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

THURSDAY, April 22nd   Jn. 6: 44-51  Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

PART ONE… (Part Two continued tomorrow.)   The Most Blessed Sacrament and the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Fr. John A. Hardon. S.J.   Before I begin to explain how the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady are related, I would like to give you a brief resume of this immense subject. My plan is to cover three areas of the relationship between Mary and the Eucharist by making three statements of our Catholic faith, and then proceeding to prove each in sequence.   First statement: “Without the Blessed Virgin, we would not have the Holy Eucharist.”   Second statement: “Without the Eucharist, we could not now adore on earth Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became the Son of Mary.”   Third statement: “From the Eucharist we obtain the grace we need to become more and more like the Immaculate Virgin Mary, and more and more loving like the loving Heart of Mary.”   No Eucharist Without Mary…   When the angel appeared to Mary at the Annunciation and invited her to become the Mother of the Most High, she accepted the invitation by saying, “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” At that moment, God became man. The Almighty who had been present in the world as its Maker and Sustainer, as God, began to be present on earth as man.   When nine months later Jesus was born at Bethlehem, the infinite Word of God by whose power the world came into being; this omnipotent Word became flesh and began to dwell among us as a speechless Babe.   During the years of His hidden life at Nazareth, God walked the streets of our earth, ate our food, drank our water and breathed our air. The Creator took on the human nature of one of His creatures and lived among human beings as a man.   Why did God become man? He became man so He could have a human body and soul in which to suffer and die for our sins. He became man so He would have a human will with which He could offer Himself for our salvation by shedding His human blood on the cross.   Keep in mind that the body in which Christ suffered and died is the body He received from His Mother. Except for her there would not have been the crucifixion and, we believe there would have been no redemption. And there would have been no sacrifice of the Mass.   We peruse the question: Why did God become man? He became man so that as man, He could undergo the penalty that a just God demanded in expiation for the sins of the world. But is this the only reason why God became man? No! Emphatically no!   God became man so He might, after His resurrection remain as man on earth, and thus fulfill the promise He had made, that, “I am with you all days even to the end of the world.” (Mt. 28:20)   But we object. Did Jesus not ascend to heaven forty days after His Resurrection? Is Jesus not now in heaven, body and soul, humanity and divinity, at the right hand of His heavenly Father? Yes of course, Jesus is in heaven, as the object of the worship of the angels and saints. And on the last day, He will come to judge the living and the dead.   But Jesus is also on earth. That is why right before He died, He changed the common elements of bread and wine into His own flesh and blood, and at the same Last Supper He ordained the Apostles and gave them and their successors in the priesthood the power to do what He had done.   Thanks to the Priesthood, we have the Holy Eucharist. And thanks to the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is in our midst. It is the same Jesus Christ who was carried by His Mother on her visit to Elizabeth, and who sanctified the unborn John the Baptist at Mary’s words of greeting. It is the same Jesus Christ who was born at Bethlehem on Christmas morning, and was presented in the temple at Jerusalem at the age of twelve.   So we could go on through the fifteen decades of the Rosary. And at each decade we could say: It is the same Jesus Christ, then and now, there and here.   What do we mean by Now? We mean today, at this moment. Whatever do we mean by Here? We mean wherever we have the Blessed Sacrament.   Our faith tells us, it is the same Jesus here on earth in the Eucharist who is in heaven at the right hand of His Father. It is the same identical Jesus. There is no objective difference.   The only difference is on our part. In Palestine, during His visible stay on earth, the people could see only a man; yet they were expected to believe that man was God. Today in the Eucharist, we see only what looks like bread; yet we believe that behind the appearance of bread is a man, and behind the man is God.   One last word on our statement: that except for Mary, there would be no Eucharist. Unless she had given Him His flesh and blood, He could not at the Last Supper have said, “This is my Body….This is my Blood.” And when He had instituted the priesthood to perpetuate the Eucharist, Jesus Christ would not be now on earth in His human nature which He received from His Mother Mary.   (To be continued…)

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

WEDNESDAY, April 21st   Jn. 6: 35-40   “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

• Doesn’t everyone want to have eternal life and be raised on the last day??? Many say Yes with their mouths, but No with their lives! Like water and oil, holiness and sin do not mix! Sad to say, we all have experience of this!
• Fr. Ed Broom instructs us on how to resist the devil’s attacks. Unless we seriously fight sin in our lives, we will lose the battle with the devil, the world, and our own weak flesh! And we will have no one to blame but ourselves to our eternal regret.

FIVE WAYS TO RESIST THE DEVIL’S ATTACKS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The devil is the antithesis of God. The Letter of Saint John describes God as Love. The devil, on the contrary, is the epitome of hatred; the devil hates God, he hates all of humanity and all of us individually, and the devil even hates himself.

Lucifer and the other devils with him are fallen angels. (Rev 12)  The devils are evil incarnate. Their intellects are still very keen, though bent on perversity, evil, and destruction. Plotting and conniving day and night, the devil strives to use all of his astute strategies to drag humans beings into the eternal flames of hell forever.

This being the case, let us offer a presentation of five of the most common tools the devil has in his armory to tempt us, and then five of the most efficacious weapons that we can utilize so as to win the battle—the salvation of our immortal soul and those entrusted to our care and providence.

Destructive Tools in the Devil’s Arsenal

1. Desolation

Saint Ignatius of Loyola reiterates in the Rules for Discernment of Spirits, as well as in the Two Standards meditation, the importance of vigilance. That is to say, we must be constantly aware of the inner state of our emotional life to detect when we are in a state of desolation, for it is then that the enemy of our eternal salvation—the devil and his army—are raising their bows and arrows, their rifles, their machine guns to shoot for the kill! Therefore, with an attentive awareness of being in desolation, we can resist the onslaught of the enemy with greater courage and intelligence so as not to succumb to his wily attacks.

2. Kryptonite: Our Major Weak Point

Athletes study their opponents so as to detect their weak point and defeat them. In debate, discovering a loophole or weak point in the opponent’s argument can result in victory. Soldiers use military tactics to uncover the enemy’s vulnerable point and thus defeat the enemy.

So it is with us: we all have our own kryptonite. Why the word kryptonite? Superman was a fortress with one exception—when he was exposed to the alien mineral kryptonite; then he was rendered as weak as any human being. The desert Fathers coined this pithy adage useful for spiritual combat: Know thyself!

3. Social Environment

We live in a very challenging environment, more challenging than prior centuries. The work world, social environment, social media, entertainment, and often even the family context gives the devil an open door for temptations. For example, with the Internet there is the constant temptation to view noxious and poisonous material and the devil takes advantage of this. Parties can be provocative with immodesty, drink, and the proliferation of drugs. Even at the workplace, the temptation, behind which is lurking the devil, is to fall into dishonesty in so many different shapes, sizes and forms.

4. Demonic Proliferation of Impurity

More than 100 years ago, Our Lady of Fatima stated sadly that most souls are lost forever due to the sins against the 6th and 9th Commandments—that is to say: sins against the virtue of purity or chastity. In today’s social milieu, nobody with right reason could fail to admit that this situation has been exacerbated and has deteriorated to an all-time low with respect to the virtue of purity. It is true that impurity involves sins of the flesh, but the devil though pure spirit, once again behind the scenes, knows how to stoke the fire.

5. Devil of Despair

Jesus revealed to the modern mystic, Saint Faustina Kowalska, in “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul” that the worst of all sins and offenses against God is the lack of Trust in His Infinite Mercy and the ultimate succumbing to despair. Again, behind the scenes is the nefarious, insidious and malicious presence of the devil and his cohorts. The real and the worst sin of Judas Iscariot was his despair—his failure to beg forgiveness and trust in the Infinite Mercy of the Heart of Jesus. With the devil in the background, but truly present, many in our modern society have also given up all hope and trust in the Love and Mercy of Jesus our Savior and in Mary’s maternal power of intercession.

Five Ways to Resist the Devil

We have discussed five of the prominent temptations of the devil, who in the words of Saint Peter is prowling like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour. (1 Pt. 5:8) In all truth, the devil never takes a break, has a sabbatical, or goes on vacation. He works day and night, in homes, on the streets, in the workplace, in the Churches and monasteries, in all places to win his prize—the eternal damnation of souls!

Therefore, let us offer the counterattack, our strategy of defense. We will give five tools to win the combat against the devil, whom Saint Ignatius calls “the enemy of our salvation.”

1. Fervent Prayer

No matter how powerful, insistent, insidious and astute the devil’s temptations might be, if we have recourse to frequent, fervent, humble and persevering prayer, the victory will definitely be ours over the devil and his army. The best example is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as presented in the movie The Passion of the Christ. Jesus is praying with so much fervor that He sweats huge drops of Blood. Then He rises to crush the devil with the heel of His foot! Prayer can conquer all!

2. Practice of Penance                                                                           \

Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert for forty days and forty nights. In His trial and sojourn in the desert, Jesus basically dedicated His efforts to two activities: fervent prayer and intense penance—Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. As a result, when the devil tried to tempt Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Jesus responded: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”  (Mt. 4:3-4)

The attempts of the devil were foiled, frustrated, and failed miserably. In another Biblical passage, when the Apostles asked the Lord why they could not cast out the devils, Jesus responded: “Those can be cast out only by prayer and fasting.” (Mt. 17:21) Therefore, if we can imbue, permeate, and fortify our prayer lives with at least small acts of penance and mortification, we can keep the devil and the temptations at bay!

3. Periodic Spiritual Direction and Transparency

Both Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Teresa of Avila insist upon the dire need for spiritual direction in the pursuit of holiness. We all have blind spots that can only be detected with the help of a trained spiritual director. However, most especially, it is indispensable to open up our troubled soul and conscience to a trained spiritual director when we find ourselves in turmoil or in the midst of a spiritual storm.

This is the classical Rule in the scheme of the Rules for Discernment of Spirits of Saint Ignatius. The devil wants us to keep our temptations hidden; if we do this, the enemy can easily transform a molehill into a mountain, a small cut into a gangrenous infection.

4. Nunc Coepi—Begin Again!

Being weak and exposed to many temptations, it might be that we collapse and capitulate to the insidious and insistent murmurings of the devil. Only God is perfect and we are all sinners, hopefully on the path towards holiness.

A very ugly but ubiquitous attack of the devil is precisely this: after we fall into sin, we give in to despair and lose hope. Or it might be the binge-complex! By this we mean the diabolic temptation that might be expressed as such: “Look, you already fell, so why not just fall again and again—drinking, porn, drugs, gluttony, promiscuity, etc.” 

The true soldier of Jesus, after a fall will not give in to despair, throw in the towel, and succumb to sinking deeper in the quagmire of sin. Quite the contrary! They will humbly admit their fall, have recourse to Sacramental Confession, and start over.

In the words of the Founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, Venerable Bruno Lanteri: Nunc Coepi—Begin Again! The arms of the Loving Father of the Prodigal Son are always wide-open to receive us.

5. Mary

Jesus is the King and Mary is the Queen. In Guadalajara, Mexico, there is a noteworthy title given to Mary: “La Generala del Ejercito”—meaning: The General of the Army! In our constant battle against the devil and his army we must also have recourse to Mary.

We should be consecrated to Mary, wear the Scapular of Mary, pray the most Holy Rosary to Mary, and most especially, in times of temptation, call upon the Holy Name of Mary. If done, the victory will be ours because of the powerful intercession of Mary! “Maria invoca; Maria cogita!” Invoke the Holy Name of Mary, think often about Mary!

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

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

TUESDAY, April 20th   Jn. 6: 30-35   “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.’”

• Truly, we are God’s spoiled children! They are just hearing about the Eucharist for the first time! We can receive Jesus truly present in the most Holy Eucharist every day, and have been able to do so all of our lives if we are “cradle Catholics” – referring to those brought up in the Faith!
• Let us show our love, appreciation, and exultant joy for the great privilege of being invited daily to the table of our Eucharistic Lord, even as we pray in the Our Father: “Give us this day our daily bread”, by committing ourselves over time to follow up on Fr. Ed’s suggestions to grow in our love for the Eucharist!    

MORE WAYS WE CAN GROW TO LOVE THE EUCHARIST by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We should strive to grow in our love for Jesus who is truly Present in the most Holy Eucharist and this should be a life-time pursuit! Our conversion of heart, our sanctification, our interior peace and joy, our final perseverance in grace, depends on Jesus, and He is truly and substantially present in the consecrated Host in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

The following are concrete actions that we can take to fortify our love for the greatest of all Lovers, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Bread of Life!

1. READ JOHN CHAPTER SIX AND LEARN IT.  One of the most important chapters in the Bible that refers to the Presence of Jesus as the Bread of Life is the Gospel of Saint John, Chapter Six. Try to read, pray over, and meditate on this sublime chapter of the preaching and teaching of Jesus in the discourse titled: THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE! (Jn. 6: 22-71)

2. SPIRITUAL COMMUNIONS.  Highly recommended by Saint Alphonsus and many other saints is the practice of making Spiritual Communions. They can be made in any time and any place, using many different words of expression. Your fundamental desire and prayer should be to receive Jesus, in a spiritual but profound way, into the depths of your heart, to be constantly united to the Lord Jesus, the Bread of Life. A simple prayer is: “Jesus, I cannot receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. As if you were already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you. Jesus I love you, Jesus I trust in you, Jesus never let me be separated from you!”

3. READ IMITATION OF CHRIST—BOOK IV.  One of the greatest classics ever written is The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. It was one of the favorites of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Therese, and surely other saints. The text is divided into four books. The last book deals specifically with the Mass, Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Priest, and many other topics pertinent to growing and falling in love with the Eucharist. Purchase it, read it, and love it!

4. DIARY OF SAINT FAUSTINA—BOOK VI.  Another classic is that of the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Saint Faustina Kowalska, who was called the Secretary of Divine Mercy. This literary classic and masterpiece can be divided into six books. Like The Imitation of Christ, the last book of the Diary deals with the way that Saint Faustina would prepare her soul to receive the Eucharist, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. This will profit you greatly in your own preparation and reception of this greatest of all Sacraments— the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus.

5. VISIT THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.  Friends enjoy visiting with each other and as often as possible. If indeed Jesus is our Best of Friends, then we should long to make frequent visits. Remember the short poem with respect to making Eucharistic visits in Catholic Churches: Whenever I see a church, I stop to make a visit; so that when I die, the Lord won’t say “Who is it?” When you see a Church, stop what you are doing! Enter the Church and greet the Lord! Thank the Lord Jesus and tell Him how much you love Him!

6. FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH JESUS.  There is a wonderful little booklet: Fifteen Minutes with Jesus. A short but impressive booklet, it can serve as a great platform to enter into dialogue and talk with Jesus as your Best Friend. Indeed, Jesus wants to be your Best Friend. He is waiting for you right now!

7. HOLY HOUR OF REPARATION.  Given that all are sinners—we are sinners, our family members are sinners—many souls are heading in full force towards the precipice. Add to that, the Church is going through a great state of turmoil. Now more than ever we should make a concerted effort to be with the Lord praying for mercy, pardon, conversion, and salvation! The inhabitants of Nineveh were saved by the preaching of Jonah. The King called for fasting and penance, and God, seeing their penitent hearts, spared Nineveh from destruction. Equally important for us in this time of Ecclesial storm is to make Holy Hours of Reparation, begging mercy for us, for the Church, and for the whole world! “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

8. NOVENA OF MASSES FOR VARIOUS INTENTIONS.  One of the greatest gifts anybody can give, or for that part receive, is that of prayer. By far, the greatest prayer that can be offered and received is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The graces flowing from the Mass are most powerful. Indeed, it is the Offering of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus to the Eternal Father for the salvation of the entire world. This is something you can do: go to Mass for nine consecutive days and offer the Mass and your reception of Holy Communion for a specific person and even for a specific intention if you want. The possible intentions are limitless! Examples: the conversion of sinners; the return of your son to the practice of the faith; that your daughter might get married in the Church; that your husband might give up drinking; that your brother in jail might go to confession; that some young man might say Yes to a vocation to the priesthood! The key is that for nine days in a row you attend Holy Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, all offered for your specific intention. Innumerable graces can flow from this novena of Masses and Holy Communions. Why not start today? God will bless you and others most abundantly!

9. GENUFLECTION.  Even though it may be a small and almost inconspicuous gesture, the genuflection has immense importance and value! Bending your right knee and going all the way down to touch the ground, is a corporal gesture that is made when passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Its meaning? This was done in the Middle Ages as a gesture of homage or tribute to a King or Queen. In a parallel, but very real sense, Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The greater the person, the more, in justice, we owe them great dignity and respect by even our corporal postures and gestures. Therefore, even more should Jesus be honored and praised by a reverential genuflection!!!

10. BRING WANDERING SHEEP TO THE EUCHARISTIC LORD.  Be a Eucharistic Apostle and bring a wandering sheep back to the fold by inviting this Prodigal Son/Daughter to Church. Go the whole nine yards! Invite them to go with you to Church, first to make a good Confession. Then to return once again to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receive Jesus in Holy Communion! Saint James reminds us that if we bring back a wandering soul, we save our own soul and expiate a multitude of sins! (Jas 5: 19-20)  We merit our own salvation and less time in Purgatory! Go for it!

Above are ten simple suggestions on how you can fortify your spiritual life by fortifying your love and devotion to Jesus, the Bread of Life and the Savior of the world!  May Our Lady who said YES to God and received Jesus into her soul intercede for us! 

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

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

MONDAY, April 19th   Jn. 6: 22-29   “So they said to him, ‘What can we do to accomplish the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.’”

• To believe in the one whom God sent is to grow deeper in our love for Jesus Christ, our Lord God and Savior! Pray over these titles of Jesus. Then pick one or two, go to the Bible verse cited. And pray with the words of Sacred Scripture regarding Jesus!

JESUS: THE CENTER OF MY LIFE! By Father Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus Christ is the center of all human history, the alpha and the omega, the principle and foundation, the beginning and the end, the key that unlocks eternal life to all who believe and place their trust in Him. By His Incarnation, life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus has divided history into two blocks of time: B.C. and A.D. Never has any other person come onto the stage of human history and had such a huge impact, and He did this all in no more than 33 years.

The following exposition in its essence is a prayer to Jesus. The short prayer expressions or prayer gems are taken from Sacred Scripture, most of them from the texts of the Gospels. If you like, these are Christological titles transformed into short prayers. It is our intention and desire that you will very slowly pray over these titles in imitation of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who pondered the Word of God in her Immaculate Heart.

CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLES TRANSFORMED INTO PRAYER…

Titles for Jesus are many and rich indeed!  Let us learn to pray, to really talk to Jesus through the many and various titles inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, you are the Bread of Life, give me a growing hunger and insatiable thirst for you. (Jn. 6:25-70)

Jesus, you are The Good Shepherd, grant me the deep inner security that I am never really alone because you are walking next to me, side by side, and you are guiding me by your rod and staff. (Psalm 23/Jn. 10:1-18)

Jesus, you are truly The Resurrection and The Life, attain for me an ardent yearning to live with you for all eternity in heaven. (Jn. 11:1-44)

Jesus, your name means Savior, I beg you to stretch out your gentle but strong hand to save me. Lord Jesus, save me from doubt, from my inner fears and anxieties, from my lack of trust in your Divine Providence. Lord Jesus, in the midst of the storms of life, when it seems as if my life is on the verge of capsizing and sinking, descend upon me with your calm. Lead me to a safe haven. (Lk. 1:26-56)

Jesus you are truly The Divine Physician, The Divine Doctor, I implore you to touch me with your hand and heal me. (Mt. Chapters 8 and 9) Lord Jesus, I admit my infirmities. Heal my mind with your light. Heal my soul with your grace. Heal my memory with your peace. Heal my body with your strength.  

Jesus, you are the best of all Teachers. (Jn. 20:16) As I sit before you, I beg for you to truly become my Teacher. I thank you for the Gospels, (Good News) in which I can sit at your feet and absorb and drink in the Words of Truth. (Gospels)

Jesus, you are The Way, the Truth, and the Life. Pave the way for me on the highway to heaven. Inundate me in the rays of your truth. And final, attain for me eternal life in heaven. (Jn. 14:6-7)

Jesus, you are The Alpha and Omega, the Principle and Foundation of my life. Attain for me fullness of life by having you at the very center of my life—my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions. (Rev. 22:13)

Jesus, you said: I am the Light of the world, cast out the dark regions present in my mind, memory, understanding, intentions, and my life. Shine on me and in me, so that your Presence in my life may enlighten many others. (Jn. 8:12)

Jesus, you are truly the Logos—the Word of God issuing forth from the Eternal Father. May your Words be engraved deeply in my whole being so that I will be a living expression of your truth in the world. (Jn. 1:1)

Jesus, you are Emmanuel—God with us! In this journey of life heading toward our eternal destiny—heaven—may I constantly be aware of your gentle and consoling presence. May my prayer be that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus: Stay with us, Lord, for the day is far spent. (Lk. 24:13-35)

Jesus, you are the Christ-Messiah, the Anointed One. Through Baptism and Confirmation, I have received a double-anointing. I implore you to anoint my thoughts and words so that I will be an anointed presence for my brothers and sisters. (I Jn. 5:1)

Jesus, you indeed are The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. By your Precious Blood, that I receive through the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, may I be cleansed and purified of all my past sins and live the liberty of the sons and daughters of God. (Jn. 1:29)

Jesus, you are the Healing Hand that saves. Stretch out your hand to touch my festering wounds and heal me, and all of suffering humanity. (Mt. 8:1-4)

Jesus, you are indeed the Wounded-Healer. Indeed, it is by your wounds that we are healed. May I seek refuge in your wounds, especially your wounded Sacred Heart! Indeed, this is my true and eternal refuge. (Is. 53:5)

Jesus, you are The Friend who is always faithful. May I always experience you as a true Friend, always willing to walk with me, talk with me, welcome me, and be present to me. You indeed are my true Friend who will never fail me. (Jn. 15:15)

Jesus, you are The Son of God made man. I am eternally grateful to you for becoming like us in all things except sin. I praise and thank you for assuming your humanity from the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jesus, you are The Lord of Lords and The King of Kings. As such I adore you and pay you homage as King of my whole being. Jesus, as King I beg you to reign over my whole being. Reign over my mind, my thoughts, my imagination, my feelings, my intentions, my body and soul in time and for all eternity. (Rev. 19:16)

Jesus, you indeed are the Crucified Savior. May my love and devotion to you result in crucifying and putting to death all in me that is unworthy of you—that is to say, sin and all of its negative effects. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. (Mt. 27:32-56)

Jesus, your Most Sacred Heart is a burning furnace of charity. Set my heart on fire with love for you and with love for souls. You said: I have come to cast fire on the earth and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled. Lord Jesus, give me that fire! (Lk. 12:49)

Jesus, you are the Son of God, the Son of man, and the Son of Mary! Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your loving Mother, may I arrive at a deeper knowledge of you, a deeper love for you, a deeper understanding of you, and a more earnest yearning and longing to follow you all the days of my life! Jesus, Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may you be the very center of my life, now and for all eternity. Amen.

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

SUNDAY, April 18th   Lk. 24: 35-48   “And he said to them, ‘Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’”

• The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, closed the gates of heaven to all mankind. The lance that pierced the side of Jesus and His most Sacred Heart as He hung on the cross, opened the gates of heaven for those willing to trust in His Mercy.

Part 1: TEN SHORT MEDITATIONS FOR MAKING GOOD CONFESSIONS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV. Father Ed brings us 10 Scripture Passages to meditate upon replete with God’s loving Mercy towards His children!

Part 2: Mercy Quotes from the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul… Saint Faustina Kowalska.

PART 1: TEN SHORT MEDITATIONS FOR MAKING GOOD CONFESSIONS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the greatest blessings and gifts that flows out of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord is Mercy, expressed most deeply through the Sacrament of Confession. This Sacrament is also sometimes called the Sacrament of Pardon, Reconciliation, Penance, as well as the Sacrament of God’s Mercy.

Words that produce inexplicable peace, joy, consolation and hope are the words that the Catholic priest expresses in the words of absolution at the end of the Sacrament of Mercy: “And I absolve you of your sins: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. My son (or daughter), your sins are forgiven; go in peace!” The interior knowledge that all of my sins have been totally and completely erased, obliterated, wiped out and forgiven by the Blood of Jesus shed for me on Calvary produces a joy and peace that goes beyond the ability of human words to express!

The two most important and sublime gestures that a Catholic can do on earth are the following: first, to receive with faith, devotion and burning love the Sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist — the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ; second, to confess our sins to the priest, who represents Jesus our Healer and Friend, and receive sacramental absolution and forgiveness of our sins.

This being the case, we should strive with all the energy and fiber of our being to improve our interior disposition to receive these sacraments better each time.In a word, each reception of both of these sacraments should be better and more fervent than the prior reception! That should be our ideal and constant goal! May God assist us!

Therefore, this brief article is on the Sacrament of God’s Mercy with the goal of enhancing within us greater appreciation for this great Sacrament which flows from the loving Heart of Jesus pierced with the lance from which flowed His Precious Blood and Water that first Good Friday. (Jn. 19:34)

This article expresses an original perspective and dimension in this sense, that it is totally and purely Biblical. Actually, ten Biblical passages will be cited manifesting ten different fruits, effects, and blessings, as well as the overall spiritual reality of this great Sacrament of the Mercy and Love of Jesus the Redeemer.

It is our hope that every person will be moved to have a limitless trust in the greatest of all of the attributes or virtues burning in the Sacred Heart of our loving Redeemer, His mercy for the sinner, and thereby have confidence to make good and frequent Sacramental Confessions. “For the just man falls seven times a day, but rises again.” (Prov. 24:16) The Lord is waiting for you with love.

The greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust in the mercy of Jesus. That which wounds most the Sacred Heart of Jesus, even more than sin itself, is the lack of trust in His mercy. Saint Paul encourages us with these words: “Where sin abounds, the mercy of God abounds all the more.” (Rom. 5:20)

The following are ten Biblical passages related to the Sacrament of Confession, but each in a unique way.  Pray over these, meditate on them, trust in God’s mercy and then make the best confession in your life: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”(Psalm 34:8) Then continue to frequent the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy!

1. Luke 15: 11-32

THE PRODIGAL SON! Read and pray over the Parable of the Prodigal Son before going to Confession. Beg for the grace to understand what God wants you to learn from this spiritual masterpiece. Every time you read and meditate upon this spiritual gem, God will enrich you with new and deeper insights.

However, in all times and places, the central message is that the Father in the Parable is God the Father who is full of love, mercy and compassion for all those who trust in Him. Saint Pope John Paul II wrote an entire encyclical on this one Parable: Dives in Misericordia. Read it and meditate upon it!

2. Psalm 51

Pray Psalm 51 before and after going to confession. This is the heart-felt Act of Contrition that King David prayed after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband, Urias, an innocent man. Beg for the grace to have true repentance for your sins.

True sorrow, true and heartfelt contrition, is essential for making a good confession. David humbly admits that his sin is his own doing and blames nobody except himself. May we own up to our sins and blame only ourselves, and as always, like David, trust in God’s Infinite Mercy!

3. John 20:21-23

Read and pray over the Institution of the Sacrament of Confession that first Easter night when the Apostles were in the Upper Room and Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, they shall be forgiven; whose sins you bind, they shall be held bound.”

Be exceedingly thankful for this great gift bestowed upon the Church and its members the same day we celebrate Jesus’ victorious triumph over death, the day of His Resurrection from the dead. In fact, every time we go to confession, we personally celebrate death to sin in our own person, and rise to a new life of grace! Every confession is a Paschal-Easter experience! The Lord Jesus is risen in us, Alleluia!

4. John 21: 15-19

Peter and Jesus. Read and meditate on this conversation between Peter and Jesus following His Resurrection from the dead. After the Apostles have made a miraculous catch of fish and recognize it is Jesus on the seashore, Jesus walks with Peter and asks him three times: “Do you love me?” Each time Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Peter is making reparation for the three times that he denied Jesus shortly after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Pray for the grace to truly be repentant for your sins and make a perfect act of contrition — that is, a contrition of love! “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pt. 4:8) Now you become the repentant Peter; tell the Lord you are truly sorry for your sins and how much you really love Him!

5. Luke 15:1-7

The Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one lost sheep. Recognize that you are the lost sheep and you have great value in God’s eyes! In truth, your soul has infinite value in the eyes of God! You were redeemed not by the blood of lambs or goats, nor bought back by gold or silver, but redeemed and ransomed by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (I Pet. 1:18-19)

6. John 10: 11-18

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep. However, once you have experienced the loving embrace of Jesus the Good Shepherd, then it is up to you to be a Good Shepherd for the sheep that Jesus has put in your charge.

The key for us to be a Good Shepherd is that we must first be a good sheep of the Good Shepherd—to hear His voice and follow Him. After we experience and “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” (Ps. 34:8) in Confession, then let us bring others to the loving embrace of the Good Shepherd in confession!

7. Luke 23:39-43

Jesus and the Good Thief. In this passage, let us firmly believe that the worst of all sinners can actually become the greatest of all saints, if we simply trust. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen poignantly asserts: “And the good thief died a thief because He stole heaven.” Proclaim from the rooftops the Infinite Mercy of God, even to those who believe that their sin goes beyond His mercy! A truly inspiring experience is to read the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, by Saint Faustina Kowalska. (See Part 2 of today’s meditation on Jesus’ Divine Mercy!)

8. Matthew 8:1-4 

“When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.”

Every Sacrament has a specific sacramental grace — that of Confession is Healing! Jesus came to cure and heal the sick, all of the sick that trusted in Him. We have to see ourselves as the lepers! For sin is leprosy, and all of us are sinners. As Jesus touched and healed the leper, so He can touch and heal me if I will allow Him to. ”Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as the snow.” (Is. 1:18)

Saint Damien, who worked with the lepers on the island of Molokai in Hawaii, suffered most because he seldom had a priest to heal his own spiritual leprosy of sin. He had to wait until an occasional ship came near the island, then row in a boat out to the ship, and yell his sins to the priest on board for all to hear, in order to receive absolution! Thank God that you have access to priests who can heal your spiritual leprosy through Confession and in the privacy of the Confessional!

9. Galatians 5:16-26

Saint Paul contrasts those who live according to the flesh and those who live according to the spirit. Those who live according to the flesh will have a harvest of corruption and death. Those who live according to the spirit will experience the fruits of the spirit and experience eternal life.

Confession helps us to put to death the works of the flesh and to be led by the Holy Spirit. May we form the habit of frequent confession to conquer the desires of the flesh and live the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God!

10. John 11: 1-44

A Lazarus Experience! Saint Augustine compares Confession to a Lazarus experience! Lazarus was dead and buried in the tomb in his burial cloths for four days before Jesus came and brought him back to life. What happens spiritually in Confession is the same as we leave our life of spiritual death in the burial cloths of mortal sin—and we rise to new life in the spirit! In that sense, every Confession is an Easter experience!

We pray and hope that these Biblical passages will shed new light on the precious gem, the diamond, the priceless gift that the merciful Jesus has given to us in the Sacrament of Confession, and let this serve as a jumping board to launch us into the confessional so as to experience the infinite ocean of God’s mercy! “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 118:1))

PART 2: Quotes From Diary: Divine Mercy In My Soul By Saint Faustina Kowalska. Words of Jesus to Faustina – Secretary of His Divine Mercy.

Diary 689: Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.

Diary 1485: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.

Diary 1577. Tell souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to My mercy, which so greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy.

Diary 1578. Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity.

Diary 1578 (continued): The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is – trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts.

Diary 1688: My daughter, look into My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own heart, and in your deeds, so that you who proclaim My mercy to the world may yourself be aflame with it.

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