Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

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

MONDAY, November 22nd   Lk. 21:1-4   Jesus said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more that all the rest…from her poverty, (she) has offered her whole livelihood.”

Greed is one of the capital sins. We may not think of ourselves as having this particular capital sin. We may give generously to our church, to worthy Apostolates, to helping our family. But today’s gospel and the saints can open our eyes to a deeper truth, a deeper reality…

John the Baptist preached on this topic: “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Let us also pray over these words of St. John Chrysostom from On Wealth and Poverty:

“I beg that, chiefest of all, you will remember constantly that not to share our own riches with the poor is a robbery of the poor, and a depriving them of their livelihood; and that, that which we possess is not only our own, but also theirs.

If our minds are disposed in accordance with this truth, we shall freely use all our possessions. We shall feed Christ while hungering here, and we shall lay up great treasures there. We shall be enabled to attain future blessedness, by the grace and favor of our Lord, with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, might, now and to eternity.”

THE RICH YOUNG MAN AND GREED… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Erich Fromm, a modern psychologist coined this immortal maxim: “If you are what you have, and you lose what you have, who are you?” The greatest Rock n’ Roll group ever, the Beatles, composed a song, “Money can’t buy me love.” Someone else has offered this pearl of wisdom: “Your possessions, possess you!” The Bible, the Word of God, expresses the same truth succinctly: “Love for money is the root of all evil!” (1Tim 6:10) Greed, also called “avarice”, is one of the seven Capital Sins. In this brief essay we would like to define Greed, explain its origin, and describe practical steps to overcome this interior attitude that must be overcome if one truly desires to attain to a fully developed Christian life and become a saint!

ORIGIN!  The Capital Sin of Greed is like the other six capital sins in that its origin can be traced back to our first parents when they committed the first sin, known as Original Sin. Their sin has universal repercussions upon the totality of the human race, as well as all of creation, until the end of time. It is like a tsunami of immorality set off by two people and influencing every human being, with the exception of Jesus, God become man, and Mary, His mother, preserved from original sin and all personal sin by privilege of her role as Mother of the Redeemer! The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, calls it “concupiscence” — the interior tendency, proclivity or inclination that pulls or tugs us towards evil or sin!

DEFINITION!  Greed is the disordered desire for material things. The Book of Genesis constantly reminds us that all of creation is “good.” The evil is not to be found in creation, but in the human heart’s disordered desire for it! Actually, two of the Ten Commandments refer directly to Greed: the 7th – “Thou shalt not steal”, and the 10th – “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

A rich young man who knew the Ten Commandments approached Jesus and asked the Lord the way to eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the Ten Commandments; he claimed to have done this. Then Jesus looked at him with love and challenged him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have, give it to the poor, then come and follow me!” (Mt 10:17-22) The young man’s face fell and he left the Lord sad. The reason? His possessions, possessed him! He had many possessions and was overly attached to them, preferring them to the Person of Jesus Christ! Never again does he appear in the Gospels!

In a society that has an over-abundance of things, becoming inordinately attached can happen almost imperceptibly, like the frog being boiled to death in a pot of water that is slowly being heated to the boiling point!

Judas Iscariot fell in love with money and fell out of love with Jesus Christ! Ananias and Sapphira, husband and wife whom we find in the Acts of the Apostles, were infected with greed and were struck dead for lying to Saint Peter about how much money they had. At the root cause was greed, their insatiable desire for money and “things”.

A striking parable related to the dangers of greed, is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man (Lk 16:19-31). A poor man, Lazarus, lies outside the gate of the rich man day and night. His body is filled with sores, even the dogs come to lick his sores, and he is dying of hunger. What a piteous state! In contrast, the rich man is dressed in fine purple and feasts sumptuously at the table every day. Never once does he lift his hand to offer Lazarus as much as a piece of bread.

After their deaths, the Rich man finds himself in torture in the pit of hell, longing for a drop of water to refresh his tongue from the fiery torments. Meanwhile, the poor man, Lazarus, rests in heaven in the bosom of Father Abraham.

What was the principle reason for the eternal loss of the Rich man? It was not for anything he did—the sin of commission; rather, it was for what he failed to do—the sin of omission. His greed blinded him totally to the poor man outside his gate, Lazarus, who was really Jesus Christ in disguise. “Jesus said, ‘I was hungry and you failed to feed me; I was thirsty and you failed to give me to drink… Whatever you failed to do for the least of my brothers, that you failed to do for me.’ And these will go away to eternal punishment.” (Mt 25:42,46)

How then can we conquer the sin of greed that might be lurking or hiding in the depths of our soul? Let’s give some concrete steps or advice to win the battle!

1. ADMIT IT AND CONFESS IT!  Do you have more than you need? If after a thorough examination of conscience and consultation with your Spiritual Director or Confessor, you have detected greed as an insidious worm gnawing away at your interior life, then admit it, confess it, and beg for healing. Jesus is the “Spiritual Physician” of our soul. He has come to heal the wounds of our sins!

2.  MEDITATE ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST!  A constant and deep meditation on the life of Jesus can help to transform our spiritual perspective, our outlook on life, on material reality, and even the attitude of our heart. Follow this brief thumbnail sketch of His life: born in the stable of Bethlehem of poor parents, spent years working as a carpenter, forty days and nights in the desert fasting from all food and drink, three years without any permanent abode, stripped of His garments and scourged, nailed to the cross and abandoned by nearly everyone, dying and giving up almost every drop of His Precious Blood, finally being buried in a borrowed tomb—all of this is a summary of the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!

3. MEDITATE ON THE LAST THINGS!  One day I will die, be judged by Jesus, and either Heaven or Hell awaits me. Looking at my many possessions, are they a stepping stone or stumbling block for me to arrive at heaven? Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Mt 6:24) The richest man in the world and the poorest man will end up in the same place: six feet beneath the ground! Saint Francis Borgia. S.J., the Duke of Gandhi, admired the beautiful Queen who died suddenly. As he followed the casket of the Queen, the door of the casket popped open and Francis saw this beautiful woman with her face being eaten by worms! Upon meditating on the transitory reality of beauty and wealth, Francis left all to enter the Religious life and became a Jesuit, a priest, and then a great saint!

4.  LEARN TO GIVE GENEROUSLY!  St. Paul challenges us to give! “There is more joy in giving than in receiving!” (Acts: 20: 35) Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who gave all away to follow Jesus in serving the poorest of the poor, asserted: “Give until it hurts!” One of the greatest modern saints, Mother Teresa’s lifelong desire was to quench the thirst of Jesus by serving the very poorest. For her, Jesus was truly present in the “distressing disguise of the poor.”

5.  DO NOT WORRY; RATHER TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CARE.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us not to worry, especially about material things—food or clothing. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? … And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” (Mt 6:26, 28-30) The key is these words of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be given to you.” (Mt 6:33) Consider this, if you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, then you indeed are the richest of all! Having God living within the depths of your soul is already living out the Kingdom of God that is truly within! Remember: “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:13)

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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

SUNDAY, November 21st   Jn 18: 33b-37   “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Our King is a crucified King! Indeed He lived a life of humility and humiliations. Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen refers to three main manifestations of Jesus’ humiliations.

1. In His Incarnation – God, the Lord and Creator of the universe, became a man, and not only a man but a totally dependent baby.

2. In His Passion and death – Christ suffered continual humiliations:

• Scourging: His flesh was ripped and torn from His body, His blood spilling out.
• Crowning with thorns: His face set like flint, He uttered not a word, as they made a mockery of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
• His suffering and death nailed to the cross, a sword piercing His side after He expired causing blood and water to gush forth.
• Betrayed by Judas for money. Betrayed by Peter out of cowardice and fear. Abandoned by the other disciples who all ran away, except for John, the Beloved Disciple.

3. In the Holy Eucharist – Jesus’ Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist on all the altars, in all the tabernacles of the world until the end of time.

• Christ ls present – a silent captive in the tabernacle.
• Do you think there are tabernacles in Churches around the world where no one comes to visit Jesus?
• Do you think there are Catholics who do not go to Mass on Sunday? Here in America only 20% of Catholics go regularly to Mass on Sunday. In Rome and France only 8% attend Sunday Mass.  In Europe, Catholicism is dying.
• Do you think there are Catholics who receive Communion unworthily, in the state of mortal sin? Or go to Mass dressed inappropriately? Or during Mass, look at their cell phones or chew gum? These things happen!
• All this inflicts deep wounds on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Let us follow in the footsteps of our Crucified Savior by learning the art of Humility through the path of Humiliations.  

HUMILITY THROUGH THE PATH OF HUMILIATIONS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

HUMILITY indeed is a very difficult virtue for all of us to practice. However, it is essential for us to grow in holiness. A humble person recognizes that all the good he can do comes from God, but all the evil he has done is his own choice and his own doing. Saint Teresa of Avila says that humility is the truth.

ROYAL PATHWAY TO HUMILITY.  Although it be exceedingly painful, the royal and most efficacious pathway for us to grow in humility is through the pathway of humiliations. However, it must be highlighted, humiliations that are seen and accepted as part of God’s Divine Providential Plan. In other words, humiliations not seen and accepted in the light of God’s Divine Providential Plan can actually make us more proud, arrogant, and even bitter. Thus, humiliations can make us either better or bitter!

CALL TO SANCTIFY OUR SUFFERINGS.  Undoubtedly humiliations can cause very intense pain in the depths of our soul. The key is to humbly recognize that humiliations will definitely come our way, maybe sooner than we are aware, and we should strive to recognize them as sent by God and accept them.

SUFFERINGS AND HUMILIATIONS WASTED!  It is all too common that many people, even those who call themselves believers in Christ, waste their sufferings, do not take advantage of the sufferings and humiliations that God sends them. These are graces wasted! Graces that could save souls!

A GREAT EXAMPLE IS JESUS, THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF YAHWEH.  In all the various aspects and circumstances of our lives, Jesus is our supreme and sublime example. He Himself said: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (Jn 14:6) To help us understand humiliations and how to react to them, Jesus is always our best example! This is true most especially in His Passion and death.

ONE EXAMPLE FOR OUR INSTRUCTION: CROWNING WITH THORNS!  One of the most enlightening examples in the Passion and death of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is when He suffered the crowning with thorns. This humiliating event was prophesied by the great Prophet Isaiah in these words: “He was like a lamb led to the slaughter and He did not open up His mouth. By His wounds we are healed. (Is 53:5,7) For our edification, instruction and motivation let us unravel, step by step, the excruciating pains, sufferings, and humiliations that Jesus willingly accepted in His crowning with thorns.

HUMILIATIONS IN THE CROWNING OF JESUS WITH THORNS

1. BOUND AND DRAGGED.  After being brutally scourged at the pillar, in which Jesus lost huge quantities of blood, He is bound and dragged into a little room, very much like a prison cell. He who came to set the captives free, now allows Himself to be a captive, even a slave of the whims, insults, and mockeries of men.

2. THE KING’S THRONE.  Jesus was, is, and always will be the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Despite His Kingly royalty, He is dragged into this little chamber and forced to sit on a huge stone. The mystic, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich stated that pieces of sharp glass were embedded sticking up from the huge stone where he was forced to sit, causing even more intense pain as Jesus undergoes a night of tortures and humiliations.

3. SMACKED IN THE FACE.  The torturers smack Jesus in His Sacred Face. Of course this results in multiple bruises and bleeding. Yet His face becomes like flint and He opens not His mouth as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us.

4. PUNCHED.  Above and beyond the smacking is added fierce and violent blows to His Sacred Face. Still Jesus remains silent, like a lamb led to the slaughter.

5. PLUCKED HIS BEARD.  Once again, as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us, these cruel men grab onto and pluck His beard. We can imagine how much pain this causes Jesus, but He willingly suffers this further humiliation!

6. THE CROWNING WITH THORNS.  One of the torturers has an insidious and diabolic idea. Given that Jesus was proclaimed King, why not give Him a crown??? Not a royal crown fit for a King, but a derisive, mocking, and insulting crown made of sharp, piercing thorns.

7. WEAVING A CROWN.  Therefore, thorns are taken from the nearby thorn-bushes and woven into a crown, a Crown of Thorns for a mock-ceremony for a mock-king, who indeed is King of the Universe!

8. THE PAINFUL CROWNING.  Then the painful and humiliating ceremony takes place. With mockery and utmost cruelty, the torturers press the Crown of Thorns on the Sacred Head of Jesus. In the film of Gibson, The Passion of the Christ, Jesus is insultingly proclaimed: Hail, King of the worms! In all of this Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God being led to the slaughter remains silent.

9. PRECIOUS BLOOD ISSUES FORTH.  With sharp and penetrating thorns pressing deep into the skull of Jesus, His Blood spurts forth with huge drops falling to the ground. Amidst this torture, the men surrounding Jesus laugh with glee and mock Him all the more. The cruel and vulgar words that issue forth from their mouths cause Jesus as much pain as the thorns that pierce His Sacred Brow.                

10. BOWING DOWN AND GENUFLECTING.  Mocking Jesus as king, the torturers now take their turns bowing and genuflecting before Him, the mock-king. In all this, Jesus willingly accepts these humiliations as the will of the Eternal Father, endured for love of us and for our eternal salvation.

11. A STICK AS A SCEPTER.  To further humiliate Jesus as mock-king, they find a stick, and after first striking Jesus over the head with the stick, further embedding the Crown of Thorns into His Sacred Head, they place the stick in His hands, His royal scepter! This is the way they treat The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

12. SPITTING IN HIS SACRED FACE.  To intensify His sufferings and humiliations, the torturers proceed with one of the most humiliating actions that can be done to a human person—they take turns spitting in His Sacred Face.

13. JESUS IS BLINDFOLD.  The mockery continues with new insults. Now it is time to find a cloth and cover Jesus’ eyes, thereby blinding Him. He who is the Light of the world, who gave sight to the blind, is Himself made blind. More insults, mockeries, and deprecations descend upon Him. Yet in all this, Jesus is silent!

14. PUNCHES, SLAPS, BLOWS, AND SPITTING. Still more do they punch Jesus, strike His Sacred Face, spit on Him, pull at His beard, mock and make sport of Him. Jesus, our Lord and King!

15. EXTENSION OF TIME.  These humiliations—and there were many more—went on the whole night of Holy Thursday into Good Friday morning. Long, cruel and tortuous hours— all endured for love of you and me and for our eternal salvation. How precious we are to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

In conclusion, for us to grow in the virtue of humility, the royal path is through humiliations. None of us will suffer the intensity and atrocity of the humiliations that Jesus underwent for us. However, when you are visited by any form, type, size, shape or color of humiliation, do not waste it! Rather think of the sufferings and humiliations that Jesus underwent for your salvation, and unite your sufferings to His for your conversion and sanctification, and for the salvation of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful and humiliating Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

Saturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

SATURDAY, November 20th   Lk. 20: 27-40   “Those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels, and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.”

• Jesus own words: “Those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.” In heaven there will be no marriage. We promise in our marriage vows “…till death do us part”!
• Therefore, let us strive to be worthy so as to “attain to the coming age” which is heaven, where we will all be the beloved children of God.
• In this meditation, Fr. Ed begins with five “M’s” to attain holiness and ends with an exposition on how our Blessed Mother Mary lived these out to the fullest and how she can help us in our efforts to live them out well.

MEDITATION, MASS, MERCY, MISSION, MARY!

If you can strive to live out these five “M’s” in your life, no doubt, you are on the Highway to holiness. The five M’s: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, Mission, and Mary!

In our brief exposition we will strive to offer a short explanation of each and every one of the letters that starts with M—a five letter acronym! Easy to remember: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, Mission, and Mary! Ready, set, go!

1. MEDITATION…

As followers of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, an indispensable quality or aspect of our following of the Lord is that of daily MEDITATION. In the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, we pray: “Give us this day our daily Bread…”  After fasting forty days and forty nights, the devil tempted Jesus who was hungry to change stones into bread. Jesus responded to this temptation quoting from the Old Testament: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Deut. 8:3)

Jesus emphasized the proper priorities or hierarchy of values that we must embrace. The Bread of the Word of God that nourishes the mind prevails over the physical bread that sustains the body. Physical bread terminates in the stomach to be digested; the Bread of the Word of God in the mind to be absorbed in Truth! Let us make a concerted effort and a determined determination to find time on a daily basis to meditate upon the Word of God. If possible, let us follow the invitation of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: “To make the Hour of Power!” Daily meditation on the Word of God will communicate to your person light, peace, joy, and a keen awareness that the Lord is walking with you during the course of the day. “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” (Psalm 23:1)

2. MASS…

Underneath the firmament of heaven, while traveling as pilgrims toward our eternal homeland that is Heaven, there is no greater prayer on earth than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is the Divine rainbow that connects Heaven with earth. It is the cross of Christ that connects us to the Heavenly Father. It is the renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary. Jesus offers His Precious Blood and His five wounds to the Eternal Father for the salvation of the entire world. In every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the entire Paschal Mystery is accomplished. That is to say, in every Holy Mass this happens, in a mystical and invisible but very real way the Sacrifice of Calvary, the Passion, and death, but also the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As much as possible and according to circumstances in our life and our specific vocation, we should make an effort to attend and participate in Holy Mass, fully, actively and consciously. If we are in the state of sanctifying grace, then we should hunger for the Eucharist, the Bread of life. “As the deer yearns for the running streams, so my soul yearns for you, O Lord.” (Psalm 41:1) The fervent, frequent, faith-filled reception of Holy Communion is the greatest act that a human person can carry out this side of Heaven! Our sanctification and salvation, as well as that of the world at large, depends on Holy Mass and fervent Holy Communions! Let us tap into this infinite reservoir of grace right now!

3. MERCY… What is MERCY?

It is nothing less than the Infinite Love of God forgiving the sinner. According to Saint Faustina, Saint Pope John Paul II, and the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Mercy is the greatest attribute or virtue in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Often a huge roadblock in our journey to holiness is a certain pride or resentment, disguised as a lack of forgiveness. Often almost unaware, we cling to resentments in which we have not fully forgiven. This serves as a true roadblock and obstacle in our itinerary to holiness. It might even be that we hold on to a resentment or grudge against God for something that He has allowed to transpire in our lives. Or perhaps some person hurt us, and we have not fully forgiven that person. Perhaps we have failed in one way or another and we are unwilling to forgive ourselves and seek forgiveness from God through the Sacrament of Confession. When we truly learn to forgive, we set the captive free; and that captive is our own miserable self!

4. MISSION…

From Baptism, all are called to be true missionaries. Anointed as priest, prophet, and king, the Sacrament of Baptism empowers us with a triple mission. As priestly people we offer sacrifices for our sins and those of the whole world. As kings we learn to serve as Jesus teaches us: “The Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in ransom for many.” (Mt. 20: 28) Then as prophet, we are all called to preach and spread the Word of God by word and by example. Furthermore, the last words of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Matthew are: “Go out to the whole world and teach them all that I taught you. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”  (Mt. 28: 19-20)

In the quiet of prayer, beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind to discern and to follow up on the specific way or ways in which you can spread the Word of God and proclaim the Kingdom. All of us are called to be passionate and fiery missionaries. If we love Jesus, then we should love what He loves most—the salvation of immortal souls. With an aching Heart, Jesus proclaimed: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire is enkindled.” (Lk. 12:49)  As a missionary, may you cast fire and start a conflagration!

5. MARY: THE MOTHER OF GOD, THE MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, AND OUR LOVING MOTHER.

It is interesting, the order or juxtaposition of this exposition. Indeed, Mary lived out to the fullest extent possible these first four M’s: Meditation, Mass, Mercy, and Mission. Hence, she can assist us to live them out most efficaciously!

a) MEDITATION.  Twice in the Gospel of Saint Luke in Chapter Two, Mary is presented as a model for meditation. After the visit of the Shepherds, the Evangelist states that Mary pondered these things in her heart. The word ponder means to meditate, to ruminate (the way a cow chews the cud), to reflect seriously upon these happenings related to Jesus. Then about twelve years later, when the Child Jesus was found in the Temple after three days of sorrowful search, once again Mary pondered these events in her Immaculate Heart. Hence, Mary serves as a contemplative model of meditation for all of us!

b) MASS.  When Our Lady appeared in Mexico (Guadalupe), France (Lourdes), and Portugal (Fatima), unequivocally she asked that a Church be built. Why? So that people would go frequently to this sacred place where Jesus is offered to God the Father in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of immortal souls. Saint Pope John Paul II asserted that in every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Mary is present, as she was at the foot of the cross on Calvary when Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial Victim for the salvation of the world. (Jn. 19: 25-27)

c) MERCY.  Among the many mystical and poetic titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of Mary as MOTHER OF MERCY. In fact, one of the greatest spiritual literary masterpieces ever written on Mary, exalting Mary’s sublime virtue of mercy, is “The Glories of Mary” by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. This unique, classic spiritual masterpiece comments on one prayer—the Hail Holy Queen. In this beautiful prayer recited at the end of the Holy Rosary, we pray:  “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope…”  Saint Alphonsus asserts that nobody should ever fear approaching Mary because Mary is pure MERCY! She is the quickest bridge to the merciful Heart of Jesus. In our battles to conquer our pride and resentments, Our Lady is a most efficacious means and intercessor!

d) MISSION.  Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary motivates our hearts, filling them with the fire of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to others and bring others to Christ—both! For that reason, one of the greatest Missionaries in the history of the Church, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pointed out with accurate precision: “Mary was the first Missionary of Charity.” Why? Because in the Mystery of the Visitation Mary went in haste to bring Jesus to Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist in her womb. Therefore, let us humbly implore Mary the Missionary that through her most powerful prayers she would ignite in our hearts a fiery and passionate desire to set all on fire in the world with love for Christ!

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, let us strive to live out the spiritual acronym of the 5 M’S: 1) MEDITATION, 2) MASS, 3) MERCY, 4) MISSION, and 5) MARY! If carried out with energy of will, intelligence, and perseverance, we will have entered on the super-highway to Heaven. Let us push the pedal to the medal to reach our eternal goal!

Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, November 19th   Lk. 19: 45-48   “My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” —St. John Chrysostom

“Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” — St. Augustine

“Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”
—Teresa of Avila

“Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of Containing God’s gift of himself.” — Mother Theresa

“To pray is to live in constant, calm, strong, and lasting union with God, to look at everything from God’s point of view, and to be so peacefully anchored in eternity that annoyances, unavoidable struggles, and continual activity have no ability to disturb us or to drag us down. – Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur

“We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success . . . but on Jesus alone.” —St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

TEN TOOLS TO BUILD A ROBUST PRAYER LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Augustine offers us these most encouraging words on the importance of prayer for our life and for the eternal salvation of our immortal souls: “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well, dies well; and he who dies well, all is well.”

In a nutshell, the Doctor of Grace, Saint Augustine motivates us by this short, rhythmic sentence to value to the maximum, our prayer life as an indispensable tool to arrive at the goal and purpose of our life—Heaven!

Another good analogy might be the following: What air is to the lungs; prayer is to the soul. If we do not inhale air constantly into our lungs, in a very short time the phantom of death steals our life!

Therefore, deeply convinced of the indispensable and paramount importance of prayer, in this short essay we will offer ten basic tools that we can utilize so as to construct a solid and robust spiritual edifice that will lift us up to heaven in this life and for all eternity. In other words, we must be firmly convinced that our conversion, our sanctification, our perseverance in grace, and our eternal salvation depend in large part on our intimate relationship and friendship with God, which is our prayer life.

1. A GOOD PRAYER BOOK

One of the greatest treasures of my early life as a child was the gift that I was given on the day of my First Holy Communion and that was a prayer book. It was indeed a treasure!

Normally we start out in our prayer journey by learning vocal prayers, prayers that we pronounce with our lips. However, we also try to understand these prayers with our minds and assimilate then in our hearts. A good prayer book offers the basic prayers, prayers before and after Holy Mass, prayers before and after Confession, novena prayers, prayers to the angels and saints, Litanies to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayers written by great saints, and many more.

Therefore, a great gift to give a child for their first Holy Communion, but also to give to anyone, is a good Prayer Book. Purchase one today!

2. THE BIBLE: THE WORD OF GOD

The basic staple and substance of any Christian prayer-warrior should always be the Bible, the Word of God. We should mediate daily on the Word of God and give pride of place to the Gospels that teach us the life, words, and Person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. (Jn 1:14)

A few steps to meditate well on the Word of God:

• Read attentively…
• Think deeply about the meaning of the text for you…
• Talk intimately from your heart to Jesus.

Finally, with your feet, run to put into practice the Word of God that you have meditated on in your heart; like the Blessed Virgin Mary, who after the announcement of the Angel that she was to be the Mother of the Savior, went in haste to visit her cousin, Saint Elizabeth.

3. THE PSALMS 

A real shortcut in learning to pray quickly and efficaciously is by praying the Psalms. The Psalms is the inspired prayer book of the Bible. In total 150 psalms, this book, inspired by the Holy Spirit and composed mostly by King David can enrich your prayer life immensely!

Indeed, the Psalms are prayers inspired by the Holy Spirit that express all of the affections, feelings, and sentiments in the gamut of human experience. Praise, adoration, worship, thanksgiving, supplication and petition, contrition and sorrow, and awe at the majesty of God — these are just a few of a rich panorama of delight that the Psalms freely offer you. Dive in!

4. LITURGY OF THE HOURS

Very much related to the praying of the Psalms is the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Priests, Religious, and Sisters, pray this prayer of the Church actually five times a day: Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Vespers or Evening Prayer, Compline or Night Prayer, and the Office of Readings.

The why (or purpose) of the Liturgy of the Hours? It is precisely so that we can sanctify the various hours in the course of the day. A model often taken would be the example of the Apostles who would go up to the Temple at various hours of the day to worship God.

Learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours either alone or in community. You will never regret it!

5. FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH JESUS IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Another precious gem to enhance your prayer life is the little booklet in Spanish Los 15 Minutos, or Bilingual 15 Minutes with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (may be ordered from Christ Cathedral, Garden Grove, CA). The little booklet is designed in such a way that it draws you magnetically into an intimate conversation with Jesus truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the most Blessed Sacrament. The booklet invites you to perceive Jesus as your best Friend and to open up and talk to Him freely and totally! Pray with this gem, and purchase a few copies to give away. Be a Prayer apostle!

6. STATIONS OF THE CROSS

For centuries a very highly recommended prayer is that of The Stations of the Cross. Jesus encouraged Saint Faustina Kowalska in the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul to meditate upon the Stations of the Cross, every day (if possible) at 3:00 p.m., which is also the Mercy Hour. If not every day, at least every Friday, the day we commemorate Jesus Passion and death on the Cross, accompanied by some small act of penance.

This contemplative prayer brings us face to face with 14 Stations or scenes in the Lord’s Passion, leading to the death on the cross of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Stations can be done with a booklet as an aid, one of the best was written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, or the Stations can be done in a spontaneous manner in which one contemplates each scene and allows the Holy Spirit to elicit affective prayer from the wellspring of your heart.

The net result? Great love and tenderness for Jesus who suffered all of this for all of humanity, yes, but for each one of us individually! How great is the love of Jesus!

7. IMAGES: STATUES, PAINTINGS, STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

Often Catholics are accused of practicing idolatry by using images, statues, holy cards, or even stained glass windows of holy persons. This could not be further from the truth!

Having an image of Jesus, Mary, Saint Joseph, an angel or saint, greatly helps the mind and the imagination to focus on whom we are offering our prayers to. We do not worship the image; rather, we love and admire what the image represents.

For example, praying before a beautiful image of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus elicits from our hearts a knowledge of Jesus’ great love for us, and how we in turn should love Jesus, and love our brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of God! Be surrounded by a cloud of witness — the saints and their images and replicas!

8. A CRUCIFIX IMAGE

Many saints, especially Saint Francis of Assisi, profited immensely in their prayer life by kneeling or sitting in contemplation before a graphic image of Jesus crucified, Jesus hanging on the cross. The most graphic depiction of love ever is Jesus hanging on the cross, dripping Blood and dying a slow and painful death for us and our salvation. “Greater love no one has than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13)

Simply gazing intently on a crucifix with Jesus hanging from it can elicit the most noble of sentiments that flow from the human heart: sorrow for sin, conversion of life, true love for Jesus, compassion for others, and many other good effects that flow from contemplating Jesus on the cross! If inclined, kiss His hands, His feet, and His side pierced for love of us!

9. THREE PRIMARY PRAYER BOOKS

These are three primary sources that we can derive much profit from to enrich our prayer experience: 1) the printed word in the Bible and Prayer Books, 2) Nature, and 3) our own experiences of His presence in our lives over time.

With respect to Nature, God Himself is the Author and Creator of all beauty. The brilliant rays of the sun, the gentle breeze, the multicolored rainbow, the colorful foliage of the trees in the New England fall, white-caps speckling the ocean, puffy white clouds arrayed in the sky, the immense and vast firmament at night resplendent with stars, the redolent fragrance of spring flowers, the immense expanse of the sea and all that is contained within it, the countless variety of birds, animals, and living creatures—all of these and more can be sure stepping stones to lift our minds, hearts, and souls to the beauty of the Creator, God Himself!

10. THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

Of course, any serious prayer life must be imbued and blessed with the presence of the most Blessed Virgin Mary. The Memorare prayer reminds us: “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection was left unaided…”

Numerous Popes, countless saints, and the Catholic Church as a whole strongly recommend thinking about Mary, talking to Mary, loving Mary, and consecrating our lives to Mary. The most Holy Rosary encapsulates various forms of prayer: vocal prayer, mental prayer or meditation, contemplative prayer, prayer of the heart. In a word, this beautiful prayer can lead us into the deepest of prayers.

I highly recommend my own book: Total Consecration Through The Mysteries of The Rosary: Meditations To Prepare For Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary. May Mary, the great model of prayer and contemplation, help us to use all of these powerful tools so as to construct a strong and robust Ladder of Prayer that will lead us to heaven!

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, November 18th   Lk. 19: 41-44   “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.’”

• Do we know what makes for peace in our heart, mind, and soul?
• In the eye of the hurricane there is calm; in the eye of the tornado there is calm. Where do we find calm when troubles, heartache, and sickness are raging in our lives?
• Jesus said: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
• In today’s meditation, you will find the answers. Read and pray and see if your heart is not uplifted!

JESUS: THE CENTER OF MY LIFE! By Father Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus Christ is the center of all human history, the alpha and the omega, the principle and foundation, the beginning and the end, the key that unlocks eternal life to all who believe and place their trust in Him. By His Incarnation, life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus has divided history into two blocks of time: B.C. and A.D. Never has any other person come onto the stage of human history and had such a huge impact, and He did this all in no more than 33 years.

The following exposition in its essence is a prayer to Jesus. The short prayer expressions or prayer gems are taken from Sacred Scripture, most of them from the texts of the Gospels. If you like, these are Christological titles transformed into short prayers. It is our intention and desire that you will very slowly pray over these titles in imitation of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who pondered the Word of God in her Immaculate Heart.

CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLES TRANSFORMED INTO PRAYER…

Titles for Jesus are many and rich indeed!  Let us learn to pray, to really talk to Jesus through the many and various titles inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, you are The Bread of Life, give me a growing hunger and insatiable thirst for you. (Jn 6:25-59)

Jesus, you are The Good Shepherd, grant me the deep inner security that I am never really alone because you are walking next to me, by my side, and you are guiding me by your rod and your staff. (Psalm 23 / Jn 10:1-18)

Jesus, you are truly The Resurrection and The Life, attain for me an ardent yearning to live with you for all eternity in heaven. (Jn 11:1-44)

Jesus, your name means Savior, I beg you to stretch out your gentle but strong hand to save me. Lord Jesus, save me from doubt, from my inner fears and anxieties, from my lack of trust in your Divine Providence. Lord Jesus, in the midst of the storms of life, when it seems as if my life is on the verge of capsizing and sinking, descend upon me with your calm. Lead me to a safe haven. (Mt 14:22-33)

Jesus you are truly The Divine Physician, The Divine Doctor, I implore you to touch me with your hand and heal me. (Mt Chapters 8 and 9) Lord Jesus, I admit my infirmities. Heal my mind with your light. Heal my soul with your grace. Heal my memory with your peace. Heal my body with your strength.

Jesus, you are the best of all Teachers. (Jn. 20:16) As I sit before you, I beg for your light, for you to truly become my Teacher! I thank you for the Gospels, (Good News) in which I can sit at your feet and absorb and drink in your Words of Truth.

Jesus, you are The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Pave the way for me on the highway to heaven. Inundate me in the rays of your truth. Attain for me eternal life in heaven. (Jn 14:6)

Jesus, you are The Alpha and Omega, The Principle and Foundation of my life. Attain for me fullness of life by having you at the very center of my life—of all my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions. (Rev 22:13)

Jesus, you said: I am the Light of the world. Cast out the dark regions present in my mind, memory, understanding, even my most secret intentions! Shine on me and in me, so that your Presence in my life may enlighten many others. (Jn 8:12)

Jesus, you are truly The Logos—The Word of God issuing forth from the Eternal Father. May your Words be engraved deeply in my whole being so that I will be a living expression of your truth in the world. (Jn 1:1)

Jesus, you are Emmanuel—God with us! In this journey of life heading toward our eternal destiny—heaven—may I constantly be aware of your gentle and consoling presence. May my prayer be that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus: Stay with us, Lord, for the day is far spent. (Lk 24:29)

Jesus, you are The Christ-Messiah, The Anointed One. Through Baptism and Confirmation, I have received a double-anointing. I implore you to anoint my thoughts and words so that I will be an anointed presence for my brothers and sisters. (1 Jn 5:1-2)

Jesus, you indeed are The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. By your Precious Blood, that I receive through the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, may I be cleansed and purified of all my past sins and strengthened to live in the liberty of the sons and daughters of God. (Jn 1:29)

Jesus, you are The Healing Hand that saves. Stretch out your hand to touch my festering wounds and heal me, and all of suffering humanity. (Mt 8:1-4)

Jesus, you are The Wounded-Healer. Indeed, it is by your wounds that we are healed. May I seek refuge in your wounds, especially your wounded Sacred Heart! Indeed, this is my true and eternal refuge. (Is 53:5)

Jesus, you are The Friend who is always faithful. May I experience you as a true Friend, always willing to walk with me, talk with me, welcome me, and be present to me. You indeed are my true Friend who will never fail me. (Jn 15:15)

Jesus, you are The Son of God made man. I am eternally grateful to you for becoming like us in all things, except sin. I praise and thank you for assuming your humanity from the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Lk 1:26-35)

Jesus, you are The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. As such I adore you and pay you homage as King. Jesus, as King I beg you to reign over my whole being. Reign over my mind, my thoughts, my imagination, my feelings, my intentions, my actions, my body and soul in time and for all eternity. (Rev 19:16)

Jesus, you indeed are The Crucified Savior. May my love and devotion to you result in my crucifying and putting to death all in me that is unworthy of you—that is to say, sin and all of its negative effects. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. (Mt 27:32-56)

Jesus, your Most Sacred Heart is a burning furnace of charity. Set my heart on fire with love for you and love for souls. You said: I have come to cast fire on the earth and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled. Lord Jesus, give me that fire! (Lk 12:49)

Jesus, you are the Son of God, the Son of man, and the Son of Mary! Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your loving Mother, may I arrive at a deeper knowledge of you, a deeper understanding of you, a deeper love for you, and a more earnest yearning and longing to follow you all the days of my life! Jesus, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may you be the very center of my life, now and for all eternity. Amen. (Mk 6:3)

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