Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality

MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | AUGUST 13, 2020





Catechism of the Catholic Church

72 God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13th   Mk. 18:21 – 19:1 “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him, as many as seven times?”

Part 1 – Reflection on Forgiveness
Part 2 – On Forgiveness… by Fr. Jacques Philippe
Part 3 – Patience: The Virtue We All Need… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Reflection on Forgiveness:

  • When we are unable to forgive, we are the one bound in chains, not the person who wounded us!
  • No one could ever wound us as much as our sins wounded Jesus in His Passion and death on the Cross. Therefore, let us apply liberal doses as often as needed of the antidote to the bitterness of un-forgiveness.
  • These two practices have been tested and tried in the crucible of experience and are guaranteed to bring healing in mind, body, and soul! It is essential that these prayers are supported by a fervent Sacramental life with frequent Confession and participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass weekly, even daily if at all possible!
  • Every time you have bitter thoughts about someone who hurt you, 1) Repeat the words of Jesus, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing”, and 2) Pray three fervent Hail Marys for their eternal salvation! If your feelings rebel against doing this, do it twice!!!  Ignatian Agere Contra!
  • This is not hypocrisy, this is heroic virtue! In consequence of doing this faithfully, two souls will be saved – their soul and your own! Did not Jesus teach us to pray: “Our Father, who art in heaven… Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!”
  • Remember, in Heaven, the scales will be balanced. They will see and understand how deeply they hurt us. And we will see and understand how deeply we hurt others. And all will be forgiven!

 On Forgiveness… by Fr. Jacques Philippe

Of course there are cases when the suffering other people causes us is due to a real fault on their part. The proper attitude then is not understanding in accepting differences, but something more demanding and difficult: forgiveness.

Modern culture doesn’t rate forgiveness very highly. More often it justifies resentment and revenge. But does that reduce the amount of evil in the world? The only way to diminish the suffering that burdens mankind is by forgiveness.

It bears repeating… that unless we understand the importance of forgiveness and practice it in our relations with others, we will never achieve inner freedom but will always be prisoners of our own bitterness.

When we refuse to forgive someone for harm done to us, we are adding another wrong to the first. That solves nothing at all. We are increasing the quantity of evil in the world, which has quite enough as it is. Let us do not join in the propagation of evil! As Saint Paul tells us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

  • Finally, let us practice and grow in the grace of the Opposite Virtue – Heroic Patience! St. Francis de Sales had a fearful temper and fought hard for this virtue in his life! The story is told that an irate man walked into the room where Francis was talking with a friend, and the man berated, belittled, and insulted Francis, going so far as to insult Francis’ Mother! Meanwhile, Francis said nothing. After the man left, the friend asked Francis, “How could you stand there and take that!” Francis replied, “I was not willing to lose in 2 minutes what it took me 20 years to attain.”

PATIENCE: THE VIRTUE WE ALL NEED!!!  By Father Ed Broom, OMV

There is not one person in the world who could say that he does not need the virtue of patience. Jesus said:  By your patience you will save your soul. Given that this virtue is universal and not easy to attain, that will be our topic for conversation in this brief article!

PATIENCE FOR WHO?  You might stop and look at your life and ask the question: with whom, where, and when do I need the virtue of patience? Not to be overly simplistic, but I believe we can narrow this question down to three distinct categories. We have to be patient with others—those we meet, those we live with, those we work with, those we associate with, those with whom we come into contact either frequently or less frequently. Then, another very important category or person with whom we must exercise constant and infinite patience—and that is with ourselves, yes, with ourselves! Finally, and this last Person with whom we must practice patience may not be as obvious as first thought, it is GOD!!!

Patience with Others…

This being said, we must be keenly aware of the hard and cruel fact that people will rub us the wrong way, get on our nerves, provoke us, exasperate us, and sometimes simply drive us bananas—to put it bluntly! As you read this article, I am sure that you have some person in mind, more likely, some persons in mind! Certain idiosyncrasies of others—their tone of voice, the pace they move at, their facial expression, the words they use or fail to use, drive you up the wall or almost drive you crazy! We all know these people, have had contact with them, and probably do even right now! What then are we going to do to remedy this predicament?!

Easier said than done—finding the solution to this problem of patience with the person or persons who seem to us to be intolerable! Let us offer three simple suggestions that can be invaluable!

First, PRAYER!  Jesus says that we have to pray, and not simply for those people whom we see as charming, attractive, likeable, holy and unblemished—as if these people really do exist anyway!!! No! We must pray for all people because they were created by a loving God, and God wants all of humanity to form a family in which the virtues of love, compassion, mercy, and respect reign supreme! Jesus says very clearly that we have to even pray for our enemies, as He taught us on the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. (Lk. 23-34)

Second, HUMILITY!  Be humble in the midst of your dislike of this person who drives you up the wall due to the many defects that you observe in them. Remember and call to mind your own many defects, which might be more serious in the eyes of God than those of the person that you really cannot stand! God loves the humble, but rejects the arrogant and proud. When tempted to look down on this person, call to mind one of your most egregious failures or sins and God’s mercy towards you. This will help you to be more compassionate, kind, and PATIENT toward this intolerable person!

Third, put into practice what Saint Ignatius of Loyola teaches in the course of the Spiritual Exercises and it is the concept of AGERE CONTRA!!! This is a short Latin phrase which literally means to go against! Therefore, when you are tempted to be impatient, unkind, cold or downright mean to this person who presses your buttons, do the opposite. Give them a smile, a kind word, a nice gesture, or even give them a gift—all this is difficult but very pleasing to God! This conquering of self through doing what is difficult is possible, and once done a true sign of the victory of God’s grace in your life!

Patience with Self…

 Now what about patience with oneself??? Those who are so-called perfectionists will always end up defrauded, especially with themselves. Why? For the simple reason that we live in a complex and very imperfect world, better yet, a sinful world! Only God is perfect and all of humanity is composed of sinners, hopefully on the pathway of conversion! The Bible teaches us that the just man falls seven times a day. Jesus says that we must forgive those who offend us not seven times, but 70 times seven times. 

In other words, even though we have to be constantly fighting to overcome our sinful tendencies, as well as sin itself in our lives, we should strive never to give in to impatience at our many falls, much less discouragement. Indeed, the saints teach us that after sin itself, discouragement is mortal enemy number one! Patience: name it and claim it!

The Founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, Venerable Bruno Lanteri expressed it in two short words, and these two words say it all! NUNC COEPI!!! Meaning: NOW I BEGIN!!! In other words, after we fall or fail in one way or another, we should get up, dust ourselves off, launch ourselves into the loving arms of God the Father (the image of Saint Therese of Lisieux), and simply start anew! We should trust more in God’s grace than in our human weakness, remembering the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: When I am weak, it is then that I am strong! (2 Cor. 12: 10) The recently canonized saint (2015), the Missionary of California, Saint Junipero Serra coined this immortal phrase: Siempre Adelante, siempre Adelante y nunca atras! Translation: Always forward, always forward and never turn back!!! Therefore, when we do fall (and no doubt we will fall!!!) we should never give in to discouragement, but rather trust less in ourselves and more in God’s power in our lives! In other words, less self-reliance and more God-reliance! With the Psalmist let us exclaim: “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth!” (Ps 124:8)

 Patience with God…

Finally, the last Person and the most important Person to be patient with is God Himself! This may surprise many who in their hearts might be thinking: I have never been impatient with God! Oh really! Have you ever prayed to God and not been answered according to your criteria? Have you ever asked God to help you in sickness and suffering and it seemed as if God was not listening, absent, or totally indifferent to your situation? Has it ever happened that you made a novena to God, to Mary, or to one of God’s angels or saints and the request made was not answered; instead, your situation seemed to get even worse? Has it ever happened that you prayed for the conversion of somebody and it appeared that absolutely nothing happened? Has it ever happened in your life that you begged God with faith for the mountain to be moved, and when you got up the following morning, the mountain had not moved or budged a millimeter? With these so called unanswered prayers or petitions, these unresolved problems or aggravating circumstances, where it seemed as if God really did not care, was indifferent, or even uninterested in your sorrowful plight, there is a good chance that you became impatient with God to the point of even becoming angry at God. This plight is more common than we are aware of!!!

What then is the response to this predicament? Very simply the following! Our God is a God of infinite Love! Our God is a God of infinite Wisdom! However, the mind of God is not the mind of man. His ways far transcend and supersede ours—in knowledge, wisdom, love, and planning. We can barely see beyond our own nose and we live only in a specific moment of time. Not so with God! He lives in the eternal present. For an infinite and eternal God, the past, present, and future are all one. This being said, for the sake of our conversion, sanctification, perseverance in grace, and eternal salvation, God’s plans and decisions will not always meet with our criteria. However, we must believe in God’s loving and providential design! All God does for you individually, personally, socially, and spiritually is always—in the broad and panoramic perspective and in the light of eternity—for your greatest good! Therefore, strive never to be impatient with God but trust Him, trust totally and humbly in His infinite love for you and providential care. Beg Our Lady, who stood beneath the cross watching Jesus suffer and die, to have great trust and patience in God’s plan for your life! And be at peace!

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | AUGUST 12, 2020

August 12, 2020

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 EZ 9:1-7, 10:18-22

The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.

Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm PS 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (4b)  The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.  R. 

From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.  R. 

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?  R. 

Alleluia 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen, 
take one or two others along with you,
so that  every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”  

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.



Catechism of the Catholic Church

71 God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf Gen 9:16). It will remain in force as long as the world lasts.


Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Pray for us.

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

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12th   Mt. 18:15-20   “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

In the particular situation we are in with Covid-19 and restricted access to our prayer community, we can still “pray together”—either in our own family or on our own, but for the good of all through Prayers of Reparation!

ENRICH YOUR PRAYER LIFE WITH PRAYERS OF REPARATION by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We should constantly be striving to improve upon our prayer life. What air is to our lungs, so is prayer to our soul. It is essential; it is a matter of life and death! The forms of prayer are multiple. One of the most simple ways to understand the key forms of prayer is by means of this four-letter acronym: A. C. T.  S.

A—stands for Adoration, the highest form of prayer that we can offer to Almighty God. This is the prayer of the highest choir of angels in heaven.

C—stands for “Contrition”—meaning? We are all sinners and we are called to repent firmly for our own personal sins, trusting always in God’s mercy!

T—stands for “Thanksgiving”.  All that we are and all that we have—aside from our own personal sins—are gifts from the infinite bounty and generosity of Almighty God’s love!

S—stands for “Supplication”. Not a word well-known or used in common parlance. It simply means the prayer of petition. Saint Augustine says with great clarity: “We are all beggars before God.” We all need God desperately for everything!

In this short meditation we would like to focus most specifically upon the prayer form of Contrition—which means sorrow for our sins. However, an integral part of Contrition should also be our desire to make many forms of reparation for our sins, as well as for the sins of the world at large. We pray in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy that Jesus gave to the world through Saint Faustina Kowalska: “Have mercy on us and on the whole world.” That is to say, our prayer should take on a universal dimension; actually the word Catholic means “Universal”—all embracing, open to all people who live upon planet earth and also all those who have passed from this world to the next! Without further ado, let us launch into a prayer in which we want to beg pardon and reparation—meaning to make up for and to satisfy God’s justice—for all people, for ourselves and for the whole world!

You might be wondering, then whom should we pray for, in what order of importance, how should we pray and with what disposition of heart? We would like to offer a list of those for whom we should pray, and remember, with true contrition and for the purpose of Reparation!

1. ME, MYSELF AND I! Well, you might be thinking, that is somewhat egotistical, self-centered or even narcissistic! Not true! God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind: to praise Him and to save our own individual soul. It is not egoistical to pray for our conversion, sanctification, growth in holiness and final perseverance. Rather, it is a matter of life and death. We all must individually, in the words of the Apostle Saint Paul, “work out our salvation in fear and in trembling.”

2. OUR FAMILY MEMBERS. Our prayers should extend to our family members, first and foremost! Spouses should pray for each other, then their children, their parents, and finally other blood-relatives. God brought you together in a family; you should pray fervently prayers of reparation for the many sins of all of your family members. May your prayers serve to make up for the damage that they have done through their many sins.

3. CATHOLIC CHURCH AT LARGE IN ITS ENTIRETY! The Catholic Church is the church that has the most members in the entire world—more than one billion members presently! To be dead honest, not all are ready to be canonized right now! We all are sinners, and to make things worse, most Catholics do not even practice their faith—that is to say, they do not even attend Sunday Mass. Just this one comment merits a huge dose of prayers of reparation from many fervent souls!

4. YOUR SPECIFIC LOCAL CHURCH. Now the specific local Catholic church that you attend consists of many sinners. Many of these Catholics do not attend Mass. Most likely, many question certain Church teachings and practices. Many have gaping wounds that they are not striving to heal. Many have never begged pardon for their own sins, much less the sins of the members of their families. For these in our local church, our local parish to which we belong, let us offer fervent prayers of reparation: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

5. SOCIAL SINS THAT HAVE BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE FIBER OF THE SOCIETY. Pope Saint John Paul II has coined this long theological term. What it means is simply this: there are some serious sins that are not only individual and personal, but have actually embedded themselves into the very fiber, marrow, or if you like, the heart of society. These structural sins would be the following: legalization of abortion, legalization of same-sex unions and transgenderism, the legalization in some States of euthanasia—killing the elderly and infirm. For these social sins embedded in and encrusted onto the very fabric and heart of society, we beg pardon and willingly offer fervent and continuous prayers of reparation. About every 20 seconds an innocent baby is being murdered through the abominable crime and heinous sin of abortion. “O Lord, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

6. SINNERS WHO DENY THEY “ARE SINNERS”. There is a class of individuals—indeed very prevalent and widespread in society today—and they are those individuals who claim stridently that they have no sins whatsoever. Pope Pius XII of blessed memory, stated: “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” Many Catholics have not approached the Sacrament of Confession for years; we might even say DECADES!!! They blurt out, with an air of pride and arrogance: “Well, I have no sins!” We all know they have many sins, but unfortunately they have suppressed, anesthetized or even killed their conscience! For this large mass of individuals who claim to be great saints, we must beg pardon, and offer prayers of reparation for their sins and for their eternal salvation!

7. DEATHBED SINNERS. A very important class of people that we must pray for most urgently, as Jesus constantly reminded Saint Faustina, are those individuals who are about to die and most unfortunately they are in the state of mortal sin and their eternal salvation is in grave jeopardy. For this reason, the great woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Catherine of Siena asserted: “The two most important moments of our life are the following: now and at the hour of our death.” Why? We only have this precise moment, “the now”. However, of prime and eternal importance is the precise moment we die. If we die in the state of grace our soul will be saved for all eternity; but if we die in the state of mortal sin our soul will be lost for all eternity! Through our urgent prayers, let us beg mercy, pardon, conversion and reparation for those who are dying right now in this precise moment. “Lord, have mercy on deathbed sinners, and on the whole world.”

8. PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, AND BISHOPS. Of prime importance, all should offer fervent and constant prayers for those who have consecrated their lives to God and the Church—namely, priests, Bishops, and men and women Religious. These individuals who are called to a very lofty mission within the Church are also sinners. The letter to the Hebrews explains this with utmost clarity: “Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset with weakness, and so for this reason must make sin offerings for himself as for his people.” (Heb. 5:1-3). The devil will often tempt priests, Bishops, and Religious all the more because if they fall they cause a greater scandal to the people and enormous damage to the Church at large. For their sins, we beg the Lord Jesus, the Supreme High Priest, to have mercy, and we beg through our earnest prayers, reparation for the damage they have caused in the Church and the world at large!

9. LOCAL AND SPECIFIC INTENTIONS. We all have within our hearts and our personal lives many intentions that we would like to present to the Lord. In this we should beg the Holy Spirit for light to see the areas in our personal life where we must beg pardon, mercy and reparation. Every time we go to Confession, we are called to confess our sins with humility, sincerity, and a firm purpose of amendment, meaning we really want to transform our lives! However, there is another important element that is part and parcel of making a good Sacramental Confession and that is the aspect of “Penance”. We must carry out the penance the priest imposes upon us. This too is Reparation. We willingly accept the penance the priest gives us, and possibly accept to do more, to repair for our past sins. A priest, who helped to form us as future priests, suggested that we should always do double the penance that the priest imposes on us in confession. Great advice so as to live out reparation!

10. SOULS IN PURGATORY.  Our essay would be incomplete if we failed to mention a special group of souls that we should intercede for frequently and with great fervor: the poor and abandoned souls in Purgatory. This is a group of individuals who have passed from this life to the next and are saved, but are in need of purification for the sins that they committed in life. They are totally dependent on the mercy of Almighty God. However, a channel through which the mercy of God is actualized is through us, through our prayers and offering sacrifices for these abandoned souls in Purgatory. Apply the Golden Rule in this circumstance, which is: “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” If you were an abandoned soul in Purgatory, beyond a shadow of doubt, you would desire many of the living to offer fervent prayers for your eventual entrance into heaven. In other words, with respect to Reparation, the souls of those who have passed from this life to the next must be purified and their sins repaired for, and we the living are called to this very lofty and noble mission!

In conclusion, let us enrich our personal prayer life by learning a prayer intention that possibly we have never done or have never done well and completely: that is the prayer of Reparation. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are wounded, with thorns embedded in them. These are the sins of humanity. It is our spiritual duty and privilege, by means of our prayers of reparation, to take out the thorns and gently place roses in the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Indeed, they will rejoice because of our acts of reparation and they will have a special place for us in their Hearts in time and for all eternity. Amen.

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | AUGUST 11, 2020

August 11, 2020

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

Reading 1 EZ 2:8-3: 4

The Lord GOD said to me:

As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:
be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,
but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.

It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,
in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.
It was covered with writing front and back,
and written on it was: 
Lamentation and wailing and woe!

He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;
eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.
So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Son of man, he then said to me,
feed your belly and fill your stomach
with this scroll I am giving you.
I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel,
and speak my words to them.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:14,24,72,103,111,131

R. (103a)  How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.  R.

Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.  R.

The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.  R.

How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!  R.

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.  R. 

I gasp with open mouth,
in my yearning for your commands.  R.

Alleluia MT 11:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.


Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi, Italy. Saint Clare lays buried deep under the high altar of her basilica.


Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi, Italy, contains the remains of St. Clare. This is a mask of the saint.


Saint Clare Of Assisi – tunic and mantle displayed.


Tunic of St. Francis of Assisi.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

70 Beyond the witness to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our first parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf Gen 3:15) and offered them his covenant.

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11TH Mt. 18: 1-5, 10, 12-14    “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3)

Part 1: Our Need for Conversion… by Father Jacques Philippe

Part 2: Living as a Child of the Father…   by St. Teresa of Avila

Part 3: Protecting Our Children Surrounded by Wolves by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

The biggest stumbling block to our being converted and becoming children of God is pride – the very reason for the rebellion of the angels, “and a third of the stars fell from the sky.” (see Rev 12)

Our Need for Conversion… by Father Jacques Philippe

Our great drama is this: Man does not have confidence in God. Hence he looks in every possible place to extricate himself by his own resources and renders himself terribly unhappy in the process, rather than abandon himself into the tender and saving hands of his Father in heaven.

Yet how unjustified this lack of confidence is! Isn’t it absurd that a child would thus doubt his Father, when this Father is the best and most powerful who could exist, when He is the Father in heaven? In spite of that, it is in this absurdity that we most frequently live.

How many young people, for example, hesitate to give their lives entirely to God (to order the disorder) because they do not have confidence that God is capable of making them completely happy? And they seek to assure their own happiness, and they make themselves sad and unhappy in the process.

This is precisely the great victory of the Father of Lies, of the Accuser: succeeding in putting into the heart of a child of God distrust vis-à-vis his Father!

It is, however, marked with this distrust that we came into this world. This is the original sin. And all our spiritual life consists precisely in a long process of re-education, with a view to regaining that lost confidence by the grace of the Holy Spirit who makes us say anew to God: Abba, Father!  

 Living as a Child of the Father…   by St. Teresa of Avila

Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God. 

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks with compassion into the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world.  End of Reflection

“The Lord promises us: ‘Because you cling to me in love, I will deliver you. Because you know my name, I will protect you. When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will rescue and honor you. With length of days I will satisfy you, and show you my salvation.’”  (Ps. 91:14-19)

It is not enough for us to become truly a child of the Father, we have to protect and help our children to be a child of the Father!

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN SURROUNDED BY WOLVES by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

A Good Shepherd is intent on protecting his sheep from the ravenous wolves on the prowl looking for prey. Such a shepherd knows where the wolves come from, when they attack and how they attack. The authentic Good Shepherd is even willing to lay down his own life for the sake of the safety of the sheep. (Jn. 10:1-21)

Of course the best model in the world of the Good Shepherd is Jesus Himself. He says the Good Shepherd is willing to lay down his life and die for the sheep entrusted to his care. The welfare of the sheep supersedes and transcends the value of the Shepherd Himself.

Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday is the most eloquent proof of the love of the Good Shepherd for the sheep under his care. The Precious Blood that He shed on the cross shows most clearly and convincingly His limitless love for His Sheep.

Never have we lived in a world where there are so many wolves on the prowl to attack, bite, devour and kill the sheep of our flock—that is to say, our children and teens! Therefore, parents must be in training formation so as to be able to protect their children from these prowling wolves.

We would like to offer a spiritual strategy plan that could be of great use to help us to be that Good Shepherd that Jesus our Good Shepherd wants us to be.

1. BAPTISM AND CONSECRATION TO MARY.  Parents should provide and procure the baptism of their child as soon as possible. In the same ceremony with the Baptism they should consecrate the child to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. One of the special intentions will be to protect the child from the ravenous wolves that are on the prey to attack and kill.  In our spiritual battle we should prepare for war as soon as possible and be well safeguarded and protected by a sacramental life and protection from Mary whose prayers and protection are most powerful.

2. PRAYER.  Family prayer is of the essence. Parents are the first educators of their children especially in the path of faith and love for God. One of the essential elements of our faith is PRAYER. With respect to prayer, parents should faithfully carry out three fundamental tasks: 1) Pray for the protection, welfare and salvation of their children; 2) Then the parents should teach their children to pray and as early as possible. Children are like sponges; they absorb—either good or bad. The other day I listened to one of my relatives—a child of only two years of age—recite the Creed! This is a sign of good parents working at a very tender age with their little one. Let us not underestimate the capacity and potential of the child. Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me.” (Mt. 19:14) 3) Finally, parents should pray with their children. The Rosary is a prayer most pleasing to Jesus and Mary. Let the children add their intentions and have turns leading the decades. How often have we heard: “The family that prays together, stays together.”  (Ven. Fr. Patrick Peyton).

3. CONTROL ELECTRONICS WORLD.  Parents, as the Good Shepherds of their flock, must strive to control the use of the electronics world in the lives of their children. Television, movies, but most especially use of the INTERNET must be supervised constantly by the parents. As daunting a task as this may seem, still this is the responsibility of parents in order to be a Good Shepherd to their flock. Allowing for free access and use of the Internet for children and teens has proven catastrophic in too many cases. The number one addiction in the USA is that of pornography—the abuse of the electronic world, specifically the internet. How true this sage proverb: “Better preventive medicine, than curative medicine.”

4. LIVE THE SABBATH DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY.  Sunday is the Lord’s Day and it should be lived fully and properly according to God’s plan. But besides being the Lord’s Day, Sunday is also FAMILY DAY! After attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving Holy Communion in the service at your local church, then it is time to enjoy family time and to bond with family members. How? Here are some ideas. Have a good picnic or meal together. Then go to the park to play together, rest together, and enjoy each other’s company. Take a nature walk and thank God for the beauty of His creation. Visit an elderly or sick person who has few visitors, thereby giving this person hope and joy. At night, have a pizza party together and watch a good movie with Catholic-Christian values that will assist the spiritual formation of your children. After the movie share and talk about the values that were transmitted. Finally, to end the day, pray the family Rosary together. This is the way to live out the Sabbath rest and to bond emotionally with family members.

5. FRIENDS.  The Bible teaches us that a good friend indeed is a great treasure beyond price. The poet says that no one is an island unto himself. Aristotle says that man is a social animal. Jesus Himself willed to enter the world in a family and choose the Apostles whom He called friends. We all need friends, or at least one good friend. However, parents must be very careful and judicious in watching over the choice of friends that their children desire. One bad friend can ruin their life.  Indeed, we should define what a good friend really is and not a Pseudo (false) friend. As followers of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, a true friend is someone who will bring  us closer to Jesus, our BEST FRIEND. This should always be our first criteria for ourselves and for our children!

6. IDLNESS IS THE WORKSHOP OF THE DEVIL.  Saint John Bosco had a dreaded fear every year for his young boys and it was the vacation months. He was aware of the many temptations that young people are exposed to when they have too much free time on their hands. It is so true: if we have nothing to do, the devil will give us a lot to do! Look at the sin of David who committed adultery and then murder. One of the principal reasons for David falling into sin was that he had a block of free time and no plans. Good parents, as Good Shepherds to their flock should always have their children, and especially teens, constantly engaged in wholesome and enriching activities. We should always be busy—though not nervous, frenetic and agitated activity. Our engagement can be in any one of three areas: physical, mental, or spiritual. Sports for young people are invaluable to keep the body occupied in a wholesome manner. The habit of reading good books so as to cultivate the mind will never be regretted. Age appropriate Lives of the Saints can captivate and motivate children and young people. A strong and holy mind can do limitless good for the society; consider the good accomplished by Augustine, Aquinas, and John Paul II as examples! Finally, spiritual activity is of paramount important. On holidays and vacation time there is no reason why parents—the Good Shepherds of their flock—could not take their family to daily Mass and receive Holy Communion, the Bread of Life, and the strength of the saints and martyrs.

7. COMMUNCATION.  Busy work schedules, paying the bills, shopping for groceries, being caught in traffic jams, all of the above characterize modern life and sometimes can serve as an excuse to neglect a very important component of family life—daily dialogue and communication with their children. The modern man, woman, teen and child, unfortunately spend more time in front of the screen, be it television, computer, or smart phone, than in front of the human person. In the eyes of God, the human person has infinitely more value than all of the material objects in the world. Many young people today are addicted to their phone and all that is involved in the electronic world. In a certain sense we can say that many young people live more in a fantasy world than in the real world. Parents, for the love of God and the future of your children, find time to talk to and to listen to your children. This is your responsibility!

8. LAUGHTER AND JOY IS THE BEST MEDICINE.  One of the many fruits of the Holy Spirit is that of JOY! Parents should strive to cultivate an environment of joy in their homes. The family milieu should have an aroma and ambience of joy so that after school their children do not dread returning to their home—as if it were a jail or penitentiary—but rather let them return to a place of joy, peace, harmony, and wholesome rest. Many young people have recourse to premarital sex, drinking and drugs, or seeking gang involvement because there is no festive, welcoming, joyful family environment in their home. Beg the Holy Spirit for the grace to experience joy and share it with your children! Saint Paul exhorts us: “Rejoice in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 2:2)

9. MERCY AND FORGIVENESS.  The English poet Alexander Pope coined an immortal saying that all of us should memorize and live: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” Only God is perfect and the just man falls seven times a day. The family is a school of virtues and a school of forgiveness. We can all hurt our family members through our words, gestures, silences, inattentiveness, and at times crude selfishness. However, what can really tear down families to the very foundation is failure to forgive, and to foster resentment and bitterness against any family member. Jesus’ last commandment was: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn. 15:12) Jesus also said: “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.” (Lk. 6:36) Finally, in the most famous prayer in the world, the Our Father, we pray: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Starting today, right now, let us reconcile with each other and foster family peace, harmony and love.

10. REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE AND WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP!  Saint Paul enjoins us in the above words! The family should cultivate what the athlete’s term TEAM WORK! A successful team always rejoices in the success of one of the team-members and suffers at the failure of a team member. When a baseball team, or basketball team, or football team wins a game or championship it is not the victory of one member, but of all of the members playing and working together towards the same goal. Likewise, whenever a family member triumphs—morally, spiritually, physically or intellectually—this is a success for the whole family, and all the members of the family should rejoice in this victory. Jealousy and envy can kill; rejoicing in love is what builds up families and makes families triumph!

In conclusion, the family today is surrounded by a pack of ravenous wolves that desire to attack and destroy. It is up to parents, the Good Shepherds of the flock entrusted to their care, to do all in their power to protect, preserve, and save their children. The key to being a good shepherd to the sheep in our care is that we must first be a good sheep of the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Lord. “The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall lack.” (Psalm 23:1)

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | AUGUST 10, 2020

August 10, 2020

Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Reading 1 2 COR 9:6-10

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1-2, 5-6,7-8, 9

R. (5) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.  R. 

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.  R. 

An evil report he shall not fear;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear
till he looks down upon his foes.  R. 

Lavishly he gives to the poor, 
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.  R. 

Alleluia JN 8:12 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

69 God has revealed himself to man by gradually communicating his own mystery in deeds and in words.


St. Lawrence Distributing the Treasures of the Church. Bernardo Strozzi. circa 1625.
North Carolina Museum of Art via Google Cultural Institute


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

MONDAY, AUGUST 10th  Jn. 12:24-26 “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, produces much fruit.”  

  • Christ was the first grain of wheat to fall to the ground and die so as to produce abundant fruit! We are the fruit of Christ’s Passion and death, shedding every drop of His precious Blood for our salvation.
  • That is why, according to Church teaching, Fridays are a day of voluntary, personal prayer and penance in remembrance of the price Jesus paid for our redemption.
  • One of the most powerful and efficacious means to show our gratitude in prayer and penance is to actually join Jesus on the cross, and Mary beneath the cross, in their redemptive suffering for the salvation of souls on the Via Dolorosa by praying the Stations of the Cross every Friday. You can do this in your own room.
  • Jesus commanded us: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) Jesus knows we cannot do that without Him; by commanding us to do something we cannot do on our own, He is promising to help us. 
  • These particular Stations of the Cross assist us in on-gong conversion of heart, mind, body and soul, so as to be a pleasing and fragrant offering to the Lord, and bring great joy to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary!

+ STATIONS OF THE CROSS +  by Father Ed Broom, OMV

The Stations of the Cross is a book of the love of God for each and every one of us. In it we can find all the virtues that we need to practice and to arrive at perfection and to attain eternal life. Let us briefly go through the Stations prayerfully and allow the Spirit of God to move us to love and imitate Jesus.

WE ADORE YOU, O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU, BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD.

I. JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH

  • Innocent people today are condemned to death, especially innocent babies in the wombs of their mothers.  Do you defend life?  Have you been absorbed by the “Culture of Death” mentality?
  • Do you judge and condemn people in your life?  Jesus says, “Judge not lest you yourself be judged.”
  • Is there some of Pontius Pilate in you?  He was a people-pleaser more than a God-pleaser.  Do you do things for the honor and glory of God or for your own honor and glory: vanity and pride?
  • Pilate was a coward.  Are you willing to speak up and live the truth, despite possible criticism?
  • Are you a relativist?  “What is the truth?”  Do you humbly abide by all the truths taught by the Catholic Church?
  • Have you ever been falsely accused?  How did you take it?
  • Have you ever falsely accused anyone else?

II. JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS

  • What is/are your cross/crosses?
  • Do you recognize them as gifts from God?
  • How do you carry your cross?
  • Do you complain about the cross God has given you?
  • Are you aware that others have crosses, maybe heavier than yours?
  • Do you unite your cross to the cross of Jesus?
  • Do you see value in the cross?
  • Does suffering have value for you and in the eyes of God?
  • Do you understand the cross is related to the Glory to follow?
  • Do you run away from the cross?

 III.   JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME

  • When do you fall into sin?
  • Why do you fall into that sin?
  • Are you trying not to fall into that sin?
  • Do you know the root causes of your falls?

IV. JESUS MEETS HIS SORROWFUL MOTHER

  • Who is Mary for you?
  • Do you share your crosses with the Blessed Mother?
  • What do you think went on in the Heart of Mary in this encounter?
  • Do you have compassion for the suffering people of the world?
  • Have you ever felt helpless in certain circumstances of your life?
  • Do you turn to Mary in temptations, struggles and stress?

V. SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS

  • Do you help people carry their crosses?
  • Are you a Good Samaritan on the highway of life?
  • Are you a Simon of Cyrene?  Helping others?
  • Do you make your neighbors’ crosses even heavier?  How?
  • Who is the person God is asking you to help now?
  • Who has been the Simon/Simons who have entered your life?
  • Have you thanked God for these many good people God has sent to help you to be where you are now?  Are you grateful?
  • Do you resist or hold off doing the good God wants you to do?

VI. VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS

  • Do you care about other people?
  • Are you at times selfish?
  • Are you aware of the Face of Jesus present in your soul through grace?
  • Have you disfigured the Face of Jesus in your soul through sin?
  • Have you crowned Him with thorns in your soul?
  • Are you afraid to look in the Face of Jesus?  Why?  What have you done?  Peter looked into the eyes of Jesus and began his conversion.
  • Do you long to see the Face of God in heaven?  Really?  How much?
  • Do you encourage Infant Baptism so as to have the Face of Jesus in a baby’s heart as soon as possible?
  • Do you try to avoid sin so as to retain the Face of Jesus in your soul?

VII.   JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME  

  • When you fall, do you get up right away?
  • Do you get discouraged and depressed after your fall?
  • Do you really trust in the Mercy of God?
  • Do you believe in the Mercy of God?
  • Have you made other people fall into sin by your bad example?
  • Have you made amends to help them to get up?

VIII. THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM WEEP OVER JESUS    

  • Have you wept for your sins?
  • Have you wept for the sins of your children?
  • Have you wept for the sins of your relatives?
  • Have you wept for the sins of your nation?
  • Are your tears crocodile tears or real tears of sorrow and repentance?
  • What does the beatitude, “Blessed are those who weep, for they shall be consoled” mean to you?

IX. JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME

  • What can you do to avoid the near occasion of sin?
  • Do you sin when you are tired and frustrated?
  • How can you better cope with weariness?
  • Will God always forgive you?
  • Why do you refuse to get up right away after your fall?
  • Do you pray for sinners, that they will get up and turn to God for mercy?
  • Are you concerned for the salvation of the world?

X. JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS

  • Are you aware of the stripping of Jesus as related to the sins against purity?
  • Are you sorry for your sins against purity?
  • Have you repented of them?
  • Are you avoiding bad movies/shows?  Bad magazines?  Bad electronic media?
  • Are you associating with someone who might place you in danger of sins against purity?
  • Do you dress modestly at all times?
  • Do you speak and act with modesty and decency?
  • What about your speech?
  • Are you striving for greater purity of heart, mind, body, soul and intention?
  • What does the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” mean to you?

XI. JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

  • Try to imagine the nails going through the Hands of Jesus. Nails going through His Feet.
  • Are you aware that your sins and mine were the nails that pierced the Hands and Feet of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
  • Are people nailing Jesus to the cross even today? How?
  • Are you responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus? How?
  • What do you think was the greatest pain in the crucifixion of Jesus?
  • Are there other Jesus’ being crucified even today in our world?  Who are these?

 XII. JESUS IS RAISED UPON THE CROSS AND DIES   

  • Jesus spoke seven times on the cross.  Which “word (phrase)” strikes you most?
  • Imagine the Blood of Jesus trickling down to the ground.  Do you realize that His Precious Blood was shed for you?
  • What do you think the sentiments of the Heart of Jesus were as He hung upon the cross?
  • Can you identify with one of the thieves?
  • What went on in the heart of the apostle John as he stood beneath the cross?
  • What about the Magdalene?
  • What was the attitude of the soldiers who threw dice for Jesus’ garments?
  • What about the crowd?
  • What do you think happened to the centurion under the cross when he thrust the sword into the side of Jesus?
  • Can you enter into the Sorrowful Heart of Mary in this moment?  How did she feel?
  • How would you like to die?  A martyr?  A cancer victim?  Suddenly?
  • Have you prayed for a happy death?
  • Would you be ready to meet your maker now?  Why?  Why not?
  • Why put off conversion when we know not when we are going to die?

XIII. JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND PLACED IN THE ARMS OF HIS BLESSED MOTHER  

  • They took the nails out of the Hands of Jesus.  Can you take those nails out, too?  How?  A good confession?
  • Do you treat the Body of Jesus with respect in Holy Communion?
  • How must Mary have felt holding her dead Son in her arms that first Good Friday?
  • Can you imagine the bruised, bloody, wounded Body of Jesus?
  • How do you receive Jesus into your heart?
  • Look at the wounds of Jesus.  Are you wounded?  Do you bring your wounds to Jesus to be healed by His wounds?  He is the Wounded Healer.
  • Do you take your neighbor down from the cross or keep him on the cross?
  • What does the saying from Isaiah mean to you, “By His wounds we are healed”?

XIV. JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB

  • Why did Jesus die?
  • Why was Jesus buried?
  • You will die and be buried.  What does that mean to you?
  • Are you really ready to die?
  • Mortal sin is death.  What does that mean?
  • What does the phrase, “Bury my sins, O Lord, with You in the tomb” mean?
  • What went on in the heart of Mary as they buried her Son and they rolled the stone to the tomb?
  • How do funerals, burials, cemeteries affect you?  Do they speak to you about spiritual realities?
  • Do you ever meditate on the 4 Last Things: DEATH, JUDGEMENT, HEAVEN AND HELL?  How often?  Add the idea of ETERNITY – forever and ever!
  • If death is so evident from the news, movies, and everyday life, why do people avoid thinking about death?  Do you avoid thinking about it?
  • Do you bury your sins in the Infinite Ocean of God’s Mercy?

CONCLUSION:  To meditate in depth on the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus is one of the most powerful means to understand the depth, width, height and enormity of the love God has for you and me. NO GREATER LOVE HAS A MAN THAN HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. If Jesus loves me so much, what am I willing to do and suffer for Him? Love is measured by the willingness to suffer for the loved one.

As you enter the confessional to confess your sins, do so as if this confession will be your LAST!

As you prepare to receive Holy Communion, do so as if the Communion you are about to receive is your FIRST, your LAST, and your ONLY Communion!

End Stations of the Cross

“Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.”  (St. Rose of Lima)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me and gave Himself for me.” (St. Paul: Gal. 2:20)

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

 


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MASS READINGS AND MEDITATION | AUGUST 9, 2020



August 9, 2020

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1KGS 19:9, 11-13

At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. 
Then the LORD said to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind. 
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire. 
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. 
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Responsorial Psalm PS 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 

R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD — for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.  R. 

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.  R. 

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.  R. 

Reading 2 ROM 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh. 
They are Israelites;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.


Alleluia PS 130:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I wait for the Lord;
my soul waits for his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 14:22-33

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds. 
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. 
When it was evening he was there alone. 
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea. 
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 
He said, “Come.” 
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 
After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

IN BRIEF

68 By love, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. He has thus provided the definitive, superabundant answer to the questions that man asks himself about the meaning and purpose of his life.


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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9TH  Mt. 14:22-36  “He went up on the mountain by himself to pray.”

 Part 1: Persevering in Prayer by St. Catherine of Siena

 Part 2: Holiness through a Robust Prayer Life by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

 Persevering in Prayer… St. Catherine of Siena (+1380)

But always we persevere, and must persevere, with the same desire for obedience with which we began on that first day. With that same holy fear we must exercise our spirit in continual humble prayer right up to the last day of our life, so that our spirit will never become lazy.

We should always be occupied with praying the Psalms or meditating or raising our mind to God, pondering within ourselves the blazing charity we discover and see in the blood of the Word, God’s Son. For He has made a bath of His blood to wash away our sins.

When we see and consider that God loves us so much, we cannot keep ourselves from loving. And when we love, our mind thinks about the object of our love. Now we cannot live without love. And since two opposing loves cannot exist together, we must of necessity be stripped of perverse love and clothed in God’s love. Because our heart cannot but be sensitive to the One we love, we use holy thoughts to drive out the evil thoughts the devil would like to put into our heart.

And the devil, finding that our heart is ablaze in the fire of divine charity, doesn’t come around much, any more than a fly comes around a boiling cauldron. But if the devil were to find our heart fearful and lukewarm, he would come in right away with all his ugly thoughts and imaginings.

So we must keep active so that we will be found not lukewarm or empty but filled with God in holy desire, remembering and meditating on the wonderful blessings we have received from Him! End of Reflection

Therefore, let us eagerly be led by Fr. Ed to a deeper, more robust prayer life and Heaven!

HOLINESS THROUGH A ROBUST PRAYER LIFE… Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We are all called to become saints! Jesus said this very clearly in the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom, with these words: Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy. (Mt. 5:48) Also, in one of the Beatitudes the Lord exhorts us: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice (or holiness), for they will be satisfied. (MT 5:6) Saint Paul to the Thessalonians reiterates the same challenge: This is the will of your heavenly Father: your sanctification. (I Thess. 4:3) Bible verses constantly remind us of our call to holiness. If that were not sufficient, the lives of the saints and their words motivate us to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. The following are a few examples:

1) Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta asserted: “Holiness is not the privilege of the few, but it is the duty of all.”

2) Saint Jose Escriva de Balaguer stated: “The greatest crisis in the modern world is the crisis of lack of saints.”

3) Cure of Ars. The devil stated that if there were four more saints like the Cure of Ars, St. John Marie Vianney, then his kingdom would be destroyed. Wow! The power of the saints!

One of the most important documents in the modern world, Lumen Gentium, Chapter V, is entitled: The Universal Call to Holiness. In other words, not a mere fraction are called to be holy, but all, absolutely all!!! None are excluded.

On one occasion, in a homily, I asked the people this simple question: How many of you want to go to heaven??? All raised their hands. Then I asked:  How many of you want to be saints??? Very few raised their hands. Then I intervened saying:  Who is in heaven? God the Blessed Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels, and the SAINTS!!! Therefore, if you want to get to heaven, you have to become a saint!!!

Let us give a path we can choose to undertake to arrive at becoming a saint, and that is by following the pathway of striving to attain a robust prayer life. We will offer ten concrete suggestions to arrive at this most noble of all enterprises—to become holy as our heavenly Father is holy!

1. CLEAN THE WINDOW OF YOUR SOUL. The sun cannot beam through a dirty window. Likewise, God’s grace and the Holy Spirit cannot penetrate a dirty or sullied heart; that heart must be purified by means of a good sacramental confession. Trust in God’s mercy and have recourse to the Sacrament of Confession. Try to prepare well and make the best confession of your life. This will clear the window pane of your soul to receive the divine invasion of God’s grace. Remember the words of Jesus in one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

2. GIVE TIME! So that the Holy Spirit could descend powerfully on the Apostles, they had to pray at length; not just a few minutes! Rather, they made a novena—nine days in which the Apostles, united with the Blessed Virgin Mary, prayed fervently for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as in striving for perfection in any activity, be it sports, music, academics, languages, writing, or painting, the time spent is essential; so it is with the art of all arts, the art of prayer! We must give quality time to learn to pray well!

3. PLACE! Also of great importance is that of finding some place to pray. In that place there must be silence! Remember that God spoke to the prophet Elijah when he arrived at the mountain, not in the fire, nor in the earthquake, nor in the storm and thunder; rather, God spoke to Elijah in the silence of the gentle breeze! Find a place of silence. Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen encouraged the famous Hour of Power (that he kept faithfully for more than 50 years) be done in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This is the ideal place! But it is not possible for all. Most likely, for many it must be done in some quiet corner of your home, which is called by the Church documents, The Domestic Church.

4. MATERIAL TO PRAY WITH! Saint Teresa of Avila, one of the few women Doctors of the Church, who is known as The Doctor of Prayer, stated that we should never go to our prayer period without having some book as a guide. Of greatest value and importance as a guide, stimulus, and motivation for prayer, should be the Bible, which is the Word of God. Another great source of immense richness is the Liturgy: the prayers present in Holy Mass, as well as the Liturgy of the Hours. Holy words spark holy thoughts and these spark holy desires—there we have the essence of prayer!!! From eyes, to head, to heart!!! Then Pope Francis says also your feet— bring your prayer fruits into the lives of others!!!

5. PRAYER METHOD. Spiritual writers in the mystical life of prayer frequently suggest that we utilize some form or type of prayer method. Methods are useful in all forms of learning: languages, sports, driving, and cooking. But it is even more important in learning the art of all arts, the art of prayer. Methods abound, but we would suggest a method that Pope Benedict XVI proposed in his document Verbum Domini—the Word of God! In this superb writing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, he recommends the prayer method known as LECTIO DIVINA. Following, we give a brief summary of this method to come to our aid:

a) LECTIO—Read the text very carefully with the help of the words of Samuel in the Temple: Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening!!!

b) MEDITATIO—In imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ponder, ruminate, think deeply on the Word of God, its meaning and purpose in your own life, and how it can help you grow in holiness.

c) CONTEMPLATIO—Imagination! Use your imagination and try to picture that you are truly present in the scene. Saint Ignatius calls this Composition of Place. Try to imagine the Face of Jesus gazing at you with love.

d) ORATIO—Moved by the Holy Spirit enter into conversation with the Lord Jesus, the Father, the Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the most important part of the method that actually leads to this intimate conversation and dialogue with God. Saint Teresa of Avila explains prayer as simply a dialogue of friendship between two friends who love each other! Talk to the Lord as long as you want. He is never in a hurry, but longs for you to talk to Him, to love Him, to establish a deep friendship with Him.

e) ACTIO—After you have finished your formal prayer period, then move to put into practice what you have done in your intimate time of prayer with the Lord. Take as your example the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Annunciation leading to the Visitation. In the Annunciation, we contemplate the Blessed Virgin Mary absorbed in prayer as our contemplative model. In the Visitation, we see Mary launching into action to serve her cousin, Saint Elizabeth, in her need. In sum, our prayer should move us to action, to put love in action. If you like, prayer should transform us into Contemplatives in Action!

 f) TRANSFORMATIO—Finally, the net result of fervent and efficacious prayer should be that of a life being transformed. In the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!” (Gal. 2:20)

6) THE HOLY SPIRIT.  On one occasion, while talking to a Jesuit priest in spiritual direction, Saint Teresa of Avila complained that her prayer life seemed to be stagnant. This Jesuit director suggested that Saint Teresa pray more to the Holy Spirit to aid her in her prayer struggle. She did this and almost immediately she noticed a marked transformation in her prayer life. Saint Paul in the Letter to the Romans (Chapter 8) states: We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit intercedes with ineffable groans so that we can say “Abba, Father.” (Rom. 8:26) Therefore, as you start off your prayer period, never forget to invite the presence of the Interior Master of Prayer (cf Teresa of Avila) and that is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Here is a short but efficacious prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come through the Heart of Mary!

7. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. Athletes need coaches; musicians, teachers; new teachers, mentors. Likewise, with regard to the art of prayer, we all need some trained person to guide us, orient us, encourage us, some times to correct us; in sum, someone to direct us on the right path! That person in spiritual theology is called the Spiritual Director. Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and many saints are unanimous in asserting that we all have a dire need for a Spiritual Director to help us to grow in holiness and advance in the way of perfection in the sometimes challenging and arduous ascent of the Holy Mountain of Prayer. (Saint John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel) Beg Our Lady of Good Counsel to help you to find a good Spiritual Director; this indeed is one of those pearls of infinite value!

8. SPIRITUAL READING. Of capital importance in our growth in the art of prayer is the importance of good reading, especially on the topic of prayer. There are many books written on prayer and we will suggest the following:

  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part IV (4)
  • Introduction to the Devout Life, Saint Frances De Sales
  • The Life – Interior Castle – Way of Perfection, Saint Teresa of Avila
  • Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
  • Treatise On Prayer, Saint Alphonsus Liguori
  • Fire Within – Deep Prayer, Deep Conversion – Prayer Primer, Thomas Dubay

These are just a few from the masters, but they can truly teach us the art of all arts, the art of prayer. Spiritual reading is absolutely essential for serious growth in our prayer life. Part of spiritual direction will be to address spiritual reading, especially on prayer.

9. PRAYER AND PENANCE. On one occasion, while taking a walk, I noticed a black bird, a crow, in front of me on the path. As I drew closer, the bird did not take flight. I thought that maybe I had a latent Franciscan charism with the birds and animals. But to my chagrin, this was not the case. The reason? The bird did not fly away because the little creature had a broken wing. This triggered in my mind this reflection and application! The bird could not fly away due to a broken wing. In a parallel sense, for us to fly high, to really soar into the heights of prayer in our spiritual life, we desperately need two wings: the wing of prayer accompanied by the wing of penance. Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes both insisted on the importance of both prayer and sacrifice or penance as the most efficacious means for the conversion of poor sinners. Our Lady of Fatima said with sadness: Many souls are lost because nobody prays and offers sacrifices for them.

10. THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND PRAYER. Saint Louis de Montfort in his classic True Devotion to Mary states unequivocally: The shortest, easiest, and most efficacious path to Jesus is through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, it must be said as we come to the conclusion of our essay on building a robust prayer life that we must invite the Blessed Virgin Mary into our life, and that means into our prayer life which is our union with God. The Holy Spirit descended powerfully upon the Apostles who were united in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Therefore, if we truly desire to establish a strong, robust, dynamic prayer life that will motivate us to become holy as our heavenly Father is holy, we must have frequent, fervent, filial, and confident recourse to Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our dear Mother. Mary, teach us how to pray and give us an ardent desire to fall daily in love with Jesus, our Lord God, Friend, and Savior!

Copyright 2020 Oblates of the Virgin Mary
St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA

 

 

 

 

 

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