Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

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

FRIDAY, May 6th   Jn. 15: 12-17   “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”

• Love is perhaps the most misunderstood and misused word in the dictionary! Let us prayerfully consider how we can grow in love as commanded by Jesus Himself!
• Saint John of the Cross said, “In the twilight of our life, we will be judged on love alone.”

WHAT LOVE IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest spiritual literary masterpieces ever penned on the topic of love is from Saint Paul in his 13th Chapter to the Corinthians. At weddings, this is often one of the favorite second 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 true import and meaning of these few verses, without a doubt, the understanding we have of Love would be radically transformed. And of course, as a consequence, the way we strive to live out this most demanding virtue would change.

We would like to extract four short verses from I Corinthians 13, Verses 4 to 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. It does not rejoice over wrong-doing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and 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 that is termed in theological language 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 simply list the terms of what love is and what it 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! Off 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: “It’s 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 start anew? Examine yourself on patience in these three areas!

2. LOVE IS KIND.  If you do not really 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. Contrariwise, the kind person exudes joy, mercy, compassion, a winning smile. A kind person is tender, loving, and supportive. A kind person will not judge, criticize, and condemn but overlook quickly the faults and limitations of their brothers and sisters.

3. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS.  A jealous person tends to compare themself with others, and as a result, is never really at peace with themself. Jealousy and envy are related. Jealousy can be explained thus, when a person feels bad because someone else has something that they do not have, feels bad because of this lack in their life. Envy is worse! The envious person rejoices when something bad happens to this person whom they think has more than they 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 to weep with those who weep.” (Rom 12:15) Another manifestation of the opposing virtue would be that of admiration. You do not resent your neighbor for the good things they have, but rather you admire and compliment them.

4. LOVE IS NOT POMPOUS, NOT INFLATED.  Both the words pompous and inflated can be united as one. Such a person is proud, self-seeking, conceited, a braggart, self-aggrandizing, ostentatious, as well as demeaning and disparaging toward others. Also, such a person is egocentric and wants 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—strutting around to show off their plumage, to show off their radiant colors so that all can see! The contrary is the person who is soft-spoken, modest, unassuming, hidden, never over-bearing. They seek the honor of others rather than their own honor.

5. LOVE IS NOT RUDE.  We all have met rude people and possibly have given into being rude ourselves. What are the qualities of a rude person? The rude person is pushy, can never wait, cuts in line, elbows their way to the first place, and is a perpetual complainer. In traffic the rude person will cut you off, and if you make a mistake driving, they will let you know by honking their horn like a New Year’s parade! A rude person is uncouth, vulgar in speech, coarse, and bloated in self-importance. Maybe we have given into the attitude of being a rude-dude to the detriment of our family and work environment. The opposite is a gentleman or a 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—person, place, thing or circumstance that does not flow and harmonize with their particular criteria 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 consequently can do irreparable damage to themself, to their family, to their relatives, and to countless other people. Their impulsive, impetuous, explosive, knee-jerk reaction to all that is not according to their tastes, or their standards, is like living or associating with someone who has firecrackers in their back pocket with matches ready at hand! The opposite is a patient person who is capable of suffering bad language and insults, even physical sufferings, in silence by 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 our 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 WITH THE TRUTH. Love and truth must work and collaborate as a total whole. A person motivated by true love will never call sin, virtue; nor wrong, right. Impossible! Love is honest; love is sincere; love is transparent and not murky. Love will strive to correct wrongdoing. This is called the virtue of fraternal correction. Upon seeing someone in sin or moving in that direction, a person motivated by love will have the courage, the honestly, and the 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, especially of the wandering sheep.

9. LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS. In bearing all things, we are called to contemplate Jesus in His Passion as He carries the cross bearing the sins of all of humanity, from Adam and Eve down to the last person in the world, including all our sins. If a person loaded down with trials, tribulations, afflictions, and contradictions of all sorts, lifts up their eyes to see Jesus carrying the cross weighed down with the sins of the whole world, they will be strengthened. Praying and meditating on Jesus’ patient endurance of the cross for our sake is a powerful motivation to imitate the Lord and His infinite love. By believing all things, we call to mind the modern classic of the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul. One of the hallmarks of this classic is that of believing Jesus in all of His words and promises, trusting 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 race, in the marathon, will win the race, 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 is to persevere in the state of grace.”

Finally, let us beg the Blessed Virgin Mary, she who is the full of grace, for this supreme and most exalted of graces: 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!

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

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

THURSDAY, May 6th   Jn. 15: 9-11   “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.”

HOPE FOR ETERNAL JOY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

You are created to know God, love God, and serve God in this life so as to be happy with Him forever in Heaven. Saint Ignatius of Loyola states:

These concise and clear statements should motivate our thinking, our decisions, and our actions during the whole course of our life. This should be our philosophy of life: Heaven. Our life has as its primary purpose to do all that we can, at all times and in all places and all circumstances to attain our goal—eternal life in heaven with God. May we long for heaven: “As the deer yearns for running waters, so my soul longs for you, O my God.” (Ps. 42:1)

What is it Like?

Can we penetrate and plumb the depths of the reality of heaven? Of course not! However, we should try. Saint Paul gives us a mere glimpse of the reality of heaven with these encouraging words: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the mind of man the great things that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Cor. 2:9) It goes beyond human imagination! Still we should strive, calling to mind the words of Saint Anselm: “Faith seeks understanding.”

A Helpful Exercise

This mental exercise could prove extremely useful in your longing for heaven, your eternal destiny. Call to mind the happiest day in your life. Now boil this down to the two happiest hours in your life! Got it? Now multiply that immense joy that you experienced, maybe just once in your life, a million times over! Then add to that ETERNITY! Now “Eternity” is key to understanding the reality of heaven. Eternity means forever and ever and ever. Saint Augustine says that our life in comparison with eternity is nothing more than a blink of the eye.

I personally can call to mind May 25, 1986. It was a Sunday, the Solemnity of the most Blessed Trinity. The place? St. Peter’s Basilica! The occasion? My ordination to the holy priesthood. The ceremony started at about 9:30 in the morning. The many deacons to be ordained processed in—I was one of them. There was a line of priests, Bishops, and then, finally, Saint Pope John Paul II arrived. During the course of the Mass-Ordination ceremony, Saint Pope John Paul II prayed a prayer over us. Then he came down to place his hands on each one of us individually and pray in silence. He arrived at me and placed his holy hands on my head. In that ceremony I was ordained as a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Peace, joy, happiness, and boundless consolation flooded my soul, newly marked with the indelible character of Holy Orders. Saint Pope John Paul II ordained me to the holy Orders of the Priesthood. From then on, I have been able to bring Jesus to countless souls through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass giving Holy Communion, and through reconciling countless souls to His Friendship through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What indescribable joy!

Why not undertake your own exercise now—think of the happiest day, the happiest two hours of your life, and compare that to heaven and eternity!

Promise of Jesus

Jesus made several promises to His faithful followers. One was the reality of heaven and His desire to take us to heaven to be with Him and the Father for all eternity. Listen and pray joyfully over these words of immense consolation.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again to take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” (Jn. 14:1-4)

Carrying the Cross Valiantly and Joyfully

If we know why we are here in this short life, we know our final goal is the true and everlasting joy of heaven, this should help us immensely in living out our Baptismal commitment. This should help us reject the temptations of the devil, reject the empty promises the world constantly entices us with, and particularly strive to dominate the imperious and insistent promptings of our animal nature that we call the flesh.

Saint Paul encourages us to lift up our minds and thoughts to the heavenly realm. He also reminds us that these present afflictions we are going through cannot be compared to the glory that awaits the sons and daughters of God in heaven!

Therefore, contemplate the reality of Heaven every day! This temporal, transitory, earthly state that we live in is so short. Our life is like the flower that raises its head in the morning and withers and dies as the sun goes down. Our life is like a breath of smoke blown by the wind. Remember once again the expression of the great convert Saint Augustine: “Our life in comparison with eternity is a mere blink of the eye!”

The world promises us temporary pleasure that ends in sadness, confusion and a state desolation. Jesus offers us the cross, but the cross leads us to victory! The great Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen asserted: “There is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday.” He said there are two philosophies of life: Either the fast, then the feast; or the feast, then the headache! As followers of Christ, we choose the way of the cross that will lead us to the joys of heaven!

May Our Lady, the Queen of angels, the Queen of Virgins, the Queen of Martyrs, the Queen of the holy Rosary, and the Queen of saints intercede for us so that one day we might be a jewel in Mary’s crown, so that we can contemplate and adore the Face of the Blessed Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity. Amen.

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

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

WEDNESDAY, May 5th   Jn. 15:1-8   “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”

• Jesus also says in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.” To remain in Jesus and Jesus in us—“I am the vine, you are the branches” —we must strive with the help of God’s grace, for purity of heart, mind, body and soul on a daily basis!

10 MEDITATIONS TO HELP YOU ATTAIN PURITY OF HEART by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Saint Paul exhorts us: “Glorify God in your bodies… your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Saint Peter builds on this all-important concept by expressing the value of our person and our eternal salvation with these words: “You were redeemed (bought back) not by silver or gold, nor by the blood of animals, but by the precious Blood of Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:18-19)

With the words of Saint Paul and those of Saint Peter, we come to a keen and penetrating awareness of the dignity of the human person, as well as our eternal destiny—to be with God forever in heaven.

Therefore, let us delve into this all-important topic of purity, the virtue of chastity, and offer the means by which we can acquire this virtue so that we will be able to contemplate the beauty of the Face of God in time and for all eternity! In a real sense we are soldiers of Jesus and Mary and must compose a concrete strategy or plan so as to win, to conquer, the virtue of purity, keenly aware of the words of Jesus Himself who declared: “Nothing is impossible with God!” (Mt. 29:26)

1. Beggars Before God

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the great Saint Augustine is quoted: “We are all beggars before God.” This being the case, first and foremost we must beg God with humility and persistence for the virtue of purity.

Jesus Himself encourages us with these words: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For whoever asks receives; whoever seeks finds; and whoever knocks, the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7-8)

2. Fervent Prayer

Saint Teresa of Avila teaches us that prayer can attain all. Most specifically, if we beg the Lord in prayer for the virtue of purity, He will grant it to us. We must imitate the example of the insistent widow who prayed and begged, day and night, with persistence and perseverance until she gained her end. (Lk. 18:1-8) All graces and gifts come to us through humble, patient, persistent, and persevering prayer.

3. Curative and Preventive Medicine

As the Mystical Body of Christ, we are blessed and endowed with extraordinary graces and one of these is the Sacrament of Confession. Regarding the virtue of purity, Sacramental Confession or Reconciliation serves as a means to heal us if we have fallen into any sin, but for the purpose of this article, sins against purity.

Never forget, Confession also serves as a means to prevent sins, including sins against purity. If you will, it is like preventive medicine. Why get a flu-shot? Why take Vitamin C? Why take one or two tablets of Airborne? The response: as preventive medicine so as to prevent the flu, the cold, these sicknesses!

4. Custody of the Senses, Especially the Eyes

How true the saying: “The eyes are the mirror of the soul.” The dynamic and sequence is the following: What goes into our eyes reaches our mind, then from our mind it influences our emotions, and from our emotions it goes to our heart. From our heart, the seat of willing and decision-making, comes actions; actions transform into habits—good habits are called virtues, while bad habits are called vices. Finally, these habits, good or bad, form our personality and ultimately our eternal destiny.

Allowing bad images can wreak havoc in our total being; contrariwise, a strict vigilance over our senses, most especially our eyes, can safeguard the virtue of purity and help us to live pure, holy, and noble lives.

Never forget the sin of David! It started with David’s lack of custody over his eyes, allowing his eyes to wander over the beautiful Bathsheba, which ended in adultery and the killing of an innocent man. This was very displeasing to God! (2 Samuel Chapters 11 and 12). Let us learn from this powerful Biblical lesson!

5. Avoid Laziness

Often one sin easily opens up the door to another. Not only for children and teens, but even for adults. We must not allow ourselves to be dominated by laziness. How true the saying: “Idleness is the mother of all sins.” If we do not have anything to do, the devil will give us plenty to do, often related to temptations and opportunities to fall into sins of impurity. An idle mind and a lazy body are an invitation to enter into the vice of impurity. May our days be replete with wholesome and constructive activities!

6. Desolation and Sadness

There is a universal principle in the spiritual life, so very well explained by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises and Rules for Discernment of Spirits, and it is the reality of the State of Desolation. What is desolation? It is a state that we all go through and experience at times in our spiritual life.

Feelings of sadness, discouragement, loneliness, hopelessness, lack of faith, hope, and charity—all of these can be signs of desolation. While in this state, the devil lifts his fiery arrows, especially the arrow of impurity, and shoots for the kill.

As valiant soldiers of Jesus and Mary, let us be aware of this state of soul. May we all pass through it and ward off the many temptations, often against purity, that the devil levels against us.

7. Practice of Prayer and Penance

It is in the Holy Season of Lent that we contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ in the desert.

While there for forty days and forty nights, Jesus practiced the vigorous discipline of fasting—going this long period of time without eating and drinking. Most likely we cannot go forty days without food and drink. However, all of us can and must get into the habit of frequent self-denial, penance, the ascetical life of discipline.

Point blank Jesus stated: “Some devils can be cast out only by prayer and fasting.” (Mt 17:21) Among these devils are those of impurity! By saying NO to smaller things, we build up our spirit and will-power to resist the imperious and constant demands of the flesh. Saint Paul reminds us: “The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.” (Gal 5:17)

Either we conquer the flesh by God’s grace and our collaboration with His grace, or we become slaves of the flesh and our imperious passions. It is up to us; it is our choice!

8. The Holy Eucharist: Body and Blood of Christ

All of our human efforts cannot be compared with the infinite graces that flow from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Therefore, in our pursuit of the angelic virtue of purity, the faithful, frequent, and fervent reception of Holy Communion—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, is without a doubt the most efficacious pathway and means to holiness and the virtue of purity!  

In all truth, the Precious Blood of Jesus surges through your veins and arteries, into your heart, then it permeates and imbues the entirety of your body and all of your senses. So that you can say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  (Gal 2:20)

For the young, who at times are dominated by the passions and desires of the flesh, Saint John Bosco encouraged frequent Confession and frequent reception of Holy Communion, uncommon at the time, but so necessary to help them win the battle for purity.

9. A Well-Ordered Physical Life

God created the human person as a composite being—both body and soul. Up to this point, we have focused on the most important aspect in attaining purity—a deep relationship with Jesus through a fervent Sacramental life and an authentic prayer life. Jesus reminds us: “Without me you can do nothing… I am the Vine and you are the branches.” (Jn. 15:5)

However, of great importance is a well-ordered life with respect to the maintenance and proper use of our body in general. By this is meant that we should all strive for adequate rest every night. Also, we should have a proper and constant diet. Finally, physical exercise for our body has an important role to play.

When our body is run down in one, two, or all three of these areas, then temptations in many areas, including temptations against the virtue of purity, can skyrocket. Any Doctor or Medical Personnel will insist on rest, proper eating, and established periods of physical exercise. In the Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists on ordering the disorder in our lives, so as to be able to seek and carry out the will of God in our lives.

10. A Filial and Dynamic Devotion to Mary                                               

The saints in heaven, who were able to attain sanctity through heroic virtue, are unanimous in their love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Faustina Kowalska encountered Jesus who placed a sash around her waist, granting her the gift of perfect chastity. Faustina confided that she had been begging for this grace of perfect chastity from the Blessed Virgin Mary for a long time.

So must we follow and walk in the footsteps of the saints, loving the Blessed Virgin Mary and begging her for this great gift, so that she in turn will bless and grace us with chastity, the virtue of purity, so that one day after having lived out the Beatitude, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” (Mt 5:8), we will contemplate the Face of God in Heaven for all eternity. May Our Lady be always at our side, in our mind, and in our heart!

In sum, we hope that through prayer, meditation, and the study of these short ten suggestions, we will compose our own spiritual strategy so that we can fight the good fight, run the good race, and so merit the crown of the glory that God gives to all His valiant and faithful soldiers!

Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter

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

TUESDAY, May 4th   Jn. 14: 27-31   Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

• How often are our hearts troubled and afraid? Jesus says, “My peace I give to you”; however, “Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” The world tries to make us forget our fears and troubles in worldly pleasures and distractions, which never work for long! Whereas Jesus can give us peace even in the midst of the storms of life.

HOPE AND TRUST IN OUR LOVING FATHER by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We must have a firm, solid, and staunch faith and trust in God in all times, places and circumstances. If our faith and trust in God is never put to the test by the fire of trials and tribulations, then it usually does not grow. In nature, plants and trees that have weathered inclement climates of strong winds, raging tempests, rain, sleet and snow will be the most robust when future inclement weather descends.

Similarly, with the followers of Christ—trials, tribulations, afflictions, contradictions, sufferings, and setbacks can serve to fortify us and make our interior life robust.  

In the midst of the turmoil and tempests that we all experience in life, we must fervently beg for hope and trust in God, now more than ever. It is proven in nature that in the middle of the tornado there is calm—in the eye of the hurricane there is peace. The storm can rage on the surface of the ocean, but in the depths of the sea there is calmness and tranquility. Likewise, this is how it should be in our personal spiritual life. A tendency towards laziness, complacency, and lukewarmness in our spiritual life can visit all of us. But God does not want tepid, mediocre followers. Quite the contrary, God most ardently desires fire, fervor and passion in our heart towards Him, and this generates peace and trust our soul and in our very being—the peace that passes understanding!

This being the scenario, what are some potent reasons for depositing our hope and trust in God?

1. GOD’S OMNIPRESENT PROVIDENTIAL CARE. Even in the midst of the most difficult situations that can exist in the world, God is always present. God never ceases to exist or be present to us in our need! Quite the contrary! Saint Paul, quoting the Greek poet states: “In God we live and move and have our being.” Jesus says that the Heavenly Father loves us so much that He has us in his loving hand, and nobody can snatch us from the loving hand of the Eternal Father. (Jn. 10:29)

2. GOD LOVES US AND PUTS US TO THE TEST. If God really loves us, which He does always, He puts us to the test, like Abram whose test was to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. (Gen. 22:2) Jesus tested Peter by sending him out into the lake with the other Apostles against their will. (Mt. 14:22-33) Then Jesus came walking on the waters and challenged Peter to come to Him! Leaving the comfort of the boat, Peter actually walked on the waters of Lake Galilee, at least for a short time, then he began to lose heart and to sink. Why did Peter sink? The response to that question is the response to our own many questions, doubts, and fears. Peter lifted his eyes from the eyes and the Person of Jesus—and immediately he began to sink! When we take our eyes off the Problem-Solver and focus our eyes on our problems instead, we too start to sink.

3. Again! Every time we focus on the problem instead of the Problem-solver—that is Jesus our Lord, God, and Savior, then we sink in the tumultuous waves of our own fears, doubts and insecurities. Therefore, in the midst of the many tempests and earthquakes that we experience—and there are often many—let us focus less on the problem and more on the Problem-solver: Jesus our Lord, God, and Savior!

LORD SAVE ME! As Peter was quickly sinking beneath the waves, he cried out: “Lord, save me!” Jesus stretched out his hand, gently rebuked Peter for his lack of faith, and lifted him out of the surging waves. What we often miss is that Peter once again walked on the water beside Jesus until they arrived at the boat. After which, the boat arrived safe and secure at the shore with speed and graceful ease!

Therefore, when it seems as if the world is caving in upon you from all sides and situations, then you must cry out with all of your heart, and with dauntless faith: LORD, SAVE ME!!! Then the gentle voice of Jesus will be heard in your heart, and His gentle but firm and loving Hand will save you from drowning in the surging waves of your many doubts, fears and insecurities. What a short but powerful prayer: LORD SAVE ME!

4. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, THERE IS NOTHING I SHALL LACK. (PSALM 23) Another enormous Lifesaver in the midst of the earthquakes, tornadoes, and storms of the human drama is the beautiful, consoling, comforting prayer Psalm 23— the Psalm of the Good Shepherd. Probably the most known and loved of all of the 150 Psalms, the Psalm of the Good Shepherd can prove to be a real Lifesaver! When you are cast into a deep state of desolation and life appears to be a dark, damp, dreary, endless and depressing tunnel, why not leave the tunnel and open your Bible to the passage of the Good Shepherd—Psalm 23. Very calmly, very slowly, very prayerfully read this passage, once, twice, or even three times. Allow this beautiful Psalm through spiritual osmosis penetrate, permeate and absorb your whole being. Allow one of the words or concepts to captivate and enthrall your heart; relish that word; repeat it and allow it to fill you with a peace and joy that surpasses all understanding! “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall lack.” Maybe these are the words that touch you most. With these words, there is no need to fear because the Good Shepherd takes me to green pastures and nourishes my soul.

5. MOTHER OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. When surrounded by an atmosphere of gloom and doom, we must also lift up our eyes, our mind, and our heart to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many are the encouraging titles for Mary, titles that can really lift our spirits: Mary is our life, our sweetness, and our hope; the Star of the Sea amidst the storms, the cause of our joy, the Gate to Heaven, Mother of hope and of consolation. Many more are the titles of Mary our Mother. However, why not turn to Mary in her Motherly, loving presence at the Wedding Feast of Cana. (Jn. 2:1-12) They run out of wine. The first to capture this embarrassing situation, Mary turns to Jesus. Then Mary says, “Do whatever He tells you!”  Miracle! Water transformed into wine, and the best of wines through the power of Jesus, and the maternal presence of Mary and the power of her intercession. Therefore, in the midst of your fears, doubts, insecurities, sadness, and many questions, lift up your mind, your heart, and your soul to Mary. Beg her to turn to Jesus and ask Him to transform your water into the most splendid and exquisite wine. If you trust in Mary, it will indeed happen!

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

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

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

MONDAY, May 3rd   Jn. 14: 21-26   Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

• What is the first and greatest Commandment: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” (Lk. 10:27)
• But how can we do that, we might ask? How can I show my love for God, whom I cannot see or touch?
• Fr. Ed gives us the Golden Key to unlock that riddle in today’s moving and insightful meditation! If we practice what he proposes, we will enter into a deep and abiding love and friendship with our great God!

SPICE UP YOUR DAY BY FREQUENT PRAYERS—FIERY DARTS TO HEAVEN

Starting off on the right foot can set the stage and tone for a fruitful and successful day. The Cure of Ars stated that if we start our day off well, then there is a good chance that we will end it well. The saintly priest-confessor was referring to prayer. In other words, if upon waking, we can direct our first thoughts, words and sentiments to God, then we are on the right path. We are putting God in the right place—the first place that He indeed merits!

Then during the course of our day, we should spice and condiment and season our daily spiritual menu with frequent and fervent prayers. A saint calls these short and fervent prayers fiery darts that penetrate the heavens!

Thinking about God frequently, talking to God frequently, having recourse to God often, thanking God often—this is a golden-key to opening up the treasure-gates of holiness. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church on prayer, Saint John Damascene offers us a short, pithy, but substantial definition of prayer: “Prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God.” Another superb definition of prayer is the following: “Prayer is listening to God, talking to God and loving God.”

Therefore, let us present some key moments in the course of the day when we can turn to God, lift up our minds to God, raise our hearts and souls to God and unite our wills to the Will of Our Lord, God, Savior and Friend. By the way, it must be expressed clearly that God, as our loving Father, is always ready and willing for us to enter into intimate dialogue and conversation with Him. How ironic this truth: God is never too busy for us; however, we are all too often, too busy for God.

1. MORNING OFFERING.  As mentioned above, as soon as we hear the alarm clock, we should immediately lift our mind and heart to God and pray our morning offering. A classical way is to offer all we have, all we are, and all that we do to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If we place our intentions in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she will bless us and all we do with abundant blessings.

2. KISS YOUR SCAPULAR.  All of us, as a sign of our consecration to Mary, should wear constantly the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This is Mary’s garment, the garment of grace and our exterior sign of consecration to Mary. Soldiers wear their uniforms; athletes their uniforms, Doctors and nurses their medical attire. However, as sons and daughters of God, and sons and daughters of Mary, we are proud to wear our Brown Scapular. It is our identity card, as well as our shield and protection against the fiery arrows of the enemy.

3. PRAY THE ANGELUS/REGINA COELI AT THREE SET TIMES: 9 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm. This prayer is so pleasing to Jesus and Mary and it can be prayed in 2-3 minutes. These three key moments in our day serve to sanctify the morning hours, the afternoon hours, and finally the night. The Angelus reminds us of the two principle events in the History of salvation: 1) the Incarnation of the Son of God made man through the Yes of Mary; 2) the Paschal Mystery of our Redemption: The Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus. Mary stood at the foot of the cross in that key moment of our Redemption.

4. THE MERCY HOUR 3:00 P.M.  Every day when the clock strikes 3:00 p.m. we call to mind that key hour, that key moment when Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, after shedding His Precious Blood on the cross for our salvation, breathed forth His spirit into the arms of His loving Father. In this MERCY HOUR (if at all possible) pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It will not take more than a few minutes. This prayer is very pleasing to the Merciful Heart of Jesus and a powerful prayer to attain the conversion of sinners and most especially death-bed sinners. If it is not possible to pray the Chaplet, at least for a few seconds lift your mind and heart to the agonizing and dying Jesus on the cross and beg for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners.

5. MEAL-TIME PRAYER.  Ven. Father Patrick Peyton stated: “The family that prays together, stays together.” We might even add to these words of wisdom: “The family that prays and eats together, stays together.” Meal-time for the family should be a most important social and binding time every day. Many have abandoned this indispensable family custom and habit. Meal time is the prime-time for bonding with the family. Conversing, sharing about our day, joking and laughing, smiling and bantering—all can and should be done at the meal time. However, meal-time should always be initiated by inviting Jesus to sit down at the table with the family. This is done by starting off with the prayer of the blessing of the meal. Let us strive to save our families by fervent and frequent prayer, but also by loving and sharing, especially at the Meal-time!

6. START OF EVERY HOUR— A SHORT ASPIRATION.  It is not always possible, but it might be worth the effort to commence every new Hour that God gives you by praying a short prayer, a short aspiration. The prayers can be short—brief fiery darts that pierce the Heavens! Some examples of short aspirations might be the following:

1. Jesus, I love you; save souls.
2. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
3. God, I love you; shower me with your love.
4. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for me.
5. Jesus meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto yours.
6. Jesus, I trust in you.
7.  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
8. The Hail Mary….

By cultivating this practice, we will be fanning the flame of God’s love in our hearts, a fire that can easily be extinguished by the world, the devil, and our own disordered passions!

7. THE EXAMEN PRAYER.  Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists as indispensable the importance of being faithful to the Daily Examen, which can be done at any time during the course of the day. This can be done in 15-20 minutes. How is it done?

FIVE STEPS:

1) THANKSGIVING… Start by thanking God for the gifts that He has bestowed upon you this past day (the past 24 hours);

2) PETITION… Beg the Holy Spirit to enlighten you to see the past day through the eyes/the lens of God, to see what happened with great clarity and objectivity; 

3) REVIEW… Review the past day. Go through the day, hour by hour, or event after event, and recognize God’s loving Presence in your life, sometimes called Divine Providence; also look for what was not of God.

4) CONTRITION… Humbly admit your short-comings and failures, keenly aware of God’s loving kindness and mercy;

5) PRAYERFUL RESOLUTION… With the self-knowledge of your weakness and fragility, but also of God’s abundant grace and mercy, propose for the following day how to avoid falling into the same human weaknesses and errors.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola insists on doing this Spiritual Exercise with a determined determination as an indispensable practice to attain true holiness of life. Find the time to be faithful to this practice!  

8. HOLY HOUR.  Even though for many, the practice of the HOLY HOUR might be considered too long and too demanding, it has been proven to be a very powerful tool to advance on the Highway to holiness. The Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, despite his busyness of life (preaching, writing, T.V and radio celebrity, and Head of the Missionary activity of the entire Church) always found time for his daily Holy Hour. He insisted that all priests find time for a daily Holy Hour. He coined the immortal proverb, words of true wisdom: THE HOLY HOUR: THE HOUR OF POWER!!! If you want God’s power in your life, of the 24 Hours in your day, give the Lord an Hour and you will quickly see the difference!

9. NIGHT PRAYERS.  Not only is it good to start off our day by giving ourselves to God, but also, it is good to end our day by surrendering ourselves to God’s loving and Providential care. It is a good spiritual-sandwich! What prayers? Highly to be recommended would be the following: Prayer to your Guardian Angel, the Our Father, and the practice of the three Hail Marys for purity of mind, soul and body. We may go on vacation, but the devil never takes a break. Especially not when we are in bed in our resting hours at night. Sometimes, in those hours the devil works overtime. Prayer can be our shield against the deadly arrows of the night devil—who will sometimes shoot his arrows in those dark hours of the night!

10. THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.  How true the words of wisdom of Ven. Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together, stays together.” In his Apostolic Letter, “The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary”, Saint Pope John Paul II warmly encouraged and exhorted the whole world to pray the most Holy Rosary. Saint Padre Pio called the Rosary “his weapon!” The saintly Pontiff John Paul II mentioned two key intentions in the family Rosary: 1) world peace; 2) the salvation of the family. Given that the family is the basic building block of society and the Domestic Church, Saint Pope John Paul II firmly believed, like Ven. Father Patrick Peyton, that a key practice to save the family and the world at large is through the daily practice of the most Holy Rosary. Therefore, all families should find some time, place, and method to pray the Rosary together on a daily basis. This should be a firmly rooted habit that is never neglected. Our Lady of Fatima appeared six times to the three shepherd children—Saint Jacinta, Saint Francisco, and Lucia. In every one of the six Apparitions Our Lady insisted upon the daily recitation of the most Holy Rosary!

In conclusion, friends in Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, food must be condimented, if not the taste is too bland and boring. Of greater importance, in our spiritual lives we must condiment our daily life with frequent and fervent prayers as suggested above, all fiery darts that penetrate the Heavens. We hope and pray that by implementing these spiritual practices your lives will be more sparkling, effervescent, and dynamic, as well as pleasing to God, the Father of all Heavenly Gifts!