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

TUESDAY, April 27th   Jn. 10: 22-32   “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

• We have had several Gospel readings on the Good Shepherd and the sheep. The words Jesus speaks in today’s reading are among the most comforting and consoling in the Gospels! We belong to the Father and the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit! And no one can snatch us out of their hands without our consent!
• A beautiful example of this is Mary Magdalene. Jesus drove seven devils from her, never to return. Why? Because she kept close to Jesus and Mary, His Mother. This should give us a lot of comfort.
• For our further edification, let us re-visit the story of this sinner turned saint by following Jesus and consoling Mary, His Mother.

THE MAGDALENE…  By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We are in the Season of Easter! Once again, let us beg for the most intense joy! The reason for this joy is JESUS RISEN FROM THE DEAD! “This is the day the Lord has made, let us be rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118: 24)

Let us listen once again to the words of Pope Francis is his Apostolic Exhortation Joy of the Gospel: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ, joy is constantly born anew.” (Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis, #1)

Now let us consider the great honor the Risen Lord bestowed upon Mary Magdalene. Tradition and common sense tell us the Risen Jesus first appeared to His Mother Mary! The Magdalene was the second person to see and touch the Risen Lord Jesus! Her intense love for her Master bountifully repaid!

1. THE MAGDALENE.  Mary Magdalene did not always live the life of a saint, quite the contrary! Mary Magdalene had lived a disordered, sinful life – that of a loose woman. Men had taken advantage of her and she allowed herself to be taken advantage of! When God is absent from our lives we are weak, vulnerable and easily prone to slipping and falling into sin. What happened to Mary Magdalene could easily happen to every one of us without the grace of God! Once Saint Philip Neri saw a bum/street person lying in the gutter of the streets of Rome. He made a comment that has become universalized in many languages: “There go I, save the grace of God!” (In Italian: “Eccome, senza la gracia de Dio!”) Let us continue to rejoice in the Risen Lord Jesus, but remain vigilant, watching constantly over our thoughts, feelings, and the movements of our hearts. In other words, we must never let down our guard because we are living in the combat zone, in mortal battle! Let us never fall into the sin of presumption – meaning, presuming on our own strength to walk the straight and narrow path. Rather, “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 124:8)

2. MAGDALENE AND THE DEVILS.  An additional note on the Magdalene! Before her conversion to a deep love and devotion to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene had seven devils within her soul! Jesus actually performed an exorcism, expelling these evil spirits from her soul! Let us rejoice in the Risen Lord with Magdalene. At the same time let us be alert for the devil is prowling about our soul seeking an inroad – the devil never sleeps and never goes on vacation. He is at work in all times and in all places, especially when we are in a state of desolation! Saint Peter compares the devil to a lion: “The devil is like a roaring lion on the prowl looking for whom he can devour. Resist him, solid in the faith.” (1 Pt. 5: 8-9) Let us pray that we will experience joy and consolation in the Risen Lord Jesus. Joy is a powerful tool to upset, overcome, and defeat the devil.   

3. GOD’S INFINITE MERCY, MAGDALENE, AND SINNERS.  One essential point for meditation with respect to the Magdalene is God’s Infinite Mercy. In the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus states clearly that His greatest attribute is His Infinite Mercy! The sin that hurts God most is lack of trust in His mercy. The greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust in His Infinite Mercy. We see that this is true. Some of the great sinners indeed did become great saints because they trusted in God’s mercy: Saint Peter, the Good thief, and Mary Magdalene are clear cases of sinners becoming great saints because they trusted more in God’s mercy than in their own moral misery – another term for sin! Now turning to you and me! Like Magdalene, we too are sinners. Even if we have fallen over the cliff and are hanging from a precipice between heaven and earth, if we turn back to the Lord with all of our heart, His merciful and loving Sacred Heart will be wide open to receive us! Saint Pope John Paul II’s invitation was clear: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.”

4. TRUE CONVERSION.  Pope Francis stated in one of his homilies that we must follow Christ in three distinct ways: with our mind, with our heart, and with our feet! We must know God, love God, and finally show that we love God with our feet – namely, by the way we live and act. We must “talk the talk and walk the walk!” Otherwise we fall into hypocrisy. Mary Magdalene’s conversion was authentic. Viewing the film of Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ, we can see that as clear as the noon-day sun! The writer presents Jesus and Our Lady of Sorrows, but also, in scene after scene who appears with Mary is Magdalene. She is there with Our Lady step by step almost the whole film. On the Way of the Cross, the Magdalene is seen accompanying the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Magdalene is present during the crucifixion of Our Beloved Savior – she remains with the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross during the whole course of Jesus’ bloody Passion until Jesus’ dying breath and beyond. Like the Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus, may our Daily Holy Hour have a life-changing impact on our lives! Like Magdalene, let us pledge our whole selves to renouncing our sinful past and renewing our commitment to follow Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary totally and without any reservation!

5. PIETA.  When Jesus is taken down from the cross and placed in the arms of His Beloved Mother Mary, the Magdalene is present. She shares in all the sorrows of Mary. In the film of Mel Gibson, Our Lady and the Magdalen wiped up with towels the pools of Precious Blood that poured forth from Jesus’ Body during His brutal scourging. Now Magdalene contemplates the crucified Body of Jesus in the arms of Mary. She accompanies Our Lady to the tomb where the Body of Jesus will be buried before the Sabbath rest. Once again, we see true faithfulness, a heart-felt conversion of heart, when Magdalene stays with Jesus and Mary in these most trying moments of suffering, death and seeming defeat! May our lives be characterized by love and faithfulness to God until the end, no matter how dark and turbulent the storms!

6. EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND THE TOMB.  Friday night has passed and so has Saturday night. The Magdalene decides to rise early Sunday morning to visit the tomb where Jesus is buried, so she can show her respect and love by anointing the Body of Jesus with special oils. However, upon arriving, the Magdalene notices something strange, out of place you might even say! The tomb of Jesus had been covered with a huge stone; now the stone has been rolled back! Drawing close to see this phenomenon, Magdalene sees angels at the tomb! Turning around, Mary Magdalene sees a man she doesn’t recognize and she thinks this man is the gardener. With courage, she asks the gardener to give her the Body of Jesus. To Mary’s surprise, it is not the gardener! When Jesus cries out “Mary,”… she recognizes Him and responds “Rabboni!” – meaning teacher!

7. JESUS SENDS HER TO THE APOSTLES... So that Mary Magdalene can become “An Apostle to the Apostles”.  She runs, filled with Easter joy, to tell the Good News that she has seen the Risen Jesus! Indeed, Jesus is no longer dead but has risen from the dead! Death could not hold Jesus bound. Jesus broke the bonds of death by the power of His Love! Jesus has truly risen, Alleluia! Enter into this scene and rejoice with Mary Magdalene as she meets Jesus who truly rose from the dead, never to die again. Jesus came to bring us life and life in abundance. Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE! Beg Jesus to give you intense joy and life in abundance in this life, as well as in the next!!

8. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE JESUS. An interesting note about the Resurrection appearances is that they fail to recognize Jesus. He appears to them but their eyes are blinded from seeing and recognizing the Lord. This happens on more than one occasion. The Magdalene believes that Jesus is the gardener! She hopes that this “gardener” will tell her where the body of Jesus is so that she can take it away.

9. EMMAUS. Later in the afternoon that same day, two of the disciples are heading to a village called Emmaus. Discouraged, depressed, in a real state of desolation, they are walking away from Jerusalem, from the Church. They were hoping that Jesus would be the one to truly set them free! Now their hopes have been dashed. A “stranger” comes and walks with them. He listens to them and speaks with them as friends do! He explains the Scriptures to them, opening their minds to the truth. It is not until He sits down with them at table, takes bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to them that they finally recognize this is Jesus! Like Mary Magdalene, their eyes – blinded, prevented from seeing and recognizing the Lord – are opened!

10. FAILURE TO SEE AND RECOGNIZE JESUS. Jesus appears to the fishermen. After they have fished all night without catching anything, the stranger on the shore, who truly loves them and cares for them, tells them to cast the net on the other side of the boat. What an enormous catch!!! Only then does “Eagle eye” John recognize Him exclaiming, “It is the Lord!”

DO WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THE LORD??? Now let us apply this reality to ourselves with humility and sincerity. How often has the Lord been truly present in us, ln our lives, and like Magdalene, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, like the fishermen, we have failed to recognize Him? Could it be true that we also suffer from spiritual blindness?

Maybe the Lord is before our eyes, is among us now, and we simply do not see Him. Indeed, He is truly present everywhere; we cannot escape from His Presence, even though at times we might try to hide from Him! Pray for spiritual eyes to be able to see and have a more constant awareness of the presence of the Lord Jesus in your life! As Saint Paul says in one of his letters: “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

Let us pray to Saint Mary Magdalene that we may love the Lord Jesus and desire His Presence and love in our life more than anything else this world has to offer!

Let us end with a colloquy/prayer to Jesus the Lord, His Mother Mary , and God the Father:

Lord Jesus, I praise and thank you for dying on the cross and rising to new life for me. May I look to your countenance as I encounter you in daily prayer and rejoice constantly in your Presence and your love for me!

Holy Mary, Mother of the Risen Lord, cause of our joy, pray for me now and at the hour of my death.

God the Father, I praise and thank you for so loving me that you gave your Only Begotten Son for my Redemption on the Cross, renewed each time I receive Him in Holy Communion! May I honor, love and obey your Holy Will in my life!

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

MONDAY, April 26th   Jn. 10: 1-10   Alleluia Verse: “I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.”

• Good sheep strive to obey and follow the Good Shepherd at all times, in all places, and in all circumstances. Such docility in obeying the Good Shepherd is called holy obedience and is what constitutes holiness or sanctity – that is, becoming a saint!
• In concrete, Saint Faustina once wrote in her diary, W – w… God’s Will, my will!  

UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS: BE A SAINT! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

No doubt, the best way to transform the world into a better place is to strive to become a saint. Many will stare at you shocked if you tell them that they are called to become saints. “Me, a saint? That is not for me!”

The reason for this shock is that many do not know what God’s will is for us! God wants every one of us to become a saint even more than we want to become a saint. Many think that a saint must work extraordinary miracles while on earth. The saint should be able to bi-locate, heal the sick, raise the dead, and stop the course of the sun. Actually, none of these are necessary for one to become a saint. Though it is true, after death, miracles must be attributed to a holy person who is to become beatified and eventually canonized a saint.

Jesus commands us to become saints! Jesus spoke with utmost clarity on this topic of the universal call to holiness: “Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48) In the Sermon on the Mount, one of the Beatitudes reiterates the same theme: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness; they will be filled.” (Mt.5:6) Saint Paul in his Letter to the Thessalonians repeats the topic: “This is the will of your Heavenly Father, your sanctification.” (1 Thess. 4:30)

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta expressed holiness in these concise but penetrating words: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but the duty of all.” Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer (Founder of Opus Dei) lamented in these words: “The biggest crisis in the world is the lack of saints.” The French writer of the 1900’s, Leon Blois quipped: “The greatest tragedy in the world is to not become the saint that God calls us to be.”

One of the most authoritative documents in the modern world, from the Second Vatican Council, the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, focuses on one specific topic: The Universal Call to Holiness. In a word, the Council Fathers insist on the moral imperative and imperious obligation that all people, from all places, cultures, and backgrounds, must strive to become holy. All must do their part in trying to become saints.

Want heaven and holiness: become saints! In fact, all of those in Heaven have arrived at holiness; they are saints. Many, probably most in Heaven, might be termed anonymous saints. By this is meant that they were not canonized—that is, declared officially by the Church to be saints. Still, they are saints!

Therefore, taking into account this “Universal Call to Holiness”, we will proceed to highlight some practical guidelines or suggestions that can serve as a motivation or stimulus for us in striving to become the saint that God has called each of us to be. Indeed, without practical guidelines and a true spiritual GPS—or roadmap, the pursuit of holiness will prove very arduous. Athletes need coaches; writers, mentors; and artists, models. So it is with those pursuing holiness of life, guidelines and pointers—in the right direction of course—are indispensable!

1. GOD’S GRACE. First and foremost, we need God’s grace. In fact, without His grace we can accomplish nothing in the pursuit of holiness. We can sin abundantly, but trying to live a life of holiness without God’s grace is a pursuit in futility.

2. PRAYER. Normally God’s grace funnels and is communicated through the channel of prayer. Saints have spent long hours in prayer. Prayer is communing with God and He does the work of sanctification and transformation. Specifically, in prayer it is the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier who transforms us from sinner to saint.

3. WILL IT! On one occasion, the sister of the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, asked her brother how might she become a saint? Aquinas responded concisely with two words: WILL IT! Indeed, God’s grace precedes every good action. In the Theology of grace, this is termed Prevenient Grace. However, there must be our active collaboration with God’s grace. In other words, God will always do His part, but we must do ours!

4. AVOID OBSTACLES. On the part of the future saint, there must be a sincere, concerted effort to avoid the near occasions of sin. The saying is so true: “He who plays with fire, will be burnt; he who plays in danger, will perish in it.” Sin, indeed, is the major obstacle in the pursuit of holiness. Thus, sin should be avoided like the plague!

5. READ THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS. Another great help in our pursuit of holiness is to get in the habit of good spiritual reading. Why not give ten minutes on a daily basis to reading the life of a saint or saints. By doing so, we start to form criteria on how the saints lived, acted, prayed, thought, and spoke, that is to say, how they arrived at this heroic degree of virtue. Reading their lives will stimulate us to imitate their actions and virtuous paths. Saint Ignatius of Loyola received many graces in his process of conversion by reading the lives of the saints. He made a determined determination to be like them! And it happened!

6. HOLY SPIRIT: THE SANCTIFIER. One of the many titles attributed to the Holy Spirit is The Sanctifier—meaning He who makes us holy. Pope Saint John XXIII stated: “The Saints are the Masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.” Davinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Shakespeare —all were artistic or literary Masters in their prospective fields. The prospective field of the Holy Spirit is that of forming and molding men, women, and children into saints!

7. SACRAMENTAL LIFE. As members of the Mystical Body of Christ—the Church, the most efficacious channels for grace flow through the Sacraments. By definition, the Sacraments are exterior signs instituted by Christ to confer grace. By receiving frequently and fervently, with excellent disposition of heart, mind, and soul, the Sacraments of Confession, as well as the Holy Eucharist, graces rain down into our souls like a deluge. In Confession, Jesus heals us as the Divine Physician; in Communion, Jesus nourishes and strengthens our soul with His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

8. JOYFUL PRESENCE. A key quality in the lives of the saints is JOY!!! The person who lives with joy in their heart has wind in their sails in their spiritual journey! They will be able to overcome many obstacles climbing the mountain of holiness. The devil suffers mortal blows in the company of a joyful person! A joyful disciple of Jesus appeals and attracts others like a magnet! J.O.Y.—Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last!!! 

9. HEAVEN: THE HOME OF THE SAINTS! An enormous stimulus or motivation on our highway to holiness is to have our goal constantly before our eyes—Heaven! God created us for one purpose: to be happy with Him forever in Heaven! Saint Paul exhorts us not to look to the earth, but to have our eyes fixed on the heavenly realm where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father. If we think more about Heaven—the joy of the Presence and Friendship of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the angels and saints, and Mary as our Queen and Mother—our crosses will become easier to bear in anticipation of the glories to come!

10. MARY: QUEEN OF THE ANGELS AND SAINTS. Finally, Mary can be of enormous assistance in our pursuit of holiness, in our desire to become saints! Indeed, Mary is Queen of the angels and saints. Pray to Mary; love Mary, call on Mary; love and pray the Rosary. If you do this, Mary will be close to you all your life, and she will help you to arrive safe and sound to your Heavenly Home.

Conclusion. Let us all start right now and strive to live out the command of Jesus: “Be Holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” The only thing that really matters in life is to become a saint. May this be our goal, and may we attain it through the grace of God and the prayers of Mary, the full of grace and the Queen of the angels and saints!

SUNDAY, April 25th   Jn. 10: 11-18   “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.”

• Parents are called to be good shepherds guarding their sheep – their children. Are we aware of the modern wolves that want to catch and scatter our sheep? Fr. Ed opens our eyes to the latest, most insidious and pernicious modern wolf! Parents, Grand-parents, Aunts and Uncles, take note! The battle for the innocence and purity of our children is on! We are fighting for the souls of our children!
• Let us recall Jesus’ own words: “If anyone causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Mt. 18:6)

LET US AVOID THE SEXUAL IDENTITY CRISIS!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Everything that God created in the world is good. After creating, in the Book of Genesis, God says that it was good. The stars, the moon, the earth, the seas, the animals, the night and the light—all that God created was and is good.

Now the crowning summit or apex of creation was when God decided to create man and woman, and He created them in His image and likeness. Of all that God created, the human persons, man and woman, are the greatest in the natural world. So much is this the case that God created all other beings subordinate to the human persons—man and woman. Furthermore, God created all other lower beings as a means to help both man and woman to arrive at their final destiny and that is the eternal bliss of Heaven.

In other words, all created reality God brought into existence so that the human persons—man and woman—could use creation as a ladder by which to ascend to Heaven. Put succinctly, man and woman must use creation for its proper end and purpose so as to arrive at Heaven, and not to abuse created reality.

Never have we lived in a world with so much information. With the proper use of the Internet, we can learn about almost anything in a matter of a few seconds. However, it also must be stated that never have we lived in a world with so much confusion.

Therefore, this short article will present a clear and concise explanation of the identity, purpose and destiny of human persons. We must know where we come from, who we are, and where we are headed in our short earthly sojourn. Clarity of purpose, identity and destiny is indispensable for human persons!

1. CREATION IS GOOD.  As mentioned earlier, all that flows from God’s creative Hand is good—from the most simple of all creation to the highest—human persons: man and woman! Evil comes from abuse of God’s good gifts; this we call sin!

2. GOD CREATED MAN AND WOMAN IN HIS LIKENESS.  The Bible states unequivocally that God created man and woman in His image and likeness. Quite simply the following: there are vestiges in the human persons—man and woman—that reflect attributes that are qualities of God. Three would be the following: intellect, will, and soul. The human persons have intellect to know the truth; they have the will to love God; they have an immortal soul so as to live beyond the grave and to be united with an Immortal God for all eternity.

3. TWO DIFFERENT, DISTINCT SEXUAL IDENTITIES.  Now in the midst of the chaos and confusion of the sexual-identity crisis, it must be stated with the utmost clarity that from the very beginning God created two different human persons with different sexual identities. There is no admixture or confusion.

4. MALE AND FEMALE.  The distinction is very clear: male and female. God created male and female, man and woman in His image and likeness.  (Read Gen. 3:18-25). “So, the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: ‘This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called woman for she was taken out of man.’” (Gen 2:21-23)

5. NAMES OF FIRST MAN AND WOMAN:  The Bible gives the names of the first man and the first woman: the first man’s name, Adam, meaning taken from the earth; the first woman, Eva, meaning the mother of all the living.

6. MATRIMONY: NATURE AND PURPOSE!  From the beginning, God, who is the author and origin and lover of life, desired life and the multiplication of life, especially human life. The means by which God, from the very start, desired new life to have its origin is through the loving union of man and woman, male and female (two separate and distinct sexes). This realizes its purpose and perfection in the oldest of institutions in the Bible—Holy Matrimony! The bond of Holy Matrimony takes place between man and woman, and the first union was Adam and his union with Eve. Adam, the husband, and Eve, the wife.

7. KEY BIBLICAL PASSAGE: DISTINCTION OF SEXES AND MARITAL UNION.  A key passage for the distinction of sexes and the purpose of Marital union is the following: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two of them become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) Jesus confirms this and adds: “And what God has united let no man rent asunder.” (Mt. 19:6) These few words give a foundation for both Holy Matrimony and its indissoluble character and permanence.

8. THE TWO DIFFERENT AND DISTINCT SEXES AND COMPLEMENTARITY.  God created male and female, man and woman, Adam and Eve as distinct human persons. However, it must be stated with utmost clarity that there is no superiority between man and woman. Rather, there is equality but complementary. That is to say, both man and woman are different physically, biologically, emotionally, affectively and in their differences they complement and complete each other by their loving union.

9 .NAME IT, CLAIM IT, TAME IT AND CORRECT IT.  It must be asserted with utmost clarity that there exists today a Sexual-identity crisis that sad to say is spreading far and wide like wildfire. This manifests itself by promoting the practice of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgenderism. Not only that, but also the legal approval and promotion of surgical sex changes. All of this goes totally against the above Biblical explanation, as well as the Natural Law written in the heart of every human person, and mere common sense. Still more, if this aberrant and erroneous sexual agenda grows, it will militate strongly against the family which is the basic cell of society, the primary and foundational institution of society. History has proven it true: when the family unravels in a society, than that society and civilization are placed in jeopardy, and will decline and end in debacle and ruin. So we must name it, claim it, tame it and correct it.

10. ACCEPT GOD’S DESIGN AND WILL FOR YOU.  God loves you with an eternal and infinite love and His love never changes. We must humbly and with great gratitude accept the way that God created us. He created us male or female, either a boy or a girl, man or woman. There is no other option. Let us thank God for His love and goodness and be proud of our distinct sexual identity. In the words of Saint Paul, let us strive to glorify God with all our being, with our body, mind, and soul in this life so as to glorify Him forever in heaven.

In conclusion, my friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray for the grace to have utmost clarity as to our own distinct sexual identity—our male identity or our female identity and live according to this identity. As adults and parents, let us also do all in our power to help our children, our teens to avoid falling into this pernicious, poisonous and toxic sexual identity crisis. Let us learn the Truth about God and ourselves—our distinct sexual identity. Let us live the Truth, let us love the Truth, and let us teach the Truth. Indeed, Jesus is “THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE AND THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE!”

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

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

SATURDAY, April 24th   Jn. 6: 60-69   “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.’”

• Having meditated upon Fr. John Hardon’s presentation of The Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us meditate on our reception of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist at Mass. Are we fully, actively, and fervently participating in every Mass and Holy Communion? Can we improve in our participation in this Greatest Miracle?

OUR SPIRITUAL ­GOLDMINE: JESUS IN OUR HEARTS! By Fr. Ed. Broom, OMV

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

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

Such flippant, distracted, bored bodily postures betray clearly the fact that all too many practicing Catholics have lost belief and faith in the Real Presence of the Eucharistic Lord. Due to a diluted, overly sentimental catechesis, many perhaps have never learned what the Eucharist truly is! Another way we can describe this is a full-blown Catholic identity crisis! As Catholics, if we do not know or believe in the Eucharist as the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, then Catholics we are not!

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

DISPOSITIVE GRACE. The lack of fruit in the reception of Holy Communion is not due to the Sacrament we receive, but due to the lack of proper disposition in receiving the Lord of Lord’s and King of King’s! The better the disposition of our heart, the more abounding and copious will the graces be!

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

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

2. THANK THE LORD. Eucharist actually means Thanksgiving. What do we have that we have not received from our Divine Benefactor, God Himself? All the good that we have in our person is a generous and bountiful manifestation of God’s love for us. The only thing that God did not give us is our sins; we chose those! May the prayer of the Psalmist resound in the depths of your heart after Holy Communion: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Ps. 136.1)

3. BEG PARDON OF THE LORD. How true Sacred Scripture: “The just man falls seven times a day.” (Prov. 24:16) Due to our many sins, we have fallen short of the glory of God many times, in many places and circumstances. With David, who committed adultery and the murder of the innocent man, with heartfelt compunction beg for mercy for yourself and for the whole world, praying part of Psalm 51: “Lord have mercy on me, have mercy on me. My sin is always before my eyes. A humble and contrite heart you will not spurn.” And Psalm 104:30: “Send forth your spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.”

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

5. BEG FOR OTHERS, THE GRACES THEY NEED. Our reception of Holy Communion should be Catholic—meaning universal! Saint Paul states: “The love of God compels us.” (2 Cor. 5:14) This love should be universal, all-embracing such that you beg and pray for the many graces that so many people stand in desperate need of! Now that the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus beats in your heart, heed the words of Jesus Himself: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Mt. 7:7)

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

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

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

9. BEG FOR A HEART-TRANSPLANT! Your heart, mind, and soul can be compared to a Garden. Amidst the roses, tulips, and daffodils flourish the ugly and all too-prevalent weeds! If the weeds are given room to grow, to flourish and spread, in a short time they will suffocate the beautiful flowers! The Garden analogy applies to your virtues and sins. The flowers are your virtues; the weeds, your sins. If not uprooted, the vices will dominate and sin will reign in your life! Upon your reception of Holy Communion, beg the Lord Jesus to uproot and exterminate the weeds, so that the flowers of virtue can flourish and blossom in your soul. May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus transplant your heart and make you a saint!

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

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

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

THURSDAY, April 23rd   Jn. 6:44-51   “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink.”

PART TWO:   The Most Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Fr. John A. Hardon. S.J.   No Adoration of Christ on Earth Without Mary   As we read the Gospels, we are struck by the spontaneous adoration of Jesus Christ by those who believed that He was indeed, God Himself in human form.   At the calling of the apostles, Nathaniel told Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel (Jn. 1:49), thus prophesying both Christ’s divinity and humanity.   In Caesurae Philippi, where Jesus asked His disciples, ‘Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter spoke for the others by answering, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Mt. 16:16)   Before the raising of her brother Lazarus from the dead, when Jesus asked Martha if she believed that He was the resurrection and the life she said, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.” (Jn. 11:27)   On Calvary, the moment Jesus expired on the cross, the centurion who stood facing Him exclaimed, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” (Mk. 15:39)   Then on the eighth day after His Resurrection, the Savior appeared to the doubting Thomas. Jesus told him, “Bring your fingers here, and see my hands; and bring your hand here, and put it into my side; now be not unbelieving, but believe.” (Jn. 20:27) Then Thomas declared in adoration, “My Lord and My God.” (Jn. 20:28)   In every case, when believers proclaimed their faith in Jesus Christ, they were speaking to a man who had a human body, human eyes, lips and ears. They were adoring a man indeed, but a man whom they believed was also God.   As man, they knew Him to be the Son of Mary; but by faith they recognized Him as the everlasting Son of God. So we return to our second statement that there would be no Christ now on earth for us to adore, except for His Mother Mary.   In the Holy Eucharist is present the whole Christ, true God and true Man. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the Second person of the Blessed Trinity, who existed in the bosom of the Father from all eternity. But Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is also God become man, who was conceived and born in time of His virginal Mother Mary.   That is why, over the centuries the church bids us to say the same words to Our Lord in the Eucharist that Thomas said to Him on the Sunday after Easter, “My Lord and My God.” Why? Because in the Eucharist we adore the same Son of Mary who we know is our Creator and Lord.   Grace from the Eucharist to Imitate Mary   We commonly and correctly speak of Eucharistic Adoration. This is true. It is also the main reason why Our Lord is with us in the Blessed Sacrament, that we might give Him the faithful adoration He deserves as our Incarnate God.   But during His visible stay on earth, Jesus was not only worshiped and adored. He was also and fervently asked for every kind of help. And wherever people asked for what they needed, provided they believed, Jesus would grant their request. The Gospels are filled with accounts of miracles worked by the Savior in favor of those who approached Him in faith.   No less than for the contemporaries of Jesus in the first century in Palestine, there is no limit to our needs. As a matter of fact, that is why in God’s providence, He makes sure we do have needs. Why is that? So that we might come to ask Him for His assistance, and receive from His goodness the blessings for which we have prayed.   Keep in mind, it’s the selfsame Jesus now on earth in the Eucharist, who during His visible stay in Palestine healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, speech to the mute and restored hearing to the deaf. It is now the same Jesus who delivered those possessed by the devil and even raised the dead back to life.   Yet, Jesus, the Son of Mary, is in the Blessed Sacrament not only to provide for our physical or temporal needs. He is here mainly to give us the graces we need for our souls. And what are the graces that we mostly need? We need the light and strength that only He can give to enable us to overcome sin. We need His supernatural help to practice the virtue of charity in loving God as He deserves, and loving others patiently and mercifully out of love for Him.   What are we saying? We are admitting our sinfulness; that we are always prone to sin, and therefore, need divine help to overcome temptation so that we may gain sanctity. We are admitting our selfishness, and therefore, our constant need fir divine help to gain in charity. Where can we obtain this divine help if not from Jesus Christ, and especially from Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar!   Growth in Sanctity   All the great Eucharistic saints of history testify to the power available to us to become holy. The secret is to know where to obtain this power. Where is that? In the Blessed Sacrament. Let me quote a short paragraph from Saint Peter Julian Eymard: Do not go looking for Our Lord in heaven. He is much nearer to you. It is a good thing no doubt, to yearn towards His throne from time to time and to desire His glory. But in ordinary practice of life, it is necessary that it is in the Blessed Sacrament that you should look for and find Him. (The Eucharist and Christian Perfection, 1, pp. 92-93)   This is the language of those who have learned from experience how important or better, indispensable is prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to obtain the graces we so desperately need to avoid sin and grow in holiness.   Growth in Charity   No less than our progress in sanctity, so our growth in charity depends on the Holy Eucharist. It is mainly from the sacrifice of the Mass, Holy Communion, and the Real Presence that we obtain the means we need to practice the virtue of selfless love of others, which is the principal way we show our love for God. Remove the Eucharist and it becomes impossible to live up to Christ’s humanly impossible commandment to love one another as Christ has loved us.   It is no coincidence, but part of Divine Providence that Jesus did two things on the night before He died: 1) He gave us the New Commandment of heroic charity, as the sign of being His followers, and 2) He gave us the Holy Eucharist.   The one stands by the other. We shall be only as patient, and kind, and generous, and charitable as we are living Eucharistic lives. We speak of the power of selfless love. We could just as well speak of the virtue of the Eucharist. Why? Because it is the Eucharist that mainly gives us the power to give ourselves to others in self-denying charity. The Imitation of Mary   We began this conference by saying that except for Our Lady we would not have the Holy Eucharist. We end the conference by saying that except for the Eucharist we could not imitate Mary who is the perfect model for the imitation of Christ.   We have become so accustomed to using the title “Immaculate Heart of Mary” that we may not fully realize what we are saying. We are saying that during her life on earth Mary was immaculate because she was absolutely sinless. We are saying that Mary was the most loving human person who ever lived because the Heart of Mary was always united with the Heart of her Divine Son.   On both levels, our task in this world is to strive and struggle to become more sinless, which means more holy; and become more loving which means more selfless, after the example of Mary.   Like us, and unlike us, Mary had to live by Faith. How was she sustained in her sanctity through life, and in her practice of charity? By the presence of Jesus all through her days on earth. Jesus was with Mary, in His visible humanity, from the moment of His conception at Nazareth until His glorious Ascension at Jerusalem.   Jesus was with Mary, in His invisible humanity in the Eucharist, from the time of His Ascension until her glorious Assumption into heaven. We shall become more Mary-like, and therefore more Christ-like, as we draw strength from the same source that she did, from Jesus Christ who is with us in the Holy Eucharist.   When Jesus told the disciples “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28), He was speaking to us today. We are laboring and are heavily burdened. Where can we find the grace to be at peace in this valley of tears? In the Holy Eucharist, where Jesus is really present and wants us to be present too.   Prayer   Mary Mother of God, except for you we would not have Jesus and except for you we would not have the Eucharist, which is Jesus in our midst today. Obtain for us something of your deep faith in the Blessed Sacrament. Grant that we may follow your example here on earth, so that we may share in the joy that you now experience in the visible company of your Divine Son and Our Lord. Amen