Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

THURSDAY, June 10th   Mt. 5: 20-26   “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

• Today’s Gospel calls for conversion of heart—conversion from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. We may know what Christ is asking of us, but are we able to do it?
• Yesterday we suggested there are two essential practices that facilitate conversion of heart. The first was covered in yesterday’s meditation—our firm commitment to the Daily Examen Prayer, with Fr. Ed’s full exposition of why to do it, how to do it, and the fruit derived therefrom.
• Today’s Meditation is focused on the second essential practice and that is entering into a deep and abiding Friendship with Christ Jesus! Friendship with Jesus is the reason we do our Daily Examen Prayer—to avoid hurting the One who loves us and whom we want to love in return. Jesus is the only one knows and loves us better than we know and love ourselves. He created each one of us out of love to share His life with us here on earth and forever in Heaven.
• Let us beg our Mother Mary for the grace to love Jesus a little more every day as our best and dearest friend, for this is when we will really soar in the spiritual life!

PART 2.  FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986 shortly after my ordination at the hands of Pope Saint John Paul II, I was contemplating a compelling portrait of Jesus. It was an image of His Sacred Heart, with flames of fire radiating from His Heart. However, what seemed to really captivate me most in the moment, were six words in Spanish that have been almost a motto of my life as a Catholic, Religious and priest, and follower of Christ. These words were: “Jesus, el Amigo que nunca falla.” Translation: “Jesus, the Friend that never fails!”

Christological names are many: The Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, The Way, Truth, and Life, the Alpha and Omega, Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, as well as Lamb of God, Son of man, and Son of God. Each of these names, like a precious diamond exposed to the sun through a process called refraction, reflects a different luminosity of the majesty, greatness and beauty of Jesus, the Son of the living God.

However, there is still another title that has captivated me for many years now and hopefully will captivate your heart and it is, Jesus, the Friend that never fails us.

On Holy Thursday, as Jesus sat at the Last Supper, about to give to all of humanity until the end of time two extraordinary gifts—we call them Sacraments—Holy Orders and the Most Holy Eucharist, He also called the Apostles, and each one of us, by a special name: “I call you friends!” In this most important moment in His life, shortly before being crucified for love of you and me, Jesus called the Apostles, and us, His intimate Friends.

Our Catholic-Christian religion has rules, precepts, orders, prohibitions, decrees and commands, this we cannot deny. The Ten Commandments are part and parcel of our deposit of faith. Nonetheless, if we limit our Catholic faith to nothing more than a series of rules, precepts, and Commandments to obey, then we missed the boat, missed the mark by focusing on something very important, but not that which is most important and essential.

The essence of Catholicism is a love-affair. It is a deep, dynamic, and growing relationship with three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The second Person of the most Blessed Trinity is Jesus, the Son of God become man. He came into the world to save us. But Jesus also came into the world to establish a deep, dynamic, and abiding Friendship with each and every one of us.

The Bible says that to find a true friend is indeed a treasure. We might even call it the pearl of infinite price that we should be willing to give everything else to acquire. Of all the friends that could exist in this world, friendship with Jesus is by far the best! In the painting of the Sacred Heart, He is the Friend who will never fail us in time and for all eternity. Even the best of friends are destined to fail each other sooner or later. But Jesus never fails us. We indeed fail Him, but He will never fail us, never!

For this reason one of the best motivations for us to strive energetically to observe the Ten Commandments is for the simple reason that we desire to establish, cultivate and grow in a dynamic Friendship with Jesus.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen coined one of the best definitions of sin on the market: “Sin is hurting the one you love.” True, sin is breaking one of the Commandments. However, above and beyond the mere breaking of a Commandment, by sinning seriously we are breaking the Heart of Jesus, who loves us so much that He died on the cross to prove His Love and Friendship for all of humanity, but also for each one of us individually!

If you were the only person in the created universe, your Faithful Friend, Jesus would have come into the world preaching, teaching, and exorcising demons, but especially this, He would have suffered all of the torments of His Passion, from the Agony in the Garden to His crucifixion on the cross, up to the shedding of His last drop of Blood when the lance pierced His Sacred Heart, just for you! All of this, Jesus, your Best Friend, willingly suffered for love of you so that He would be your Best Friend in time and for all eternity, and that you would be a true friend to Him.

Therefore, when you examine your conscience going through the Ten Commandments, why not take a fresh and new approach in preparation for Confession. And it is simply this! Recognize that your sins, in addition to breaking the Commandments, especially hurt Jesus, the One who loves you most and who wants to be loved by you!

Sin is saying “no” to the love of Jesus, your Lord and Savior, who is madly in love with you and has a burning desire for you to correspond to His love. Even more, by sinning you are breaking the Heart of your best friend Jesus. However, by making a good confession, you are healing the wounds in His Sacred Heart and restoring your friendship with the Friend who will never fail you, a friendship that does not end at the graveside, but will last forever in eternity in heaven.

Therefore, by saying “no” to sin, you are really saying “yes” to the love of God and “yes” to a deep and growing Friendship with Jesus.

Face it, if sinning is simply breaking a series of cold and impersonal rules, then chances are we will go back to sinning. However, if we see sin in a personal light, hurting my best Friend Jesus, wounding His Heart, then I will stop, think, and renounce this temptation to sin.

May Our Lady and good Saint Joseph pray for us! They were the ones who loved Jesus best, had the deepest friendship with Him on earth, and now and for all eternity, they are the beloved of Jesus.

Let us pray.  

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours.

Jesus Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Jesus, be my best Friend now, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Amen.

Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church

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

WEDNESDAY, June 9th   Mt. 5: 17-19   “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

• What practicing Catholic has not confessed breaking any number of the Ten Commandments, mortal or venial sins, and despite our best intentions, found ourselves confessing them again!
• Jesus understands our frail and fallen natures better than we do, and His Heart is full of compassion and mercy for the sorrowful penitent. The important thing is to have a sincere desire, as well as make a sincere effort not to sin again, better known as a firm purpose of amendment.
• This is a Two-Part Meditation. Today and tomorrow we will present two remedies guaranteed to help us carry out that firm purpose of amendment and thereby sin less seriously and less frequently. If we put both remedies into practice, our spiritual life will soar!

PART 1: THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN: A SURE BRIDGE TO HOLINESS! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Ignatius insisted on never neglecting the Daily Examen. For no reason whatsoever would this great saint justify skipping over and neglecting this all important prayer. Starting now, why not make a proposal to make your own personal Daily Examen. If done, the fruits are countless and the blessings copious from such a tool, an indispensable tool to erect a solid structure for a life of authentic holiness.

In this brief essay we will highlight and briefly explain the five classical steps of making the Daily Examen. Then, as a means for motivation, we will highlight some of the blessings that will descend upon you in your spiritual life.

If you read through essays, writings, articles and even books on this topic, the order and words vary, but the concept never changes. The key element is that the Daily Examen should be proposed by all those with good will and put into practice. Let’s go!

THE FIVE CLASSICAL STEPS FOR THE IGNATIAN DAILY EXAMEN

1. RECALL THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 

First Step. All authentic prayer starts with calling to mind the all-abiding Presence of God. We are never far from God, and God is never far from us! Saint Paul, quoting the Greek poet, expresses it as such: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Therefore, start your Daily Examen by gently calling to mind the all-abiding, all-permeating presence of God. God is present in all times, all places, all circumstances, and all events. Even when our life seems to be a dark night of the soul, God is as present as the sun shining at midday! Add to this that our God is a loving Father who always desires what is best for His children. Therefore, we should respond with trust, confidence, and love.

2. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! 

Second Step. Saint Ignatius insists on the importance of gratitude. We should all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Saint Ignatius states that the very essence of sin is ingratitude —a lack of rendering to God a heartfelt thanks! In all humility, every gift that we have in our life—intellectual, athletic, artistic, spiritual, supernatural, etc.—all are gifts from the Father of all gifts. Therefore, rewind the film of your life since your last Daily Examen to see what you have been gifted with and allow your heart to expand in an overflowing act of thanksgiving. In a word, all that we have (except for our sins—those we willfully chose and God allowed) are gratuitous gifts from our all-bountiful Heavenly Father. Indeed, God loves a grateful heart and is ready and willing to shower thankful hearts with more and more blessings! How much Jesus suffered when after healing ten lepers, only one came back to pay Him thanks!

3. BEG GOD TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU.

Third step in your Daily Examen is to beg for the Gift of Gifts, the Holy Spirit to shed light on your intellect, to help you rewind your past block of time—your past day! Humility is truth, and you want to beg in all honestly to see what you have done in the past day, but even beyond the exterior actions, you want to beg for the grace to see even your interior intentions. We should never forget that man sees the surface, the mere exterior, but God can read our hearts and even our most hidden intentions.

4. GRATITUDE AND REPENTANCE. 

Fourth Step. During the Examen most likely you will again become aware of God’s incredible goodness and His many gifts to you in the past day; give thanks to God for His blessings. However, in all sincerity and truth the Holy Spirit will also point out some of your thoughts, words and actions, and even some intentions, that were off the mark and not pleasing to God. Only God is perfect and the Bible teaches us that the just man falls seven times a day. Be aware of these moral failures and beg forgiveness.

5. RESOLUTION, RECONCILIATION, AND RENEWAL. 

Fifth Step. The last step points to the future. With a keen awareness of God’s infinite love for us and His infinite goodness in giving us so much, but also aware of our own human weakness, we propose to love God more every day starting right now, and to avoid any person, place, thing, or circumstance that can lead us off the path of true discipleship of the Lord. In other words, the Daily Examen heightens our awareness and self-knowledge and these can serve as preventive medicine. If we know where the pit-fall is in our path, we can sidestep it or jump over it or walk a different path! The desert Fathers insist on this two-word axiom: KNOW-THYSELF!!!

NOW THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING THE DAILY EXAMEN, which are incalculable! We will mention only three!

1. CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD AND PRAYER.  If the Daily Examen is done faithfully—that is to say, on a daily basis, with hard work and good will we will become more and more aware of God’s loving presence in our lives. God is not some distant, ethereal, mythical figure of the past, and He will become all the more real to us. If you like, He will become your Best Friend, always at your side. The truth is, we are never alone! Jesus is our Best Friend who wants us to share every moment of our existence with Him. Because of this, we will sin less. Saint Teresa of Avila asserts that one of the primary reasons for sin is becoming oblivious to the all abiding Presence of God!

2. AVOID PITFALLS!  With a more acute awareness of the intentions and movements of our heart, which is like a garden that has both beautiful flowers and ugly weeds, we can avoid giving in to our bad tendencies. When the bad spirit is knocking at the door of our heart, we must close the door with lock and key! Many sins are committed due to weakness of the will, but also due to ignorance of who is knocking at our door! The Daily Examen heightens our awareness of the tactics of the enemy, as well as self-knowledge of our weaknesses, key components for growth in holiness!

3. COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS.  The Daily Examen is like shining a floodlight on our heart, our soul, and the inner workings of our conscience. We become aware of how good and loving God really is. However, with penetrating awareness, we become cognizant of how weak we really are at times, and how prone to slip and fall into the mire of our own sinfulness. This keen self-knowledge can help us to be more kind, patient, and compassionate with our struggling brothers and sisters! If God is patient with us, how much more must we be patient with others! God allows what is evil to bring greater good from the evil – charity being the greatest good of all!

To conclude, determine now to make the daily Examen Prayer. It shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes a day. If you miss a day, begin again, start back up the very next day.

Note: See tomorrow’s Points of Meditation to learn about PART 2 to help us sin less seriously and less frequently, and thereby soar in our spiritual life!

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

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

TUESDAY, June 8th   Mt. 5: 13-16   “You are the light of the world… Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Part 1: Mary, Star of the Sea… by St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Part 2: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1: Mary, Star of the Sea… from a homily of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

If squalls of temptations arise, or you fall upon the rocks of tribulation, look to the star, call upon Mary. If you are tossed by the waves of pride or ambition, detraction or envy, look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger or avarice, or the desires of the flesh, dash against the ship of your soul, turn your eyes towards Mary. If troubled by the enormity of your crimes, ashamed of your guilty conscience, terrified by dread of the judgment, and you begin to sink into the gulf of sadness or the abyss of despair, think of Mary. In dangers, in anguish, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let her be ever on your lips, ever in your heart; and the better to obtain the help of her prayers, imitate the example of her life.

Following her, you will not stray. Invoking her, you will not despair. Thinking of her, you will not wander. Upheld by her, you will not fall. Shielded by her, you will not fear. Guided by her, you will not grow weary. Favored by her, you will reach the goal. And thus you will experience in yourself how good is that saying: And the Virgin’s name was Mary!

PART 2:  THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Light – what a lovely thing light is. There is no shining light in all creation lovelier than the Blessed Virgin Mary! She alone is the Immaculate Conception, preserved from original sin at the moment of her conception in the womb of Saint Anne and preserved from the stain of sin her whole life! In Mary’s pure light, we see clearly the darkness in ourselves. Thus the poet Wordsworth called Mary “our tainted nature’s solitary boast!”

The Angel Gabriel greeted her, “Hail Mary, full of grace!” (Lk. 1:28) She was the first light of dawn dispelling the darkness, giving way to the refulgence of the Light of the Son of God! As the moon reflects the light of the sun, Mary is the perfect reflection of the Son of God. Her presence gives warmth to hearts grown cold, healing to hearts that are wounded, valour to the faint-hearted, and the Christ Light to souls darkened by sin.

The Light of Christ first shone forth from the womb of Mary. Through Mary, the Star heralding Christ’s birth penetrated the womb of Elizabeth, causing the baby within her to leap for joy! The light guiding us through the tempests and storms of life is Mary, Star of the Sea! The light in the window welcoming us home is the light of Mary’s motherly love for each one of us, shining from our true home in her Immaculate Heart where she forms her children in the image and likeness of her Divine Son, Jesus.

The Light of Christ that enlightens our minds first illumined the mind of Mary! When the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus communicated His inscrutable wisdom and truth to Mary, which she imparts to those who fervently ask for it, freeing them from the darkness of ignorance and error, the lies and deceits of the enemy.

Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, stood at the foot of the cross and willingly suffered all the agonies of her Son’s Passion and death for love of us and for our salvation. Saint Louis de Montfort says that Mary is a Martyr because all that Jesus suffered in His Passion and death on the cross, Mary suffered in her Immaculate Heart—a Martyr of Love with her Divine Son for our eternal salvation!

Closing Comments:

Mary wants to comfort and console us. She wants us to bring our fears and anxieties to her. She wants us to find rest in her Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She assures us of the eternal value of every prayer said, every tear shed for our salvation and the salvation of others. And that even now, our Good God is working everything for our good and the good of others.

The saints say that in heaven our only regret will be that we didn’t suffer more, so that even more souls could be saved. “When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly.” (Saint Sebastian Valfre)

The Light begins with Jesus and Mary. They shed their light upon us – we shed the light of Jesus and Mary upon others – who then shed the light upon still others! Thus the circle of light keeps expanding until someday, we can only hope and pray, the whole world will bask in the Light and the Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

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

MONDAY, June 7th   Mt. 5: 1-12   “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”

• Jesus’ introduction to what has come to be called “The Sermon on the Mount” is to give us Eight Beatitudes – the Roadmap to Heaven!
• If we sincerely make every effort to put these into practice, when we die Jesus will say to us, “Welcome home, my good and faithful friend!” Did He not say at the Last Supper, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” (Mt. 15:14)

THE BEATITUDES: ATTITUDES OF THE HEART OF JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

THE PREACHING OF JESUS AT HIS BEST. Our meditation/contemplation will be on the preaching of Jesus. In fact you might even present as the heart of His preaching the Sermon on the Mount, which can be found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Mt. 5, 6, and 7. However, the focus of this meditation is Jesus’ preaching of the EIGHT BEATITUDES and their promises. (Mt. 5:1-12) Pope Saint John Paul II stated: “The Beatitudes are a mirror into the Heart of Jesus.” If you sincerely want to have a glimpse into the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His most sublime virtues, then enter into the Beatitudes. That will be our meditation, our contemplation, and our challenge— to really get to know Jesus more intimately, love Him more ardently, be motivated to follow Him more closely, bring others to Him, and last, but by no means least, to become like Him. Until in the words of Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

FIRST BEATITUDE: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus lived what He preached starting out with this first Beatitude. Jesus was rejected before He was born – “there was no room for them at the inn”. (Lk. 2:7) His birth was in a poor stable in Bethlehem. He worked a hard and demanding job as a Carpenter. Once He left home, He had no fixed abode as He Himself said: “The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Lk. 9:58) For three years Jesus lived relying and depending totally on His Father’s Divine and Providential care. He died rejected on the cross, stripped of His garments and of His dignity. Finally, He was buried in a borrowed tomb. Jesus truly lived poverty, detachment, and total trust in God. What about us? Have we become a slave of things? Have we allowed our possessions to possess us? Are we attached to persons, places, things, opinions, circumstances, even our own way of thinking and mode of living? There is a lot here. What are we attached to? Let us examine our life and pray over this Beatitude!

SECOND BEATITUDE: “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Three times we see Jesus weeping in His Public life. The first, over the city of Jerusalem: “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Mt. 23:37) The second, at the death of His friend Lazarus, with Mary and Martha: “Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (Jn. 11:35-36) The third, in the Garden of Gethsemane, entering into His Passion. This is recounted in the Letter to the Hebrews: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.” (Heb. 5:7) What profit can be derived from weeping? Our Lady of Lasalette (France) wept for the sins of the people. Our Lady of Syracuse (Sicily) wept. Our Lady of Akita (Japan) wept tears of blood for the sins of the people. Saint Monica wept profuse tears for the conversion of her wayward son, who became the great Saint and Doctor of the Church—Saint Augustine. Therefore, pray over this Beatitude and weep, most especially for your own personal sins, for the sins of wayward family members, and for the sins of the world at large. “Be converted, because the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk. 1:15)

THIRD BEATITUDE: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land.”  

Meekness is not weakness, but rather powerful emotion under control. Often meekness is translated or understood as the virtue, so necessary, of PATIENCE!!! Once again we contemplate the infinite patience of Jesus at all times and places. His patience with His faulty and flawed Apostles. His patience with the Pharisees constantly attacking Him. His patience with the many sinners who came to Him. Most especially, His patience in His Passion, carrying the cross, now stumbling and falling, now getting up again. His patience and mercy toward His enemies: “Father, forgive them, for the do not know what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34) Let us contemplate Jesus and beg for true meekness of heart. “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart line unto thine.” Let us pray for patience with God and His dealings with us; patience with others, especially family members; and patience with ourselves. Never give in to discouragement. When we fall, get up! Nunc Coepi—Now I will begin again. Even if I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times I will get up again and say Nunc Cœpi–Now I begin.” (Ven. Bruno Lanteri, Founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary)

FOURTH BEATITUDE: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness or holiness, for they will be satisfied.”

Jesus is the holy of holiness—meaning, the whole life of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a model and pattern of resplendent and perfect holiness—a pattern to follow, to imitate. Jesus wants us to be holy, to become a great saint! Later, Jesus issues an imperative command: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48) What Jesus commands, He will give the grace and power to carry out. But we must beg fervently, frequently, and full of faith for the grace to be holy. Then in all of our words, actions, and intentions have Jesus always before our eyes. One of the most famous books ever written is precisely that: The Imitation of Christ!!! Beg the saints for the grace to live out this wonderful but challenging Beatitude. May the prayer of the Psalmist be yours and mine: “As the deer yearns for running streams, so my soul longs for you, O Lord my God.” (Ps 42:1) May we hunger and thirst for God and for holiness above any other person, place or thing in our lives!!!

FIFTH BEATITUDE: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”

Once again, Jesus is our sublime and supreme model in His preaching and in His life-style. A few of His teachings on the importance of mercy:

• “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36)
• “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Mt. 6:12 – the Our Father)
• “I tell you anyone who is angry with a brother will be subject to judgment. Leave your gift and first be reconciled to your brother and then offer your gift.” (Mt. 5:22-23)
• “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:24 – the first words of Jesus as he hangs from the cross.)

Of course the most sublime example of mercy shown by Jesus, as mentioned above, was when He hung from the cross, basically an open and gaping wound: “Father forgive, them for they know not what they are doing.” Scourged, crowned with thorns, spat upon, insulted, abandoned by His best friends, and even apparently by His Heavenly Father, what does Jesus do? He forgives them from the depths of His Pierced Heart! What a sublime example of love, compassion, forgiveness, and especially this Beatitude of MERCY!!!

YOUR OWN LIFE AND MERCY. Dig into the depths of your heart and be sincere, honest, and transparent. How many times have you been willing in your life to forgive? Beg now for the grace to forgive all those who have hurt you, and beg for the grace to reject resentment from these hard feelings that militate against living out this Beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Saint Ignatius gives us the secret to achieve this: Agere Contra, meaning act against. Act against your resentment and hard feelings by praying daily for the persons who have hurt you in your life, even if you don’t feel like it. This is not hypocrisy, it is heroic virtue. God’s grace will do the rest!

SIXTH BEATITUDE: “Blessed are the clean of heart (pure of heart) for they will see God.”

A most challenging virtue and disposition of heart and soul to live. Jesus is our model always and at all times! Jesus’ eyes, mind, heart, soul, body, and even His intentions were always most pure and focused on the Face of the Eternal Father. The will of Jesus was to carry out the will of His Heavenly Father. Our Lady of Fatima said with sadness that most souls are lost as a result of impurity—breaking the 6th and 9th Commandments. Look into your inner being, your life past and present, and humbly beg for purity. Beg for purity of eyes, ears, body, mind, heart, soul, and even purity of intention. In the words of Saint Paul: “Whether you eat or drink do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1Cor. 10:31) Call to mind the motto of Saint Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises: A.M.D.G.—All for the honor and glory of God. Finally, in the words of Saint Paul again: “You have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus; therefore, glorify God in your bodies!” (1 Cor. 6:20) Our bodies are the Temples of the living God! May we use them in all times and places to glorify God. In closing, turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary and consecrate yourself to her most pure and Immaculate Heart: “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!” Take the thorns from her Heart and crown her Heart with beautiful roses—the rose petals of purity of heart, mind, body, and soul!!!

SEVENTH BEATITUDE: “Blessed are the peace-makers for they will be called the children of God.”

Lift your eyes to Jesus and beg for the grace to live out this Beatitude that refers to peace! The Prophet Isaiah called Jesus the Prince of Peace. Jesus would greet the Apostles with the word: SHALOM meaning—PEACE BE WITH YOU!!! Upon the birth of Jesus, the angelic choir sang: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to people of good will.” Upon appearing to the Apostles in the Upper Room that first Easter Sunday night, Jesus addressed the Apostles in these words: “Shalom! As the Father sends me so I send you.” And He breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven, and whose sins you hold bound, they will be held bound.” (Jn. 20:21-23) A key Sacramental interpretation of this beatitude is the following: to be a true peace-maker, we must first be at peace with God by renouncing sin and our sinful patterns. For we will never be at peace with others while we are at war with God and within ourselves! How can this be done? Most clearly by forming the habit of frequent, well-prepared, and well-made Sacramental Confessions. What beautiful and consoling words from the priest: “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Your sins are forgiven, go in PEACE!!!” Meditate upon this Beatitude and examine your habit of Confession and the quality of your confessions. There likely is need for improvement!!! May Our Lady, Queen of Peace come to our aid!!!

EIGHTH BEATITUDE: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

Once again, clearly not only did Jesus teach this but He lived it to the highest degree of perfection. Not only was Jesus persecuted, He went through the most bitter Passion, suffering and death on the cross. All of this is a most sublime teaching of the Beatitude on PERSECUTION. As the Acts of the Apostles states: “Jesus went about doing good.” (Acts 10:38) Despite His kindness, and all the good He did—His love for the poor, the sick, the suffering, the marginalized, the forgotten and neglected, even the little children, the orphans and widows—still Jesus was nailed to the cross. Therefore, if we really live out the first Seven Beatitudes, our reward is the Eighth: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Indeed, if you are really and truly living out the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then you will experience some form of persecution. It might be at work, or in your extended family, or even in your immediate family, maybe even from your spouse and children. Jesus said that He did not come to bring peace but war, especially in the family. Family members will be divided because of their allegiance and love for Jesus the Lord. We cannot serve money and God, nor the world and God. They are diametrically opposed. Jesus must be our alpha and omega, our principle and end, our purpose and meaning in life. Jesus has to be the ardent and constant desire of our heart. Who were those who really lived out this last Beatitude to the highest degree? Obviously this would be the class that we call the MARTYRS—a word meaning witness. They gave the most eloquent witness to their love for the Lord Jesus by imitating Jesus in shedding their blood for Him! “No greater love exists than to give one’s life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:30)

CONCLUSION

May this serious and deep meditation on the Beatitudes spur you on with every fiber of your being to get to know Jesus more fully, love Him more ardently, follow Him more closely, so as to bring others to Him more frequently, and live out the words of Saint Paul related to our transformation in Christ: “It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

Biographical notes: Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exultate has left an excellent commentary on the Beatitudes, Chapter Three, Numbers 63-109. Also, the modern author, preacher and Retreat Director, Jacques Phillipe, has written a book on the Beatitudes. Great resources for our spiritual life and growth!

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

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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

SUNDAY, June 6th   Mk. 14: 12-16, 22-26   SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI

“If the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God!”

Part 1: Miracle of the Eucharist… by Saint John Vianney – Cure d’Ars

Part 2: GOD’S GREATEST GIFT: THE HOLY EUCHARIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Part 1: Miracle of the Eucharist… by Saint John Vianney – Cure d’Ars

If we speak of the adorable sacrament of the Eucharist, we may say that here is the marvel of the love of God for us. Here it is that His power, His grace, and His goodness shine in a manner altogether extraordinary.

Here is the bread come down from heaven, the bread of angels, which is given us for the food of our souls; here is the bread of strengthening which comforts and sweetens our sorrows, the travelers’ bread, the key which opens heaven to us.

He that receives me, said the Savior, shall have eternal life. And to give us this bread, Jesus multiplies miracles, turns the world of nature upside down, and suspends all its laws!

PART 2:

GOD’S GREATEST GIFT: THE HOLY EUCHARIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Filled with fear and dread of being murdered, the Prophet Elijah fled from the wicked Queen Jezebel who planned to murder him because Elijah killed the false Prophets of Baal. After a days’ journey on foot, heading towards the Holy Mountain, the mountain of God, Elijah was consumed by the spirit of desolation and discouragement and fell into a deep slumber, not even close to arriving at his destination. (I Kings 19: 4-8)

GOD’S ANGEL.  Concerned about the Prophet and his long journey, God sent an angel to comfort, encourage and motivate Elijah and in this fashion.  The angel woke Elijah from his deep slumber encouraging him to keep on his journey because it was a long one.

BREAD AND NOURISHMENT FOR THE JOURNEY.  With words of encouragement, the angel offered Elijah some bread to eat because the journey indeed was going to be a long and grueling one. Elijah ate the bread but instead of rising and undertaking his long trek, he returned to his slumber. Once again the angel woke Elijah insisting on and encouraging him to eat the bread and to walk until he arrived at the holy mountain where he would find safety, security and a sure haven in the presence of God.

ELIJAH OBEYS, EATS AND WALKS!  Obedient to the angel, Elijah for the second time eats the bread offered to him from the angel and from the strength that was derived from that bread—which he ate not once but two times—he walks. The distance was long, but he walked forty days and forty nights from the energy and strength that came from the encouragement of the angel of God but also from the bread that filled him with new life!

HOLY MOUNTAIN.  Elijah’s destination was the holy mountain of God. God spoke to him not in the hurricane, not in the fire, nor even in the strong impetuous wind. Rather, God spoke to Elijah in the gentle and sweet breeze. This holy mountain is symbolic of our eternal destiny: heaven! Once arrived, we will be with God forever and able to talk to Him as our best of Friends, face to face for all eternity. Like Elijah, we should all strive to undertake the long and grueling journey to arrive at the holy mountain where God awaits us for all eternity.

ELIJAH AND OUR OWN LIVES.  Like the Prophet Elijah, we all have our struggles, our battles, our dreary days, our temptations, our moments of desolation—those times in which we simply want to throw in the towel and give up! The key is that we must rise up and eat, not from a plain or ordinary bread, rather we must nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life. Not once or twice but as often as possible. Indeed, if it is within our means, to nourish ourselves on the Bread of Life every day!

Let us enter into a topic that has a transcendental value and importance in our lives in the short time we have in this earthly pilgrimage, and for our eternal destiny. We will take the Biblical passage and person of Elijah as our model and example. If we really desire to arrive at our eternal destiny which is heaven then we must nourish our minds, hearts and souls on the Bread of Life as frequently as possible, but also as fervently as our hearts and souls can exert.

Therefore, this short literary work will focus upon how we can upgrade, improve, and magnify the effects of the reception of Holy Communion in our lives. In a word, the most important action that we can carry out this side of eternity is to receive Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the Sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist. No action of the human person can supersede it in importance. This being the case, let us set up action points and guide-lines to receive Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with an increasing faith, devotion, fervor and love.

1. FAITH IN THE REAL-PRESENCE.  Over the past fifty years, statistics have pointed out that huge numbers of Catholics either do not believe in the Real-Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, or at least have a very unclear and foggy notion of WHO is truly present in the Consecrated Host! After the double-consecration in Mass, Jesus is truly and substantially present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It is not a mere symbolic presence as in the case of Protestant services, but rather it is the REAL-PRESENCE!!!  Due to materialism and living in a neo-paganist and secular society, we must constantly remind ourselves of this most august and sublime reality.

2. THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT: DISPOSITIVE GRACE!  One of the most important theological concepts in living out Sacramental theology is that of Dispositive-grace. In brief, this means that the grace that comes to us, especially from the reception of the most Holy Eucharist is commensurate with or in direct proportion to the disposition of our soul. In other words, there is no fault in the Sacrament, rather the fault, if any, is in the recipient of the Sacrament. Why? For the simple and unequivocal reason that the Holy Eucharist, your reception of Holy Communion, is the reception of Jesus Himself—the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God of Gods, True-God and True-man! It has been said that one Holy Communion well-received could transform you into a saint!

3. PREPARE YOURSELF BETTER.  A natural follow-up to the concept of Dispositive-grace is that of our preparation before receiving Holy Communion. Indeed, it should be a constant task and goal in our life to work on making better preparations to receive Holy Communion. Being honest with ourselves, we must all admit and confess with the utmost sincerity and humility that we can all make progress and a lot of progress in our preparation for receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion.

4. HUMAN EXAMPLE: THE BRIDE AND HER WEDDING.  In the Diary of Saint Faustina on Divine Mercy, in the last book of the Diary—Book VI, she gives excellent guidelines on how to receive Jesus better in Holy Communion. (Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul #1804-1828) One of the comparisons or analogies that Saint Faustina brings forth is that of a Bride being prepared to meet and marry her spouse. On a human level all of us understand this analogy. How many details, countless details, does the future bride implement so as to make this the happiest day in her life. Just a few: the dress, its size and color and texture, the beauty parlor, the makeup, the manicure of her nails, her shoes, and the length of her veil. Not only her physical appearance, but many other details: the guests, the banquet Hall, the Church, the rug, the choir, the priest, the Readings and the homily, the altar servers. How much time, money, and energy is employed for the wedding day, which hopefully will be the happiest day of their lives!!! Building upon this analogy, Jesus is the Wedding Bride-groom of our soul every time we receive Him in Holy Communion. Should we not be more demanding upon ourselves in the time, the effort, the manner and the details in which we receive Him into the inner bridal-chamber of our soul???

5. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: THE SAINTS!!!  The most famous music-group, the Beatles, composed a song titled With a Little Help from My Friends. Our true, faithful and most authentic friends are the saints. They are bright luminaries that point us to Jesus, the Light of the world and to Heaven where the Face of Jesus will be our eternal lamp and light. They were the ones who really received Jesus with a fervent and loving disposition in Holy Communion. Consequently, upon dying, Jesus received them warmly, enthusiastically and lovingly into Heaven. Their greatest desire on earth was to love God with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength. Their whole life was centered around the Holy Mass and the reception of the most Holy Eucharist. Therefore, a most efficacious means to make better and more fervent Holy Communions is to humbly beg the saints in heaven to pray and intercede for you that your Communions will become fiery explosions of love for the Lord Jesus!

6. EXAMPLE PAR-EXCELLENCE OF PREPARATION AND THANKSGIVING. One of the saints who can serve as a brilliant luminary and example in the reception of Holy Communion is SAINT CHARBEL MAKLOUF. This Lebanese contemplative monk who was canonized by Saint Pope Paul VI spent most of his life as a Religious-priest in a monastery in silent prayer and work. However, what is pertinent to our theme is his celebration of Holy Mass and his reception of the most Holy Eucharist. In a nutshell, his whole life was focused on the celebration of Holy Mass and the reception of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord. How, you might ask? Very simple! He was given permission to celebrate Mass at 12 noon every day. The whole of his morning was spent in preparation for Holy Mass and Holy Communion. Then, after he finished celebrating his noon-day Mass, Saint Charbel would spend the rest of his day rendering constant thanks for Mass and Holy Communion.

What an example for us! In a certain sense we should aim at this same objective and pursuit. Our life should be centered and focused on Jesus, who is truly present in every Mass and every Holy Communion. May our lives be a constant preparation to receive Jesus with burning love, a most fervent reception, and then may the rest of our day be a living act of Thanksgiving for this greatest of gifts. How can we do this in our busy lives? By offering everything we say and do before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion and after receiving Jesus as a sacrifice of love and thanksgiving for His Presence in our lives. Incidentally, the word Eucharist— actually means: THANKSGIVING!!! With the Psalmist let us lift our hearts in prayer: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Ps. 136: 1)

7. COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL: LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY!  If possible, view the movie El Gran Milagro or The Greatest Miracle. This movie in a clear, appealing, and dynamic fashion explains the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with claymation, all done in 70 minutes. Among the themes worthy of highest praise is the presentation of how the Guardian Angel teaches the importance of living out the Mass by participating fully, actively and consciously, and by living out to the full the OFFERTORY of the Mass. By this is meant that the priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but the faithful who participate in the Mass are called to make their own offering in the Mass—called the Offertory! This is done by making a spiritual offering of oneself and placing it on the altar, placing it on the paten where the priest’s Host is deposited. Also, one is called to place their intentions in the chalice where the wine will be transformed into the Precious Blood of Jesus. If this is done seriously, your Communions will have infinite value and efficacy for you, the Church, and the whole world, even the souls in Purgatory!

8. WHAT ARE ELEMENTS FOR MY OFFERING TO LIVE OUT THE OFFERTORY. Actually you can offer anything that may occur to you. If offered with good will and purity of intention, God accepts all! The possibilities are infinite!!! However, there are three areas that might be employed to help you to live more fervently your Offertory and derive countless and untold blessings!

a) THE SOULS IN PURGATORY.  These suffering souls are already saved, but they must be purified by the fires of God’s loving justice. Remember the words of the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation: “Nothing impure can enter the Kingdom of God.” (Rev.21: 27) By far the most efficacious means to purify, sanctify, and liberate the souls detained in Purgatory is through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for the poor souls and a worthy reception of Holy Communion received for them. Saint Nicolas of Tolentino, O.S.A. desired to be a priest primarily so that he could help to free souls from the fires of Purgatory by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for them.

b) THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS.  What Jesus and Mary desire most in this world is the conversion and salvation of sinners! When you offer your Masses and Holy Communions for the conversion and salvation of sinners, the Hearts of Jesus and Mary overflow with joy.

c) PERSONAL HEART-TRANSPLANT.  We all must work day and night upon our own personal conversion. There is no more efficacious and powerful means by which we can convert our heart from the heart of a sinner to the heart of a saint than by worthy, frequent, fervent, and faithful reception of Holy Communion. Indeed, every worthy reception of Holy Communion results in a SPIRITUAL HEART-TRANSPLANT. In all truth, the Heart of Jesus takes possession of our heart and there is a real transformation! We become what we eat! We consume the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus and we become more like Him. In time we will be able to say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:19-21)

9. YOUR FIRST, LAST, AND ONLY COMMUNION.  In some convent sacristies there is a plaque on the wall that the priest is invited to read as he vests and prepares for Holy Mass that reads: “Priest, man of God, say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” What would happen if you made this decision starting today with respect to your participation in Mass and reception of Holy Communion, to receive your Holy Communion as if it were your first, your last, and your only Communion??? Most likely your Holy Communions would be much more fervent. What do you think?

10. OUR LADY OF THE EUCHARIST AND HOLY COMMUNION.  As a concluding note, we should contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary and beg for her most powerful intercession in our reception of Holy Communion. In a very real sense, Mary received her first Communion when she said YES to the Archangel Gabriel with the words: “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1:38) Then the Gospel of Saint John states: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. 1: 14) Pope Saint John Paul II made this parallel connection: “The Yes of Mary to the Angel and our Amen when we receive Holy Communion have a real similarity; both result in the reception of Jesus into the depths of the heart.” Therefore, let us humbly implore the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Eucharist, for the most special grace to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion with frequency, with lively faith, and with a burning fervor and love for Jesus, so that we will be able to set the whole world on fire with the love of God!

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