Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

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

Saturday, October 23^rd   Lk. 13: 1-9   Alleluia Verse: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion.”

• The purpose of our lives is to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and love our neighbor as ourselves. Then to be loved by God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for all eternity!
• For this purpose we are all in need of conversion daily! St. Ignatius of Loyola gives us Principle and Foundation to make of our lives an edifice pleasing to God. And to love what God loves: Conversion of Sinners and Salvation of Souls!

Part One: Principle and Foundation by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Part Two: CONVERSION OF SINNERS: GOD’S GREAT DESIRE! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION

TWO PRINCIPLES

The End of the Human Person: Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means save his soul.

The End of Creatures: 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.

TWO LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE PRINCIPLES

Tantum Quantum: 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.

Holy Indifference: 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.

THIRD CONSEQUENCE

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

CONVERSION OF SINNERS: GOD’S GREAT DESIRE! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The great desire of Almighty God is the conversion of sinners and salvation of immortal souls. That poor sinners will leave their sinful lifestyles and turn back to the love of God!

Furthermore, Our Lady, who is the one closest to God Almighty, of course shares this same desire: that poor sinners will renounce their sinful lifestyles and return to God.

Our Lady of Lourdes, who appeared 18 times in the year 1858 to the little peasant child, Bernadette Soubirous, asked the little girl to pray and to offer up sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.

Very similar to the message of Lourdes was that of Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared 6 times in the year 1917 to three simple shepherd children—Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Our Lady said with great sorrow in her heart that many souls were lost because there were not sufficient prayers and sacrifices offered for these poor sinners.

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to the three children of Fatima and revealed to them a graphic vision of Hell! From then on the children, but most especially Jacinta, offered many sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. This vision of hell left such a profound and indelible impression upon Jacinta that she offered all she possibly could in her short life for the conversion of poor sinners, to win souls for God.

JACINTA’S SACRIFICES.  The sacrifices of this little girl, beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II and canonized a saint by Pope Francis, together with her brother Francisco, were constant and heroic:

• She sacrificed her favorite food: the sweet, delicious grapes on the hills of Portugal.
• She wore a rope around her waist next to her skin, which caused discomfort all day.
• She often sacrificed her lunch for the poor whom she met on the roadside.
• On a hot summer day, dying of thirst, she sacrificed drinking water.
• With a reminder from her brother Francisco, she offered up a bad headache.
• She prayed the prayers the angel taught her, prostrate on the ground.
• She prayed many, many Rosaries to Our Lady for the conversion of sinners.
• Interrogated and threatened by the local authorities, she was willing to suffer being boiled to death rather than deny that she saw Our Lady.
• Finally, Jacinta suffered a painful death at age nine almost alone in a hospital far from home. All this she did out of love for Almighty God and for the conversion and salvation of sinners. How much love this little girl had for God and for God’s crown of creation in this world—the human person with their immortal soul!

The saints are different in many ways, coming from different historical periods, diverse family backgrounds, widely diverse cultural environments, endowed with different temperaments, as well as intellectual gifts. However, all the saints have this in common: a great love for God and a great love for what God really loves most in all of His creation, the salvation of souls—the salvation of all the human persons whom He has created. This is what He desires first and foremost: our eternal salvation.

On one occasion, a child entered the office of a priest. The young boy, looking up on the wall, saw a few words written in Latin. Inquisitive, the boy asked the priest the meaning of the words; these words were the motto and motor-force of the life of this great priest. The interpretation would be: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” The name of this priest was the great Saint John Bosco; the name of the boy was Saint Dominic Savio. This day, Dominic turned to Bosco and said: “I am the cloth and you are the tailor; make me a saint.” Before the boy turned 15, he was already dead. However, he reached his ardent desire: he died a saint! Both Bosco and Savio had this point in common: a great love for God and an inflamed love for what God loves most, the salvation of souls.

One of the most pervasive maladies in the modern world, even all-pervasive within the Catholic Church, is the cancer of MEDIOCRITY. This is a poisonous and contagious spiritual disease in which many Catholics, millions upon millions, have no fire, no zeal, no burning desire to work with God for the salvation of immortal souls.

The Word of God speaks powerfully against this spiritual condition with these words from the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation: “I know your works: I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:15-16)

What can we say about mediocre Catholics? They are lukewarm, they are tepid; they are lifeless; they are languid, slovenly and lazy. They have no life, no fire, no zeal, no strong desires. They have lost their first love, if indeed they had love in the first place! They suffer from an appalling spiritual anemia. They are living but not spiritually alive! As the Word of God says so forcefully, God will vomit or spit them out of His mouth! Living in this spiritual environment, all of us have to fight forcefully so as not to descend into this dangerous pit of mediocrity. The lives of the saints can spur us on, as in the following.

CONVERSION TO GOD AND ZEAL FOR SOULS. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, as well as Saint Francis Xavier, underwent powerful conversions which transformed them into fiery warriors of God with an ardent desire to save many souls.

Ignatius was converted by receiving a near-fatal wound in the battle of Pamplona and by reading the lives of saints. Upon reading about the saints, a fire and ardent zeal was ignited in his heart to work with God for the salvation of immortal souls. In his classic, the Spiritual Exercises, he presents a meditation/contemplation The Call of the Temporal King so as to follow the call of the Eternal King. One of the primary purposes of this meditation is for us to listen attentively to the Call of the Eternal King, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to work side by side with Jesus in striving for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls.

Saint Francis Xavier went through his conversion by means of the doing the Spiritual Exercises under the direction of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Paris. After completing the Exercises, Xavier was radically transformed and converted into a fiery warrior and disciple of the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. After Xavier was ordained a priest, he became the secretary of Ignatius. The Pope wanted to send priests to India and other countries in the Far-East, following the missionary mandate of Jesus to go out to the whole world to preach and baptize. So Ignatius sent Francis Xavier. The last words that Ignatius said to Xavier, who would become one of the greatest missionaries in world history, were: GO SET ALL ON FIRE!!! Thousands upon thousands of souls were saved in India, Malaysia and even Japan by Xavier, who desired ardently the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls. Many nights he could no longer lift up his arm because he had baptized so many individuals during the course of the day—that is truly love for the conversion and salvation of souls!

Now it is your turn! Enter into silence which will lead you into prayer. The Lord of Lords and the King of Kings is calling you right now. He wants you to work with Him for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls. What can you do right now to bring at least one soul to conversion? Listen to these encouraging words in the Letter of Saint James: “My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) 

In imitation of the saints, let us work hard now and we can rest for all eternity with the angels, the saints, Our Lady who is the Queen of angels and saints, and with God Himself. May we all be motivated by the virtue of apostolic zeal and an ardent desire to work with God for the salvation of countless sinners! Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that one soul is worth more than the whole created universe. Why? Saint Peter teaches us: “You were ransomed from your futile conduct handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless and unblemished lamb. (I Peter 1:18-19). May the reality of the Precious Blood of Jesus that He shed on the cross on Good Friday, with all of the pain and anguish He suffered for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of their immortal souls, ignite within us zeal to do our part to work for the conversion and salvation of sinners. Right now, God is speaking to your heart with these words: GO NOW AND SET ALL ON FIRE!!!

Final Editor’s Note:

Why not start where the children of Fatima did for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of immortal souls:

1) Pray a Rosary daily – faithfully, every day!

2) Offer up some sacrifice every day. Give up something you like to do or eat, or do your least favorite chore – every day!

3) Accept and bear without complaint those trials and sufferings that God chooses for us according to His permissive will. God wills good, but He permits evil to bring about a greater good! No more avoiding or complaining about suffering!

We cannot embrace the cross, without embracing Christ on the cross! He is waiting there for us so that we might share with Him in the salvation of immortal souls for all eternity!

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

Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

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

Friday, October 22nd Lk. 12: 54-59   Jesus said: “Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

Today we honor the great Saint of the last Century who knew how to interpret the times!

POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II—JOHN PAUL THE GREAT!!! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Of all of the many graces that God has bestowed on me, I would have to consider and thank God most abundantly for the gift of the Priesthood, but also the unique, unmerited, and humbling experience of having been ordained by one of the greatest men in the history of the world—POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II—JOHN PAUL THE GREAT!!!

Yes, it is true. I had the unique privilege of being under the holy hands of the Bishop of Rome, the future saint, John Paul II on May 25^th, 1986, which was a Sunday and the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity, in which we praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In all truth, I can say that I have a holy head and holy hair because I was touched, blessed and ordained by the hands of Pope Saint John Paul II. How abundant God truly is in His enormous blessings. I am a living third class relic!

The following day, after celebrating my first Mass by myself (actually my first Mass was after ordination with Pope Saint John Paul II and the many other Bishops and newly ordained priests), I had the privilege of meeting with Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, both blessing her and then Mother kissing my hands!

So within not much more than 24 hours, I had the unique privilege of meeting with two of the greatest towering figures and modern saints—Pope Saint John Paul II and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Without a doubt, a time in my life that I will never forget—meeting with the two greatest missionaries in the 20^th Century!

In gratitude for so many blessings, as we celebrate on May 18^th, 2020, the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Pope Saint John Paul II, whose name was Karol Wojtyla, I would like to render this great man of God homage by highlighting and thanking God for ten of his almost countless accomplishments for the Church and for the world at large.

1. TOTUS TUUS!  This great pontiff started off his pontificate by consecrating his service to the Church with a very special emblem or motto: TOTUS TUUS—Totally Yours (Mary)! This comes from the great Marian Saint, Louis de Montfort, who left us a sure and powerful path of consecration to Jesus through Mary, True Devotion to Mary, as well as his literary classic on the Rosary, The Secret of the Rosary. John Paul II wanted to receive a special protection from Mary whom he loved as Mother, Guide, Star of the Sea, and Star of the New Evangelization. Upon his numerous papal visits throughout the world, he would often seek out the Marian Sanctuary and pay tribute and honor to Mary in that sacred place. No surprise that the most visited place in his pontificate outside of Italy was Mexico, where he visited the famous shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe several times.

2. CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.  Never have we lived in a time, place and epoch with so much information. However, at the same time, never have we lived in a world with so much confusion, a true mass of confusion, and this sadly is applicable with respect to doctrinal and moral truth. For that reason, possibly the greatest literary accomplishment of John Paul II was the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This literary masterpiece explains clearly the four pillars of Catholic Truth: 1. Dogma—Who God is and His attributes; 2. Morality—the Ten Commandments; 3. The Sacraments—Channels of Grace and Sanctification; 4. Prayer—Union and Friendship in conversation with God.

3. WORLD YOUTH DAY.  It was John Paul II who called meetings with the youth throughout the world. One even took place in Denver, Colorado in 1993, the first WYD held in either North America or an English-speaking nation. Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported: “As the registrations started coming in, it went to 150,000” said Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati, who served as national director for Denver’s WYD. “The final registration was 500,000. We know there were walk-ons, particularly for the final Mass. It was 750,000 people there.” Who would have ever believed that an elderly man dressed in white could attract thousands upon thousands of youth, be viewed by millions, and generate an enthusiasm that shook the very foundations of the materialistic, hedonistic, and sensual culture in which modern humanity is so deeply immersed!

4. CANONIZATIONS AND BEATIFICATIONS.  We are all called to become saints. Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, exhorts all with “The Universal call to holiness”. All of us are called to be holy, all of us are called to become saints, as Jesus so clearly reminds us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48) However, it is worthy of mention to list ten of the most renowned figures or persons who were canonized during the 26-year Pontificate of John Paul II.

Here is the list of the Ten most renowned:

1) Saint Pio of Pietrelcina—known as Padre Pio.

2) Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer—Founder of the Opus Dei Movement.

3) Saint Faustina Kowalska, the first saint to be canonized in the new Millennium, known as the Secretary of Divine Mercy.

4) Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross—Jewish convert to Catholicism, Carmelite nun, and martyr in Auschwitz. (Like Kolbe).

5) Saint Maximilian Kolbe—the Martyr of charity, who chose the two crowns that Mary offered him —the white crown of purity and the red crown of martyrdom.

6) Saint Katharine Drexel, an American saint who gave of her riches to find her treasure in God.

7) Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, who sacrificed her life for the life of her baby in the womb.

8) Saint Juan Diego—the Apostle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

9) Blessed Jacinta Marto—the Little Victim Soul

10) Blessed Francisco Marto—the Little Mystic.

(Jacinta and Francisco Marto were two of the three visionaries of Our Lady of Fatima. Pope Francis canonized them Saints on May 13, 2017.)

By beatifying and canonizing so many from all walks of life—Religious, priests, and Lay-people—John Paul II highlighted and exhorted all of us to pursue true holiness of life.

5. THEOLOGY OF THE BODY.  No doubt one of the greatest accomplishments in moral theology was the teaching of John Paul II on the Theology of the Body. In 1968, Pope Saint Paul VI published one of the most explosive and controversial Encyclicals in the history of the Church, Humanae Vitae. In this explosive document, Paul VI stated unequivocally that human sexuality must be open to the possibility of life, to procreation, and that any form of artificial means of contraception is intrinsically disordered. The Magisterial Teaching of John Paul II developed in greater detail this true understanding of human sexuality. Either the human person is viewed as an object to be exploited, used, and discarded or the human person is respected, loved, and cherished for their innate dignity and eternal destiny. The great Pontiff was giving a series of teachings on these great truths during his Wednesday Papal audiences, but this was interrupted by the attempted assassination May 13, 1981.

6. MERCY AND FORGIVENESS.  If you were to ask anybody about one of the most important memories of John Paul II, most likely many would call to mind the day and the moment that he was shot and almost killed on May 13, 1981. (The same month and date as the first Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.) After his recovery in that same year of 1981, John Paul II was seen in the prison cell forgiving and embracing the man who had planned and attempted to kill the great pontiff. This would turn out to be one of the most powerful icons or images of mercy and forgiveness in the history of the world. The words of Jesus as He hung on the cross resonate far and wide in this gesture of John Paul II: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)

7. SAINT FAUSTINA AND DIVINE MERCY.  As mentioned earlier, the first canonization of John Paul II in the new Millennium was that of his compatriot from Poland who lived contemporaneously with him and Kolbe, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. It was heard that this day, April 30^th, 2000 was the happiest day in the life of John Paul II. The reason? He both canonized Saint Faustina and officially instituted the Solemnity of Divine Mercy—the second Sunday after Easter, the crown and culmination of the Easter Octave! John Paul II felt that one of his primary missions was to promote far and wide the urgent need to be merciful and to trust in God’s Infinite Mercy.

8. MISSION OF THE REDEEMER.  Pope Saint John Paul II and Saint Mother Teresa can be seen as the two greatest Missionaries in the world in the twentieth century. Never in the history of the world was a man so visible and never had a Pope traveled so many miles, circling the globe several times in distance, visiting so many diverse places, and offering so many different talks. In his Encyclical, “Mission of the Redeemer” (1990), John Paul II stated with utmost clarity and urgency that all the baptized have an urgent call and vocation to be missionaries—to bring the Word and Person of Jesus to the whole world. The last words of Jesus were a missionary mandate: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, until the end of the world.” (Mt 28:19-20)

9. HIS ENCYCLICALS AND TEACHINGS.  Nobody can doubt that John Paul II was one of the greatest teachers in the history of Catholicism, even in the history of the world. One day he will be declared a Doctor of the Church—for the depth and spiritual profundity of his Magisterium. For sake of brevity, we will list only ten of his most renowned writings with the hope of delving into the immense ocean of his sublime teaching:

1) The Redeemer of Man (1979)

His first Papal Encyclical which set the stage for his intensely Christological Pontificate. Christ the Redeemer of Man reveals man to himself, his dignity as well as his eternal destiny.

2) Rich in Mercy (1980)

Encyclical. Emphasizing the greatest attribute in the Heart of Jesus—His mercy. This is taught by means of an explanation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32), that could correctly be called, “The Parable of the Merciful Father!”

3) The Gospel of Life (1995)

Encyclical. Condemns the worst moral evil of our day—abortion, killing of the innocent child in the womb. The Ignatian Two Standards comes into play: “The Gospel of Life against the Culture of Death.”

4) Faith and Reason (1998)

Encyclical. God calls us to a deep faith in His presence but we are also to use reason as a means to arrive at God. The two do not contradict each other, but rather they complement each other. Saint Thomas Aquinas can be our model.

5) Reconciliation and Penance (1984)

Apostolic Exhortation. The loss of the sense of sin and the call to return to God through the practice of Sacramental Confession.

6) Familiaris Consortio (1981)

Apostolic Exhortation. The essential value of the family as the Domestic Church and as the basic cell of society. The future of the world depends on the future of the family.

7) On the Dignity and Vocation of Women (1988)

Apostolic Letter. The woman has great dignity and value, and carries out a fundamental role in the world and in evangelization.

8) The Salvific Value of Suffering (1984)

Apostolic Letter. Human suffering has infinite value, especially when it is united to the suffering of Jesus. We must learn to sanctify our own suffering.

9) The Church and the Eucharist (2003)

Encyclical. The source and summit of the Catholic-Christian life is the Eucharist—the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. This is found in the context of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.

10) Mary: Mother of the Redeemer (1987)

Encyclical. Christ is the only Redeemer, but Mary helped Him in the work of Redemption; she collaborated with Him, especially as she stood at the foot of the cross.

10. HIS DEATH: A MODEL FOR ALL OF US AS EARTHLY PILGRIMS.  At the end of his life, Pope Saint John Paul II’s health declined and deteriorated, especially in the last five years of his life. However, he taught the world an invaluable lesson: aging, suffering, and offering one’s human limitations has infinite value in the eyes of God! Jesus is our supreme Model in all times and places, but especially as He suffered and died on the cross for the salvation of all of humanity. Saint Pope John Paul II died on April 2nd, 2005, in the evening at about 9:00 p.m. It was the First Saturday of the month, dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, but most important, it was the Vigil of the Solemnity of Divine Mercy Sunday. He died in the arms of Mary and was received into the Merciful Embrace of the Eternal Father and the Eternal Home of Heaven.

Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

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

Wednesday, October 20th   Lk. 12: 39-48   Jesus said: “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

“The world’s thy ship and not thy home.” – St. Therese of Lisieux

“He who is not getting better is getting worse.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola

“To lead a good life a man should always imagine himself at the hour of death.” – St. Bonaventure

“Oh! hasten to apply a remedy in time, resolve to give yourself sincerely to God, and begin from this moment a life which, at the hour of death, will be to you a source, not of affliction, but of consolation.” – St. Alphonsus di Liguori

DEATH —THE GATEWAY TO ETERNAL LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The great woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Catherine of Siena stated: “The two most important moments in our life are now and at the hour of our death.” Of course this reminds us of the prayer that the Blessed Mother loves so much—the Angelic Salutation commonly known as the Hail Mary which ends: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Given that the moment we die is of the greatest importance for every living human person, and that our eternal destiny depends on how we die, how we finish our brief earthly sojourn, we must all make a sincere, calm, but also sober and serious effort to arrive at the end of our lives in the grace of God. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, one of the most prolific writers in the Catholic Church, actually penned a spiritual masterpiece on the topic of death, the book’s title: “Preparation for Death.” The same Saint asserted: “The grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace.” That is our hope, as well as the basic purpose or thrust of this short essay—that all of us will live our lives to the fullest extent possible in the service of God and neighbor, persevering and growing in grace, and finally, and of the greatest importance, dying in the state of sanctifying grace!  

Therefore, let us converse calmly, serenely and confidently on the all-important topic of our mortality, the reality of death that nobody in this earthly residence can avoid.

1. WHAT IS DEATH?  There is a clinical-medical definition of death. However, we would like to offer a succinct and to the point theological definition of death as the following: “Death is the separation of the soul from the body.” That is to say, the moment the soul departs from the body, theologically speaking we have died and passed from this world to the next, from time into eternity, from temporal existence into eternal reality.

2. WHO DETERMINES DEATH?  Unfortunately, politicians and governments are intervening to determine the death of certain individuals. The misnomers or euphemisms utilized for this are many: euthanasia, mercy-killing, death with dignity. All of these misnomers have missed the mark totally. The reason is clear: God, and only God has the right to give life to the human person; likewise, only God has the right to take the life of the human person. The Book of Job could not be clearer on this point: “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I return to the earth. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. If we accept good things from the hand of the Lord, should we not also accept evil?” (Job 1:21, 2:10) Nobody, absolutely nobody has the right to take the life of another human being. That right and privilege is reserved to God alone, the origin, author, sustainer and determiner of all life.

3. HUMAN LIFE, AND OTHER FORMS OF LIFE AND DEATH.  As a result of Original Sin, death entered into the world. (Rom 5:12) All living beings are destined to die on one particular day, one hour, one minute, one second. However, the death of a plant, tree, insect, or animal cannot be compared to the death of a human person. Why? Because only the human person is created in the image and likeness of God and endowed with an immortal soul, a spark of God infused in the moment of conception, that will live for all eternity. Animals have rights and importance but none can be compared to the human person—in their innate dignity, as well as their destiny!

4. SHORTNESS OF LIFE.  The Bible, as well as the saints, emphasize the short, transitory, ephemeral character of human life. All must be seen and interpreted in the light of eternity—meaning forever and ever and ever! The Psalmist expresses the fleeting character of life with these words: “Our life on earth is like the flower of the field that rises its head in the morning and withers and dies as the sun goes down.” (Ps 103:15-16) Saint James presents another familiar image: “Our life is like a puff of smoke.” (Jas 4:14) All of us have seen a puff of smoke from a cigar, from a chimney, from a smoldering fire. It appears and dissipates and disappears in no time! The eloquent Father of the Church, the great Saint Augustine expresses our life in these powerful terms: “Our life on earth in comparison with eternity is a mere blink of the eye.” Try it now: blink—time terminates; eternity begins!

5. JESUS ADMONISHES AND WARNS US ABOUT THE REALITY OF DEATH. Time and time again, Jesus admonishes and warns us about the precarious, as well as uncertain character of death in both His words and His Parables. Jesus says that death will come like a thief in the night, at the moment that you least expect it. He also says that death will come as in the time of Noah when people were eating and drinking and living it up; then the deluge descended and all of humanity was engulfed and drowned, respecting no persons, nor even plants or animals, except for the few who found refuge in the Ark.

6. JESUS’ SHORT BUT POIGNANT PARABLE: THE RICH FOOL! (Lk 12:16-21) This rich-fool had an abundant harvest and his grain-bins filled to the max. Therefore, he decided and reasoned that he would have a long life ahead and an abundance stored up for years to come. But Jesus states starkly that he will pass from this life to the next in a sudden death that very day! Where will all the abundance end up?

7. VIGILANCE.  This being said, the essential teaching of Jesus on this point is the one word: VIGILANCE—BE ALERT, BE PREPARED!!! Jesus insists on not putting off our conversion until tomorrow—perhaps we will have no tomorrow! Rather, Jesus insists that we do God’s will right now with no procrastination, no excuses, no delay, no dragging of our feet!

8. THE TWO GREATEST TRAGEDIES ON EARTH.  The two greatest tragedies on earth are both related to the topic of DEATH! The first tragedy is that of having the misfortune of committing a Mortal Sin. This tragically deprives us of the state of sanctifying grace—the presence and friendship of God in our souls. However, the Book of Revelation/Apocalypse, warns us of what is termed “THE SECOND-DEATH”. (Rev 21:8) By this is meant dying physically in the state of Mortal Sin. If this physical and moral tragedy occurs, then such an individual loses their soul for all eternity! Due to their own free choice in rejecting God, they will have lost God forever and ever.

9. OUR GREATEST DESIRE: TO DIE IN THE STATE OF SANCTIFYING GRACE. As stated earlier in quoting Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the grace of all graces is to die in the state of sanctifying grace. Indeed, this is a grace that we should humbly beg for all the days of our lives. There is nothing more precious than to die in Friendship with God in the state of grace.

10. PRACTICAL MEANS OR ACTIONS TO PROCURE A HOLY & HAPPY DEATH.  We would like to offer a concrete program to reflect upon, pray over and implement in your daily life so as to attain the crown of eternal glory by dying in the state of grace.

1) LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST. Yes!!! We should strive to live every day of our life as if it were our last day. Actually it could be! Call to mind any untimely or unpredicted death that comes to your mind, then apply that to yourself.  This is a great wake-up call!

2) IMITATION OF CHRIST. Meditate upon the words of the classic, written by Thomas Kempis: “It is not important a long life, but a holy life.” He also said, “In every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die this very day.”

3) MORTAL SIN? If you have the disgrace of falling into Mortal Sin, then like the Prodigal Son, return to God through a good Sacramental Confession as soon as possible—do not delay! In the meantime, make a perfect act of contrition of sorrow for your sins, until you can get to confession.

4) WORK HARD NOW AND REST IN ETERNITY. Among the many virtues or attributes of the saints is that of their hard-work ethic to serve God and save souls. Perhaps the motto of Saint Father Alberto Hurtado can motivate you: “There are two places to rest: the cemetery and Heaven!” While God gives us breath, time, talents and treasures, they should be used to the max!

5) DIE TO SIN—LIVE FOR GOD. By frequenting the Sacrament of Confession even when we only have venial sins to confess, we are practicing a dying, but a dying in a very good way: we are dying to the reality of sin, which is the only real evil in the world! Saint Augustine compares the Confessional to the tomb where Lazarus was buried for four days. Every good Sacramental Confession is leaving the tomb and the bandages of death, and putting on new life in Christ!

6) PRAY FOR THE DEAD. It is a very salutary practice to pray for the dead in the month of November, but in all times and places. In return, the Souls in Purgatory will pray for you and the eternal salvation of your soul.

7) REMINDERS OF DEATH.  Have before your eyes the concrete reality of death and reminders of death. Passing in front of a Cemetery, a Funeral Mass, the sun going down every day, the Crucifix, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in which we celebrate the Passion, suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus the Lord. Then draw the conclusion that one day it is my turn to die.

8) AT THE BEDSIDE OF THE DYING: OFFER HELP!  When you have the opportunity to be at the bedside of some person who is in their last moments, perhaps their last agony, pray the most Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy! No doubt, these prayers are most potent tools to expel the devils and attain from this dying person a truly repent heart to dispose them to die in God’s loving embrace.

9) BEG FOR THE GRACE TO RECEIVE THE LAST SACRAMENTS.  Why not beg this grace for yourself as well as your loved ones—the grace to receive the Last Sacraments before passing from time to eternity? A Catholic priest administering the three Sacraments—Confession, the Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Communion (Viaticum—food for the journey), without a doubt can be a most efficacious tool for dying in the state of grace. And if the priest prays what is called “The Apostolic Pardon”, then the dying can receive what is called a Plenary Indulgence and have not only their sins forgiven, but also all temporal Punishment due to their sins which are expiated and washed clean. In concrete, this means they dying person will have immediate access to Heaven upon death!

10) LOVE, TRUST, AND CONFIDENCE IN MARY.  In fact, every day of your life can be a concrete and immediate preparation for the day, hour and moment that you die through the intercession of Mary. Indeed, you can prepare yourself for a holy and happy death fifty times a day, every day; or if you like, 100 times! How? Every time you pray the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary you are preparing yourself to die fifty times, yes, fifty times! Why? Because at the latter part of the Hail Mary you pray these words that refer to begging Our Lady that she attain for you a holy and happy death: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” If you have the habit of praying fervently the Holy Rosary, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Our Lady will be present, very close to you in the hour, the minute, the second that you pass from this life to the next and you sit in front of the Judgment Seat of the Lord. May Our Lady and Good Saint Joseph attain for us the grace to live most holy lives, have holy deaths, and pass from this life to eternal life in Heaven!

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

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

Tuesday, October 19th   Lk. 12: 35-38   Jesus said: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Alleluia Verse: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.”

• How vigilant are we? Actually, even the best among us need constant reminders! That is why Fr. Ed’s article on the lies of the devil – the enemy of our soul and our salvation, should be brought to mind frequently!
• Pray over this as an examination of conscience… Where am I strong in virtue and where am I weak? Then devise and carry out a plan to practice the virtues needed and beg for the grace. Be encouraged! Our Lord cannot resist a sincere and penitent heart!  

TEN LIES OF THE DEVIL—THE FATHER OF LIES by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The devil has many names! The Bible gives us many; the saints have their own descriptions! The different names from the Bible and from the saints present the various manners that the devil works in the world and in our lives.

What, then, are some of the Biblical names or descriptions of the devil? Jesus gives a double name for the devil: “He is a liar and a murderer from the beginning.” (Jn 8:44) He also calls the devil “the Prince of this world”. (Jn 14:30) A somewhat strange name that Jesus gives the devil is that of Beelzebub meaning literally, “The Lord of the flies.”

Other names in the Bible would be the following: devil, Satan, Lucifer, serpent, as well as the ancient serpent—referring to the temptations of Adam and Eve in the Garden.

Still more the devil is called the Accuser. In one of his Letters, Saint Peter compares the devil to an animal, a ferocious and vicious animal. “He is like a roaring lion on the prowl seeking whom he can devour.” (1Pt 5:8)

In the History of the Church, the saints have their own descriptions of the devil. With his typical conciseness, Saint Thomas Aquinas calls the devil…“The Tempter”. Saint Augustine, following in the line of Saint Peter using animal images, describes the devil as an angry dog on a chain or leash. Saint Martin calls the devil a bloody brute. Finally, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who has bequeathed to us the Spiritual Exercises, calls the devil the enemy of our human nature.

The devil both hates God and hates all of humanity, as well as each and every one of us individually. One vice that the devil does not have is that of laziness. Quite the contrary, the devil works day and night tempting us. His purpose with regard to us is to tempt us to give into and succumb to sin. He wants us to be slaves of sin. Then he hopes to blind us to our slavery and addiction to sin. Finally, his greatest desire and his greatest victory is to lure us into living in mortal sin and dying in the state of mortal sin. Then we will be the sport of the devil in hell for all eternity!

A note of great hope is that God is much stronger than the devil. However, God gives the devil permission to tempt us. We must rely on God’s grace and Mary’s intercession so as to win the battle and attain the salvation of our immortal souls.

The following are typical temptations of the devil who indeed, in the words of Saint Ignatius, is our mortal enemy. Our victory over the devil depends essentially on the grace of God, but also knowledge of his astute tactics.

TEN TYPICAL TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL: THE ENEMY!

1. STATE OF DESOLATION.  Take this for granted: in the state of desolation the devil will tempt us; this is universal for all people, times and places. In a word, desolation is when we feel discouraged, sad, and depressed, that nobody really cares for me or loves me.

2. KRYPTONITE RULE.  Now the devil, aware of our facial expressions, seeing us sad, depressed, and discouraged applies the Kryptonite rule. Remember that Superman was strong except when he was exposed to Kryptonite. Then his strength left him. The devil knows our Kryptonite! We must beg for the grace, as well as have access to spiritual direction, in order to discover our Kryptonite—our own weak point or points.

3. PROCRASTINATION.  One of the typical temptations of the devil is to coax us into believing that we have a long life, a lot of time ahead of us, and that we can easily put off for tomorrow what we should do today. Put what off? Precisely this: put off our spiritual practices of piety. The devil speaks to us in this fashion: “You can go to Confession later – there’s no big hurry and the priest does not have time today.” Rosary – put it off, do it later, until finally you fall asleep at midnight. If you are in the habit of making a Holy Hour – you can skip it today and do it tomorrow, or next week, or never. In a word, the devil wants us to neglect our prayer life or at least diminish it.

4. HARBOR RESENTMENTS IN OUR MIND AND HEART.  A chief tool of the devil is to surface in our minds past hurts and so harbor resentments. In other words, Satan desires that we hold back forgiveness and disregard being merciful. When the devil wins this huge victory, then we go through life both angry and depressed! Worse yet: we make the people around us angry and depressed! Double victory for the ancient serpent!

5. THE WORLD OF IMAGES.  In our modern, technologically advanced society and culture in which the image dominates, the devil, especially when we find ourselves in the state of desolation, can whisper in our ear to seek out bad images, scenes, videos against the virtue of purity or chastity. Unfortunately, viewing this material can easily form a habit, and then a long-term addiction. Better in desolation to run to the beautiful images of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

6. LAZINESSS/INDOLENCE.  In Spiritual Theology and practice, experience shows that when we are indolent and doing nothing of any real value, it is then that the devil tempts us and offers us the opportunity to enter into his factory or field of work, and that would be SIN! On the other hand, legitimate hard work not only builds us up and serves to help others, but it also serves to avoid many temptations from the devil. How true the proverb or saying: “Idleness is the workshop of the devil.”

7. BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS MORALS.  Saint Paul expresses a truism that all of us should consider: BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS MORALS. This being the case, all of us should choose with great discernment and wisdom who we would like to be our companions, especially our close friends. A bad companion can result in our ruin; however, a good friend is a treasure and can result in our growth in sanctification.

8. WANDERING EYES.  One of the greatest challenges is that of controlling our eyes. Eve, in the Garden of Eden, allowed her eyes to wander and fix their gaze upon the forbidden fruit. This culminated, of course, in the commission of Original Sin, which was transmitted to all of humanity. The devil constantly tempts us to allow our eyes to wander. Remember the sins of King David—both adultery and murder—and it all started by the laziness of David and his wandering eyes.

9. DISOBEDIENCE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS.  Very often the devil will tempt us in many forms to disobey. Children being disobedient to their parents, Religious to their Superiors, workers toward their bosses, Catholics to the Magisterium (The Teaching Office of the Church)—behind much of this disobedience is the disguised presence of the devil. By the way, remember that the sin of Lucifer and the sin of Adam and Eve were essentially sins of disobedience to God. In a word, sin is disobedience.

10. TO IGNORE, TO SHOW INDIFFERENCE, COLDNESS AND REJECTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  It is a very interesting fact that once a Catholic leaves his true faith and becomes a Protestant or Jehovah Witness or enters into another Religious Sect, Our Lady is very often rejected. One of the key tactics of the devil is these words: “Catholics adore Mary, as well as images of Mary. They practice idolatry!” With this brain-washing, they turn people against Mary. Such individuals will ignore Mary, be cold or indifferent to Mary, reject Mary, or even have a real antagonism and outright hostility towards Mary. Behind these attitudes is the devil. Satan has a mortal fear of Mary because he knows her power of intercession, her power for good and for the salvation of souls. Saint Louis de Montfort asserts with precision: “He who does not have Mary as Mother, does not have God as Father.”

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, our life is truly Combat, a mortal fight until the end. Our enemies are many, but especially three: the devil, the flesh and the world. Our short essay has as its purpose to help us beware of the many tricks, lies, disguises, and traps of the devil, who is a liar and murderer from the beginning. Where are your weak points??? With this self-knowledge and awareness, we can fight the good fight, run the good race, and eventually win the merited crown in Heaven that awaits God’s victorious soldiers. “Que viva Cristo Rey! Que viva Maria, la Generala!!!”

Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist

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

Monday, October 18th   Lk. 10: 1-9   Alleluia Verse: “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.”

• Jesus is speaking to us. We know Jesus, we love Him, and we follow Him each according to our own calling in life.
• To what purpose? To bring Jesus to others, in truth to bring Jesus to each person we encounter in our day; first by loving them, and then by serving them in whatever manner we can. Only in this way can they come to know Jesus through us.
• Jesus Himself made this very clear at the Last Supper, as St. John has written:

He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

• This brings us to the people we encounter every day, beginning with those in our own family! Then our neighbor next door or down the street. Then our neighbor in another city, another state, across the world! For to learn of the need and suffering of another is respond to that need, first with prayer, and then in any other way that we can! Did not Christ die for us all? Making us brothers and sisters in Christ!

WE ARE CALLED TO SERVICE AND SALVATION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

You are created by a loving and Providential God who is indeed your Father, who cares for you with the love of the best of all Fathers, for the purpose of praising Him and reverencing Him, and showing your love for Him by serving Him with your whole being. If this is done, the net result will be salvation — the saving of your immortal soul for all eternity, rejoicing in God’s Presence and His Love!

This leads us to a double consideration… SALVATION & SERVING OUR LORD!

First, how we can best serve Our Lord God and Creator? Jesus gives us the answer: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40)

As a sublime and inspiring example of service, we will take the Blessed Virgin Mary and meditate upon the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary — Mary’s Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. Among the countless messages of inspiration that Mary presents to us in the Visitation, one of the primary is Mary’s attitude of service. Indeed, Mary went in haste to visit her elderly cousin who was with child so that she could serve Elizabeth and the baby in her womb, St. John the Baptist.

The second part of our meditation will be on that of salvation. Indeed, the primary purpose of our short life on earth is to work with God’s grace to attain the salvation of our immortal soul. There is no more important endeavor or enterprise in our brief earthly pilgrimage than that of “working out our salvation in fear and trembling,” in the words of the Apostle Saint Paul. (Phil 2:12) We will see how this is accomplished through Service!

CALL TO SERVICE: MARY’S VISITATION TO ELIZABETH (LK 1:39–56)

1. My Prayer

Lord, grant me the grace to show my love for you by offering my life as an act of service to others in imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her visit to her cousin, Saint Elizabeth.

2. Haste

After conceiving Jesus in her womb and learning about Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age, Mary moves in haste to be of service to her elderly cousin in a town in the hill country of Judea. Contemplate Mary ascending the hills and traveling possibly 4-5 days to arrive and serve. Walk with Mary and talk to her about many things, but especially about how you can be of greater service to all of humanity.

3. Joyful Greeting

Upon arriving, Mary greets Elizabeth with great joy. Mary does not serve begrudgingly and mournfully. On the contrary, she serves joyfully. Saint Paul says: “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” (Acts 30:35) Also, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7)

May your serving others be done with a radiant smile on your face. One of the clearest signs that we are followers of Jesus and Mary is that of a smile!

4. Mary and Elizabeth

Mary prays with Elizabeth. In the passage of the Visitation, we have the beautiful prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the Magnificat. This prayer the Church prays officially in the Liturgy of the Hours Evening Prayer every day of the year. The Church teaches us to praise God through Mary’s canticle of praise!

5. Mary Serves Elizabeth

It is not mentioned explicitly how Mary helped, but we can imagine the many ways that Mary could have served her elderly pregnant cousin:

1) Fetching Water. Imagine Mary traveling to the well with a huge container and drawing water from the well—this was hard work and service.

2) Cooking. No doubt Mary helped with the cooking of the meals for Elizabeth and Zechariah. She must have been an excellent cook. Taste her cuisine!

3) Cleaning and Order. Of course Mary loved order. She would have worked to keep the kitchen and home clean and in order. This too is service. One of the purposes and benefits of doing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is “to order the disorder in our lives.”

4) Washing. There were no washing machines or dryers back them. Therefore, Mary would have helped in the washing of clothes by hand and drying them in the sunlight.

5) Sweeping. We can picture Mary with a broom in her hand on a daily basis sweeping out the dust and dirt that so easily invades homes, especially those in rural areas.

6) Now Talk to Mary About Service…  In all of these menial and often routine activities of service, Mary teaches us a lesson. Holiness consists in doing the ordinary duties of our daily life with extraordinary love! As you contemplate Mary engaged in the active life of service, beg her for the grace to offer your life as a sacrifice of service to others, beginning in your own family! Sometimes that is where we are least appreciated, but the Lord who sees all, loves us and blesses us all the more because of that!

CALLED TO THE SALVATION OF OUR IMMORTAL SOUL!

Jesus stated the sober truth in these simple but very profound words: “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. What can a man exchange for the salvation of his soul?” (Mk 8:36-37) The second part of your meditation will be upon these words of Jesus that refer to the core and essence of the why of our existence, the very purpose of our existence, why we are really here in this world!

1. The Why of Your Existence

“What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? What can a man exchange for the salvation of his soul?” Read, meditate, reflect, and consider over and over again these words of Jesus about the salvation of your immortal soul!

2. The Most Important Pursuit in Life

By far the most important pursuit in your life is achieving, with the help of God’s grace, the salvation of your immortal soul. There is no greater pursuit, endeavor, or enterprise! At the end of your life, nothing else will matter!

3. Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Value of Your Soul

The Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, expressed this profound truth succinctly: “Your immortal soul is worth more than the whole created universe.” Recall the grandeur, majesty, and immensity of creation (Gen 1 and 2), and reflect on the fact that your immortal soul has much more value than all of creation combined. How great and important is the value of your immortal soul, and every immortal soul, all created in the image and likeness of God!

4. The Price of Your Salvation: The Blood of Jesus

Saint Peter states: “You were redeemed not by the blood of lambs or calves or heifers; nor were you bought by the price of gold and silver. Rather, you were redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (1 Pt 1:18-19) Saint Leo the Great in his Christmas message exhorts us: “Christians, recognize your dignity!” We would like to add to the word dignity another word, recognize your destiny – Heaven!

5. Called to Heaven

Coming at this truth from a slightly different angle or perspective, possibly this can encourage you in the pursuit of the salvation of your immortal soul: you are called by God to be with Him in heaven forever and ever. Indeed, every time you pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, you are calling to mind the reason why God created you: to save your immortal soul and get to heaven. It cannot be any clearer than that!

Let us pray earnestly to the Lord Jesus and to our friends in heaven to help us!

The Saints: Beg fervently the angels and saints who are praising God in heaven to pray that you will have a burning passion and desire to get to heaven. Talk to any saint, or as many saints as you like, to help you to utilize all the means necessary, including loving and generous service of your neighbor, so as to attain your goal: HEAVEN!

The Blessed Virgin Mary: Then turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the full of grace, who loved God with all her being and served God in her neighbor, and beg her for the grace to desire to get to heaven and to be a true servant of the Lord so as to attain heaven. Pray the Magnificat.

Our Lord Jesus: Finally, beg the Lord Jesus for the desire to do all you can in this life to stay close to Him in all times and places and be His faithful servant, so that when you die you will be His faithful friend forever in heaven. May the longing for heaven be the most ardent desire in your heart and in your life!