Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

MONDAY, May 17th   Mk. 16: 29-33   “In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

• Jesus conquered through the Cross, opening the gates of heaven, closed by the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve, to all who choose to walk through them. We choose heaven or hell as our eternal destiny by the choices we make every day of our lives.
• “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (Jn. 14:21)
• Our lives are Spiritual Warfare! God gives us sufficient grace to keep the Ten Commandments, but the three enemies of our soul war against us: the devil, the world, and our own weak flesh! That said, our ultimate deadly enemy is the devil, for he uses the temptations of the world and the weakness of our flesh to tempt us to all that is sinful, evil and ungodly!
• With this in mind, let us meditate on and put into practice the battle plan proposed by Fr. Ed Broom, remembering that with our good will and efforts, God’s grace is sufficient!  

STRATEGY TO CONQUER THE ATTACKS OF THE DEVIL—THE TEN-STEP BATTLE PLAN! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Soldiers study to find the weak point of their enemies so as to attack and conquer. Wrestlers, Boxers also try to discover where their opponents have an opening so as to punch hard or tackle to the ground for the knock-out or countdown. Those engaged in a serious debate, study to capture where their opponent has no argument or defense for the verbal debate and victory.

Equally important is the knowledge we must acquire so as to attack, as well as to defend ourselves, against the deadly assaults of the devil in our spiritual battle, our spiritual wrestling or boxing match.

The wise men of the past insisted on the capital importance of SELF-KNOWLEDGE. The Desert Fathers coined the axiom, short but poignant: KNOW THYSELF! The wise Socrates expressed it in these words: “A life not examined is a life not worth living.” An Historian quipped up with these sage words: “He who does not know History is condemned to repeat the same errors.”

That said, what is one of the essential elements for making a Good Sacramental Confession? To be direct, not simply detecting the sin and confessing it to the priest, but also examining the reason that led us to commit that sin.

Finally, one of the essential hallmarks of Ignatian spirituality is the practice of the classical “Daily-Examen.” Saint Ignatius stated forcefully that this practice should never be omitted. By this practice one comes to know with greater clarity and precision the working of God’s grace, the maneuvers of the devil, and a greater self-knowledge.

Therefore, the basic purpose of this essay is not simply to know the tactics of the devil, who in the words of Saint Ignatius is the enemy of our salvation, but also to formulate clear guidelines and practices to conquer the enemy.

In a word, we must formulate a clear spiritual strategy to conquer the presence, the perniciousness, and the power of the devil in our lives. We should never forget the words that Jesus uses to describe the devil: “He is a liar and a murderer from the beginning.”

TEN STEP STRATEGY TO CONQUER THE DEVIL

1. IN DESOLATION—USE FOUR PRACTICES TAUGHT BY ST. IGNATIUS. In Rule Six of the Rules for Discernment, Saint Ignatius offers us four practices to use when we find ourselves in the state of desolation—in other words, when we find ourselves sad, discouraged, and depressed. These are: prayer, meditation, penance, and examination of conscience.

a) PRAYER. Pray more, rather than less. Prayer conquers the devil!

b) MEDITATE. Read and meditate upon the Word of God. St. Paul calls it a two-edged sword meant for the battle.

c) PENANCE. Jesus states clearly that some devils are cast out only by prayer and fasting.

d) EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. Find out what is casting you into the state of desolation.

2. KRYPTONITE RULE—PRACTICE THE OPPOSITE VIRTUE. In desolation, the devil aims at our spiritual weak point and he goes for the kill. Get to know yourself; get to know your Kryptonite, your Achilles heel, your point where you are most vulnerable. The list of the CAPITAL SINS is the key to self-knowledge. When tempted in that weak-point you must strive to practice the opposite virtue.

Capital Sins and the opposite virtue to be practiced. (The Agere Contra)

a) GLUTTONY—THE VIRTUE OF TEMPERANCE IN EATING

b) LUST—THE VIRTUE OF PURITY OR CHASTITY OF LIFE

c) AVARICE—THE VIRTUE OF GENEROSITY IN GIVING

d) SLOTH/LAZINESS—THE VIRTUE OF DILIGENCE IN WORK.

e) ENVY—THE VIRTUE OF ADMIRATION OF OTHERS AND GRATITUDE

f) ANGER—THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE AND MEEKNESS

g) PRIDE—THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY

3. PROCRASTINATION—WORK ETHIC (SHORTNESS OF LIFE!) To overcome the devil of procrastination—put it off until tomorrow, a concrete remedy must be applied. Write out a PLAN OF LIFE and be faithful to it. Ask your Spiritual Director to assist you! This helps to order the disorder in our lives. The Procrastinator lives a disorderly existence.

4. RESENTMENT AND REVENGE—THE PRACTICE OF IMMEDIATE FORGIVENESS AND MERCY. The devil works overtime in bringing to mind present or past hurts and injuries. If we dwell on these, we will live an angry and depressed existence. The best remedy is to live the Gospel of Mercy and forgive those who hurt us immediately. And if the devil brings the hurt or injury to mind again, forgive again immediately! A sure sign of forgiveness is to pray for that person. Each time they come to mind, say three Hail Marys for them. The Bible teaches us clearly: “Do not let the sin go down on your anger.” (Eph. 4:26)

5. WORLD OF IMAGES—TEMPTATION TO VIEW PORNOGRAPHY—SEEK GOOD IMAGES!!! The wolf is on the prowl, better said, many wolves are on the prowl related to the world of images and most specifically, the reality of pornography. Surround yourself—in your room, home, and car with beautiful images of Jesus, Mary, the angels and the saints. Therefore, when tempted to go down the dark and ugly path of porn, look at these beautiful images as a reminder of your dignity and your destiny. We are Temples of the Holy Spirit; our destiny, Heaven with God forever!

6. LAZINESS/ SLOTH/INDOLENCE—THE ETHIC OF HARD WORK, SHORTNESS OF LIFE.  How true the saying: “Idleness is the workshop of the devil.” If you have nothing to do, the devil will offer you tons of activities to do with him and for him. Meditate on how short our life is on earth and how we will be judged by our actions. Let us work hard in this life, in imitation of the saints, and then we can rest forever in Heaven.

7. BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS MORALS—CHOOSE ONE OR A FEW GOOD FRIENDS. The Bible teaches us that a true friend indeed is a treasure and a brass wall of defense. On the contrary, a bad friend or friends could be our ruin or demise. Bad friends lead us into sin; good friends lead us to Jesus, Our Best of Friends, and eventually Heaven. As soon as we are aware of a noxious and poisonous friendship—formed by the devil—terminate this relationship!

8. WANDERING EYES (REMEMBER THE SIN OF DAVID!)—LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. If we have the tendency to allow our eyes to wander where they should not be going, then we must form the habit of living in the PRESENCE OF GOD! If we are keenly aware of God’s eyes looking at us with love and concern, it will be much more difficult to wander and fix our eyes on what is offensive to God.

9. DEVIL OF DISOBEDIENCE—OBEY WILLINGLY AND PROMPTLY! The devil sinned due to disobedience. He cried out in rebellion against God: “I will not serve!” Therefore, whenever we are tempted to imitate the devil in his disobedience, we must call to mind the obedience of Jesus and Mary to the will of God, to help us obey promptly. Remember the words of St. Paul: “Jesus was obedient, even to death and death on the cross.” (Phil 2:8)

10. DEVIL OF COLDNESS TO AND REJECTION OF MARY—TENDERNESS AND LOVE FOR MARY!!! One of the tactics of the devil is to seduce and trick people to leave the Catholic Religion and enter a Religious Sect or Protestantism. Almost immediately these false-religions will attack the Blessed Virgin Mary or at least show great coldness or indifference towards Mary. If we are tempted in one way or another to reject Mary or to show Mary coldness or indifference, then we should do the opposite. How? Read a good book on Mary. Enthrone an image of Mary in your room. Pray the most Holy Rosary. Cultivate filial devotion to Mary!

In conclusion, we have concluded our mini-course on the Strategy that we should implement in our battle against the devil in our lives. Indeed, not only must we know the tactics and the temptations of the devil, the enemy of our salvation, but how we are to react to put out the fiery darts of the devil. May Our Lady help us, by her powerful intercession, to crush the ugly, infernal head of the devil in our lives so we can serve Our Lord and Savior, Jesus the King!

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

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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

SUNDAY, May 16th   Mk. 16: 15-20   ASCENSION OF THE LORD!!!

• The Apostles are left behind not knowing what to do with themselves. It is not until Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit that they are able, by grace and the unction of the Holy Spirit, to throw themselves into the work of preaching and teaching in order to save souls! Their deeds are recorded in the Acts of the Apostles where we see the nascent Church taking root!
• May the unction of the Holy Spirit move us to greater generosity and zeal in working with Jesus to save souls!   

WORKING WITH JESUS TO SAVE SOULS by Fr. Ed  Broom

If we truly love God, then we should love what God loves most in all of His creation! And that is: the salvation of immortal souls. In all of creation, both man and woman are at the very pinnacle or zenith of creation in the natural world. All the rest of creation—stones, plants, and animals will one day cease to exist. Not so with the human person.

MOMENT OF CONCEPTION.  At the very moment of conception, God intervened in a most powerful way. He infused an immortal soul in that little person! By immortal soul we mean a spiritual entity that contains within it memory, understanding, imagination, and will—the power to choose. Furthermore, this soul, created by God, will live forever, beyond the limits of time and space. This thought is mind-boggling and staggers the imagination.

TWO ROADS.  Psalm 1 speaks of the two different roads; one leads to peace, fruitfulness, and goodness; the other, like chaff, is blown away by the wind. Expressed in other words, the human person at the end of his life will either be saved and united with God forever in heaven or lost and condemned to the eternal sufferings of hell. There is no other possibility!

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.  Our life on earth is very short, indeed very short! If we compare our mere human existence to all of eternity, it is barely a grain of sand in the immense ocean of forever. Saint Augustine explained the concept of eternity in these dense but powerful words: Our life in comparison with eternity is a mere blink of the eye. The Psalmist expresses eternity as such: The life of man on earth is like the flower of the field that raises its head in the morning and withers and dies as the sun goes down. Have you ever watched smoke from a pipe, cigar, or even chimney; it issues forth and dissipates in almost no time.  Saint Peter, the first Vicar of Christ, had a few words to say on this timely topic: Before God one day is like one thousand years and one thousand years like a day.

THE INFINITE VALUE OF THE HUMAN SOUL.  The Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, stated that one human soul, created in the image and likeness of God, is worth more than the whole created universe. To prove the importance of the assertion of Aquinas call to mind the sober but all important truth that Jesus shed ever drop of His most precious Blood to save all of humanity. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, emphasizes the fact that if you were the only person in the whole created world, Jesus would have suffered all of the excruciating pains of His bitter passion just for the salvation of your immortal soul. How important you are in the eyes of God!

APOSTOLIC ZEAL IN THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS.  It becomes crystal clear in the lives of the saints, the ardent fire that burned in their hearts to do all they could to collaborate with Jesus in the salvation of immortal souls. Indeed, if we really do love Jesus then we should love what He loves most—the salvation of immortal souls. A few examples to illustrate this point!

SAINT PADRE PIO.  Why was it that Saint Padre Pio willingly received and accepted from Jesus the five wounds in his body that we call the stigmata, not for a day, or a week, or a month, but for fifty long years in which there were days where he suffered intensely. On Fridays this great modern saint would actually shed blood from these wounds, and all of the days of Lent. Once some naïve person asked Padre Pio if the wounds hurt. He quipped: “These are not Christmas decorations!” Of course they caused pain and very intense pain. Why on earth would this man suffer so much and so long? The answer is clear and to the point: because He loved Jesus and loved to work with Jesus for the conversion and salvation of souls, as well as for the purpose of repairing for sins!

THE CURE OF ARS (Saint John Marie Vianney).  How could it be that this man spent more than forty years as a priest, most of the time nailed in the confessional? He would spend 12 hours, 15 hours, even up to 18 hours a day in the confessional reconciling sinners to God. He slept on the floor about three hours a night and ate a couple of potatoes a day. Also we should mention the fact that the Cure of Ars had frequent bouts and battles with the devil. Why on earth would any man submit himself to so many privations, sacrifices, and sufferings? Why??? The response once again is simple: he loved God and desired most ardently to collaborate with God in the salvation of immortal souls.

SAINT JACINTA MARTO.  This was one of the little shepherd girls who had the privilege of seeing the Guardian Angel of Portugal three times. Then, with her brother and cousin, communicated with Our Lady six times—from May 13 up to October 13, 1917. This little girl, who never learned to read and write, arrived at a point in her life where she became a little Victim Soul—meaning she was ready and willing to offer all of her sufferings to Jesus though the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls. The various forms of her sacrifices were astounding… Here are a few!

1. FOOD.  She gave up eating her favorite food—the sweet grapes from the hillsides of Portugal.
2. FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT.  She loved to dance (an innocent dance). This too she sacrificed.
3. LUNCH.  She would actually give her lunch to the poorer children as she went to pasture to tend her sheep.
4.  THIRST.  On a hot day in the summer Jacinta, with Lucia and Francisco, sacrificed drinking fresh, cold water so as to suffer for Christ.
5. BODILY PENANCE.  Jacinta wore around her little waist a rough rope that chafed her skin causing her great discomfort.
6. HEADACHES.  On one occasion her head was pounding violently causing her great pain and she started to complain. Francisco, her brother, reminded her to offer that also as a sacrifice. This she did willingly.
7. SUFFERING AND DEATH.  Jacinta suffered in a Hospital far from her parents—in a certain sense abandoned. Our Lady appeared to her and asked her if she would be willing to suffer a bit more for the salvation of souls; Jacinta willingly said YES! She died there alone at age 9.

All of these heroic sacrifices Jacinta willingly carried out after Our Lady showed her, as well as Lucia and Francisco, a graphic vision of hell, where the poor sinners go who have so few to pray for them. This vision motivated Jacinta to give her life to Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as what Saint Pope John Paul II called a little victim soul for the salvation of souls.

NOW IT IS OUR TURN.  Now it is up to you and to me to enter into our hearts in conversation with God and with the presence of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary to discern with sincerity and truth: what can we do to work with Jesus and Mary for the salvation of immortal souls???  Our Lady of Fatima stated with great sadness: Many souls are lost for all eternity because people do not offer prayers and sacrifices for them. If we love God, then we should love what God really loves most! What is that? It is clearly this: THE SALVATION OF IMMORTAL SOULS. One soul is worth more the whole created universe. The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary are waiting for your answer right now!

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

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

SATURDAY, May 15th   Jn. 16: 23b-28   “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

• If the Father gives us good things, and we know that He does, should we not give our children good things?
• What is the best thing we can give our children? Heaven! Only that is not ours to give. What we can hope for is to foster in them the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity – and by this means their souls may be saved.

Five Ways Parents Can Engage Children in the Faith by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The primary obligation of parents towards their children is to pave the way for the salvation of their immortal souls. Jesus pointed this out very clearly: “What would it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process. What can a man exchange for his very soul?” This Biblical passage was instrumental in the conversion of the great missionary, Saint Francis Xavier.

In this short essay, we would like to pinpoint five concrete decisions and practices that parents can undertake so as to pave the way to heaven for their children. Never forget parents: your primary obligation is to bring every family member to heaven, to be with God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels and saints for all eternity.

1. Baptism 

Provide for the Baptism of your child as soon as possible. During the course of the pregnancy good parents can do all the prior preparations so as to have the child baptized rapidly. Baptismal talks, papers, godparents, etc. can be prepared and ready even before the child is born. Remember the words of Jesus, referring to the small child; “Let the little children come to me because such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mk. 19:14)

2. Pray Immediately!

A child can be compared to a sponge. The nature of a sponge is to absorb, especially liquids and usually water. However, if the sponge absorbs dirty water, then dirty water will be wrung out; if clean water, then clean water will be wrung out. A three year-old child can watch TV and repeat dumb, offensive and vulgar words or songs. If this is the case, why should parents not fill the mind, heart and lips of their child with prayers to their Guardian Angel, to Mary, to the Trinity, to the Heavenly Father! Why allow the child to be filled with junk; better, to fill them with beautiful prayers!

3. Offer it Up

Parents, we invite you to teach your children the short but all important phrase: “Offer it up!” What this really means is to take advantage of daily sufferings and crosses that God sends to adults, as well as to children. Much suffering is wasted because it is not offered up to God. Why not teach children, even when they are small, to offer up their headache, toothache, hot or cold weather, the fall with a bruised and cut knee, so that these sufferings will have infinite value for the conversion of sinners and salvation of souls. Our Lady of Fatima said many souls go to hell because there is no one to pray and offer up their sufferings for them. Mom and Dad, you are the first teachers, especially in the area of faith. Be faithful to your marriage vocation!

4. “Love one another as I have loved you.”

The last and greatest commandment of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was that of love—to love all as he loved us. Parents who are blessed by God to have more than one child should make a concerted effort on their part to love all their children and their immortal souls. However, the devil always seeks to sow the seed of discord, confusion, jealously, rivalry, comparisons, and suspicions. Parents must strive with all the energy of their wills to foster mutual respect, humility, love and harmony among their children.

At all costs parents must avoid the “Cain-complex”. What is that? The Cain-complex consists in pitting one sibling against the other. It results in the ugly fruits of comparisons, rivalries, jealousy often leading to envy and fights and hatred and killing, if not physically at least in the heart. How can the “Cain-complex” be avoided? A simple remedy! It is all related to union with God in prayer, the three dimensions of daily family prayer. Parents should pray for their children; parents should teach their children to pray; finally, parents should pray with their children. If done, this will prove to be one of the most efficacious remedies to avoid the ugly, but all too prevalent “Cain-complex.”

5. The Real Presence. 

Good Catholic parents, we warmly exhort you to teach your children, as soon as possible, the meaning of the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Mass, Consecration, Holy Communion. Furthermore, parents should teach their children, even the little ones, where Jesus is truly present in the Church.  How is this to be done successfully by parents? Various suggestions!

1) Sunday Mass. Explain to your children that the most important event every week is attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Sunday, but also participating fully, consciously and actively.

2) Reverence. The modern world has lost the sense of the sacred in the churches today. Parents must teach their children that the Church is the House of God and a sacred and holy environment. Therefore, in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, there should be cultivated silence that fosters both prayer and reverence. In addition, modest dress and deport in church also speaks of reverence!

3) Genuflection. Parents should execute the genuflection properly, right knee to the ground with hands folded over heart, and explain why this is done. Simply, it is done to adore the Lord of Lord and King of Kings who is residing in His little Palace or Castle in the Blessed Sacrament. The Kings prostrated themselves before the Child Jesus in Bethlehem; we prostrate ourselves by a reverential genuflection. Remember that Jesus, now present in the Blessed Sacrament, is still Lord of Lords and King of Kings and still worthy of worship and praise.

4) Holy Communion. Parents, work on growing in your faith in Jesus truly present in the Eucharist—we cannot give what we do not have. Children seeing their parents after receiving Holy Communion kneeling with heads bowed, speaking to Jesus within them, is a powerful witness to His real Presence! They believe, because we believe!

5) Visits to the Blessed Sacrament. One of the first little poems I remember learning as a child is the following related to Eucharistic visits: “Whenever I see a Church, I stop to make a visit, so that when I die, the Lord won’t say who is it?” Parents should form the habit of now and then stopping to visit Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Even though the visit might last five minutes, this is very pleasing to Jesus whose Sacred Heart rejoices every time we remember Him and visit Him!

In conclusion, parents must take seriously their obligation to be a Saint John the Baptist and point the way to Jesus and the Highway to heaven by striving to implement these five practical points of advice: 1) Baptism – the graces of early Baptism; 2) Prayer – the key to heaven; 3) Offering up Suffering for a purpose – the conversion of sinners and salvation of souls; 4) Love, living out love in the family; 5) Our Eucharistic Lord, growing in faith, knowledge, and love for Jesus, the Bread of Life, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

May Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our own Heavenly Mother attain for us extraordinary graces through her all-powerful prayers!

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

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

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

FRIDAY, May 14th   Jn. 15: 9-17   Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Saint Paul Shows Us What Love Is and What Love is not! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest spiritual masterpieces ever penned on the topic of love is from Saint Paul in his Thirteenth Chapter to the Corinthians. At weddings, this is often one of the favorite readings in the context of the Nuptial Mass. If the couple, as well as all of us, would seriously read, meditate, and strive to understand the importance and meaning of these few verses, the understanding that we have of Love would be radically transformed. And of course, as a consequence, the way we would strive to live out this most demanding virtue would change.

We would like to extract four short verses from I Corinthians 13—verses 4-7 and expound upon and explain these few verses related to love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. Love does not rejoice over wrong-doing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

Saint Paul, obviously led by the Holy Spirit, was truly inspired to highlight characteristics of charity or supernatural love and its concrete application. In a word, love/charity is not a mere ephemeral sentiment, or passing emotion, or transitory, romantic glimmer or smile. Quite the contrary: supernatural love, which in theological language is termed charity, is very demanding. According to the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, it is indeed the greatest of all virtues!

This being said, we would like to list the terms of what love is and what love is not according to Saint Paul and give a brief explanation of these words, with the hope that all of us would have the audacious courage and trust in God’s grace to put this sublime virtue into practice in our daily lives! Here we go!!!

1. Love is Patient

Are you patient?

Examine your life, specifically in three basic areas related to patience. Are you patient with God and the way He deals with you in your life? Or do you question and rebel against God’s providential designs?

Next, are you patient with others, especially those with whom you associate on a daily basis? Or is your attitude and philosophy, “My way or the Highway!”

Finally, are you patient with yourself? By this is meant, when you fail, do you give in to discouragement or rise from your fall and begin again?

Examine yourself on patience in these three areas!

2. Love is Kind

If you really do not understand the whole concept of being kind or kindness, we offer you the antithesis, the opposing vice, and that would be the demeanor of a mean person. Such a person is often bitter, angry, sharp, sarcastic, calculating, touchy.

Whereas the kind person exudes joy, mercy, compassion, a winning smile. A kind person is tender, loving, and supportive. A kind person does not judge, criticize, and condemn but quickly overlooks the faults and limitations of their brothers and sisters.

3. Love is Not Jealous

Jealous persons tends to compare themselves with others, and as a result, they are never at peace with themselves. Jealousy and envy are related. Jealousy can be explained as the person who feels bad when somebody else has something they do not have.

Envy is worse! The envious person rejoices when something bad happens to the person who has something that they don’t have! The opposite of jealousy and envy would be fraternal charity—to will the good of the other. Saint Paul expresses this perfectly: “To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” (Rom 12:15)

Another manifestation of the opposing virtue would be that of admiration. You do not downplay the good fortune of your neighbor, rather you admire and compliment them.

4. Love Is Not Pompous, Not Inflated

The words pompous and inflated can be united as a whole. Such a person is proud, conceited, a braggart, self-seeking, self-aggrandizing, ostentatious, as well as demeaning and disparaging towards others. Also, such a person is egocentric; they want to be the focal point of attention. They want at all times and places to be, so to speak, the life of the party. Possibly the best image from the animal world would be that of the peacock—always ready and willing to show off their plumage, their multi-color splendor for all to see!

The contrary is a person who is soft-spoken, unassuming, hidden, modest, never over-bearing, who seeks the honor of others rather than their own.

5. Love is Not Rude

We all have met rude people and possibly given in to being rude ourselves. What are the qualities of a rude person? They are pushy, can never wait, cut in lines, elbow their way to the first place, and perpetually complain. A rude person is uncouth, vulgar and coarse in speech, and bloated in self-importance. If we are honest, maybe we have given into this attitude of being a rude dude to the detriment of our family and work environment.

The exact opposite is true of a gentleman or lady. Such a person is courteous, gentle, refined, soft-spoken, polished, and well-mannered at home and everywhere else.

6. Love Is Not Quick-Tempered

By quick-tempered is meant that such a person has a very short fuse. They explode at the drop of a hat. Anything—whether it be a person, place, thing, or circumstance—that does not flow and harmonize with their particular needs, wants and desires can cause them to go into at least a minor rage. The quick-tempered person blurts out whatever comes to their mind without a moment of reflection, and can consequently cause irreparable damage to family, relatives, friends, and countless other people. This impulsive, impetuous, explosive, knee-jerk reaction to all that is not according to their tastes is like living or associating with someone who has firecrackers in their pocket and matches ready at hand!

The opposite is a person capable of suffering tension, disappointments, set-backs, bad language and insults, even physical suffering in silence, uniting themself to Jesus in His Passion and sufferings.

7. Love Does Not Brood Over Injuries

The person who broods over injuries has not learned how to forgive; they have not understood the importance of the greatest virtue in the Heart of Jesus—that of mercy.

The opposite of brooding over injuries is forgiving those who offend us right away and from the heart. It is putting into practice the prayer of Jesus in the Our Father, in the petition “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus is the most sublime example, especially as He hangs on the cross and from the depths of His loving and Sacred Heart cries out: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34)

8. Love Does Not Rejoice Over Wrongdoing, but Rejoices In the Truth

Love and truth must work and collaborate together. A person motivated by true love will never call sin, virtue; nor right, wrong. Impossible!

Love is honest; love is sincere; love is transparent, not murky. Love will strive to correct wrongdoing. This is called the virtue of fraternal correction. Upon seeing someone in sin or in the wrong, a person motivated by love will have the courage, honesty, and zeal to try to bring the wandering sheep back to the fold, back to the flock, back to the arms of Jesus who is the Good Shepherd even of the wandering sheep.

9. Love Bears All Things, Believes All Things, Hopes all Things

Bearing all things, we are called to contemplate Jesus in His Passion as He carries the cross—a cross weighed down by the weight of all the sins of all of humanity, from Adam and Eve until the last person in the world, and that includes our own personal sins. If the person who is loaded down with trials, tribulations, afflictions, and contradictions of all kinds, lifts up their eyes to Jesus carrying the cross with the sins of the whole world, their strength will be renewed. The prayer and meditation over Jesus’ patient endurance of the cross is a powerful motivation to imitate the Lord and His infinite love.

Believing all things, we call to mind the modern classic of the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina, in her Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. One of the hallmarks of this classic is that of believing Jesus in all of His words and promises.

Hoping all things is trusting in Jesus in all times and places, summarized in these five simple but most profound words: JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

10. Love Endures All Things

One of the key virtues of the followers of the Lord Jesus is that of enduring all things; another way of expressing this is the virtue of perseverance. Jesus Himself stated: “He who perseveres until the end will be saved.” (Mt. 24:13)

Using an image from sports, Saint Paul states that not all of the runners in the stadium, in the marathon, will win the race, but only one. We are called to be that one in the Heart of Jesus. Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori insisted upon the importance of enduring until the end with the concept of final perseverance.

As we conclude our essay, let us prayerfully meditate upon the words of Saint Alphonsus with regard to final perseverance: “The grace of all graces to persevere in the state of grace.” Let us beg the Blessed Virgin Mary for this supreme and most exalted of all graces. She who is the full of grace, we beg her for the grace to live in grace, grow in grace, persevere in grace, and die in the state of grace, so as to attain the crown of our greatest reward—Heaven for all eternity!

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

THURSDAY, May 13th   Jn. 16: 16-20   Ascension of the Lord… (Transferred to Sunday)

“So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.”

• At the Ascension, which we will celebrate again on Sunday, Jesus leaves the Apostles with this missionary mandate: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
• We have been baptized in the faith, but we need to grow in our faith until the day we die. We either swim upstream to heaven or float downstream to hell. There is no standing still!

FIVE WAYS TO HOLD ONTO FAITH UNTIL THE END by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Faith is a theological virtue freely given at Baptism. Faith is believing in God even though we do not see Him. Faith must be defended, cultivated and shared with others if faith is to persevere in our lives.

Do you still have faith?  

Jesus said:  “When the Son of man comes many will lose faith and charity will grow cold in many hearts.” If you still have faith, be exceedingly thankful for this precious and gratuitous gift. Maybe it would be a good spiritual exercise to simply wind back the clock and see how many practiced the faith with you—maybe many of your relatives. Now, for some reason, many of these same people do not have faith, but you do!

Why is this the case, that you and I are among the few that have faith; whereas, the huge majority have lost faith? Is it because there is something innately good about us, or due to our keen intelligence, or due to our wit and charm, or maybe due to our good looks that we have faith and others do not? Why? Indeed, a mystery of God’s infinite goodness to us.

Before tooting our horn or patting ourselves on the back, we should be keenly aware of the hard truth: any one of us who at present have faith in God, in the Lord Jesus, and in the Church, could be among those who in the future lose their faith.

What then should we do to maintain our faith, sustain our faith, grow in our faith, and remain faithful? What course can we undertake to be faithful to the end? Remember that the race is not over until the finish line has been crossed!

The following suggestions can help us guard the precious gem that was given to many of us—faith in God, faith in Jesus the Lord, faith in His mystical Body that we call the Church.

1. A DYNAMIC, VIBRANT AND GROWING PRAYER LIFE

The late Father John Hardon, S.J. made this observation: “Those who lost their faith often were those who abandoned the practice of prayer.” That makes sense. Why? For this simple reason: praying is an act of Faith.  

When we pray, we do not see God to whom we are addressing our words. Our God is a mysterious and hidden God. Our God is invisible to our physical eyes that perceive the physical realities that bombard our senses. For this reason, Jesus gently rebuked Thomas the doubter: “Thomas, you believe because you see. Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” May the doubt of Saint Thomas the Apostle strengthen our weak and faltering faith! Every day of our life, we should strive to pray a little bit more and better. This indeed will be a safeguard to help us avoid losing our faith.

2. BEGGARS BEFORE THE LORD

Why not pray this short but powerful prayer: “Lord, I believe, but strengthen my belief.” Jesus told us: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7) We should never be afraid to become a beggar before the Lord, imploring Him to give us a robust and dynamic faith!

3. STUDY

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once commented that very few people leave the faith for what the Church teaches, but rather for what they think the Church teaches. In other words, many leave the Church and lose their faith based on erroneous concepts of Church teaching. Due to an all-pervasive ignorance, a lack of knowledge of Divine truths combined with poor catechesis, many abandon the practice of the faith.

If you want to grow in your faith and avoid losing it, then you must study your faith.

One suggestion: read, study, and learn the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this text is one of the most important and influential spiritual masterpieces published in the past fifty years under the guidance and pontificate of Saint Pope John Paul II.

You cannot fall in love with what you do not know. Reading, studying, and living the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be a wellspring of knowledge and grace for maintaining a dynamic and flourishing faith!

4. PRACTICE YOUR FAITH

There is a modern proverb used by many people today that’s applicable to this concept: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Musical talents, athletic prowess, literary expressions, linguistic perfection, culinary skills—all of these demand a constant effort to keep them up to the mark of approval! Likewise, for our faith to grow we have to practice it.

Ways we can practice our faith are many, here are a few:

1) Prayer. The habit of personal prayer, prayer in common, and liturgical prayer—all of these bolster faith.

2) Sign of the cross. By making the sign of the cross we are professing in a corporal manner our belief in the greatest mystery of our Catholic faith, the Blessed Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3) Genuflection. By performing a reverential and pious genuflection in church, we are manifesting belief and adoration for Jesus, truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament.

4) The Most Holy Eucharist in Holy Communion. The greatest act of faith we can make is receiving the true and Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist in Holy Communion!

5) Amen. By saying Amen when we receive Holy Communion, we are professing our belief that the Lord Jesus is truly the Bread of Life, the living Bread that came down from heaven to give us life and life in abundance. (Read John 6:25-71)

5. SHARE YOUR FAITH WITH OTHERS

In the material realm, when we give something to others, we become impoverished. I give you $20 and I am $20 poorer. In the spiritual realm, this is not the case. Rather, if I teach catechism, preach a homily, preach a mission, explain to somebody how to pray, explain in detail the ten commandments to somebody who has a poorly formed conscience—in all of these cases, as the person is receiving enrichment from this sharing, I am also being enriched by sharing my spiritual treasures.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to another is to share our faith; this is one of the highest forms of charity. Indeed there is more joy in giving that in receiving and this can be applied to the sharing of the faith.  

Therefore, let us humbly thank God for the gift of faith the He has so generously given to us, but let us defend our faith, cultivate our faith, share our faith and pray that we will be faithful until the end!

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