Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

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

WEDNESDAY, November 17th   Lk. 19: 11-28   Alleluia Verse: “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.”

• Today, Fr. Ed Broom gives us good counsel on how to bear fruit that will last!

BUILDING UP WITH WORDS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All of us can remember having been hurt by somebody speaking without thinking and stinging our heart, leaving a lasting bad memory. Also, all of us remember having opened up our mouth without sufficient reflection and wounding our brother, sister or friend! Immediately after the word slipped out of our mouth, we wanted to fish it back in, but no, too late! Once the word has been uttered, there is no “muting”, canceling or postponing its arrival to the ear and heart of the listener.

Jesus speaks very clearly about our words: “Every word that comes out of the mouth will be subject to judgment.” (Mt. 12: 36) St. James dedicates almost his entire Chapter 3 to sins of the tongue. In short, the Apostle underscores the importance of learning the art of speech, reminding us that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. He reminds us that man can control almost all types of animals, but not his own tongue. Moreover, he says that the same tongue that is used to praise God, ends up by cursing one’s neighbor. This is wrong!

Therefore, we would like to offer five short suggestions to help us utilize our tongue, our words, our speech and conversation as a means to truly edify our neighbor, that is, to build up our neighbor!

FIRST COUNSEL! We should make it a habit to first talk to God and then talk to our neighbor. It was said of the great St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers—two of the most famous being St. Albert the Great and his student St. Thomas Aquinas—that Dominic would first talk to God, and then talk about God to others! Superb! Ideally that should be our motto and objective in life with regard to speech— that our words would in some way be communicating the presence of God to others!

SECOND COUNSEL! Think before you speak! St. Ignatius observes that an agitated soul is a soul in the state of desolation, in which case it is not the good spirit guiding us, but the bad spirit! We must learn to speak only after reflection, and with a calm and peaceful mind! Rushed and impetuous words form unclear or muddled ideas that often cause confusion and hurt. Avoid it!

THIRD COUNSEL! Silence! Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI insisted on the capital importance of cultivating silence in our daily lives! Today we suffer from noise pollution! Radio talk-shows, pop music, non-stop TV programs, dogs barking into the late hours of the night, and add to that, non-stop useless chatter, often filled with gossip—all of us have experienced these scenarios and all too frequently! Pope Benedict went so far as to say that if we do not have times of silence in our lives, then we really cannot understand the person who wants to talk to us! Silence creates an interior space for listening, and listening disposes us for union with the Holy Spirit who teaches us how to pray, but also how to listen attentively and charitably to our brothers and sisters!

FOURTH COUNSEL! Biblical counsel of great importance: THE GOLDEN RULE! The “Golden Rule” enunciated by Jesus Himself is so simple that everybody in the world understands it: “Do unto others, as you want them to do to you.” Why not take the Golden Rule one step further and apply it specifically to our speech. That is, “Do to others. what you want them to do to you,” but most especially, “Say to others what you want them to say to you!” Try it out!

FIFTH COUNSEL! It is not always clear if what we are saying is harmful to others or beneficial. It is not always crystal clear! What could be of  great help in this matter is to imagine that during your conversations with others, in your choice of words, tone of voice, and even facial expressions, three very important persons are present listening to your conversation. These three persons are Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph! Then ask yourself this question: “If Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph were present during this conversation and listening to my words, would they be nodding a smile of approval?” This is the acid test for followers of Jesus! Are our words pleasing to God, His Holy Mother and Good St. Joseph—who never said a word in all of Sacred Scripture?

Conclusion. Jesus said that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Also Jesus warned us that we will be judged on every word that comes out of our mouths. St. James warns us to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

In the Diary of St. Faustina, she admitted her three primary faults were: 1) Pride in not being open to her Superior, Irene. 2) TALKING TOO MUCH!!! She admitted honestly that Jesus revealed to her that at times He preferred her to be silent rather than speak for two reasons: the person would not profit from her words, and it would be much more beneficial for the souls in Purgatory to have her prayers (in those moments), rather than her conversation. Finally, 3) She did not always observe the Rule faithfully.

Let us remember the challenging exhortation of the Franciscan Doctor of the Church, St. Bonaventure: “We should open our mouths on three occasions: to praise God, to accuse ourselves, and to edify our neighbor.” Faithful to this exhortation, we will surely avoid many slips of the tongue, speak words anointed by the Holy Spirit, and store up for ourselves an eternal inheritance in heaven!

May Our Lady, who pondered in her Immaculate Heart before speaking, teach us to magnify the Lord in our words and truly edify our neighbor! “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

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

Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

TUESDAY, November 16th   Lk. 19: 1-10   “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

• Jesus has come to seek and to save what is lost! Which one among us does not feel lost at times in our life? Jesus continues to find us there and to save us!

WE ARE PEOPLE OF JOY AND HOPE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

In his visit to the poorer section of New York City—Harlem—Pope Saint John Paul II preached these encouraging words: “We are an Easter people!” By these words preached in a very deprived section of New York, the holy pontiff was accentuating the fact that Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead and opened the gates of Heaven for all of us. This indeed is a message of great hope for all who desire to open their hearts to the Risen Lord Jesus.  

In many hearts, even those of Catholics, the virtue of hope seems to be smoldering, tottering, vacillating, even extinguished. However, the Risen Lord Jesus is so kind, compassionate, loving, merciful and patient that He will most willingly infuse within us a renewed joy and hope if we open our hearts to His knocking.

Maybe you have a heart assaulted by doubts, anxieties, fears, insecurities and confusion. If such is the case, the Word of God is addressed to you right now: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever opens the door, I will enter and dine with them, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:19)

May we all rejoice and be glad, and be filled with a renewed hope. Hope is not wishful, whimsical and sentimental feelings, as in the expression: “Well, I hope so!!!” Quite the contrary.

What is hope then? Hope is one of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. These three theological virtues were instilled in our souls when we were baptized. Of course, like seeds planted in the ground, these virtues must be cultivated. As the young express it today: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” So, let us use and cultivate hope so that we do not lose it.

Perhaps the best way to understand the theological virtue of hope is summarized in the spiritual masterpiece with Saint Faustina as the secretary of Jesus, Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. It can be boiled down to five simple words: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!!! These words, written at the bottom of the image of Divine Mercy, summarize the essence of our message on the virtue of hope. We must place a total, constant, unreserved, and solid TRUST in Jesus in all times, places, and circumstances. We must abandon our lives to the loving care of Jesus, and trust that He loves us and will always act in a way that is in our best interest, even though at times we do not understand the ways of Divine Providence. As the Psalmist points out, His ways are not our ways, and as the heavens are above the earth, so are God’s ways above our ways. (cf Is. 55:9)

We live in time, but God lives in eternity. Past, present and future all converge with God. He sees the whole picture and we see only a very limited part of the whole scenario.

What then are some concrete ways that we can foster, bolster, and fortify the virtue of hope in our lives so that we can fill others with joy and hope? We will offer a few simple power points; let us grab on to them and be buoyed up by the solid anchor of hope.

1. GOD’S LOVE FOR ME.  First and foremost, we must be firmly convicted and convinced that our God is not a tyrant, dictator, or mean-spirited boss who seeks to punish us. Quite the contrary, our God is a loving Father who loves each and every one us with an eternal love, a love that is immutable—never subject to change. Moreover, the more weak, vulnerable, and miserable we find ourselves, the more God embraces us with His love! This we see exemplified in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which can rightly be termed, “The Parable of the Merciful Father.”  (Lk. 15:11-15) Re-read this Bible story paying particular attention to the actions of the father!

2. HE SENT HIS SON TO SAVE ME.  God the Father manifested His infinite love for us in sending His only Son to us in the Person of Jesus Christ in His Incarnation. Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the working of the Holy Spirit, was born, lived, was crucified suffering excruciating pains shedding His Precious Blood, and died and rose from the dead—all of this for love of each one of us. How precious you are in the eyes of God.

3.  JESUS LEFT ME THE CHURCH: THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST.  Another reason to rejoice in hope is that even though after Jesus’ death and Resurrection, He ascended into Heaven, He did not leave us orphans. Rather, Jesus left His presence among us in the Church, which is His Mystical Body.

4. JESUS PRESENT IN THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST.  The very Heart and center of the Church is Jesus truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and most specifically in the Holy Eucharist. Those who believe and are in the state of grace are invited to receive Jesus into the very depths of their souls and experience life and life in abundance!

5. FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS.  At the Last Supper Jesus called His Apostles, Friends. He also wants us to be His intimate Friends. Why not starting today, strive to cultivate a deep, dynamic and strong bond of friendship with Jesus. Talk to Him now about all that concerns you. He is the FAITHFUL FRIEND, the Friend who will never fail us! (EL AMIGO QUE NUNCA FALLA!!!)

6. HEAVEN AWAITS US.  A reality too often neglected in our thoughts is the reality of Heaven. We pray the Our Father, starting with these words: “Our Father, who art in Heaven…” But all too often we forget to meditate upon the reality of Heaven. Heaven indeed exists. Jesus has prepared a place for all of us in Heaven. This thought should inundate us with joy and hope, and spur us on to attain this cherished prize.

7. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THESE IS NOTHING IS SHALL WANT. (PS. 23) At any time and any place we can close our eyes and imagine that we are walking in the quiet, peaceful, and refreshing meadows where Jesus, the Good Shepherd wants to walk with us, talk to us, listen to us, encourage us, support us and love us. Why not read this Psalm slowly and carefully today. Then take a long, peaceful walk with Jesus, the Good Shepherd of your soul? He is patiently waiting for you.

8. DIARY OF DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL.  One of the spiritual classics that has left an indelible impression on my life in the past few years is DIARY: DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL. Jesus chose the humble, holy nun Saint Faustina Kowalska, known as The Secretary of Divine Mercy, to communicate to the world one of the most important and urgent messages of all times: God is rich in mercy, God loves us, God is always ready to forgive us and embrace us in His loving arms. I cannot encourage with greater emphasis the purchasing and daily reading and meditating on this spiritual masterpiece, even one number per day! One of the most exquisite fruits of the constant, assiduous and daily reading of the Diary will be a renewed hope welling-up in your heart and an expansive and over-flowing joy.

9. SHARE YOUR JOY AND HOPE WITH OTHERS.  If we indeed follow these suggestions, the net-result will be an increase of joy and hope. However, it must be understood, this joy and hope cannot be kept to ourselves, it must be shared with others. By sharing our joy and hope with others, they will be enlightened and pulled out of the pit of discouragement, and at the same time our own joy and hope will be fortified and grow all the more! “Let your light shine before men so that you will give glory to your Heavenly Father.” (Mt. 5:16)

10. MARY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS AND OUR HOPE.  The beautiful prayer that we say with so much joy at the end of the Holy Rosary, the Hail Holy Queen, starts with these words: “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope….” These are words of great encouragement. Mary is indeed a well-spring and fountain of abundant hope. We invite all to read and meditate upon the Marian classic and Masterpiece, “The Glories of Mary”, by St. Alphonsus Liguori. In fact, this spiritual gem is a commentary on the prayer, Hail Holy Queen. By reading, meditating and assimilating these truths, undoubtedly, we will be filled with joy and hope and become an overflowing well-spring of hope and joy to others. Again, the book is broken into sections of a few pages. Resolve to read at least one section per day. Then your day will be buoyed up by Jesus’ Divine Mercy and the love of Mary, our Mother of Mercy!!!

My friends we are all Easter-people! We are indeed men and women imbued with the virtue of hope. May Our Lady, who is truly our life, our sweetness, and our hope, inspire us to trust fully in God’s love for us, her maternal care and love for us, and Jesus’ deep abiding Friendship with us. Then we will truly be a bright light shining in the darkness and a shining star pointing to our heavenly reward!

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

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, November 15th   Lk. 18: 35-43   “A blind man shouted, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me.’ Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He replied, ‘Lord, please let me see.’ Jesus told him, ‘Have sight; your faith has saved you.’”

• Do we have faith? Let each one of us look into the depths of our heart and soul before answering this question.
• Do I have as much faith as Bartimaeus? Do I ask Our Lord to provide all that I need? Do I accept all that He gives me, even when it is not what I want? Even when it leads me to the cross?
• The cross accepted in holy obedience is always salutary to bolster our weak and fallen nature and foster growth in holiness. More than that, our crosses borne in holy obedience may prove not only salutary, but necessary for the salvation of those we pray for!

BARTIMAEUS: “HAVE MERCY ON ME!” by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

To be blind is an almost infinite source of suffering. The greeting of the sunrise at the break of dawn, the majestic rainbow after a torrential downpour, the colorful multitude and variety of spring flowers decorating the meadows and fields, the sky awesome with the brilliance of the sun shining during the day and the moon and profusion of stars illuminating the darkness of the night, the smiling face of an infant in the arms of a joyful Mother, the sweeping wings of an Eagle as he soars to the mountain heights—all of these majestic reflections of creation are a mere glimpse for us of the Beauty of the Creator, and mere fiction for the eyes of the person born blind!!!

Let us enter the inner world of a blind man whom we meet in the Gospel of Saint Mark with the name BARTIMAEUS. For short, we can call him blind Bart.

This passage is about a blind man who has a personal encounter with Jesus, who is truly the Light of the World, and who came to cast out the darkness of sin. Jesus, who can touch and heal us in the depths of our hearts.

BEG FOR A SPECIAL GRACE.  Why not beg for a special grace, the grace to see yourself with the people and the world that surrounds you, with the specific purpose of recognizing your own blindness, and then beg most fervently for mercy, for God’s infinite mercy! That in His love, mercy, and kindness He will touch you and heal you of your blindness, that He will touch your eyes and give you sight to recognize how sin blinds us to the Light of God’s Face and His presence in others!

COMPOSITION OF PLACE.  Now try to picture the scene in today’s Gospel: the place, the persons, the social milieu, the blind man, and most especially, Jesus and His reaction to the blind man. All of this is related to your own life and circumstances!

1. BART THE BLIND.  He is blind and makes no bones about calling out his lack of sight. How often has it happened that we fail to recognize and humbly admit that we have been blind and are still blind in certain areas of our lives? There is a well-known Spanish proverb pertinent to our topic: “No hay un peor ciego que aquel que no quiere ver; no hay peor sordo que aquel que no quiere oir.” Translated: “There is no worse blind man than the blind man who does not want to see; there is no worse deaf person than the deaf person who does not want to hear.” The first step in healing is the humble admission that we are sick!

2. HE HEARS THE CROWD.  Even though Bart is blind, his hearing is acute. He hears the crowd and the noise, and he knows someone is passing by. May our prayer be: “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3:10)

3. IT IS JESUS WHO IS PASSING BY.  Upon hearing that it is Jesus, Bart is filled with enthusiasm in his desire to come in contact with Jesus. Like Bart, knowing we have the possibility of encountering Jesus, we also should be filled with enthusiasm and do all we can to meet the Lord—in prayer, in Mass and Holy Communion, in Adoration!

4. YELLS OUT AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS.  Bart’s enthusiasm is beyond control as he yells out at the very top of his lungs: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!!!” In other words, Bart begs humbly but with great insistence in his desire to experience the Infinite Mercy of Jesus. What a powerful example for us to follow!

5. SHUT THAT GUY UP!!!  For many in the crowd, Bart is seen as a nuisance, you might even say a real big mouth. They try to shut him up, prevent him from yelling and disturbing the crowd, much worse disturbing Jesus, the Master!

6. USELESS—AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY.  Despite their efforts, the crowd cannot get Bart to CLAM UP! To the contrary, the more they try to prevent him from crying out to Jesus, the louder is his cry! In other words, Bart is determined to meet up with Jesus, whatever the cost. Being yelled at, cursed, humiliated—nothing is going to prevent Bart from pursuing an encounter with Jesus.

7. TELL HIM TO COME.  Now Jesus speaks, inviting Bart to come to Him. How beautiful this passage, an invitation to come meet Jesus! Jesus is inviting you to meet Him every time you begin to pray, every time you make your Holy Hour, every time you attend Holy Mass. He desires to meet us more than we desire to meet Him! How good, merciful, and loving Jesus truly is!

8. MORE ENTHUSIASM FOR BART!  Upon hearing the invitation, Bart springs to his feet like a super-ball! Imagine the poor blind man springing to his feet and heading towards the sound of Jesus voice, enveloped in the darkness of his blindness, oblivious of anything that might be in his way! Blind or not, Bart is determined to encounter Jesus! Think how much more we appreciate encountering Jesus after having encountered seemingly insurmountable obstacles!

9. THIS IS JESUS’ QUESTION FOR BART AND FOR US: “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?”  This is a very important question! Jesus poses this question to Bart, but also, right now Jesus is posing this question to you and to me!

10. OPEN YOUR HEART AND TELL THE LORD.  Without any fear, tension, or anxiety, open up your heart to the Lord. He really wants to listen to you. He really wants to help you. He really is the only one who can help you in your struggles and worries! Speak to Jesus from the very depths of your heart. He will listen to you very attentively and He will respond to you. In that quiet voice that you hear in your mind and heart, or in the events and circumstances of your day—He is speaking to you.

11. LORD, I WANT TO SEE!!!  Bart does not have to think twice. He knows exactly what he desires and needs most in his life. He wants to see! He wants to be healed of the blindness that has caused him so much suffering in his life.

12. SIN AND BLINDNESS.  One of the many negative effects of sin is that it causes blindness. Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, asserts that most especially the sin of Lust/Impurity causes blindness to our spiritual eyes. We are all sinners! Like Bart, why not beg the Lord to be merciful to you and to touch the very eyes of your soul so as to cure your spiritual blindness.

13. JESUS SAYS: GO YOUR WAY. YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU!  Immediately, Bart receives his sight. Pray that like Bart, the Lord Jesus, the Light of the World, will give you true sight so as to be able to see Him, hear His voice, and follow in His footsteps. The mercy of Jesus and His healing power is in direct proportion and commensurate with our faith or our lack of faith!

14. FAITH.  Perhaps your prayer might include a desire to grow in faith. With the man in the Gospel, you might pray as such: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24) Or this prayer, “Lord, I believe, but strengthen my faith!”

15. RESPONSE TO THE MIRACLE OF HEALING HIS SIGHT: BART FOLLOWS JESUS!  An interesting note in the whole healing episode of Bartimaeus is that as soon as his sight is restored by Jesus, who is truly the Light of the World, he follows Jesus. Who would have been the first person that Bart saw upon his healing? Most likely it was Jesus! Then Bart becomes Jesus’ follower. What about you and me? Once Jesus has healed us of our spiritual blindness, whatever that might be, then like Bart, we should be ready and willing followers of Jesus who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

SUNDAY, November 14th   Mk. 13: 24-32   “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.”

• As we approach the end of the Church Year, we meditate on the Second Coming of Christ. His first coming was as a helpless baby in the arms of Mary in Bethlehem. His second coming will be in Power and Glory!  
• At this time every year we are reminded to prepare, to be ready! For we know not the hour nor the day when He will come! That said, we may not see the “End Times” but for certain our end time will come, we know not the hour nor the day.

TEN WAYS WE CAN PREPARE FOR THE LAST THINGS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The moment we die and pass from this world to the next where we’ll be judged by Our Lord will determine our destiny for all eternity. Really there are only two possibilities: salvation or damnation—rejoicing in the Presence of God or suffering the torments of the damned for all eternity. Even though it’s very sober, very serious, possibly even a bit frightening, this reality should hang before our eyes as the minutes, days, and years evaporate before our eyes.

We should prepare for this encounter with the Lord Jesus with great calmness and peace but also with serious efforts on our part. We should beg the Lord Jesus that He be our Redeemer rather than our Judge.

The following are concrete suggestions to help us one day to receive the grace of all graces: to die in the state of grace. May we take these seriously and implement them in our daily walk with the Lord.

1. Live Each Day as if It Were Our Last

How much time do we really waste on a daily basis or how much have we wasted up to this point in our lives? Every day we should rise and give ourselves totally to Jesus through Mary, and strive to deny the Lord nothing, in imitation of Saint Therese of Lisieux.

2. Flee From Sin Like the Plague

Many today have a mortal fear of the coronavirus and this may not be a bad preoccupation. However, should we not fear something worse? How about fear of offending God through sin? How about fear of losing our soul by committing and dying in Mortal sin??? A physical virus could be disastrous and catastrophic for the body, so true. However, sin is a moral virus that eats away and corrupts the very fiber of our soul, which has infinite and eternal value.

3. Live in the Presence of God

Saint Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church, noted that one of the principal reasons why we sin is because we become oblivious to the Presence of God, we forget that all our actions, thoughts, and even intentions are seen by God like the sun shining down at midday.

4. Pray More Every Day

Strive to pray a little bit more and a little bit better every day. We should arrive at the point in our lives where we cannot live without prayer. It is a matter of life and death in our spiritual life.

What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul. No air coming in and out of the lungs, our life is on the brink of disaster. Likewise, a person without prayer will dry up, suffocate and die.

5. Be Reconciled

Jesus says that if we are about to offer our gift at the altar and recognize that our brother has something against us, then we should leave our gift at the altar, go make amends and reconcile with our brother, and then return to offer the gift. In other words, Jesus wants us to at least strive to live out mercy and overcome any form of resentment in our life.

What acid is to the stomach lining causing ulcers, so is resentment to the soul that is not ready and willing to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Remember the words of the great Catholic English poet, Alexander Pope: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.”

6. Never Despair, but Trust in God’s Mercy

When all is said and done, when the curtain goes down and we reach the end of our short earthly sojourn, the last word will be, “Do we really trust in God’s infinite mercy???”

Saint Paul reminds us in the Letter to the Romans: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.” (Rom 5:20) The Diary of Saint Faustina echoes the same theme: “The worst of sinners can be the greatest of saints!” This all depends on one’s disposition of heart, with an infinite, limitless and unreserved trust in God’s Infinite Mercy.

God’s Infinite Mercy can be compared to all the waters in all the oceans and more—indeed an infinite abyss. We must launch ourselves and plunge into this infinite abyss of Mercy! Ironically, the first canonized saint was one of the thieves hanging on his cross next to Jesus, who cried out: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom!” (Lk 23:42) The reaction and response of Jesus was pure mercy: Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise!” (Lk 23:43) The triumph of the infinite ocean of God’s mercy!

7. The Gift of the Church: Plenary Indulgence

The Catholic Church has an infinite reservoir of graces. These can be understood and applied by means of the Indulgences, including the Plenary Indulgence. All flow from the pierced and open Heart of Jesus from which gushed forth Blood and Water. To acquire a Plenary Indulgence, the requirements are the following:

1) Confession. A well-prepared Sacramental Confession made to the priest who represents our Merciful and Loving Savior, Jesus the Lord.

2) Prayer Indulgences. If the most Holy Rosary is recited in the family or in front of the Blessed Sacrament, this is a prayer that can help us to acquire the Plenary Indulgence.

3) Prayers for the Vicar of Christ. Following the Rosary, prayers must be offered for the intention of the Holy Father—Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.

4) Mass and Holy Communion. Then of capital importance is attendance at Mass— the full, active and conscious participation in Mass, and most important, the fervent and loving reception of Holy Communion—the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus.

5) Renounce and Reject Sin in its totality. To begin with, one must be in the state of grace. One must reject mortal sin, with a firm effort and determination to avoid even venial sin in all shapes, forms, sizes, circumstances and conditions. This, of course, also means to avoid the near occasion of sin, that is, any person, place or thing that can lead us into sin.

If these five conditions are carried out with purity of heart and intention, then the Plenary Indulgence can be acquired and not only are all our sins forgiven, but also the temporal punishment that accrues to these sins is forgiven. If you like, a new life, a clean slate, a soul as white as the snow, and if you were to die at that moment, you could have immediate access to God and Heaven. Why not strive to receive a Plenary Indulgence every day and so be ready to go straight to heaven whenever you are called from this life! How great is God’s love and mercy to us through Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church and the Sacramental life!

Note: We can receive a Plenary Indulgence every day that we meet the above criteria with this clarification, Confession may occur within one week before or one week after any day the Plenary Indulgence is sought.

8. Our Lady of the Rosary

At Fatima, Our Lady asked the children, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia, to pray the Rosary in every one of her apparitions—six in total, from May through October. Every time we pray the Rosary we are preparing ourselves for a holy and happy death fifty times. How and with what words? The last words of the Hail Mary: “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” We are begging Our Lady to be with us in those last and critical moments so that we can breathe forth our soul into the hands of God!

9. Beg for the Special Grace to Receive the Last Sacraments before Death

A very worthy and noble prayer that we can make to Jesus through Mary is to have the grace to receive these three Sacraments before we die, and the Apostolic Pardon. In the proper sequence and order it follows: Sacramental Confession; followed by the Anointing of the Sick; and finally, the reception of Viaticum—the Last Communion for the Wayfarer or Traveler on their Journey to Heaven. As an added bonus, the priest can offer the Apostolic Pardon which consists of these brief but powerful words: “Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may Almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May He open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.” With these three Sacraments received with the best of dispositions, and with the final touch of God’s love and mercy in the Apostolic Pardon, there is a good chance that our death will be our birth into Heaven for all eternity!

10. What Would You Like Your Last Words on Earth to be?

I have thought of this question with a certain frequency and come to this conclusion. I would like my heart in those last moments to express three sentiments in these words:

1) “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.” A humble recognition of my status as a sinner in desperate need of God’s forgiveness.

2) “Jesus, I trust in you!” A limitless TRUST in Jesus’ greatest attribute—His Mercy!

3) “Jesus, I love you!”  The great Doctor, poet, Mystic and saint, Saint John of the Cross, expressed this perfectly: “In the twilight of our existence on earth, we will be judged on love.”

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

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

SATURDAY, November 13th   Lk. 18: 1-8   “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.”

• Let us together read, absorb and take to heart Fr. Ed’s exhortation on the necessity of prayer, together with his counsels and advice on how to grow in prayer! We must constantly refresh our motivation and efforts to pray well!  
• For “He who prays well, lives well. He who lives well, dies well. He who dies well, all is well!” (St. Augustine)

PRAYER POWER IN THE DEPTHS OF YOUR HEART! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV           

The Letter of Saint James expresses the power of prayer when offered by a holy man. Our prayer can even determine weather conditions. The example in the Letter of Saint James is taken from the person of the great Prophet Elijah. His prayer stopped the rain from coming down and then opened up the skies so that it would rain again:

“Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:17-18)

This short passage taken from the Letter of Saint James should be a powerful motivation for all of us to examine our own prayer lives, admit that there is much improvement that is needed, and take the necessary measures to add power to our prayers. As the Gospel reminds us: Prayer can indeed move the mountains!

This being said, we would like to offer a series of suggestions so that our prayer life will not be insipid, lukewarm, mediocre, stagnant and life-less! May God help us to inject power into our prayer life! Our personal sanctification and the sanctification of many others depends upon our personal prayer life!

Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, challenges all of us to become saints, and in the fourth chapter he highlights five signposts of those who are on the highway to holiness. The last of the five is that a saint strives to pray constantly! Therefore, let us dive into the infinite abyss of the ocean of prayer!

COUNSELS AND ADVICE TO SKYROCKET IN PRAYER!!!

1. CONVICTION!!!  We will never carry out any worthwhile initiative if we are not motivated by a firm and determined conviction of the importance of this enterprise. Pursuit of money, power, pleasure, success—in the natural world—we see men and women who make heroic sacrifices! Take for example those chosen to the Olympic Games. Training, discipline, fasting, and much more is undertaken even years before the Olympic Games take place. This is simply for a Medal that will rust and disappear one day. We must be convinced that our prayer life is a matter of life and death for the salvation of our soul and those entrusted to us! An analogy might serve to hammer this idea home: As air is to our lungs, so prayer is to the health and salvation of our souls!!!

2. PURIFICATION.  Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes: Blessed are the pure of heart; for they will see God. (Mt 5:8) Our mystical life, our contemplative life, demands purity of heart, mind, body, and soul! Making a good sacramental Confession can be of incalculable value in not only giving us great peace of mind, heart, and soul, but also Confession, through the Precious Blood of Jesus, purifies the window of our soul so that we can contemplate the beauty of the Face of Jesus in prayer. Frequent confession can bolster our drooping prayer life!

3. COME HOLY SPIRIT, COME!!!  Some of the many titles that are given to the Holy Spirit are the following: The Interior Master, Sweet Guest of the soul, Gift of Gifts. In the Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul expressed a struggle in prayer, saying: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in ineffable groans.” (Rom 8:26) “And by Him, we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom 8:15) …“We don’t know how to pray as we ought…” In other words, we need teachers, and even more important, teachers familiar with the art of prayer. It is the Holy Spirit, the Interior Master, who can come to our aid and help us grow quickly and efficaciously in our prayer journey. The powerful Pentecost experience is one of the most compelling examples. After nine days of silence, prayer and fasting with Mary, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, setting their hearts on fire with love for God, and teaching them to pray, so that they could be Masters of prayer in the whole world. (Read Acts 2!!!)

4. GIVE GENEROUSLY OF YOUR TIME!!!  As in any activity that we deem of importance, we must give time to that activity. A professional baseball player, a professional musician, a professional Doctor, a professional writer, a professional singer—all have one point in common: they have exerted blood, sweat, and tears to perfect themselves in their art, in their profession. So much the more should we be willing to expend time and exert effort to learn the art of all arts, the art of Prayer! The athletes express it concisely: No pain, no gain!!!

5. HAVE YOUR PRAYER PLACE!!!  Very important also is setting aside some place where you can pray well. Related to time and place must be added the indispensable condition of silence. Elijah in his experience on the mountain did not encounter God in the noise, but in the gentle, silent breeze. “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening!!!” (1 Sam 3:9) If at all possible, the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen suggests that we make our Holy Hour, the Hour of power, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, in front of the Real Presence—Jesus the Eucharistic Lord!!!

6. INVITE MARY INTO YOUR PRAYER!  Another enormous help to pray more and to improve your prayer life, is to invite the Blessed Virgin Mary to be with you in your prayer period. Beg Mary, who had a true contemplative heart, to pray with you and to pray for you. Beg Our Lady through her powerful intercession to turn your water into wine. (Jn. 2:1-12) That is to say, to turn your mediocre and insipid prayer into fire!!!

7. A PRAYER METHOD.  Utilizing a Prayer-method can be of immense value to take flight into the spiritual atmosphere and heights of our prayer experience! Methods are used for learning anything, for sports, for language skills, for learning even how to drive. This is also true with respect to prayer. Among the many suggestions we would like to refer you to a suggestion made by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his encyclical on the Bible, the Word of God, Verbum Domine. In this superb document he offered a classical method of the past which is titled Lectio Divina! Behold the steps:

1) LECTIO—Meaning to read with an open heart: Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening…

2) MEDITATIO—Ponder and think about the meaning of this passage. Take the Blessed Mother as your example. She pondered the Word of God in her Immaculate Heart.

3) CONTEMPLATIO—Saint Ignatius calls this Composition of Place—Meaning: Try to imagine that you are really in the scene with Jesus and Mary. Be present in the scene and active in it! You are not a passive spectator but an active participant.

4) ORACIO—The heart of prayer is from your heart. Now talk to the Lord from the depths of your heart. The Lord is attentive to your supplications, and all that is in your mind and your heart!

5) ACCIO—After you have completed your formal prayer period, now in imitation of Mary who moves from the Annunciation to the Visitation, move to put into practice what you have experienced in the depths of your heart in prayer.

8. TRANSFORMACIO—Recognize that prayer done with faith, love, fervor, and constancy, will result in a final quality: that of TRANSFORMATION!!! In the words of the fiery Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) We are transformed into the one we love and the one who loves us—JESUS, OUR BEST FRIEND!!!

9.  DISTRACTIONS.  There is not a prayer warrior in the world who does not experience distractions and who does not have to struggle to conquer them. However, this can be of great purpose and utility in our prayer journey; a comment from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on distractions! It is the following. Often distractions during our time of prayer are indications of a disordered attachment or affection that we might be clinging to! In other words, it could be the Holy Spirit challenging us to give up some attachment that is impeding our growth in prayer! Saint Ignatius challenges us to a state of Holy Indifference—meaning, we have to detach ourselves from any person, place, thing or even mental conviction that can prevent us from loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength! Saint John of the Cross says that a bird cannot fly if it has a chain around its foot or a thread! Our God is a devouring fire. (Heb 12:29) He wants all we have and all that we are, and He gives all of Himself to us in return!

10.  BIBLE AS THE FUNDAMENTAL SOURCE.  There are many sources that we can employ in our prayer life: prayer books, various readings, etc. However, it must be stated unequivocally: THE BIBLE—THE WORD OF GOD, should be our primary sustenance in our prayer experience. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread… In the desert Jesus rebuked Satan with these words: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God! (Mt 4:4) Take the Bible in your hands, especially the Gospels, and nourish your mind, heart, and soul with the Word of God!!!

11. READING ON PRAYER.  Saint Teresa of Avila, the Doctor of Prayer in the Catholic Church, would not allow a woman into the Carmelite Order if she did not know how to read. Why you might ask? The reason is clear! This great Saint and Doctor of the Church firmly believed that one could learn immensely on many topics, and especially that of prayer by diving into classics written on prayer. There is an infinite reservoir of sources, but we will give just a few: “Deep Prayer, Deep Conversion”, “Primer of Prayer”, and “Fire Within”, all written by Father Thomas Dubay. “Introduction to the Devout Life” by Saint Francis de Sales. “The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila”, “The Way of Perfection”, and “Interior Castle”, all written by Saint Teresa of Avila. “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul” by Saint Faustina Kowalska.

12. MORE READING: A MUST!!!  All who take their prayer life seriously must find time to read slowly, sincerely, and methodically the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH – PART 4 ON PRAYER. This is indeed a spiritual masterpiece that gives an excellent summary of prayer as found in the Old Testament figures, the Psalms, the prayer of Jesus, methods of prayer, struggles in prayer, and a concise explanation of the Our Father, the Lord’s Prayer. No doubt a careful reading of one of the most authoritative texts ever written on prayer can give you a very solid foundation on which to construct your spiritual edifice of prayer. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” (Mt 7:24-29)

13. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.  Another indispensable help in the sometimes difficult journey of our prayer experience is that of seeking out adequate, methodical, and systematic spiritual direction. We all have blind-spots in our lives and this is very true in our spiritual life and that of prayer. Saint Teresa of Avila had several saints who helped her to arrive at the heights of her prayer experience. Among these were the following: Saint John of the Cross, Saint Peter of Alcantara, O.F.M., Saint Francis Borja, S.J., and Jerome Gracian, O.P. Maybe we cannot find three canonized saints to direct us, but we can pray to find some capable person to help us along the highway to holiness in our prayer escapade! Beg the Holy Spirit for this great grace!

14. RETREAT EXPERIENCES.  We would be remiss if we did not mention one of the most powerful means to arrive at a deeper prayer life and prayer experience—it is that of RETREATS!!! The retreat experience left to us by Saint Ignatius of Loyola has proved to be a real winner over the past 450 years. The Retreat can be a weekend, or eight days, or even a month-long encounter with the Lord Jesus. It can be a preached retreat or a silent retreat. However, once again related to spiritual direction, it is important that during the course of the retreat you seek out some form of spiritual direction. An annual retreat experience should definitely be on our agenda!

15. COMMUNITY.  We should not neglect the power of prayer in community. Jesus Himself said: Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst! (Mt 18:20) As Christians, we belong to the family/the community of the Church. We must learn the art of praying with others. How might this play out? Praying the Rosary in a group, as well as the Liturgy of the Hours (Breviary); Holy Hours in community; and of course the most powerful prayer that exists, that of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving Jesus, the Bread of Life. As a signpost of holiness, Pope Francis insists on the building up of community, and what better way then by praying together!!!

In conclusion, may the words of the great mystic-ascetic Franciscan priest, Saint Peter of Alcantara, spur us on to strive for greater depth in our personal prayer life with these most inspiring words, which highlight the numerous effects of prayer:

“In mental prayer the soul is purified of its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope; the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident, temptation is conquered, sadness dispelled, the senses are renovated, the drooping powers revive, tepidity ceases, the rust of vices disappears. Out of mental prayer, prayers issue forth like living sparks, those desires of heaven which the soul conceives when inflamed with the fire of divine love. Sublime is the excellence of mental prayer; great are its privileges; to mental prayer heaven is opened; to mental prayer heavenly secrets are manifested and the ear of God is attentive.”

(The Ways of Mental Prayer, Rev. Dom Vitalis Lehodey, pages 26-27, Tan Publishers)