Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14th    Mt. 19: 13-15   “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’”

• Jesus gave His followers and us this further caution: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.“ (Mt. 18:5-6)
• Saturday is Our Lady’s Day. Our Lord and Our Lady have a great love for children and want us to protect the innocence of children.  Let us pray with Fr. Ed’s meditation on reparation to the Immaculate of Mary and Sacred Heart of Jesus!

OUR LADY’S GREAT LOVE FOR CHILDREN! By Fr Ed Broom, OMV

Reparation for those who turn children against Mary.

Jesus said with great tenderness and love flowing from His Sacred Heart: “Let the little children come to me.” (Mt. 19:14) Jesus also said: “Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (Mt. 18:3) Indeed, Jesus had a very special love and special place for children in His tender and loving Sacred Heart. Some of the most beautiful and moving artistic depictions of Jesus demonstrate Jesus embracing and blessing the little children. All are moved by the compassion and deep love the Sacred Heart of Jesus has for the little ones—the innocent children.

OUR LADY AND CHILDREN.  Saint Therese of the Child Jesus once said of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “Our Lady is Queen of Heaven and earth, but she is more Mother than Queen.” Of all the magnificent titles given to Mary, the greatest of her titles is that of MOTHER OF GOD. How true, Mary is the Mother of God, but Mary’s Maternity, her Motherhood, extends to all. Mary is the Mother of Jesus first and above all, but also, we are the children of Mary and she is our loving and tender Mother. From the cross Jesus gave Mary to us in the person of Saint John: “Woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy Mother. From that moment the beloved disciple took Mary into his home.” (Jn. 19: 26-27) The classical interpretation of this passage is most clearly that Jesus gave Mary to John, and in John we are all present as her children, and Mary is our most compassionate, tender and loving Mother.

MARY’S SPECIAL LOVED ONES: THE CHILDREN.  At Fatima, Our Lady could have decided to appear to adults, the well-educated, the rich and famous, the stars of the world. But that was not the case! Mary, as loving Mother, chose to reveal herself to three little Shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. At that time, the three could not even read and write. Our Lady appeared to them, speaking to them, teaching them, encouraging then, supporting them and preparing these little children to carry out a world-wide mission. God and His Mother have their mysterious ways!

OUR LADY’S SUFFERINGS: HER SORROWFUL HEART SURROUNDED BY THORNS.   Our Lady revealed her sufferings by means of her Immaculate Heart surrounded and pierced by sharp thorns. We have all experienced being pierced by a sharp thorn and being cut; imagine the piercing of a tender heart, the Heart of Mary! Our Lady revealed one of the piercing thorns that causes her so much intense suffering. We are called to meditate upon this thorn now. However, we would like to console our loving Mother in her sufferings. We would like to repair for these sufferings; we would most earnestly desire to remove the thorn piercing her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart and replace it with beautiful and fragrant roses. How can we do this? By the recitation of the most Holy Rosary!

THE SOURCE AND REASON FOR ONE OF THE THORNS AND HER SUFFERINGS.

“Blasphemies of those who seek openly to foster in the hearts of children indifference or contempt and even hatred for the Immaculate Heart of Mary and her holy images.”

OTHER THORNS: PRESENT MORAL DANGERS FOR CHILDREN.  Now more than ever before in the world, children are being exposed to so much moral peril and danger, especially for their minds, their hearts, and their immortal souls. For this reason, we so ardently desire to consecrate the families, the youth, and in a special way, the children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us place the children in the most pure, holy, and Immaculate Heart of Mary as a sure and safe refuge, especially in these specific areas of grave peril and danger.

1. SCHOOL AGENDA. Parents today need to be extremely wary about modern education, now on all levels, that insists on forcing children to be exposed to an aberrant and perverse sexual ethic. When children should not even be exposed to this topic, it is being forced upon them, and as a consequence, forcing them to lose their innocence. The happy, jubilant, and exuberant radiance of innocent children is being poisoned at younger and younger ages. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is pierced to see her little children inundated with impurity!

2. IMMODEST SOCIAL MILIEUX. Our Lady said about 100 years ago that immodest fashions would enter the world that would offend God gravely. Children exposed to immodesty and immorality pierces deeply the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Once a bad image is engraved in the memory of a person, it is difficult to erase.

3. DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES. Whether we like it or not we must humbly admit that we live in a dysfunctional world, a dysfunctional society, and often a dysfunctional family, all stemming from Original Sin and personal sin. Of course, this dysfunctional quality of the family, in which many children are being fostered and raised today, has deep-seated repercussions. For that reason, the famous Rosary-priest, Venerable Father Patrick Peyton never tired of promoting the safeguarding, the protection, and the salvation of the family through the presence and the intercession of Mary and the most Holy Rosary. These two immortal sayings from Peyton resound true now more than ever: “The family that prays together, stays together” and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” For this reason, we most earnestly exhort all families to pray the Rosary together for the reparation and prevention of children being morally damaged, as well as for the healing of children who have already been wounded.

4. ELECTRONIC MEDIA: THE WRONG IMAGES. We live in a world controlled by images: pictures, T.V., movies, the Internet with Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and the use of the modern cellphone. All of these can be used for good and even for the promotion of the Gospel values. But also, on the contrary, they can be used for selfish, egotistic, lustful, sinful and materialistic motives. Children today live in the social media of the electronic world and it is unavoidable. Exposure to these powerfully negative images can rob the children of their innocence and at an ever more tender age. For that reason, Our Lady’s Heart is pierced and for that reason we insist on consecrating our families to the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary in union and conjunction with Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta Marto.

5. ANTI-CATHOLIC AND ANTI-MARIAN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. One of the saddest facts of Modern America is the phenomena of the militant spread of many religious Sects, among the most prominent being the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons, as well as many others. Statistics prove that most of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as the majority of Mormons, also known as the Latter-day Saints, used to be Catholics. Our Lady suffers immensely due to this reality. One of the reasons for the great suffering of the Immaculate Heart of Mary over the religious sects is that they reject Mary and her key role in the economy of salvation. Her images are rejected, her name despised, and her maternal influence totally disdained and rejected. Saint Louis de Montfort asserted with force: “He who does not have Mary as Mother, does not have God as Father.”

Children who are brought up and raised in this environment where Mary is ignored, insulted, rejected or blasphemed will find it difficult, if not impossible to heal this “Spiritual Mother wound” that is so deeply immersed and embedded in their hearts. The Remedy? Father Robert Fox wrote very eloquently on Our Lady of Fatima presenting her as a modern Catechist. Now more than ever, we live in a world with an enormous amount of information—an information highway! However, at the same time, we have never lived in a world with so much confusion, and that includes widespread ignorance in the religious sphere about Catholicism! To save our children from this deluge of evil, let us make a concerted effort as parents to educate our children in knowledge of the Lord, a healthy fear of the Lord—that is to say, fear of offending Him, and love for the Lord and the Catholic Church. Let us pray to Mary, Catechist par excellence to come to our assistance.

CONCLUSION. To conclude our reflection, with great hope and trust let us open our eyes wide to the reality surrounding our family and our children and humbly acknowledge the wolves that are on the prowl day and night. Starting with the noxious and poisonous agenda in modern education which is brain-washing our children as to the purpose of the human person and the end and purpose of human sexuality. We cry out: wolf! Let us acknowledge the fact that the world-at-large, often the theater of the enemy, displays the human person as a mere object. We cry out: wolf! Who can deny that the Domestic church—the family, the basic cell of society, is in grave danger with lasting repercussions on the children. Again, we cry out wolf on the prowl! The electronic media can turn into an ugly monster present in every modern American home. We cry out wolf, wolf, wolf!!! Finally, due to rampant ignorance and confusion even within the context of the Church, many exit the Church, thereby embracing a false religion that rejects Mary, makes fun of Mary, insults Mary or is totally indifferent to the person and importance of Mary. We must defend ourselves and our children from such ravenous wolves!!!

Therefore, let us consecrate ourselves and our children—our entire family to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us beg pardon for the sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and offer due reparation. Most especially, let us love the Immaculate Heart of Mary and let her love us. Let us find a sure and lasting refuge in two safe havens: the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13th    Mt. 19: 3-12   Jesus said, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

• Marriage is not just about a man and a woman who fall in love and want to spend their lives together; marriage is about a family! Fr. Ed gives us Ten Vitamins to Vitalize Families.

10 TIPS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR CATHOLIC HOME by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Opening our eyes, we can see that the family is in serious crisis. This being the case, as followers of Christ and defenders of the Domestic Church—the family—let us launch a concerted effort to save our children, save our young, by means of saving our families. Pessimism, cynicism, and skepticism must not reign in our hearts, but rather confidence and hope that we can help construct a better world by striving for better, more holy families.

Therefore, we would like to offer Ten Vitamins to Vitalize Families. By this we mean to offer ten concrete suggestions to help all of us purify, improve, and perfect our families. Saint Pope John Paul II expressed this truth so clearly: The family is the basic building block of society. He also said: As the family goes, so goes the society. Hopefully these suggestions will truly make a difference in your struggle to form a good family. Never forget the consoling words of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary that we read in the Annunciation: “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Lk. 1:37)

1. FAMILY PRAYER

One of the primary reasons for fights, quarrels, bitterness, coldness, and eventually separations is the lack of prayer in the family. What oxygen is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul. Prayer should be at the very center and heart of family life. Remember the words of the famous Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together, stays together.”

2. THE FATHER AS HEAD OF THE FAMILY

When possible, the Father must be the head of the family, and the Mother should be the very heart of the family. May the Father assume the role of Spiritual Leader of the family! If you like, the Father should be the priest of the family. This means, the Father should say Yes to life. The Father should love his wife and children. The Father should be the spiritual leader of his family and this means the leader in the prayer life of his family. The most splendid example for a Father would be the best of Fathers, good Saint Joseph!

3. FORGIVENESS AND MERCY

In many families coldness, indifference, and even bitterness permeate the entire family fabric. Why? One of the reasons is due to a lack of forgiveness. Family members must be merciful and forgive, and not just seven times, but seventy times seven times—meaning always! If we want to be forgiven, then we must forgive others from our hearts. The Our Father commands this: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

4. WINNING AND VICTORIOUS WORDS

The British poet, Alexander Pope penned these words: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Family members, cultivating true humility of heart, must learn to say these words: “I am sorry…” and equally important, “I forgive you!” These words said often and with humility of heart can save families!

5. SERVANT ATTITUDE

Jesus, Son of the living God, washed the feet of the Apostles at the Last Supper. He Himself stated: “The Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve and give His life in ransom for many.” (Mt. 20:28) Each and every individual family member must not look to be served, but to be always ready to serve the other members in the family. Love and service are really synonymous.

6. EXPRESS GRATITUDE

Even though it is small, and at times seems to be almost insignificant, these two words can add a condiment to the family recipe, and these two words are Thank you! Saint Ignatius of Loyola asserted: “The essence of sin is ingratitude.” Cultivate in your family an attitude of gratitude! Gratitude when a family member does something for us. And gratitude to God each and every day for our life, for our family, for our faith. In sum, what do we have that we have not received from God? Only one thing: our sins—these we chose for ourselves. God loves a humble and grateful heart!

7. TAKE A BREAK FROM GADGETS

A key time in family life must be the meal time. Normally it is when the family connects, comes together to share experiences, to spend time with each other, to bond with each other, in a word, to grow in love with each other. Our Lord’s Last Commandment was: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn. 13:34)

There is a comic strip with a family all sitting together on the same big couch. The Father is watching TV, the mother is on her tablet, the son is playing a computer game on his laptop, the teenage daughter is sending a text from her phone, and the family dog has earphones on. We laugh at this, but we also weep, because we can see our own family in this comic strip. Therefore remember, at meal times—even though it might be a mere 25-30 minutes —no phones, tablet, computer, radio, or TV. Each person has infinite value, and their soul being immortal will live forever; the computer screen and all other electronic gadgets will come and go and be disposed of! Take time to appreciate and enjoy the uniqueness of each member of the family!

8. LEARN TO LISTEN

How hard the art of listening really is, especially with family members. We all tend to move in the fast-lane, frenetically rushing from one activity to the next, like a chicken with it’s head cut off. As such we fail to listen attentively when a family member is speaking to us. Multi-tasking while someone is talking to us is not the same as listening! I invite all to seek out Harry Chapin’s song Cats in the Cradle. In short, this song woefully mourns the sad fact that many Fathers never really connect with their children because they are simply too busy! “Son, I will listen to you, but later…” Later never becomes a reality; then it is beyond his grasp!

9. CELEBRATION

The famous Catholic author Jean Vanier, who founded a group working most especially with the handicapped, and forming families with handicapped members, made this discovery: families are called to celebrate!

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Holy Days such as Christmas and Easter, and many more—all are festive and exuberant moments of celebration in the context of the family. We should celebrate the other in the family—especially their birthday, Baptism, and saint day! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this. Make their favorite dinner and dessert. Gifts can be pieces of colorful paper folded up with each family member writing on a slip of paper some chore they will do for the family member being honored. If you want to inject a good dose of joy in your family, get in the habit of celebrating! Saint Paul exhorts us in these words: “Rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again: Rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4)

10. MARIAN CONSECRATION

In my retreats, I have often presented an efficacious means to arrive at the very Heart of Jesus. This can be done by praying and meditating on one mystery of the Rosary per day for all 20 mysteries of the Rosary – each with a helpful commentary, followed by one meditation per day on the Seven Sorrows of Mary – each with a commentary. At the end of these days of preparation for consecration, all the members of the family will formally consecrate themselves, individually and as a family, to Jesus through Mary. Our Lady will then be at the very heart of their family, and will produce abundant fruits in their family: peace, joy, love, happiness, sharing, understanding, patience, purity, meekness, kindness. In a word, by consecration to Jesus through Mary, families will become sanctuaries of true holiness as Jesus commanded: “Be holy, as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48)

Then, this Consecration to Mary Prayer should be said every day for the rest of our lives, as well as wearing the Brown Scapular of Our Lady.

My Queen and my Mother, I give myself entirely to you, and to show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my entire being without reserve. Since I am your own, dear Mother, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. Amen.

You can lead your family in such a retreat with my guide, Total Consecration to Mary through the Mysteries of the Rosary (available at Sophia Press). I am convinced that if families truly allow Mary to take root in the center of their lives, she will help their lives be turned from water into wine, and family members will truly be able to live out the greatest commandment of Jesus: “Love one another as I have loved you!” (Jn, 13:34)

I hope and pray that all will take these Ten Vitamins to Vitalize Families and form vibrant and holy families!

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12th    Mt. 18: 21 – 19:1   “Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”’

• Jesus is saying is that we must forgive always! Forgiving is an extension of loving.
• How often does Jesus forgive us? Always! He even gave us the Sacrament of Confession so we could hear those most consoling words: “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
• In the prayer, the Our Father, Jesus taught us to pray: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promises: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Mercy is another word for forgiveness. (Mt. 5:7)
• St. John of the Cross says, “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”
• Ideally, we would learn the lessons of loving and being loved, forgiving and being forgiven in the family. Today’s meditation on Fortifying Families by Fr. Ed gives us a blueprint for a loving and forgiving family!
• May each and every one of us do our part to bring love and forgiveness into our families! It is never too late, especially if we support our efforts with sustained prayer and sacrifice!

FORTIFYING FAMILIES FOR A FAITHFUL FUTURE by Fr. Ed, Broom, OMV

The first institution in the world ordained by God Himself is that of the family. There are many names for the family. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council define the family as “The Domestic Church”—in other words, the Church in miniature. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that the family is the basic cell and building block of society. He also asserted that the society will follow the way of the family. World history has given evident proof of the primary importance of the family, as well as the unraveling of the family, such that when the family falls apart, it is just a matter of time until the society declines and disintegrates.

Taking into account the sublime and indispensable importance of the family, let us highlight several positive steps that should be taken to sustain, support, and both defend and protect the family against the multiple attacks on this basic God-given institution. In a word, the future of the world, our country, our society, the Church, and especially the future of our children depends on the family—the Domestic Church. May each and every one of us strive to do our share for the sake of wholesome, holy and strong families!

We will offer a Ten-step Program that will serve as a support-system for the formation, the sustenance, and the salvation of the family. Our prayer and hope will be that this short essay can be compared to a ten-rung ladder by which we can ascend to Heaven by means of the family. Our desire will be that the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph will be our models, motivation, and bright stars in the firmament of Heaven to guide us along the way in the midst of much darkness and confusion.

TEN-STEP PROGRAM TO FORTIFY THE FAMILY—THE DOMESTIC CHURCH.

1. HOLY MATRIMONY.

Unfortunately, it is becoming a real plague in the modern secular society for many young people to live together in free union, cohabitation or with a civil-union without receiving the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, well received and lived out, confers a specific sacramental grace to help a married couple grow in love with each other, be faithful to each other, be open to life in having children and raising their children in the fear of the Lord, and to love God and all that He desires for us. Without the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, in the words of Jesus, it is like building a house on sand. Beaten by the winds, the house—this unlawful union—will collapse and crumble. (Mt. 7:24-27).

2. PRAYER IN THE FAMILY.  

Of paramount importance for the sanctification of the family is the indispensable need for prayer. The famous Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton launched a Rosary-crusade for the salvation of the family. His intention and desire were to motivate all families to pray the Rosary with the famous proverb: “The family that prays together, stays together.” This man of God, enamored with Mary and the Rosary, rallied between 2-3 million people in the Philippines exhorting them to pray the Rosary for the salvation of their families and the society and large.

3. SACRAMENTAL LIFE.  

Not only should the couple receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, but the family should live out their Catholic faith by the frequent, fervent and faith-filled reception of the Sacraments. Most especially the family should attend Holy Mass every Sunday, and receive the most Holy Eucharist, the sublime Sacrament of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. God is love and the love of God will be poured into the family through the most Holy Eucharist.

4. BE OPEN TO LIFE.  

Years ago, our ancestors would marry, eagerly desiring the children that God would send them, even if it was a numerous family. Today there is a contraceptive mentality permeating the society as a whole. This translates into couples getting married saying let us see how we can avoid having children. All too often this anti-life mentality manifests itself by the practice and use of contraception in the many forms available today. The first command from God in the Bible was: “Be fruitful and multiply.” (Gn. 1:28) Let us change the tide and foster, with the help of God’s grace, the acceptance and formation of larger families. In several predominantly Catholic countries, especially in Europe, the Muslims opt for larger families than the Catholics do!

5. MERCY AND FORGIVENESS IN THE FAMILY. 

One of the most poisonous and pernicious enemies of the salvation of the family is that of growing resentments. Unfortunately, many couples, husbands and wives, live in a constant state of quarreling, fighting, anger, hurtful words, resentments and bitterness. Of course, this poison spills over into the lives of their children. What acid is to our stomach, unforgiveness and resentment are to our soul, as well as to our family! Acid will perforate the stomach lining and form ulcers. Unforgiveness and resentments can perforate and destroy the relationship between husband and wife, as well as the family. Let us learn to forgive, not once or twice, but rather 70 times 7 times! As the English poet, Alexander Pope, penned so eloquently: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” The key to forgiveness is to forgive right away and have recourse to prayer so as to win the battle at the outset.

6. COMMUNICATION.

A huge number of families suffer due to a lack of honest, frequent, and fluid communication. Without this basic concept of communication between husband and wife, children and sibling’s, family life suffers gaping wounds. All too often parents believe that they can win the affection and love of their children by buying their children whatever they want. Much more important is giving to the children their time over their money!

7. MEAL-TIME: PRIME TIME FOR COMMUNICATION. 

The aim and goal is for Dad and Mom to bring the whole family together, every day if possible, for meal-time. Now here is the big challenge: during the course of the meal (maybe it will be a mere half hour, hopefully much longer!!!) there should be no electronic devices at the table. That is to say, no T.V., Radio, Tablet, Phone, Internet… none of these, so that the family can come together to talk and listen and laugh and enjoy each other’s company. From the youngest to the oldest, let there be free speech and attentive listening. Respect and love for each member of the family!

8. RENEW THE COURTSHIP / HONEY-MOON SPIRIT. 

Before marrying most couples enjoyed spending long hours and even days with their future spouse. Meals together, dancing on the weekends, walks on the beach, viewing a good movie together, even weekend Retreats—all of these activities were part and parcel of getting to know their future spouse and falling in love. Unfortunately, once married, all these important activities of emotional bonding go by the wayside. Therefore, to maintain the bonds of friendship, love and growth, the married couple should get away from time to time, to be alone with each other, so as to cast wood on the fire of their love-relationship.

9. SUNDAY: THE DAY OF THE LORD AND FAMILY DAY. 

Pope Saint John Paul II in one of his documents Die Domino (The Day of the Lord) insists on the importance of rediscovering and redeeming the importance of living out Sunday—the Lord’s Day. The saintly Pontiff stated that Sunday should be the day to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to praise and worship the Lord. However, the Pope insists that this should also be family day. The day that family activities can be organized and lived out. Some family activities? Meals together, sports activities, hiking and nature walks, board games, viewing a good movie together, picnics, praying together, visiting the elderly and sick. Sunday indeed is the Lord’s Day and family day. Let us live it out!

10. MARY AND THE FAMILY.

Finally, let us consecrate our families to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, the  Mother of the Church, the Mother of each and every one of us, and the Mother of our families! Let us consecrate our families to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let all family members wear the Scapular as a sign of their consecration to Mary and pray the Holy Rosary. Let all families find their true refuge and haven in two places: The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11th    Mt. 18: 15-20   “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

• Praying together with others is a great gift! Of course, the most powerful prayer we can and do pray together is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
• “All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.” (St. John Marie Vianney, Cure d’ Ars)
• That being said, we should all have a list of names that we want to place on the paten at every Mass. Fr. Ed offers His suggestions. Reflections added.

WHO SHOULD WE PRAY FOR? By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV     

God is always attentive to the humble supplication of a pure and sincere heart. Jesus commanded us to pray with these words: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7) Therefore, obeying the command of the Lord Himself we should ask, seek, and knock, trusting that we will be heard and our prayers granted.

Prayer is an open communication with God; prayer is a conversation with Someone whom we know listens to us and loves us most ardently; prayer is communication and dialogue with a Friend; prayer is the pious lifting up of the mind and the heart to God. What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul; it is essential! The great Saint Augustine expresses prayer using this poetic and rhythmic expression: “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well, dies well; he who dies well, all is well.”  In other words, the salvation of our immortal soul depends upon a fervent and dynamic prayer life.

Still, there is the burning question: who then should we pray for? Is there a certain hierarchy or a list in priority as to whom we should pray for first? The response: we can and should pray for everybody in the entire world. This for the simple reason that God created all people on the face of the earth to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this life, so as to be happy with Him in Heaven. All were created for eternal Beatitude—meaning happiness—in heaven. Let us begin to consider these different groups of people.

A group of persons very dear to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, would be sinners, especially those sinners whose souls are in most danger of being lost for all eternity.

Our Lady of Fatima, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes, both insisted on prayer, but most especially praying for the conversion of poor sinners. After each decade of the Rosary Our Lady of Fatima insisted that we pray: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy.”

Therefore, so as to enrich our prayer of intercession, we will propose a list of certain sinners that we should have most close to our heart as we pray. We might use Saint Monica as a model for prayer of intercession for the conversion of sinners. Due to her prayers, her mother-in-law, her husband Patricius, and finally her wayward son, Saint Augustine—all of them were converted, and of course one became a great saint!

Whom Should We Pray For?

1. Those blind to their condition. We should lift up our prayers on high for that group of persons—and there are many, very many today—who actually deny that they have any sin whatsoever. Pope Pius XII asserted: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” If they deny that they are sinners, how can Jesus, Savior of the world, save them? Never forget, Jesus came to save sinners!

REFLECTION: We all have blind spots in our spiritual life. Let us beg the Holy Spirit to show us our blind spots – that is, sins we commit that we justify or make excuses for. This is a prayer the Holy Spirit will not fail to answer for those who sincerely desire to know.

2. Slaves to addiction. On our list of priorities, we should definitely implore the Lord’s abundant mercy for those who are slaves to addictions, those who seem unable to break the chains of sin that are enslaving them. Addictions today are many: drugs, drink, sex, porn, gambling, buying, and many more. May Jesus attain for them the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God by helping them smash the chains of these addictions!

REFLECTION:  What is our addiction, or to put it another way, what is our major capital sin? What sins are we working to overcome by practicing the opposite virtue? For deeply rooted sins, apply the Rule of Graduality. Confess the sin each time we fall, and then notice how over time we are falling in this area less and having to confess it less.

3. Despairing Souls. Another very critical category of souls to pray for is those who are despairing, those who have lost all hope. These are the souls who believe that their sins are so serious and so many, that they are beyond the pale of God’s mercy. Actually, the worst of all sins, as expressed in the Diary: Divine Mercy In My Soul by Saint Faustina Kowalska, is the failure to trust in the Infinite Mercy that flows from the loving Heart of Jesus, pierced by the lance on that first Good Friday.

REFLECTION: Have we ever despaired of God’s Mercy to forgive our sins? Looking back over our life, are there any sins we failed to confess because of shame or fear? Let us resolve to confess those sins now, and make the best confession in our life, trusting fully in Jesus’ Mercy.

4. Anger and Hatred. Another very important group of souls who make up part of our prayer of intercession are those souls who have been so beaten, wounded, pummeled and lacerated in life by others that they are filled with gaping wounds of anger and hatred that are so deep, foul, and festering that they do not even want to turn to the Divine Physician to be healed and saved. Of course we know that one of the primary missions of the Lord Jesus was to heal wounded humanity. The blind, the deaf, the mute, the lepers, and the paralytics were drawn to Jesus like a magnet, and because of their faith they were healed.

Let us pray for all those who are deeply wounded by anger and hatred, that they will turn to Jesus and be healed and renewed. Of course the best model to follow, for those who are literally blinded by anger and hatred because of those who have wounded them, is Jesus Himself as He hung on the cross.  Jesus’ Body was one gaping, bleeding wound from head to foot. Yet this same Jesus taught us how to pray with mercy and forgiveness these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” Let us pray that they turn to Jesus for healing!

REFLECTION: Are we the ones holding on to anger and resentment over past wounds? Let us beg the Lord to take this anger and resentment from us, by 1) making a good confession, and 2) by praying every day for those who hurt us. May we become wounded healers in a wounded world!

5. Those who are dying. Of primary importance we should lift our fervent and zealous prayers for this very important category: sinners who are about to die; we call them deathbed sinners! These are individuals who are living in the state of mortal sin, thereby separating themselves from God. Now, if they die in this state of unrepentant mortal sin they will lose their soul for all eternity—the worse fate that could befall any person! 

What can we do? Jesus promised in the Diary of Saint Faustina that when we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those who are dying, then these souls in some mysterious way will be saved for all eternity. Therefore, if you are ever present at the deathbed of any person, and this could be a fallen away Catholic, Christian, Moslem, Buddhist or Hindu, agnostic or even atheist, then for the love of God and for the eternal salvation of their soul, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. If done, Jesus promised in the Diary Divine Mercy that this person’s soul will be saved. We believe what we cannot yet see!

In conclusion, let us pray, and pray often and fervently. However, let us make it a point to pray in a very special way for sinners, recognizing that we are in that group. Our Lady of Fatima stated that many souls are lost because there is nobody to pray for them. Let us pray through the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the salvation of countless sinners. May they turn to the merciful Heart of Jesus and be saved for all eternity! And by doing so, may God grant us our own eternal salvation!

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

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10th    Jn. 12: 24-26   Jesus said to his disciples…

 “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.”

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

• What do these words mean practically speaking? Here is an image that might help us begin to grasp what this looks like in practice.
• Hold everything in your life, loosely in your hand. That’s it. That is our whole philosophy. Palm up, hand open. So God can move things around, take some things out, put other things in, as He wills. Because we are not clinging to anyone or anything.
• Except God alone. For when we have the love of the God Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and Our Blessed Mother, we have all we need.
• This is Ignatian Holy Indifference. Let us see how prepared we are live this out?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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