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

MONDAY, July 5th   Mt. 9: 18-26   “Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, ‘Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.’”

• Jesus came to SAVE US! Jesus heals the woman of twelve years of hemorrhages, but that is not what He focuses on. More important, her faith has saved her!
• We too are saved by faith in the Risen Lord Jesus, and the Sacraments and teachings of His one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
• CCC 776 …The Church “is the visible plan of God’s love for humanity,” because God desires “that the whole human race may become one People of God, form one Body of Christ, and be built up into one temple of the Holy Spirit.”
• CCC 777 The word “Church” means “convocation.” It designates the assembly of those whom God’s Word “convokes,” i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.
• Faith engenders Hope! And Hope is what Fr. Ed wants to rekindle in us today!

WE ARE PEOPLE OF JOY AND HOPE! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

In his visit to the poorer section of New York City—Harlem—Pope Saint John Paul II preached these encouraging words: “We are an Easter people!” By these words preached in a very deprived section of New York, the holy pontiff was accentuating the fact that Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead and opened the gates of Heaven for all of us. This indeed is a message of great hope for all who desire to open their hearts to the Risen Lord Jesus.  

In many hearts, even those of Catholics, the virtue of hope seems to be smoldering, tottering, vacillating, even extinguished. However, the Risen Lord Jesus is so kind, compassionate, loving, merciful and patient that He will most willingly infuse within us a renewed hope and joy if we open our hearts to His knocking.

Maybe you have a heart assaulted by doubts, anxieties, fears, insecurities and confusion. If such is the case, the Word of God is addressed to you right now: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever opens the door, I will enter and dine with them, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:19)

May we all be filled with a renewed hope, and rejoice and be glad! Hope is not a wishful, whimsical and sentimental feeling, as in the expression: “Well, I hope so!!!” Quite the contrary.

What is hope then? Hope is one of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. These three theological virtues were instilled in our soul when we were baptized. Of course, like seeds planted in the ground, these virtues must be cultivated. As the young express it today: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” So, let us use and cultivate hope so that we do not lose it.

Perhaps the best way to understand the theological virtue of hope is summarized in the spiritual masterpiece, with Saint Faustina as the secretary of Jesus, Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. It can be boiled down to five simple words: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!!! These words, written at the bottom of the image of Divine Mercy, summarize the essence of our message on the virtue of hope. We must place a total, constant, unreserved, solid TRUST in Jesus in all times, places, and circumstances. We must abandon our lives to the loving care of Jesus, and trust that He loves us, and always acts in a way that is in our best interest, even though at times we do not understand the ways of Divine Providence. As the Psalmist points out, His ways are not our ways, and as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are God’s ways above our ways. (Is. 55:9)

We live in time, but God lives in eternity. Past, present and future all converge with God. He sees the whole picture; and we see only a very limited part of the whole scenario.

What then are some concrete ways that we can foster, bolster, and fortify the virtue of Hope in our lives, so that we can fill others with hope and joy? We will offer a few simple power points; let us grab on to them and be buoyed up by the solid anchor of hope.

1. GOD’S LOVE FOR ME.  First and foremost, we must be firmly convicted and convinced that our God is not a tyrant, dictator, or mean-spirited boss who seeks to punish us. Quite the contrary, our God is a loving Father who loves each and every one us with an eternal love, a love that is immutable—never subject to change. Moreover, the more weak, vulnerable, and miserable we find ourselves, the more God embraces us with His love! This we see exemplified in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which can rightly be termed, “The Parable of the Merciful Father.” (Lk. 15:11-15) Re-read this Bible story paying particular attention to the actions of the father!

2. HE SENT HIS SON TO SAVE ME.  God the Father manifested His infinite love for us in sending His only Son to us in the Person of Jesus Christ in His Incarnation. Jesus was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the working of the Holy Spirit, was born, lived, and was crucified suffering excruciating pains and shedding every drop of His Precious Blood, died and was buried, and rose from the dead—all of this for love of each and every one of us. How precious you are in the eyes of God!

3. JESUS LEFT US THE CHURCH: THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST.  Another reason to rejoice in hope is that even though Jesus, after His death and Resurrection, ascended into Heaven, He did not leave us orphans. Rather, Jesus left His presence among us in the Church, which is His Mystical Body.

4. JESUS PRESENT IN THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST.  The very heart and center of the Church is Jesus truly present in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, most specifically in the Holy Eucharist. Those who believe and are in the state of grace are invited to receive Jesus into the very depths of their soul and experience life and life in abundance!

5. FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS.  At the Last Supper Jesus called His Apostles, His Friends. He also wants us to be His intimate Friends. Why not starting today strive to cultivate a deep, dynamic and strong bond of friendship with Jesus. He is the Faithful Friend, the Friend who will never fail you! (EL AMIGO QUE NUNCA FALLA!!!)

6. HEAVEN AWAITS US.  A reality that is too often neglected in our thoughts, is the reality of Heaven. We often pray the Our Father, starting with these words: “Our Father, who art in Heaven…” But all too often we forget to meditate upon the reality of Heaven. Heaven indeed exists. Jesus has prepared a place for all of us in Heaven. This thought should inundate us with hope and joy, and spur us on to attain this cherished prize.

7. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THESE IS NOTHING I SHALL WANT. (PS. 23) At any time and any place we can close our eyes and imagine that we are walking in the quiet, peaceful, and refreshing meadows where Jesus, the Good Shepherd wants to walk with us, talk to us, listen to us, encourage us, support us and love us. Why not read this Psalm slowly and carefully today. Then take a long, peaceful, walk with Jesus, the Good Shepherd of your soul? He is patiently waiting for you.

8. DIARY OF DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL.  One of the spiritual classics that has left an indelible impression on my life in the past few years is the DIARY: DIVINE MERCY IN MY SOUL. Jesus chose the humble, holy nun Saint Faustina Kowalska, known as The Secretary of Divine Mercy, to communicate to the world one of the most important and urgent messages of all times: God is rich in mercy, God loves us, God is ready to forgive us and embrace us in His loving arms. I cannot encourage with greater emphasis the purchasing and daily reading and meditating on this spiritual masterpiece, even one number per day! One of the most exquisite fruits of the constant, assiduous and daily reading of the Diary will be a renewed hope welling-up in our hearts and an expansive and over-flowing joy.

9. SHARE YOUR HOPE AND JOY WITH OTHERS.  If we indeed follow these suggestions, the net-result will be an increase of hope and joy. However, it must be understood, this hope and joy cannot be kept to ourselves, it must be shared with others. By sharing our hope and joy with others, they will be enlightened and pulled out of the pit of discouragement, and at the same time our own hope and joy will be fortified and grow all the more! “Let your light shine before men so that you will give glory to your Heavenly Father.” (Mt. 5:16)

10. MARY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE.  The beautiful prayer that we say with so much joy at the end of the Holy Rosary, the Hail Holy Queen, starts with these words: “Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope….” These are words of great encouragement. Mary is indeed a well-spring and fountain of abundant hope. We invite all to read and meditate upon the Marian classic and Masterpiece, “The Glories of Mary”, by St. Alphonsus Liguori. In fact, this spiritual gem is a commentary on the prayer, Hail Holy Queen. By reading, meditating on and assimilating these truths, undoubtedly, we will be filled with hope and joy, and become an overflowing well-spring of hope and joy for others. Again, the book is broken into sections of a few pages. Resolve to read at least one section per day. Then your day will be buoyed up by Jesus’ Divine Mercy and our Mother of Mercy!!!

My friends we are all Easter-people! We are indeed men and women imbued with the virtue of hope. May Our Lady, who is truly our life, our sweetness, and our hope inspire us to trust fully in God’s love for us, her maternal care and love for us, and Jesus’ deep abiding Friendship with us. Then we will truly be a bright light shining in the darkness and a shining star pointing to our heavenly reward.

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

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

SUNDAY, July 4th   Mk. 6: 1-6   “Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.’”

• This verse is for us, those who love Jesus, who are trying to follow and imitate Jesus. We are not always understood or appreciated, sometimes even in our own homes, among our own families, let alone the world at large!
• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tell us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48)
• Jesus tells us what that means: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be holy, therefore, as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:43-48)
• Holiness is our first calling and vocation – before all others. What does it mean to be holy? “I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This is something understood by all the saints, without exception.
• Therefore, let us pray with Fr. Ed’s meditation on the most salient characteristics of the saints, and beg the Lord to grow in holiness by His grace! So that we may truly be children of our Father in heaven, loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

BE HOLY AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS HOLY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

All of us are called to become saints. How do we know? Jesus commanded us: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48)  In other words: Become a saint! Most saints have not been officially canonized, but are anonymous, unknown except by God alone.

Given that this is a serious command given by Jesus Himself, to be holy, to become a saint, let us briefly highlight ten of the most salient notes or characteristics of the saints. This will serve to motivate each and every one of us to become who God has called us to be, to become a Saint!

1 ANTITHESIS OF SAINTLINESS: SIN.  Let us start with the negative. Saints have an abhorrence; they truly detest the one major evil in the world—the reality of sin. Modern culture glamorizes and even promotes sin; the saints fight against it. The motto of Saint Dominic Savio for his first Holy Communion was the following immortal assertion: DEATH RATHER THAN SIN!

2. PRAYER!  It is absolutely impossible to read the life of any saint who did not take their prayer life seriously and spend sizable blocks of time dedicated to prayer, which is union and friendship with God. (Saint Teresa of Avila) Face it: we can all improve in our prayer life. We can pray more, and we can always pray better. May the Holy Spirit enlighten and inspire us to upgrade our prayer life in our pursuit of holiness.

2. HUMILITY.  Saints are truly humble. By humility we mean the following: saints attribute all the good that they do to God—the origin, the author, and end of all good. When complimented on any good done, almost spontaneously the saint responds: Thanks be to God!

3. HUNGER FOR HOLINESS.  An authentic saint has a real hunger and thirst for exactly that—holiness, to become a saint. If you like, the saint lives out the first verse of Psalm 41: “As the deer yearns for the running waters, so my soul yearns for you, O Lord, my God.” A saint admits that they are not a saint, but really longs to be a saint one day. This longing, this yearning indeed is half the battle of attaining the crown of holiness, winning the crown of saintliness. Many yearn for money, power, pleasure, success, and possessions. Not so for the saint: they want to love God fully, totally and unreservedly; they long to be the saint God has called them to be!

4. CHARITY.  The saint is motivated to assimilate and carry out in word and deed the greatest of all the Commandments—the Command to love both God and neighbor. If you want to see a graphic image of charity, lift up your eyes to Jesus crucified, Jesus hanging from the cross, and you have a clear image of charity. We are called to love God totally and Jesus gave us a new command: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn. 15:12) On one occasion, Jesus appeared to Saint Thomas Aquinas after he had achieved enormous accomplishments and asked the saint what gift he desired most. Immediately Aquinas responded: “Lord, grant me the grace to love you more and more each day.” Saint John of the Cross asserted: “In the twilight of our existence we will be judged on love.” Saint Frances de Sales adds to this with these words: “The measure that we should love God is to love Him without measure.”

5. ZEAL FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.  Two saints met, one a youngster, the other, a priest. The youngster looked up and saw on the wall a few words written in Latin, and he asked the priest what those words were and what they meant. The priest responded by saying that those words were his motto, and they were: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” The priest was Saint John Bosco; the youngster was Saint Dominic Savio. An authentic saint loves God and loves what God loves—the salvation of immortal souls. One soul is worth more than the whole created universe! The reason for the excruciating pain that Jesus suffered in His Passion and the outpouring of His most Precious Blood was precisely this: to save immortal souls for all eternity! The stigmata Saint Padre Pio bore for fifty years, the 13-18 hours daily in the Confessional in the life of the Cure of Ars – Saint John Vianney, the heroic sacrifices of the little children of Fatima, the victimhood of Saint Faustina, all had one motivational reason and force: the love of God and the hunger and thirst for the salvation of souls.

6. STRUGGLING SINNERS THAT RISE WHEN THEY FALL.  Many have been deceived and misled into an artificial, sugar-sweet, romantic vision of a saint as someone exempt from human weaknesses and moral failures. Nothing could be further from the truth! Saints are born sinners. However, a common characteristic of the saint is that upon falling, sinner that they are, they resiliently bounce back! They return to the Lord through a Confession of good will and firm purpose of amendment. Venerable Bruno Lanteri, Founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, taught NUNC CAEPI—meaning—if we fall, we must rise immediately and trust all the more in the grace and mercy of the loving Heart of Jesus. No surprise that in the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus reminds us that the greatest sinner can become the greatest saint if they TRUST in the mercy of Jesus. Venerable Fulton Sheen points out that the first canonized saint was a thief, murderer and insurrectionist who hung on a cross next to Jesus on Calvary. Sheen goes on to say: “And he died a thief because he stole heaven.” Read and meditate on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that can also be termed the Parable of the Merciful Father. (Lk. 15:11-32)

7. FERVENT LOVE FOR THE SOURCE OF ALL HOLINESS: THE HOLY EUCHARIST.  The ultimate source of grace, purity, strength and holiness is Jesus Himself. The most efficacious means by which we unite ourselves with Jesus in His Mystical Body is through the Sacraments. The greatest of all of the Sacraments is the Most Holy Eucharist for the simple but profound reason that the Eucharist actually is Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! Jesus is the Holy of Holies; He is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Though it may sound banal or trivial or even a cliché, there is a truism behind this one liner: “You become what you eat!” Bad eating habits can produce health problems; good eating habits can contribute to health and longevity. In a parallel and real sense, when we nourish our souls with the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, with faith, devotion, fervor and love, we start to think like Jesus, feel like Jesus, act like Jesus, become like Jesus until we can say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

8. OPEN AND DOCILE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Father Jacques Phillipe wrote a short masterpiece on this topic with the title “In the School of the Holy Spirit.” In this short but inspiring book, Father Jacques constantly reminds his readers that holiness essentially depends on one basic attitude, action, and plan of life: being docile to the Holy Spirit and His heavenly inspirations. The Consoler, Counselor, Interior Master, Paraclete, Sweet Guest of the Soul—all names for the Holy Spirit who speaks gently but insistently to the pure, humble, docile soul, guiding them in the proper course of action that leads to holiness of life, that leads us to become the saints that we are all called and destined to become. Saint Paul reminds us: “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with ineffable groans so that we can call out Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:26) It is precisely for this reason that Pope Saint John XXIII stated: “The saints are the masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.”

9. MARY AND THE SAINTS.  Our Lady, Mary most holy, is Queen of the Angels, Queen of the Virgins, Queen of the Confessors, Queen of the Martyrs, Queen and beauty of Carmel, Queen of the most Holy Rosary, and finally, Mary is Queen of all of the Angels and Saints. After he died, Saint Dominic Savio appeared bathed in heavenly glory to Saint John Bosco and told the holy priest what gave him the greatest joy in his short life on earth (14 years and 11 months). His greatest joy was his great love and confidence in the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Dominic ended this encounter with Saint John Bosco by exhorting him to spread devotion to Mary to the greatest extent possible. Mary inspires the saints to pray fervently. Mary inspires the saints to return to God after they sin. Mary encourages the saints to love Jesus with their whole being. Mary’s presence helps the saints to avoid moral dangers. Mary’s maternal and loving presence helps the saints to move from desolation to consolation. For that reason, the saints cry out to Mary in these words: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.”

Our final prayer and hope is that all of our readers will become saints and great saints. Our hope and prayer is that all of you will one day be a very precious, resplendent and glorious jewel in the crown of Mary and contemplate and praise the Blessed Trinity for all eternity.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us so that we can attain the grace to truly become the saint that God has destined us to become for all eternity.

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

 

Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

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

SATURDAY, July 3rd   Jn. 20: 24-29   “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’”

• Who was the first to believe without seeing? “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1:38) Mary’s response to the Archangel Gabriel. And “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. 1:14) The Blessed Trinity’s response to Mary’s “Yes”.
• Due to Mary’s Immaculate Conception, meaning she was conceived without original sin in the womb of her mother Saint Anne, Mary was perfected in Faith! And all other virtues besides.
• On the day dedicated to Mary, let us honor this Woman of Faith by celebrating the Annunciation/Incarnation and renewing our understanding and relishing of the meaning of the words of the prayer that Mary loves most…

THE HAIL MARY—UNDERSTANDING THE WORDS AND THE MEANING By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Thanks be to God, as Roman Catholics we learn by heart the words of the Hail Mary, also known as The Angelic Salutation—the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel. However, it might be that we never spent any serious time reflecting on the meaning of the words in this glorious prayer. In this chapter we would like to offer a few simple but very important insights. The greater the depth of understanding of our faith, and of the immense treasure-house of these beautiful prayers, the more we will appreciate them and use them with greater intensity!

HAIL MARY…  These words were actually addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary by one of the angels sent from God, an Archangel whose name is GABRIEL—which means, Power of God. This was one of the most important messages communicated in the history of the world. For that reason, Pope Saint Paul VI proclaimed the Archangel Gabriel as the Patron of Modern Communication; that would include Television, Radio, Movies, Internet, YouTube, Podcasts, Smartphones, and any other form of electronic communication. May the humble praying of the Hail Mary encourage us to be better communicators, like the Archangel Gabriel, and strive to communicate the presence of God in whatever walk of life God has called us to!

FULL OF GRACE… Of all women, Mary was by far the most beautiful, sublime, glorious, pure, laudable, holy, as well as the most endowed with grace! The poets wax eloquent in this regard! What then is grace??? In the study of Theology, the topic of grace is of paramount value and importance. A short catechetical definition for grace is the following: Grace is participation in the life of God. There we have it: Grace is God’s life within us! We are conceived with Original Sin and born without grace. Mary, on the contrary, was conceived without the stain of Original Sin, so she was born in grace—she is the full of grace. (*See Note CCC 491 at the end of the meditation.)

THE GRACE OF ALL GRACES: TO DIE IN THE STATE OF GRACE.  The great Doctor of the Church, Saint Alphonsus Mary Liguori, asserted that the grace of all graces is for us to die in the state of grace. If this happens, with the help of God’s grace, we will be saved for all eternity!

INVOKING FREQUENTLY THE FULL OF GRACE—MARY, MOST HOLY!  If we form the habit of praying the HAIL MARY and better yet—the Hail Mary fifty times in the most Holy Rosary—then we will be constantly growing in grace. In fact, every time we pray the Hail Mary with faith, fervor, and love, we are augmenting sanctifying grace in our souls and preparing ourselves for an eternity in heaven!

WHAT DOES MARY, THE FULL OF GRACE, DO FOR US???  By praying the Hail Mary to the Mother of God, Mary will attain for us extraordinary graces, divine helps to stay close to God. Among the many graces or helps are the following:

1. PROTECTION. The devil shoots fiery darts to wound and kill us spiritually. Praying the HAIL MARY is like a shield of protection against the fiery arrows of Satan and his minions.

2. JOY. Grace communicates Joy! By praying the HAIL MARY frequently, Our Lady attains for us a joyful heart, a radiant smile, and jubilant disposition that flows out abundantly upon all those we meet!

3. POWER TO RESIST TEMPTATIONS. Upon praying the HAIL MARY, the great Mother of God intercedes for us before the throne of Almighty God, and she attains for us the grace (God’s divine assistance) to resist temptations that can come often, powerfully, and insidiously.

4. A CLEAN HEART. By praying the HAIL MARY often and fervently, the full of grace will obtain for us a pure and clean heart; actually purity of heart, mind, body, soul, intention, and life—a life pleasing to Almighty God!

5. PEACE OF MIND. In the midst of a world beset by anguish, tensions, rivalries, envy, wars and bloodshed, by praying the HAIL MARY frequently, Mary the Mother of God— the full of grace, can attain for us great peace of mind, even in the midst of so much tension, turmoil, and conflict.

THE LORD IS WITH YOU…  These essential words, part of the Hail Mary, have great meaning and importance. From the very moment of Mary’s Immaculate Conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, God was with Mary. Never for even the slightest moment was Mary separated from God. As we said, Mary was and is the full of grace. Mary’s whole being was imbued, absorbed, and penetrated by the Presence of God. Mary’s mind was filled with God’s heavenly light. Mary’s thoughts were focused totally on God and how God could be glorified. Mary’s eyes contemplated the beauty of God in all His glory and splendor. Mary’s words proclaimed the greatness of God. Mary’s whole body was a Living and Glorious Temple of the Blessed Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And of great importance, Mary’s Immaculate Heart constantly poured forth fervent acts of love for God. The heart is created especially to love, and aside from Jesus Himself, nobody ever loved more constantly and intensely than the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

THE LORD IS WITH YOU (MARY)….  But what about us??? The Lord was always with Mary, but what about us? Is the Lord always with us? Unfortunately, weak creatures that we are, the Lord may not always be with us! Why? Being free creatures, we can willingly choose to reject God in our lives, and this is called MORTAL SIN! However, there is Good News, and it comes through the presence and intercession of Mary! If we suffer the disgrace of losing grace by committing mortal sin, by beseeching the powerful intercession of Mary, she will attain for us the grace of heartfelt contrition and compunction, and the grace to return to God through a good Sacramental Confession. Indeed, Mary is the full of grace and God is always with her. But Mary loves sinners. She is the Mother of Mercy towards the fallen. If we turn to Mary, she will help us return to grace.

We pray and hope that these short reflections will encourage you to go deeper into the insightful well-spring of the Hail Mary prayer that Mary loves so much. The words that we have expounded upon are actually taken from the Archangel Gabriel. In this real sense, your words become nothing less than angelic every time you greet Mary, with the HAIL MARY—also known as THE ANGELIC SALUTATION—THE ANGELIC GREETING! Greet Mary frequently with faith, joy, and love in this prayer, in this life—and Jesus, the Son of Mary, will greet and welcome you to heaven!

*Note:

CCC 491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”

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

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

FRIDAY, July 2nd   Mt. 9: 9-13   “Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

There are two parts to today’s meditation.

1. The greatest attribute in the Sacred Heart of Jesus – His Infinite Mercy. Learn about His Mercy, Trust in His Mercy, Imitate His Mercy, and Promote His Mercy.

2. Living His Mercy in daily life with St. Faustina Kowalska.

PART 1:  JESUS LONGS TO INUNDATE YOU WITH MERCY! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The greatest attribute in the Sacred Heart of Jesus is His mercy. He longs to inundate us at all times, in all places, in all circumstances with His Infinite Mercy. It is like an all – consuming fire in the very depths of His being, in His Sacred Heart, and He suffers unspeakable anguish until it is poured forth in abundance. Jesus Himself cried out: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.”

Therefore, let us tap into this infinite reservoir of grace, this fire that is consuming the Heart of Jesus, this infinite reservoir of mercy, and by doing so, we console the Sacred Heart of Jesus! In this short essay we would like to offer for your reading and meditation five simple, concrete ways that you can immerse yourself and others in the infinite abyss, the infinite ocean of the mercy of the Heart of Jesus, Our Lord, God, Savior and Friend.  Never forget, those who live and promote the mercy of Jesus will receive it in abundance at the moment of their departure from this life to the next!

1. TRUST.  Let us trust in Jesus in all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in all the events on a world-level, national plane, and in our own personal lives. When tempted to doubt, let us lift our mind to Jesus and pray with all our heart these words that are inscribed on the bottom of the painting of the image of Divine Mercy—JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! May we repeat these words frequently and fervently until the doubt dissipates and vanishes into thin air.

2. IMITATE.  Jesus said: “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36) Love leads to imitation of the person we love. If indeed our love for Jesus is sincere, then we will strive to imitate Him in all attributes, but most especially in the most sublime and noble of His attributes—that of His Infinite Mercy. How? When offended by others—especially in the context of our own family—we must practice mercy by forgiveness, and immediate forgiveness! Delay in forgiving those who hurt us is a victory for the devil who loves to throw fuel on the flames of our resentments, turning a spark of anger into a sea of rage!

3. PROMOTE.  Now is the time in which true Apostles of Divine Mercy must surface and spread like wildfire. Why not accept the challenge right now to become a true Apostle of Divine Mercy seeking every occasion to spread and diffuse the mercy that is overflowing from the Heart of Christ. What are some of the ways that one can promote Divine Mercy? There are many, but a few are worthy of suggestion:

(1) CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY! Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily. Strive to get as many people to pray the Chaplet as possible. It is short, easy to learn, and easy to pray.

(2) HOLY CARDS. Buy a packet of 1000 Divine Mercy holy cards that explain on the back how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and distribute them far and wide!

(3) THE DYING AND DIVINE MERCY.  Strive to pray as often as possible the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those who are in their last agony, those who are about to die. The Eternal Father, contemplating the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, will have mercy on those souls who are about to pass from this life to judgment and their eternal destiny.

(4) MERCY HOUR. At 3:00 p.m., which is the Mercy hour, stop for even a brief moment and unite yourself to the agony of Jesus on the cross, and beg that all those who die in that moment and for the rest of the day will be saved. Uniting yourself with the Passion and last agony of Jesus is a most precious and efficacious time to implore the conversion and salvation of poor sinners. One soul is worth more than the whole created universe!

(5) ENTHRONE AND HONOR THE IMAGE. Jesus desires to be known and loved in many ways. However, recently, Jesus longs to be known and loved through the painting of Divine Mercy. He wants the image to be publicly venerated in Churches at all times, but especially on Divine Mercy Sunday—the Sunday following Easter Sunday. He also wants the image to be enthroned and venerated in your own home!

4. DIVINE MERCY AND TWO SAINTS: JOHN PAUL II AND SAINT FAUSTINA. Let us get to know the message of Divine Mercy, first and foremost through the Bible, the Word of God. But also, let us sink deep into the message of Divine Mercy by reading and meditating on the two great saints who promoted Divine Mercy—Pope Saint John Paul II and Saint Faustina Kowalska. Strongly to be recommended would be the Encyclical of Pope Saint John Paul II Dives Misericordia—God is Rich in Mercy. This is a literary and spiritual masterpiece commenting on God’s Mercy manifested through “The Parable of The Prodigal Son”—we might even be bold enough to call it “The Parable of the Merciful Father.”  Then, of course, we cannot recommend too much, Diary—Divine Mercy in My Soul by Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. This spiritual masterpiece will most likely go down as one of the greatest spiritual, mystical, and theological works in the history of Catholicism. It is a must for your reading and meditating.

5. MARY MOTHER OF MERCY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE.  Finally, to support and strengthen our journey into the depths of the Mercy of God, we invite all to purchase and read with great humility, docility, and openness of heart, the spiritual masterpiece of the great Doctor of the Church, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary. One of the greatest Marian Masterpieces, The Glories of Mary takes the prayer “The Hail Holy Queen” that is prayed at the end of the Holy Rosary, and explains in the most minute detail every word of The Hail Holy Queen. Saint Alphonsus gleans from a plethora of sources to pay tribute Our Lady, as Queen, Mother, and Mother of Mercy! The saint quotes the Bible, both Old and New Testament, Fathers and Doctors of the Church, other saints – both men and women, all with the purpose of portraying Our Lady in the most sublime dimension of her tender mercy; this is especially manifest in her love and tenderness toward sinners, and even the most miserable of sinners.

PART 2:  PRAYER TO BE MERCIFUL… Saint Faustina’s Diary #163… May Faustina’s Prayer become our prayer!

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.

Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.

You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy – if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer – if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even where I cannot reach out physically.

O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for You can do all things.

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

THURSDAY, June 30th   Mt. 9: 1-8  “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher and go home.”

• Jesus forgives sinners in the Gospels and continues to do so through His Church and the ministerial priesthood until the end of time!
• “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt. 16:18-19)
• It is far more important to raise someone from the death of mortal sin, than to bring their dead body back to life as Jesus did with Lazarus (Jn. 11:43-44), and the son of the widow of Nain (Lk. 7:14-15), and the daughter of Jairus (Mt. 5:41-42).
• Do you believe this? Then make frequent confessions, at least monthly, and make every confession as if it were your last confession—making sure all your mortal sins have been confessed. Upon examining your conscience, if you become aware of mortal sins that have never been confessed, confess them now! Walk out of every Confession with a clean slate! It is a matter of eternal life or death!

GRAB ON TO THE MERCIFUL HAND OF GOD—25 FRUITS OF CONFESSION! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

As a result of Original Sin all of us, with the exception of Jesus, and Mary through the privilege of the Immaculate Conception, are conceived with Original Sin, commit sin, and are indeed sinners!

Saint Augustine, who lived as a slave of sin, a slave of his own sinful passions into his early 30’s, after his conversion wrote and taught some of the most beautiful and profound insights in the history of the world. Of great comfort, solace, and consolation is the teaching of Augustine on the sin of Adam and Eve, which he termed O Happy Fault! Why, you might ask, would the Original Sin be considered a Happy Fault? Augustine teaches us that as a result of Original Sin, God brought a much greater good into the world. The greater good being the Incarnation of the Son of God. The Eternal Father in His Infinite Love sent to the world, and to each and every one of us individually, Jesus born of the Virgin Mary, to show us how to live, but most especially to die on the cross and rise from the dead in order to give us new life and life in abundance!

GOD’S MERCY THROUGH THE CHURCH AND CONFESSION.  Before ascending into heaven, Jesus assured us He would be with us always, even until the end of the world. How you might ask? The response is clear and unequivocal: through the Church, and most especially through the Sacraments. Every Sacrament communicates grace, but each Sacrament communicates a specific grace of its own that differentiates it from the other six Sacraments. The Sacrament of Confession is the Sacrament of God’s mercy and healing. By committing sin, we wound ourselves and others! By receiving the Sacrament of Confession worthily, we receive a deep inner healing.

FRUITS/EFFECTS OF A GOOD CONFESSION.  There is much that can be said about the Sacrament of Confession. However, the purpose of this essay is to highlight the positive fruits or effects of the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Penance, Forgiveness, as well as Reconciliation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DISPOSITIVE GRACE OF THE SACRAMENT.  It must be said that the Sacraments are extraordinary gifts from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacraments are infinite reservoirs of grace. However, classical theology teaches us the concept of Dispositive Grace; by this is meant, one receives an abundance of graces or a paltry amount of graces in direct proportion to the disposition of one’s heart. Meaning better preparation, leads to a better disposition of heart, and a more fruitful reception with more abundant graces. In other words, flippant, nonchalant, mediocre reception of the Sacraments diminishes to a great degree the graces that God wants to communicate to the soul. Indeed, a worthy and noble spiritual enterprise would be an ardent desire to receive the Sacraments with a fervent and well-disposed heart. May Our Lady help us!

Now let us go through a list of the many graces that flow from a well-prepared, well-disposed, and fervent reception of the Sacrament of God’s mercy. Indeed, let us Grab on to the Merciful Hand of God!!!

1. RESTORATION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we were to have the disgrace of falling into mortal sin, we should never despair but launch ourselves into the merciful embrace of God’s love. By mortal sin we lose sanctifying grace in our soul; a good confession restores sanctifying grace in our soul—that is to say, friendship with the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

2. AUGMENTS SANCTIFYING GRACE.  If we have not committed mortal sin, we can still receive the Sacrament of Confession. By doing so, we are augmenting, increasing, and intensifying sanctifying grace in our souls. Indeed, dying in sanctifying grace is our passport to heaven and eternal life! We should not be wandering around aimlessly without this passport!

3. HUMILITY.  Indeed, God loves the humble, and rejects the proud of heart. To confess our sins well in the Sacrament of Confession demands no small quota of humility. We do not like to admit our weaknesses, expose our dirty laundry, and confess that we have failed. Confession conquers pride as we practice humility, so pleasing to the Heart of God, as we pray in Psalm 51:17… “A humble and contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.”

4. SELF-KNOWLEDGE.  Spiritual Theology, especially Ignatian, insists on the indispensable character of self-knowledge. The Desert Fathers have a two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF! Having frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Penance serves as an indispensable aid to getting to know who we are—the noble as well as the ignoble, the holy as well as the sinful, the lights as well as the shadows and darkness lurking in the inner recesses of our conscience. Confession points out to us who we really are, and it helps us to stop rationalizing, justifying, or even lying about our true identity!

5. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS.  Confession also serves immensely in our attitude towards others. A positive fruit of confession is that we recognize how far we can fall, how sinful we are. This serves as a platform to help us avoid looking down on and condemning others; in other words, it helps us to be more compassionate towards others. Jesus said:  “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36)

6. BECOMING MORE CAREFUL AND VIGILANT.  Along with the fruit of self-knowledge comes an attitude of watching over ourselves, being vigilant, so that we do not slip and fall into the same pitfalls of sin. Jesus said:  “Stay awake and pray; for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41)

7. THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD.  The infinite reservoir of graces that flow from the Pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus applies to the penitent sinner.  Even though invisible, in a mystical but very real way the soul of the repentant sinner is purified by the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

8. CLEANSING EFFECT.  Sin sullies or dirties our mind, heart, soul, and conscience. Contrariwise, Confession cleanses us. As the Prophet Isaiah points out:  “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as the snow.” (Is. 1:18) What a nice shower, soap, and shampoo does to the dirty body, so does the Sacrament of Confession do to the dirty soul!

9. INTERIOR PEACE OF SOUL.  All of us know from experience that one of the noxious effects of sin is that it robs our entire spiritual life of peace, a peace that all of us so ardently long for! Confession restores that peace. Dismissing the penitent, the priest often says: “The Lord Jesus has forgiven all your sins; go now in PEACE!!!” May all of us be a living and breathing SHALOM—peace be with you!

10.  JOY: REJOICE IN THE LORD.  Another poisonous effect of sin in our lives is that it dampens and often destroys joy. Saint Paul commands us: “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil 4:4)  Often upon exiting the confessional, a radiating joy can be seen on the faces of the forgiven sinners. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of the joy of the repentant son returning home to the loving embrace of the Father. (Lk. 15: 11-32) The son was willing to grab on to the Merciful Hand of the Father.

11.  LIGHTENING OF THE LOAD. Another hazard of living in sin is that the incredibly heavy load of sin weighs us down. Confessing our sins to the priest who represents Jesus, Our Savior, liberates us from the weight of sin in our mind, heart and soul. Jesus reminds us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and 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 your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mt. 11:28-30)

12. LIVING OUT THE PASCHAL MYSTERY.  By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a good disposition, we live out what is termed The Paschal Mystery— the Passion, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. By this we mean, by confessing and repenting of our sins, we actually die to sin and rise from the tomb to begin a new life.

13. LAZARUS EXPERIENCE. (Jn. 11:43-44) Lazarus was dead and buried, and in the tomb for four days. Jesus came, told them to remove the stone, and then in a loud voice cried out: “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man rose and walked out of the tomb, fully alive, fully restored to life! Jesus is the Resurrection and has the keys to life. By making a good confession, we are leaving the tomb of our sinful life and walking in the life and light of the Risen Lord Jesus, Alleluia!

14. OVERCOMING DEPRESSION.  Many suffer from acute depression today. We would be bold enough to assert that in many cases this acute depression is in direct proportion to the individual being immersed in the quagmire of sin. By being able to unload all of our sins and guilt in a good Sacramental confession, depression often is dissipated like the early morning mist exposed to the sun.

15. FREEDOM FROM GUILT.  Many today live with a guilty conscience and this can indeed be a real torture. Shakespeare highlights this point in Macbeth. As a result of involvement in murder, Lady Macbeth constantly feels the need to wash her hands, really desiring to be freed of the bloodshed on her conscience. In this context Shakespeare says:  “Conscience does make cowards of us all.” Indeed, what hell on earth it is to live with a dirty and accusing conscience! A good confession liberates us from this guilt.

16. FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY.  Jesus says that the devil is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. (Jn. 8:44) Also, Jesus says that sin indeed is SLAVERY! Jesus came to set the captives free!!! Free from what? Jesus (which means Savior) came to save us, to free us, to liberate us from the slavery caused by sin! A good confession smashes the chains and shackles that have kept us bound as prisoners!

17. PURITY OF LIFE, PURITY OF CONSCIENCE, PURITY OF SOUL.  One of the Eight Beatitudes taught by Jesus is the following: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8) Sin is impurity, in one form or another. Confession purifies the interior window of our soul. As such, we can see God in this life through contemplative prayer, and we will see Him forever in the Beatific Vision in heaven.

18. MORE FERVENT, PURE, AND EFFICACIOUS COMMUNIONS.  Related to purity received through Confession is that of a more fruitful and efficacious reception of Holy Communion. If you like, follow this analogy! Once a dirty window pane is sprayed with Windex and wiped, the light of the sun can inundate the room much more fully. Likewise, the more pure the soul, the more abundant the graces that can inundate the soul in the reception of Holy Communion. Good Confessions help us to make better Holy Communions.

19. BAD HABITS DESTROYED.  A bad habit we call a vice; a good habit we call a virtue. Indeed, it is impossible for us using our own natural resources to overcome bad habits, vices, and sin in our lives. Only God can do this! The most efficacious way is through frequent and well-prepared Confessions.

20. VIRTUES ESTABLISHED.  Of course the opposite of a vice is a virtue. Good confessions can turn us from sinful, mean, and vicious individuals into kind, holy, and virtuous persons on the Highway of Holiness.

21. CONQUERS THE DEVIL!  The devil wants us to commit sin, live in sin, and die in the state of sin so that we will be under his dominion forever in hell. A good confession is actually more powerful than an exorcism. An exorcism is a mere sacramental; Confession is a Sacrament—a powerful encounter with Jesus who both heals us and saves us!

22. CONFESSION IS MEDICINE TO THE SOUL.  The specific grace of the Sacrament of Confession is that it heals the soul of its sickness contracted by sin. Jesus is known as the Divine Physician. The priest in the confessional represents Jesus as the Divine Physician.

23. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.  Doctors will emphasize the importance of preventive medicine: getting flu-shots, frequent check-ups, blood-tests. In a word, these can all serve to prevent serious illnesses, or even diseases. Likewise, the practice of frequent Confession not only can serve as curative medicine, but also what might be called preventive medicine. Better to prevent a disease than to cure it; better to prevent a sinful pattern than to work at curing it!

24. LIVING OUT METANOIA!!!  The first preaching of Jesus in His Public Life was that of conversion: “Be converted because the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15)  If we really want to undergo a true conversion of heart, a true conversion of life, then Confession is indispensable! The third Luminous Mystery is the Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion! Pope Saint John Paul II relates this Mystery to the call to reception of Confession as an efficacious means of conversion!  

25. REJOICING OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.  A Marian note: one of the many titles of Mary is that of Our Lady of Mercy. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that the Marian Sanctuaries—Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe—are spiritual clinics. This means: these are spiritual hospitals where the spiritually sick can receive mercy, healing, and strength. Our Lady rejoices whenever anyone enters and leaves the confessional.  

In conclusion, we have highlighted a list of 25 positive effects or fruits of the worthy reception of the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy, that we call the Sacrament of Confession. God has extended His loving and merciful hand to you. Why not grab on to it, why not grasp the hand of your Merciful Father and make a good confession right now!