Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, February 3rd   Mk 6: 7-13   “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”

• Sometimes, the demon we encounter in our lives is the demon of desolation or discouragement. Jesus came as Savior! There are times when our best prayer is, “Jesus, be my Savior now!

CONQUER DISCOURAGEMENT: USE OF BIBLE VERSES! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Our interior state can be compared to the weather changes that change, modify, and vary constantly. One day you awake and there is sunshine streaming through your window pane; the birds are singing joyful songs of praise; the fragrance of spring flowers penetrates and permeates wherever you go; the blue sky and gentle breeze lift your heart; still more, everybody seems to have a winning smile radiating from their countenance. Seems to be the portal of Heaven.

Then the following day presents to you, in marked contrast, a gray, drizzly morning; the sun totally hidden behind the clouds. The cold winter air seems to penetrate your whole being to your very bones. Gray, dark, ominous clouds hover over you, ready to envelop and engulf you in their dreary chill. While crossing the street, a car honks loudly at you and the angry driver has his fist raised on high to let you know his feelings! Everybody hurries on to their daily activities, oblivious of the fact that you even exist. Everything is gray, dreary, cold, chilly, crude and cruel, sad and desolate; in the words of the English poet, T.S. Elliot, life seems to be a Waste Land and you are immersed in the midst of a dense fog!

Whether we like it or not, we are confronted with both of these realities, in one form or another constantly. Part of being human means being exposed to the constant reality of both consolation and desolation. One of the most clear manifestations of desolation is the temptation to give in to discouragement. What exactly is this so called state of desolation as defined by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his classical text The Spiritual Exercises? This is Ignatius’ explanation:

“I call desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love, the soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from desolation.” (Spiritual Exercises #317, Rule 4 of Rules for the Discernment of Spirits)

The thrust and purpose of this short essay is to help us to conquer the reality of desolation in our lives, most specifically, that of giving into discouragement. We would like to offer ten encouraging Biblical passages that we invite you to immerse yourself in especially when it seems as if the clouds are descending, the rain is beating against you, and you feel as if you are entering a long, dark tunnel where there seems to be no way out! Never forget: with God’s help which is omnipotent—all-powerful, we can exit and escape from the most desolate, sad, and despairing of situations. May the Word of God be your light, support, strength, and Rock-solid Foundation.

1. Psalm of The Good-Shepherd. (Psalm 23)

Prayerfully and calmly read the most famous Psalm in the Bible, once, twice, or as many times as you find helpful, starting with the words: “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…”  The Lord will shine light in your darkness!

2. “Behold I am with you always, even until the end of the world.” (Mt 28:20)

These were the last words of the Lord Jesus on earth before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. In discouragement, all too often we feel lonely—that nobody is there for us, nobody really cares for us. Not so! The Lord promised to be with us always, even until the end of the world. He is with you even now!

3. Do not be afraid! (Jn 6:20)

Time and time again Jesus reminds the Apostles and us not to be afraid, but rather to place all our trust in Him. In addition to these four consoling words of Jesus are the five words that Jesus told Saint Faustina to write on the Divine Mercy image: “Jesus, I trust in you.” May the Lord cast out your fears as you trust totally in His love, His Presence, and His Friendship.

4. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and 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, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

Prayerfully repeat these words and the burden of your sorrows, the weight of your cross, the darkness of your sadness and desolation will begin to dissipate like a cloud evaporates in the sun-light.

5. “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

These ten short words contain the power to alleviate the heaviest of crosses for the simple reason that we know the Lord is in control and He can do whatever He wants. Moreover, we know that whatever the Lord does is always for our welfare, for our spiritual progress, and for the salvation of our immortal soul.

6. “For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Lk 1:37)

These short seven words actually were addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, referring to the Virginal conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. When we are immersed in a dense cloud of desolation, we feel as if we are lost and nothing can save us from this horrible interior state. Quite the contrary! The Word of God reminds us that absolutely nothing is impossible for God. He can move the highest mountain of discouragement and desolation in a split-second if we trust in Him. Keep praying fervently, “Jesus, I trust in you!”

7. “Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)

Once again, just a few words—11 in total—offer us infinite consolation and strength. The Lord commands us to unload, release the burden of discouragement that is weighing us down. Give all to the Lord Jesus and He will resolve the most intricate and complicated scenarios.

8. “I have come to set captives free.” (Isaiah 61:1 / Lk 4:18)

If seven is the number of perfection, once again we have a seven-word Biblical passage gleaned from the Shakespeare of the Bible—the Prophet Isaiah. Jesus will quote the same passage in His early preaching! In a state of desolation and discouragement, we might feel as if we are bound, chained, shackled, a slave of our interior state of darkness. Jesus, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Liberator, came to smash and destroy our interior slavery which is often discouragement. We might even pray: “Lord free me; Lord liberate me; Lord shatter the bonds that enslave me!”

9. “So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you besides. (Mt 6:31-33)

A good part of our desolation and discouragement stems from a lack of trust in God and useless and needless worry. These comforting, consoling, and challenging words of Jesus can put you back on the right path of trusting in His loving and Divine Providential plan in your life.

10.  “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.” (Lk 1:28)

These words of the Hail Mary that come from the Archangel Gabriel can prove to be most powerful in the midst of the dark nights, the dark tunnels, the stormy interior tempests that we all experience. Pray slowly and with trust and confidence the HAIL MARY and Mary, who is truly “our life, our sweetness, and our hope” (Hail Holy Queen), will hurry to our rescue and place us in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our true refuge in all our tribulations, afflictions, and most profound desolation.

It is our firm hope and prayer that when you are passing through that painful and difficult time of desolation and discouragement, the quiet, peaceful, trusting, and prayerful reading of these Biblical passages will dissipate the dense clouds in your heart, so that you will experience and feel the sunshine and warmth of God’s infinite love and mercy, and Mary’s tender embrace!

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd    Lk 2:22-40   “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’”

PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

MEDITATIONS…

1. CHILD JESUS IN THE ARMS OF MARY.  Now we come to the Infant Jesus in the arms of Mary when He is barely forty days old. Contemplate Mary gently holding her treasure—the Lord Jesus, the Son of God and Our Savior—in her arms. Be present and imagine it! Let it become alive for you!

2. PILGRIMAGE.  Mary and St. Joseph travel to Jerusalem to present the Infant Jesus in the Temple. JOY! There is joy in this trip. Why? The Holy Family is united in their love for God and their desire to carry out God’s holy will. Accompany Mary as she carries the Infant Jesus in her arms. Walk with Mary, contemplate her, and talk with her along the way. She desires to enter into deep conversation with you. With the utmost sincerity, tell her all that is on your mind, all that is in your heart, the deepest secrets that have been hidden in the inner recesses of your soul. Mary is your Mother, companion and friend.

3. ST. JOSEPH.  Union with Mary and Jesus can never exclude the person of the great St. Joseph. The first lover of Jesus and Mary was good St. Joseph. He can bring you into a deeper knowledge, love and union with Mary and Jesus. Good St. Joseph had the most sublime role in the world after Mary and Jesus. St. Joseph was called by God the Father to be the husband or spouse of the Virgin Mary, but even more important, St. Joseph was called to be the Foster Father of Jesus. Talk to St. Joseph as if he were your spiritual father; he cares for you, he loves you and can attain for you many choice graces.

4. TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM.  Arrival in Jerusalem, “The City of Peace”, culminates in going to the majestic, beautiful, and awe-inspiring Temple of Jerusalem. This enormous and majestic temple took many years to build under the order and direction of King Solomon, the son of King David.

5. OUR LADY AS TEMPLE.  Our Lady was the temple and resting place of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during the nine months of her pregnancy. Indeed Mary was and is a more beautiful temple than the Majestic Temple of Jerusalem. The Temple of Jerusalem contained symbolically the presence of God. Our Lady contained within her womb the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus—she was the “True Temple of God”. With what love and tenderness did Our Lady cherish Jesus within her womb, and then once born, how much love and tenderness did she shower upon Him, her greatest “Treasure”.

6. OUR LADY AS TEMPLE: YOU AS TEMPLE.  From the moment that you were baptized you became the Temple of the Living God—The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our Lady is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Through your Baptism you are a son or daughter of God the Father, brother or sister to Jesus Christ, and intimate friend of the Holy Spirit. Beg Our Lady to help you recognize your great dignity, as well as your eternal destiny—which is none other than to be with Our Lady in heaven to glorify the Trinity for all eternity.

7. PROPHET SIMEON.  Indeed, the eyes of this elderly mystic perceived Jesus in the arms of Our Lady. He rejoiced exultantly and praised God for finally the day had arrived to not only see Jesus, the Son of Mary, but to actually hold Jesus in his arms. Now Simeon was ready to go—even to die, if this was God’s will—in peace, because his eyes had finally beheld the promised One of Israel.

8. GREATER PRIVILEGE.  Now you should rejoice because you have an even greater privilege than Simeon! YES! In Mass and in the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, you can see Jesus, the Son of Mary, on a daily basis. Beg Our Lady to give you the eyes of faith to see Jesus in Mass in the Consecration and in Holy Communion, as well as in the Tabernacle or Monstrance, in His Eucharistic Presence. Beg Our Lady with this beautiful prayer: “Mary, give me the eyes to see Jesus in His Eucharistic Presence and to love and adore Him with your Immaculate Heart!” 

9. OUR LADY OF SORROWS—THE 1ST SWORD OF SORROW.  As the Prophet Simeon marvels at the Infant Jesus, he turns his gaze to Our Lady and makes a prophecy, the first sword of Sorrow to pass through the pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“Behold this Child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be contradicted, and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35).

10. MARY’S LOVE IN SUFFERING.  One of the most noble characteristics of Our Lady was her total openness to the will of God in absolutely everything. This included Our Lady’s willingness to accept all the sufferings that God in His Divine Providence was willing to send her. The sufferings of Mary were many and very intense in many ways.

11. THE SWORD.  The sword prophesied by Simeon pointed to the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus the Lord. Most specifically, this referred to the sword or lance that the Centurion thrust through the side of Jesus as He hung already dead on the cross.

“But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust a lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out”.  (Jn 19:33-34)

This first sword prophesied by Simeon was a clear reference to the sword that cut through Jesus’ side and penetrated His Sacred Heart as He hung from the cross, causing Blood and water to come gushing forth. Jesus suffered no pain in that moment because He was already dead. However, Our Lady suffered intense pain—this sword penetrated to the very depths of her soul.

12. QUEEN OF MARTYRS.  For this reason, the great Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church and author of “The Glories of Mary”, proclaimed Our Lady to be the Queen of Martyrs. The sword did not penetrate her flesh, but indeed it penetrated to the very depths of her tender heart and soul.

13. YOUR SORROWS AND OUR LADY OF SORROWS.  We all have our joys to share with Our Lady, but also, we all have our many sorrows to share with Our Lady. Never be afraid to open up and pour out from the depths of your own broken heart, your deep sorrows, your wounds, your bruises and even your scars. When a child falls down and scrapes his knee, his mother is the one who runs to his aid, lifts him up, and kisses and bandages the wound. Our Lady is always ready and willing to pick us up out of the mud after we have fallen, clean us up, change our clothes, and help us start again with renewed hope.

14. CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY.  Let each one of us resolve now to make the journey to Total Consecration to Our Lady, or to renew our Consecration, and travel to Jerusalem with St. Joseph and Mary, with Jesus in the arms of Mary. Let us relive the encounter with the elderly prophet Simeon. Let us meditate on the words mentioned, this prophetic message referring to Jesus’ upcoming death and Our Lady’s collaboration in His suffering. Share in the sufferings of Jesus and Mary, but also talk to Our Lady about your own crosses and sufferings. Consecration to Our Lady means giving to her all we have and are—this includes our struggles, sufferings and even our failures. She is always there, ready and willing to stretch out her loving hands to lift us up and to clasp us to her Immaculate Heart!

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1st    Mk 5:21-43   “Taking her by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha cumi,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise.’ And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.”

Jesus raising this little girl from death to life is indeed a dramatic, awe-inspiring miracle! That said, a much greater miracle is the soul raised from the death of mortal sin to new life in grace! How many of us have stopped to consider, let alone thank God for the super abundant graces that flow into our soul from a well-made and thorough Confession???

GRAB ON TO THE MERCIFUL HAND OF GOD—25 FRUITS OF CONFESSION! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

As a result of Original Sin all of us, with the exception of Jesus, and Mary through the privilege of the Immaculate Conception, are conceived with Original Sin, commit sin, and are indeed sinners!

Saint Augustine, who lived as a slave of sin, a slave of his own sinful passions into his early 30’s, after his conversion wrote and taught some of the most beautiful and profound insights in the history of the world. Of great comfort, solace, and consolation is the teaching of Augustine on the sin of Adam and Eve, which he termed O Happy Fault! Why, you might ask, would the Original Sin be considered a Happy Fault? Augustine teaches us that as a result of Original Sin, God brought a much greater good into the world. The greater good being the Incarnation of the Son of God. The Eternal Father in His Infinite Love sent to the world, and to each and every one of us individually, Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, to show us how to live, but most especially to die on the cross and rise from the dead in order to give us new life and life in abundance!

GOD’S MERCY THROUGH THE CHURCH AND CONFESSION.  Before ascending into heaven, Jesus assured us He would be with us always, even until the end of the world. How you might ask? The response is clear and unequivocal: through the Church, and most especially through the Sacraments. Every Sacrament communicates grace, but each Sacrament communicates a specific grace of its own that differentiates it from the other six Sacraments. The Sacrament of Confession is the Sacrament of God’s mercy and healing. By committing sin, we wound ourselves and others! By receiving the Sacrament of Confession worthily, we receive a deep inner healing.

FRUITS/EFFECTS OF A GOOD CONFESSION.  There is much that can be said about the Sacrament of Confession. However, the purpose of this essay is to highlight the positive fruits or effects of the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Penance, Forgiveness, as well as Reconciliation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DISPOSITIVE GRACE OF THE SACRAMENT.  It must be said that the Sacraments are extraordinary gifts from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacraments are infinite reservoirs of grace. However, classical theology teaches us the concept of Dispositive Grace; by this is meant, one receives an abundance of graces or a paltry amount of graces in direct proportion to the disposition of one’s heart. Meaning better preparation, leads to a better disposition of heart, and a more fruitful reception with more abundant graces. In other words, flippant, nonchalant, mediocre reception of the Sacraments diminishes to a great degree the graces that God wants to communicate to the soul. Indeed, a worthy and noble spiritual enterprise would be an ardent desire to receive the Sacraments with a fervent and well-disposed heart. May Our Lady help us!

Now let us go through a list of the many graces that flow from a well-prepared, well-disposed, and fervent reception of the Sacrament of God’s mercy. Indeed, let us Grab on to the Merciful Hand of God!!!

1. RESTORATION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we were to have the disgrace of falling into mortal sin, we should never despair but launch ourselves into the merciful embrace of God’s love. By mortal sin we lose sanctifying grace in our soul; a good confession restores sanctifying grace in our soul—that is to say, friendship with the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

2. AUGMENTS SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we have not committed mortal sin, we can still receive the Sacrament of Confession by confessing our venial sins. By doing so, we are augmenting, increasing, and intensifying sanctifying grace in our souls. Indeed, dying in sanctifying grace is our passport to heaven and eternal life! We should not be wandering around aimlessly without this passport!

3. HUMILITY.  Indeed, God loves the humble, and rejects the proud of heart. To confess our sins well in the Sacrament of Confession demands no small quota of humility. We do not like to admit our weaknesses, expose our dirty laundry, and confess that we have failed. Confession conquers pride as we practice humility, so pleasing to the Heart of God, as we pray in Psalm 51:17… “A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.”

4. SELF-KNOWLEDGE.  Spiritual Theology, especially Ignatian, insists on the indispensable character of self-knowledge. The Desert Fathers have a two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF! Having frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Penance serves as an indispensable aid to getting to know who we are—the noble as well as the ignoble, the holy as well as the sinful, the lights as well as the shadows and darkness lurking in the inner recesses of our conscience. Confession points out to us who we really are, and it helps us to stop rationalizing, justifying, or even lying about our true identity—sinners ever in need of God’s infinite mercy!

5. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS.  Confession also serves immensely in our attitude towards others. A positive fruit of confession is that we recognize how far we can fall, how sinful we are. This serves as a platform to help us avoid looking down on and condemning others; in other words, it helps us to be more compassionate towards others. Jesus said:  “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36)

6. BECOMING MORE CAREFUL AND VIGILANT.  Along with the fruit of self-knowledge comes an attitude of watching over ourselves, being vigilant, so that we do not slip and fall into the same pitfalls of sin. Jesus said:  “Stay awake and pray; for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41)

7. THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD.  The infinite reservoir of graces that flow from the Pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus applies to the penitent sinner.  Even though invisible, in a mystical but very real way the soul of the repentant sinner is purified by the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

8. CLEANSING EFFECT.  Sin sullies or dirties our mind, heart, soul, and conscience. Contrariwise, Confession cleanses us. As the Prophet Isaiah points out:  “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as the snow.” (Is. 1:18) What a nice shower, soap, and shampoo does to the dirty body, so does the Sacrament of Confession do to the dirty soul!

9. INTERIOR PEACE OF SOUL.  All of us know from experience that one of the noxious effects of sin is that it robs our spiritual life of peace, a peace that all of us so ardently long for! Confession restores that peace. Dismissing the penitent, the priest often says: “The Lord Jesus has forgiven all your sins; go now in PEACE!!!” May all of us be a living and breathing SHALOM—peace be with you!

10.  JOY: REJOICE IN THE LORD.  Another poisonous effect of sin in our lives is that it dampens and often destroys our joy. Saint Paul commands us: “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil 4:4)  Often upon exiting the confessional, a radiating joy can be seen on the faces of the forgiven sinners. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of the joy of the repentant son returning home to the loving embrace of the Father. (Lk. 15: 11-32) The son was willing to grab on to the Merciful Hand of the Father.

11.  LIGHTENING OF THE LOAD. Another hazard of living in sin is that the incredibly heavy load of sin weighs us down. Confessing our sins to the priest who represents Jesus, Our Savior, liberates us from the weight of sin in our mind, heart and soul. Jesus reminds us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mt. 11:28-30)

12. LIVING OUT THE PASCHAL MYSTERY.  By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a good disposition, we live out what is termed The Paschal Mystery—the Passion, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. By this we mean, by confessing and repenting of our sins, we actually die to sin and rise from the tomb to begin a new life.

13. LAZARUS EXPERIENCE. (Jn. 11:43-44) Lazarus was dead and buried, and in the tomb for four days. Jesus came, told them to remove the stone, and then in a loud voice cried out: “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man rose and walked out of the tomb, fully alive, fully restored to life! Jesus is the Resurrection and has the keys to eternal life. By making a good confession, we are leaving the tomb of our sinful life and walking in the life and light of the Risen Lord Jesus, Alleluia!

14. OVERCOMING DEPRESSION.  Many suffer from acute depression today. We would be bold enough to assert that in many cases this acute depression is in direct proportion to the individual being immersed in the quagmire of sin. By being able to unload all of our sins and guilt in a good Sacramental confession, depression often is dissipated like the early morning mist exposed to the sun.

15. FREEDOM FROM GUILT.  Many today live with a guilty conscience and this can indeed be a real torture. Shakespeare highlights this point in Macbeth. As a result of involvement in murder, Lady Macbeth constantly feels the need to wash her hands, really desiring to be freed of the bloodshed on her conscience. In this context Shakespeare says:  “Conscience does make cowards of us all”. Indeed, what hell on earth it is to live with a dirty and accusing conscience! A good confession liberates us from this guilt.

16. FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY.  Jesus says that the devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. (Jn. 8:44) Also, Jesus says that sin indeed is SLAVERY! Jesus came to set the captives free!!! Free from what? Jesus (which means Savior) came to save us, to free us, to liberate us from the slavery caused by sin! A good confession smashes the chains and shackles that have kept us bound as prisoners!

17. PURITY OF LIFE, PURITY OF CONSCIENCE, PURITY OF SOUL.  One of the Eight Beatitudes taught by Jesus is the following: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8) Sin is impurity, in one form or another. Confession purifies the interior window of our soul. As such, we can see God in this life through contemplative prayer, and we will see Him forever in the Beatific Vision in heaven.

18. MORE FERVENT, PURE, AND EFFICACIOUS COMMUNIONS.  Related to purity received through Confession is that of a more fruitful and efficacious reception of Holy Communion. If you like, follow this analogy! Once a dirty window pane is sprayed with Windex and wiped, the light of the sun can inundate the room much more fully. Likewise, the more pure the soul, the more abundant the graces that can inundate the soul in the reception of Holy Communion. Good Confessions help us to make better Holy Communions.

19. BAD HABITS DESTROYED.  A bad habit we call a vice; a good habit we call a virtue. Indeed, it is impossible for us using our own natural resources to overcome bad habits, vices, and sin in our lives. Only God can do this! The most efficacious way is through frequent and well-prepared Confessions.

20. VIRTUES ESTABLISHED.  Of course the opposite of a vice is a virtue. Good confessions can turn us from sinful, mean, and vicious individuals into kind, holy, and virtuous persons on the Highway of Holiness.

21. CONQUERS THE DEVIL!  The devil wants us to commit sin, live in sin, and die in the state of sin so that we will be under his dominion forever in hell. A good confession is actually more powerful than an exorcism. An exorcism is a mere sacramental; Confession is a Sacrament—a powerful encounter with Jesus who both heals us and saves us!

22. CONFESSION IS MEDICINE TO THE SOUL.  The specific grace of the Sacrament of Confession is that it heals the soul of its sickness contracted by sin. Jesus is known as the Divine Physician. The priest in the confessional represents Jesus as the Divine Physician.

23. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.  Doctors will emphasize the importance of preventive medicine: getting flu-shots, frequent check-ups, blood-tests. In a word, these can all serve to prevent serious illnesses, or even diseases. Likewise, the practice of frequent Confession not only can serve as curative medicine, but also what might be called preventive medicine. Better to prevent a disease than to cure it; better to prevent a sinful habit than to work at overcoming it!

24. LIVING OUT METANOIA!!!  The first preaching of Jesus in His Public Life was that of conversion: “Be converted because the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15)  If we really want to undergo a true conversion of heart, a true conversion of life, then Confession is indispensable! The third Luminous Mystery is the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion! Pope Saint John Paul II relates this Mystery to the call to reception of Confession as an efficacious means of conversion!  

25. REJOICING OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.  A Marian note: one of the many titles of Mary is that of Our Lady of Mercy. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that the Marian Sanctuaries—Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe—are spiritual clinics. This means: these are spiritual hospitals where the spiritually sick can receive mercy, healing, and strength. Our Lady rejoices whenever anyone enters and leaves the confessional.  

In conclusion, we have highlighted a list of 25 positive effects or fruits of the worthy reception of the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy, that we call the Sacrament of Confession. God has extended His loving and merciful hand to you. Why not grab on to it, why not grasp the hand of your Merciful Father and make a good confession right now!

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

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

MONDAY, JANUARY 31st    Mk 5:1-20   “Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district.”

What a dramatic scene! Jesus frees a man tortured by unclean spirits, who then enter a herd of swine, about two thousand, and they rush down a steep bank and into the sea, where they are drowned. In response, the townspeople beg Jesus to leave their district.

What about us? Is our faith in the material things we possess or in our loving God who provides what we need? Fr. Ed elaborates on this message related to the Capital Sin of Greed and opposite Virtue of Trust in God. Let us examine our hearts and our lives.

GREED VERSUS TRUST IN GOD! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART ONE: 

PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL—EXAMPLE OF GREED / HAVING!

We invite you to read and meditate upon this Parable of the Rich Fool (Lk 12:13-21) for the purpose of looking to see if something in this parable is present in your own life.

1. POINT PRECEDING THE PARABLE.  Even before Jesus teaches this short but powerful Parable related to the Capital Sin of Greed, a man approaches Jesus. What does he request of Jesus? The man wants Jesus to tell his brother to divide an inheritance with him. This request triggers Jesus’ intervening to teach this Parable of the Rich Fool.

2. TEAR DOWN THE BARNS AND BUILD BIGGER ONES.  After the man in the parable has had a most abundant harvest and realizes that there is no longer enough space in his barns, he brainstorms and comes up with a brilliant idea: tear down the old and build new and bigger barns.

3. WHY?  The reason is clear: so that he can store up his abundant harvest in these more spacious barns. In other words, if we can put it this way, he will have more possessions, more stored up, more for the future. He is consumed with possessing more and more.

4. CONSEQUENCE: A LIFE OF EASE AND PLEASURE.  Then as a consequence of the abundant harvest and the bigger barns with overflowing storage, he can simply sit back, take it easy, and enjoy life to the fullest extent possible.

5. HIS MONOLOGUE—TALKING TO HIMSELF.  This man has no reference to God in the least, but rather enters into conversation with himself, in these or similar words: “My soul, you have much in store for many long years; rest, eat, drink, and be merry.” In other words: Live it up!

6. GREED AND MATERIALISM LEAD TO HEDONISM.  Greed, an expression of the false philosophy of Materialism, all too often leads to Hedonism—which is nothing less than the philosophy of pleasure: the purpose of life is to maximize pleasure.

7. EGOTISM-SELFISHNESS.  In this Parable, the Rich Fool never makes any reference to God, nor to his wife, nor to his family, nor to anyone except himself. He is consumed with how he can enjoy his material possessions.

8. THE DOMINO EFFECT OF SIN.  Observe how one sin can easily open up the door to another sin and another, like the slippery slope that leads to perdition. Materialism, manifest in Greed, leads to Hedonism, the philosophy of pleasure. These two lead to Selfishness/Egotism wherein such a person makes himself the center of the world—all revolves around him and his desires.

9. A SHOCKING SURPRISE AND RUDE AWAKENING.  Little does this Rich Fool realize that before the sun rises the following day, he will already be dead and judged by Almighty God! Jesus points out with stark reality that the man will die, and then where will all of his possessions go? More important, where will he go???

10. CONCLUSION.  Jesus points out with utmost clarity that having many possessions cannot assure anybody on the face of the earth a long life. And the human experience on earth is brief in comparison with eternity. Moreover, nobody knows the day, the hour, nor even the way that they will pass from this life to the next, to stand before the Judgment Seat of God, to be judged by Jesus who will judge the living and the dead.

PART TWO:

A SURE REMEDY TO THE CAPITAL SIN OF GREED: TRUST IN GOD’S LOVING PRESENCE AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE.

To remedy the Capital Sin of Greed/Avarice in our daily lives there is a key and essential attitude that we must understand, embrace, and strive to attain and instill in our thought processes, then translate into our daily actions.

This attitude can be summarized in three words: TRUST IN GOD!!! Or if you would like to transform this attitude into a short, concise prayer it is this: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!!! Of course, this is the very essence and heart of the teachings of Jesus through the Secretary of Divine Mercy—Saint Faustina Kowalska in the spiritual classic, “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul.”

THE TEACHING OF JESUS AGAINST WORRY & A CALL TO TRUST! (Mt 6:25-34)

Read and pray upon this passage taken from the very heart of the Sermon on the Mount. Allow these words of Jesus to penetrate and permeate to the very depths of your soul. The following are points to fill in some of the gaps.

1. WORRY.  Many times in these few verses Jesus tells us not to WORRY! Enter into your heart: are you always worrying about things?

2. TIME AND WORRY!  Do you relive and worry about your past? Are you worried and preoccupied about the future? Are you living with constant tension and worry in the present? Even though challenging, Jesus commands you to stop worrying and TRUST in Him!

3. EXAMPLES FROM GOD AND NATURE.  To instill trust and conquer this dominant attitude of worrying, Jesus uses examples from nature as a means to motivate us to cultivate greater trust in Him. He offers us two very simple and clear examples that anyone can understand, even a child.

4. THE BIRDS OF THE AIR.  Jesus invites us to contemplate the birds of the air. When you have a chance, you might contemplate the birds in the morning—flying, landing, and hopping around on the ground having their simple meal. They lost no sleep the night before worrying over the meal that God would provide for them the next morning. If God provides for the birds of the air, will He not provide for us, His beloved children? Have you ever seen a bird flying to a psychologist or renewing a prescription to cope with anxiety and depression?

5. THE LILIES OF THE FIELD.  Hopefully all of us have had the uplifting experience of a nature walk in which our eyes fell upon a meadow or field decked and scattered with an enormous array of flowers—be it lilies, daisies, roses, daffodils, sunflowers and so on. There was something in common among this vast array of spring flowers: their differences, but also their elegant beauty. Jesus says that even Solomon with all his wealth, power, and elegance could not compare with the lilies of the field. It is God who provides for them and it is God who decorates them with celestial beauty.  

6. WORRY ABOUT FOOD.  Then Jesus gently rebukes us for worrying about the food that we will eat. Pagans worry about that. God indeed will provide. You will not die of hunger.

7. WORRY ABOUT CLOTHES.  Then Jesus comes at us with another preoccupation: worry about our attire. How often have we worried about our clothes, what we will wear? How often, as a result of greed and an insatiable desire to have more, have we gone off to buy and buy when we already have too much???

8. CLUTTERED WITH THINGS: NO ROOM FOR GOD.  Jesus will go on to say that we cannot serve God and serve money at the same time. A heart that is filled with a desire for things and possessions has no room for God.

9. SELF-EXAMINATION.  Is your life dominated by greed, avarice, your possessions, and desiring more, even though you already have so much? Have you allowed your possessions to possess you? Are the things in your life pushing God to the side? Unless we come to a humble and honest admission of our failures, they can never be corrected!

10. THE KEY TO OVERCOMING GREED: THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS!  These words of Jesus in this same passage are the key. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you beside.” (Mt. 6:33) Meditate deeply upon these words of Jesus. Pray over them from your heart.

A CLOSING COLLOQUY/CONVERSATION WITH JESUS.  You may feel moved to conclude with this prayer: 

Lord Jesus, I humbly admit that a desire for things, an attitude of materialism, has in the past dominated my vision of life. I have focused more on having things than in possessing you and allowing you to take possession of me.

Dear Lord, grant me the ardent desire to put into practice your words: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you beside.” Lord, may you be the true meaning and ardent desire of my heart, my soul, and my life!

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

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30th    Lk 4: 21-30   Alleluia Verse: “The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives.”

In today’s reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, we learn the true meaning of “glad tidings to the poor” and “liberty to captives”. We will begin with Paul’s introduction that leads us to Fr. Ed’s explanation of the essence of Paul’s message.

1 Cor 13: 1-3:  “If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I won, and If I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

SAINT PAUL SHOWS US WHAT LOVE IS AND WHAT LOVE IS NOT! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest spiritual masterpieces ever penned on the topic of love is from Saint Paul in his thirteenth chapter to the Corinthians. At weddings, this is often one of the favorite readings in the context of the Nuptial Mass. If the couple, as well as all of us, would seriously read, meditate, and strive to understand the importance and meaning of these few verses, the understanding that we have of Love would be radically transformed. And of course, as a consequence, the way we would strive to live out this most demanding virtue would change.

We would like to extract four short verses from I Corinthians 13—verses 4-7 and expound upon and explain these few verses related to love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. Love does not rejoice over wrong-doing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

Saint Paul, obviously led by the Holy Spirit, was truly inspired to highlight characteristics of charity or supernatural love and its concrete applications. In a word, love/charity is not a mere ephemeral sentiment, or passing emotion, or transitory, romantic glance or smile. Quite the contrary: supernatural love, which in theological language is termed charity, is very demanding. According to the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, it is indeed the greatest of all virtues!

This being said, we would like to list what love is and what love is not according to Saint Paul, and give a brief explanation of these words with the hope that we all would have the audacious courage and trust in God’s grace to put this sublime virtue into practice daily!

1. LOVE IS PATIENT

Are you patient? Examine your life, specifically in three basic areas related to patience.

Are you patient with God and the way He deals with you in your life? Or do you question and rebel against God’s providential designs? Next, are you patient with others, especially those with whom you associate on a daily basis? Or is your attitude and philosophy, “My way or the Highway!” Finally, are you patient with yourself? By this is meant, when you fail, do you give in to discouragement or rise from your fall and begin again? Examine yourself on patience in these three areas!

2. LOVE IS KIND

If you really do not understand the whole concept of being kind or kindness, we offer you the antithesis, the opposing vice, and that would be the demeanor of a mean or bad-tempered person. Such a person is often bitter, angry, sharp, sarcastic, calculating, touchy.

Whereas the kind person exudes joy, mercy, compassion, a winning smile. A kind person is tender, loving, and supportive. A kind person does not judge, criticize, and condemn but quickly overlooks the faults and limitations of their brothers and sisters.

3. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS

Jealous persons tend to compare themselves with others, and as a result, they are never at peace with themselves. Jealousy and envy are related. Jealousy can be explained as the person who feels bad when somebody else has something they do not have.

Envy is worse! The envious person rejoices when something bad happens to the person who has something that they don’t have! The opposite of jealousy and envy would be fraternal charity—to will the good of the other. Saint Paul expresses this perfectly: “To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” (Rom 12:15)

Another manifestation of the opposing virtue would be that of admiration. You do not downplay the good fortune of your neighbor, rather you admire and compliment them.

4. LOVE IS NOT POMPOUS, NOT INFLATED

The words pompous and inflated can be united. Such a person is proud, conceited, a braggart, self-seeking, self-aggrandizing, ostentatious, as well as demeaning and disparaging towards others. Such a person is egocentric; they want to be the focal point of attention. They want at all times and places to be, so to speak, the life of the party. Possibly the best image from the animal world would be that of the peacock—always ready and willing to show off their plumage, their multi-color splendor for all to see!

The contrary is a person who is soft-spoken, unassuming, hidden, modest, never over bearing, who seeks the honor of others rather than their own.

5. LOVE IS NOT RUDE

We all have met rude people and possibly given in to being rude ourselves. What are the qualities of a rude person? They are pushy, can never wait, cut in lines, elbow their way to the first place, and perpetually complain. A rude person is uncouth, vulgar and coarse in speech, and bloated in self-importance. If we are honest, maybe we have even given into this attitude of being a rude dude to the detriment of our family and work environment.

The exact opposite is true of a gentleman or lady. Such a person is courteous, gentle, refined, soft-spoken, polished, and well-mannered at home and everywhere else.

6. LOVE IS NOT QUICK-TEMPERED

By quick-tempered is meant that such a person has a very short fuse. They explode at the drop of a hat. Anything—whether it be a person, place, thing, or circumstance—that does not flow and harmonize with their particular needs, wants and desires can cause them to go into at least a minor rage. The quick-tempered person blurts out whatever comes to their mind without a moment of reflection, and can consequently cause irreparable damage to family, relatives, friends, and countless other people. This impulsive, impetuous, explosive, knee-jerk reaction to all that is not according to their tastes is like living or associating with someone who has firecrackers in their pocket and matches ready at hand!

The opposite is a person capable of suffering tension, disappointments, set-backs, bad language and insults, even physical suffering in silence, uniting themself to Jesus in His Passion and sufferings.

7. LOVE DOES NOT BROOD OVER INJURIES

The person who broods over injuries has not learned how to forgive; they have not understood the importance of the greatest virtue in the Heart of Jesus—that of mercy.

The opposite of brooding over injuries is forgiving those who offend us right away and from the heart. It is putting into practice the prayer of Jesus in the Our Father: in the petition “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus is the most sublime example, especially as He hangs on the cross and from the depths of His loving and Sacred Heart cries out: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)

8. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE OVER WRONGDOING, BUT REJOICES IN THE TRUTH 

Love and truth must work and collaborate together. A person motivated by true love will never call sin, virtue—nor right, wrong. Impossible!

Love is honest; love is sincere; love is transparent and not murky. Love will strive to correct wrongdoing. This is called the virtue of fraternal correction. Upon seeing someone in sin or in the wrong, a person motivated by love will have the courage, honesty, and zeal to try to bring the wandering sheep back to the fold, back to the flock, back to the arms of Jesus who is the Good Shepherd even of the wandering sheep.

9. LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS, HOPES ALL THINGS

Bearing all things, we are called to contemplate Jesus in His Passion as He carries the cross—a cross weighed down by the weight of all the sins of all of humanity, from Adam and Eve until the last person in the world, and that includes our own personal sins. If the person who is loaded down with trials, tribulations, afflictions, and contradictions of all kinds, lifts up their eyes to Jesus carrying the cross loaded down with the sins of the whole world, their strength will be renewed. Praying and meditating over Jesus’ patient endurance on the cross is a powerful motivation to imitate the Lord and His infinite love.

Believing all things, we call to mind the modern classic of the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina, in her Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. One of the hallmarks of this classic is that of believing Jesus in all of His words and promises.

Hoping all things is trusting in Jesus in all times and places, summarized in these five simple but most profound words: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

10. LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS

One of the key virtues of the followers of the Lord Jesus is that of enduring all things; another way of expressing this is the virtue of perseverance. Jesus Himself stated: “He who perseveres until the end will be saved.” (Mt 24:13)

Using an image from sports, Saint Paul states that not all of the runners in the stadium, in the marathon, will win the race, but only one. We are called to be that one in the Heart of Jesus. Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori insisted upon the importance of enduring until the end with the concept of final perseverance.

As we conclude, let us prayerfully meditate upon the words of Saint Alphonsus with regard to final perseverance: “The grace of all graces to persevere in the state of grace.” Let us beg the Blessed Virgin Mary for this most exalted of all graces. Let us beg she who is the full of grace, to live in grace, grow in grace, persevere in grace, and die in the state of grace, so as to attain our greatest reward—Heaven for all eternity!