Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, November 27th   Lk. 21: 34-36   Jesus says: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Tomorrow we enter a perfect season, the Season of Advent, to help us prepare for the end times, at least for our end time, for we know neither the hour nor the day when we will be called to give an accounting of our life—all our thoughts, words, deeds, and even our most secret intentions.

Yesterday we learned the importance of Silence and Prayer in anticipation of the most important Birth in all of human history—the Birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

Today Fr. Ed helps us prepare further for the Coming of Christ through the life and example of good St. Joseph, spouse of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus.

FIVE WAYS ST. JOSEPH SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE OUT ADVENT by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Joseph can help us to live a most fruitful Advent, and for many reasons. Let us quietly meditate upon five extraordinary virtues of this greatest of all saints so that we can live a most fervent Advent season and allow Jesus to be born in the depths of our hearts this Christmas!

1. SILENCE

Not once in the Bible do we hear a word from the great Saint Joseph. This silence of Saint Joseph is very eloquent. It teaches us a fundamental attitude to enter into deep prayer: silence.

If we are constantly bombarded by noises then it is impossible to hear the Word of God, the Holy Spirit who speaks to us in the gentle breeze of silence. Also, the silence of Saint Joseph teaches us the importance of example. We must prove our authenticity by words, but also by our actions. Saint Joseph taught the world by the holy way that he lived. May he be an example for us to do the same!

2. PRAYER

Saint Joseph was a man of prayer. What an extraordinary role he played in the history of salvation. He was both the spouse of Mary, the Mother of God, as well as the foster-father of Jesus, the Son of the living God. Saint Joseph actually taught Jesus to speak and to address God as “Abba”—meaning “Daddy”.

In a certain sense Saint Joseph taught Jesus to use human words to talk to the Heavenly Father—this is prayer. Therefore, if Saint Joseph taught Jesus how to pray, how much more could he teach me how to pray if I simply ask for his help? Start now and say: Saint Joseph, teach me how to pray!

3. COURAGE 

In a society where too many men shirk their obligations toward their wives, children, and family, Saint Joseph shines as a model of courage and fortitude. He traveled many miles in the cold and wind, only to meet with rejection— “There was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:7) He found refuge in an animal shelter for the birth of Jesus.

He arose in the night to flee into Egypt, saving the Child Jesus from the vicious and murderous threats of King Herod. “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’” (Mt 2:13)

Faced with so many difficulties, Saint Joseph stood tall and confronted the obstacles with manly courage. May the men of the present generation lift up their gaze to the gentle but courageous man of God—good Saint Joseph.

4. PROVIDE AND PROTECT

Saint Joseph both protected and provided for the Holy Family. He was a hard worker—exercising the trade of a Carpenter. He earned their bread by the sweat of his brow. He thought not of himself, but of how he could best provide for and protect the family that God had entrusted to his care.

As we draw close to Christmas, let us beg good Saint Joseph to provide for and protect our spiritual lives. Materialism, consumerism, hedonism are the gods of the present culture. These actually suffocate our spirituality.

Saint Joseph’s prayers can help us to look beyond the buying, having, and possessing. He can help us realize that true joy and happiness does not come from having things, but in possessing God. To hold the Child Jesus in our arms and in our hearts is worth more than all of the money and possessions of the entire world. Good Saint Joseph can teach us this simple but profound lesson!

5. ST. JOSEPH, OUR LADY, AND JESUS

To arrive at a true and authentic devotion to Mary, Saint Joseph can serve as a powerful bridge. Aside from Jesus Himself, nobody on earth knew, understood, cherished and loved the Blessed Virgin Mary more than good Saint Joseph. Turn to Saint Joseph and beg him for the grace of greater knowledge of and love for Mary, his beloved spouse. Through his intercession, your devotion to Mary will grow by leaps and bounds!

Then turn to Saint Joseph and beg him for the grace of intimate knowledge of Jesus, that we may love Jesus more ardently, and follow Jesus more closely. Aside from Mary, no one on earth knew Jesus better than good Saint Joseph.

The Holy Family is complete only when all three members—Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph—are recognized, honored and loved. May the prayers of good Saint Joseph open your heart to the immense treasures that God has in store for you this Advent Season. Then may Jesus be born in the depths of your heart this Christmas Day!

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, November 26th   Lk. 21:29-33   Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Neither Christ nor His words will pass away! Christ is the Head of His Church and we are the Body of Christ. May our greatest desire be to live fully the life of Christ’s Church on earth by participating fully, actively, and fervently in the life and Sacraments of the Church.

The Church year ended with the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Liturgical cycles begin again with the Season of Advent. Fr. Ed helps us prepare to enter this time marked by prayer and great anticipation!

ADVENT IS A TIME FOR GREATER SILENCE AND PRAYER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Advent is a season of very special graces! It is time of waiting, hope and joy.  Waiting—for the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Hope—because Jesus came to save us; and finally Joy—because Jesus’ birth, life and Resurrection is a promise of eternal life for those who obey His commandments and love Him.

SILENT NIGHT

On Christmas Eve it is most appropriate to sing the hymn Silent Night. In the profound depths of that most special night Jesus was born in silence. How important silence is for those who truly are seeking the presence of God. The prophet Elijah sought God in his mountain experience. This mysterious God was not found in the earthquake, nor in the peals of thunder, nor in the flashes of lightning. Rather the Almighty God could be found in the gentle whispering of the wind, in the gentle breeze.

In the midst of a world so absorbed in noise—you might even call it “noise pollution”—there is an urgent need for silence. Indeed, there are many positive fruits that flow from silence. We will mention just a few so as to encourage us to seek out times in our day for silence.

1. CLARITY OF THOUGHT

For us to have great clarity in our thought process we have an absolute need for silence. Bombarded by a constant onslaught of noise as we are, silence renders a clear, transparent, and honest thought life to blossom and bring forth fruit. The sublime theological writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas were written in silence. The literary expertise of the writings of Shakespeare were born of silence. The penetrating depth and insight of the theory of relativity discovered by Albert Einstein took place in the aura of silence. The greatest mystics, contemplatives and saints encountered God in silence. So may all of us relish moments of silence in our daily lives!

2. DETECTING TEMPTATION

In our lives we are constantly being bombarded by negative thoughts and the source of these is the enemy that we call the devil. Saint Ignatius calls him “the enemy of our salvation”; Saint Thomas Aquinas calls him the “Tempter”; Saint Peter compares him to an angry lion on the loose seeking to devour us. If we do not have moments of silence, zones of silence, then it will prove almost impossible for us to be able to discern and detect the ugly tail of the devil who is always seeking ways to tempt us, manipulate us, and coax us to fall into sin. Silent reflection gives us a more acute awareness of the strategies and manipulations of the enemy of our salvation.

In the desert Jesus was in silence as He prayed and fasted. The devil attacked Jesus but He rebuffed the enemy relying on the power and efficaciousness of the Word of God. “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4) Much of spiritual warfare must be engaged in through silence and prayer.

3. HEAVENLY INSPIRATIONS

Not only can we pick up the tactics of the enemy in the depths of a silent and discerning heart, but even more important we can pick up the Heavenly vibes—meaning, the inspirations that come from the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, God is always present; His whole being penetrates and permeates the entire universe. God is really never absent from us, but we can so easily become absent from Him. A dogmatic atheist who categorically denies God’s existence, cannot alter or modify to the slightest degree the reality of God’s existence. Saint Paul quoted the Greek poet with reference to God’s omnipresence: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

This being said, the Holy Spirit desires to speak to our heart but He respects our liberty to the max! If we are too busy and overly engrossed in noise, frenetic activities, non-stop movement and constant clatter then there is no room for the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts through His heavenly inspirations. Never forget: The Birthday of the Church—Pentecost was preceded by fervent prayer, fasting, the presence of Our Lady (Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit), and silence. Therefore, with silence and a recollected heart we can pick up those Heavenly vibes and be transformed by God Himself—the Holy Spirit!

4. DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

Discovering the will of God in our lives and striving to implement it is indeed the key to holiness as well as peace of mind, heart, and soul. If we are running a mile a minute, if we are moving like a chicken with its head cut off, if we are in a constant state of agitation, if we have fallen into a perpetual state of activism putting our actions above God Himself, then it will be very difficult if not impossible to discern God’s will in our lives. Discernment of one’s vocation or one’s state of life is possibly the most important decision in one’s entire life. Marriage or the single life, priesthood or the religious life—the choice one makes in this vocational arena is of paramount importance. A wrong choice due to excessive noise, little or no reflection, bad advice from worldly friends can prove to be nothing less than a disaster.

For this reason, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who has bequeathed to the world the Spiritual Exercises, offers a series of reflections, meditations, so as to help the retreatant discern what is his/her state of life. This Ignatian process of discernment done in SILENCE and reflection with a well-trained spiritual director can prove to be invaluable in choosing one’s vocation, giving honor and glory to God, and pursuing one’s own personal conversion and sanctification. This cannot be done without silence!

5. THE EXAMPLE OF ST. JOSEPH

Great Saint Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus who is the Eternal Son of the Father; Saint Joseph is also the husband of Mary, the Queen of angels and saints. Theology gives to Saint Joseph the cult of protodulia—first in veneration among the saints. A very interesting note about the great Saint Joseph is his profound silence. We have no recorded word of Saint Joseph in all of Sacred Scripture. The silence of Saint Joseph speaks eloquently. He was silent, as an example to us, so that we would learn in silence to listen to the Word of God and put it into practice.

In sum, may we all appreciate and value SILENCE. If done with an attitude of prayer, God will speak most eloquently in the depths of our hearts.

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, November 25th   Lk. 21:20-28   “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Jesus is speaking about the end times. Each one of us has an “end time” that is coming, we know not when. Therefore, let us stop and reflect on our life now and offer heartfelt thanksgiving for the gifts and graces we have received from our good and gracious God. Let us look to the future and thank Him for the gifts and graces He has yet in store for us!

“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla 

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” – St. Ambrose

“Thank God ahead of time.” – Bl. Solanus Casey

“Remember the past with gratitude. Live the present with enthusiasm. Look forward to the future with confidence.” – St. Pope John Paul II

TEN WAYS THAT WE CAN RENDER THANKS TO OUR LOVING SAVIOR… By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

1. A NEW DAY: A NEW SUNRISE.  Every day that we rise from sleep after a good night’s rest, we should thank God for His protection during the night and the gift of another day.

2. A NOURISHING MEAL.  Many will go to bed hungry this night; some will even die from malnutrition and starvation. We should always bless the meal that God provides for us through the hands and hard work of others. A child said this prayer during the Thanksgiving holiday: “God, I thank you that I can choose the food I eat!” How many people throughout the world have never seen a Refrigerator? Or a sumptuous meal with multiple, delicious foods to choose from?

3. FRIENDLY AND SMALL WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.  Desolation is part and parcel of human existence and we all know of it from personal experience. How often has it happened that the Good Lord has rescued us from a state of desolation by sending some Good Samaritan along our path to give us a shining smile of friendship, and some encouraging and kind words? For these uplifting experiences let us express our gratitude to God, but also show our gratitude by becoming that Good Samaritan for others!

4. SUFFICIENT HEALTH TO MOVE ON.  As the years transpire our health declines, but God intervenes with His powerful Presence to lift us up and help us move on despite our weakening frame and creaking structure. Never forget the words of the poet: “I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet!” We will always bump into people who are worse off than us. Count your blessings!

5. TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE.  Render a heartfelt Thank You to God for the time, talent, and treasure that God has given to you. Show your gratitude in a concrete way by imitating the two servants in the Parable of the Talents who doubled their talents and returned them with interest to their Master. (Mt 25:14-28) May we never show ingratitude to God by our laziness; rather, let us show our gratitude by hard work and diligent effort!

6. JOY!  We must be constantly grateful for the many times that God has filled our hearts and minds with joy! This is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that becomes manifest when we correspond to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Remember the acronym J.O.Y. = Jesus, Others, You! Want Joy? Put Jesus first, others second, and yourself last!

7. HEAVEN.  The thought of Heaven that awaits God’s faithful followers should fill us with overflowing joy and gratitude. Jesus expressed these most consoling words: “I am going to prepare a place for you now, so that where I am, you also might be. In my Father’s house there are many mansions.” (Jn 14:1-3) Constantly we should thank Jesus that He has a place already prepared for us in Heaven! Let us live in such a way that when we die, we are ready to go to Heaven to be with Jesus!

8. ANGELS AND SAINTS.  Today in many parts of the world, many people suffer a constant, crushing loneliness. They have an overriding feeling that nobody cares for them, nobody loves them. For followers of Jesus, this is never the case because we belong to a warm and loving family—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and our Blessed Mother! Other important members of our family are the angels and the saints. They are the best of friends to us. We should form a habit of talking to them every day and thanking them for their friendship and assistance, for they are eager to help us whenever we ask them! Hopefully you pray to your Guardian Angel every day! Who are other favorite angels and saints that you pray to for help along the way?

9. GOD’S MERCY AND PROVIDENCE.  How can we ever go through a day without thanking God for His Divine Providence and His Infinite Mercy? By Providence we mean the simple fact that God provides for us, defends us, protects us, nourishes us, and simply cares for us as a loving Father—let us render thanks for His Divine Providence! Even though we are weak, fragile, and prone to fall many times a day, our God is a loving and merciful Father who, when we ask for mercy, forgives us in a heartbeat. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps 107:1)

10. MARY MOST HOLY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE.  Finally, let us never let a day go by in which we fail to talk to Mary as our loving Mother, as “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” (Hail Holy Queen) How grateful we really should be that Mary is our Mother—she loves us, she prays for us, she cares for us, she protects us, and she will help us to pass from this life to the next in the state of grace. Then with our Mother Mary, we will love God, thank God, and praise God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity!

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Ląc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

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

WEDNESDAY, November 24th   Lk. 21:12-19   Alleluia Verse: “Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Today is a very somber Gospel where Jesus talks about suffering persecution for our faith. Then He gives two great promises for those who persevere. “You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” He is talking here not about our mortal life, but about our immortal life in heaven forever and ever and ever! Let us beg daily to persevere in grace and so die in the state of grace!

PERSEVERANCE IN OUR RACE TOWARDS HEAVEN! By Father Ed Broom. OMV

There is a fabulous scene in the movie-classic Chariots of Fire, where the hero of the film, Eric Liddle, is running the 400 against another three sprinters. Almost at the start of the race, the runner next to Liddle elbows him. Cascading to the ground, Liddle raises his gaze contemplating the runner’s kick up dust.

Two options: either throw in the towel and call it quits; or spring to his feet, gun it, and go for the victory. Liddle chose the latter. With all the energy in every fiber of his strong athletic body, Liddle pours it on. Passing one, he then passes another, but the runner that knocked him to the ground stills has the lead. Not for long! Eric Liddle gives it one last burst of tremendous effort and he breaks through the finish line winning by a split-second, collapsing and plunging to the ground. Panting and panting, like a fish out of water, his opponent vanquished, the victory is won by Eric Liddle.

One of the trainers commented: Indeed, it was not the prettiest victory, but it most certainly was the most valiant, the most courageous! Against all odds, due to sheer determination, will power and guts, Eric Liddle won the 400 and eventually would win the same title and the Gold Medal in the Olympic Games in France at the beginning of the 20th Century!

Brought up and raised in the social milieu and cultural context of the Greek Olympic Games, Saint Paul with a certain frequency alludes to athletic feats or events related to sports competition. The two most common sports competitions mentioned by the Apostle to the Gentiles would be that of boxing—we are called to fight the good fight; and then the race/marathon. Paul challenges us to run the good race and receive the merited crown awaiting the victor.

In another passage Paul encourages the followers of Christ to strive not for a crown that perishes, but the crown that will last for eternal life. In other words, earthly victory and gain is like a laurel wreath placed on our head; it will soon dry up, wither and perish. Our eternal crown in heaven will never perish but shine forever!

The great Moral Theologian and Doctor of the Church, Saint Alphonsus Liguori asserts the following: “The grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace.” Meaning? If we can appreciate grace, live in the state of grace, grow in grace, and end our race on earth in the state of grace, then we will have won the final race and attained our eternal salvation.

Indeed, on a daily basis we should implore, beg, supplicate the Lord Jesus, His Heavenly Mother Mary, the angels and saints for the grace of all graces—to die in the state of grace. No greater grace exists in the world! This we must beg for ourselves, our family, our loved ones and for the whole world! Lord, grant us this grace of all graces!

Therefore, this being the case on the scale of eternal realities, we would like to warmly exhort all to undertake five specific practices so that all can attain the grace of all graces—to die in the state of grace and attain eternal salvation!

1. LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ never promised us another year, another month, another week, another day, another hour, nor even another second. The life we live and the moment we die is totally uncertain. We might live another 25 years, but we might live another 25 seconds. This depends on the mysterious designs of God.

2. EXIT FROM MORTAL SIN IMMEDIATELY! If your house were on fire at night, obviously you would not wait until dawn to call the firefighters! In mortal sin, our spiritual house is on fire and we should extinguish the flames first by making a Perfect Act of Contrition immediately, and then by having recourse to Sacramental Confession as soon as possible. Do not play Russian-Roulette with your eternal salvation!

3. FERVENT, FREQUENT AND FIERY COMMUNIONS. As often as possible attend Holy Mass. In the state of grace, receive Jesus in Holy Communion. However, with great fervor! Receive the Eucharistic Lord Jesus as if it were your First Holy Communion, your Last Holy Communion, and your Only Holy Communion. The Lord wants fervor and love in your receptions!

4. DO WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR GOD ALONE. The secret of the saints is living out what is sometimes called The Sacrament of the Present Moment. Meaning this: live each day, hour and minute of your day with the intention of pleasing God, praising God, saving souls and sanctifying your own soul. Purity of intention in all that we say and do is very important for God and for growing in holiness of life. Saint Paul asserts: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31) Saint Ignatius’ theme is the four letters: A.M.D.G.—All for the greatest glory of God! Saint Therese expressed it as such: “Holiness does not depend on doing big things, but on doing the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love.”

5. THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: THE HAIL MARY AND THE HOLY ROSARY. Finally, as a sure anchor for our eternal salvation we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary. As we pray in the Memorare: “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection was left unaided.” The prayer that can be of untold value so as to attain the grace of all graces, to die in the state of grace and attain our eternal salvation, is the Hail Mary, better yet the Hail Mary prayed 50 times; we call it the most Holy Rosary. If we can pray this powerful weapon on a daily basis, praying fervently: “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”, no doubt the Blessed Virgin Mary will be present in our last and dying moments praying fervently for our soul and helping us to repent of our sins, trust in God’s mercy, and end by loving God. Thus Heaven will be ours. The grace of all graces will be ours!

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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

TUESDAY, November 23rd   Lk. 21:5-11   Jesus said, “See that you do not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!”

Jesus is talking about the approaching end times in today’s Gospel. Jesus gives us graphic images! “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified…it will not immediately be the end.” Then he describes the actual end times. Scary! Read it again!

In the month of November, we have been praying for the Souls in Purgatory. We have also been talking about the Last Things – death, judgment, and the possibility of Purgatory or hell. Today let us look at Heaven.

TEN ARROWS TO LAUNCH US TO HEAVEN by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We offer you ten short counsels to help you in your daily battle to arrive at spiritual maturity and eventually in the loving embrace of your Heavenly Father. Prayerfully meditate upon these ten fiery arrows that if used well, launched at the proper time and place, can serve to raise you up on high.

1. HEAVEN!

I was brought into this world by the loving Hand of God to end up forever in the loving Heart of God for all eternity. Every day I should spend time in prayer reflecting on who God is, why He created me, and how to draw closer to Him and to my eternal destiny—heaven!

2. REFUGES IN THE STORMS OF LIFE. 

In the spiritual life there are moments of calm, but also many storms. Jesus frequently reminded St. Faustina to prepare for battles. In the midst of the storms and battles of life, we must find some secure places to seek refuge. There are two: the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May our constant prayer be: “Jesus I trust in you; sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation!”

3. KRYPTONITE IN YOUR LIFE.  

Be constantly vigilant in your spiritual life. The devil is on the prowl, seeking to attack and kill. St. Peter says that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour; resist him solid in the faith. Do you know your kryptonite, your major weak point? Ask the Holy Spirit, as well as your Confessor or spiritual director to point it out to you! Ignorance of our weak point enhances the work of the devil!

4. BE SLOW TO SPEAK AND QUICK TO LISTEN. 

This is the excellent advice of the Apostle St. James. Pope Francis reminds us time and time again to avoid all forms of gossip and sins of the tongue which can kill. Read and meditate on St. James Chapter Three—one of the best chapters in the Bible highlighting the damage that a loose tongue can cause!

5. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.  

It can be very easy at times to manifest patience, kindness, and even exquisite charity to strangers or to our work companions or associates. However, once at home, we can be transformed into devils! Never forget: Charity begins at home with the members of our family! Therefore, every day try to do an act of kindness for some family member.

6. MERCY IN ONE OF THREE WAYS.  

Jesus insisted in the Diary of St. Faustina living out charity, encouraging us to carry out at least one act of mercy every day. Jesus outlines three ways that mercy can be manifested: 1) Words of kindness; 2) Deeds of kindness; 3) Prayers for someone. Why not decide today to be a messenger of God’s love and mercy every day?

7. NEVER GIVE UP. 

The Bible reminds us that even the just man falls seven times a day. We were born sinners, we are sinners, and we will die as sinners. Despite our human frailty and weakness we should never give up or lose hope, but rather upon falling, humbly admit our fall, repent, and begin again! Remember the consoling words of the Psalmist: “God is slow to anger and rich in kindness.” (Ps 145:8) We tend to be quick to anger and slow to forgive. God is the exact opposite. When we repent and turn our hearts back to God, our merciful and loving God forgives us in a heartbeat, a blink of the eye, a split second. How great is our God! We can either be like play dough that falls and remains flat on the ground; or we can be like a super-ball that hits the ground and bounces even higher. Which one are you like: the super ball or the play dough? It is your choice after all!

8.  PERMANENT FORMATION.

Get in the habit of good spiritual reading. The human mind is like a garden! A garden that is not cultivated will eventually be filled with weeds that choke out the plants and flowers. Whereas the habit of solid, methodical and constant spiritual reading nourishes the mind with holy and noble thoughts, which in turn lead to noble affections of the heart, which finally culminate in noble actions that we call virtues! This in turn will set us on the highway to holiness with the final result of eternal beatitude in heaven for all eternity! There is a saying, “You are what you eat.” There is truth to this! But even more we can say we are what we think! Good reading helps us know and love Jesus all the more! Jesus said that we should love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength!

9. LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 

“Living in the Presence of God” — the spirituality of Brother Lawrence who insisted that holiness could be achieved by living out this one concept—being aware of and living constantly in the presence of God. Before carrying out a questionable action, why not ask God if this would be pleasing to Him? St. Teresa of Avila, woman Doctor of the Church, asserts that one of the primary reasons we give in to sin is because we become oblivious to or simply forget the presence of God! St. Paul, in his discourse to the Athenians, quotes a Greek poet: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) God is never far from us, but we often distance ourselves from Him.

10. OUR LADY, UNDOER OF KNOTS.  

Recently there has been a growing interest and trust in Mary under this somewhat surprising title: “Our Lady Undoer of Knots”.  Our life can prove to be a complicated, messy, dirty, bumpy, valley of tears! We may find ourselves in economic, social, moral or psychological situations that are so complicated, so knotted up—that it seems literally impossible to find a solution! Why not turn to Mary? The first Miracle that Jesus worked was accomplished in the context of a very knotty and embarrassing situation—a wedding couple must have miscalculated the number of guests because they ran out of wine. This unfortunate circumstance would bring the festivities to an end, the party would be over! Our Lady gently turns to Jesus saying: “There is no more wine”… then she tells the servers, “Do whatever He tells you!” Jesus heard His Mother’s request and untied the wedding knot! He turned water into wine and the best of wine! Today, why not give Mary your knots so that she can undo them and give you freedom, the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!