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

TUESDAY, June 15th   Mt. 5: 43-48   Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard it said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.”

• Of ourselves we cannot do this. We need the grace that flows from the Cross of Christ to accomplish this. Our part is to pray for our enemies; Jesus will do the rest. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezek. 36:26)
• As we continue to pray for them, Jesus will help us to see the “poverty” of our enemies, of those who persecute us, and we will begin to pray for them with compassion. This is when we are children of our Heavenly Father.
• In heaven, all accounts will be settled. They will know that we prayed for them and loved them, when they were unlovable. And they will be eternally grateful. In turn, we will know all those who prayed for us and loved us, when we were unlovable! And it will be our turn to be grateful! For only God is perfect!
• May the Power of the Cross of Christ guide us to Love without limits, Love without asking for anything in return!!!

A CONTEMPLATION—THE POWER OF THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST by Fr. Ed. Broom, OMV

Let us meditate upon what the saints have said about the power of the cross; then spend time in silence meditating upon the crucifix, the most eloquent symbol of love in the entire world. With Saint Francis of Assisi, who bore the wounds of Christ in his body through the mystical grace of the stigmata, let us pray with all of our heart: “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

WHAT SOME OF THE SAINTS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE CROSS…

“It is not the finest wood that feeds the fire of Divine love, but the wood of the cross.” (Saint Ignatius of Loyola)

“Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.” (Saint John of the Cross)

“The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.” (Saint John of the Cross)

“The Passion of Christ is the greatest and most stupendous work of Divine Love.” (Saint Paul of the Cross)

“O cherished cross! Through thee my most bitter trials are replete with graces.” (Saint Paul of the Cross)

“Our Savior’s passion raises men and women from the depths, lifts them up from the earth, and sets them in the heights.” (Saint Maximus of Turin)

Now enter into your own meditation/contemplation on the Mystery of the Holy Cross as you lift your gaze to a graphic crucifix and peer into the five deep wounds of Jesus, who loved you so much that He was crucified, suffered and died for you. How great is the love of God for you!!!

1. CRUCIFIX ON THE WALL IN ALL THE BEDROOMS IN YOUR HOME. It is highly recommended that all of your bedrooms have a crucifix on the wall. A crucifix has a Corpus, meaning, the Body of Christ nailed to the wood of the cross. The cross without the Corpus of Christ almost deprives the cross of its meaning. Jesus suffered and died on the cross—His Body hung on the cross for three long hours, from 12 noon to 3 pm, for your salvation!

2. CONTEMPLATE THE CROSS. Get in the habit before retiring every night of spending at least a few moments in silence contemplating, looking deeply at the cross and He who died on the cross for love of you—the Savior, Jesus Christ. Offer Him your immense love and gratitude. Contemplation is a form of prayer in which we think deeply with our mind and love immensely with our heart, for the immense love that Jesus has not just for all, but for each one of us individually.  

3. CALL TO MIND THE WORDS JESUS SPOKE ON THE CROSS. A very salutary and sanctifying practice is to call to mind the seven last words (phrases) that Jesus pronounced from the cross. Take these words into your mind and your heart. Ven. Fulton J. Sheen asserts that from the pulpit of the cross, Jesus preached His last and best homily. Let us be attentive students and listeners. (Listed below)

4. MEMORIZE THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS, THE MOST ELOQUENT PREACHER: Which one speaks most to you right now?

1) “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34)

2) “Amen, I say to you: today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk. 23:43)

3) “Woman behold thy son; son behold thy Mother.” (Jn. 19:26-27)

4) “I thirst.” (Jn. 19:28)

5) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46)

6) “It is finished.” (Jn. 19:30)

7) “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk. 23:46)

5. IMITATE THE SAINTS AND KISS THE WOUNDS OF CHRIST. Prayer is not simply a cerebral or intellectual function. Prayer involves the whole person. Saint Francis, and many of the saints, would express their love for their crucified Savior by kissing Jesus’ five wounds on the crucifix. You do the same! By doing so, you manifest the heartfelt love you have for Jesus. Every one of those open wounds that Jesus endured—the nails that perforated His hands and feet, the lance that entered His side and pierced His Heart causing blood and water to gush forth, were for love of you and for your eternal salvation. How great is the love of the crucified Savior for you, and how great His desire for the salvation of your immortal soul!  

6. LIKE MARCELINO, TALK TO THE CRUCIFIED LORD. (Movie: Miracle of Marcelino – 1955 black and white version.) In this movie-classic, imitate the little orphan boy, Marcelino, and talk to the Lord Jesus from the depths of your heart. Use simple words, but words anointed with great love and passion, expressing your heartfelt gratitude for the Lord Jesus and all He did for love of you.

7. CONTEMPLATE THE CROSS AND CALVARY RELATED TO THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. As you lift your gaze to Jesus hanging from the cross, call to mind the intimate relationship between Jesus crucified on Calvary on Good Friday and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Invisible as it is, and with the utmost depth of mystical meaning, every time an ordained priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Calvary and the crucified Lord Jesus are present. In every Mass, the fruits of the crucified Lord are available to all of humanity. Next time you go to Mass, contemplate the big Crucifix on the wall behind the priest who is celebrating Mass, and remember that Calvary is present when the priest lifts up the Host and elevates the Chalice! O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!

8. JESUS’ OPEN ARMS ON THE CROSS. Contemplate now the open arms of Jesus as He hangs from the cross. There is depth of meaning here. Saint Augustine, giving a symbolic interpretation of the crucifix and the position of Jesus’ Body says: Jesus has His head bent to kiss us; His arms open to embrace us; and His heart open to receive us! Jesus’ open arms are symbolic of the arms of the Father of the Prodigal Son. The meaning? Despite the sad reality of our many sins, God always, in all times and on all occasions, has His arms wide-open to receive us—symbolic of forgiveness. As the Prophet Isaiah reminds us: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as the snow.” (Is. 1:18) In concrete, Jesus beckons us to return to Him with a sincere and contrite heart through the reception of the Sacrament of His Mercy, the Sacrament of Confession, and be renewed, reformed, and made anew!

9. JESUS’ BLOOD STAINED BODY AND GARMENTS. As you contemplate the blood-stained body of Jesus and few garments, the virtue of purity and modesty should surge in your mind and heart. Both the stripping of Jesus, as well as the brutal scourging at the pillar, were accepted willingly by Jesus to repair for the countless sins of impurity committed by all of humanity and by us individually. Our Lady of Fatima commented sadly that most souls are lost due to sins against the 6th and 9th Commandments; that is to say, sins committed against the virtue of purity. May our contemplation of the lacerated and bloody Body of the Lord Jesus inspire within us a great desire for purity—in body, mind, thought, word, deed, desire and intention. Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

10. THE CROSS AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS AND OURS… As you look up to the cross and contemplate Jesus with love, recall His words: Anyone who wishes to be my follower must renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt. 16:24) Spend some quiet time in prayer before the Crucified Lord Jesus and open up from the very depths of your heart, pour out your feelings and emotions with respect to your own crosses. Jesus desires to listen to you, accompany you, and help you. He is not indifferent to the cries and supplications of your heart, but desires to really help you. What might be your cross or crosses? A health problem, economic strait, difficult relative, rebellious son or daughter, tense relationship with a spouse, work conflict, spiritual doubt, loss of a loved one, pain of a past deep wound, fear of the dark and ominous clouds of the future, fear of suffering and of your own mortality and death? All of these can be the subject of your colloquy (conversation) with our crucified Lord Jesus. Often our cross is too heavy simply because we fail to invite Jesus to help us carry our cross. Ask Him! Invite Him! Listen to His words: “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 your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Mt 11:28-30)

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, June 14th   Mt. 5: 38-42   Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard it said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.”

“No one heals himself by wounding another.”  St. Ambrose of Milan

“There are many kinds of alms; the giving of which helps us to obtain pardon for our sins; but none is greater than that by which we forgive from our heart a sin that someone has committed against us.”  St. Augustine

“The saints rejoiced at injuries and persecutions, because in forgiving them they had something to present to God when they prayed to Him.”  St. Teresa of Avila

“He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.”  St. Faustina

Part 1: FORGIVENESS… by Father Jacques Philippe

Part 2: FIVE WAYS TO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV  

PART 1: FORGIVENESS… by Father Jacques Philippe

Of course there are cases when the suffering other people causes us is due to a real fault on their part. The proper attitude then is something demanding and difficult: forgiveness.

Modern culture doesn’t rate forgiveness very highly. More often it justifies resentment and revenge. But does that reduce the amount of evil in the world? The only way to diminish the suffering that burdens mankind is by forgiveness.

It bears repeating… that unless we understand the importance of forgiveness and practice it in our relations with others, we will never achieve inner freedom but will always be prisoners of our own bitterness.

When we refuse to forgive someone for harm done to us, we are adding another wrong to the first. That solves nothing at all. We are increasing the quantity of evil in the world, which has quite enough as it is. Let us not join in the propagation of evil!

Saint Paul tells us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!” (Rom 12:21)

PART 2: FIVE WAYS TO PRACTICE FORGIVENESS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV  

The renowned English poet Alexander Pope stated: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” How true this statement, but how difficult it can be! Holding on to resentment indeed is interior slavery. Whereas, to forgive is truly imitating God Himself, but also setting the captive free and that captive is us!

Frequently and in unequivocal terms Jesus has reaffirmed the indispensable obligation of all to forgive those who hurt us, to pray for our enemies, and do good to those who hurt us! Once again, easier said than done! Actually without God’s grace to forgive those who have wounded us, and to love and pray for our enemies, far transcends and supersedes our natural powers. In sum, we need Gods’ grace to forgive our enemies.

Jesus is our example in all, in absolutely all we say, do and even think in our daily lives! Indeed He said it clearly: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Jesus first began by doing, and then by His preaching. First actions, then words.

His very demanding teaching on forgiveness, He Himself lived to perfection at every stage and moment of His earthly existence.

What are some of the teachings of Jesus on mercy and forgiveness? Let’s meditate on a few of them. “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36) In response to Peter’s generous willingness to forgive seven times, Jesus upped it to forgive always: “Now I say to you, forgive seventy times seven.” (Mt. 18:20) This is hyperbole for the imperious obligation to forgive always, without limits or reservations.

Then Jesus made a Liturgical/Mass allusion. He said that if you come to Church to present your offering and you know that your brother has something against you, simply leave the offering at the foot of the altar, reconcile with your brother and then return to offer the gift. In other words, to celebrate worthily the Liturgy we should strive to be at peace with our brothers and sisters, and not be angry and resentful towards anybody.

Then in the most famous prayer in the world, the Our Father, Jesus inserted this imperious command: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Mt 6:12) In other words, forgiveness from God is a two way street. If we want to be a recipient of God’s forgiveness, then necessarily we must forgive those who have hurt us.

Finally, the most eloquent witness of God’s forgiveness for all of humanity and for each of us individually was when Jesus hung upon the cross after having been scourged, crowned with thorns, spat upon and mocked, forgotten and abandoned by His loved ones, derided and mocked incessantly. What was His response as He hung on the cross ready to breathe forth His spirit? These words: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34)

Following are five short, concrete suggestions to help us on the pathway to forgiveness and mercy!

1. Beg for the Grace

To forgive our enemies, to pray for them and to love them goes far beyond our fallen human nature. We desperately need God’s overflowing and abundant graces. Saint Augustine says that we are all beggars before God. Therefore, we should beg for the grace to forgive when we are put to the test. God will not deny us this petition and important grace!

2. Forgive Immediately

When we are offended, often the devil works on us right away fostering thoughts of revenge in our mind. Such ugly and vindictive thoughts can easily surface: “Get even!”…“Teach him a lesson.”… “Give him a taste of his own medicine.”… “Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.” Finally, “Don’t let him get away with it.” In a certain sense, as one Protestant preacher put it succinctly: “We desire to forgive him, but only after we see him squirm like a worm in hot ashes, at least for a while.” These thoughts and feelings are diametrically opposed to the teaching of Our Merciful Savior, so we must resist them and reject them as soon as we become aware of them. Therefore, if we respond to God’s grace and mercy, and forgive immediately, there is a very good chance that the victory will be ours. In sum, be quick to reject vindictive thoughts and even more rapid to forgive!

However, if we are still struggling with forgiveness, start praying Hail Marys for them non-stop! Every moment your mind is free, pray Hail Marys for them. Keep praying until the bad feelings dissipate. If the bad feelings recur, begin praying Hail Marys for them again! In this way, Mother Mary will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves – restore calm and peace to our soul! The captive Mary sets free will be ourselves!

3. Humility

Another efficacious spiritual weapon that we have in our armory is humility. How? In this way! If forgiveness proves laborious and near impossible, then call to mind your worst sin, or your most embarrassing sin, and the fact that God forgave you as soon as you begged for His mercy and forgiveness. Most likely, the offense that was leveled against you is minimal in comparison with your most grave or embarrassing sin. This can prove to be a powerful tool to open up your heart in mercy and forgiveness!

4. Mercy is a Two-Way Street

Next, remember that receiving God’s mercy is not a dead-end street, but rather a two-way street! Meaning? Jesus said: “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful… and forgive.” Therefore, if we want to experience God’s Infinite Mercy in our lives, we must extend our hand in forgiveness towards those who have offended us. The Our Father teaches us the same lesson: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Saint Faustina Kowalska in her Diary Divine Mercy in My Soul asserts unequivocally that the greatest attribute or virtue in God is His Infinite Mercy. Followers of Jesus the merciful Savior must practice this sublime but very demanding virtue. Mercy is God’s love forgiving the sinner. Our deciding to forgive our enemies is a clear sign of the victory of God’s grace and mercy in our lives!

5. Jesus Bleeding on the Cross for You

Possibly the most convincing motivational force to compel us to forgive those who offend us is the serene but serious contemplation of Jesus hanging on the cross, shedding every drop of His most Precious Blood to save all of humanity, but in particular to save your immortal soul. When you have been hurt and unwilling to forgive, lift up your eyes to contemplate Jesus as He hangs on the cross. Remember what He has already gone through—sweating His precious Blood in the Garden, scourged at the Pillar His flesh hanging in shreds, crowned with thorns piercing His brow, denied by Peter, betrayed by Judas, condemned though totally innocent, and finally nailed to the cross where He shed every drop of His Precious Blood for you and me.

What were the first words that issued forth from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus? Listen, contemplate, and pray! “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!” (Lk. 23-34) Meditating upon these words, coupled with the contemplation of Jesus’ bitter Passion, suffering and death on the cross, shedding every drop of His most Precious Blood for us, should be a most efficacious hammer to crush the most hardened heart unwilling to forgive!

Finally, beg Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Mercy for the grace to forgive. Nobody ever suffered more than Mary, aside from Jesus Himself! She heard and witnessed her only Son suffer and die on the cross, brutally mistreated, yet she forgave us from the depths of her Immaculate Heart. May Our Lady attain for us the grace to forgive, to be merciful, and merit the title to be truly the son or daughter of God the Father, brother or sister to Jesus Christ, and friend of the Holy Spirit in time and for all eternity! Amen.

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, June 13th   Mk. 4: 26-34    Jesus said to the crowds:

“This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”

• The message of these two parables is that God gives the growth!

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

CCC 1996. Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.” (2Cor 5:17-18)  

CCC 2002. God’s free initiative demands man’s free response.

What is our response? We can give lip service to God’s offer of grace. All of us have been guilty of that at one time or another. The proof is in our actions.

This meditation is a call to an honest assessment of our life of grace. Perhaps sharpening our pencils. What areas can we grow in? And in what specific ways? This guided meditation can help us discern.                 

THE WILL OF GOD – SEEK GRACE IN YOUR LIFE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

On one occasion the great mystic, Saint Catherine of Siena, was granted a vision into the state of one soul imbued with sanctifying grace. Upon contemplating the beauty of this one soul in God’s grace, she fell to her knees. Enthralled and totally captivated by its beauty, she thought it was God Himself!

Of all of the gifts that we can receive on earth as pilgrims traveling towards our eternal home, the grace of God is by far the greatest treasure. It is the pearl of infinite price!

Whereas the worldly and sensual pursue money, fame, power, and pleasure as their ultimate source of happiness (which really is a lie and illusion), God’s true friends pursue ardently and constantly to grow in grace. Another rather simple way to understand the life of grace is simply this: friendship with God. God desires ardently to be our Friend, but He respects our freedom to accept His friendship or not.

The life of grace all starts in the moment that we receive the Sacrament of Baptism. The graces that flow from Baptism are extraordinary, almost mind-boggling—how good God really is. Once the water is poured on the head with the words: “I baptize you, In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, invisible but real miracles occur: an intimate relationship with the Blessed Trinity, the infusion of the theological virtues—faith, hope and charity, the moral virtues, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Still, of paramount importance is the reality of Grace that permeates and imbues the soul in the moment of Baptism!

With the waters of Baptism, we enter into a deep and intimate friendship with our Triune God and we become partakers of His divine nature—we become sons and daughters of God and have an inheritance—if we persevere in grace—in heaven forever! For that reason the saints teach us: grace is the seed of eternal life.

Given that grace in our soul is the greatest gift and presence, we should do all in our power to preserve grace, grow in grace, so as to die in the state of grace. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church and author of the classic Glories of Mary, states that the grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace. This should be our prayer every day for our soul, and the souls of our loved ones, as well as the whole world. Indeed, Jesus came as universal Savior—to save the whole world through His Paschal mystery—His passion, death and Resurrection from the dead!

Then there are the two worst things in the universe, which are the following. First, committing a mortal sin (this indeed is terrible). Second, worse still is dying in the state of mortal sin; this, of course, results in eternal separation from God for all eternity! May God save us from the reality of mortal sin! Nonetheless, if we do have the misfortune of falling into mortal sin, we should never give into despair. On the contrary, we should have a limitless confidence in God’s infinite mercy and have recourse to the wonderful Sacrament of God’s mercy that we call Confession! The Psalmist reminds us with these encouraging words: “God is slow to anger and rich in kindness.” (Ps. 103:8) Saint Paul reiterates the same theme: “Where sin abounds, the grace of God abounds all the more.” (Rom. 5:20)

WAYS TO GROW IN THE GRACE OF GOD

We should do all in our power to preserve God’s grace in our soul, but also to grow daily in God’s grace. God’s intimate friendship and His grace in our soul are worth more than the whole created universe.  The natural realm in which we live can never be compared to the supernatural realm in which we find the concept and reality of grace. As a fish swims in water, as a bird flies in the sky, so should we be swimming and flying in the atmosphere of grace! This should be the most ardent desire of our heart, mind and soul!

1. PRAYER

Every time we pray with humility of heart, purity of intention, and a desire to please God, we immediately grow in grace. For that reason we should treasure prayer, our prayer life and the prayer life of others, as the highest and greatest of all realities. Parents who teach their children to pray are the best of parents; parents who are slothful and negligent in educating their children in the area of prayer will have to give an account on the day of their judgment! Because of the numerous distractions of daily life, how easy it is for parents—who must be the first educators of their children—to be negligent and sloppy in teaching their children to pray! May God have mercy on us!

2. CHARITY

The Word of God teaches us this consoling truth: “Love covers a multitude of sins.” If we can respond to the ways and opportunities that God offers us on a daily basis to practice charity and service, or even alms-giving, towards others then we have another means to augment grace in our souls. In the movie Little Boy, the little boy is given what the priest calls the “Magic list” to accomplish, so that his father will return home, safe and sound, from the World War. The “Magic list” is nothing more than the Corporal Works of Mercy listed in scripture Mt. 25:31-46. “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; thirsty and you gave me to drink; a foreigner and you welcomed me; sick and in prison and you came to visit me; dead and you provided for the burial.” Beg the Holy Spirit in prayer which of these He is calling you to carry out in practice in your life, so as to increase grace in your soul! Always remembering that charity begins at home; we are to practice these in our own home with our own family with great generosity first.

3. PENANCE  

Jesus stated that some devils can be cast out only through prayer and fasting. (Mt. 17:21) The Lord also reminds us: “Anyone who wants to be my follower must renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt. 16:24) Every time we say “no” to our selfish desires and “yes” to a sacrifice that the Holy Spirit has inspired in our heart, then once again the grace of God rises in our heart! An added blessing from God when we undertake a life of sacrifice is the conquering of our bad habits, accompanied by interior peace of mind, heart and soul! Let us be generous with God who loves us so much!

4. SACRAMENTS: THE EUCHARIST

Of course, the greatest action in the whole universe is that of receiving the greatest of all Sacraments: The Eucharist! The Holy Eucharist—Holy Communion, is truly and substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Receiving Our Lord with the best of dispositions, that is in the state of grace, with faith, love, humility, and a desire for deeper conversion through His love, is an infinite source of grace because this Sacrament is God Himself! For this reason, there is no greater action we can do as pilgrims and wayfarers on earth than to receive Jesus with frequency, lively faith, and burning love! If you like a simple image, receiving Jesus with burning love in your heart causes the gas gauge in your spiritual tank (your soul) to shoot up way beyond full. Beg for the grace to have a daily hunger for the Bread of life so as to constantly skyrocket in grace—to penetrate the high heavens while yet on earth! In the Our Father we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread…” Perhaps Jesus is challenging you to aim at daily Mass and daily Holy Communion so as to surmount the highest mountains in the realm of grace!

5. OUR LADY: HAIL MARY

On one occasion, the German mystic and saint, Saint Gertrude, saw Jesus in heaven. He was resplendent in glory, but He was doing an intriguing gesture: placing a golden coin on top of a huge mound of other gold coins. The saint was just finishing praying the Hail Mary to our Lady. Jesus responded in this manner. “Gertrude, every time you pray the Hail Mary to my mother with faith and devotion, I am depositing a Golden coin in heaven that will be yours for all eternity.” If we want to be multi-billionaires in heaven, let us love Mary and the prayer that Mary loves so much—the Hail Mary. In the Hail Mary we greet the Queen of Heaven and earth with these beautiful words: “Hail Mary, Full of Grace.” 

Therefore, let us get in the habit of praying the daily Rosary, saying the beautiful prayer Hail Mary.  If done, Our Lady, through her powerful intercession will be storing up for you infinite treasures and an eternal home in heaven!

May we love grace, treasure grace, strive to grow in grace, and finally die in grace through the intercession of Mary, the “Full of grace.”

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

SATURDAY, June 12th   Lk. 2: 41-51   Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

“He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.”

In her Memoirs Lucia explained: Our Lady told us, in the July secret, that God wished to establish in the world devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Our Lady said, “Jesus wishes you to make me known and loved on earth. He wishes also for you to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and these souls will be loved by God, like flowers placed by me to adorn His throne.”

SWEET IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, BE MY SALVATION Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The Month of May is the Month of Mary; the Month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. The Month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Immediately after Pentecost, the Church enters into Ordinary Time until Advent. However, there are three important Solemnities that the Church celebrates after Pentecost (and in this order): The Blessed Trinity, Corpus Christi, and the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Saturday following the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. How logical and consoling to celebrate these two Liturgical days one following the other. In other words, it is impossible to separate the Hearts of Jesus and Mary; they beat in unison!

The most Sacred Heart of Jesus is closely and intimately related to the Immaculate Heart of Mary biologically, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and totally. Biologically and physically in this real sense: the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was intimately formed in the most pure womb of His Mother, Mary most Holy, during the course of nine months. Emotionally and spiritually never were there two Hearts so united as the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Their sentiments, goals, feelings and desires harmonized perfectly! The purity, love, holiness, and humility in these two Hearts radiated like the noonday sun.

In our lives, we are assaulted and attacked by so many dangers from within and without—the devil, the flesh, and the world—to mention just three, that we must seek a sure refuge. Our most secure refuge, harbor of safety, port of salvation must be the two Hearts: The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our rest and refuge can only be found in these two Hearts!

Let us meditate briefly on what the saints have said to proclaim the greatness of being devoted and consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May these great Marian saints spur us on to a greater love and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

“If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children.” (St. Louis de Montfort)

“My heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” (Our Lady of Fatima to Lucia)

“Tell everyone that God grants graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” (St. Jacinta Marto)

“Mother dear, lend me your heart. I look for it each day to pour my troubles into.” (St. Gemma Galgani)

“The Immaculate Heart alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become in her hands powerful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God’s Kingdom.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe)

What then can we do to cultivate a greater knowledge and love for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the most pure and Immaculate Heart of Mary?

1. PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.

Try to cultivate the habit of praying this short Fatima prayer to enkindle your love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary: “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.” Prayed frequently and fervently during the course of the day enkindles our love for Mary’s Heart.

2. BIBLICAL-GOSPEL VERSES REFERRING TO THE HEART OF MARY.

Actually, twice in the Gospels surface passages that refer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The first is the Shepherds visit; the second is when Jesus is lost and found in the Temple. Both are found in the Gospel of Saint Luke. Once the Shepherds leave after visiting Jesus in the arms of Mary, Our Lady ponders this event in her Immaculate Heart. Again, once Jesus has been found in the Temple after three days of sorrowful search, we find Mary meditating and pondering trying to penetrate the meaning of these events in her Immaculate Heart. Of course Mary serves as a model for all of us: we should strive to meditate daily and ponder the Word of God in our hearts!

3. ENTHRONE THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.

A wonderful practice and devotion that can really serve to unite and fortify families in the modern, paganistic, materialistic and atheistic world is to formally enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in your homes. Purchase two beautiful pictures of the two Hearts. Invite the priest to your home. Have your home blessed and then have the priest carry out the formal process of consecrating your entire family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Make sure that the two Hearts are enthroned in a prominent place in your home, so that all those who enter there have no doubt that Jesus and Mary, symbolized by the love in their Hearts, are the King and Queen of your home; they have dominion over all that goes on in your home.

4. FAMILY PRAYER AND ROSARY IN FRONT OF THE TWO HEARTS. 

Vatican II states very clearly that the Family is the Domestic Church, the Church in miniature. Prayer is at times a struggle for all of us, both young and old. However, means or tools that can truly facilitate our growth and perseverance in our prayer life are these two spiritual gems: praying the most Holy Rosary, and praying in front of these beautiful images of the Two Hearts. Therefore, when you bring your family together to pray every evening, come in front of the two images of Jesus and Mary—the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Know that they are looking at you with love. In this way, distractions will be diminished and prayer will be more fervent and pleasing to these two loving Hearts.

5. CONSOLE THE IMMACULATE AND SORROWFUL HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY.

In a later vision, Sr. Lucia de los Santos of Fatima was given to contemplate an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, in this subsequent vision the Immaculate Heart of Mary was surrounded by big, as well as sharp thorns that were piercing Mary’s Heart. This being said, true lovers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are called to contemplate this moving scene.

The most clear interpretation of Our Lady’s Heart surrounded by sharp and penetrating thorns would be the suffering that the Hearts of Jesus and Mary experience due to the sins of humanity. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen defines sin in these words: “Sin is hurting the one you love!”  

Therefore, if we truly love the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, let us do all we can to console them for the many sins of the world. Why not transform this meditation into a heartfelt prayer and beg for pardon, mercy, and reparation for the following sins? Make a prayer of reparation and consolation in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially aware of the thorns piercing both of their loving Hearts.

LITANY OF REPARATION FOR THE SINS AGAINST THE HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY—LET US REMOVE THE THORNS BY OUR LOVING PRAYERS AND ATTENTION.

1. ABORTION. For the many sins that destroy human life even before it is born, we offer reparation and mercy to the loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

2. EUTHANASIA. For the efforts in many parts of the world to legalize and promote Euthanasia—assistance in killing the elderly and infirm, we turn to their loving Hearts for the grace to respect life at all stages, from the moment of conception until natural death.

3. SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND LICENSE. We lift our gaze to the most pure Hearts of Jesus and Mary begging pardon and mercy for the many sins against the true meaning of marital love. Sweet Heart of Mary, be our salvation.

4. SINS OF DESPAIR. For the many in the world who have given up all hope of living due to their pain, suffering and crosses. May the Hearts of Jesus and Mary be their comfort, support and consolation!

5. BITTERNESS, ANGER AND HATRED. For the many individuals who have been hurt in one way or another by others and given in to bitterness, anger and hatred. May the loving and merciful Hearts of Jesus and Mary be their secure refuge of healing.

6. FOR PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND BISHOPS. May those who have failed in their promises and commitments as priests, Bishops and Religious be drawn back to faithfulness, fervor, and zeal for the salvation of souls through the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and the prayers of the Apostle Saint John, the Evangelist.

7. FOR COLD, INDIFFERENT AND LUKEWARM HEARTS. For the widespread coldness, indifference and tepidity of so many would-be followers of Christ, may the fire of love that burns in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary enkindle in these indifferent hearts a renewed vigor and enthusiasm for the desires and intentions of these two Loving Hearts.

8. FOR THOSE DYING AND IN MORAL DANGER. For those poor souls who have abandoned the Hearts of Jesus and Mary by embracing an immoral and sinful lifestyle, who are now in their last moments of life. May they seek refuge in the merciful and loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary and thereby attain eternal salvation.

9. FOR THOSE WHO ARE BLIND DUE TO THE FIRE OF THEIR PASSIONS.  May the fiery love of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary surrounded by thorns purify their inner vision so they can contemplate the true beauty of Heavenly Realities over the false glimmer and glitter of the seductions of the flesh and the world with its empty promises!

10. FOR THE MULTITUDES OF CATHOLIC-CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE LEFT THE PRACTICE OF THE FAITH. Let us turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the huge multitudes of Catholics who have abandoned the practice of their Catholic faith. May God’s grace, through the Intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, bring them back to the harbor of salvation—the Catholic Church.

Friends in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the midst of so much struggle, toil, uncertainty, and suffering let us calmly and gently lift up our eyes on high to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us seek our refuge, our harbor of safety, our security, our peace, and our eternal salvation in these two Hearts. May these short but powerful prayers resound frequently in the depths of our own hearts. “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.”  And, “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.”

Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

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

FRIDAY, June 11th   Jn. 19: 31-37   Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “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.”

Part 1: The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Us… St. Peter Julian Eymard

Part 2: Our Spiritual Goldmine: Jesus in Our Hearts! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: The Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for us… From the writings of St. Peter Julian Eymard as presented by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

Of the virtues Our Lord in the Eucharist is now practicing in order to inspire us to follow His example, none is more basic than His poverty. Jesus wanted to be the poorest of the poor, in order to be able to stretch out His hand to the lowliest of men and say to them, “I am your brother.”

Consider…  No man was ever born in more wretched conditions than the Word Incarnate, who had the trough of animals for His cradle, their shelter for His home. As a child, He fed on barley bread, the bread of the poor. In the hidden years He took up the awl and the hammer to earn bread by the sweat of His brow. During His apostolic life He lived on alms. He died in a state of destitution that will never be equaled… stripped of His garments, His honor, His Divinity hidden!

Now that He is risen and glorious, He still takes poverty for His companion… Jesus, dwelling in our midst in His Sacrament, is poorer than during the days of His mortal life! His home is often but a poor church, worse perhaps than the cave of Bethlehem, where His tabernacle may consist of nothing more than four boards, which themselves are worm-eaten! His priests or His faithful people must give Him everything: the matter of the Sacrament, the bread and the wine; the linen on which to place Him or with which to cover Him; the corporals, the altar cloths.  He brings nothing from heaven except His adorable Person and His love! Silent, obedient, humbly waiting in the tabernacle for His faithful to come visit Him… for His ministers to take Him out for adoration, to visit the sick, to be viaticum for the dying.

What is Jesus teaching us? He’s teaching us that He is to be imitated twice over: once as the God-man who lived a mortal life in Palestine and once again as the same Incarnate God who is now living His glorified life in the Blessed Sacrament… in poverty, silence, humility, obedience, compassion, merciful forgiveness, love.

Christ is to be followed and His virtues imitated here and now as they are lived by Him in the Holy Eucharist in our midst! The Eucharistic Presence of Jesus is the Mystery of Faith that we are called upon not only to venerate and adore, but to model our lives on in this valley of tears as a condition of reaching our heavenly home.

PART 2: OUR SPIRITUAL ­GOLDMINE: JESUS IN OUR HEARTS! by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Prime time of the greatest importance in our life, without doubt, is when we have the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus in our hearts. The Real Presence could not be a better descriptive term! Upon receiving the Eucharist, Holy Communion we truly have the Real Presence of Jesus in the depths of our heart, mind, and soul. Really and truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus, the Eternal Son of God the Father permeates, imbues and penetrates our whole being with His Real Presence.

Entering into the 35^th year of my Priesthood, I am keenly aware of the sad fact that many people, after receiving Holy Communion—Jesus into their souls—all too often do not know what to do. Fumbling with their hands, picking at their fingernails, looking into their phone, staring at me, contemplating their watch are often the attitudes of many right after receiving Jesus in His Real Presence in Holy Communion.

This flippant, distracted, and bored bodily posture betrays the clear fact that many, all too many, practicing Catholics have lost belief and faith in the Real Presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Due to a diluted, overly sentimental catechesis perhaps many never learned what the Eucharist truly is! How else can we describe this except as a full-blown Catholic identity crisis! As Catholics, if we neither know nor believe in the Eucharist as the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, then Catholics we are not!

The essential thrust and purpose of this brief essay is to help us to believe firmly in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Mass, in the Eucharist, in Holy Communion. Then consequently to strive with all the fiber of our being to receive Jesus with more faith, devotion and love. By far, there is no greater action underneath the sun that we can do than to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. However, we must receive Him with increasing faith, confidence, purity of heart, devotion, hunger and love. One Holy Communion well-received could transform us into great saints. 

DISPOSITIVE GRACE. The lack of fruits in the reception of Holy Communion is not due to the Sacrament we receive but due to the lack of a proper disposition in receiving the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! The better the disposition of our heart, the more abounding and copious the graces!

The following points consist of what we can do and how we should act upon receiving the most Holy Eucharist, the Real Presence— The Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Eucharistic Lord. Every Holy Communion that we receive should be received as if it were our first, our last, and even our only Holy Communion!

1. PRAISE THE LORD! The Eucharistic Jesus is truly God. Therefore, the highest form of prayer that we can offer to God is that of praise. Unite your whole being with the angels and saints in Heaven and praise the Lord with all of your heart. As a primer, you might even recite the Divine Praises:  “Blessed be God; Blessed be His Holy Name; Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man; Blessed be the Name of Jesus; Blessed be His most Sacred Heart; Blessed be His most Precious Blood; Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar….” Beg the angels and saints to help you in your prayer of Eucharistic praise.

2. THANK THE LORD. Eucharist actually means Thanksgiving. What do we have that we have not received from our Divine Benefactor, God Himself? All the good that we have in our total person is a generous and bountiful manifestation of God’s love for us. The only thing that God did not give us is our sins; we chose those! May the prayer of the Psalmist resound in the depths of our hearts after receiving Holy Communion: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1)

3. BEG PARDON OF THE LORD.  How true Sacred Scripture: “The just man falls seven times a day.” Due to our many sins, we have fallen short of the glory of God in many times, places and circumstances. With David, who committed adultery and murder of an innocent man, with heartfelt compunction let us beg for mercy for ourselves and the whole world, praying part of Psalm 51: “Lord have mercy on me, have mercy on me. My sin is always before my eyes… A humble and contrite heart you will not spurn… send forth your spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew he face of the earth.”

4. BECOME BARTIMEUS THE BEGGAR. The great Saint Augustine asserted: “We are all beggars before the Lord.” Let us imitate Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, and implore the Lord to help us in our desperate need. Holy Communion is truly Jesus the Light of the world; beg Jesus to take the scales from your eyes so you can contemplate His Face with ever greater clarity.

5. BEG FOR OTHERS THE GRACES THEY NEED.  Our reception of Holy Communion should be Catholic—meaning universal!  Saint Paul states: “The love of God compels us.”  This love should be both universal and all-embracing such that we beg and pray for the many graces that so many people stand in desperate need of! Now that the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beats in your heart, heed the words of Jesus Himself: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.” (Mt. 7:7)

6. INTERCEDE FOR DEATH-BED SINNERS.  A category of persons who often stand in desperate need of prayers are those individuals who are in their last moments, in their last and ultimate agony. By far the most important moment in our life is the moment of our death. That will determine our eternal destiny— either Heaven or Hell and forever and ever and ever! In your thanksgiving after receiving the Eucharistic Lord Jesus, who said from the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34), beg for the conversion and salvation of deathbed sinners. Who knows how many souls will be saved by praying fervent Eucharistic prayers for them after receiving our Eucharistic Lord and Merciful Savior!

7. REST ON THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.  Jesus said: “Come to me all of you who find life burdensome and you will find rest for your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden, light.” (Mt 11:28-30) After receiving Holy Communion, you can imitate Saint John the Evangelist, the Best Friend of Jesus, and simply rest lovingly and peacefully on His Sacred Heart—the best resting Place.

8. CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD…  Saint Peter expresses a very important human sentiment and situation that we all experience during the course of our lives, every week and perhaps even every day—problems, worries, anxieties and confusion. Saint Peter expresses this state of soul in this short but clear concept: “Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you.” (1Pt. 5:7) As the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beats in your heart, He will come to alleviate your worries, to remove them or at least to help you carry your crosses! Jesus is your Best Friend who will never fail you!

9. BEG FOR A HEART-TRANSPLANT! Our heart, mind, and soul can be compared to a Garden. Amidst the roses, tulips and daffodils flourish the ugly but all too-prevalent weeds! If the weeds are given permission to grow, to flourish and spread then in a matter of time they will suffocate the beautiful flowers! The Garden analogy applies to virtues and sins. The flowers are our virtues; the weeds, our sins. If not uprooted, the vices will dominate our lives and sin will reign! Upon reception of Holy Communion, we should beg the Lord Jesus to uproot and exterminate the weeds in our soul, so that the flowers of virtues can flourish and blossom. May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus transplant our hearts and make us saints!

10. OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST AND THANKSGIVING. Finally, beg the Immaculate Heart of Mary to speak to the Heart of Jesus to praise Him, to love Him, to worship Him. Saint Louis de Montfort suggests praying Mary’s canticle of praise, the Magnificat, in thanksgiving for the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beating in the depths of our soul. May Mary’s words echo in our hearts after we receive Jesus in Holy Communion: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” (Lk. 1: 46-55)

In conclusion, the most important gesture and moment in our lives is when we receive the Eucharistic Jesus in the depths of our heart and our soul in Holy Communion. Then the moments, the minutes after Holy Communion must be the most precious moments in our whole human existence. Let us strive with all the fiber of our being to prepare properly to receive the Eucharist, but also strive to improve our THANKSGIVING after the reception of Holy Communion. Our sanctification, our growth in grace, our growth in virtue and overcoming vice, and our final perseverance can truly depend on the manner in which we treat the Lord Jesus after receiving Him in Holy Communion. May Our Lady of the Eucharist, the angels and saints come to our help!