Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

SUNDAY, August 29th   Mk. 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23  “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

• This is not an easy meditation, but a necessary one. Let us ask Our Blessed Mother to help us pray over this meditation with her merciful and loving gaze upon us, and beg her for the grace to attain true purity of heart, mind, body and soul!
• Let us draw courage from No. 40 in Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in my Soul:

“When we had left our kneelers and had started to recite the formula for the vows, Jesus appeared suddenly at my side clad in a white garment with a golden girdle around His waist, and He said to me, I give you eternal love that your purity may be untarnished and as a sign that you will never be subject to temptations against purity. Jesus took off His golden cincture and tied it around my waist. Since then I have never experienced any attacks against this virtue, either in my heart or in my mind.

I later understood that this was one of the greatest graces which the Most Holy Virgin Mary had obtained for me, as for many years I had been asking this grace of Her. Since that time I have experienced an increasing devotion to the Mother of God. She has taught me how to love God interiorly and also how to carry out His holy will in all things, O Mary, You are joy, because through You God descended to earth [and] into my heart.”  

FIVE OBSTACLES TO ATTAINING PURITY OF HEART by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

For us to contemplate the beauty of God in heaven and even starting on earth, we must make a concerted effort to attain the most challenging virtue of Purity of Heart. Jesus taught this message with utmost clarity in the Sermon on the Mount, starting with the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

In this brief article we would like to present the many dangers that militate virulently against the acquisition of this most precious virtue, but also this most demanding virtue of chastity, purity of heart, so that one day we will all be able to contemplate the Face of God, what Saint Thomas Aquinas calls “The Beatific Vision of God”, with our eyes unveiled to contemplate the Face of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, if we are ignorant of the perils, dangers, pitfalls, and temptations that surround us then it will be much more difficult to reach our ultimate goal.

1. Our Three Major Obstacles

Born into the human condition, all of us (with the exception of Jesus and Mary) have to struggle against the three major obstacles to our spiritual life, our sanctification, and our eternal salvation:

1. the devil,

2. the flesh,

3. and the world.

God allows the devil to present to our imagination impure images. It is incumbent upon us to repudiate and reject them immediately! The world strives to present to us as glamorous immodesty, impurity, and sexual license as totally normal and acceptable.

As a result of Original Sin that we all inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, we are conceived and born with concupiscence, a term which simply means that we have innate tendencies toward sin. Among these is that of the Capital Sin of Lust which can be defined concisely as: “A disordered desire for sexual pleasure.” 

We all must contend with these enemies: the devil, the flesh, and the world! Good News: with God’s grace all is possible! As Saint Paul reminds us, in Christ we are all conquerors. (Rom. 8:37) Jesus said: “I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33)

2. Immodesty

Our Lady of Fatima stated that most souls are lost for all eternity to the fires of hell due to the breaking of the 6th and 9th Commandments—both refer to the virtue of purity, to the importance of living out chastity. Our Lady revealed to Jacinta in a later message that many marriages are not good.

Also, Our Lady stated that many immodest fashions will enter the world that will gravely offend God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that modesty is the guardian of the virtue of chastity. Therefore, immodesty in all forms is the gateway by which many sins of impurity are unfortunately committed.

3. Phones, Social Media, & the Internet

All of these can be used for the honor and glory of God—for preaching the Good News of the Gospel, as efficacious tools for evangelization, as the means to convert and save souls. This is all very true! However, social media is a two-edged sword; it can be used for immense good but it can also be used for incalculable evil.

Saint Ignatius teaches us in Principle and Foundation that we are called to use creation for the honor and glory of God and not as a means of our eternal perdition and destruction.

4. Pornography

Of course, an obvious sequel to the topic of the internet, telephone, and social media is the all-pervasive presence and use of pornography. Many have termed pornography the modern drug. By far it is the most pervasive, influential, and dominant vice and addiction, especially for men, although it is also growing in use among women. Its influence is devastating to say the least.

What then are the common effects of porn use?

a) Persons Become Objects

The person is no longer seen in their innate dignity and destiny, but rather as an object to be viewed, used, and discarded. Pope Francis mentions the concept of the “Throw-away society”.

b) Polluted Mind

The mind, which should be the seat and center for absorbing truth, is eventually turned into a cesspool of moral sewage. Instead of looking up to heaven, the individual focuses their eyes and attention on the lowly, earthly, sordid, and squalid which soon inundates their whole being.

c) Escalation

Sad to say, it often happens with respect to porn that the more it is viewed, the more one desires to view it and in more unhealthy doses.

d) Desensitization

The porn-viewer becomes more and more desensitized to what is pure, noble, good, and worthy of praise. Their mind, heart, and emotions become calloused, hardened.

e) Addiction

Seen as the modern drug, porn can easily form a quick addiction, and among younger and younger people. Studies have shown that it can be more powerful than addiction to certain drugs.

f) Acting upon Images

Still more, addiction to pornography can easily lead to actual sins against purity: masturbation, fornication, prostitution, adultery, incest, homosexual acts, etc. These actions can also become highly addictive.

g) Breakup of Families

On a very serious note, many families have been rent asunder due to the use of porn. Jesus raises the bar with respect to the importance of holiness in the realm of purity in His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt. 5:27-28)

What Jesus is really saying is that a married man who is purposely viewing pornography is really committing an act of unfaithfulness, an act of mental and emotional adultery against his wife. This can often result in ripping marriages apart while perpetrating and causing irreparable damage to the innocent children at stake.

h) Hatred for God

Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, stated that it often happens that those who have given themselves totally to the sin of lust and impurity end up by hating God. Could it be that many young people today have rejected the Church, the Sacraments, and a life of prayer due to slavery and addiction to some sexual sin with pornography as its motor-force?

i) Sadness

How often has it happened that parents look at a photo of their child when they made their First Communion and the child was radiating innocence, purity, and joy in their whole being! Now that the years have passed and their innocence has been destroyed due to exposure to and usage of porn, that joy has disappeared and a glum, gloomy, sadness fills their countenance. The culprit? Pornography!

j) Danger of Eternal Loss

Of most grave and serious import is that once a person has totally abandoned himself or herself to the vice of porn and impurity, if they die in this state with no signs of repentance, there is the real possibility of losing the Presence and Vision of God for all eternity. Our Lady of Fatima warned the world 100 years ago that sins of the flesh are the primary reason for the loss of souls in eternity!

5. The Hook-Up Culture and Premature Courtships

It must be said, in closing, that the modern society that promotes early, premature, and immature courtships easily militates against the virtue of purity. The Bible teaches that there is a time for everything underneath the sun. This includes a time and place for persons to establish a courtship that leads to marriage. It also means that the time and proper use of sexuality takes place only in the context of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

Sad to say, the whole idea of living together, trial marriage, cohabitation, call it whatever you want, is really a serious epidemic that is pervading the whole society. Sexuality has its proper place only between a man and woman who are married Sacramentally in the Church, in which both give themselves to each other as a gift of love and with the openness to life, that is to say, openness to procreation, to having children as a true gift from God.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are some of the major obstacles or road-blocks that prevent us from living out to the full this very demanding but very necessary virtue of purity. By our awareness and cognizance of these possible traps and pitfalls, as valiant soldiers of Jesus and Mary, we can be vigilant, prayerful, and energetic, and eventually win the battle of living out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.”  (Mt. 5:8) Then our reward will be to contemplate the Beatific Vision of the Face of God forever in heaven. May the pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary be our sure refuge in time and forever!

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

SATURDAY, August 28th   Mt. 25: 14-30   “You wicked, lazy servant! … Should you not have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?”

• Jesus has given each one of us talents of one kind or another. We will be judged on how we used or wasted these talents! How are you using your talents to love God and serve the Kingdom of God? Here are two diametrically opposed examples of two men who gave all they had.
• Let each one of us ask ourselves, what daily work, prayers and sufferings can I offer to please the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary and save souls?

PART ONE:  THE JUGGLER OF NOTRE DAME—MARY’S JUGGLER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

This is a fictitious religious story of a miracle that occurred in a Monastery. It was written and published by the French author Anatole France in 1892. Some consider it to be of the same literary genre as the modern Christmas Carol Little Drummer Boy.

THE THEME?  It is a charming story of a young man who is finally received into a Monastery of monks. However, all that he tries to do results in a dismal failure; he can’t seem to do anything right! The other monks in the monastery keep him out of compassion, despite his apparent uselessness.

THE HEART OF THE STORY.  However, one night a monk enters a room and finds the incompetent monk there with his back to him. The observing monk can hardly believe what he is seeing! What is happening is simple but captivating! Not able to do anything right in his own eyes or in the eyes of the other monks, the incompetent monk, whom we will now call The Juggler of Notre Dame is doing exactly what his name signifies: he is juggling balls and very well, almost as if he were a professional, standing in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A short time later, another monk happens by and observes the performance, then another, and still more monks arrive to observe this captivating scene. In time, the whole community has arrived. All the while, the Juggler of Notre Dame, oblivious to the presence of the monks at his back, keeps juggling. His juggling is not done to entertain the monks. Rather, the Juggler of Notre Dame is carrying out his performance as juggler for one person only. He desires to offer the only talent he has to Notre Dame—which in English is Our Lady.

PART TWO:  TEN LESSONS IN EVANGELIZATION FROM ST. FRANCIS XAVIER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Before St. Francis Xavier set out on his great mission, St. Ignatius spoke these final words to him: Go set all on fire! Francis embarked for India, then to Japan and died on the shore overlooking China. His missionary work was completed in only 11 years and he died of exhaustion at 46 years of age.

Like Francis Xavier, all followers of Christ are called to be prophets, evangelizers, and missionaries. Followers of Christ must strive to be encountering Christ as Friend and Lord and then share Jesus with others. It is a contradiction in terms to keep the priceless treasure of Friendship with Jesus to oneself. St. Andrew teaches us this lesson. After being called by Jesus, Andrew filled with joy hurries to tell the Good News (“Gospel”) to his brother Peter.

How did St. Francis Xavier, in such a short time, convert, baptize, and teach the Catholic faith to countless souls? What was his secret to success?

1. Spiritual Exercises   

His conversion came about by completing the Spiritual Exercises under the direction of St. Ignatius of Loyola himself. Ignatius challenged Xavier with the Biblical quotation: “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world if he loses his soul in the process?” (Mt. 16: 26) The Spiritual Exercises, done well, will enlighten, convert, and transform souls into fiery apostles.

2. Obedience

The Holy Father asked Ignatius to send some of his followers from the Order of Jesus to India and the Far East, and Francis Xavier obeyed. Obedience to God, the Pope, and the Church is always a true sign of holiness by which God blesses with abundant graces. “Lord, not my will but yours be done!” (Lk. 22: 42) Prayer of Jesus to the Father in the Garden of Olives.

3. Love for Poverty

Upon arriving in India, Xavier’s heart overflowed with love for the poor of the country. His love knew no bounds. Instead of seeking out comfortable lodgings and ease, Xavier decided to live with the poor, sleep like the poor, eat and drink with the poor, and become poor himself. Jesus’s first Beatitude exemplifies this attitude of heart: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5: 3).

4. Love for God’s Children

Jesus taught love for children. “Let the children come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 19: 14) Francis Xavier loved the children and they loved him. He taught them their catechism, as well as their prayers. Such was the love the children had for him that barely did he have time to say his prayers or even eat!

5. Apostolic Creativity  

St. Francis Xavier was a genius, especially as a teacher and missionary. As a tool for memorization of the catechism, Xavier made use of song. In simple verse and rhyme, Francis taught the children the basic teachings of the catechism.

Then the children then would return home and sing the catechism, thereby teaching their own parents. Pope Saint John Paul II exhorted followers of Christ to be open to the Holy Spirit, as well as apostolic creativity. Jesus said to Nicodemus that the spirit blows where He wills. Like Xavier, let us be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit and follow where He wills!

6. Baptism 

It all starts with the sacrament of Baptism. After instructions, Francis Xavier would baptize by the thousands! He baptized so many that sometimes, at the end of the day, he could no longer hold up his arm.

7. Ordering the Disorder

This great saint, after finishing his time in one place, would leave well-formed catechists to carry on with the mission of forming the people in the community. Now, more than ever, zealous priests need zealous lay leaders to help to carry on the task of evangelization. “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few.” (Mt. 9: 37)

8. Inculturation

While traveling to Japan, St. Francis Xavier had to learn the social mores and customs of another country. In this case, seeing someone dressed in rags caused revulsion to the Emperor. As St. Paul says, “I become all things to all men so as to win as many to Christ as possible.” (1 Cor. 9: 19-22) Xavier donned the most elegant clothes fashionable and gave gifts to the Emperor, thereby winning the Emperor’s friendship and opening up the door to the preaching of the Gospel message.

9. Prayer & Penance

It is impossible to find a saint who did not take the “two P’s” seriously: prayer and penance! 

At the end of his exhausting day, St. Francis Xavier spent hours in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord, and imploring for the sanctification and salvation of the people God placed in his path. The consolation that God sent Francis Xavier during his prayers was so intense that the saint begged the Lord “basta” — “enough” of the consolation, lest he die of its intensity!

May St. Francis Xavier attain for us the fire of intensity in our prayers! How did the saint practice penance? One way: he slept very little, so as to accompany the Lord and offer himself as victim for the salvation of souls.

10. Apostolic Zeal

A favorite prayer of St. Francis Xavier was, “Give me souls!” Another saint who had a similar motto was Saint John Bosco, whose motto was posted on the wall of his office: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” St. John of the Cross asserted: “Authentic charity is manifested by apostolic zeal.”

Indeed, if we truly love God then we should love what God loves—the salvation of immortal souls. In the Office of Readings for the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, in a letter written to St. Ignatius, there is a passionate appeal for more workers to gather in the harvest, specifically reproaching the proud and learned at the universities. The words of Xavier explode with apostolic zeal and intense suffering for the salvation of immortal souls.   

Let us meditate attentively the words of St. Francis Xavier:

“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman. Riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity. ‘What a tragedy; how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!’ I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.” (Office of Readings, Dec. 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier)

Memorial of Saint Monica

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

THURSDAY, August 26th   Mt. 24: 42-51   “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.”

• We have to stay awake for we do not know the day or the hour when the thief (the enemy of our soul) is coming to plunder and steal our families, our children, our very lives, both physically and spiritually.
• Never has the human person created by God and the family been under more attack than in these times.
• Our soul and the souls of our families are in the balance. Fr. Ed gives us guidance and counsel for these challenging times.   

SAINT MONICA AND TROUBLED FAMILIES by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Never has the world been given so much easy access to information. With a click or two you can obtain almost any information your heart desires: from the number of people living in Antarctic to the different variations of alligators, as well as crocodiles. Indeed, the rapid access to any form of information makes our head spin.

At the same time, never has the world experienced so much confusion, tension, disorder and dysfunction. Three generations back, most families would be considered stable and relatively happy. If we can use the term, functional families as opposed to dysfunctional families. Separations and divorces were an exception to the rule.

Recent Church documents and teachings have strongly insisted upon the indispensable necessity of the family, a strong family, a stable family, a permanent family. The family has been termed “The Domestic Church”, the basic cell and building block of society. Pope Saint John Paul II asserted that the way the family goes is the way the society goes.

World History has proven a hard but stark truth: the unraveling, demise and destruction of the family results in the unraveling of the society as a whole.  

Children without the love, support, teaching authority, presence and permanence of Mom and Dad, grow up with fears, insecurities, as well as gaping emotional wounds.

All of us carry within our heart wounds from society, but also from our own families. We are all wounded due to Original Sin, our personal sins, and family structural sins. If these wounds are not addressed and brought to sources of healing then the wounds become gaping that spread out like tentacles to wound others.

This being said, there was an extraordinary woman who experienced enormous family problems, gaping wounds, excruciating pains and sufferings. However, she did not throw in the towel or give up. Rather, she sought the healing source and saved her family, being instrumental in the total conversion and sanctification of especially one of her family members.

The same of this person is SAINT MONICA, and her son, who was converted by God’s grace, mediated through her prayers, tears, patience and sacrifices is the great SAINT AUGUSTINE.

THE LIFE AND EXAMPLE OF SAINT MONICA

The life and example of St. Monica can truly spur us on, especially as Mothers, to never give up, but rather to fight the good fight and run the good race so as to receive the merited crown that God has in store for us.  

The following are some details of the life of Saint Monica for our reflection, meditation, prayer, and imitation so that we choose her as our very special patron saint in these troubling times, especially for the family.

1. TIME FRAME.  Saint Monica was born 332 and died 387—55 years to prepare for her heavenly reward. She was born in a Roman colony of Tagaste, North Africa.  She was living at the time of two other Western Fathers of the Church—Saint Ambrose of Milan and the great Bible Scholar, Saint Jerome.

2.  STRICT FORMATION.  Her parents relied upon a very demanding woman to raise Monica. One of the rules of discipline was to avoid drinking between meals. Unfortunately, Monica, on the sly, would slip into the wine cellar and sip some of the wine. This went on and Monica eventually began to drink more and more. On one occasion, Monica severely rebuked one of the servants and this servant responded by calling Monica A DRUNK!!!  Instead of exploding and laying into the servant, Monica accepted this rebuke and gave up drinking altogether. Therefore, we see even from a young age the humility of Monica, in her willingness to accept fraternal correction and to change, to be converted!

3. UNHAPPY MARRIAGE.  Monica desired to spend time in prayer and reflection, but her parents wanted her to marry and they chose Patricius (Patrick). The man was a hard-worker, but had serious moral flaws. He often drank too much, he was a womanizer, and he had a very violent temper. Monica patiently put up with his glaring flaws and prayed for him.

4. HOW TO WIN THE BATTLE.  Many of Monica’s women-friends ended up with cuts and bruises because they would fight with their husbands when their husbands were in a bad temper. Patricius never lifted a finger against Monica. Why? When she saw her husband in a bad temper, she maintained silence and prayed for him. A great lesson for us on how to deal with people when they are in a bad mood. It takes two to fight and if she would not fight, then the fight would soon come to an end!

5. CONVERSION.  Before his death, due to the prayers of Monica, Patricius was converted. He was baptized and seemed to have died having made his peace with God. Monica also lived with a bitter and gossipy mother-in-law. In time she was also converted! The power of prayer, penance, and patience!

6. REBELLIOUS SON.  Of their three children—two boys and a girl—one of the son’s caused Monica countless sufferings. His name was Augustine. His father, Patricius died when Augustine was 17. Patricius had cared very little about the moral and spiritual formation of Augustine. What mattered to his father were good grades in school, physical prowess and fame. Therefore, as a teen and young man Augustine was proud, vain, and especially lustful. His passions were never controlled, so they controlled him, and he became a slave to his sexual passions.

7. SICKNESS AND A FAILED PROMISE.  In his youth, Augustine contracted a serious illness that led him to death’s door. He made a promise to God that if he were healed, he would become a Catholic. He was indeed healed but reneged on his promise to be baptized and embrace the Christian faith!

8. RELIGIOUS SECT.  In the meantime, Augustine succumbed to following a Religious Sect called the Manicheans. He was attached to this anti-Christian sect for several years. This caused his Mother Monica even greater consternation and suffering.

9. MONICA’S CONSOLING DREAM.  A resplendent figure appeared to Monica in a dream, reassuring her that Augustine would return to her. This dream consoled her and gave her great hope that Augustine would one day become a follower of Christ. Later on, the famous saintly Bishop, Saint Ambrose made this consoling comment to Monica: “It is impossible to lose a son after shedding so many tears.”

10. TRICKED BY HER SON, BUT PERSEVERING… When Augustine was 29, he decided to travel to Rome to exercise his profession of Rhetoric—the art of public speaking.  Monica desired more than anything else the conversion of her son. Augustine told her to go into a nearby Church to pray, then he boarded the ship and left her praying. She took another ship and followed him to Italy. Despite the many contradictions and setbacks Monica never gave up. Biblically, she can be compared to the insistent widow who was rebuffed by the Judge, she persisted until he gave her justice. (Lk. 18:1-8) What an example for Mothers struggling with family problems and praying for the final victory!

11. SAINT AMBROSE: INFLUENCE ON MONICA AND AUGUSTINE… God often uses secondary causes to carry out His plans. The secondary cause often are people, and saintly people on the path. Such is the case in the lives of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine. That person was Saint Ambrose. Man of God, preacher, teacher, writer, intellectual, Saint Ambrose left a profound mark on both Monica and Augustine, but in different ways.  Augustine was drawn by the words of truth that flowed from the heart of this great Doctor of the Church. But also, Ambrose was truly the Father-figure that Augustine never had, but desperately needed. The firm character, generous self-giving, courage in facing conflicts, and overflowing love and mercy exuding from Ambrose moved Augustine closer and closer to God. With respect to Monica, it was his attentive listening to her problems and broken heart, as well as the good advice Ambrose instilled in her Motherly heart that gave her confidence that one day her rebellious son would leave his sinful lifestyle and abandon himself to God. Ambrose reassured Monica with these consoling words: “It is impossible to lose a son after shedding so many tears.”

12. THE KEY-CONVERSION MOMENT.  Monica had been praying, weeping, offering sacrifices and her sufferings for many years. Augustine was already 31 when the key moment arrived. Augustine was in the Garden and he heard a voice that sounded like that of a child, which invited him: “Take and read.” He picked up Sacred Scripture and read from the Letter to the Romans: “Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:13-14). Finally, after long years of struggle, Augustine willfully determined to renounce and abandon slavery to his sexual passions. Before then he would pray: “Lord, give me chastity: but not yet!” Now was the time to give up the works of the flesh, abandon the darkness, and walk in the light.

13. NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.  Augustine told his Mother Monica of his decision, as well as the saintly Bishop Ambrose. He was baptized, putting on the new man Jesus Christ, and shedding the old skins of the flesh. The joy of Saint Monica had no limits! To finally see her rebellious son renounce his sinful lifestyle with a firm decision to follow Jesus was the fruit of long years of prayer, copious tears, intense sacrifices, and frequent consultations.

14. NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE.  Filled with joy and ready to return home to Africa, Monica had seen all her dreams realized. Her husband Patricius was converted and baptized before he died. Her gossipy and bitter Mother-in-law also was converted. But most important: her rebellious son, enslaved by his passions until he was 31 years of age, had been converted and given over to Christ; now Monica was ready to leave this world and go to her eternal reward.

15. CONVERSATION AT OSTIA.  After Augustine’s conversion, he and his Mother Monica were deeply engrossed in a profound conversation on what it would be like in Heaven. Filled with joy and consolation, both shared their thoughts on their eternal Heavenly Home. Saint Paul reminds us of the joys of Heaven: “Eye has not seen; ear has not heard nor has it entered the mind of man the joys that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) How important it is for all of us to meditate often on Heaven and the joys of Heaven, and the steps we should take to attain Heaven!

16. MONICA’S DEATH.  Within about five days of their conversation, Monica fell sick with a high fever, then she lost consciousness. When she came to, she seemed to have lost the sense of where she was. Both her sons were present, aware that their Mother Monica was about to die. Augustine was holding back his tears, how much he really did love his mother. How important it is for us to be close to our loved ones when they are dying, if God gives us the opportunity.

17. HER GREATEST DESIRE AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH.  Monica’s other son told her that he would provide for transporting her body back to Africa to be buried. Filled with sadness and anguish over this earthly desire of her son, Monica rebuked him for this silly talk. Monica’s great desire, after she died, was that she would be remembered in prayers. That she would be remembered at the Mass. How important to pray for the living and their conversion, but also to pray for the dead.

18. HER SUFFERING BECAME MORE INTENSE.  As Monica spoke, her suffering increased. She was approaching the critical moment of her departure from this life to the next. Indeed, suffering has infinite value when it is accepted and united to the cross of Jesus.

19. THE DEATH OF MONICA AND FUTURE OF AUGUSTINE.  Saint Monica died in the odor of sanctity. Augustine would eventually become a priest, and then a Bishop. As a Bishop, he became a true Pastor of souls. He fought bravely against the many heresies of the day: Manicheism, Arianism, and Donatism. He became one of the most prolific and profound writers in the History of Catholicism and the world at large. His greatest classic is his own Autobiography, Confessions. He is a Father and Doctor of the Church, given the title, “Doctor of grace.”

20. SAINT MONICA’S LESSONS ARE MANY: LET US PRAY AND MEDITATE UPON THEM:

1)   HUMILITY.  Her willingness to accept fraternal correction as a child (to give up her drinking) and to change her life. We are all called to be corrected many times and to undergo daily conversion.

2)   MARRIAGE.  She married a bad man—Patricius (Patrick) and suffered unspeakable pains. Let us help our young people to be very careful in their choice of a future spouse. This is the most important decision in their life on a human level!

3)   HOW TO TREAT ANGRY HUSBANDS AND ANGRY PEOPLE.  When relatives or friends are emotionally distraught and angry, it is better not to rebuke them, try to change them, or yell at them. This is like throwing a rock at a hornet’s nest; it only incites them to greater anger. A better solution: silence, prayer and patience!

4)   CONTRADICTIONS AND SETBACKS—PERSEVERE!  When things did not go her way, Monica did not give up and throw the towel in.  Quite the contrary!  Like the Parable of the insistent widow, Monica persevered in prayer and confidence in God.

5)   THE SECRET TO UNLOCKING GOD’S HEART AND CONVERSIONS: THE FIVE P’S—PRAYER, PENANCE, PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, POISE.  Saint Monica availed herself of the following keys to unlock God’s heart and to attain conversion. She prayed constantly; she practiced penance and fasting; she exercised the patience of Job; she did not give up, but persevered, and with great poise! In all of this Monica never lost her dignity, but maintained great nobility of character! These are the Five-P’s that we must wield for the conversion of our family members!

6)   FAMILY CONVERSION. Not only was Augustine converted, but also her husband Patricius, and her mother-in-law. In a word, the whole family was converted due to God’s grace and the holiness of one person in the family—Saint Monica. Families today can still be converted by the holiness of life of individual family members!

7)   SPIRITUAL DIRECTION AND CONSULTATION.  Monica did not keep her problems to herself and allow her desolation to build up within her. Rather, she shared her problems with her spiritual director—the great Bishop, Saint Ambrose. How important it is for us to have some spiritual person with whom we can vent, share and express our anguish!

8)   HER LOVE FOR HER SON AUGUSTINE.  Of primary importance was Monica’s love for God, but also her love for her son, Augustine. Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love as: “Willing the good of the other.” The greatest good is the salvation of our soul!

9)  THE LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, HELL AND PURGATORY.  Shortly before Monica dies overlooking Ostia, she contemplates and speaks about Heaven with Augustine. She worries little about her place of burial but that she be remembered after she dies, in prayers and especially in Holy Mass. She dies and takes flight to Heaven. May we often meditate upon the Last Things!

10. MONICA’S LESSON TODAY FOR MOTHERS.  Today more than ever Mothers can easily identify with Saint Monica, assaulted by so many problems! Unbelieving husbands, or husbands with vices or multiple vices, rebellious sons and daughters, gossipy in-laws—may we look to the example of Saint Monica and utilize the Five P’s Program For Conversion: Prayer, Penance, Patience, Perseverance, Poise!

FINAL PRAYER:

God of mercy, comfort of those in sorrow, the tears of Saint Monica moved you to convert her son Saint Augustine to the faith of Christ. By their prayers, help us to turn from our sins and to find your loving kindness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

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

WEDNESDAY, August 25th   Mt. 23: 27-32   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

• Today, in contrast to the Pharisees, we will meditate on what is beautiful. We will consider the beauty of Jesus Christ, God become man for our eternal salvation!

Part 1:

The Beauty of Holiness… by Dietrich von Hildebrand (+1977)

When we are profoundly affected by the beauty of purity, or when we speak of the beauty acquired by a soul through humility, we are concentrating on a radiance of the inner quality of these virtues… this beauty is the foundation of love. The divine beauty of Jesus, the beauty of the Saint of all saints, inflames our heart. It shone resplendent on the Apostles on Tabor; the beauty of his divine mercy melted the heart of Mary Magdalen. The irresistible divine beauty of Jesus not only moves our will, but attracts our heart.

Part 2 Intro by editor:

In Sinu Jesu was written primarily for priests. However, in the introduction, the priest-monk invites those laity who feel called, to enter into deeper union with our Eucharistic Lord by reading these words of Jesus spoken to them, and then enter into a communion of prayer for priests. Monk: I have been repeatedly told by Our Lord Himself that His words are meant for the blessing, instruction, and comfort of many Christians today, above all, His beloved priests.

Part 2:

IN SINU JESU: WHEN HEART SPEAKS TO HEART! (Journal of a priest at prayer/a Benedictine monk) by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Writing as a priest for more than 33 years, and being also a Religious priest consecrated and given to Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary, I honestly believe that if priests can find time to read, meditate and pray over the book In Sinu Jesus, their lives will be transformed.

In this brief article we will highlight the essential points and messages in this text with the purpose of encouraging priests—myself included—to fall in love with their priesthood by falling in love with our Model, Friend, and Guide, Jesus the High Priest and Savior of the world.

Incidentally, this book can of course be read and prayed over by lay-people—married people or any person of good-will. The net result will be deeper friendship with Jesus, as well as a greater love and understanding for the Catholic Church and the essential role that priests play in the building up of the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church, the Universal Sacrament of salvation.

To facilitate the reading of this article, I will highlight ten of the most salient messages contained in this modern spiritual gem. May you treasure them and find a place for them in the depths of your heart.

1. FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS.  At the Last Supper, which was the first Mass, on Holy Thursday in the Cenacle or the Upper Room, Jesus left us His Last Supper Discourse—Jn. Chap 13-17. Among the sublime words of truth that issued from the Sacred Heart of Jesus were these simple words: “I call you FRIENDS…” A priest must be firmly convinced of Jesus’ ardent desire to enter into a friendship with him that is dynamic and strong—that is to say, that will grow stronger as the days, weeks and years transpire. The priest is never alone because Jesus is at his side as his Best Friend. In Spanish, “El Amigo que nunca fall…” — The Friend that never fails!

2. FREQUENT VISITS AND CONVERSATIONS.  A true friendship cannot subsist if there is little to no contact between the friends. Therefore, the priest should have an earnest yearning and longing to spend time, in quality as well as length, with Jesus. In the words of the Psalmist: “As the deer yearns for the running streams so my soul yearns for you, O Lord my God.” (Psalm 42:1)

3. PRIVILEGED PLACE OF ENCOUNTER: THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. True friends seek out propitious places for encounter. In this encounter between the priest and his Friend Jesus, the best place is in Church in front of the Blessed Sacrament, if exposed so much the better. As the text repeats time and time again, the priest will find consolation, light, peace and strength contemplating the Eucharistic Face of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, prayer is a Face to Face and Heart to Heart encounter and dialogue with Jesus.

4. ADORATION.  Jesus earnestly yearns for priests who will come to adore Him. Friendship with Jesus must be ardent, frequent and dynamic. However, we should never be oblivious to the fact that Jesus also is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. As such He merits sublime praise, glory and adoration. Two very appropriate short Eucharistic prayers are: “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine” and “O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

5. THANK HIM.  Given that Jesus has given us so much, all that we are and all that we have, what necessarily flows is an attitude of gratitude, the urgent need to thank the Lord Jesus. Everything, except our sins which we have willfully chosen, are gratuitous gifts that Jesus has given to us. In the words of the Greek poet by Saint Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) By the way, the word Eucharist actually means thanksgiving. A grateful heart overflowing with noble sentiments of thanksgiving is very pleasing to God and is preparing the terrain for future abundant blessings.

6. REPARATION.  Unfortunately, within the Church, and sad to say even within the priesthood there exists at times, coldness, apathy, indifference and lukewarmness.  Jesus came to cast fire on the earth, the fire of His love for the salvation of immortal souls. However, all too many hearts are both cold and indifferent. Many years ago, when the Sacred Heart appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Aloqoque in Paray le Monial convent in France, Jesus complained, displaying His Sacred Heart from which flared out fire: “Behold the Heart that has loved so much and receives only ingratitude and indifference in return. Console my Heart.” A true priest friend of Jesus will be drawn magnetically to the Tabernacle, to the Eucharistic Lord, and there to offer prayers of sorrow, contrition, and reparation for such widespread coldness and indifference, sometimes even among the ranks of the clergy!

7. CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD, HE CARES FOR YOU.  These words are taken from one of the Letters of the Apostle Saint Peter. We all have problems, some of us many, and at times very heavy ones. An essential part of true Friendship with Jesus is the honest and humble acknowledgment to Jesus that we have problems weighing down upon us. Jesus longs for us to tell Him about these problems; moreover, He desires to help us with them. When kept to ourselves, these problems result in depression and deep sadness. May we take these words of Jesus to heart: “Come to me all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11: 28-30) A problem shared is a problem halved.

8. TEMPTATIONS AND MORAL FAILURES—SINS!  According to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen the most important title that can be given to Jesus is that of Savior.  In other words, the primary reason for the Incarnation and the Paschal Mystery—the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus—was to save us from our sins and eternal death. For priests to be truly good confessors to their penitents, they must first be good penitents and experience the infinite mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In Sinu Jesu invites the priest to strive to go to Confession to another priest on a weekly basis so as to cultivate delicacy of conscience and purity of heart! St. Paul’s words have immense encouragement: “Where sin abounds the grace of God abounds all the more.” (Rom 5:20)

9. LOVE FOR THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.  Of course the highest form of prayer that a priest can offer is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In this most sublime and august Sacrament, the priest unites himself most intimately with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Mystery of His Paschal Mystery, in Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection. All the fruits of Calvary that first Good Friday become a reality in every Mass that is celebrated. Upon receiving Holy Communion, the priest receives the total Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And in all truth, the priest receives a Spiritual-Heart transplant in every Mass and Holy Communion. How great is our God and how loving He is to us His children!

10. MARY, THE LOVING MOTHER OF PRIESTS.  In Sinu Jesu is replete with abundant references to the relationship between the priest and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The priest must get to know Mary, talk to Mary, confide in Mary, seek consolation and comfort in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, entrust and consecrate his life and priesthood to Mary, and love Mary as his most tender and loving Mother, our life, our sweetness and our hope. (The Hail Holy Queen). For this reason, the Lord Jesus wants all priests to strive to imitate the beloved Apostle and Disciple Saint John, as depicted on the front cover of In Sinu Jesu. Indeed, it was to Saint John that Jesus entrusted His Mother Mary as He hung on the cross: “When Jesus saw His Mother there whom He loved, he said to His Mother, Woman, Behold your son. Then He said to the disciple, Behold your Mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (Jn. 19: 26-27) Every priest must, in imitation of Saint John, have a filial and tender love for Mary, the Mother of all priests. In the midst of the sorrows, trials, sufferings and dark clouds in the life of the priest, Mary is the Morning Star, the Star of the Sea, the Mystical Rose, the Glimmer of Hope, the True Gate and Ladder to Heaven.

In conclusion, we invite all priests and lay-people to purchase, read, meditate upon and pray with the inspiring IN SINU JESU. We encourage all lay people to pray for priests, support priests, encourage priests, offer sacrifices for priests, and love your priests. The love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus passes through the heart of the priest!