Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

SUNDAY, November 7th   Mk. 12:38-44   “A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.”

• There was no paper money at the time of Christ – Syrian, Roman, and Jewish coins were the common currency. According to Biblical scholars, the outer wall of the temple treasury was fitted with trumpet-shaped receptacles where people placed their offerings. Large offerings created a clamoring echo in the horn as the coins cascaded to an opening at the bottom and then into a secure strongbox. 

• Those making large offerings would draw the attention of those standing by. Whereas the offering of the widow’s two small coins wouldn’t be noticed by anyone, except Jesus who sees everything, even the intentions of our heart. It is this contrast to which the Lord draws our attention. Related to the Gospel, we can examine ourselves on three points.

• FIRST, do we have a right intention in the practice of our faith – in our prayers, our sacrifices, and our good works? Jesus says, “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 6:1)

• We grow in right intention by praying for the grace, and by rejecting discouragement! Yes, our intentions are not as pure as we would like. Yes, our motives may be mixed. But St. John Vianney reminds us, “God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry!” What we lose in purity of heart, we can gain in humility! Let us consecrate our prayers, sacrifices, and good works each day to Our Blessed Mother, knowing our tainted gifts will be well-received by her Son when they come from her hands!

• SECOND, are we generous in giving of our means and of ourselves? Do we give from our surplus or from our poverty, like this widow? In other words, do we give until it hurts? And not just money, though it’s important to support our parish and worthy charities. Do we give of ourselves – of our time and abilities – starting in our home and family, then reaching out to others as we are able? Do we live to serve or to be served? Where is our heart? Are we compassionate? Is our heart finely tuned to the sufferings of others, like the Hearts of Jesus and Mary? Are we quick to give an encouraging word? Do we readily extend a helping hand? Do we carry the concerns and needs of others in our heart, bringing them before the Lord in our prayers?

• Jesus promised: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured out to you.” (Lk 6:38)

• THIRD, do we sincerely strive to give God what is due to Him – nothing less than loving Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength! Do we love Him as He asked to be loved: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15) First, there are the Ten Commandments. They are part of our Examination of Conscience before each confession. Do we go to Confession frequently – every two to three weeks? Confession cleans the window of our soul so we can see ourselves and Jesus more clearly. We are the sinner who will always be forgiven, and Jesus is our merciful Savior who will always forgive us, no matter how far we have strayed from Him!

• Beyond keeping the Ten Commandments, Jesus asks of us loving obedience to God’s holy will. St. Ignatius calls this a spirit of detachment or Holy Indifference – the perfection of conforming ourselves to Christ who always did the will of His Father!

• At the Last Supper, after washing the feet of the disciples and while they were reclined at table, Jesus said: “A new commandment I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another.” (Jn 13:34) Do we receive with a merciful and loving heart every person Jesus puts in our path, even the most difficult and challenging? Do we accept with a willing spirit all He permits to happen each day in our life? Do we do what God wills and not what we prefer? Do we accept God’s vision for our life or do we create our own??? 

Ignatian Holy Indifference:

Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.

The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created.

Hence, man is to make use of them in as far as they help him in the attainment of his end, and he must rid himself of them in as far as they prove a hindrance to him.

Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition. Consequently, as far as we are concerned, we should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short life. The same holds for all other things.

Our one desire and choice should be what is more conducive to the end for which we are created.

• Let us beg now for the grace to grow in right intention, generosity in giving of our means and of ourselves, and loving obedience to God’s holy will by practicing Holy Indifference, preferring all that God prefers and has chosen for us, for our eternal salvation and the salvation of the whole world.

• God sees what others cannot see – what is in our heart and what it costs us to give our “widow’s mite.” St. Faustina give us these words of wisdom:

“As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one’s self-love suffers greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.” (St. Faustina Diary 593)

Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

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

Saturday, November 6th   Lk 16: 9-15   Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Saturday is Mary’s Day. Mary gave her unconditional Yes to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God made man. She served one Master, our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Less known are Joachim and Ann, the parents of Mary. We can imagine God the Father chose very holy people to be the parents of Mary, “Our tainted nature’s solitary boast” (Poet Wordsworth). Fr. Ed unveils the mystery surrounding them for our edification and delight!

UNDERESTIMATED SAINTS! MARY’S PARENTS! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus said: “By their fruit you will know them. A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a bad tree brings forth bad fruit.” (Mt 7:16-17) These words of the Greatest Master and Teacher of the world can most appropriately be applied to Jesus’ two grandparents, the mother and father of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their names have traditionally been known to be SAINT JOACHIM (father of Mary) and SAINT ANN (mother of Mary).

Our humble work of promoting a knowledge, love, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, would be incomplete if nothing were mentioned about the parents of Mary, of the Grandparents of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both Saint Joachim and Saint Ann merit the highest honor and respect!

WHY THE GREATNESS OF SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN?  I honestly believe that given the high estate of their daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, right reason and logic point to the fact that Saint Joachim and Saint Ann deserve our study—our knowledge of them, our respect for them, our prayers to them, as well as our trust in the power of their intercession in our daily lives. Indeed, they are underestimated and all too often unknown by many Catholics!

SALIENT AND IMPORTANT POINTS FOR OUR REFLECTION ON SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN.  There is no actual Biblical data on Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Nonetheless, tradition points out that this husband and wife were the vessels from which God sent into the world the greatest woman ever to be born and ever to live, who would become the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven and earth! From this woman, the fruit of the love between Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, would be born Jesus, our Lord God and Savior. For these reasons, we highlight the great importance of this couple.

THE SUFFERING OF SAINT JOACHIM AND SAINT ANN.  This was their greatest suffering. Like Abram and Sarai, like Hannah, like Saint Elizabeth and Zechariah—Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, despite their great desire and longing, were never able to have children. Furthermore, according to tradition, by now Ann, like Elizabeth, was beyond the normal child bearing age. This was a source of excruciating suffering for Joachim and Ann, given that they both had really wanted children.

THEIR GENEROSITY.  Despite their longing and suffering in not having a child, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann had very generous hearts. They were a devout Jewish couple, a very prayerful couple, and a humble couple. How did this unfold? From the economic means they had for themselves, they preferred to give most of it away. In other words, they were really detached from material things—especially money and its dangers—as they had their hearts set on God. As Jesus would say later on in His teachings that we read in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you be besides.” (Mt 6:33) Therefore, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann gave one third of their means to the poor; another third, they gave to the Temple and its upkeep; and they kept only a third for themselves. Talk about generosity in tithing! Most people who tithe, consider themselves generous when they give ten percent of their earnings to the poor or to the Church. In the case of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann, they gave away two thirds, or if you like 66% of their means!!!

GOD CANNOT BE OUTDONE IN GENEROSITY.  How true the saying: “God cannot be outdone in generosity.” God intervened in a most powerful way in response to the prayerful, humble, and generous hearts of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann.  In seemingly impossible circumstances, God blessed them with a child! It would be a little girl. The little girl’s name would be MARY! However, this would not be an ordinary little girl. This would be the greatest little girl in the history of the world. Because of who she was and whom she would bring into the world, all humanity would be radically transformed.

SAINT ANN AND THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.  One of the reasons why we maintain that Saint Ann and Saint Joachim are greatly underestimated is due to what we will say now! In the womb of Saint Ann and through the seed of Saint Joachim, God performed one of the greatest miracles in the history of the world. This miracle is called the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. Yes, this took place in the womb of Saint Ann! That is to say, at the moment Saint Ann conceived a little girl in her womb—whom Saint Anne and Saint Joachim would name MARY—God intervened with what is called the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

MEANING OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION?  In the very moment of the conception of Mary in Saint Ann’s womb, God intervened with His all-holy Presence and preserved Mary from the stain of Original Sin. Yes! From the very moment of Mary’s conception, she was preserved from Original Sin. To be perfectly clear, the stain of original sin which taints all the rest of humanity, never touched Mary most holy! For that reason, the English poet, Wordsworth, lauded Mary in these words: “Our tainted nature’s solitary boast!” We were all conceived in sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, the Original Sin. Mary was preserved from this Original Sin, this Original stain, this Original moral sickness, this Original disaster! However, this must be highlighted: it was through Saint Ann and Saint Joachim conceiving a child that this extraordinary privilege of the Immaculate Conception could be given by God to the child they conceived. Therefore, we should have the greatest reverence, admiration, honor, and respect for Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, and for the womb of Saint Ann that carried Mary, the Immaculate Conception, who would become the Mother of God!

There is still much that can be harvested from this abundant and rich mystery of the persons of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Here are some.

1. LITURGICAL FEAST DAY:  The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann together every year on July 26th. Try to remember this date and attend Mass and receive Holy Communion to honor these chosen Saints who were the parents of Mary, the Immaculate Conception!

2. PATIENCE.  This holy couple teaches us the virtue of patience. They waited many years and finally God blessed them with the greatest gift—a child. Moreover, this child would be the Mother of God!

3. GENEROSITY.  Where did their generosity come from? They were totally detached from all except God. So they could freely give two-thirds of what they had to the poor and to the Temple.

4. PRAYERFUL.  They prayed, and God was pleased with their prayers due to their humility, patience, generosity, purity, and great love for God and His mysterious but wise and Providential plans. May we learn to pray like Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. May we ask for their prayers to help us to pray better!

5. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.  This is one of the chief Solemnities that the Church celebrates every year on December 8th and it came about through the persons of Saint Joachim and Saint Ann.

6. PATRON OF PARENTS.  Of course, as said earlier, “A good tree brings forth good fruit.” Saint Joachim and Saint Ann raised the greatest and most holy girl in the world. Therefore, it must be said that they can be the Patrons of Parents who have to struggle so hard to raise their children in the love of God and fear of the Lord, due to the many worldly distractions and temptations pulling their children away from God. Pray earnestly and fervently to Saint Joachim and Saint Ann to guide you and to help guard and protect your children from the evils that surround them.

7. PATRON OF GRANDPARENTS.  We should not overlook the fact that Jesus indeed did have two Grandparents, and they were Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Try to imagine Saint Joachim and Saint Ann holding their grandchild, the little Baby Jesus, tenderly in their loving arms. How much Saint Joachim and Saint Ann loved their daughter Mary, and their Grandson, the Lord Jesus. They can certainly help grandparents who beseech their intercession to carry out their noble mission in the sanctification of the family.

8. PATRON OF SPOUSES.  Even though this might be obvious, it still should be mentioned: Saint Joachim and Saint Ann formed an exemplary marriage; they were an excellent married couple. They were faithful. They lived out fully the marriage promises and commitment: “Faithfulness in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in riches and in poverty, until death do they part.” Hopefully they will serve as a model for married couples in the realm of promising to be faithful and then living it out!

9. INSTRUMENTS IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION.  Indeed, it must be stated that it was through Saint Joachim and Saint Ann that the history of the salvation of the entire world had its beginning. They brought forth Mary, the Mother of God; and their daughter Mary gave us Jesus, the Savior of all humanity! For this reason, we have both Saint Joachim and Saint Ann to thank for bringing Mary, the Immaculate Conception, into the world.

10. THE OFFERING AND PRESENTATION OF MARY AS A GIFT TO GOD.  After Saint Anne conceived and gave birth to their little child Mary, according to Tradition, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne presented their child at an early age to be brought up in the Temple in thanksgiving to God! The Church celebrates the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary every year on November 21st. Thus was Mary prepared for her sublime mission to become the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the Mother of each and every one of us!

In conclusion, Saint Joachim and Saint Ann are indeed great saints. Unfortunately, they are unknown by all too many. Their greatness in the economy of salvation can barely be measured.

Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

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

Friday, November 5th   Lk. 16: 1-8   The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus  Alleluia Verse: “Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him.”

Friday is the day we celebrate the MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS!

What does it mean to keep the word of Christ? Jesus Himself tell us! “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Lk 9:23-26)

TRUE LOVE IS TO SACRIFICE AND SUFFER FOR THE LOVED ONE!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross for us. Not only did Jesus suffer and shed every drop of His most Precious Blood for the salvation of all humanity, but He suffered all those excruciating pains for you and for me.

The saints point out that if you were the only person living in the world, Jesus would have undergone all of the most gruesome and horrible pains of His Sorrowful Passion just for you. As Saint Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Galatians: “Jesus suffered and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

In the Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina states that we can truly understand the meaning of love by one’s willingness to suffer for the loved one. Jesus loves us so much that He would willing have suffered His Passion not once, but many times over, for each and every one of us. He was the innocent Lamb suffering for guilty sinners. How great is the love of Jesus for you and for me.

On a human and natural level, we all know how much suffering we experience when we manifest a great love for someone and that person is cold and indifferent to us, possibly even ignores us. Our heart breaks!!!

So it is with respect to our relationship with the greatest of all lovers—the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves us with a burning fire in His Sacred Heart. Jesus said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk 12:49) The conflagration of fire in the Heart of Jesus for you and for me can barely be contained, but how do we respond to this furnace of love?

Jesus complained to Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque as He displayed His Sacred Heart surrounded by thorns with fire bursting forth: “Behold this Heart that has loved so much and has received only coldness, ingratitude and indifference in return. Console my Heart.”

One of the ways in which we can console the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Heart overflowing with love and mercy, is to love what He loves, by offering sacrifices, even though they be small, for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners. Jesus does not look so much at the greatness of the action, but rather, at the intensity of love in the action. Remember the Biblical story of the Widow’s mite!!!

In fact, immortal souls can be saved from the fires of hell and attain eternal salvation if, like the children of Fatima, we can form the habit of offering small sacrifices to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary with purity of intention and great love. Pope Saint John Paul II called Jacinta, “A Little Victim Soul” because she did just that!

Therefore, we would like to offer a list of small sacrifices that you can undertake and share with your family. Every small sacrifice is a concrete manifestation of your love for Jesus and what Jesus loves most: the conversion and salvation of poor sinners for all eternity!!!

SACRIFICES OFFERED WITH LOVE TO JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

1. HEROIC MINUTE (MOMENT).  Promoted by Saint Josemaria Escriva Balaguer, the Founder of Opus Dei, as soon as you hear your alarm clock, spring to your feet and make your Morning Offering for the day. The Cure of Ars stated that he who starts the day well, is most likely to live the day well, and end it well!

2. CURBING THE TONGUE.  We should all read James Chapter 3—the best chapter on the sins of the tongue! A great sacrifice that we can make, especially when we find ourselves frustrated and angry, is to follow the advice of Saint James: “We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (Jas. 1:10)

3. KIND AND ENCOURAGING WORDS.  Never allow a day to go by in which you fail to say Thank You to God, as well as to say Thank You to others. To say both please and thank you are condiments that give special seasoning to the domestic life. (Read the book named KINDNESS by Fr. Lovasik)

4. SMILE EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  A nagging headache, a lingering cold, pangs of a stomachache, we all experience these at times. Often, we trumpet and publicize them! How difficult, but how pleasing to God it would be, if when we don’t feel up to par physically, we smile at our husband or wife or another family member instead! Sadness and a frown are contagious; but a smile and joy are also contagious. A sincere and radiant smile is one of the clearest signs of being a follower of Christ!

5. BANISH BAD THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY!  Indecent and bad thoughts, we all have them! However, the question is what do we do with them? Once a priest asked a man if he entertained bad thoughts. The man responded: “No, Father, they entertained me!” As soon as we become aware of any bad, impure, indecent, or sinful thought, we should immediately, manfully, and forcefully reject that thought in our will and invoke the grace of God and the help of Mary most pure!

6. CUT OFF ON THE FREEWAY: PRAY AND DO NOT CURSE!  All of us have experienced through years of driving on the Freeway or residential streets, people cutting in front of us and cutting us off. And if we’re honest, sometimes we do the same!!! Our immediate reaction is to cuss or curse them out! However, the Lord Jesus would prefer that we pray for them. Jesus says that we have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us! Next time some driver cuts you off, pray a Hail Mary for him that he may have a safe trip now and arrive safely at Heaven later. How hard that is – the flesh recoils, but how pleasing to God when we overcome our resistance!

7. PRAY EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT!  Unfortunately, many people follow their feelings more than they follow faith and reason. The saints prayed often, even when they did not feel like praying. Jesus experienced a profound desolation and sadness in the Garden of Olives, but He prayed all the more fervently. May Jesus be our sublime example, especially in prayer!

8. READ A CHAPTER FROM THE BIBLE EVERY DAY, OR EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED.  The mental/spiritual discipline of reading, especially the best of books, can be a real sacrifice for many. Start with the Gospels and read a chapter every night. If you do this, you will begin to know, love, and desire to follow Jesus more closely in your life. It is impossible to love someone we do not know very well. We come to know Jesus by reading and meditating upon the Bible, the Word of God!!!

9. DO YOUR TASK AT HAND, YOUR DAILY WORK, BETTER!  All of us are assigned by God a job or work to carry out each day. It might be to study if we are a student, or perform the work of a homemaker, a factory or office worker, a teacher, nurse or doctor, etc. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we could improve our work ethic! How easy it is to come late, to cut corners, and to do the job by halves. As the saying goes: “If a job is worth doing, then it is worth doing well.” Saint Paul reminds us: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

10. TAKE THE LAST PLACE AND THE SMALLEST PORTION.  Due to pride, vanity, and gluttony we naturally prefer the place of honor. Also, we prefer the best and biggest portions. Why not get in the habit of seeking the lowest place and the least portion. Jesus reminds us of true greatness: “God casts down the proud, but He exalts the humble.” (Lk. 1:52)

To conclude, we have offered a list of ten concrete ways in which we can make small sacrifices in our daily lives. Maybe choose one or two a day and be faithful to your proposal. Never forget that love is manifested by the willingness to suffer for the loved one. How much Jesus loves us and suffered for us. What are we willing to sacrifice and suffer for Jesus, the Greatest of all Lovers!!!

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

Thursday, November 4th   Lk 15: 1-10   “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

• Just who is this person who has no need of repentance??? I have not met one yet, including the one writing this!
• In this meditation, Fr. Ed helps us recognize the attacks of the enemy of our soul, particularly against our prayer life. Without prayer and self-reflection, we will neither recognize nor repent of our sins!

Saints on prayer:

“Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.” St. Ephraem of Syria

It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.” St. John Chrysostom

“Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to advance in the way which leads to God.” St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

DEVIL’S DASTARDLY DEEDS OF DOOM TO DESTROY OUR PRAYER LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his classic meditation The Two Standards presents a marked contrast: Jesus humble and attractive standing in the city of Jerusalem, and Satan ugly and horrendous sitting on a dung hill in Babylon. Jesus invites us to enlist under His Standard by embracing poverty, insults, contempt and humility, as well as all of the other virtues. Satan, on the contrary, invites us through riches, empty honors, and overweening pride, then all the other vices. (Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius: The Two Standards: No. 136-147). Being free individuals, God leaves it up to us to make our own personal choice.

NAMES FOR THE DEVIL.  There are many names for the devil found in Scripture and expressed by the saints. Biblical names are the following: devil, demon, Prince of this world, serpent, ancient serpent, accuser, Satan, Lucifer. Jesus calls the devil two names in one sentence in the Gospel of John, Chapter 8: a liar and a murderer from the beginning.

PURPOSE AND THRUST OF THIS SHORT ESSAY.  The purpose and thrust of this short essay is to highlight the many ways that the devil, “the enemy of our human nature” according to Saint Ignatius, constantly lies to us, but most especially in trying to convince us to give up our prayer life, or at least to pray less, or to pray less fervently. The following will be certain typical lies that Satan launches at disciples of Christ to destroy their prayer life or diminish its fervor and efficacy. The Word of God reminds us that if we have decided to follow God, then our life is a militancy, our life is warfare, our life is a combat zone. However, as Saint Paul encourages us: “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)

TYPICAL TEMPTATIONS OF THE DASTARDLY DEVIL WHO DESIRES OUR DOOM!

1. LATER!!!  The devil will often say: “Why don’t you pray later, just a little later, there is no hurry. Calm down and wait a bit! And later becomes never.”

2. CUT IT SHORT!  The enemy says: “Look, you are praying too long, you are going to hurt yourself. You pray for an hour??? That is way too much; just do a half an hour.”

3. PRAY TOMORROW.  Lucifer can come at you as such: “Look, you are not feeling good today; get some rest and get healthy. Then you can pray. God understands your weakness!”

4. WORK IS YOUR PRAYER.  Satan whispers in your ear: “Just work hard and offer that up as your prayer. Work is even better than prayer because by working you are helping others. After all, Paul says: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)  Never forget: the devil can even use and distort Scripture to meet his end—which is our condemnation.

5. WASTING YOUR TIME.  The demon can deceive you with these or similar words: “To be honest, you are wasting your time praying; your time which is so valuable, so very important, time that you could be using in a much more profitable fashion. Ben Franklin did not pray that much and look how famous he was!”

6. YOU ARE REALLY A FANATIC!  Lucifer has many tactics and one of these is simply this: to rouse up your loved ones to start attacking you, deriding you, and making fun of you with words like these: “You really are a religious fanatic! You have lost your marbles (meaning, you have lost your mind.)” Remember that Jesus was called crazy by those close to Him.

7. HYPOCRITE: A REAL FAKE!  The enemy has many weapons in his armory and here is yet another. “You think you are so holy because you pray so much, yet you fall and make mistakes—indeed, what a hypocrite you are.”

8. GOD IS NOT HELPING YOU.  The accuser can hurl this or similar words at you: “If God were close to you through your prayers, then you would never have fallen into that sin. Just give up on these useless prayers.”

9. DEVIL OF IMPURITY.  Many saints, like Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Benedict, Saint Margaret Mary, and Saint Thomas Aquinas have been virulently assaulted by the devil of impurity; some even in prayer, some even while praying in the presence of the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar! With this, the enemy can attack us with this firearm: “If your prayer is so important, God would not allow these humiliating and embarrassing thoughts to cross your mind.” Indeed, the devil never gives up in his assaults.

10. DEVIL OF GLUTTONY.  How often does it occur that just when you are in the middle of your prayer period, the devil comes in as a Chef presenting an exquisite gourmet meal that he is inviting you to taste and devour right now! The devil knows our weaknesses.

11. THE DEVIL OF WEARINESS AND SLEEP.  We all know too well what happened that first Holy Thursday night after the Last Supper, when Jesus was praying fervently in the Garden of Olives. Not far from Jesus were His three best friends: Peter, James, and John. (All of them saints now.) They fell asleep when they should have been awake and present to the Lord, accompanying Jesus in prayer. How common, indeed, it is that when we want to pray, and even begin to pray, we become drowsy to the point of falling asleep in our prayer period. Absence in prayer contributes to abandoning Our Lord and then falling into sin—as is evidenced by the Apostles who fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane.

12. THE DEVIL OF RIGHT PRIORITIES.  Then the ancient serpent, the devil, can tempt us using these or similar lies: “Helping the poor, the sick, the handicapped and the disabled is more pleasing to God then wasting your time in prayer. In fact, Jesus said that He is truly present in the poor, hungry, thirsty, sick and imprisoned. Help out these unfortunates and that is enough for your relationship with God.”

13. VOCAL PRAYER ONLY.  The devil can even use good means, so that the better and the best will be neglected. Here comes the enemy again: “Just race through those vocal prayers without stopping to think about them; that is enough.” Or “Mental prayer, meditation, contemplation, and the Holy Hour—all of that is for nuns and monks, but not for you. You are confusing your vocation!”

14. SO YOU THINK YOU ARE A SAINT!!!  Once again, often from friends or relatives, especially family members who have little or no faith, these words can be placed in their mouths by the devil: “You must think because you pray so much that you are a saint, ready to be canonized! Before long they will be making holy cards of you!”

15. RECALL OF PAST SINS.  The tempter can attack interiorly with this insidious but persistent thought: “In the past you committed so many sins; who are you to be spending so much time in prayer now???”

16. THOUGHT WORLD AND PRAYER.  Then the devil, taking advantage of the mind, can assault with other poisonous arrows, especially in the thought world, with such verbiage: “Your mind is so dirty, so filled with ugly thoughts, and there you are kneeling in prayer. You are not worthy to be praying much.”

17. HORIZONTAL MEDITATION.  Next the devil of comfort and laziness can convince you to simply stay in bed and do your prayers there, and you end up falling asleep again. This is called the devil of Horizontal Meditation; or if you like, the devil of Horizontal Contemplation.

18. THE DEVIL OF GOD’S DEAF EAR.  Astute and wily as he is, the devil can convince you that God does not listen to your prayers. Why? For the simple reason that you have been begging the Lord with a request for a prolonged period of time and God has not granted your request. Why? Because God does not hear you!!! So why waste God’s time and yours in prayer???

19. THE DEVIL OF NEXT WEEK.  We all need a vacation; so should you from prayer! The devil reasons this way: “Give yourself a break and give God a break too. You can start praying again next week. God understands.” Only next week becomes next month, or year, or never!

20. JUST MASS AND THAT’S ENOUGH.  Lucifer, once the Star of the Morning but now perverted, can pit one prayer against another prayer. He can come at you with this: “The Mass is the greatest prayer. You can’t improve on that. So just go to Mass and give up that mental prayer, the meditations that you are doing.”

21. RELIGIOUS FANATICS IN ASSYLUMS.  Then the devil can attack as such: “There are many fanatics who have ended up in the asylum for praying too much. You are on the way; you are next! Pack your bags and suitcase.”

22. BAD CONSCIENCE.  The devil can prevent sinners from having recourse to the Sacrament of Confession – through guilt and shame, or pure laziness! Living with a bad, accusatory conscience can be a real detriment to turning to prayer.

23. THE DEVIL OF PLEASURE.  In our modern, hedonistic society, the devil can convince you with these words to move you to give up prayer. “You only have one life to live: live it up! Get all the GUSTO out of life! It is Miller time! Forget prayer time.”

24. TRIALS AND CROSSES, AND THE DEVIL.  Now the devil, masked as an angel of light, tries to scare you away from prayer with the idea: “Ever since you started praying you have had so many crosses and trials! Give up that mental prayer and you will have less trials and crosses. Life will be easier and much more pleasant.”

25. FAMILY NEGLECT AND PRAYER.  Finally, the devil can even accuse you of neglecting your family with these or similar words: “You are praying so much that your family is being neglected. Give up prayer, tend to your family, and that will please God.”

In conclusion, Saint Alphonsus asserts emphatically that prayer is the key to salvation. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church on prayer, Saint Alphonsus is quoted: “He who prays will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned.” What air is to our lungs, so prayer is to our soul! Keenly aware of this fact, the devil, the enemy of our salvation, will do all that he possibly can to attack our prayer life. If the devil cannot win one battle, he will use a different strategy to win the next battle! It is incumbent upon all of us who are in spiritual combat to be keenly aware of the insidious temptations that the devil launches, especially against our prayer life, and to counter his attack by praying more often and with even greater fervor! May Our Lady, who crushes the head of the infernal serpent, help us to forcefully reject all the devil’s temptations to give up our prayer life, and instead, cling to Jesus as the anchor of our prayer life, the anchor of our faith, the anchor of our salvation!

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

Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

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

Wednesday, November 3rd   Lk 14: 25-33   “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

We have no better model for a disciple carrying their cross and following Jesus than that of Mary, His Mother and ours! In this meditation, let us remember and walk with Mary through her sorrows born of her great love for Jesus and her love for each one us!

CONSOLING THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

After Jesus, nobody has loved us more than Mary in her most pure Immaculate Heart. Also, after the sufferings of Jesus, there is nobody on earth who suffered more than Mary.

THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY. The Church invites us to contemplate the Passion and death of Jesus through the eyes and Heart of Mary. Classically, there are seven sorrows of Mary. Especially the Franciscans have a charism of promoting this powerful devotion. These seven sorrows start when Jesus is a little baby in the arms of Mary and continue through Jesus’ mangled, bloody, sword-pierced Body in the arms of Mary at the foot of the cross. If you like, the Pieta of Michelangelo!

THE CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE SORROWS OF MARY. The following is an orderly chronological listing of the seven sorrows of Mary, from the Infancy of Jesus to His death, being taken from the cross and laid in the arms of Mary, ending with His burial.

1. PROPHECY OF SIMEON—A sword will pierce your heart.
2. FLIGHT INTO EGYPT—Herod in pursuit to kill the Child Jesus.
3. JESUS LOST IN THE TEMPLE—Mary’s sorrow in losing Jesus for three days!
4. MARY MEETS JESUS ON CALVARY—Mary’s eyes meet the eyes of Jesus as He carries His cross.
5. CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS—Mary witnesses the cruel crucifixion of her Beloved Son.
6. LOWERING OF JESUS INTO MARY’S ARMS—After He has died, the crucified Body of Jesus is lowered into the arms of Mary.
7. BURIAL OF JESUS—Separation of Jesus and Mary with the burial of Jesus.

In each one of these seven sorrows we are invited to enter into the mind, soul, and heart of Mary to experience, at least to a limited degree, some of Mary’s deep sorrow, and then to console her. If we truly love a person, we want to share our life with that person—in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in riches and in poverty, until death parts us (the Marriage promises). Our love for Jesus and Mary should and indeed can far transcend our love on a human and natural level. As the Song of Songs expresses it: Love is stronger than death.

Therefore, we will offer some concrete means by which we can contemplate the sorrows of Mary and at the same time offer her our consolation. The lover rejoices with the beloved, but the lover is also willing to weep and suffer with the pains and sorrows of the beloved.

1. THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON.

“A sword of sorrow will pierce your heart so that the thoughts of many may be revealed.” (Lk 2:35) A concrete way in which we can console the Heart of Mary in this contemplation would be to go to confession in honor of Mary. Mary’s powerful prayers and presence will attain for us the grace to examine our conscience and reveal the inmost secrets of our conscience to the priest who represents Jesus. The end result will be forgiveness, absolution, and re-birth into a life of grace! Mary, whose title is full of grace, rejoices each time we open up our mind, heart, and soul to Jesus’ Infinite Mercy in Confession.

2. THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.  

“Joseph got up and taking the Mother and the Child fled into Egypt.” (Mt 2:14)  How can we console the Heart of Mary in this painful sorrow? We live in perpetual spiritual combat, spiritual warfare. We can console the Heart of Mary by imitating good Saint Joseph in fleeing from moral evil that we call temptation to sin. When you are tempted to sin, run to Mary; throw yourself into the arms of Mary; seek refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She is our sure refuge!

3. THE LOSING AND FINDING OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.  

“After three days of sorrowful searching, they found Jesus in the temple listening to and teaching the Jewish teachers.” (Lk 2:46-48) What might be a concrete application of this third sorrow of Mary? Many mothers and fathers over the past fifty years have lost their children spiritually. That is to say, despite the hard efforts of their parents, children still wander from the faith, no longer assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and worse still, willfully choose a sinful lifestyle. Just as Jesus was lost and Mary suffered excruciating pains, so do parents suffer intensely at the moral and spiritual loss of their children whom they love so much! Like Saint Monica and the eventual conversion of Saint Augustine, why not pray, and pray especially many Rosaries that these lost and wandering prodigal sons and daughters, these lost sheep of the fold, will return. In other words, through the Holy Rosary, place these children in the Heart of Mary. O gracious Virgin Mary, never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” (Memorare)

4. JESUS MEETS MARY ON THE WAY OF THE CROSS.

As Jesus climbs Calvary on His way to crucifixion, He meets His Mother Mary. A concrete manner in which we can console Mary is to imitate Jesus by carrying our own crosses. However, with this important stipulation: Mary wants you to share your crosses with her. The mere presence of Mary contemplating Jesus with the cross on His shoulders, brought consolation to Jesus. Dig deep into your heart so as to identify your biggest crosses, as well as your smaller ones. Then bring these crosses to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Imitating a little child in the arms of his mother, talk to Mary about these crosses. She is very interested in helping you carry your crosses with faith, confidence, trust and love. Often our crosses are seem overwhelming; they are just too heavy and splintery to carry because we are trying to carry them by ourselves, without inviting Mary to help us! We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

5. JESUS SUFFERS AND DIES ON THE CROSS—WITH MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS.

In this most painful mystery of the crucifixion, passion, suffering and death of Jesus, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, was present the whole time. Jesus spoke from the cross to John and Mary: “Woman behold thy son; son behold thy mother. The disciple took her into his home.” Jn 19:26-27) In that moment, Jesus gave Mary—in the person of Saint John—to the world as the universal spiritual Mother, and in particular as your Mother and my Mother! Our way to console Mary in this mystery? Imitate Saint Juan Diego and the little boy in the movie Miracle of Marcelino or Marcelino, pan y vino. In what way? Very simple, be like a small child and tell Mary everything that happens in your life. Trust unreservedly and totally in the Maternal Presence and Loving Heart of your Mother Mary. This consoles our Mother and gives her great joy.

6. JESUS PLACED IN THE ARMS OF MARY.

The artist Michelangelo depicted this masterfully in the famous Pieta. The film-producer Mel Gibson presented this in the movie The Passion of the Christ in a most powerful and moving fashion. How can we console the Heart of Mary? To love Jesus is to love Mary; they are inseparable! The suffering Body of Jesus is present in His Mystical Body, the Church. In a most powerful and special way, the Body of Christ comes to us in the greatest of all the Sacraments, the most Holy Eucharist, within the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The greatest single gesture that we can do on the face of the earth is to receive Jesus, the Son of Mary, in Holy Communion. Therefore, a superb way in which we can console the Heart of Mary is to pray to receive Jesus in Holy Communion through Mary’s most pure and Immaculate Heart. Nobody ever received Jesus with greater love than the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

7. JESUS TAKEN FROM MARY’S ARMS AND BURIED IN THE TOMB.

In this last of the seven sorrows, we witness the separation of Jesus and Mary when Jesus is placed in the tomb and buried. Without a doubt, one of the best ways we can console and rejoice the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary is to beg Mary for the grace to die daily to sin—the greatest evil that exists! Then, of greatest importance, beg Mary for the grace of a holy and happy death. By constantly praying to Mary the Hail Mary and the Holy Rosary, with Mary’s help we are preparing ourselves for the most important moment in our life: the very moment that we die! This will determine our eternal destiny—eternal salvation or eternal loss. We trust that through Mary’s prayers, we will gain our eternal salvation. May this be our prayer every night, and the moment we die:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine! Amen.

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