Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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

THURSDAY, July 15th   Mt. 11: 28-30   “Jesus said: ‘Come to me, all 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 light.’”

• Jesus has many ways of giving us rest and making our burden light on our journey toward our heavenly home. One of the treasures of the Church founded by Jesus to nourish, sustain, and enrich us is the Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.
• Some are completely unfamiliar with it, others well versed in it, and the majority probably somewhere in-between.
• However, it must be said that this Prayer of the Universal Church can be a life-changer in uniting ourselves with Christ in His Mystical Body the Church in every corner of the world.
• Therefore, let us prayerfully consider learning and practicing this beautiful prayer of Catholic Christian Unity.

LITURGY OF THE HOURS: EXCELLENT PRAYER! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Once the decision is discerned and made to accept the role and responsibility of the Transitional Diaconate, then with this role and responsibility is the double promise and commitment: that of celibacy, as well as the promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

By celibacy is meant the firm decision and commitment to give one’s heart, mind, soul, body and whole being to the Lord in love. In other words, celibacy means to strive with all one’s being to live out the greatest of all Commandments: to love God with all one’s heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself.

By the promise of the Liturgy of the Hours is meant to pray the Official Liturgical Prayer of the Church faithfully on a daily basis. The Liturgy of the Hours unites the totality of the Catholic Church throughout the whole world. Catholic means universal and indeed it is a Catholic-prayer uniting peoples in prayer in every part of the world where it is prayed. The languages might be different but the prayers—most of which are the Psalms—are prayed by the whole Church.

Not only are Deacons, priests and Religious called to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, but also the Laity. The Universal call to holiness summoned by the Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, can definitely be fostered by the assiduous dedication to praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

How can we understand and derive abundant profit and fruit from praying the Liturgy of the Hours? It will take some time and effort to learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, but it is definitely worth that expenditure of time and effort. For the Liturgy of the Hours is an invaluable tool not only to learn the art of prayer, but as a means of uniting us with God, the Church and all of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Let us highlight some essential aspects of the Liturgy of the Hours so as to motivate us to undertake this most noble of practices. Indeed, once one grasps the different manners that the Liturgy of the Hours can be prayed and the countless benefits, it becomes a practice that many never abandon!

UNDERSTANDING THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS AND ITS COUNTLESS BENEFITS AND BLESSINGS.BIBLICAL PRAYER. 

1. BIBLICAL PRAYER. Of paramount importance, the Liturgy of the Hours is primarily a Biblical prayer. Praying by means of using the Word of God has a special power and impact that comes with it.

2. PSALMS.  The very heart of the Liturgy of the Hours is the Book of the Psalms from the Old Testament. Indeed, of all of the prayer-books extant there is no prayer book that can surpass the Book of the Psalms. Many of the 150 Psalms have as their human author King David. However, the key and essential author of the Psalms is God Himself—the Holy Spirit.

3. JESUS, MARY AND ST. JOSEPH.  As a motivation for all of us to pray the Psalms, as well as the Liturgy of the Hours, it is helpful to know that the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph prayed the Psalms—at home, on pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem, and in the synagogue. Let us follow in the footsteps of the Holy Family and undertake the praying of the Psalms and the Liturgy of the Hours.

4. EXAMPLE OF THE APOSTLES.  By praying the Psalms, we are following in the footsteps of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles portrays the Apostles going to the Temple at set Hours for prayer. So, it is with the Liturgy of the Hours: we go to God in prayer at set times during the day.

5. SANCTIFY THE HOURS.  Another key element of the Liturgy of the Hours is the command of Our Lord to pray always and to never give up heart. (Lk. 18:1) By praying the Liturgy of the Hours we are summoned to pray at different hours of the day—actually from Morning to Night.

6. DIFFERENT HOURS OF PRAYER IN THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS.  In the full context of the Liturgy of the Hours, there are actually five different times designated for prayer; as such, these five different times are called to be sanctified. When are these specific times? Morning Prayer (upon rising until 10 a.m.); Midday Prayer (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); Evening Prayer (4 p.m. to 8 p.m); Night prayer, before retiring for the night. The last prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours is The Office of Readings. This prayer can be done any time during the course of the day.

7. THE TWO PRIME TIME HOURS OF PRAYER: MORNING PRAYER AND EVENING PRAYER. The two principal Hours of prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours would be Morning Prayer (also called Lauds); then Evening Prayer (also called Vespers). These are considered the prime or principal Hours of prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. By praying them at the designated time brackets, the Morning hours are sanctified as well as the Evening hours. In a word, by constant and assiduous praying of the Liturgy of the Hours, our lives are being sanctified, thus our holiness blossoms and flourishes.

8. COMPOSITION OF THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS.  As mentioned earlier, the essence and heart of the Liturgy of the Hours is the 150 Psalms. All 150 Psalms are prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours on a monthly cycle. They are divided into four weeks. Sometimes it is called or termed The Psalter. Therefore, Deacons and priests, as well as Religious, pray the Psalter, the 150 Psalms in their Breviary or Liturgy of the Hours every month.

9. FOLLOWING THE CHURCH LITURGICAL CYCLE.  The Liturgy of the Hours follows the same cycle and rhythm of the Church Liturgical Year, the rhythm of the Mass calendar.  That is to say the Liturgy of the Hours follows the normal cycle of the Life of Christ, lived out and expressed in the Sacraments, most especially the Mass. The Church cycle would be the following: Advent culminating in Christmas and the Christmas Season, then Ordinary Time I (short). Then Lent and the Lenten Season, culminating in Easter. Then the fifty-day Easter Season terminating with the celebration of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then return to the long period of Ordinary Time II, lasting close to six months and ending with the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. Then returning to the start of the Church Year with Advent.

10. THE SANTORAL. Another very important dimension of the Liturgy, as well as the Liturgy of the Hours, is that of the Santoral. By Santoral is meant the celebration during the course of the Church Year, in the Masses as well as the Liturgy of the Hours, of the lives of the saints. In the Liturgy of the Hours there will be a separate antiphon and hymn, a special reading for the saint, as well as a closing payer to honor the virtues of the specific saint. How might the saints be categorized? As such: Pastors, Virgins, Martyrs, Doctors of the Church, Common of men/women, Apostles. The richness and the variety of God’s friends, the saints, is impressive. These great men and women spur us on to pursue holiness of life!

11. WHAT ELSE? In addition to the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours are other elements: An opening hymn, short Biblical Reading, Responsory, Canticle of Zechariah (Morning Prayer); Canticle of Mary (Evening Prayer). Then there are prayers of intercession for the Church and the world at large in both Morning and Evening Prayer. Finally the Lord’s Prayer is prayed, followed by a closing blessing.

12. PRAYED WITH WHOM?  The Liturgy of the Hours can be prayed alone by oneself. God hears our prayers whether we pray individually or collectively. However, the Liturgy of the Hours (sometimes called the Breviary) can be prayed collectively in a group. As a priest and Religious, I regularly pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the Morning with a fellow-priest. When done in group, the prayer of the Psalms is alternated.

13. LAY PARTICIPATION.  Over the past years, the Laity have formed groups in which they come together in prayer and pray the Liturgy of the Hours. At times, there is a combination of the Laity praying with priests and Religious. Actually, in the monthly publication of the Magnificat there is inserted the Liturgy of the Hours—both Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer).

14. MODES OF PRAYING THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS.  Contemplative monks, as well as Sisters, often have formed the habit of not only praying the Liturgy of the Hours, but praying it through song or chant. As Saint Augustine asserts: “He who sings, prays twice!” So, it is with the Liturgy of the Hours.

15. IN THE CONTEXT OF A MASS.  Furthermore, the Liturgy of the Hours can be prayed in the context of the Mass. In fact, the prayer is actually called The LITURGY of the Hours. Thus, it can be inserted within the context of the Liturgy, the Mass itself.

16. ELECTRONICALLY.  The Liturgy of the Hours in its totality consists of four big volumes. However, especially for those who travel, one can attain the App I Breviary and pray the Liturgy of the Hours electronically on your phone or other electronic devices.

17. THE FRUITS OF PRAYING THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS. The positive fruits of praying the Liturgy of the Hours are many:

1) ENRICH YOUR PRAYER LIFE. Of course, by praying the Hours, your prayer life will grow robust.

2) BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE. Also, by praying the Hours, your Biblical knowledge will increase.

3) MEMORIZE VERSES. In time you will start to memorize certain verses and themes and this will be part of your memory and intellectual formation.

4) UNION WITH THE CHURCH. Praying the Hours unites you more firmly with the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church and its members.

5) SANCTIFICATION.  Praying the Hours redounds on the Church itself. Not only are you praying with the Church, but you are praying for the Church.

6) INTERIOR PEACE.  True prayer produces interior peace of heart, mind and soul.

7) PRAYER DISCIPLINE.  Many of us lack order and discipline. By praying the Hours at a set time and place we can start to order the disordered in our lives and have discipline that often we really lack.

In conclusion, after this brief explanation of the Liturgy of the Hours and its many fruits that will descend upon us and the whole world, we hope that you will seriously consider undertaking the marvelous practice of praying the Liturgy of the Hours and reap an abundant spiritual harvest.

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

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

WEDNESDAY, July 14th   Mt. 11: 25-27   “At that time Jesus exclaimed: ‘I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.’”

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven… (Mt. 18: 1-5)

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’”

“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’”

Causing to Stumble… (Mt. 18: 6-9)

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

TEN STEPS TO ATTAIN THE VIRTUE OF PURITY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure of heart; for they will see God.” (Mt 5:8) Therefore, if we truly desire to contemplate the Face of God in this life and for all eternity, we must strive to attain that very demanding virtue of purity, the virtue of chastity. In whatever state of life we have chosen, we all must strive, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, for this daily self-mastery of our passions, this control over the demanding impulses of the flesh, this conquering of the animal nature of our fallen human nature.

This being said, let us set up a game plan, a spiritual strategy so that we can fight the good fight, run the good race, and win the merited crown that awaits the faithful soldiers of Jesus and Mary.

1. PRAYER. Saint Alphonsus stated: “There are no strong people or weak people. Rather, there are those who know how to pray and those who do not.” What this great Doctor of the Church is teaching us is that if we are truly prayer-warriors then we are strong because we have God on our side, even though we may be weak physically. As the Psalmist reminds us, “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 124:8) Therefore, with respect to the virtue of purity, we must do as Jesus instructed us, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7) As Saint Augustine reminds us, we are all BEGGARS before God, totally dependent upon God for everything!

2. DESOLATION. Saint Ignatius of Loyola warns us with utmost clarity about the state of Desolation. The message is the following: when we find ourselves in a state of desolation that is when the devil tempts us. By desolation we mean: lack of faith, hope, and love; feelings of sadness, discouragement, and depression. Life does not seem to have any meaning. Nobody really seems to care about us. Often, this is the time when the devil attacks!

3. AVOID THE NEAR OCCASION OF SIN. We all know these famous proverbs: “Do not play with fire! And, “He who walks on a slippery slope will fall!” And finally: “He who plays in danger will perish!” We must strive to avoid any person, place, thing, or circumstance that can lead us into sin! Examine your life and your conscience on this!

4. LAZINESS. One of the primary reasons why King David fell into sin was for the simple reason that he gave into the Capital Sin of sloth or laziness. It is so true, this proverb: “Idleness is the workshop of the devil.” The great educator of the young, Saint John Bosco, asserted: “Vacation time is the harvest-ground of the devil!” Why? A lot of free time and the devil has a field-day! He’ll find plenty for us to do!

5. HEALTHY AND WHOLESOME FRIENDSHIPS. Jesus called the Apostles, FRIENDS. Aristotle stated: “Man is by nature a social-animal.” That is to say, we all need to have a good friend or two, or even more. The Old Testament testifies to the fact that a true friend is to be cherished. “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure.” (Sir 6:14) May God endow us with good and wholesome friends! By the way, a true friend helps us to draw closer to the best of All-Friends, Jesus the Lord!

6. THE HOLY EUCHARIST. Of the greatest importance in pursuing any virtue, but especially the virtue of purity, is frequent, fervent, and passionate reception of Holy Communion, Jesus the Bread of Life. In all truth: the reception of Holy Communion allows the most Precious and Pure Blood of Jesus to circulate through our own body and blood, and it purifies and sanctifies our whole organism. Aim at daily Mass and Holy Communion if at all possible!

7. CONFESSION. The Sacrament of Confession serves a double purpose: 1) Preventive Medicine—frequent Confession can prevent us from falling into sin; 2) Curative Medicine —if we have fallen, we should never give up hope, but get up and return to the loving embrace of the Father (Lk 15:11-32—Parable of the Prodigal Son)! Having recourse to both the Eucharist and Confession is a dynamic powerhouse of grace that we should take advantage of!

8. PENANCE. Jesus said: “Some devils can be only be cast out by prayer and penance (fasting).” (Mt 17:21) Therefore, we should incorporate into our spiritual lives frequent acts of penance. This serves to fortify the will in the practice of virtue, but also to expel the presence of the devils of lust!

9. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: TRANSPARENCY. Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists on the importance of Spiritual Direction and for many reasons. 1) We all have blind spots that prevent us from seeing clearly. A Director can shine light on our path. 2) Rule 13 of Saint Ignatius’ Rules for Discernment of Spirits is key in conquering the devil of impurity. Rule 13 states that the devil likes us to keep all things hidden. Once a temptation is revealed to a Director, the devil takes flight and is conquered. 3) Accountability. When we have to be accountable to another person, this helps us clean up our act and strive to avoid falling into the same errors. In sum, get a good Director!

10. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. Experience in the history of the Church proves this undoubtable fact: love, devotion, and confidence in the Blessed Virgin Mary is a sure path on the Highway to Holiness. This being said, if we want to attain the virtue of purity we should start our day by consecrating ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We should find time to pray the most Holy Rosary every day. We should have attractive pictures of Mary in our room, car, and other environs. When we are tempted by the enemy, we should humbly and with great confidence call upon the Holy Name of Mary, whose name makes all the devils in hell tremble. “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided.” (Taken from The Memorare prayer). Better yet, memorize the prayer and pray it daily, or anytime you are attacked by the demon of impurity! (See The Memorare below.) Mary will rush to assist you in overcoming the temptations!

In conclusion, we hope and pray that this humble work will help all of us to pursue the narrow path that leads to holiness and to eternal life! Under Our Lady’s watchful and loving gaze may we all strive to live out the Beatitude that flowed from the most pure Heart of Jesus, “Blessed are the pure of heart; for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8) Life is short and heaven is forever! If we contemplate the beauty of God in this life by pursuing a life of purity and holiness, then we will contemplate the beauty of the Face of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for all eternity—with Our Blessed Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, and all the Angels and Saints!

The Memorare

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

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

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

TUESDAY, July 13th   Mt. 11: 20-24   “Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented…. ‘I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.’”

• Someday we will die, we know not the hour nor the day, and immediately after comes Judgement. “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thess 5:2)
• Today, Fr. Ed will lead us through a meditation on the Last Things, better named the Eternal Truths! This is a matter of eternal life or eternal death for us!

Excerpt from CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA AND SAINT FRANCISCO AND SAINT JACINTA MARTO by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV (His New Family Consecration Program!)

OUR LADY OF FATIMA: APPARITION ON JULY 13^TH

(The graphic vision of hell—consequences!)

Friends in Jesus, Mary, Francisco and Jacinta, today we are invited to meditate and think very seriously upon the ETERNAL TRUTHS of death, judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. No doubt, these are very serious truths, but they cannot be avoided if we want to make our consecration seriously.

THE LAST THINGS. The overall message of Fatima speaks very clearly about the Last Things, in a certain sense, the things that matter most in our lives in the light of God, time, and eternity. What then are the so-called LAST THINGS that Our Lady of Fatima invites us to pray over? They are the following: the reality of DEATH, JUDGMENT (that follows), HEAVEN, HELL (July 13^th Apparition), and PURGATORY, and also the all-embracing concept of ETERNITY.

OUR LADY AND THE LAST THINGS.  If you step back and reflect on the three Apparitions of the Angel, and the six Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, all of these truths surface and invite us to assimilate them in our meditations. Death? Yes, Jacinta and Francisco will die very young. Also, friends, we all one day will have to die; we know neither the day nor the hour, but we must be prepared. Judgment follows right after we die. Saint Paul says: “It is appointed to man to die once and then be judged.” (Heb. 9:27) “What we sow is what we will reap. If we sow in the flesh, a harvest of corruption; in the spirit, a harvest of eternal life.” (Gal. 6: 7-8) Heaven? Yes! Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta, after living a short but holy life, were taken to heaven. They are contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in heaven right now, and they are praying for us that we might reach heaven.

PURGATORY? Yes, Lucia’s friend, Amelia, was saved, but apparently had done something quite serious for Our Lady said that Amelia would be in Purgatory until the end of the world! The Bible teaches in the Book of Revelation: “Nothing impure can enter in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Rev. 21:27). We should pray often for the souls in Purgatory, and live holy lives so that when God calls us from this life to the next for our own Judgment, we can go to Heaven right away or as quickly as God’s justice and mercy permit!

HELL? Yes! One of the essential points for our reflection today is on the reality of Hell. Why? For the simple reason that Our Lady showed the three children of Fatima—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta a graphic vision of Hell. It was the ardent desire of Our Lady, our loving, tender, kind, and compassionate Mother to show these three simple shepherd children, as well as the whole world (and that means us, too) a graphic, strong, honest vision of HELL!

DENIAL OF HELL.  Many people, even Catholics, will say this: “O, I do not believe that a good, kind, and merciful God could ever send anybody to hell!” This is a very dangerous statement that can confuse, hurt, and damage many. It is important that we learn how to use language well and not be ambiguous—meaning confusing! True! God sends no one to Hell, but people choose it by making bad choices—that is to say, by committing mortal sins, living in mortal sin, and dying in mortal sin without any sincere repentance. To the point: Hell does exist and people can go there. We could actually go there if we reject God by committing Mortal sins, if we do not repent of our Mortal sins, and if we die in the state of Mortal sin.

WHAT DID THEY SEE? WHAT WAS THE VISION OF HELL LIKE? Our Lady opened her hands and the earth seemed to open up. Looking down, the children saw what looked like a pit that was blazing with fire. It looked like a sea of fire. Call to mind when you have seen a fire in your life: the flames rising and falling, the different colors of flames—red, orange, white, green, and blue. In these flames, Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco could see the souls that were the damned in hell.

THE DAMNED SOULS. What did the souls look like? They did not have human bodies; they looked transparent but could be seen. Some were transparent like a clear window; others were a bronze color; others were a dark color; still others were black. All this seemed to point possibly to the length of time that these damned souls had been in Hell.

WHAT COULD BE HEARD?  Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta could hear loud cries coming from the damned souls. Not cries of happiness and joy. Quite the opposite: cries of anguish, cries of sadness, cries of hopelessness, in a word, cries of despair! Never would they be able to depart from this terrible place—we call it Hell!

DEVILS. To add to the scene, the children were able to visualize depictions of the devils. What did they look like? It was not absolutely clear, but it looked as if they were ugly, hideous, horrendous, unknown animals that were trans-piercing or passing through the souls of the damned, torturing them all the more!

OUR LADY AND THE CHILDREN.  Later, the three children honestly admitted that if Our Lady had not been present there with them, they might have actually died of fear! In other words, Our Lady was there with the three children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, encouraging them as they viewed this very graphic vision of Hell.

OUR LADY AND HELL.  One might ask the question: why would Our Lady show three little innocent shepherd children, who could not even read and write, such a powerful, scary, and even shocking vision of Hell? Why would Our Lady, whom we pray to as “our Life, our sweetness, and our hope” (Hail Holy Queen) show hell to these children? Why? Why, you might ask??? The response to this question is very clear: LOVE!!! Yes, Our Lady showed this vision to the three children of Fatima, and now to you, as you prepare yourself for your consecration to Mary through Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta, for one clear and simple reason: LOVE!!!

WHAT IS LOVE?  Our Lady showed HELL to the three shepherd children, to you and me, and to all the world because of her great love for God and love for us! She doesn’t want anyone to go there! The greatest of all commandments is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Lk. 10:27) But this LOVE is expressed and lived out by obedience to God’s Commandments. Furthermore, the great Doctor and Theologian of the Catholic Church, Saint Thomas Aquinas defines love as such: “Love is willing the good of the other.” What then is the greatest good that we can attain? Nothing less than one thing, one place, one very real and eternal reality—HEAVEN!!! The exact opposite of Heaven is Hell!

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE: DO NOT PLAY WITH MATCHES.  Our Lady showed this graphic vision of Hell so as to prevent us from going there. Good Doctors tell their patients to observe certain disciplines in diet, exercise, and rest so as to prevent sickness! In the same way, Our Lady showed a vision of Hell so that we can avoid the terrible reality of hell—like spiritual preventive medicine. Or, if you like another analogy easy to understand is the following—don’t play with matches! Most probably your Mom and Dad said this to you when you were about four years old: “Don’t play with matches!” Why? Because they wanted to deprive you of your innate right to freedom? Quite the contrary! They said it so that you would not hurt yourself by getting burnt by the matches. In the same vein, Our Lady warns us about the reality of Hell so that we can avoid going there. If you like, it is similar to preventive medicine and “don’t play with matches!”

THE RESULTS OF THE VISION OF HELL: RADICAL CONVERSION OF LIFE—JACINTA!

As a result of this graphic vision of Hell on July 13^th, 1917, the children went through a radical conversion of life, most especially Jacinta. Such was the impact of this vision of Hell on Jacinta, that from that time on, the little shepherd girl, who could neither read nor write, did all she possibly could to offer up sacrifices for one primary purpose: the salvation of souls, so that these poor sinners would not go to hell. The sacrifices of Saint Jacinta were actually extraordinary for such a little girl, uneducated, barely knowing her catechism.

HELL AND ETERNITY.  Jacinta would talk often to her older cousin Lucia about the vision of Hell related to the idea of ETERNITY. Jacinta would ask Lucia—as if Lucia were her spiritual director, and indeed she was—if it was possible those poor souls would someday get out of Hell. She asked questions like these. Will they get out after 10 years? After 50 years? After 100 years or even more? Would those damned souls ever escape that place of torment??? Lucia would always respond: “No! Hell is eternal; those damned souls are there forever!”

WHAT ABOUT US?  This very serious and sober meditation should wake us up to the reality that our life and the eternal salvation of our immortal soul is of the greatest importance. We should reflect often on the so-called LAST THINGS. That is to say, we should meditate and pray often over the fact that one day we will die. We know neither the day, nor the hour, nor the minute!!! (cf Mt. 25:13) Immediately Jesus will judge us on all that we have done in our lives. Then there are only two possibilities. If we die in grace we go to Heaven (or temporarily Purgatory, then Heaven). Or, and this is possible, if we die in unrepented mortal sin, we could lose our soul in Hell for all eternity. Within the overall context of Heaven and Hell we must also meditate upon the reality of ETERNITY—meaning that Heaven and Hell are realities that exist forever and ever and ever.

WHAT CAN WE DO?  As we prepare for our consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the prayers and example of Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta, let us strive to live holy lives beginning right now, do not put if off until tomorrow! Let us renounce sin and try with all of the effort of our will to eliminate sin from our lives, as well as to avoid the near occasions of sin—that means to avoid any person, place, or thing that can lead us into sin. Then of great importance, if you have the misfortune to commit a mortal sin, first tell God you are sorry, and then go to Confession as soon as possible, so Jesus, through the priest, can absolve you of your sins and restore you to grace.

ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.  Like the children of Fatima, especially Saint Jacinta, let us offer sacrifices for the conversion of the poor sinners of the world who are living in sin and do not think about God, who are heading in the wrong direction. What sacrifices can you offer? Everything! Absolutely everything! Offer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary all you pray, say, and do every day for the salvation of poor sinners. Never forget: your soul and the soul of every sinner is worth more than the whole created universe! You are called to work, pray, suffer and sacrifice, with the help and prayers of Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco, to save immortal souls for all eternity! If you do this, you will have a special place in Heaven with Jesus and Mary, and Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco!

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, July 12th   Mt. 10:34 – 11:1   “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

• This is the greatest Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.” (Lk. 10:27)
• We belong totally to God who created us out of love and keeps us in being, who gives us every good thing, forgives every repented sin, and desires only that we love Him in return, and love our neighbor as He loves us, even those who persecute us!

SANCTITY IN THE SMALL THINGS… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

As Jesus watched at the entrance of the Temple the money being thrown into the treasure-box, He did not pay so much attention to the rich and their large sums that they threw in. Indeed, they wanted to be seen and applauded for their abundance given ostentatiously.

Then a poor widow threw a few small coins in the treasure box barely amounting to anything! This was the person that Jesus looked at with great love and approval. Why? Not for the economic substance of her offering—it was barely anything. Rather, Jesus read the depths of her heart. She was giving generously all that she had to live on.

The message is the following: man sees and judges from mere appearances, but Jesus reads the inner movements of the human heart. What often is worthy of praise in the eyes of the world, Jesus despises. On the contrary, what the world deems as insignificant, Jesus highly approves and praises.

Saint Therese and her Little Way can be our way and the path to holiness! Holiness does not depend simply on the greatness of the action, but rather on the intensity of love that accompanies the action.

In other words, the secret to holiness is trying to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love. That is the key! So much so that Saint Therese was known to say: “Pick up a pin for the love of God and you can save a soul.” Picking up a pin, physically speaking is no big deal! However, if this action is done for the intention of pleasing God and with great purity of intention, then indeed, it has infinite value in the eyes of God.

Most of us are not involved in monumental and monolithic activities that will make the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. On the contrary, many of our actions are the most ordinary and mundane. But they can have infinite value if we know the secret of offering them up to God to repair for sins and save souls!

Most of the normal activities of a homemaker do not make the newspaper or the 6:00 p.m. news. Sweeping the floor, taking out the garbage, buying, preparing, serving meals and then after cleaning the pots, pans and dishes—all of these are the glorious routine of thousands of home-makers and Moms.

If the Mom does all this with an attitude of complaining, with a scowl on her face and playing the role of a poor victim, then her merit in the eyes of God is reduced to almost nothing.

However, if the Mom rises in the morning and offers her day to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, willingly offering everything she does during the day to please God, to sanctify her family, and to save souls, then her actions have great value.

The same holds true for the Dad in the family! His daily offering includes his daily work to provide for the needs of his family— food, shelter and clothing. The parents are called to raise their children together; in unity there is strength!

What can be of infinite value for the sanctification of our daily actions are two specific intentions and actions. We do our actions through the powerful intercession of Mary, “God’s masterpiece of creation,” uniting our actions to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

First, the importance of going to Jesus through the intercession of Mary. Mary is the short-cut to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Saint Louis de Montfort paints this image. A poor man wants to give a bruised apple to the King. No way will the poor man have access to the King; much less will the King receive the apple, especially a bruised apple. However, if the poor man knows the Queen and she has a real affection for this poor man, then the Queen will take the apple, clean it, polish it, and place it on a golden platter, next to a beautiful rose. The King, loving the Queen, receives the apple most willingly; not because of the quality of the apple but because of the Queen who gave him the apple.

It must be the same for us! Our actions are like the apple. In and of themselves our actions are often tainted and spoiled by our enormous self-love and egotism. However, if we can give ourselves and our actions to Jesus through the hands and heart of the Mary, who is Queen of heaven and earth, then the King, who is Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords—will not refuse it. In other words, Mary can help to ennoble and sanctify our smallest actions, making them pleasing to Jesus.

Second, the importance of uniting our actions and intentions with those of Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Every Holy Mass that is offered has infinite value. Why? For the simple but profound reason that Jesus is offering Himself as a Victim of expiation to the Father. The Father looks at His Son and says: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” And the Father can deny His Son nothing!

How is this translated from the mystical to the practical? Not too complicated! Make every effort to attend daily Mass as often as possible! Go to Mass, but arrive early before Mass starts. Give yourself a good 15 minutes.

Now open up your heart to the fullest with infinite trust in Jesus, His love for the Father, His love for you, and His love for the entire world. In opening your heart, place all that you are and will be on the altar before Mass starts. Place your day and your activities on the altar, absolutely everything—hold nothing back! Your job outside the home, your cooking and cleaning, your battle with a teenage son or daughter, your struggles with your spouse, your fear of the future and insecurities in the present, your headache and clouded mind!

The key is that you want to place yourself and your entire life on the altar even before Mass starts. You are offering yourself and all that you have been, all that you are, and all that you will be as an offering to the Lord in the course of your day. Every minute detail of who you are and what you are about, what you desire for yourself and your family, is of infinite importance to Jesus. Nothing escapes the loving eye of Jesus. He knows the numbers of the hairs on your head and when one falls to the ground! (cf Mt. 10:30) The Lord Jesus indeed cares for the whole world, but for each and every one of us individually.

Then while Mass is being offered, especially during the Consecration of Jesus’ Body and Blood, all that you have placed on the altar is being lifted on high to the Majestic Throne of the Eternal Father who sees you through His beloved Son in whom He is well-pleased. To this Son, He can deny nothing.

Even more important, receive Holy Communion into the depths of your soul. If you are well-disposed with a heart burning with love for the Lord Jesus, there will be an explosion of graces. Your smallest of actions will have infinite value because they have been offered to the Eternal Father through the loving Heart of Jesus.

In sum, let us learn the art of sanctity. It is not so much in the greatness of the action, but in the purity of intention. However of paramount importance is learning to offer ourselves to God through the pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and through Jesus, the spotless Victim offered to God the Father in the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as frequently as possible, if not every day!

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

SUNDAY, July 11th   Mk. 6: 7-13   “So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons.”

• Sometimes, the demon we encounter in our lives is the demon of desolation or discouragement. Jesus came as Savior! There are times when our best prayer is, “Jesus, be my Savior now!

CONQUER DISCOURAGEMENT: USE OF BIBLE VERSES! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Our interior state can be compared to the weather changes that change, modify, and vary constantly. One day, you awake and there is sunshine streaming through your window pane; the birds are singing joyful songs of praise; the fragrance of spring flowers penetrates and permeates wherever you go; the blue sky and gentle breeze lift your heart; still more, everybody seems to have a winning smile radiating from their countenance. Seems to be the portal of Heaven.

Then the following day presents to you, in marked contrast, a gray, drizzly morning; the sun totally hidden behind the clouds. The cold winter air seems to penetrate your whole being to your very bones. Gray, dark, ominous clouds hover over you, ready to envelop and engulf you in their dreary chill. While crossing the street, a car honks loudly at you and the angry driver has his fist raised on high to let you know his feelings! Everybody hurries on to their daily activities, oblivious of the fact that you even exist. Everything is gray, dreary, cold, chilly, crude and cruel, sad and desolate; in the words of the English poet, T.S. Elliot, life seems to be a Waste Land and you are immersed in the midst of a dense fog!

Whether we like it or not, we are confronted with both of these realities, in one form or another constantly. Part of being human means being exposed to the constant reality of both consolation and desolation. One of the most clear manifestations of desolation is the temptation to give in to discouragement. What exactly is this so called state of desolation as defined by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his classical text The Spiritual Exercises? This is Ignatius’ explanation:

“I call desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love, the soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from desolation.” (Spiritual Exercises #317, Rule 4 of Rules for the Discernment of Spirits)

The thrust and purpose of this short essay is to help us to conquer the reality of desolation in our lives, most specifically, that of giving into discouragement. We would like to offer ten encouraging Biblical passages that we invite you to immerse yourself in especially when it seems as if the clouds are descending, the rain is beating against you, and you feel as if you are entering a long, dark tunnel where there seems to be no way out! Never forget: with God’s help which is omnipotent—all-powerful, we can exit and escape from the most desolate, sad, and despairing of situations. May the Word of God be your light, support, strength, and Rock-solid Foundation.

1. Psalm of The Good-Shepherd. (Psalm 23)

Prayerfully and calmly read the most famous Psalm in the Bible, once, twice, or as many times as you find helpful, starting with the words: “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…”  The Lord will shine light in your darkness!

2. “Behold I am with you always, even until the end of the world.” (Mt. 28:20)

These were the last words of the Lord Jesus on earth before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. In discouragement, all too often we feel lonely—that nobody is there for us, nobody really cares for us. Not so! The Lord promised to be with us always, even until the end of the world. He is with you even now!

3. Do not be afraid! (Jn. 6:20)

Time and time again Jesus reminds the Apostles and us not to be afraid, but rather to place all of our trust in Him. In addition to these four consoling words of Jesus are the five words that Jesus told Saint Faustina to write on the Divine Mercy image: “Jesus, I trust in you.” May the Lord cast out your fears as you trust totally in His love, His Presence, and His Friendship.

4. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and find life burdensome, 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 your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30).

Prayerfully repeat these words and the burden of your sorrows, the weight of your cross, the darkness of your sadness and desolation will begin to dissipate like a cloud evaporates in the sun-light.

5. “If God is with us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

These ten short words contain the power to alleviate the heaviest of crosses for the simple reason that we know the Lord is in control and He can do whatever He wants. Moreover, we know that whatever the Lord does is always for our welfare, for our spiritual progress, and for the salvation of our immortal soul.

6. “For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Lk. 1:37)

These short seven words actually were addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, referring to the Virginal conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. When we are immersed in a dense cloud of desolation, we feel as if we are lost and nothing can save us from this horrible interior state. Quite the contrary! The Word of God reminds us that absolutely nothing is impossible for God. He can move the highest mountain of discouragement and desolation in a split-second if we trust in Him. Keep praying fervently, “Jesus, I trust in you!”

7. “Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)

Once again, just a few words—11 in total—offer us infinite consolation and strength. The Lord commands us to unload, release the burden of discouragement that is weighing us down. Give all to the Lord Jesus and He will resolve the most intricate and complicated scenarios.

8. “I have come to set captives free.” (Isaiah 61:1/Lk. 4:18)

If seven is the number of perfection, once again we have a seven-word Biblical passage gleaned from the Shakespeare of the Bible—the Prophet Isaiah. Jesus will quote the same passage in His early preaching! In a state of desolation and discouragement, we might feel as if we are bound, chained, shackled, a slave of our interior state of darkness. Jesus, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Liberator, came to smash and destroy our interior slavery which often means our discouragement. We might even pray: “Lord free me; Lord liberate me; Lord shatter the bonds that enslave me!”

9. “So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be given to you besides. (Mt. 6:31-33)

A good part of our desolation and discouragement stems from a lack of trust in God and useless and needless worry. These comforting, consoling, and challenging words of Jesus can put you back on the right path of trusting in His loving and Divine Providential plan in your life.

10.  “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.” (Lk. 1:28)

These words of the Hail Mary that come from the Archangel Gabriel can prove to be most powerful in the midst of the dark nights, the dark tunnels, the stormy interior tempests that we all experience. Pray slowly and with trust and confidence the HAIL MARY and Mary, who is truly “our life, our sweetness, and our hope” (Hail Holy Queen), will hurry to our rescue and place us in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our true refuge in all our tribulations, afflictions, and most profound desolations.

It is our firm hope and prayer that when you are passing through that painful and difficult time of desolation and discouragement, the quiet, peaceful, trusting, and prayerful reading of these Biblical passages will dissipate the dense clouds in your heart, so that you will experience and feel the sunshine and warmth of God’s infinite love and mercy, and Mary’s tender embrace!