Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

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

TUESDAY, Dec. 21st   Lk. 1:39-45   “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

REFLECTION:

Mary’s life on earth was not easy, but by giving her unconditional Yes to God this humble Virgin became the Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and Mother of us all!

Our lives are not easy, each one of us have our own crosses to carry. But the Lord has spoken to us as well: “Be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty Savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” (Zeph 3:17)

Let us then learn how to live and love as Mary did—where we are planted with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, that is serving all those we encounter in our daily life with peace and joy. For we have a Savior. He has called us each by name and we belong to Him! Now and for eternity! 

10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Mary is our model, teacher, guide, inspiration, our life, our sweetness and our hope, to all who raise their eyes to her with love. In the beautiful prayer of Saint Bernard, the Memorare, we pray with confidence: “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.”

May is the month of Mary and it concludes with one of the most beautiful Marian Feast days—the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth. Many superb spiritual lessons can be learned from this Marian gem, which is also the Second Joyful Mystery. Let us descend into this “Spiritual Gold Mine” and grab on to these excellent treasures.

1. CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION.  The last part of the prior mystery—the Annunciation/Incarnation, ends with Mary’s Fiat, that is to say, Mary’s Yes to become the Mother of God. Her exact words were: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38) In that moment, one of the most sublime events in the history of the world took place: the Incarnation of the Son of God. That is to say, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity descended from His heavenly throne and became Incarnate (man) in the most pure womb of the Virgin Mary! In rapt awe, we humbly adore this sublime mystery!

2.  COMMUNION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY.  Mary did not keep the “Gift” of Jesus to herself, but went in haste to share the gift with others. She started on an 80 mile journey traveling uphill to Ain Karim to visit her cousin Elizabeth and also to help her cousin in her need. Pope Benedict XVI in his Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” insists that Mass and Holy Communion must transform us into ardent missionaries who bring the Good News of Jesus to the whole world!

3.  IN HASTE.  Mary did not procrastinate, put off, delay, make excuses, rationalize, or justify postponing her trip; rather, she followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and moved immediately. Lesson! Upon receiving good inspirations from the Holy Spirit, we should be both docile and prompt to respond!

4.  TRAVEL WITH MARY AND TALK TO HER.  Enter into an Ignatian contemplative scene and imagine traveling with Mary. Notice her joy, her quick pace, her awareness of Jesus within her, her determination to carry out God’s will despite the possible obstacles—all of these make up your long trek to Ain Karim with Mary. Admire her majesty, but also be inspired by her humility and simplicity. During this long journey together, open up your heart and talk to Mary about what is going on in your life. Why not even tell her what is most heavy on your heart! Mary is the best of listeners!

5.  EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION.  Remember! The little baby Jesus is already present in the womb of Mary. Therefore, as you travel, remember that this indeed is a “Eucharistic Procession” — a Corpus Christi procession! Mary always wants to draw us closer to Jesus! Her last words at the wedding Feast of Cana were: “Do whatever He tells you!” (Jn 2:5) Great advice! Beg for the grace to have greater faith, love, and devotion for Jesus truly present in the Eucharist!

6.  JOY!  This is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Being with Jesus and Mary is the true and authentic source of joy. Mary’s canticle, her Magnificat, emphasizes this truth: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Lk 1:46-47) May we always seek joy in this authentic source: JESUS THE LORD!

7.  GREETING!  Most likely Mary greeted Elizabeth with the typical Jewish greeting, SHALOM—peace be with you! Our homes, families, communities, parishes, groups, and activities should be characterized by a “Shalom” atmosphere. A warm, welcoming, and inviting milieu should be created. An essential note of apostolic effectiveness is that of creating this warm and welcoming environment. Mary teaches us this by her greeting!

8.  BABY JOHN LEAPS FOR JOY!  At the sound of Mary’s greeting the infant John leaps for joy in the womb of Saint Elizabeth! What is happening here? Jesus, even before being born, is acting as Redeemer by freeing His cousin John from the bondage of Original Sin. Message! Our contact with Jesus and Mary through prayer will undoubtedly serve as a powerful means to diminish the grip of sin upon us and eventually shatter the binding force and slavery of sin. Sin indeed is slavery and Jesus and Mary came to give us freedom, the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God! “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

9.  PRO-LIFE PASSAGE “PAR EXCELLENCE!”  Both of these women in the modern society would be candidates for abortion. Why? Mary was very young; whereas Elizabeth was very old. However, both women had infinite trust in God’s Divine Providence! Because of this, Elizabeth gave birth to the great Saint John the Baptist, and Mary gave birth to JESUS, THE SON OF GOD! By our meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, at all times may we be staunch defenders of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. God is the Author and Origin of life and only He has the right to take life to Himself!

10.  MARY AND ACTIVE SERVICE.  Love for God cannot limit itself to words, but must manifest itself in actions, in service, in seeing Jesus truly present in others! Not only did Mary greet Elizabeth, but she also actively served her aged and pregnant cousin in her need! With a little bit of imagination (Ignatian Contemplation), we can picture Mary and accompany her in active service! 

What might have been some of the activities that Mary would have carried out with joy and love? Walking to the well to get water— no running water back then! Sweeping the dust and dirt from their humble home—no vacuum cleaners 2000 years ago! Washing and hanging clothes out to dry— no expensive washing machines and dryers to quicken the work. Cooking and baking, preparing the meals, setting the table, washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen after eating—there was no Burger King, Pizza-Hut, or KFC available! Nor were there overflowing refrigerators to be checked and emptied of the waste every week!  

All of these humble, domestic chores Mary would have carried out with the greatest love and attention to aid her cousin Elizabeth. Remember! Holiness does not depend on the greatness of the act, but on the great love that accompanies every action— even if it appears to be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world. The secret of the sanctity of Saint Therese, and Mary in the mystery of the Visitation, is to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love! That is sanctity!

In conclusion, let us contemplate the life, words, gestures, and actions of Mary, most holy, especially in the Mystery of the Visitation, and be motivated to transfer our contemplative life into active service of our brothers and sisters, who are really Jesus Christ! For, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” (Mt 25:40)

Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

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

MONDAY, Dec. 20th   Lk. 1:26-38   Alleluia Verse: “O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!”

Jesus is still setting free the prisoners of darkness! Fr. Ed gives a masterful and comprehensive meditation on exactly how Jesus sets us free! It is likely that we have not read anything like this before! After we have prayed with this meditation, our hearts will sing, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!”

HEALING OF OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

In the Advent Season one of the Gospel Readings is the long list of the Genealogical Origin of Jesus, in the three sets of 14 names. Daunted by the long list and befuddled as to how to preach a homily on this long list of names, this thought occurred to me: the healing of our own Genealogical Tree.

ORIGINAL WOUNDS.  All of us who come into the world as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve inherit the Original Wound as well as its consequences. With the exception of Mary’s Immaculate Conception and the Virginal Birth of Jesus, we all inherit Original Sin and its consequences at the very moment of our conception. True! Baptism washes away the stain of Original Sin, but not the consequences that Saint Thomas Aquinas terms concupiscence.

CAPITAL SINS.  Those bad tendencies that are defined as the Capital Sins remain within our very being until we die. These are the following: Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Sloth, Envy, Anger, and Pride. With the help of God’s grace and our collaboration with His grace, these bad tendencies have to be tamed and the opposite virtues must be practiced.

WOUNDED HUMANITY.  All of humanity, therefore, has this mortal wound stemming from the Original Sin. However, to compound the state of our wounded human nature is our own moral culpability that flows from our own personal sins. Original Sin wounds from the start; personal and actual sins aggravate the state of our wounded condition.

WALKING WOUNDED HUMANITY.  We live in a world walking side by side with a walking wounded humanity and we add our own quota to this wounded and broken world.

WOUNDED WOUNDER OR WOUNDED HEALER.  Taking into account our woundedness there are two possibilities or options. Either we are wounded wounders or we become wounded healers. If we do not come to terms with our wounded condition, then our woundedness grows, festers, and spreads like a disease, like a moral pandemic. And we wound others by our wounded condition.

WOUNDED HEALER.  However, if we recognize that we are wounded, if we admit it and we strive to seek healing, then being a Wounded Healer can become a reality. How? The only solution is to run to Jesus. Only Jesus can truly heal us. Indeed, He alone is the Wounded Healer. The Prophet Isaiah made reference to the coming of Jesus and His mission when he said: “By His wounds we are healed.” (Is 53:5)

JESUS’ PASSION: HIS WOUNDS AND OUR HEALING.  In His Passion, Jesus was wounded for our sake. His scourging at the Pillar, His crowning with thorns, His falling under the weight of the cross, the nails that pierced His hands and feet, His side that was pierced with the lance—all of these manifest the open and gaping wounds of Jesus.

FINDING REFUGE IN THESE WOUNDS.  If we sincerely seek refuge in the wounds of Jesus then we can experience His healing. Most specifically, the healing of our moral wounds can take place in the context of the Sacraments, and most especially in the Sacrament of Confession. In fact, every Sacrament communicates not only grace but a specific Sacramental grace that differentiates it from the others. The Holy Eucharist confers nourishment and spiritual strength. The Sacrament of Confession confers moral healing of the wounds that we have contracted due to moral evil that we call sin.

BLOOD OF CHRIST—HEALING POWER.  Every time we approach the Sacrament of Confession with a good disposition, then with the confession of our sins and Sacramental absolution, the Precious Blood of Jesus that poured forth from the cross on Calvary that first Good Friday washes away our sins. Jesus’ Precious Blood cleanses us and heals us.

HEALING OUR GENEALOGICAL TREE.  Recently, much has been written on the healing of our ancestors, our relatives of the past, the gaping wounds of past ages. Fascinating as this topic sounds and the variety of ways to approach the healing of our genealogical tree, I believe there is truly a most efficacious manner, means or practice that we can undertake. Indeed, going all the way back to our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, there are many wounds, gaping wounds, unhealed wounds of the past that have repercussions in the present and that can extend way into the future.

THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS AND UNIVERSAL HEALING.  Of all of the possible remedies for healing wounded humanity—past, present and future, there is an all powerful means that we have at our disposal: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

MOST POWERFUL OF ALL PRAYERS.  Of all the prayers that can be offered in the past, present and future, there is no more powerful and efficacious prayer than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is truly OPUS DEI—the great work of God Himself. It is God offering Himself to God: Jesus (Second Person of the Trinity) offers Himself into the hands of His Heavenly Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of humanity.

CALVARY: THE MASS TRANSCENDING ALL TIMES AND PLACES.  Even though it is true that Jesus died on Calvary on Good Friday more than two thousand years ago, the presence and power of Calvary extends to all times and places—past, present, and future even until the end of time! How does this take place? Every Sacrifice of the Mass today, tomorrow, and until the end of time takes us back to Calvary. That First Good Friday as Jesus hung on the cross, He poured forth His most Precious Blood. That same Blood that Jesus shed willingly and most abundantly becomes present in every Mass. And it is through the shedding of the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world that the purification of our sins and salvation becomes a reality!

OFFERING THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS TO HEAL OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.  Now to the point of our topic: OFFER MASS FOR HEALING! Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for your family, and the two different lines if you are married: the husband and his family of the past; the wife and her family of the past.

THE INTENTIONS.  By way of example, that Mass intention can be specified in the following way: Families Lopez and Garcia—healing of the past, present and future.  Therefore, this intention includes the paternal side (Lopez) and their past, present and future; and the maternal side (Garcia) and their past, present and future. This intention is universal, all-inclusive. In a real sense it is Catholic which means universal! Let us now explain the three time dimensions of past, present and future.

HOLY MASS: META-HISTORICAL EVENT.  By meta-historical is meant that it transcends all times, places, events, and cultures—that it encapsulates the entire past, present and future. The power and efficacy of EVERY HOLY MASS transports back to Calvary 2000 years ago and is actually present with its fruits and effects right now; but also its power and effects extend from the beginning of time into the present and the future until the end of time. It is through the Precious Blood of Jesus shed on Calvary that wounds are truly healed and wounded wounders can indeed become wounded healers!

THE PAST.  By the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—this meta-historical event—the Precious Blood of Jesus can be applied to family members, both maternal and paternal over years, decades and even centuries in the past. In concrete, in the Lopez and Garcia family there are countless numbers who have passed away. Many of these members were not ready to have direct access to Heaven, and may still be detained in Purgatory. Therefore, this Mass offered in the present can serve as a most efficacious means to help purify these souls detained in Purgatory; and some may actually be released from Purgatory and arrive finally at their Heavenly Home for all eternity! Their healing total and complete!

THE PRESENT.  These two families have immediate family members, as well as other blood relatives, such as cousins and aunts and uncles. Now the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered on their behalf can serve in the present as a most powerful means to sanctify many, convert others, prevent still others from making egregious moral blunders, and serve as a shield against the wily but persistent attacks of the enemy—the devil who is always on the prowl like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour! Also, countless lights, inspirations, insights can flow invisibly but most powerfully to these family members and all by means of the Precious Blood of Jesus poured forth on the cross on Calvary Good Friday but applied in the present moment!

THE FUTURE.  It is God Himself who created time with all of its ramifications. However, God Himself is not confined to time and space as we the living experience it. In a real sense God lives in the eternal present! This being the case, even though the Mass is being offered for the Lopez-Garcia family right now in the present moment, its effects can extend into the future. In all truth, the effects of every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can extend into the future, way into the future. If you like, this Mass offered right now can extend in its power and efficacy until the very end of time and into eternity. How might this be the case? Well, a family member of the Garcia-Lopez clan living in the year 2500 is on his deathbed after living an immoral, sinful life for many years. Shortly before he expires, he receives a light, an insight, an inspiration to repent and turn his heart back to God. His last words before giving up his spirit are: “Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner” or “Jesus, I trust in your mercy” or simply, “Jesus, save me”! Or other words similar to these. These words are not only expressed with his lips but deeply intended in his heart. He is saved! What is fascinating is the following: the Mass offered close to five hundred years earlier by a family member in the Garcia-Lopez clan was the means by which on his deathbed, this hardened sinner received the grace of final conversion!

In conclusion, all of us can tap into this source of infinite value: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Even one Mass offered for our family members can have universal repercussions. The Precious Blood of Jesus, poured forth on Calvary but applied in every Mass, has a universal and timeless extension. Holy Mass can purify our deceased relatives who perhaps lived hundreds of years in the past. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can serve to convert, sanctify, and save family members living in the present epoch. Finally, far into distant and future years, Holy Mass can prevent sin, sanctify souls and convert the most hardened sinners of our family. How great and powerful is God through Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection, all applied in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Let us pray that through Holy Mass and the Precious Blood of Jesus, we indeed will not be wounded wounders but rather wounded healers in a broken and wounded world!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

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

SUNDAY, Dec. 19th   Lk. 1:39-45   “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”

As soon as “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” in the womb of Mary, she set out in haste to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth who was in her sixth month of pregnancy.

Christ came as Savior to SAVE ALL! As part of our Advent preparation to receive the Child Jesus on Christmas, Fr. Ed exhorts us to reach out with prayers for those in need who have not seen the Light, He who came into the world to dispel the darkness! What better Gift to please Our Blessed Mother and the Child she bears than to work with Him for the salvation of immortal souls!

CHRISTMAS PREPARATION: COME LORD JESUS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Amidst the many distractions of life it is very easy for us to be sidetracked as to really living out the true meaning of Christmas, if you like the true “Reason for the Season.” The very focal point and meaning for the season of Christmas is the Person of Jesus. Christmas indeed is the birthday of Jesus Christ. A little more than 2000 years ago Jesus was born in Bethlehem—meaning “House of Bread” —with the purpose to save us. Actually His name “Jesus” means “Savior”, as the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary: “He will save the people of their sins.” How then can we prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for the Birthday of our loving Redeemer? We would like to offer a few concrete suggestions that can be of paramount importance in helping us to prepare well so that Jesus will be born in our hearts this Christmas.

1. LET US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CARE TO BE SAVED. 

There is a class of persons who really do need frequent and fervent prayers. These are individuals, and there are many of them, who live never thinking of God, much less talking to God. For them, living a pagan and hedonistic lifestyle—that is, living for the world and the pleasures the world offers—is the purpose and end of their existence. They are blinded to seeing anything beyond the fleeting and transitory gratification of the moment. For them, life and the meaning of life is here and now! Let us pray for these individuals that they might become aware of their dire need for Jesus, that they may be enlightened to see that only Jesus can give true happiness in this life, as well as in the life to come.

2. LET US PRAY FOR THE ANGRY, THE BITTER, THE RESENTFUL WITH UNFORGIVING HEARTS. 

Then there is another class of individuals who urgently need fervent and frequent prayers so that they can truly encounter Jesus when He is born and lives with us. Emmanuel means “God with us”. These are wounded individuals who have gaping wounds from their past. Instead of these wounds healing, they grow and become putrid and infected due to unforgiveness. In a certain sense, they become cancerous. The worst thing about these individuals is the simple fact that they do not recognize that they are bitter and unforgiving. Everybody is at fault except them. May these individuals be enlightened to the reality of God’s Infinite Mercy! May they have the courage to recognize and accept that they have been mortally wounded by others but they must forgive. If this is done, they will set the captives free, and indeed, they themselves are the captives who need to be set free!

3. LET US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE SLAVES OF ADDICTIONS. 

Never have we lived in a society with so many addictions. Drugs, drinking, gambling, the horses, casinos, sex, pornography, overeating, buying and accumulating—just to mention a few, are all forms of addictions. Jesus came to save us all; Jesus also said that sin is slavery. Dragging the moral chains and bonds of sin is actually worse than physical slavery. Saint John the Baptist experienced the bonds and chains of imprisonment as a result of his denouncing the adulteress relationship between King Herod and his brother’s wife. However, King Herod was more a slave and prisoner than John the Baptist! Herod indeed was a slave of his passions—his greed, lust, pride, insecurities; these were more insidious and more perilous bonds then the chains and manacles that bound the Baptist. Let us pray in a very special way for the many people in modern society who are slaves of addictions and who are blind or powerless to break asunder these sinful chains. The great Saint Augustine was bound and enslaved to the addiction of lust for more than 30 years. Due to the prayers of his mother, Saint Monica, and the powerful and holy example of Saint Ambrose, his addiction was conquered! Then Augustine went on to become a great saint, writer, teacher, preacher, Bishop, saint and Father of the Church.

4. LET US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE.

Never have we lived in a society with so much information, but never have we lived in a society with so much ignorance, especially in the realm of religion. Let us pray for the many Catholic-Christian adults who have not studied their faith for many years, possibly decades. Possibly they were confirmed in their early teens and since then have not opened a religious book, the Bible, or a catechism. On a professional level they may be thriving, but in knowledge and love for the faith they are spiritually dead. The worse part of this scenario is that they have no hunger and thirst for the truth. Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him. Let us pray for these individuals that they will come to a keen awareness of their ignorance of religious truth and hunger and thirst to dispel this cloak of ignorance. May the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Mary and the Apostles that first Pentecost in fire and wind, enlighten them and forcefully blow away their resistance and dispel their ignorance.

LET US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERVERT THE INNOCENT. 

Finally, there is a very important category that we should pray for that they may encounter the Light of Jesus their Savior—those who pervert and damage the innocent! Jesus said regarding those who scandalize or pervert the innocent that it would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their necks and be thrown into the depths of the sea. Very strong words from the lips of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that should be listened to and obeyed! Many who work in television and movies, many who work in fashion and dress, many who promote indecent websites, many who publish indecent magazines— many of these fall into the category of those who pervert and scandalize the innocent, especially the minds and hearts of children. For these we should pray fervently for their conversion and salvation, and for the preservation of the innocence of our children!

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

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

SATURDAY, Dec. 18th   Mt. 1:18-25   “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

In today’s meditation, Fr. Ed continues to help us make our very best preparations for the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, on Christmas Day.

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME OF GIVING AND LOVING by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The Advent Season that culminates in Christmas, the birth of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, is a time of giving and loving. Actually, the Gift of Gifts—the Gift of all Gifts is Jesus Himself. With a limitless love, care and concern for all of humanity, and for each and every one of us individually, God the Father gave Jesus to us as the Gift beyond all price.

Due to the Original Sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, the gates of Heaven were slammed and locked shut for all of humanity until God intervened in a most powerful, but also a most humble manner. God became man in the Person of Jesus so as to transform us into Sons and Daughters of God.

Never in a million years could we have reasoned it out and come to the conclusion that God would decide to save us by means of the Incarnation. No one would have ever imagined God becoming man in the Incarnation through the consent of the Virgin Mary. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1:14) Jesus became one of us in all ways with the exception of sin. Jesus indeed is the Way, the Truth, and the Life who shows us the way to the Father in Heaven.

Therefore, let us manifest our gratitude towards our all good and generous God by the way we treat others. Jesus said:  “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me.” (Mt 25:40) Moreover, our charitable expression of love must be manifest first towards our family members—indeed, charity begins at home.

Perhaps the traditional manner of giving material gifts to our relatives and friends can be supplanted by spiritual gifts. In a word, instead of giving many material gifts and receiving many material gifts, maybe we can offer gifts of a spiritual nature.

Call to mind the abject poverty that characterized the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Cold, dirty, musty, hard rocks, dark, cobwebs, the foul stench of animal dung—all these are words that describe to a limited degree the place where Jesus was born: the Stable of Bethlehem. In a real sense, our souls often reflect the same atmosphere. We are at times cold, dirty, musty, hard of heart, and emit the foul stench of sin. But it was precisely for this reason that Jesus came into the world—to save us from sin and all that is related to sin. The name “Jesus” means Savior!

Therefore, this being the case, what are some gifts that we can offer to Jesus and to our relatives and friends this Christmas?

First, why not offer to the Lord Jesus a Good Confession? Why not make an excellent examination of conscience, beg for true sorrow and a firm purpose to change, and confess your sins to the priest who represents Christ, the Divine Physician? Three qualities of a good confession: be transparent, be humble, and be obedient! Then be gone! A good Sacramental Confession is the best way to clean out the dirty stable of our soul so that Jesus can be born with great joy.

Second, reconciliation with family members. All too often, due to past wounds, family members have never really practiced mercy by forgiving from the heart hurtful offenses. Consequently, there exists a somewhat tense atmosphere at home. Sarcastic and cutting words or expressions, sardonic smiles, gossip and back-biting, and at times an icy-coldness—all are symptoms of a lack of true and total forgiveness. If we want God to forgive us, then we must forgive our brothers and sisters who have hurt us. There is no clearer expression of this than in the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us….”

Third, prepare, make and give a Spiritual Bouquet as a Christmas gift. If you have never been exposed to the term, as well as the gift of a Spiritual Bouquet, this merits a brief explanation. A simple example, a bride places at the feet of a statue of Our Blessed Mother a bouquet of roses so Mother Mary will bless her marriage. The Spiritual Bouquet is essentially roses that are of a purely spiritual nature. Decide what you are willing to do and offer this as your Spiritual Bouquet of roses to Jesus and Mary for the benefit of the person receiving your gift.

Fourth, we present to you a model for composing your Spiritual Bouquet:

“As my Spiritual Bouquet, I offer these spiritual gifts for your sanctification and salvation.”

1. The recitation of the Holy Rosary ten times.

2. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy fifteen times.

3. Short prayers (aspirations) one hundred in total.

4. Sacrifices/acts of mortification or self-denial seven in total.

5. Holy Mass offered in the Church for you and your intentions —five times.

6. Holy Communions offered for you—five times.

7. The Stations/ Way of the Cross prayed for you—four times.

The above is merely a model or example of what a Spiritual Bouquet might look like. All of the gifts are of a spiritual nature. They can be of immense value in helping others on the Highway to holiness and Heaven.

Fifth, a beautiful image or painting of Divine Mercy. Instead of purchasing some secular item, why not bestow as a gift the image of Divine Mercy. Three of the most prominent images that adorn Catholic homes today are that of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the image of Divine Mercy. Jesus promised extraordinary blessings upon those who honor, venerate, and even enthrone this beautiful image. By contemplating this image, in a mysterious and powerfully mystical way, you are drawn into the most important attribute of the Heart of Jesus, His Infinite Mercy.

Sixth, CHRISTMAS MASS AND HOLY COMMUNION. It must be said that some Catholics will celebrate Christmas paying attention to all of the external wrappings, while remaining oblivious to, and therefore excluding, the very heart and most important aspect of Christmas: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! Christ was born 2000 years ago in Bethlehem—the House of Bread. The prolongation of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is Jesus being born in the hands of the priest in the moment of consecration and in our hearts in the moment of Holy Communion!

Seventh, KEY TO FAMILY UNITY AND HARMONY. May the whole family, well-confessed, and with purity of heart, mind and soul approach the Eucharistic banquet and receive the Child Jesus into their hearts in Holy Communion. If done, this can create great peace and harmony within the family. Jesus is Emmanuel—God with us. Jesus is also titled “The Prince of Peace”! As St. Paul reminds us: “Though we are many, we form one bread and one body in the Lord.” (1 Cor 10:17)

Eighth, cultivate the “Apostolate of Kindness”. One of the most precious gifts that family members can give to each other for Christmas and during the Christmas Season, is to cultivate a perennial habit of what we might call “The Apostolate of Kindness.” (Read the classic text on Kindness by Fr. Lovasik). Kindness is one of those social virtues that condiments life, that salts and seasons and enlivens human social dealings. Without it, family life can become an intense battle. In all aspects of our family and social dealings may they be condimented by the salt and seasoning of kindness. A winning smile, gentle and encouraging words, an attentive and listening ear, a word or two of comfort and support, a helping hand to the faltering—all are concrete manifestations of kindness. What a splendid and superb Christmas day and Christmas Season would result from an overall milieu and practice of kindness. Indeed, kindness is a priceless gift! Let us resolve to make a habit of kindness!

Ninth, a good Catholic prayer book. One of the gifts that I most cherished as a child when I made my First Communion was the First Communion Catholic Prayer Book. If you do not know how to pray, you can go to the Psalms in the Old Testament and pray a Psalm every night and learn how to pray by the Word of God. However, another way is to purchase a good Catholic prayer book and read each night one or several of the beautiful prayers presented in the book. In time try to memorize some of them. These are spiritual gifts that are designed to cultivate the soul and they are very pleasing to God! On one occasion, my Mother showed me her First Communion Prayer Book that she had kept with her for close to eighty years! No doubt we will be lifted up on eagles’ wings, soar to the heavenly heights, if we learn and practice the art of prayer.

Tenth, Gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, it was the Blessed Virgin Mary who said Yes to God and Jesus took on flesh in her most pure womb. Mary offered Jesus as a Gift in the Temple when He was forty days old. Mary also offered to God the Father, Jesus as He hung upon the cross on Good Friday, shedding every drop of His Precious Blood for our eternal salvation. A gift most pleasing to Mary, the Mother of God, would be the family praying the most Holy Rosary together. In the words of the Rosary-priest, Ven. Father Patrick Peyton, “The family that prays together, stays together.” Every time we say: Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… Hail Mary, full of grace… the Immaculate Heart of Mary rejoices exultantly!

To conclude, let us all make a concerted effort to live out the art of giving, especially spiritual gifts. Saint Mother Teresa insisted upon giving, so much so that she stated: “Give until it hurts.” Saint Paul stated: “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” (Acts 20: 35) Jesus was born to give all—His Precious Body and Blood on the cross for love of you and me. Let us give generously and with abundant love.

Friday of the Third Week of Advent

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 17th   Mt. 1:1-17   “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Jesus, the Son of God made man, has a genealogy of His human ancestry. We also have a genealogy of our human ancestry.

However, Jesus has another genealogy:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

We have another genealogy, the one that God wrote: ^“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.”

Fr. Ed expounds on our supernatural genealogy in our meditation today!

THE INFINITE VALUE OF YOUR SOUL by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Imagine discovering in your backyard a treasure of gold! Imagine being bequeathed ten diamonds, each of them worth more than a million dollars! Once again, imagine receiving an inheritance—an enormous mansion on a luxurious plot of land and it’s all yours! Finally, imagine winning the 50-million dollar lottery! Of course, on a human and natural plane we would all rejoice to the skies, and relax with the awareness that the rest of our life will be luxury, pleasure, ease and indescribable comfort.

Beyond a shadow of doubt, those immersed in the worldly, pagan, and materialistic mindset would long for any one of the above scenarios. Why? The whole thrust of their life is based on purely materialistic possession and gain.

Let us now flip the coin and turn in the opposite direction, and meditate upon the value, now through the eyes of God, of one soul, of one immortal soul, your own immortal soul. In all truth, your individual, personal, and unique soul, your immortal soul has much more value than all of the riches described above. In the eyes of God—the God of Life, the God of Truth, and the God of Love, your soul is worth more than the whole created universe. St. Peter says that our soul was not redeemed or bought back by the blood of goats or heifers, nor gold or silver, but was redeemed by the Blood of Jesus! How precious and valuable are our souls—redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (cf 1Pt. 1:18-19) 

This being said, let us reflect together, even for a few short minutes, on the reality, importance, and grandeur of your immortal soul. The following are concrete points for your reflection, meditation, and prayer.

1. ORIGIN OF YOUR SOUL.  At one time your soul did not exist. It’s coming into existence, its origin, came from God in the precise moment of time and manner that God so willed. When? Precisely in the very moment of your conception in the womb of your mother was when your immortal soul came into existence. This existence of your soul will never cease, in time and for eternity!

2. IMMORTALITY.  It is precisely this point—IMMORTALITY! By immortal is meant quite simply this: it is destined to exist forever and ever and ever. In a real sense it is God-like because God can never cease to exist.

3. HUMAN BIRTH AND SUPERNATURAL BIRTH AND THE SOUL.  Every year with immense joy we celebrate our Birthday and the Birthday of our loved ones. Ice-cream, cake, candles, balloons, and gifts make up the essential qualities of the celebration. Often many relatives and friends flock to celebrate the birthday-boy/birthday-girl! However, what should be recalled and celebrated with even greater joy is the Spiritual Birthday of every Christian, and every Christian Catholic. Of course, we are referring to the day of our Baptism; this was our Spiritual Birthday! This was the day and moment in which our soul underwent a radical transformation, moving from the natural plane to the supernatural plane; if you like, a quantum leap!

4. THE SOUL’S RADICAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH BAPTISM.  In the very moment that the priest/deacon baptized us pronouncing our name saying “(Name), I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, we received three Divine Guests to inhabit our soul—the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! We should strive to remember always this profound and penetrating reality of our great dignity through Baptism—the profound and mysterious fact that we are truly living Temples of the Blessed Trinity! Sons and Daughters of God!

5. TARNISHING AND BLACKENING OUR SOUL.  Even though the Sacrament of Baptism removes Original Sin and imbues and permeates our soul with the Blessed Trinity, due to the abuse of our freedom it often happens that the beauty of our soul is tarnished, darkened, and even blackened by the reality of sin and unfortunately the reality of Mortal Sin. Honesty before God and our own conscience demands our humble admission of falling into mortal sin and darkening, sullying, and damaging the greatest Gift that God has given to us—our immortal soul! Living in denial of sin, especially mortal sin, can be catastrophic for us in time and for all eternity, that is, forever and ever and ever!

6. CONFESSION: THE CLEANSING OF THE SOUL!  Following on the heels of the reality of mortal sin is the keen awareness of God’s greatest attribute—that of His Infinite Mercy. Pope Saint John Paul II has stated that Mercy is the second name for God’s Love. God’s Mercy is channeled through His Church, known as the Mystical Body of Christ. In concrete practice, God’s Mercy is mediated through His Sacraments. Reconciliation, Penance, Confession are various names for the Sacrament that can transform our souls from being tarnished, sullied, even blackened by the ugly stain of mortal sin into once again glorious, pure, and resplendent palaces of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Majestic Mansions of the dwelling place of the Blessed Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

7. VIGILANCE: DEFEND AND PROTECT THE IMPORTANCE AND BEAUTY OF THE SOUL.  How often have we come across homes that have various levels of protection? Let us count the various protective barriers to the home: barbwire, iron gates, pointed iron bars, iron/brass doors, loud alarms, angry pit-bulls, security cameras, and even at times security guards. Given the fact that our immortal soul is worth more than the whole created universe, just one soul, then logic would tell us that we should use all the spiritual means available to protect our soul from robbers and thieves that are on the constant lookout to rob us of sanctifying grace! In all honesty, how little we do to protect our soul from mortal poison and danger, and how little we do or have done to protect our children and families from the all-intrusive thieves on the prowl to steal the precious grace in their souls. Starting now, let us be more vigilant to protect and defend our soul and those of our families, from these prowling thieves, whose names are the devil, the flesh, and the world!

8. CALL TO MIND OUR DIGNITY AND DESTINY.  Constantly, even on a daily basis, we should remind ourselves of an essential part of Principle and Foundation—our purpose and end in life. It was Saint Thomas Aquinas who articulated this truth so clearly: your immortal soul is worth more than the whole created universe. All God’s natural creation pales in the face of the reality of one immortal soul and that is your own immortal soul! Let us frequently call to mind our dignity and our destiny. Our dignity? Sons and Daughters of God through the Sacrament of Baptism! Our destiny? To be a member of the Court of Heaven—seeing face to face the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1Cor 13:12)—with Mary as our Mother and Queen, the angels our companions, and the saints our best of friends for all eternity!

9. TRUE LOVE.  Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love in these words: “Love (charity) is willing the good of the other.” What then is the greatest good for a human person? It is the salvation of their IMMORTAL SOUL!!! If we truly love God and love what God loves, then we should love our neighbor, working ardently, constantly, fervently, and incessantly for the salvation of our soul and the souls of others. Saint James states the following with respect to the salvation of a soul: “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone brings 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)

10. MARY AND OUR SOUL.  On a very important and concluding note, let us entrust our life, our temptations, our struggles, our desires, our aspirations, and the salvation of our immortal soul to Mary. Aside from God Himself, there is no person in the universe who cares and desires the health, protection, and salvation of our immortal soul more than the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us pray as many Rosaries as possible and entrust the hour and moment of our death into the hands and Immaculate Heart of Mary. She will lead our soul safety to the port of salvation—the Sacred Heart of Jesus! 

Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary, St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA