Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

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

TUESDAY, May 3rd   Jn 14: 6-14   “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

Only saints are in heaven. We can become saints here or in the fires of Purgatory. It’s our choice.

BE HOLY AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS HOLY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All of us are called to become saints. How do we know? Jesus commanded us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48) In other words: Become a saint! Most saints have not been officially canonized, but are anonymous, unknown except by God alone.

Given that this is a serious command given by Jesus Himself, to be holy—to become a saint, let us briefly highlight ten of the most salient notes or characteristics of the saints. This will serve to motivate each and every one of us to become whom God has called us to be—a Saint!

1. ANTITHESIS OF SAINTLINESS: SIN. 

Let us start with the negative. Saints have an abhorrence; they truly detest the one major evil in the world—the reality of sin. Modern culture glamorizes and even promotes sin; the saints fight against it. The motto of Saint Dominic Savio for his first Holy Communion was the following immortal assertion: DEATH RATHER THAN SIN!

2. PRAYER!

It is absolutely impossible to come across and read the life of any saint who did not take their prayer life seriously and spend sizable blocks of time dedicated to prayer, which is union and friendship with God. (St. Teresa of Avila) Face it, we can all improve in our prayer lives; we can pray more and we can always pray better. May the Holy Spirit enlighten and inspire us to upgrade our prayer life in our pursuit of holiness.

3. HUMILITY.

Saints are truly humble. By humility we mean the following: saints attribute all the good that they have done to God, the origin, author and end of all good. When complimented on any good done, almost spontaneously the saint responds: Thanks be to God!

4. HUNGER FOR HOLINESS.

An authentic saint has a real hunger and thirst for exactly that—holiness, to become a saint. If you like, the saint lives out the first verse of Psalm 41: “As the deer yearns for running waters, so my soul yearns for you O Lord, my God.” A saint admits that they are not a saint, but they really long to be a saint one day. This longing, this yearning indeed is half the battle in attaining the crown of holiness, the triumph of winning the crown of saintliness. Many yearn for money, power, pleasure, success, and possessions. Not so the saint! Their one desire is to love God fully, totally and unreservedly, and so become the saint that God has called them to be!

5. CHARITY. 

The saint is motivated to assimilate and carry out in word and deed the greatest of all the Commandments—the Command to love both God and neighbor. If you want to see a graphic image of charity, lift up your eyes to Jesus crucified, Jesus hanging from the cross, and you have a clear image of charity. Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross that we might have life and life eternal! Then He gave us a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13:34) On one occasion, Jesus appeared to Saint Thomas Aquinas after he had achieved enormous accomplishments, and asked the saint what gift he desired most. Immediately Aquinas responded: “Lord, grant me the grace to love you more and more each day.” Saint Frances de Sales adds to this with these words: “The measure that we should love God with, is to love Him without measure.” Saint John of the Cross adds: “In the twilight of our existence we will be judged on love.”

6. ZEAL FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.  

Two saints met, one a youngster, the other, a priest. The youngster looked up and saw on the wall a few words written in Latin and he asked the priest what those words were and what they meant. The priest responded by saying that those words were his motto and they were: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” The boy responded with: “I am the cloth, you are the tailor; make me a saint!” The priest was Saint John Bosco; the youngster was Saint Dominic Savio. An authentic saint loves God and loves what God loves—the salvation of immortal souls, including their own! One soul is worth more than all creation in the natural world. The reason for the excruciating pain that Jesus willingly suffered in His Passion and the outpouring of His most Precious Blood was precisely this: to save immortal souls for all eternity. The stigmata for fifty years of Saint Padre Pio, the 13-18 hours daily in the Confessional in the life of the Cure of Ars—Saint John Vianney, the heroic sacrifices of the little children of Fatima, the victimhood of Saint Faustina, all had one motivational reason and force: love of God and hunger and thirst for the salvation of souls.

7. STRUGGLING SINNERS THAT RISE WHEN THEY FALL. 

Many have been deceived into an artificial, sugar-sweet, somewhat romantic vision of a saint as someone exempt from human weaknesses and moral failures. Nothing could be further from the truth! Saints are born sinners. However, a common characteristic of the saint is that upon falling, sinner that they are, they resiliently bounce back; they return to the Lord through Confession with good will, true contrition, and a firm purpose of amendment. Venerable Bruno Lanteri taught NUNC CAEPI— meaning, if we fall, then we must rise immediately and trust all the more in the grace and mercy of the loving Heart of Jesus. It is no surprise that in the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus reminds us that the greatest sinner can become the greatest saint if they TRUST FULLY IN HIS MERCY. Venerable Fulton Sheen reminds us that the first canonized saint was a murderer, an insurrectionist, and a thief who hung on a cross next to Jesus on Calvary. As Sheen points out: “And he died a thief because he stole heaven.” Read and meditate on the Parable of the Prodigal Son that can also be termed, the Parable of the Merciful Father.” (Lk 15:11-32)

8. FERVENT LOVE FOR THE SOURCE OF ALL HOLINESS: THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 

The ultimate source of grace, purity, strength and holiness is Jesus Himself. The most efficacious means by which we can unite ourselves with Jesus in His Mystical Body is through the Sacraments. The greatest of all of the Sacraments is the Most Holy Eucharist, for the simple but profound reason that the Eucharist actually is Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! Jesus is the Holy of Holies! Jesus is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity! Though it may sound banal or even trivial or even a cliché, there is a real truism behind this one liner: “You become what you eat!” Bad eating habits can produce health problems; good eating habits can contribute to health and longevity. In a parallel but real sense, when we nourish our souls with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus with faith, love, devotion and fervor, then we start to think like Jesus, feel like Jesus, act like Jesus, become like Jesus, until we can say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

9. OPEN AND DOCILE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Father Jacques Philippe wrote a short masterpiece on this topic with the title “In the School of the Holy Spirit.” In this short but inspiring book, Father Jacques constantly reminds his readers that holiness essentially depends on one basic attitude, action, and plan of life: being docile to the Holy Spirit and His heavenly inspirations. As the Consoler, Counselor, Interior Master, Paraclete, Sweet Guest of the Soul—the Holy Spirit speaks gently but insistently to the pure, humble, and docile soul guiding them in the proper course of action that leads to holiness of life, that leads us to become the saints that we are all called and destined to become! Saint Paul reminds us: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with ineffable groans so that we can call out Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:26) It is precisely for this reason that Pope Saint John XXIII stated: “The saints are the masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.”

10. MARY AND THE SAINTS.

Our Lady, Mary most holy, is the Queen of Angels, Queen of Virgins, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Martyrs, Queen and Beauty of Carmel, Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and finally Mary is Queen of all of the Angels and Saints. After he died, Saint Dominic Savio appeared bathed in heavenly glory to Saint John Bosco and told the holy priest what gave him the greatest joy in his short life on earth (14 years and 11 months). It was precisely this: his great love and confidence in the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Dominic ended this encounter with Saint John Bosco by exhorting him to spread devotion to Mary to the greatest extent possible. Mary inspires the saints to pray fervently. Mary inspires the saints to return to God after they sin. Mary encourages the saints to love Jesus with their whole being. Mary’s presence helps the saints to avoid moral dangers. Mary’s maternal and loving presence helps the saints to move from desolation to consolation. For that reason, the saints cry out to Mary in these words: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.”

Our final prayer and hope is that all of our readers will become saints and great saints. Our hope and prayer is that all of you will one day be a very precious, resplendent and glorious jewel in the crown of Mary so as to contemplate and praise the Blessed Trinity for all eternity.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us so that we can attain the grace to truly become the saint that God has destined for us to become for all eternity.
 

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

MONDAY, May 2nd   Jn. 6: 22-29   “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

Holiness is not about learning new things, rather relishing the things that we already know!

When you pray with this writing from the mind and heart of Fr. Ed, look for what catches your attention, what moves your heart, and relish those words and how they speak to you—and how Jesus is calling you to respond!

HOLY MASS, HOLY COMMUNION AND HOLINESS OF LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the key Chapters in the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, is the Universal Call to Holiness. In concrete this chapter lays out the goal and purpose of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God: the call to become a saint! Jesus expressed this command unequivocally and with utmost clarity and transparency: “Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48) In the most famous block of teaching and preaching of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, in the initial phase of this teaching called the Beatitudes Jesus teaches: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be satisfied.” (Mt 5:6)  Saint Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians reiterates the same truth: “This is the will of your heavenly Father: your sanctification.” (1 Thess 4:3) The modern saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, exhorts us in these words: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all.”

Therefore, let us offer the Express-way to holiness. Instead of choosing and pursuing a circuitous, labyrinthine, laborious and sometimes frustrating path towards holiness, why not choose the quickest, most secure, and efficacious path to arrive at the heights of holiness in our short life here on earth!

What is this short-cut, this smooth path to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life? It is Jesus Himself through the Mass and Holy Communion. However, the means by which we connect with this electric current of grace and holiness is through living out the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to the fullest extent possible. The Dogmatic Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, expresses it in the following words: “The faithful must participate fully, actively and consciously in the Mass… the source and summit of holiness.”

As a motivation to all people of good will, who take sincerely this Universal Call to Holiness, we will accentuate the remarkable sanctifying effects that Holy Communion can produce in the recipient of such a sublime Sacrament. Indeed, the most Holy Eucharist, which is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, the Son of the living God, is the key to all holiness.

Before entering into the effects that Holy Communion produces on the individual, a key theological concept must be explained with clarity and precision: the concept of Dispositive-grace. This means that the Sacrament of the Eucharist is truly Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Holy of Holies. However, the graces received in the reception of Holy Communion are commensurate or in direct proportion to the disposition of the individual heart that receives Jesus. If one receives Jesus in mortal sin, then he eats and drinks to his own condemnation. (I Corinthians 11: 17-22) If the preparation and reception is mediocre, the graces will correspond to the attitude of mediocrity. If the disposition is good, the graces will flow more freely. If the disposition is fervent, then graces will redound all the more. Finally, if the preparation is excellent and the reception a heart on fire with love for Jesus, then the effects can be compared to a spiritual atomic-bomb: an explosion of graces. The latter should be our aim and our goal!

Now we will enumerate and explain exactly what can take place in the well-disposed heart that receives the Eucharistic Lord Jesus in Mass in the most Holy Eucharist—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus.

1. PURIFICATION OF THE HEART AND SOUL. 

Holy Communion received with an ardent love and fire of charity can serve to burn away the residue of smaller sins that we call venial sins. Saint John of the Cross, the Mystical Doctor of the Church, offers us this analogy. Put a rusty piece of iron in a scathing and intense fire; the fire consumes the rust and the iron assumes the same property as the fire. So it is with Holy Communion. The Council of Trent says it is the antidote to our daily infirmities. On a Pastoral note, no one should refrain from the reception of Holy Communion if they have venal sin(s) on their soul!

2. SPIRITUAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. 

Saint Margaret Mary AIacoque had the unique and incredible privilege of contemplating the most Sacred Heart of Jesus at Paray Le Monial in France. What a blessing and unique privilege indeed! However, it must be stated with gratitude and great humility that we have a more frequent and greater privilege. We can receive Holy Communion on a daily basis. In the Our Father Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us this day our daily-bread….” In Holy Communion, we truly receive the total Lord Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and that includes the Sacred Heart of Jesus. So in a real sense, every Holy Communion received worthily is truly a SPIRITUAL-HEART-TRANSPLANT. After receiving Holy Communion, we have the Sacred Heart of Jesus beating in our heart! And truly our heart becomes consumed in His Sacred Heart!

3. THE MOST SUBLIME VIRTUES IN THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. 

Following up on the reality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we receive in every Holy Communion is the fact that with Jesus’ Heart we also receive His most sublime virtues. Faith, Hope, Charity, Humility, Patience, Obedience, Purity, Fortitude, Meekness, Gentleness, Wisdom and Knowledge—all of these and all of the virtues imaginable are truly present in every Holy Communion. Still more, these virtues in Jesus are the most refined, the most holy, the most sublime that the human mind can comprehend. Why not with each Holy Communion, beg our Eucharistic Lord Jesus to help you grow in the virtue you are most in need of in that moment!

4. CONVERSION OF VICE TO VIRTUE. 

For this reason, the great Educator of youth of the 19^th Century, Saint John Bosco, was a precursor of the practice of frequent Holy Communion in that he would encourage his young people in the Oratory in Turin to receive Holy Communion frequently and fervently so as to eradicate vices—especially that of impurity—and supplant that with holiness. No more efficacious means to conquer our vices and sinfulness than frequent, fervent and faith-filled Holy Communions! “Lord, strengthen my faith!”

5. MIND-TRANSPLANT. 

The great Apostle Saint Paul exhorts us in these words: “Put on the mind of Christ!” Then insists the Apostle to the Gentiles: “You have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16) And finally: “Do not conform your mind to this world, but have a fresh way of thinking.” (Rom 2:12) Indeed, if Holy Communion is the Total-Christ then that includes the mind of Jesus. If you want to burn away the dross of bad and ugly thoughts, meditate upon the Word of God and receive Holy Communion. What chlorine is to a swimming-pool, so is the Word of God and Holy Communion to our mind!

6. SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT. 

The Prophet Elijah ate the bread the angel gave him two times, and from the energy and strength derived from that bread, the great Prophet walked forty days and forty nights. The same length of time Jesus was in the desert. In an analogous sense, Holy Communion endows and inundates us with spiritual energy so that we can travel with great alacrity and strength on the Highway to Heaven.

7. SPIRITUAL REMEDY AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. 

If we have a well-nourished body when the flu-season arrives, we have a much better chance of avoiding the common cold, coughs, and flu. Once when I was about to come down with a cold, a person of good will gave me Air-born—a potent dose of Vitamin C. Guess what? I avoided the cold that was about to grab hold of me! In a parallel sense, frequent reception of Holy Communion can serve to fortify us against the onslaught of our imperious and disordered passions that constantly strive to overwhelm and incite us to sin.

8. JOY, PEACE, AND INNER CONSOLATION. 

Just as an appetizing and enjoyable meal shared with friends culminates in joy, peace, happiness and consolation, so it is with our soul nourished on the Body of Jesus in Holy Communion, the Bread of Life. This analogy is expressed very clearly by the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas. As good food nourishes our body, so does Holy Communion enrich and uplift our soul!

9. REMARKABLE SOURCE OF STRENGTH TO CARRY OUR DAILY CROSS.

Jesus addressed the tired, weary, burdened and overwhelmed—those experiencing heavy trials and tribulations, with these words related to Holy Mass and Holy Communion: “Come to me all of you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. You will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30) So many people have given witness to this truth— that in the midst of the trials of life, the sufferings and sorrows, the heart-aches and heart-breaks, running to Jesus’ Real Presence and receiving Him in Holy Communion served as an inexpressible relief, strength, source of solace and hope! Do not try to carry your cross alone! Invite Jesus to help you shoulder the burden by receiving Him into your inner-most being in Holy Communion. May this be our ardent prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!”

10. PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE: HEAVEN WILL BE OURS FOREVER!

What thought can be more consoling than the fact and truth that one day we will be united with Jesus in Heaven forever and ever! He will be our God, Savior, Master, Teacher, Companion, Friend and Greatest Lover in Heaven. This incredible promise was made by Jesus in His “Bread of Life Discourse” in the Synagogue of Capernaum. (Jn 6:22-71) These words are most consoling: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will have eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert and died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one might eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6: 47-51) As clear as the sun at midday are these words of Jesus! If we have established the habit of receiving Jesus in Holy Communion—the Bread of Life who gives life to the world, with hearts filled with deep faith, hearts full of fiery love, and receive Him frequently even as we pray in the Our Father “give us this day our daily bread”, then the promise of Jesus is clear! Heaven will be ours forever and ever and ever!

Let us conclude with what some of the great friends of God, the saints themselves have preached and written on the great importance of frequent and fervent reception of Holy Communion in our lives!

1. SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA:

“One of the most admirable effects of Holy Communion is to preserve the soul from sin and to help those who fall through weakness to rise again. It is much more profitable, then, to approach the divine Sacrament with love, respect and confidence, than to remain away through excess fear and scrupulosity.”

2. SAINT JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA:

“When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”

3. SAINT JOHN VIANNEY:

“All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of man; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God to man.”

4. SAINT MAXIMILIAN KOLBE:

“If the angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.”

5. SAINT FRANCES DE SALES:

“When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage. Speak to Him about your spiritual life; gaze upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.”

In conclusion, the key to holiness in life on our Highway to Heaven is faith-filled, frequent, and fervent reception of Jesus, who is the Holy of Holies, but also our Best Friend, in Holy Communion. Let us ask Our Lady of the Eucharist to intercede for us and accompany us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter

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

SUNDAY, May 1st   Jn. 21: 1-19   Alleluia Verse: “Christ is risen, who made all things; he has shown mercy on all people.”

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’”

Jesus will ask Peter this question two more times—in reparation for the three times Peter denied knowing Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest.

Jesus asks us the same question: “Do you love me?” Love is shown in deeds not words. For this very reason, Jesus left us the great Sacrament of Mercy that we call Confession. It is our invitation to show Jesus how much we love Him by confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness through the Alter Christus—“other Christ”—the duly ordained Priest.

And when we have confessed, Jesus says to us, as He said to Simon Peter: “Feed my lambs”… “Feed my Sheep” … for we are all called to work in the vineyard with Christ to save many souls by bringing them to His healing mercy!

CONFESSION AND GOD’S HEALING MERCY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest gifts that our merciful Savior gave to the world was the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus came to the Apostles, then breathed the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive shall be forgiven; whose sins you retain shall be retained.” (Jn 20:21-23)

In this moment, with these words and the breathing forth of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of His Infinite Mercy, that we call the Sacrament of Confession, Penance, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness.

In this brief essay, we would like to encourage all to have great trust in Jesus’ mercy and approach with trust, confidence, humility and faith the Sacrament of Confession. We will offer ten short encouraging words and suggestions to help us receive this great Sacrament.

Trust in God’s Infinite Mercy

Jesus complained to Saint Faustina saying that the greatest sin that wounds His Sacred Heart most is the lack of trust in His infinite mercy.  Jesus said that if a sinner had as many sins as the grains of sand on the seashore, if he were to simply trust in Jesus’ mercy, it would be enough to engulf and swallow all his sins in the ocean of Jesus’ infinite mercy. Saint Paul reminds us: “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.” (Rom 5:20) Indeed, the greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust unreservedly in God’s mercy. Examples abound: Mary Magdalene, the Good thief, Saint Augustine, Saint Margaret of Cortona, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Camillus de Lelis, Saint Mary of Egypt, and many more. 

Preparation

Prepare yourself well for the reception of the Sacrament. In fact, Sacramental Theology enunciates this important principle: one receives graces in proportion to the disposition of their heart and their prior preparation before receiving the Sacrament. Therefore, have a good Examination of Conscience booklet at hand. Give yourself time to prepare to encounter your loving and merciful Savior. Do your examination in silence so that you can meet your merciful Savior in your soul-searching. Write down your sins on a sheet of paper so that when you go to the priest, who represents Christ, you will not draw a blank due to nervousness. Usually, the better the preparation, the better the results—as is the case in any practice!

Personal Encounter with Christ

Strive to understand that our religion is fundamentally a personal relationship and friendship with Jesus. Indeed, Jesus is the friend who will never fail us. If we can understand that the essence of sin is hurting the One who loves us, the One who desires a deep friendship with us, the One who died on the cross for us, it will be much easier to avoid sin in the future. At the Last Supper, Jesus called the Apostles His friends; now we are the friends of Jesus. Sin is not so much breaking a rule, but breaking the loving Heart of Jesus, our best and truest friend!

Appreciate the Sacrament, the Graces, and the Opportunities

A constant danger for practicing Catholics is to take the Sacraments for granted. As in a marriage where it is always possible to take one’s spouse for granted, we can take Jesus and His Sacraments for granted. Our attitude should be such that every time we receive the Eucharist, as well as Confession, we receive it as if it were our last time and we were going to be judged on the way we received it! Confirming this is the sign in some sacristies that reminds the priest: “Say the Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass”! May we strive to receive Confession as if it were our first, our last, and our only Confession, every time we approach this great Sacrament of God’s Mercy!

Firm Purpose of Amendment

There are five steps in making a good confession:

1. Examination of Conscience. 2. Sorrow for sin. 3. Firm Purpose of Amendment. 4. Confession of sins to the priest. 5. Carry out the penance given by the priest.

Regarding the third step, in many penitents this step should be improved. By this we mean that to confess well there must be a firm commitment on our part to avoid any person, place, thing or circumstance that could lead us into the snares of sin. This demands self-examination, self-knowledge, humility, and fortitude. This also demands a rewinding of the film of our life to see where, why, when, how, and sometimes with whom we fell into sin. There are many sayings that confirm this: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” Socrates stated: “A life not examined is a life not worth living.”

A key proverb of the Desert Fathers says it in two succinct words: Know thyself! If you like, use this image from Superman: we have to know our own Kryptonite—that is our weak point. Or our own Achilles heel!

Pray for the Priest Confessor

On one occasion, Saint Faustina left the confessional and felt intranquil, lacking the peace that she usually experienced after making her Sacramental Confession. Jesus appeared to her and told her the reason for this lack of peace was because she did not pray for the priest confessor before entering the confessional. A short prayer for the priest confessor—a Hail Mary, or a prayer to the Holy Spirit, or a prayer to the priest’s Guardian angel—can dramatically improve one’s confession. Try it!

Qualities of a Good Confession   

In Saint Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus highlights three indispensable conditions for a good confession. They are: transparency, humility and obedience. When we confess to the priest, who really represents Jesus the Divine Physician, we should be as clear and transparent as possible. Next, we should never try to justify, rationalize or blame others for our sins, meaning we should be humble. Finally, we should obey whatever advice or counsel the priest gives us recognizing that the priest acts in the person of Christ.

Confess Frequently

It is of capital importance in the spiritual life to receive the sacraments well but also with great frequency. The Church allows, as well as encourages, frequent Confessions as a most efficacious means to grow in holiness. Once a month is good; every two weeks is better. Some even find it beneficial to confess once a week. One is obliged to confess mortal sins giving their number and species (kind). However, the saints and Popes strongly encourage us to confess even venial sins, called a “Confession of devotion” or “Devotional Confession”, as a means of growing in grace and holiness. Going one step further, one can also confess past mortal sins previously confessed and forgiven, with renewed sorrow, as a Devotional Confession. Why do this? All too often sins, especially serious sins, leave a deeply ingrained habit or stain in our soul that draws us to commit these sins again. Confession of past sins already forgiven, especially the sins that we are most attracted to, serves to gradually expunge and eliminate the draw and stain of those sins! A stern warning: we must at all costs avoid making mechanical, routine or perfunctory confessions—meaning to confess sins without any firm purpose to amend our ways, for as pointed out above, firm purpose of amendment is one of the requirements of a good confession. That said, if we confess well and often, over time we will sin less seriously and less frequently by God’s grace and our good will.

Clarify Doubts

If it is such that there is some confusion, doubt or uncertainty about a moral matter or personal behavior that is bothering you, then you should be humble and forthright in asking a good confessor to clarify the doubt as soon as possible. In other words, moral theology teaches us that we should never act on a doubtful conscience. On the contrary, we should clarify the moral matter with our confessor before taking any action. Having a well-formed conscience, having a pure and clear conscience, and having interior peace of soul are the greatest gifts that one can experience this side of heaven!

Thanksgiving

After you have completed your confession, make sure that you thank the Lord abundantly for His infinite mercy, for His kindness, for His compassion, for the great gift of the Sacrament of Confession. The Lord rejoices in the hearts of those generous souls who render Him constant thanksgiving. May the prayer of the Psalmist be our prayer: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps 136:1)

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

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

SATURDAY, April 30th   Jn. 6: 16-21   Alleluia Verse: “Christ is risen, who made all things; he has shown mercy on all people.”

In this time of the Easter Season which lasts 50 days, let us go deeper in the meaning, purpose and fruits of Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection, and Divine Mercy Sunday.

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

THE HEALING OF OUR GENEALOGICAL TREE.

ORIGINAL WOUNDS.  All of us came into the world as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and thus inherited their Original Wound, as well as its consequences, with one exception—Mary and her Immaculate Conception and the Virginal Birth of Jesus, the Son of God made man. The rest of us inherited Original Sin and its consequences at the very moment of our conception. True! Baptism washes away the stain of Original Sin, but not the consequences, which Saint Thomas Aquinas terms concupiscence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HEALING POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.  Each time we approach the Sacrament of Confession with a good disposition, by confessing our sins and receiving Sacramental absolution from the priest, the Precious Blood of Jesus poured forth on the cross on Calvary that First Good Friday, washes away our sins. His Precious Blood cleanses us and heals us!

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

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

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

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

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

THE INTENTIONS.  The Mass intention can be specified in the following way: Families Lopez and Garcia—healing of past, present and future. Therefore, this intention includes the maternal side and their past, present and future; and it also includes the paternal side and their past, present and future. This intention is all-inclusive. In a real sense it is Catholic—meaning universal! Let us now explain the three time dimensions of past, present and future. (Fear not! God knows which Lopez and Garcia Family you intend!)

HOLY MASS: META-HISTORICAL EVENT.  By meta-historical is meant that it transcends all times, places, events and cultures. The power and efficacy of Holy Mass transports back to Calvary (2000 years ago) with these time references. The power of the Mass, with its fruits and effects, reaches back into the past to the very beginning of time. The power of the Mass is actually present, with its fruit and effects, right now in this moment. And the power of the Mass, with its fruits and effects, extends into the future until the very end of time. Can we understand now that it is through the Precious Blood of Jesus shed on Calvary that wounds are truly healed and that wounded wounders can truly become wounded healers!

PAST.  By offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—this meta-historical event—the Precious Blood of Jesus can be applied to family members, both maternal and paternal, over past years, decades, and even centuries. In concrete, in the Lopez and Garcia family there are countless members. Maybe due to the Mass or Masses offered in the present, some of these members in the past received the grace of final repentance before they died and were thus saved from hell. Perhaps members were saved, but not ready for Heaven and so were detained in Purgatory. In which case the Mass or Masses offered in the present can serve as a most efficacious means to purify these souls and shorten their time in Purgatory. Not only that, some may even be released from Purgatory now and arrive finally at their Heavenly Home for all eternity! Their healing total and complete!

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

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

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

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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

FRIDAY, April 29th   Jn. 6: 1-15   Alleluia Verse: “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Yesterday we were reminded that we must become like little children and believe without seeing if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven! Today, Jesus teaches us to pray always in submission to our Heavenly Father as He did, with total trust and confidence in our Loving Father who only permits evil to bring a greater good out of it!

JESUS: OUR MODEL PRAYER-WARRIOR! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In all His words, actions, silences, miracles—Jesus serves as the best Model for us to study, meditate, contemplate, and of course imitate.

JESUS AT PRAYER.  A good part of His private life, which lasted a good thirty years as the son of a carpenter in Nazareth, Jesus was absorbed in prayer. At the moment of His Baptism, Saint Luke presents Jesus absorbed in prayer. In the first Chapter of Mark, we read: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mk 1:35)  Before choosing the twelve Apostles who would carry out His mission, Jesus spent the whole night in communion with the heavenly Father, once again, in prayer.  

JESUS AS MODEL OF PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.  The essence of this short essay will be to show Jesus’ deep, filial, fervent, humble, and you might even say heart-rending prayer that Holy Thursday night, shortly after the Last Supper, in the Garden of Olives. Let us step back and calmly contemplate all of the elements of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Olives, also called the Garden of Gethsemane. May this be an inspiring lesson for us so that we will strive with all the fiber of our being to improve and upgrade our own personal prayer life!

1. PRAYER—PLACE.  Jesus habitually would go to the Garden of Olives where He would dedicate prolonged periods of silence to prayer, immersing Himself in a profound dialogue with Abba—Father! Likewise, we should have some specific place that is propitious for prayer, a place that fosters deep recollection and union with our Heavenly Father and with our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen found his prayer-abode in Church in front of the Blessed Sacrament. If this is not possible for you, at least find a place where there is silence. Why? God speaks most eloquently when we are not bombarded by noise-pollution. With the young Samuel we can listen and respond: “Speak O Lord, for your servant is listening!” (1 Sam 3:10)

2. PROSTRATION.  In the Garden, Jesus prostrates Himself on the ground. Abram did this and God spoke to him. The Magi prostrated themselves before Jesus, the Infant King, and gave Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Finally, at Fatima in 1916, the Angel taught the children—Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta—to kneel, and then prostrate themselves to address their prayers to God. The bodily posture of prostration is very deep in symbolism. It means humility, submission to God, and penance in recognition of our nature as sinners. God loves a humble heart; He wants us to submit our will to His will and He wants us to humbly beg pardon for our many sins!

3. FILIAL PRAYER.  By filial we mean a prayer of loving trust and confidence between Father and son or daughter. Jesus calls His Father Abba—which loosely translated is Daddy! Like Jesus, our prayer must be one of loving trust in our Heavenly Father who loves us infinitely and cares for us always. Jesus assures us that not one sparrow will fall to the ground outside the Father’s care; and as for us, the Father even knows how many hairs we have on our head. (Mt 10:20-30)

4. SUBMISSION TO GOD.  With His Passion, suffering, and death looming before Him, in a heart-rending prayer in the Garden, Jesus asks God the Father to remove this chalice of suffering from Him. However, Jesus ends with total submission to His Heavenly Father: “Father, not my will but your will be done!” (Mt 26:39) Our sanctification, growth in holiness, and perseverance depends in large part on assuming this attitude of Jesus—submitting our will to the will of our Heavenly Father. We reiterate Jesus’ interior disposition of heart when we pray the Our Father: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

5. PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER.  A very interesting highlight of the model-prayer of Jesus in the Garden is that Jesus says this prayer three times: “Father, if it be possible, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.” The lesson? We must persevere in our prayer life to the very end. The message of the insistent widow clamoring for justice to the unjust judge is simply this: we must keep praying and never give up. Saint Teresa of Avila expressed it in these words: We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.

6. PRAYER: COMPANIONSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP.  In His humanity, Jesus desired His friends to stay and pray with Him in this critical moment. For this reason, Jesus kept His three best friends—Peter, James, and John, close to Him. However, this companionship in prayer was a total failure as His three chosen friends fell asleep, and more than once, when Jesus needed them the most. In essence, they failed Him. This is a key lesson for all of us. If we do not propose to pray well, fervently, and with trust, then like the Apostles, more than likely we will pray poorly, if at all, but also we will succumb to temptation and give in to sin. Jesus left us with these poignant words: “Stay awake and pray because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40) May we propose to be faithful to the Lord in good times and bad, in health and sickness, in riches and poverty, until the end of our lives. Spouses promise faithfulness to each other; so should we promise faithfulness to Jesus!

7. JESUS SWEATS BLOOD.  According to Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the suffering of Jesus was so intense that He sweat Blood and for these reasons. All of the sins of humanity were descending upon Him like a torrential downpour—from the sins of Adam and Eve, your sins and mine, and all sins, even up to the last generation and last person in the world. However, what caused Jesus to suffer most was the cruel reality that many people, despite Jesus’ intense suffering for their sins, would willfully decide to reject His redemptive act, and choose to live and die in their sins unrepentant. Thus they would willfully lose their soul and be eternally damned. This reality of Jesus’ loving sacrifice rejected is what caused Him to suffer the most, to the point that He sweat huge drops of His Precious Blood. This bloody and anguished prayer of Jesus should motivate us to acknowledge our sins and make a firm purpose going forward to the best of our ability to renounce all sin, and renounce all that leads us to sin in any size, shape, or type! And if we fall, to return to grace as soon as possible through a good Sacramental Confession!

8. PRAYER OF REPARATION.  Moreover, Jesus shedding His Precious Blood and His anguish of Heart should challenge us to offer frequent reparation for our sins and those of the whole world. In the words of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

9. THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION.  Immersed in the most profound state of desolation, God the Father consoles Jesus by sending an angel to Him, The Angel of Consolation. Exactly what went on in this encounter, we will know only in eternity. However, the most immediate interpretation and application should be the transference of the Angel of Consolation in the Garden to our own relationship with Jesus. Yes! You and I are called to be the ever present and active Angel of Consolation in the life of Jesus and in His Mystical Body that we call the Catholic Church. Why not try to make an effort to console the Wounded Sacred Heart of Jesus with your prayers of consolation and reparation? There are so many sins that need to be repaired for, today more than ever! Abortions, contraception, the practice of homosexuality and transgenderism, euthanasia, despair, and an overall religious indifference that is downright appalling! These sins and countless others need to be objects of our fervent prayers of reparation so as to be the modern Angel of Consolation in the life of Jesus!

10.  OUR LADY OF SORROWS.  In all of our meditations on the Passion of Jesus, most specifically the Agony in the Garden, which is the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, we want to ask Our Lady of Sorrows to pray with us and pray for us so that our prayers might be transformed into a fragrant aroma of incense ascending on high to the heavenly heights—to the throne of God Himself, where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. May our prayers, united with the prayers of Our Lady of Sorrows’ fervent prayers, bring consolation to the wounded Heart of Jesus and result in the salvation of countless souls!