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

SUNDAY, March 28th   Mk. 15: 1-39    “Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.”

Part 1: Introductory Points for Holy Week.

Part 2: THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS FOR LOVE OF YOU AND ME. By Father Ed Broom, OMV

• We are entering Holy Week – the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, observed with special solemnity as a time of devotion to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This time is marked by special observances.

From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, known as USCCB:

“The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.

The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

The liturgical services that take place during the Triduum are:

1. Mass of the Lord’s Supper

2) Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

3) Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord

• There is one Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Last Supper with the institution of the most Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. After Mass, the Holy Eucharist is removed from the tabernacle and the doors are left open for us to see and experience that He is gone!
• Good Friday we again experience the loss of the Lord in the empty tabernacle as we commemorate the Lord’s Passion with the Stations of the Cross, adoration of the Holy Cross, and a Communion Service.
• Holy Saturday is a day of prayer and silence in the absence of the Beloved, a loss truly felt until the Easter Vigil Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord!
• This is the greatest act of love over known to man. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (Jn. 3: 16)
• For this reason, during Holy Week we will provide for your holy hours daily Scripture passages with meditations written by Fr. Ed Broom on the sufferings Jesus bore for love of you and me and our eternal salvation in His Passion and death on the cross! (Taken from the second scheme of meditations for the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola composed by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV)

PART 2: THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS FOR LOVE OF YOU AND ME. By Father Ed Broom, OMV

GRACE TO BEG FOR:  Beg for the grace to meditate upon how much Jesus suffered for love of you and me, but in return beg for the grace to suffer with Christ.

SEE MEDITATION & BIBLE VERSE AFTER INTRODUCTION…

AGONY OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN: FOR YOU & ME

ESSENCE AND HEART OF LOVE.  The very essence and heart of love is the readiness and willingness to suffer for the loved one. Jesus Himself said:  “No greater love has a man than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15: 13) Absolutely all that Jesus suffered and underwent in His Passion was accepted and endured for love of all of humanity. However, Saint Ignatius highlights another aspect of this mystery of love: Jesus suffered the most bitter torments and agony for you in a personal and individual way. In fact, if you were the only person that God ever created, Jesus would have suffered His most bitter and painful Passion for love of you and the salvation of your immortal soul. Indeed, how great is the love of Jesus for you and for me! In the Diary of Saint Faustina we read and meditate upon the concept of suffering, in which Jesus communicates to Saint Faustina and to us that love is truly measured by the willingness to suffer for the loved ones.

LOVE DEMANDS A RESPONSE OF LOVE.  This being said, it must be emphasized that while it is true that Jesus loves us so much, as will be evident in the following meditations, it is also true that the lover, who is Jesus the Lord, ardently desires for us to love Him in return. We want to beg for this special grace.

GRACE TO BEG FOR.  The grace to beg for in the week of the Passion of Jesus is not an easy grace. We beg for the grace to meditate upon how much Jesus suffered for love of you and me, but in return to Him, we beg for the grace to suffer with Jesus. Some sentiments we may beg for would be the following: to suffer with the loved One, have compassion for the Lord, console the Heart of Jesus, and at least to some degree enter into Jesus’ agony, then strive to penetrate the reason for such excruciating suffering.

BIBLICAL PASSAGE: READ Mark 14: 32-41/Luke 22: 39-46/Matthew 26: 36-46)

ENTERING INTO THE SCENE: THE GARDEN OF OLIVES (GETHSEMANE).  With calmness, trust, generosity, magnanimity, and great love, let us enter with Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane, a place where He went habitually to pray. With His Best Friends—Peter, James, and John, let us accompany Jesus and derive abundant fruit from our meditation.

1. CREATE THE SCENE WITH YOUR IMAGINATION.  Imagine it being night, somewhat chilly with a slight breeze, a full moon enlightening the contour, landscape, and vegetation of the Garden which of course abounds in olive trees. Be truly present in the scene.

2. PICTURE JESUS IN THIS MOVING SCENE.  He is a young man about 33 years of age. For the last three years, in the company of the 12 Apostles, He has been actively engaged in His public ministry which consisted basically of three activities: abundant preaching, miracles over nature and physical healings, and several exorcisms—the casting out of devils. All of this was done for love of you and me and for the salvation of many souls.

3. JESUS’ DEMEANOR AND ASPECT.  Unlike any other time, on this night Jesus manifests sadness, fear, tension, vulnerability, real suffering, and even agony. Bewildered at seeing the Lord Jesus in such a state, the Apostles are confused, disoriented, and themselves sad. During the course of the Spiritual Exercises we have learned the word that expresses the spiritual state of Jesus, His state of soul—that of DESOLATION.

4. BE WITH JESUS.  Like the Apostles, be with Jesus, accompany Him and enter into His heart, mind, and soul. Jesus begins to experience a sadness even unto death. We know, though it be a very sad truth, that when Jesus most needs His best friends—Peter, James, and John, they fall asleep. For your part, strive to stay awake and enter into the heart of Jesus, into the very soul of Jesus. Be the Angel of Consolation for Jesus. Be His best friend!

5. LISTEN TO THE HEART-RENDING WORDS OF JESUS.  He opens up the depths of His soul in filial confidence to Abba—Father. This is a model prayer for us and for the whole world. Jesus’ words express humility, trust, confidence, obedience, docility, filial trust, total conformity and acceptance of the will of the Heavenly Father. The words of Jesus: “Father (Abba), if it be possible, remove this cup (chalice) from me. However, not my will but your will be done.” (Mt. 26: 39) Listen attentively to the words of Jesus and strive to penetrate the deep meaning of this message for you. The Apostles, however, fall into a slumber. Instead of fighting against the desolation, they give in to it. How important it is for us to recognize when we are in the state of desolation and to fight manfully and forcefully against it—the Ignatian agere contra!

6. JESUS WORDS TO THE APOSTLES AND TO US.  Seeing His friends asleep, Jesus exhorts them: “Stay awake and pray so that you do not be put to the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26: 41) Despite these words of fervent exhortation, the Apostles return to their sleep.  Perhaps like the Apostles our will has weakened and we too have fallen asleep when we should have been fervently dedicated to prayer. Rewinding the film of our own life: how often has it happened that our falling into sin was preceded by a state of desolation, a drifting away from prayer, a spiritual slumber, and then crash—the fall into sin. In truth, our fall into sin is almost in direct proportion to our weakness in prayer, our sleep in prayer, or our abandonment of prayer.

7. IN THE DEPTHS OF DESOLATION, JESUS MODELS PRAYER FOR US.  In desolation the Apostles fail to pray, whereas Jesus prays more and with more intense fervor!!! So fervent is His prayer in Gethsemane that Jesus actually begins to sweat big drops of Blood which then trickle to the ground. Be with Jesus in spirit and contemplate the huge drops of Blood, His Blood sweat, and contemplate these drops falling to the ground. What a splendid example of perseverance for us. How easy it is for us to give up prayer for any pretext whatsoever. But not with Jesus! In the midst of the most intense desolation, He prays with admirable and astounding fervor and passion, with all His being—heart, emotions, mind, body, and soul. Let us humbly beg the Lord Jesus for fervor in our prayer life and that we would learn from Jesus to pray with every fiber of our being.

8. WHY THE SUFFERING AND THE SWEATING OF BLOOD???  Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen explains the WHY of Jesus suffering so much, the reason behind the excruciating AGONY OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN. This is the reason: all the sins of humanity descend upon Jesus in the Garden of Olives. Jesus, the God-man takes upon Himself the guilt of the sins of the whole of mankind—past, present, and future—which now descend upon Jesus like a torrential downpour of rain; from the original sin of Adam and Eve traversing the sins of mankind throughout the course of time including the last sin of the last person in human history. Jesus takes upon Himself all these sins and as a consequence, huge drops of Blood pour out of the pores of His Sacred Body and fall to the ground.   

9. OUR SINS TOO.  We cannot deny the fact that our sins are also descending upon the suffering and bleeding Body of Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Let us humbly beg the Lord Jesus to have sorrow, contrition, and firm purpose of amendment for our many sins and thereby receive Jesus’ mercy. Indeed, Jesus is really and truly suffering for all of the sins of the world, but for yours and mine and in a very personal way!

20. THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION.  Contemplate and enter into this most touching scene. In the midst of the excruciating pain of Jesus, His agony and sweating of huge drops of Blood, God the Father sends to Jesus an angel. This angel might be called THE ANGEL OF CONSOLATION. 

Contemplate the angel who draws close to Jesus and even embraces the Lord in His suffering. In truth, this ANGEL OF CONSOLATION is you! Yes! 

You must be this Angel of Consolation. Draw close to the Lord. Embrace Him with great love. Talk to Him from the very depths of your heart. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for your sins. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of your family members. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of the Church. Beg of Jesus pardon and mercy for the sins of the whole world! Beg the Lord Jesus for the grace of conversion of poor sinners, especially of deathbed sinners, those sinners who will die within the next day.  Console the Lord and thank the Lord Jesus for all that He underwent for you, starting in the Garden of Gethsemane. And love the Lord with your whole heart and being!

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

SATURDAY, March 27th  Jn. 11: 45-56   “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.’”

• Caiaphas, High Priest, does not know the import of what he is saying. It is indeed better for one man, Jesus Christ, to die so that all may be saved. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us, but we choose whether or not to enter those gates by how we live our lives!
• There are two spirits working in us – the Good Spirit and the Bad Spirit. The purpose of Ignatian Discernment of Spirits is to recognize which voice is speaking to us at any given time and in any situation – the good to embrace it and the bad to reject it!
• Yesterday, we covered Fr. Ed Broom’s excellent exposition of Rules 1 through 6 of Saint Ignatius’ Fourteen Rules for Discernment of Spirits. Today we will cover Rules 7 through 14 for deeper awareness and understanding of the choices we have to make.

RULES TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT & WIN THE BATTLE (Continued) by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

REVIEW:  Taken from his own experience, after the life-changing battle of Pamplona, Saint Ignatius of Loyola offers us two series of Rules to help us in our battle for the salvation of our immortal souls. The first series is composed of 14 Rules; the second, of 8 Rules! We will discuss the first 14 Rules.

ORIGIN? After the serious wound in both of his legs in the Battle of Pamplona, Ignatius had plenty of time for recovery. In this period of convalescence, his mind and affections gyrated back and forth between two contrary objects: one was the worldly, the sensual, the vain, the material life he had lived; the other consisted of reading and reflecting on the lives of the saints, as well as the life of Christ. The worldly thoughts and reveries brought him some immediate pleasure on the surface of his emotions, but then he sank into a state of desolation and sadness. The joie de vivre (joy of life) dissipated and went up in smoke. But when he lifted his mind and heart to the spiritual realm of Jesus and the saints, his heart was set on fire and he had the most fervent desire and longing to imitate the saints. Ignatius said: “If Francis could do it, so can I; if Dominic could do it, so can I.”  

Then, as recorded in his Autobiography, “his eyes were opened a little and he noticed that some thoughts brought him desolation and sadness, whereas the others, consolation and joy.” This experience of Saint Ignatius establishes the background and foundation for his renowned Rules for Discernment of Spirits. Ignatius insists on awareness of these various interior movements. We must reject the bad that lead to desolation; we must recognize, accept, and follow the good that lead to consolation. Knowing these various interior motions and applying these Rules is indispensable for living out Ignatian Spirituality, and consequently pursuing an openness to the good spirit, and a ready willingness to reject the bad spirit! In this short essay we would like to give a brief summary of the first series of 14 Rules and some concrete means to apply them to our lives.

YESTERDAY, we covered Discernment Rules 1 thru 6. Today we cover Rules 7 thru 14.

RULE SEVEN: THE LAW OF SUFFICIENT GRACE.

When you are submerged in the dark night of desolation, it might appear as if you are in a dark tunnel from which there is no exit; this thought is provoked by the devil. There is always hope! Possibly one of the best Biblical passages is that of Saint Paul who says he was tormented by a thorn in the flesh which he begged the Lord three times to be freed of. The response of the Lord was clear: “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness!” (2Cor. 12: 9) We can overcome the state of desolation if we rely on the grace of God and not on our mere human efforts. In other words, it must be God-reliance and not self-reliance! The fundamental reason for failure and falling into sin is lack of relying upon God and His super-abundant graces. Call upon Mary who is known as “The full of grace!”

RULE EIGHT: BY YOUR PATIENCE YOU WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL.

Rule Eight can be succinctly summarized by just one key word: PATIENCE!!! In this Rule, Ignatius offers three powerful tools!

1. Persevere in patience. It can be extremely helpful to meditate upon Jesus carrying His cross and His infinite patience.
2. Next, Ignatius reminds us to utilize the practices of Rule Six which are: prayer, meditation, Daily Examen, and some suitable penance.
3. Finally, as a psychological boost, Ignatius encourages us to think about the consolation that will soon arrive. If you like, after the storm, the sun breaks through the clouds. After sickness, health will be enjoyed. The barren Winter gives way to Spring flowers.

Being an excellent spiritual psychologist, Ignatius knows how direly we all need to grow in the virtue of patience with God, with ourselves, and with others.

RULE NINE: WHY DO WE HAVE DESOLATION? WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

In this Ninth Rule, Ignatius teaches us the three basic reasons why our soul goes through this state of desolation. The first is due to our own fault; the second and third, God actually allows desolation, so as to bring out of the desolation a greater good. Let us analyze them.

1. LAZINESS, TEPIDITY, SLOTH.  The first reason for descending into a state of DESOLATION is simply because we have fallen into a state of laziness or tepidity. Examples? Skipping your morning and night prayers, not doing your meditation or Holy Hour, or doing it less, or praying it poorly. Or it might be that you were in the habit of frequent Holy Communion and due to indolence you have given up the practice. Therefore, good Teacher that He is, God allows the Desolation to visit us in order to pull us out of this despicable state of mediocrity and tepidity. How good God is to intervene, to yank us out of the quagmire of lukewarmness!!!

2. A TRIAL FROM GOD.  So that we do not fall into what Saint John of the Cross terms Spiritual Gluttony. We must seek the God of consolations and not the consolations of God! Or if you like, Seek the Face of God more than the Hand of God!

3. HUMILITY AND RELIANCE ON GOD.  The last reason Ignatius gives is so we will have a keen awareness that of ourselves we cannot bring consolation to our soul. On the contrary, only God can give us consolation. Also, God gives us consolation when He wants, how He wants, for as long as He wants, and with the intensity He wants. Related to this, Ignatius warns us against pride and vanity. How easy it is to attribute to ourselves holiness, fervor, consolation, and spiritual graces; when in reality all good gifts comes from the Giver of all good gifts, God Himself!

RULE TEN: WHAT TO DO IN CONSOLATION???

Up to this point Ignatius has been instructing us on what our spiritual strategy is, what we are to do, in the state of desolation. Now he turns to the tactic or strategy of what we are to do when we find ourselves in the state of CONSOLATION! This may come to us as a real shock! Ignatius basically warns us that when we find ourselves in joy, peace, happiness, and over-flowing consolation, we should get ready for desolation. In other words, in times of peace, we must prepare and be prepared for war. The devil never goes on vacation and can easily slip in when we are in consolation, simply because this is when we might begin to think less about God, when we might begin to attribute our state of Consolation to our own ingenuity and sanctity. Careful!!! Good athletes when they are ahead in the game, try to advance even further, so as to make their victory absolute!!!

RULE ELEVEN: WHAT ELSE TO DO IN THE STATE OF CONSOLATION.

The key word in Rule Eleven is HUMILITY.  When we are in consolation we should not give in to pride, but humble ourselves. Ignatius actually suggests that we rewind the film of our lives and recall how we were when we found ourselves in desolation: the trial, the darkness, the lack of peace, the over-riding sadness, the great turmoil. Reflecting upon that difficult state of desolation, possibly we felt buried in a dark pit, or lost in an endless tunnel, and only God could pull us through. In other words, God loves those who are humble of heart, like the Blessed Virgin Mary. Moreover, God rejects the proud and self-sufficient! As Mary said: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and He has lifted up the lowly.” (Mary’s Magnificat Lk 1:52)

The last three Rules of Saint Ignatius on Spiritual Discernment treat explicitly of the devil and the various ways that he works on the soul. These indeed are spiritual masterpieces that all should get to know well and live out frequently in the daily combat!

RULE TWELVE:  COURAGE IN CONFRONTING THE ENEMY

In this Rule Ignatius exhorts us to be courageous and not cowardly. In the case of a street-woman striving to seduce a man, she knows psychology. If she tries to tempt or seduce him and he resists manfully from the outset and resists the temptation, then she backs off, recoils, and disappears. However, if she notes that in her tempting, the man is weak, faltering, floundering, and vacillating like a leaf blown in the wind, then she becomes all the more powerful to overpower him and win. If you like, the following is a short summary in a few words: “The devil is weak with the strong, but strong with the weak.”

Therefore, the tactic that we must use with the devil, applied to this Rule, is the following! As soon as we are aware of the devil tempting us to go against God and to sin, then we must strive with all of the energy in our will to reject the temptation immediately and forcefully! This in most cases will result in victory! The devil is a coward, but if we are cowards then he becomes strong and goes for the kill.

RULE THIRTEEN. AVOID SECRECY, OPEN UP IN TIMES OF DESOLATION!

Ignatius says that the devil is like a vain lover trying to seduce a noble woman behind the back of a noble man. The key word in this rule is that of SECRECY—KEEP IT SECRET!

A SUMMARY OF THE RULE.  When we find ourselves in a state of desolation and sadness, assaulted by many temptations, it is the work of the devil to try to get us to keep our desolation a secret, under lock and key, top secret! Tell nobody!

RESULT OF SECRECY!  If the devil wins by convincing us to keep our desolation a secret and not open up to anybody, then what happens is the following, by way of analogy. The devil turns a mole-hill into a mountain. Or if you like, a cut that is not treated gets infected with pus, the infection spreads, and finally gangrene sets in, ending with amputation. So it is with the work of the devil. If we do not have the courage and the means by which we can open up to a Spiritual Director or Confessor, or a person in whom we can trust and confide, then the temptation is exacerbated, grows bigger and stronger, until we finally capitulate and give in to the temptation. In the Diary of Saint Faustina, Jesus revealed to the saint that revealing the temptation of the devil to her Confessor, weakened the stronghold of the devil and would eventually conquer him. To open up and to reveal is an act of humility, and the devil hates any shape, size, or form of humility.

IN CONCRETE.  In concrete, all of us must be equipped with a Confessor or Spiritual Director, or both. In times of desolation we must have the humility and the courage to open up and to articulate clearly the thoughts and temptations we are experiencing. If we learn and practice this lesson, we have a powerful tool in our spiritual combat.

RULE FOURTEEN.  THE KRYPTONITE RULE: THE DEVIL KNOWS OUR WEAK POINT!

In this last Rule, which indeed is a literary masterpiece, Ignatius compares the human soul to a feudal fortress or castle. So as not to be plundered and sacked, the owner of the castle must have barricades, as well as walls of protection, maybe even a moat surrounding the castle. The enemy, of course, circles the castle and studies to see where there might be some  opening. Maybe a crevice, a crack, a loose board, an opening in the roof, or possibly an unlocked window or door. Once the enemy becomes aware of an opening, then quickly and energetically he goes for the kill. Entering unaware, he sacks and plunders the castle, taking all that is in his power to steal.

This Middle Age image of the fortress or castle is an image of our immortal soul. Our enemy is not any mere military captain. Much more dangerous and insidious: it is the devil. The devil has many Biblical names: Lucifer, Satan, the devil, demon, Prince of this world, the serpent, the ancient serpent, the seducer, a liar and a murderer from the beginning, Beelzebub (the Lord of the Flies). Saint Peter goes so far as to call the devil a roaring lion who goes in search of whom he can devour.

MODERN IMAGE OF THE ATHLETE.  A modern image easy to understand is that of an athlete competing in the sports arena or stadium. To be concrete, the example of a Professional Baseball Pitcher. It is incumbent upon the Professional Pitcher to get to know his opponents—namely the Batters. The Pitcher will study past videos, analytics, and statistics to see where the batter is strong and where he is weak. Then, with this knowledge, he will strive to pitch to the weakness of the batter, hoping for a strike-out. The same can be applied to a Professional Boxer or Wrestler. Find the weak-point of the opponent, then punch and attack for the kill!

KRYPTONITE ANALOGY.  Most of us know of SUPERMAN. Clark Kent as Superman, was indomitable, powerful, strong, fast, able to fly over huge buildings. However, despite his prowess, he had one weak-point and that was the famous alien mineral KRYPTONITE. Once exposed to this mineral element, Superman was as weak and vulnerable as any other man. In a word, he had to avoid Kryptonite. So it is with us and Rule Fourteen. We all have our own Kryptonite which we have to detect and avoid at all costs, lest we fall and be overcome. One of the best ways to detect your Kryptonite is once again to have a good Spiritual Director, and to talk out your strengths and weaknesses. However, it is also of paramount importance to study and get to know the seven Capital Sins, to detect and determine which one is your basic Capital Sin, your primary weakness, in a word, your KRYPTONITE! Then try to practice the opposite virtue. The seven Capital Sins are the following:

1. Gluttony – opposing virtue Temperance;
2. Lust – opposing virtue Purity;
3. Greed or Avarice – opposing virtue Charity;
4. Sloth or Laziness –opposing virtue Diligence;
5. Envy – opposing virtue Charity or Brotherly Love;
6. Anger – opposing virtue Meekness (Meekness is not weakness, but powerful emotion under control.);
7. Pride – opposing virtue Humility.

In conclusion, we have come to the end of our short study of the 14 Rules for Discernment of Spirits from the great Saint Ignatius of Loyola. We hope that you will become a student of these 14 Rules, not simply to have a head knowledge of these Rules, but most especially to implement them, put them into practice, so as to fight the good fight, run the good race, and win the merited crown of glory that awaits the faithful soldiers of Jesus and Mary in the Kingdom of Heaven!

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

FRIDAY, March 26th  Jn. 10: 31-42  “The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.’ … ‘If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’”

• Today’s Gospel brings up the question of Discernment of Spirits. How do we know when it is God is speaking to us versus the devil, the enemy of our soul, speaking to us? This is such an important question in our spiritual life that Saint Ignatius of Loyola wrote Rules for the Discernment of Spirits.
• In our Lenten journey of purification of our heart, mind, body, soul and life, it is opportune to review the first 14 Rules as we enter Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
• Fr. Ed Broom presents and expounds upon these Rules. Let us examine our spiritual walk up to this point in time to determine whose voice we have been listening to—the good spirit or the bad spirit? Today we will cover the first Six Rules and tomorrow the next Eight Rules.

RULES TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT & WIN THE BATTLE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Taken from his own experience, after the life-changing battle of Pamplona, Saint Ignatius of Loyola offers us two series of Rules to help us in our battle for the salvation of our immortal souls. The first series is composed of 14 Rules; the second, of 8 Rules! We will discuss the first 14 Rules.

ORIGIN? After the serious wound in both of his legs in the Battle of Pamplona, Ignatius had plenty of time for recovery. In this period of convalescence, his mind and affections gyrated back and forth between two contrary objects: one was the worldly, the sensual, the vain, the material life he had lived; the other consisted of reading and reflecting on the lives of the saints, as well as the life of Christ. The worldly thoughts and reveries brought him some immediate pleasure on the surface of his emotions, but then he sank into a state of desolation and sadness. The joie de vivre (joy of life) dissipated and went up in smoke. But when he lifted his mind and heart to the spiritual realm of Jesus and the saints, his heart was set on fire and he had the most fervent desire and longing to imitate the saints. Ignatius said: “If Francis could do it, so can I; if Dominic could do it, so can I.”  

Then, as recorded in his Autobiography, “his eyes were opened a little and he noticed that some thoughts brought him desolation and sadness, whereas, the others, consolation and joy.” This experience of Saint Ignatius establishes the background and foundation for his renowned Rules for Discernment of Spirits. Ignatius insists on awareness of these various interior movements. We must reject the bad that lead to desolation; we must recognize, accept, and follow the good that lead to consolation. Knowing these various interior motions and applying these Rules is indispensable for living out Ignatian Spirituality, and consequently pursuing an openness to the good spirit, and a ready willingness to reject the bad spirit! In this short essay we would like to give a brief summary of the first series of 14 Rules and some concrete means to apply them to our lives.

RULE ONE: TACTIC OF THE GOOD SPIRIT VS. THE BAD SPIRIT: THE SOUL IN MORTAL SIN. 

THE BAD SPIRIT.  For the individual who has chosen to live a life of sin, and serious or grave sin, the devil has a specific tactic. The enemy proposes apparent pleasures, sensual delights, and gratifications by means of filling the imagination with these sensual delights. The tactic of the devil? To increase the vices, to augment the sins, to tempt such a person to commit as many and as grave sins as possible. The net result will be total SLAVERY. Actually, Jesus affirms the fact that sin is true slavery. Moreover, the slavery and the chains become more powerful. In modern language, the person becomes an ADDICT. The final step of the devil is to dull and erode the conscience so much that such the addict no longer has any remorse of conscience. Pope Pius XII stated on this matter: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” Finally, if such an individual dies in the state of mortal sin without repentance, then they lose their soul for all eternity. Sad to say, in our modern age, there are many addicts, but the worst part is that they do not admit their addiction. Indeed, a Doctor can only heal a person who admits they are sick.

THE GOOD SPIRIT.  Now the good spirit, in dealing with the soul of an individual living in a state of serious sin, uses a totally different approach. In silent reflection and by the use of reason, the good spirit will sting their conscience and fill them with remorse. The road to conversion is now underway! It might be compared to having a thorn in your side, or small stone in your sandal, or some dust in your eye. You just have to remove it. So it is with the Holy Spirit. He makes you feel uncomfortable with your conscience, where you are at morally, so that you feel the real need to change. Saint Augustine mentions this in his classic Confessions before his conversion. Associating with a recently converted man to Christianity who was radiating joy, Augustine felt sad because he did not experience that joy. He was on the path to conversion.

RULE TWO: TACTIC OF THE GOOD SPIRIT VS. THE BAD SPIRIT: THE SOUL IN GRACE AND STRIVING FOR HOLINESS.

THE BAD SPIRIT.  In this state of soul, the bad spirit and the good spirit dramatically change tactics. Now the bad spirit strives to harass this soul who is striving for perfection with negative thoughts, often scrupulosity, with the intention of taking away their peace. Saint Ignatius experienced this in Manresa. After he makes a general confession that takes close to four days, and is engaged daily in praying, doing penance, and acts of charity, in sum, striving to really follow the Lord in holiness of life, the devil assaults him with negative thoughts trying to rob him of his peace. Such thoughts are the following: maybe he did not make a good confession after all; also, he is praying long hours and practicing extreme penances now, but there is no way that he will be able to persevere in this way of life for years to come. The devil even tempts Ignatius with thoughts against his own life, thoughts of suicide. These are the astute tricks of the devil in this state. The devil tries to fill the road to holiness with pot-holes, ditches, blocks, obstacles, detours, and even flat-tires. He will do all he can to discourage you, so that you give up pursuing holiness of life and return to a sinful life or at least a life of mediocrity. 

THE GOOD SPIRIT.  Quite the contrary is the work and action of the good spirit on the soul who in all sincerity is striving to purge themself of sin and live a life of true holiness. The Holy Spirit, in a certain sense, becomes a cheer-leader—encouraging the soul, sending thoughts and desires of peace, joy, and happiness. The soul experiences the spiritual life with the Lord as absolutely marvelous—nothing could be better. The good spirit gives courage and strength, consolation and peace, tears of joy, heavenly inspirations, and removes all obstacles.

What is most obvious is that the spiritual life is a constant battle between the good spirit and the bad spirit; this battle is ongoing and ends only at the moment of death.

RULE THREE: A DESCRIPTIVE RULE OF WHAT SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION IS!

In this Rule Saint Ignatius simply describes in many ways what CONSOLATION consists of. The best way to understand this is to simply compose an Ignatian list of the signs of consolation:

A LIST OF SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION IN YOUR LIFE:

1. Your soul is inflamed with love for your Creator.
2. You love creatures of God only related to the Creator.
3. Tears moved by the love of God. Why tears?
4. Tears of sorrow for your sins—true sign of repentance.
5. Tears being shed when meditating on the Passion and suffering of Jesus.
6. Tears shed in the praise and service of God.
7. Increase in the theological virtue of Faith in God
8. Increase in the theological virtue of Hope—trust in God.
9. Growth in the greatest of all the virtues: Charity, supernatural love.
10.  JOY—attracted to what is heavenly.
11.  JOY—related to the salvation of your soul.
12.  PEACE AND QUIET. Furthermore, your soul experiences great peace and quiet in the Lord. Saint Paul says: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4: 7)

All of the above are clears signs of experiencing CONSOLATION. We can pray to the Holy Spirit that we will experience consolation constantly. It must be noted that our consolation is in the God of all creation, and not simply in creation separated from God.

RULE FOUR: A DESCRIPTIVE RULE OF WHAT SPIRITUAL DESOLATION IS.

As might be expected, noticing the fact that Ignatius plays on literary contrasts, DESOLATION will be the polar opposite of CONSOLATION. Indeed, this is the case! To make this easy for us, like in the last explanation of the rule, we will simply compose a list of signs of DESOLATION. However, it is very important for us to be able to detect in our souls, and in our lives, when we are in a state of consolation or desolation. The following rules give us concrete practices to undertake so as to claim victory over desolation with the help of God’s grace! 

A LIST OF SIGNS OF SPIRITUAL DESOLATION IN YOUR LIFE:

1. Darkness of soul—imagine being spiritually in a dark tunnel, or dungeon, or cave. There you have it, but within your soul!
2. Turmoil of spirit; this is diametrically opposed to inner peace. To the contrary, all peace is gone.
3. Inclination to what is low and earthly. In other words, drawn to flesh/carnality—the capital sins. As examples, this might be gluttony, lust, laziness—being pulled toward the earth and its base desires.
4. Restlessness. Think of Cain after he killed Abel. He was not at peace in the least; rather he was a restless, wandering, and forlorn soul.
5. Disturbances. Being pulled in many directions without any goal or purpose in life.
6. Temptations—this is the role of the devil himself! Saint Thomas Aquinas calls the devil exactly that: THE TEMPTER.
7. The three Theological Virtues under attack. In consolation, the theological virtues flourish and grow; not so in desolation: they are under attack and weakened.
8. Lack of FAITH… Faith seems to wane and decline. What is the purpose of a God-centered life?
9. Lack of HOPE… A tendency and temptation to simply throw in the towel, to give up. What is the use???
10.  Lack of CHARITY… Instead of love for God and neighbor, absorbed in love of self. Instead of Theology, it is Meology!
11.  SLOTHFUL. The soul is lazy, anemic, lacking in energy to do good.
12.  TEPID. Another word for tepid is LUKEWARM. The Book of Revelation condemns this: “You are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm; I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3: 16)
13.  SAD. No joy whatsoever, lost in the valley of sadness and darkness; gloom and doom dominate the soul.
14.  SEPARATION FROM THE CREATOR. Still more, the soul that is in the state of desolation seems to be separated from God the Creator. God, where are you???

Even though somewhat painful to read and study the reality of the state of DESOLATION, it is indispensable in the spiritual life to name it, claim it, and tame it through the grace of God and by following the next rules that Ignatius so wisely lays out for us!

RULE FIVE: IN DESOLATION, NEVER MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

Saint Ignatius is very firm and clear in this rule. When you find yourself in the state of DESOLATION, never make any changes in your spiritual life and proposals. Rather, you must remain firm and rock-solid. Why? The reason is very simple: the reality of the DEVIL. When you find yourself immersed in that state of darkness, sadness, and so to speak hopelessness, it is exactly in that state that the devil launches his most powerful weapons. If you give up prayer and your devotional practices, your meditation and examination of conscience, then you are a sitting-duck for the devil’s attacks. Like good soldiers under attack, you must be firm in not abandoning the fight! Saint Paul invites us to fight the good fight until the end.

RULE SIX. THE RULE OF AGERE CONTRA.

The words in Latin AGERE CONTRA are pure Ignatius! What the words mean are simply this: Do the exact opposite of what the devil is tempting you to do! In other words, you cannot give in to laziness in any size, shape, or form. In this rule Ignatius offers fours specific practices, which we will list:

1. PRAYER.  Do not neglect prayer under any circumstances, but especially when in the state of DESOLATION! Dedicate some time to vocal prayers prayed fervently: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Angel of God, Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love, the Hail Holy Queen… All of these are shields against the enemy.

2. MEDITATION. Also, under no circumstance should your daily meditation be neglected. This could be fatal. If you have the habit of making your daily Holy Hour, as Ven. Fulton Sheen calls it, THE HOUR OF POWER, be diligent and faithful, even add a minute or two, rather than whittle it down by praying less.

3. DAILY EXAMEN. Ignatius insists on the DAILY EXAMEN. However, this is most important in desolation so as to detect the why or the reason for the desolation! By going through your day and actions you might be able to detect some unfaithfulness to the Lord that is bringing on the desolation.

4. SOME SUITABLE PENANCE. Finally, Ignatius recommends some suitable form of penance. Jesus said clearly: “Some devils can be expelled only by prayer and penance.” (Mt. 17: 21) Giving up a cookie or soda, saying a few extra prayers, praying on your knees, denying a program you like—any of these can serve to help untie the knot of desolation.

Finding yourself in this state of desolation, it is of supreme importance to remember these four practices and the practice of Agree Contra—Act Against, meaning not to follow the devil of laziness and neglect, but be a faithful soldier—vigilant, working, and obedient!

Note: Ignatian Rules for Discernment of Spirits to be continued tomorrow… 

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

THURSDAY, March 25th  Lk. 1: 26-38   SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION… Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

• The Annunciation heralds the turning point in world history which we know as B.C. – before Christ, and A.D. – Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord” or the year Jesus was born. You cannot speak about one without referencing the other!
• In the same way, the Annunciation cannot be separated from the Visitation! The Angel announces to Mary that by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she is to be the Mother of the Son of God, and Mary gives the Angel her fiat, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word”.
• Then Mary goes in haste to help her older cousin Elizabeth in the hill country, for she who was barren is in her sixth month of pregnancy!
• Listen to Elizabeth’s greeting. In a loud voice she exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the word the Lord spoke to her would be fulfilled!”
• Do we go in haste to bring the good news to others??? Let Mary’s story inspire us!

Part 1: On the Annunciation and Mary’s “fiat”… by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Part 2: 10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

On the Annunciation and Mary’s “fiat”… by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

(Note: This homily excerpt of St. Bernard is in the Office of Readings for December 20, the fourth week of Advent.)

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.

Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… By: Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Mary is model, teacher, guide, inspiration, life, sweetness and hope to all to raise their eyes to her with love.  In the beautiful prayer of Saint Bernard, the Memorare, we pray with confidence: “Remember, O gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection was left unaided.”

May is the month of Mary and it concludes with one of the most beautiful Marian Feast days—the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth.  Many superb spiritual lessons can be learned from this Marian gem, which also is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Let us descend into this “Spiritual Gold Mine” and grab on to the excellent treasures.

1. CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION.  The last part of the prior mystery—the Annunciation/Incarnation— ends with Mary’s “Fiat”— that is to say, Mary’s Yes to God. The exact words are: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” In that moment, one of the most sublime moments in the history of the world took place: the Incarnation of the Son of God. That is to say, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity descended from His heavenly throne and became Incarnate (man) in the most pure womb of the Virgin Mary! In rapt awe, we humbly adore this sublime mystery!

2. COMMUNION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY.  Mary did not keep the “Gift” of Jesus to herself, but went in haste to share the gift with others. She started an 80 kilometer journey, traveling uphill to Ain Karim to visit her cousin Elizabeth and help her in her need. Pope Benedict XVI in his Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” insists that Mass and Holy Communion must transform us into ardent missionaries who bring the Good News of Jesus to the whole world!

3. IN HASTE.  Mary did not procrastinate, put off, delay, make excuses, rationalize, or justify postponing her trip; rather, she followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and moved immediately. Lesson! Upon receiving good inspirations from the Holy Spirit, we should be both docile and prompt to respond!

4. TRAVEL WITH MARY AND TALK TO HER.  Enter into an Ignatian contemplative scene and imagine traveling with Mary. Notice her joy, her quick pace, her awareness of Jesus within her, her determination to carry out God’s will despite the possible obstacles—all of these make up your long trek to Ain Karim with Mary. Admire her majesty, but also be inspired by her humility and simplicity. During this long journey together, open up your heart and talk to Mary about what is going on in your life. Why not even tell her what is most heavy on your heart! Mary is the best of listeners!

5. EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION.  Remember! The little Jesus is already present in the womb of Mary. Therefore, as you travel remember that this indeed is a “Eucharistic Procession” — a Corpus Christi procession! Mary always wants to draw us closer to Jesus!  Her last words at the wedding Feast of Cana were: “Do whatever He tells you!” (Jn. 2:5) Great advice! Beg for the grace to have a greater faith, love, and devotion towards Jesus truly present in the Eucharist!

6. JOY!  This is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Being with Jesus and Mary is our true and authentic source of joy. Mary’s canticle, her Magnificat, emphasizes this truth: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Lk. 1:46-47) May we always seek joy in this authentic source: JESUS, THE LORD!

7.  GREETING!  Most likely Mary greeted Elizabeth with the typical Jewish greeting, SHALOM— peace be with you! Our homes, families, communities, parishes, groups, and activities, should be characterized by a “Shalom” atmosphere. A warm, welcoming and inviting milieu should be created. An essential note of apostolic effectiveness is that of creating this warm and welcoming environment. Mary teaches us this by her greeting!

8. BABY JOHN LEAPS FOR JOY!  At the sound of Mary’s greeting the infant John leaps for joy in the womb of Saint Elizabeth! What is happening here? Jesus, even before being born, is acting as Redeemer by freeing His cousin John from the bond of Original Sin.  Message! Contact with Jesus and Mary through prayer will undoubtedly serve as a powerful means to diminish the grip of sin on us, and eventually shatter the binding force and slavery of sin in our lives. Sin indeed is slavery; Jesus and Mary came to give us true freedom, the freedom of the sons and daughters of God! “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

9.  PRO-LIFE PASSAGE “PAR EXCELLENCE!”  Both of these women in the modern society could be candidates for abortion. Why? One was very young, Mary; whereas, the other was very old, Elizabeth. However, both women had infinite trust in God’s Divine Providence! Because of this trust, Elizabeth gave birth to the great Saint John the Baptist, and Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son Of God! At all times, in our meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, may we be staunch defenders of human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. God is the author and origin of life and He alone has the right to take life to Himself!

10.  MARY AND ACTIVE SERVICE.  Love for God cannot limit itself to words, but must manifest itself in actions, in service, in seeing Jesus truly present in others! Not only did Mary greet Elizabeth, but she also actively served her aged and pregnant cousin in her need! With a little bit of imagination (Ignatian Contemplation), we can picture Mary and accompany her in active service! 

What might be some of the activities that Mary carried out with joy and love? Walking to the well to get water— no running water back then! Sweeping the dust and dirt from their humble home—no vacuum cleaners 2000 years ago! Washing and hanging clothes out to dry— no expensive washing machine and dryer to quicken the work. Cooking and baking in preparation for the meals, setting the table, washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen after eating—there was no take-out Burger King, Pizza-Hut, or KFC available! Nor were there overflowing refrigerators to be emptied of the waste every week!  

All of these humble, domestic chores Mary would have carried out with the greatest love and attention to assist her cousin Elizabeth. Remember! Holiness does not depend on the greatness of the act, but on the great love that accompanies every action— even if it appears to be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world. The secret of the sanctity of Saint Therese, and of Mary in the mystery of the Visitation, is to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love! That is sanctity!

In conclusion, let us contemplate the life, words, gestures, and actions of Mary, most holy, especially in the Mystery of the Visitation, and be motivated to transfer our contemplative life into active service of our brothers and sisters, who are really Jesus Christ! 

“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” (Mt. 24: 45)

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

WEDNESDAY, March 24th    Jn. 8: 31-42   “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

• Today we know the Truth that sets us free! The Truth that Jesus gives us through His Holy Church. And Jesus said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16: 18)
• Matthew concludes his Gospel account thus: “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
• CCC 1127: Celebrated worthily in faith, the sacraments confer the grace that they signify. They are efficacious because in them, Christ himself is at work: it is he who baptizes, he who acts in his sacraments in order to communicate the grace that each sacrament signifies.
• The first Sacrament in the order of grace is Baptism. Let us meditate upon the riches of our Baptism with praise and thanksgiving to God and beg for the grace to live our baptismal promises and so receive Christ’s promise of eternal life!

BAPTISM: BEING BORN IN THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The melodious song of chirping birds, the fragrant redolence and aroma of Spring flowers, the majestic soaring of eagles on high, the blossoming of dazzling red roses, the sky radiant with the hand-stroke of a multi-colored rainbow, the transformation of the caterpillar into the majestic Monarch butterfly, the awakening of the world with sunrise and the closure of the day with sundown—all of the above are manifestations of beauty and triumph!

Considering all the glorious array of nature’s beauty that dazzles the eye, none can be compared to the sublime graces that flow from the Sacrament of Baptism! For lack of formation and sufficient catechesis, few have the keen awareness of the fact that Baptism should be the happiest day in the life of man and woman on earth.

INVISIBLE REALITY, BUT INDEED REALITY!  The extraordinary graces that flow from Baptism are not captured by many for lack of understanding, but also, not perceived because these graces—countless graces—are invisible. They are not perceived by the human eye, but only through the eyes of those with an authentic faith! Let us pray that we will be among the select few who truly have eyes of faith! Like the blind Bartimaeus, let us cry out to the Lord:  “Lord, I want to see!”

Let us read and meditate upon the Sacrament of Baptism according to what one of the most authoritative sources has to say about this Sacrament—The Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway of life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and the word.”(Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1213)

OUR SECOND BIRTHDAY: CELEBRATE IT!!!  All of us who have had the grace, privilege and blessing from God to have received the Sacrament of Baptism, should investigate and ascertain the exact date of our Baptism. Then with this knowledge, every year we should celebrate that day. How? First, we should attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion with faith, fervor and fire! Second, we should spend some time in private prayer rendering abundant thanksgiving to God for the great gift that He has given to us of our Baptism. Then, every year bring out the ice-cream, cake and candles and celebrate the Anniversary of our Baptism with family and friends. We have to learn how to celebrate the glorious, spiritual peak-experiences in our lives. Our Baptism is one of those spiritual peak-experiences!

Therefore, let us set forth a categorical list of the many astounding graces that we received on the day that the priest poured water on our forehead and pronounced these words that radically changed our lives. Those words were:  X_____Name:  “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Transform this wonderful list into a prayer, a Litany of thanksgiving to God. May the words of the Psalmist echo in our hearts! “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; eternal is His mercy.” (Ps. 136: 1)

THE MULTIPLE GRACES THAT FLOW FROM THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

1. ORIGINAL SIN.  As a result of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, we enter the human family with the stain of Original Sin—only Jesus and Mary are excluded! Baptism washes our soul from this moral stain and transforms our soul into radiant beauty, as white as the snow!

2. GOD THE FATHER. With Baptism there is a real entrance into a profound relationship with the Eternal Father. True! We become sons and daughters of God, truly sons and daughters of the Eternal Father. What joy should fill our hearts!

3. GOD THE SON. Our relationship with Jesus through Baptism transforms Him into our Older Brother. If anyone asks you if you have an older brother, your response should be in the positive: “Yes! Jesus is my older brother!”  What a privilege!

4. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. The third Person of the most Blessed Trinity becomes powerfully present with Baptism. Yes! The Holy Spirit becomes our intimate and Best-Friend! This being said, by maintaining the grace of God in our soul, we are really never alone because the Holy Spirit is there to be our intimate and Best of Friends!

5. BLESSED TRINITY.  As a follow up and conclusion, with Baptism we are transformed into living Tabernacles of the Blessed Trinity. The three Persons live together in the very depths of our soul: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In all truth, we become living icons of the Triune God who lives and breathes within our souls!

6. FAITH.  In Baptism, God instills in our soul the theological virtue of Faith. Defined: “Faith is the intellectual virtue in which we believe firmly in a God, and all that He teaches through the Church, even though we do not see this God.” Lord, strengthen us in faith!

7. HOPE.  The second theological virtue received with Baptism is that of Hope.  Defined: “Hope is the theological virtue in which we place our trust in God, even in the midst of severe tribulations and sufferings.” Jesus, I trust in you!

8. CHARITY.  The greatest of the theological virtues, as well as of all the virtues, is that of Charity. This virtue has a double dimension: the vertical and the horizontal. Defined: “Charity is the virtue by which I love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength” (the vertical – go up); then, I love my neighbor as myself for love of God” (the horizontal – go out).

9. THE FOUR MORAL/CARDINAL VIRTUES: Justice, Temperance, Prudence, and Fortitude. These virtues facilitate in us the practice of virtues that we need to live out our daily walk with the Lord Jesus.

10.  THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  God’s graces and gifts pour down upon us like an enormous deluge. With Baptism, God instills in our souls His Gifts, the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first three perfect the intellect – Counsel serves as a bridge between the intellect and the will – the last three perfect our will. Marching in, here they are:  1. Wisdom, 2. Knowledge, 3. Understanding, 4. Counsel, 5. Fortitude, 6. Piety, 7. Fear of the Lord.

11.  FREEDOM FROM THE DOMINION OF THE DEVI.  In the celebration of Baptism, the minister administers a minor exorcism against the devil and his seductions and pomps.

12.  UNION WITH OUR NEW FAMILY: THE CHURCH.  With Baptism, we are introduced into a new family—the family of the Catholic Church.  Jesus is the Head and we are the noble members of His Mystical Body, the Church. This family consists of the Church Triumphant, the saints in heaven; the Church Militant, the soldiers of Christ fighting the good fight on earth; and the Church Suffering, the souls in Purgatory! What an extensive and great family!

13.  SANCTIFYING GRACE.  Once baptized, the soul is imbued with sanctifying grace. Meaning? The Baptized soul in grace has a deep friendship with God; grace is what makes us truly pleasing to God.

14.  OPENS THE DOOR TO THE OTHER SACRAMENTS.  Once Baptism is received, then at the appropriate time, each baptized person can prepare to receive the other Sacraments. Of paramount importance, of course, is the preparation and reception of the Most Holy Eucharist: the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus our Lord, God and Savior!

15.  INHERITANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE.  If we persevere in living out the abundant graces that flow from the Sacrament of Baptism, then the final and ineffable reward is that of ETERNAL LIFE—to be with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Mary, the angels and saints forever in Heaven!

Spend some time in silent prayer, slowly meditating upon this long list of blessings that you received on the day of your Baptism. Profusely abound in thanksgiving for God’s love and generosity. Then live out your Baptismal Promises and strive to become the saint that Jesus has called you to be: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5: 48)