! Recognize that your sins, in addition to breaking the Commandments, especially hurt the one who loves you and who wants to be loved by you!

Sin is saying “no” to the love of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is madly in love with you and has a burning desire for you to correspond to His love. Still more, by sinning you are breaking the Heart of your Best Friend. By making a good confession, you are healing that wound in His Sacred Heart and restoring your friendship with the Friend who will never fail you, which will not end at the graveside, but will last forever in eternity in heaven.

Therefore, by saying “no” to sin, you are really saying “yes” to the love of God and “yes” to a deep and growing Friendship with Jesus.

Face it, if sinning is simply breaking a set of cold and impersonal rules, then chances are we will go back to sinning. However, if we see sin in a personal light, hurting our best Friend, wounding His Heart, then we will stop and think, and renounce this temptation to sin.

May Our Lady and good Saint Joseph pray for us! They were the ones who loved Jesus best, had the deepest friendship with Him on earth, and now and for all eternity they are the beloved of Jesus.

Let us pray. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like 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. Jesus, be my best Friend now, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

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

WEDNESDAY, March 2nd    Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18   Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.”

We prayed with this article less than a month ago. What if we make this a Lenten Proposal to sincerely and fervently beg Jesus to make our heart more like His by growing in humility using Fr. Ed’s road map!

JESUS MEEK AND HUMBLE OF HEART, MAKE MY HEART LIKE UNTO THINE… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

“Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.” Though short in words and length, this is one of the most renowned prayers addressed to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Prayer can be lifted up to the Lord Jesus and contemplated in His Sacred Heart, in any time, any place, any circumstance, and irrespective of our moods, be they good or bad!

As surprising as this may seem, only once does the Lord Jesus describe the characteristics of His most Sacred Heart, to be found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The Lord says:  “Come to me all of you who find life burdensome and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart…” (Mt 11:28-30)

As baptized Christians all of us, irrespective of age, culture, living circumstances, and even our past life, are challenged to follow in the footsteps of Christ; if you like, the imitation of Christ.

Of all the virtues that Jesus preached, practiced and lived out to the highest degree, charity wins first place. However, the virtue of humility has a very prominent place in the Life of Christ. Humility should be a virtue that characterizes our life’s pattern.

What is humility? The virtue of humility is not easy to define, much less to practice. A working definition for humility might be the following: “A humble person recognizes that all the good he has done and will do comes from God. On the contrary, the humble person recognizes that all the evil he has done is his own doing.” Saint Teresa of Avila will go so far as to define humility in one word: TRUTH! Humility is the truth as to who we are, what we do, and what God sees in us! Saint Teresa of Avila will remind us that humility is walking in the truth.

Saint Augustine, the Doctor of Grace quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, has this to say about humility: “Should I know myself, I would know you, O Lord. Only when humans acknowledge their bad news, will they become ready, glad, grateful recipients of the Good News.” (CCC # 2540)

Even the greatest of God’s creation, the Blessed Virgin Mary, endowed with so many graces, acknowledged that all that she had was a pure gift from God. In her Magnificat Mary proclaims: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name….” (Lk 1:47,49)Mary attributes all the good that she has and has done to the goodness of God Himself.

Therefore, given that the virtue of humility has such powerful effects on the persons who embrace it and practice it, as well as on those who are in contact with those who are truly humble of heart, let us expound upon ways in which we can attain the virtue of humility.

ROAD-MAP AND SIGNPOST FOR THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY…

1. BEG FOR THE GRACE. 

Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises constantly invites us to imitate the beggars. That is to say: let us beg for the grace to attain the virtue of humility. The Blind Bartimaeus begged for sight; let us beg for humility.

2. ACCEPT CORRECTIONS. 

Even though it really does go against the grain. None of us enjoy receiving corrections, in theology called fraternal corrections—due to our inherent pride. However, when God allows someone to correct us, instead of bristling and becoming defensive, or even attacking that person, we should humbly listen and strive to correct within us what needs to be corrected, and accept submissively the person who has meted out the correction. Ouch!

3. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. 

Nobody can direct themself adequately for the simple reason that we all have blind spots. For that reason Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Ignatius of Loyola and many other saints insist upon the indispensable character of having a spiritual director to pave the way and help us through the meandering valleys, briars, thickets, and potholes on the road to heaven. Humility requires that we submit our judgment to someone with more experience in the spiritual life—that is to say, a good spiritual director.

4. CONFESSOR. 

Somewhat related to Spiritual Direction is that of having a stable Confessor to whom we can lay bare our conscience and the state of our soul. We should also submit in humble obedience to the advice of our confessor. These are stepping stones to grow in humility.

5. ACCEPT ADVICE. 

If it is our determined purpose in life to make our own decisions at all times and places, without consulting others for frequent and helpful advice, then we are paving the way to fall into many pitfalls and maybe even off the cliff. Accepting advice from others is not easy but often helpful and even necessary to grow in truth and humility.

6. ACCEPTING HUMILIATIONS. 

Most of us will cringe at the mere notion of the following, but it is a sure means of growing in humility: humbly accepting humiliations when God allows us to be visited by them. They will come, there is no doubt! However, to accept them demands God’s grace, as well our acceptance of God’s grace that comes with the humiliations.

7. HUMBLE SERVICE TOWARDS OTHERS. 

At the Last Supper, not only did Jesus serve the Apostles, but He also knelt down, girded Himself with a towel and humbly washed their feet. This was the chore of a slave in the time of Jesus. Once we put ourselves not in the front, but in the back ready and willing to serve others, then we will have made huge strides in advancing in the virtue of humility.

8. TEMPTED TO PRIDE: CALL TO MIND OUR PAST FAILURES. 

The devil never goes on vacation and often he will attempt to puff us up with pride. A most efficacious remedy when the winds of pride are buffeting at the door of our heart is to call to mind the many times that we have fallen morally, sinned seriously, and God has so quickly and mercifully forgiven us! When we feel tempted to elevate ourselves in pride, we should remember our own moral misery and this will maintain us in humility.

9. CONTEMPLATE THE LIFE OF CHRIST: OUR WAY, TRUTH, AND LIFE.   Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen has preached on the humility of Christ in three different aspects of His Life and Presence. The Life of Christ can truly serve as a model for us but most especially in the realm of the virtue of humility. The following are the three different aspects or dimensions of humility in the Life of Christ.

a) THE INCARNATION.  By this is meant that Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, actually became man. This indeed was a huge humiliation—the lowering, the debasing of Himself for love of us.

b) THE PASSION OF CHRIST.  Sheen, with his typical eloquence, preaches on the astounding humility of Christ manifested with stunning clarity in all the dimensions of His Passion—His Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowing with thorns, Carrying of the Cross, bitter Crucifixion, the insults launched at Him upon the cross up until His dying breath. Every aspect and detail of the Passion of Jesus reflected a most profound humility.

c) JESUS’ REAL PRESENCE IN THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS AND BLESSED SACRAMENT.  A still greater, widespread and universal manifestation of humility is related to Jesus’ REAL PRESENCE in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Blessed Sacrament. How often is Mass offered on Sundays and huge numbers of Catholics decide not to show up. Then there are those who show up and do not pay attention to what is going on in the Mass. Worse yet, there are Catholics who attend Mass but receive Holy Communion unworthily in the state of mortal sin. Finally, there are Churches, Chapels, and Sanctuaries where Jesus is truly present in these sacred places but no one comes, even to make a short visit. Not only is this painful to Jesus, but it is also very humiliating. Jesus willing undergoes this humiliation for love of us, and as an example for us of the virtue of humility.

10. FREQUENT SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION. 

Finally, it must be mentioned that the well-prepared and assiduous practice of frequent Confession can definitely be a springboard for launching us into the deep ocean of humility. Having to examine our conscience and recognize our sins is humbling enough. However, to go to the priest—face-to-face or behind the screen—and admit our moral failures is hard. But at the same time, it is a sure path to growth in humility.

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, the virtue of humility is indispensable on our highway to Heaven. To be sure, in Hell are Satan, the devils, and all those who died imbued with pride—the vice opposed to the virtue of humility. Whereas in Heaven are only those who embraced humility. In truth, they recognized the greatness of God, their total dependence on God, and their gratitude to God for all His abundant Graces and Gifts. Let us close in our striving for humility by meditating on the words of Saint Peter: “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  (I Peter: 5:5) May Our Lady, the humble servant of the Lord, attain for us a truly humble heart, humble spirit, and humble style of life!

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

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

TUESDAY, March 1st    Mk 10:28-31   Epistle of St. Peter: “Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.”

Lent is a Gift of Recollection of self, of God, and of others. Of self—interior silence. Of God—who created us and keeps us in being out of love. Of others—bringing Christ’s love to others in thought, word, deed, prayer and sacrifice! We may be the only Christ others will ever know!

TEN WAYS WE CAN PRACTICE FASTING by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus said: “Unless you do penance you will all perish,” (Lk 13:3). In the first preaching of His Public ministry Jesus exhorts us to conversion: “Be converted for the Kingdom of God is at hand,” (Mk. 1:15). The Mystical Body of Christ generously offers us a season of grace which has, as its purpose, conversion every year. This is the forty days of Lent.

Moses fasted forty days on the Mountain and Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting. The Church encourages us in the Season of Lent to dig deep into the inner recesses of our hearts and beg for conversion of heart.

This conversion can become a reality by undertaking three traditional practices: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. (Mt. 6: 1-18) In prayer we lift our minds to God; in almsgiving we go out to meet the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters; in fasting we dig deep into our hearts and beg the Lord for the grace to relinquish our attachment to sin!

This being the case, what might be some concrete ways that we can practice fasting? An important note is the following: fasting is not a mere diet, with the simple desire to lose a few extra pounds. Rather, the purpose of fasting is to please God, convert our hearts, as well as to beg for the conversion of others. In other words, fasting must have a horizontal or supernatural intention!

Ten Ways We Can Fast…

1. Eat less and receive the most Holy Eucharist more.

By this practice we give more importance to our spiritual life and the salvation of our soul. Jesus said: “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” (Jn. 6:27—Discourse on the Bread of Life)

2. Control your tongue.

Saint James says, “We should be slow to speak and quick to listen.” Read James chapter three—one of the best exhortations in the world to work on controlling our tongue!

3. Heroic Moments.  

The Founder of Opus Dei has coined the phrase, “The Heroic Moment”. By this Saint Josemaria Escriva asserts that as soon as we hear the alarm-clock we should spring from bed, pray and start our day. The devil of laziness encourages us to push the Snooze-button! I do not believe the Snooze-button exists in the vocabulary and practice of the saints. What do you think?

4. Control those wandering eyes.  

The eyes are the mirror to the soul. The holy King David plunged into sin and more sin leading to murder for the simple reason that he allowed his eyes to wander. His eyes wandered and gazed upon a married woman—Bathsheba. Adulterous thoughts led to physical adultery, to denial of his sin and eventually to killing an innocent man—the husband of Bathsheba (II Samuel 11-12). Let us strive to live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.”(Mt. 5: 8)

5. Punctuality.

Jesus says, “He who is faithful in the small will be faithful in the larger things.” (Mt. 25:23) Being punctual and on time is a sign of order, respect for others, and a means to accomplish tasks well and on time.

6. Listen to Others.  

It is all too easy to interrupt others when they speak and try to impose our own ideas even before the person has finished his idea. Charity, which means, love for God and for others, teaches us to respect others and allow them to speak without interrupting and imposing our own ideas.

Listening to others is also an act of humility—putting others before ourselves!“Jesus meek and humble of heart make my heart like unto yours.” (Mt. 11:28-30—Jesus describes His Heart as meek and humble…)

7. Be Thankful Rather Than Complain.  

Never allow a day to pass in which you do not thank God. We should constantly be thanking God. Furthermore, we should make it a habit to frequently give thanks to others. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever,” (Psalm 118:1).

8. Smile, even if you don’t necessarily want to.

This indeed could be a great penance—to smile at somebody even when you are tired, bearing a headache or a cold. This is heroic virtue. A smile is something small, but it is contagious. Indeed a sincere smile can lift those who see it from desolation to a state of consolation. One of the most evident signs of being a follower of Jesus is a smile of joy radiating from our face. “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4)

9. Pray, even when you do not feel like it.

Many of us unfortunately base our spiritual life on mere feelings which are ephemeral, transitory and passing like the dew that evaporates in the morning sun. Our best example is of course Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk. 22:39-46). When Jesus was experiencing a mortal agony and desolation that drew huge drops of Blood from His pores, He did not really feel like praying. Nonetheless, Jesus prayed all the more fervently.

Therefore, let us practice fasting and penance in our lives and have a set time and place to pray and to pray at all times, even when we do not feel like it. This is penance and true love for God! This is a sign of true maturity in the faith!

10. Encouragement. 

“Barnabus” actually means “Son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Let us get out of our egotistic shell and focus more on God and seeing Jesus in others—in imitation of the Good Samaritan. (Lk. 10: 25-37) Let us learn to be a Simon of Cyrene and help our brothers and sisters who are carrying the weight of a very heavy cross. Let us lighten it by encouraging words, motivational gestures, and by a heart filled with love and compassion. Remember the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would like them to do to you.” (Mt. 7:12) In the difficult storms of the earthly battle, a word of encouragement can indeed be a powerful wind in the sails!

Prayerfully read through these ten suggestions on how to fast—how to deny yourself—and choose at least one or two that you can start to practice right away. May Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel, encourage us to deny ourselves and say “yes” to the love of God by serving our brothers and sisters with a generous heart! (Lk. 1: 38—Mary’s  “Yes” to God).