Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

Tuesday, September 7th   Lk. 6: 12-19   “Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer…. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named Apostles.”

• Jesus is our model! Our daily Holy Hour prepares us for the work of our day—to be carried out with God, for God, and according to God’s plans, not ours. This is surrendering our will to His Will. All the saints agree that this is the secret of sanctity. Jesus Himself said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (Jn. 6:28)
• After a night spent in prayer, Jesus chooses the twelve Apostles, the beginning of the Church He will establish by His death and Resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Mt. 21:42)
• The cornerstone can also be seen as the Eucharist. CCC 1324. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”134 “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.”135

PUT ON THE MIND OF CHRIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Paul commands us: “Put on the mind of Christ.” (Phil 2:2) He also says: “You have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) Of course the mind of Christ was the most pure, holy, innocent, humble, wise, intelligent, retentive, and noble mind that ever existed—nobody in their right mind could deny this.

How then can I implement this imperative of the great Apostle Saint Paul who could say in all sincerity: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

Of course, daily meditation on the Word of God, especially the heart of the Bible—the Gospels, can transform our way of thinking. The saying, “you are what you eat” is true, but more to the point is “you are what you think”!

Still, we would like to propose another way to put on the mind of Christ; indeed another way to actually have the mind of Christ. The most efficacious way to put on the mind of Christ is a well-prepared, humble, fervent, faith-filled reception of Holy Communion.

Holy Communion is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ—in a word, the whole Christ! The noblest members of the Body of Christ are His Heart and His mind.

Indeed, when we receive Holy Communion worthily we have a “Spiritual Heart transplant”. The Sacred Heart of Jesus beats within our heart upon receiving Holy Communion with the proper disposition. Furthermore, when we receive Holy Communion, we receive the whole and entire Body of Jesus, and that includes His mind. With this knowledge, we can indeed put into practice the mandate of Saint Paul: “Put on the mind of Christ.” (Phil. 2:2) After receiving Holy Communion worthily, we have the Mind of Christ!

Many suffer torments of the mind and in many different ways. Ugly memories from the past pursue us like disturbing nightmares. Past hurts from our youth pursue us like vicious wolves. Immodest images of past viewings and actions never seem to leave our mind at peace. Memories of past hurts of our childhood due to bad family experiences seem to leave almost indelible scars. Even the devil maneuvers and manipulates his way into our mind accusing us, blaming us, and condemning us. Even something as simple as the failure of our memory which seems to have been transformed into a leaky bucket, retaining only a few drops of information.

How can this sad state of affairs related to our mind, memory, understanding, and imagination be purified, enlightened and raised on high? Once again, the answer is receiving Jesus in Holy Communion with lively faith and burning love!

THE MIND

The mind is one of the most noble gifts and faculties that God has bestowed on every human person. The mind contains memory, understanding, and imagination. These are the three specific faculties present in the mind.

Holy Communion can transform the whole mind, each one of these three different faculties! Holy Communion is not a symbol that represents Jesus. Holy Communion truly and substantially is JESUS!!!! Let us analyze briefly what Holy Communion can do to transform our mind into the mind of Christ.

MEMORY

Our memory is weak, short-lived, and at the same time, tormented with past ugly memories that never seem to leave us at peace. Why not try this! Next time you receive Jesus in Holy Communion, beg the Lord to purify your memory of past hurts and ugly images, and fill you with pure light in your mind and memory. Beg the Lord that with this Holy Communion your memory will retain only the good and will repel and reject the bad and the evil. In other words, beg the Lord that all the good influences will be absorbed and retained like a sponge and all the evil influences will be repelled like water bouncing off a rock!

UNDERSTANDING

How often have we read something, heard a lecture or conference, or even listened to a conversation and our understanding did not kick into gear? The message seemed to be murky, unclear and confused! Why? This is due to the simple fact that as a result of Original Sin our mind and understanding have been damaged—not destroyed, but impaired! In Holy Communion we receive the “Total Christ”. Why not beg Jesus the next time you receive Holy Communion to give you His Mind with His understanding! One of the effects of this will be to produce in you a more keen and penetrating understanding of the truth. You will notice as a result of frequent and well-prepared Holy Communions that a light bulb will be turned on in your mind, giving you certain insights that you never had before. Why? Because Holy Communion truly gives you the Mind of Jesus with His brilliant understanding.

IMAGINATION

In the Marian classic, True Devotion to Mary, Saint Louis de Montfort expresses an earnest appeal to Our Lady related to imagination: “O Mary, check our wandering imagination”. Saint Teresa of Avila calls the imagination, “La loca de la casa.” —literally, the “Mad Woman of the house”! Why? Very simply, the imagination can run wild at any time and in any place. It can be compared to a spoiled and untrained child or even a wild animal left at large! Of itself, our imagination is neutral. We can use it for great evil—as in the case of willfully recalling and pondering pornographic images. To the contrary, Saint Ignatius exhorts us to use our imagination for great good, entering into the lives of Jesus and Mary so as to become part of their lives — all by means of training our imagination! Saint Ignatius calls this the prayer of “Contemplation”.

This being said, upon receiving Holy Communion, not only do we receive the Mind of Jesus, the Understanding of Jesus, but we also receive the IMAGINATION of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Indeed, only Jesus can help us to overcome our sinfulness in thought, word, deed, and omission. Upon receiving Holy Communion, the “mad man of the house calms down” and a more peaceful and controlled thought process in the imagination takes over!

CONCLUSION

The greatest action that the human person can do on earth is to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Saint Paul says: “Put on the mind of Christ; you have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16) Why not start today to aim at the habit of frequent, well-prepared and fervent reception of Holy Communion. Holy Communion is truly the total Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

This includes His Sacred Mind with the three specific faculties: memory, understanding, and will. Try it! You will never regret it! Not only will you put on the mind of Christ; you actually will have the mind of Christ. As Saint Augustine highlights, Our Lady first conceived Jesus in her mind and then in her body. May Our Lady, who pondered the word of God in her mind, attain for us an ardent yearning to receive her Beloved Son in frequent and fervent Holy Communions, so as to truly have the Sacred Mind of Jesus!

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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

Monday, September 6th   Lk. 6: 6-11   “Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?’”

• What is there in us that Jesus needs to heal, that we have not the strength or will to overcome? Let us come to Him in our greatest weakness and beg Him to heal us.

A WOUNDED HEALER OR A WOUNDED WOUNDER? By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Making a prophecy about Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah speaks about wounds, about wounds that would be inflicted on the Body of Jesus Christ. The Prophet states: “It is by His wounds that we are healed.” (Is. 53:5) Of course, the Prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, projecting himself into the future, was prophesying the Sorrowful Passion of Jesus.

Jesus’ scourging at the Pillar, His crowning with thorns, His falling under the weight of the cross and His wounded shoulder where the weight of cross cut deeply, His hands and feet nailed to the cross, and finally His Sacred Heart wounded and pierced with the lance are all graphic and evident depictions of the wounds of Jesus.

OUR WOUNDED PERSON.  Every person entering into this wounded world of humanity, enters wounded. The Original Sin inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, is the first wound that is inflicted on us, even though we did not will this. Our personal and actual sins wound us still more. Add to this living in a wounded and dysfunctional family that is the world, and the imperfections in our own natural family, and we can see that we receive many wounds; and we in turn, wound others.

In a word, as part of wounded humanity, all of us are walking, gaping, and dripping wounded persons. Whether we know this, deny this, or simply ignore this wounded condition, does not change the reality of all of us as wounded humanity and wounded individuals.

Therefore, turning the corner, with our hearts and minds lifted on high with great hope and trust in God and His infinite love for all of humanity, and His overflowing love for each and every one of us individually, let us present a plan to work for our healing, the healing of our family, the healing of the Church, and the healing of the world at large. Indeed, healing is a real possibility!

Off the bat, it must be asserted this all-encompassing truth: either we will be wounded wounders or we will be wounded healers! Our hope and prayer is that you will choose to be part of the army of the wounded-healers!

This being the case, let us look at some positive and concrete steps that we can take to attain to this healing so as to be an instrument of healing in the world, starting in our own family. Let’s start!

PLAN FOR PROCESS OF BEING A WOUNDED HEALER

1. HUMBLE ADMISSION OF MY WOUNDED NATURE.  Now if we are living in a state of denial in which we state that we are really not wounded, then the healing process will never take place. There is a well-known proverb in Spanish: “No hay peor ciego que aquel que no quiere verl no hay peor sordo que aquel quen no quiere oir.” Translation: “There is no worse blind man than he who does not want to see; there is no worse deaf man than he who does not want to hear.” Many alcoholics will never be healed for the simple reason that they do not admit that they have problems with drinking. Quite simply, we must admit, “I am a wounded person!”

2. BEG FOR HEALING.  Time and time again the blind, the deaf, the paralytics, the lepers, and many wounded people would approach Jesus with faith and trust and they would be healed, and more often than not, the healing was immediate! Like Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, first we must beg the Lord to see our blindness, to recognize our woundedness, and then beg the Lord to stretch out His hand and heal us. “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7)

3. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION.  The Sacraments are exterior signs instituted by Christ to confer grace. One of the Sacraments that was instituted specifically for healing is the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy. If you like, every time we sin, our soul is marked with a wound, a moral wound. The more often we sin, the deeper are the moral wounds. To the contrary, a well-prepared, well-done Confession heals these wounds. The Precious Blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross on Good Friday, washes and heals our moral wounds—that we call sins. Any person who has made a good Sacramental Confession can testify to the joy, peace, happiness, lightness of soul, and the healing presence and power of God when they leave the confessional. What medicine is to the sick body, Confession is to the ailing soul!

4. COMMUNION.  The specific Sacramental grace of Confession is healing of the soul. Whereas the specific Sacramental grace of Holy Communion and the Eucharist is nourishment of the soul. Still, one of the secondary effects of a worthy and fervent Holy Communion is that of healing. Such that the Council of Trent specifies that Holy Communion can serve as an antidote to heal our daily minor infirmities—meaning our venial sins. On one occasion, Saint Faustina experienced great weakness in her chest due to lung failure. She received Holy Communion and experienced the power of the Real Presence of Jesus healing even her bodily weakness! This healing by Jesus in His Eucharistic Presence in the body of St. Faustina, He does in our soul in every Holy Communion received worthily, that is, in the state of grace. The same Jesus who healed many people sick in body and soul some 2000 years ago is still healing people today! His strength never abates!

5. FORGIVENESS, MERCY, RECONCILIATION.  Jesus stated that if you come to the altar to offer your gift and you recognize that your brother has something against you, leave your gift and first be reconciled with your brother. Then return to offer your gift to God. Jesus does not address who was at fault, who was right and who was wrong. Reconcile regardless! Many wounds foul and festering in our hearts and souls derive from resentments (often for years) that we cling to and are unwilling to relinquish. By reconciling, we set the captives free—ourselves as well as the other person! If they refuse to reconcile, be at peace, but continue to pray for them. As the Catholic English poet, Alexander Pope put it: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.”

6. HONEST CONVERSATION BEFORE JESUS ON THE CROSS.  Another most efficacious means by which the healing process of our soul can take place is through prayer. Like the little boy, Marcelino, in the movie Miracle of Marcelino, or in Spanish Marcelino Pan y Vino, we should sit before Jesus nailed on the cross and contemplate His gaping wounds—in His hands and feet, and His side pierced by the lance. Now open up your heart to Jesus. Tell the Lord Jesus about your hurts, your wounds, your cuts and bruises from the past all the way up to the present, and even your fears about possible future wounds. Jesus is the best of listeners, and He has great love and compassion for you and your wounds. Simply by opening up to Jesus, the wounded-healer, your healing will begin to take place.

7. KISSING THE WOUNDS.  After your open and loving conversation with Jesus on the cross, end by approaching the Crucifix, Jesus hanging on the cross for love of you, and thank the Lord. Tell the Lord how much you love Him. Then one by one, kiss each one of His five wounds that He suffered for love of you! Saint Francis and the saints did this, why can’t we? This expression of love brings great comfort to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as to the Heart of Mary, His Mother.

8. PRAY THE ANIMA CHRISTI.  One of the prayers that Saint Ignatius treasured most was the ANIMA CHRISTI. This prayer can serve as an excellent prayer of thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. When you have the Real Presence of Jesus in the very depths of your soul, His Precious Blood flowing through your veins, His wounds ready to heal your wounds, then pray the prayer Anima Christi. In this prayer you actually pray for healing from the Body of Christ that you have just received in Holy Communion. By His wounds we are healed. (See Appendix below for the Prayer Anima Christi)  

9. LEARN TO LOVE GOD AND LEARN TO LOVE OTHERS.  The famous novelist, Taylor Caldwell, in her masterpiece about Saint Luke, Dear and Glorious Physician, presents a vivid scene illustrating the power of love as a healing force. There is a man who is very sick and who has gone to many physicians seeking healing, but to no avail. Hearing of the healing power of Saint Luke, the Dear and Glorious Physician, he approaches Luke. The love, compassion, kindness, and gentleness that exude from this Dear and Glorious Physician heals the sick man then and there. Apparently the man had no physical sickness, but rather a gaping spiritual wound. Quite simply, he needed the human love and compassion which he had never received. For this reason, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta commented that New York City is the poorest city because of the lack of love and coldness in people’s hearts. The good news is you don’t have to wait for someone to love you. If you learn to love God and truly practice loving and serving others, healing will take place in your entire being!

10. OUR LADY: HEALTH OF THE SICK! Among the many titles given to Our Lady, one is that of Health of the Sick. It is recorded in the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux that she was suffering a serious malady. Lifting up her gaze, she saw a beautiful statue of Our Lady and she prayed to her. The future saint was healed instantly. Saint Frances de Sales received great emotional healing by lifting his gaze to Our Lady of Victory and praying the Memorare, attributed to Saint Bernard. If you turn to Our Lady, Health of the Sick, and offer to her your wounds, she will heal those wounds by her most powerful intercession. “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” (The Memorare Prayer, See Appendix below for the Memorare Prayer.)

In conclusion, friends in Jesus and Mary, we enter a wounded world with our own wounds from Original Sin. Other wounds continue to come through our personal sins. People wound us, often those with whom we share our lives, that is to say, our family members. We, too, wound others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. There are really two options: either we will be Wounded Wounders or we will become Wounded Healers. Let us choose the latter. Let us turn to Jesus, the Wounded Healer and place our wounds in His wounds, and ask Him to transform us into Wounded Healers in a broken and wounded world. Mary Our Lady, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, be there to touch and heal wounded humanity!

Appendix: Anima Christi and Memorare

ANIMA CHRISTI

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from you.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me
and bid me come to you,
that with your saints I may praise you
forever and ever. Amen.

MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

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

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

Sunday, September 5th   Mk. 7: 31-37   “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

• There is a proverb, “There is no one so blind, as the one who will not see; no one so deaf, as the one who will not hear.” We can add: “There is no one so mute, as the one who will not speak.”
• In a world rapidly changing, and not for the better, we cannot afford to be blind, to be deaf, to be mute! The family is under attack as never before. This article by Fr. Ed identifies the cancer and the cure, and every one reading this meditation has a part to play in that cure!!!
• May each one of us read this exhortation to save the Family and seriously consider what we can do to bolster and support families. To begin with, pray for families! Then be present and part of a family. It can be extended family, a God-family, or close family friends. Encourage participation in the Sacraments. Go to Sunday Mass with them. Suggest going to Confession with them.
• Be available to support husbands and wives, mothers and fathers—when they need to talk, or need a night out, in which case offer to babysit. Ideas to support families are endless. Offer to bring dinner one night, or take the children to the park for a couple of hours, to give Mom a break. Suggest a Marriage Encounter Weekend and offer to watch the children. In other words, look and listen for a need and do what you can to fill it.
• Finally, support legislation that supports Life from the moment of conception and the Family as designed by God Himself. Read Genesis 2: 18-24 and share it with family and friends!!!

SAVE THE FAMILY: SAVE THE SOCIETY AND THE WORLD! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The Domestic Church, the basic cell of society, the first institution ordained and created by God—these are different names describing the same reality of The Family! Pope Saint John Paul II asserted that the way the family goes is the way the world goes.

We must pray for the grace to be able to read the Book of History related to the family and world civilizations. It has been proven time and time again that once a society or a civilization allows the family to enter into crisis and unravel at its seams, then it is simply a matter of time until such a society or civilization collapses and crashes!

The human family made up of both father and mother is the basic breeding ground of individuals. God wills that children be born into a family. God wills that children be loved in a family. God wills that both father and mother be the instruments by which their children grow and mature into the person they are called to become: a dignified and useful citizen of society and a future citizen of heaven.

It must be asserted with absolute and unequivocal clarity that the family consists of the woman (called to Motherhood) and the man (called to Fatherhood), and the children that they procreate with God, the author and origin of all life. Any other configuration that does not consist of man and woman and the children born to them is a warped and erroneous ideological concept that must be rejected and repudiated energetically.

The child needs the different manifestations of love that the mother gives and the father gives. Without this different but complimentary pouring out of love, the child is exposed to emotional, spiritual, and moral damage that can be nearly beyond reparation! It is a duty of both justice and charity that the child have in their family the love of both the Father and Mother. No person, place, thing or institution can replace this male-female, Father-Mother concept. It was ordained by God Himself.

Therefore, let us present clear and practical  action items that we should strive to both understand and implement so as to defend the future of our society, which depends on the defense and salvation of the family—the basic building block of society. Let us all pitch in to help families grow, flourish and blossom in the formation of future citizens of the Kingdom of God!

ACTION ITEMS IN THE DEFENSE OF THE HUMAN FAMILY!

1. FERVENT PRAYER.  No doubt, fervent prayer connects us with the power of God who desires wholesome, holy, stable and solid families even more than we desire their existence. Jesus commands us: “Ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7). Let us constantly knock at the door of God’s Heart and beg for holy families. Indeed, this prayer is very pleasing to the Trinitarian Family—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY.  In this secular, materialistic, and hedonist culture, we have returned to a neo-paganistic society. The present younger generation of Catholics have no qualms about discarding the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Instead they opt to have a civil-marriage, or trial marriage, or just live-together using the verbiage: we want to see if we are compatible, if we have chemistry. In the interim, they repudiate God from their lives by living in mortal sin! However, in a word, marriage and family cannot function without God.

3. MARRIAGE PREP COURSES.  Any activity, enterprise or endeavor worthy of pursuit demands time, energy, and real effort. Athletes claim: “No pain, no gain!” Consider this, if it takes a young man a good seven years or more to arrive at Ordination to the priesthood, equally important is the time and energy couples should exert in preparation for Holy Matrimony and the formation of wholesome and holy families.

4. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM.  A couple who has decided on pursuing the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony must learn the techniques of Natural Family Planning. If not, once married, the perennial temptation will be to have recourse to the use of contraceptives. Such a mentality is a corrosive, poisonous, noxious mentality and philosophy of life that often leads to serious marital problems and possible separations. In a word, succumbing to the contraceptive philosophy, mentality and style of life is tantamount to reducing the woman to a mere object to be utilized and discarded by the man. In the words of Pope Saint Leo the Great:  “Christians, recognize your dignity!” Especially in Holy Matrimony!

5. MARRIAGE PREP MENTORS.  The art of learning a vocation or profession requires training and help from those who are more expert in the field. Baseball players need coaches; singers, those who have vocal experience; and writers or journalists should consult those who know the tricks of the trade. Marriage mentors would be couples married for a good span of time who have studied their vocation and worked on really living out their marriage vocation. Experience in life can prove to be an excellent textbook! Couples preparing to get married meeting with their mentoring couples in an orderly fashion, frequently and systematically, serves to establish a rock foundation for a solid marriage.

6. ENGAGED COUPLE’S SPIRITUAL LIFE.  If the couple is engaged to receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, then both should be intent and industrious in cultivating a deep spiritual life in which God is the very center of their lives. They should strive to pray with each other, as well as pray for each other. Furthermore, they should make it a solid habit to receive two Sacraments frequently—Confession and the Holy Eucharist.

7. JESUS THE CENTER OF THEIR LIVES.  When officiating at Weddings, when couples are about to exchange vows and give a ring as a sign of their mutual fidelity, I frequently remind the couple to put Christ in the very center of their marriage and their lives. I remind them of the literary masterpiece of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen: “It Takes Three to Get Married.” The three? The husband, the wife, and Jesus! With this trio, marriage is indeed a real winner!

8. SPIRITUAL TUNE- UP!  Once married, it is incumbent upon the married couple to make concerted efforts to grow and strengthen their marital bond and live out the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony to the max!  Marriage Weekend Retreats, Marriage Encounter, Couples for Christ and even Spiritual Direction from a priest or well-trained spiritual director can prove to be invaluable so as not to lose their first love. Love in marriage is like a fire: you must constantly feed the flames, if not the love can be blown out and extinguished.

9. CELEBRATION OF ANNIVERSARIES.  Birthdays, Baptisms, Graduations, Sports victories are all motives to celebrate and rightfully so! Equally important is the celebration of the Anniversary of your Wedding Day. A suggestion for the couple! Have a Mass offered for that intention and attend that Mass, and pray the Rosary afterward in thanksgiving for another year of faithfulness. Then off to a nice Restaurant to celebrate!

10. ROSARY: THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS, TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.  The famous Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton, who was cured from severe tuberculosis through the intercession of Mary shortly before being ordained to the priesthood, made a proposal that once ordained, he would spread far and wide love for the Blessed Virgin Mary through the propagation of the most Holy Rosary. Furthermore, he believed that if the world is to be saved, it will have to come through the family. And one of the best ways to unite the family is through the daily recitation of the most Holy Rosary! His ambition was to get millions of families in America to pray the Rosary on a daily basis. He was known for two famous sayings: “The family that prays together, stays together” and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” Our Lady of Fatima said in each of her six Apparitions to pray the Rosary daily! Saint Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter, “The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary” (2002), exhorted the whole world to pray the Rosary for two intentions: for world peace and for the salvation of the family.

In conclusion, my friends in Jesus and Mary, let us do all we possibly can to support the family, sustain the family, strengthen the family and defend the family against modern attacks. The future of society and the world at large depends upon the family which is the basic building block of society. Let us turn to Our Lady, the perfect Mother, and to Saint Joseph, the perfect husband and Father, and beg that through their prayers families will be sanctified and parents will lead their children to Heaven.

Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Saturday, September 4th   Lk. 6: 1-5  “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

• The Sabbath is a day of prayer for the family, the primary prayer being the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Sabbath is also a day of rest and relaxation with the family to renew and strengthen family bonds.
• This typically involves eating a meal together and engaging in wholesome activities such as playing sports, taking nature walks, playing games at home, sharing a good wholesome movie, and ending the day in thanksgiving with the family Rosary.
• However, it must be emphasized that the keystone or lynchpin upon which all else depends is participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving the Eucharist—the source and summit of our faith and our life.
• Jesus, truly present in Holy Communion in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity desires to enter into your body, your heart, your soul, the entirety of your being and your life! He is the Friend who will never fail you; the One who gives meaning and purpose to everything else in your life!

LIVE OUT THE GREATEST PRAYER: HOLY MASS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

There is nothing greater on earth than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; it is where Heaven unites with earth in a symphony of praise, adoration, worship, thanksgiving, supplication and reparation. Before offering a ten-step program to improve our participation in Holy Mass, let us spend a brief time in meditating and reflecting on what some of the great saints have said in praise of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.”

St. Leonard of Port Maurice: “Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of religion. You cannot do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible.”

St. Francis of Assisi: “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without Holy Mass.”

St. Pio of Pietrelcina: “No human tongue can enumerate the favors that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled to God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increases; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.”

St. Bernard: “Martyrdom is nothing in comparison with the Mass because martyrdom is the sacrifice of man to God, whereas the Mass is the sacrifice of God to man.”

Now we offer ten brief but important suggestions on ways that we can live out the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass more efficaciously. Our sanctification and salvation depend on Holy Mass and how we live out the fruits of this Greatest of all Miracles!

PREPARATION:

1. COME EARLY BEFORE MASS STARTS.  One of the ways in which we truly diminish the efficacy of the graces that we receive from the greatest prayer and Gift left to us from the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to be lazy in our preparation for Holy Mass. This becomes manifest in a lazy, nonchalant, flippant attitude when sauntering in late for Mass, with no misgivings. If we were invited to a banquet with a King and Queen, no doubt our punctuality would not be in jeopardy. Yet how often and even common it is to come late to visit the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, in Holy Mass!

2. PLACE YOUR OWN INTENTIONS ON THE ALTAR OF THE MASS.  In the Parish, usually the priest has a specific intention for the Mass. However, this should not exclude your own intentions. There are no limits to intentions, but three could be of great value.

a) PURGATORY.  Pray for the souls in Purgatory. These souls are saved, but must be purified of the sins that they did not repair for sufficiently while still living. Your personal Mass intention for these poor souls could greatly alleviate their sufferings, or even free them completely so they can make their flight to Heaven.

b) CONVERSION OF SINNERS.  Many sinners can be converted by the fervent prayers of others. The most powerful prayer is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and fervent Holy Communions. Let us work with the Lord for the salvation of souls by offering the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus to the Father imploring mercy for the conversion of poor sinners.

c) PERSONAL CONVERSION OF HEART.  Until we die, we are all called to personal conversion. The first words in the Public ministry of Jesus were: “Be converted because the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  (Mk. 1: 15). This can be applied to Holy Communion. We are transformed into what we eat. Upon receiving Holy Communion, we become transformed by consuming the Host, for in it is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and His most noble sentiments. What is lacking in our poor heart can be more than abundantly supplied in Holy Communion if we desire it!

3. PARTICIPATE IN HOLY MASS.  The Church Document Sacrosanctum Concilium warmly encourages us to participate in Holy Mass. A passive, inattentive, distracted presence in the Mass is counter-productive. The more actively we are engaged, the more abundant the graces will flow upon us and the whole world. Spiritual bench-warmers in Mass unfortunately are all too many!

Often the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has been divided into two essential parts: 1) The Liturgy of the Word; 2) The Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

LITURGY OF THE WORD.

4. LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO THE WORD OF GOD.  One of the key parts of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is “The Liturgy of the Word”. On Sundays the rich Banquet of the Word of God offers us three wonderful Readings. How we should hunger for the Word of God. Jesus responded to the devil: “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4: 4) In most Sunday Masses, the First Reading is taken from the Old Testament, followed by part of a Psalm. Then the Second Reading is taken from the New Testament, usually from one of the Epistles/Letters of St. Paul. Finally, the most important and prominent Reading is from one of the Gospels. For this last of the Readings we stand, manifesting our great reverence in encountering Jesus. May we listen attentively to the Word of God, strive to understand it with our mind, and desire to put it into practice. Then the priest, who represents Jesus the High Priest, in his homily explains the Readings and how to put the Word of God into practice in daily life. May we listen attentively and heed the challenge to follow Christ and His living Word.

5. THE PROFESSION OF FAITH/THE CREED.  Following the Readings is the Profession of Faith, also known as the Creed. We stand and profess what we believe as followers of Jesus Christ. If a non-believer were to ask you what you believe as a Catholic, right away you could refer them to the Creed in the Mass. Then you could refer them to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which explains the Creed in the most minute detail. Upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, we should be ready to be an Apostle of Christ willing to defend the faith, as well as to spread the faith. Indeed, one of the best ways to grow in our faith is to share it with others.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

The Council Fathers speak about two tables from which we are called to nourish our souls. Our mind consumes the Word of God; our soul, the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus, the Bread of Life. The Liturgy of the Eucharist can actually be divided into three essential parts: the Offertory, the Consecration, and Holy Communion. These three parts will be explained briefly. May we sincerely strive to understand and to live the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

6. THE OFFERTORY.  This essential part of Holy Mass consists of the faithful offering a monetary donation, followed by the presentation of the gifts, at times characterized by the Offertory Procession. In the Offertory, we return to our intentions that we placed on the altar when we arrived early, even before Mass started. Once again, in spirit, we deposit on the altar all of our intentions: the Souls in Purgatory, the conversion of sinners, and our own personal conversion. Actually, you can place as many intentions on the altar as you like. The more intentions we offer, the more pleasing to God.

7. CONSECRATION.  This is the sublime and solemn moment in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where you witness “The Greatest Miracle” occur. When the priest pronounces the words of Consecration over the Bread and Wine, there is a radical transformation. The Bread and Wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus the Lord. Upon this double consecration, rapt in awe, we worship the same Jesus who was crucified and rose from the dead. It is the same Lord, but under the Eucharistic species. “O come, let us adore Him!”

8. HOLY COMMUNION.  We have arrived at the culminating moment of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—Holy Communion. Never should we forget even for an instant that Holy Communion is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are in the state of sanctifying grace, we can approach to receive this most sublime Gift—God Himself. However, our attitude of heart should be great humility, purity, faith, and hunger for the Bread of Life. The two greatest gestures we can do on earth are to receive absolution from the priest in Confession, and to receive Jesus in Holy Communion! However, it must be said, the better the disposition of our heart, the more abundant graces we will receive!

9. THANKSGIVING.  After we have received Jesus in Holy Communion, we should not rush off, but rather spend some time in silence to render Jesus abundant thanksgiving. In the words of the Psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever.” (Ps. 136: 1) Thank the Lord Jesus from the depths of your heart for the great gift of Himself in Holy Communion. The word Eucharist actually means “Thanksgiving”.

10. BE A MISSIONARY: BRING THE FRUITS OF THE MASS TO THE WHOLE WORLD!  If we are really living the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as we leave Mass we should have an ardent desire to bring the fruits of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to others. Our Lady is our Model. She received Jesus in the Annunciation when she said to the Angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1: 38) Then she went in haste to bring Jesus to others in the Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. (Lk. 1: 39) May we follow Mary as our example and guide. Let us bring the Eucharistic Lord to the world by our words and by our actions.

In conclusion, my friends in Jesus and Mary, we can never thank God enough for the sublime Gift of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Let us never weary of thanking Jesus for the Mass and Holy Eucharist. Love the Mass, live the Mass, and bring the fruits of the Mass to the whole world!

End of Meditation by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Personal examination: How do well I bring the Eucharistic Lord to those I encounter in my daily life? Would they guess from my words and actions that I am a follower of Jesus? Where and how can I improve? Never forgetting that Charity begins at home!!!

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

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

Friday, September 3rd   Lk. 5: 33-39…  “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”

• Today Jesus reminds us: “…when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”
• Our Lady of Fatima urged the children to pray and offer sacrifices for their sins, and for poor sinners, because souls are going to hell since there is no one to help them with prayers and sacrifices.
• In the Lenten article below, Fr. Ed gives us ten suggestions for fasting/sacrifices of various kinds, simple enough in concept but difficult to put into practice because of our fallen human nature.
• While it is true that “conversion” is a special focus in Lent, we all know that conversion is a year round, daily, even hourly practice of growing in virtue!
• When St. Faustina was working on acquiring a particular virtue, as part of her daily Examen she kept a log of her successes and failures in practicing that virtue, until she more or less mastered it with God’s grace.
• Keeping a daily log can be of great help to us in acquiring the virtues we desire to grow in. It can be as simple as: Date, Virtue, 3 successes – 2 failures – reason for failure. Accountability improves performance!
• “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” (Saint Mother Teresa)

TEN WAYS WE CAN PRACTICE FASTING by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus said: “Unless you do penance you will all perish.” (Lk. 13: 3) 

In the first preaching of His Public ministry Jesus exhorts us to conversion: “Be converted for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1: 15) The Mystical Body of Christ generously offers us a season of grace which has, as its purpose, conversion every year. This is the forty days of Lent.

Moses fasted forty days on the Mountain and Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting. The Church encourages us in the Season of Lent to dig deep into the inner recesses of our heart and beg for Conversion of Heart.

This conversion can become a reality by undertaking three traditional practices: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. (Mt. 6: 1-18) In prayer, we lift up our mind and heart to God; in almsgiving, we go out to meet the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters; in fasting, we dig deep into our heart and beg the Lord for the grace to relinquish our attachment to sin!

This being the case, what might be some concrete ways that we can practice fasting? An important note is the following: fasting is not merely a diet, with the simple desire to lose a few extra pounds. Rather, the purpose of fasting is to please God, convert our hearts, as well as to beg for the conversion of others. In other words, fasting must have a supernatural intention that is both vertical and horizontal!

Ten Ways We Can Fast

1. Eat less and receive the most Holy Eucharist more.

By this practice, we give more importance to our spiritual life and the salvation of our soul. Jesus said: “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. For on him, God the Father has set his seal.” (The Bread of Life Discourse, Jn. 6: 27).

2. Control your tongue.

Saint James says, “We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger .” (Jas. 1: 19) Read James, Chapter Three—one of the best exhortations in the world to work on controlling our tongue!

3. The Heroic Moment.  

The Founder of Opus Dei coined the phrase, “The Heroic Moment”. By this, Saint Josemaria Escriva Balaguer asserts that as soon as we hear the alarm clock sound, we should spring from bed, say our morning prayers and start our day. The devil of laziness encourages us to push the snooze-button! I do not believe the snooze-button exists in the vocabulary and practice of the saints. What do you think?

4. Control those wandering eyes.  

The eyes are the mirror of the soul. The holy King David plunged into sin, then more sin leading to murder, for the simple reason that he allowed his eyes to wander. His eyes wandered and gazed upon a married woman—Bathsheba. Adulterous thoughts led to physical adultery, to denial of his sin, and eventually to killing an innocent man—the husband of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Let us strive to live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.” (Mt. 5: 8)

5. Punctuality.

Jesus says, “He who is faithful in the small things will be faithful in the larger things.” (Mt. 25: 23) Being punctual and on time is a sign of order, respect for others, and a means to accomplish tasks well and on time.

6. Listen to others.  

It is all too easy to interrupt others when they speak, and try to impose our own ideas even before the person has finished talking. Charity, which means love for God and for others, teaches us to respect others and allow them to speak without interrupting them. Listening to others is an act of humility—putting them before ourselves! Indeed, Jesus describes His Heart as meek and humble. (Mt. 11: 28-30) “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto yours.” 

7. Be thankful rather than complain.                                                                                                    Never allow a day to pass without thanking God. In truth, we should constantly be thanking God. All that we have, we received from God, except our sins! “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 118: 1). Furthermore, we should make it a habit to frequently give thanks to others. 

8. Smile, even when you don’t feel like smiling.

This indeed could be a great penance—to smile at somebody even when you are tired, have a headache, or a cold. A smile is something small, but it is contagious. Indeed, a sincere smile can lift those who see it from desolation to a state of consolation. One of the most evident signs of being a follower of Jesus is a smile of joy emanating from your face. “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4: 4)

9. Pray always, especially when you don’t feel like it.

Many of us, unfortunately, base our spiritual life on feelings which are ephemeral, transitory, and passing like the dew that evaporates in the morning sun. Our best example for prayer is, of course, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Lk. 22: 39-46) When Jesus was experiencing a mortal agony and desolation that drew huge drops of Blood from His pores, He did not feel like praying. Nonetheless, Jesus prayed all the more fervently.

Therefore, let us have a set time and place to pray every day, even when we do not feel like it. This is penance and true love for God! This is also a sign of true maturity in the faith!

10. Encouragement. 

Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement”, accompanied Saint Paul in his missionary work. (Acts 4: 36). Are we sons and daughters of encouragement? If not, let us get out of our egotistic shell and focus more on God and on seeing Jesus in others, imitating the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 25-37). Let us learn to be a Simon of Cyrene (Mt. 27: 30) and help our brothers and sisters burdened by the weight of a heavy cross. Let us lighten it by our encouraging words and a heart filled with love and compassion. Remember the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would like them to do to you.” (Mt. 7: 12) In the storms life, may our words of compassion and encouragement be a powerful wind in the sails for our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ!

IN CONCLUSION: Prayerfully read through these ten suggestions on how to fast by denying yourself, and choose at least one or two that you can start to practice right away. May Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel, help us to deny ourselves and echo Mary’s Yes by serving our brothers and sisters with a generous heart!