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

TUESDAY, March 23rd    Jn. 8: 21-30   “Jesus said to them, ‘You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.’”

• God spoke to Moses and said: “You are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.” (Ex. 3: 14)
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees: “I belong to what is above… I do not belong to this world… If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”   
• Lent and Easter are all about belonging to what is above… not belonging to this world… and believing that Jesus is I AM.
• Fr. Ed’s Article gives us an eagle eye view of how to belong to what is above from Lent through Pentecost, spanning over 50 days! All is GRACE: God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense!

TWENTY-FIVE IDEAS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LENT AND THE EASTER SEASON. LET’S LEARN THEM!!! BY Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus comes to us and communicates His Grace and Presence to us in many marvelous ways. He said, before He ascended into Heaven, that He would be with us always even until the end of time. Then Jesus ascended into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father. How? Where? When is Jesus with us when indeed He ascended into Heaven? The response: in His Church which is His Mystical Body. The Church, in the Liturgical cycle, relives the life of Jesus every year. The two prime-times  (Strong Seasons of Christ) every year are Advent culminating in Christmas, then Lent which culminates in Holy Week and the pinnacle or high-point which is the celebration of Easter—the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as followers of Jesus to study and learn these prime times, especially the Lenten Season that culminates in Holy Week, and Jesus who conquers death by His Glorious Resurrection.

The following is a concise article on fifty ideas that every Catholic should know about the Lenten Season and Easter! Please read carefully, learn and memorize. Then if you really want to grow in your faith, share this with as many people as you can!!!

1. SEASON OF GRACE FOR OUR CONVERSION. Every year God through His Church, His Mystical Body, offers us a special season of grace for conversion. Our conversion should be to renounce sin and to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. ASH WEDNESDAY. Every year Lent commences with ASH WEDNESDAY. The Ashes symbolize our mortality, that one day we will die and pass from time to eternity and meet our Judgment. “Remember that you are dust and to dust shall you return.” (Gen. 3: 19)

3. FASTING. Those who have arrived at ages 18 up to 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday, as well as Good Friday. We deprive our bodies of food so we can lift our minds and souls up to God.

4. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT: JESUS IN THE DESERT. On the First Sunday in Lent we contemplate Jesus in the desert where He prayed and fasted for forty days, and was tempted by the devil. For us to conquer the devil, the flesh, and the world we must imitate Jesus. We must both fast and pray!

5. FORTY DAYS. Our Lenten journey lasts forty days—not including the Sundays of Lent.  Forty is a key Biblical number. The Jews spent 40 years in the desert before arriving at the Promised Land. Jonah preached that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days if there was no conversion. Jesus spent forty days in the desert praying and fasting.

6. LITURGICAL CHANGES. There are some Liturgical changes during the Lenten Season:  The Alleluia and Gloria are suppressed. Flowers are taken from the Church. The priest vests in purple—a penitential color!

7. CONVERSION OF HEART. As mentioned above, Lent is a serious time of striving for conversion of our lives. When imposing the ashes, the minister can also say the first words of Jesus in His preaching ministry: “Repent (be converted) and believe in the Gospel.”  (Mk. 1: 15)  Jesus offers us three ways to arrive at this conversion of life! They are the following.

8. PRAYER. By praying we go up to God and He comes down to us, to help us reject sin and practice virtue. All true conversions are ultimately the fruit of prayer—one’s own personal prayer or the prayer of others, and usually both!

9. MASS AND PRAYER. By far, the greatest prayer in the universe is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If possible, Lent is a very propitious time to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as frequently as our time and schedule permit.

10. PENANCE (FASTING). Jesus stated: “Some devils are cast out only by prayer and fasting.” (Mt. 17: 28)  We should all choose some form of fasting with the help of a good Spiritual Director.

11. CONFESSION AND CONVERSION. One of the most efficacious means to attain true conversion of heart is by preparing our heart, mind, and soul to make a good Sacramental Confession to the priest, and let the Precious Blood of Jesus wash us clean.

12. ALMSGIVING.  The practice of ALMSGIVING should not be limited to simply giving a beggar some money, food or clothing. Rather, almsgiving can be interpreted in the manner in which we treat people in general. Most especially should we express kindness, compassion, courtesy, patience, and a genuine spirit of sacrifice with those in our own home! “Charity begins at home!”

13. THE WAY OF THE CROSS. A very salutary practice to undertake in Lent is to make the Stations of the Cross. By contemplating these fourteen stations or scenes in the Life of Jesus—the culminating point of His Passion, we recognize how much Jesus suffered for us and loves us. Indeed, each of us can truthfully say Jesus suffered all of this for me!

14. FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT: THE COLOR PINK. Two times in the Church calendar the priest can wear the color pink in the celebration of the Mass—the third Sunday of Advent and the fourth Sunday of Lent. Why? This color symbolizes JOY. The fact that Jesus was born for us and that He suffered, died and rose from the dead for us in a source of infinite Joy! In allowing pink vestments in the course of these two penitential seasons, the Church is anticipating this Joy!

15. HOLY WEEK BEGINS! The Church enters into the solemn and most important week of the year with Holy Week. Palm Sunday initiates Holy Week. We call to mind when Jesus entered the City of Jerusalem mounted on a donkey, and the people acclaimed Him: “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Mt. 21: 9) Amidst these jubilant cries of exultation, they waved their Palm branches.

16. THE LITURGY OF PALM SUNDAY. The priest wears the color red—for the Precious Blood of Jesus. The Gospel reading is the account of the Passion of Jesus.

17. THE EASTER TRIDUUM. The Easter Triduum, the very heart of the Holy Week celebration, consists of three days and culminates in Easter. These three days are the following:  Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. These days are of the greatest importance!

18. HOLY THURSDAY. On this solemn day, there is only one Mass celebrated: the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated in the evening. This day calls to mind two of the greatest gifts that Jesus bestowed upon the Church: Institution of the most Holy Eucharist and institution of Holy Orders or the Priesthood. This day especially should call us to renew our faith, devotion and love for the Eucharist and to pray for priests and for more holy priestly vocations.

19. GOOD FRIDAY. On this day we stand underneath the cross with our Sorrowful Mother, Mary most holy, and with her teary eyes and pierced Heart  contemplate Jesus, who suffers three long hours on the cross, shedding every drop of His Precious Blood for our eternal salvation. If you were the only person in the world, Jesus would have suffered His atrocious agony for love of you and the salvation of your immortal soul. Jesus hanging on the cross is the most powerful contemplation of Love in the universe!

20. HOLY SATURDAY: THE SILENCE AND CONTEMPLATION OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS. This day Jesus is resting in the tomb for the entire day. The theme of this day is to accompany Our Lady of Sorrows in silence. United with Mary, we relive the Sorrowful Passion of Jesus. All of His agony is still fresh in the mind and memory, eyes and Heart of Mary. She relives Jesus’ Passion that day. We are invited to spend the day at the side of Mary and console her, and she also consoles us in our sorrowful reliving of the sufferings of her Son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

21. EASTER VIGIL MASS: JESUS IS TRULY RISEN FROM THE DEAD! This same night, with the most glorious Mass of the year, the Easter Vigil Mass, the Church and the world at large celebrate the most glorious event in human history! Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead! Alleluia! He has come back from the dead in His risen Body and will never die again!

22. THE BEAUTY OF THE VIGIL MASS. In this Mass, the catechumens will receive the three Sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The Alleluia breaks forth to praise God. The Gloria is sung in union with the angels. Then there is a long series of beautiful Biblical Readings summarizing the history of salvation. Following the Liturgy of the Word, we enter the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In receiving Holy Communion, we rise with Christ to new life!

23. EASTER DAY AND EASTER SEASON. Easter being such a glorious Solemnity cannot be celebrated in one day, and in fact is celebrated over eight days. Jesus’ Resurrection gives meaning to all human life. After the trials, struggles, pains and sorrows of this life, if we persevere in grace until the end, we will participate in the fruits of Easter—we will rise with the Risen Lord and attain the purpose of our life—Heaven!

24. DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Graces abound! The Sunday after Easter, the Church celebrates DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY. Those who have been confessed and participate at Mass and receive Holy Communion with burning love on this day, receive the Divine Mercy Promise: forgiveness of our sins and total remission of our sins. This can be compared to a second Baptism; our soul becomes as white as the snow. If we were to die right then, immediate entrance into heaven!

25. EASTER SEASON. The Easter Season lasts fifty days and concludes with the Solemnity of Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit and the Birthday of the Catholic Church. During all this Season, the Acts of the Apostles, also known as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit, is read at Holy Mass!

Let us lift our eyes to Mary, who stood beneath the cross uniting her sufferings with the sufferings of Jesus for the salvation of the world. Let us also rejoice with Mary, and with overflowing and exultant jubilation because the crucified Lord Jesus has truly risen from the dead, never to die again. “Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia, for the Lord has truly risen from the dead.”

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

MONDAY, March 22nd    Jn. 8: 1-11   Jesus said: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She replied, ‘No one, sir.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.’”

• Less than two weeks to cleanse and adorn our soul through prayer, fasting and almsgiving/acts of charity for the glory of Easter! May we make our best confession ever before Easter if possible, or before Divine Mercy Sunday one week later.
• Confession as prayer! We come before the Lord garbed in the poverty of our sins begging for mercy. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins.” (Ps 51: 1-2 Prayer of King David)
• Confession as fasting! We come before the Lord with a sincere and firm purpose of amendment to fast from sin! Will we sin again despite our best intentions? Yes, but if we are faithful to frequent, fervent, well prepared confessions, with God’s grace we will find ourselves over time sinning less seriously and less frequently.
• Confession as almsgiving or charity. The greatest act of charity toward others is to stop sinning! Or at least make every effort to do so, until we are no longer hurting others directly by what we do or fail to do, or indirectly by our bad example. On the contrary, we are growing in virtue, thereby giving good example, with more mercy, kindness and compassion for others!
• That being said, may we let Fr. Ed Broom help us focus on one of the most important aspects of a good confession, second only to sincere sorrow for our sins, and that is firm purpose of amendment!

MAKING BETTER SACRAMENTAL CONFESSIONS: FIRM PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

God communicates His grace to us through Jesus Christ, His Mystical Body which is the Church. The Sacraments are the chief or principal channels by which Jesus sanctifies us, makes us holy. However, and this must be emphasized, the abundance of grace or the lack of grace is commensurate with the disposition of the recipient.

DISPOSITIVE GRACE IN SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY.  So as to reap the most abundant harvest in the reception of the Sacraments, one must have a firm grasp on what Dispositive Grace really means. To be concrete, dispositive grace means the more open, docile, pure, receptive, and humble the soul, the more abundant the graces.

A SIMPLE IMAGE.  The sun will pass through a window pane once the drapes are pulled open. However, if a window pane has been sullied or besmirched by smut and dirt, then the abundance of the sun’s rays will be blocked, at least partially. That window cleansed by means of Windex and a dry newspaper will result in a pure and transparent window allowing the sunlight to penetrate and permeate the room in abundance. So, it is with the soul—a pure and transparent soul will capture and absorb the abundant light of God’s graces in the reception of the Sacraments!

CONFESSION AND GOD’S ABUNDANT GRACES.  The normal and most efficacious means by which we can receive God’s Infinite Mercy is through the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Confession, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of God’s Infinite Mercy. However, it must be emphasized, the thrust of this short essay is this: the abundance of the graces of all the Sacraments, and most specifically in this article, that of Confession, is in direct proportion to our disposition and the preparation made before entering the Confessional.

THE FIVE INDISPENSABLE STEPS.  There are Five Indispensable Steps that are necessary to receive the grace of forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession:  1) Examination of conscience; 2) Sorrow for sins, 3) Firm purpose of Amendment, 4) Confession of sins vocally to the priest, who represents Christ; 5) Penance—carry out the penance given by the priest. If done, the grace of the Sacrament flows into the soul.

PASTORAL COMMENT AND ADMONITION.  As a priest for many years and having heard thousands of confessions in various countries, I would like to make this comment with the purpose of encouraging penitents to approach this great Sacrament with trust, love, confidence, and frequency. However, with the strong encouragement to analyze one of the five steps or aspects of the Sacrament—the 3rd Step: Firm Purpose of Amendment.

MEANING: Firm Purpose of Amendment.  These few words mean the following: as a penitent in receiving the Sacrament of Confession, I will strive with the help of God’s grace and with all of the energy in my will to avoid the near occasion of sin. If you like, I will not play with fire. Or again, I will not walk on thin ice or walk on the slippery slope that leads to a fall. Meaning, I will avoid any person, place, thing, or event that can easily lead me to falling into sin. I will utilize preventive medicine to procure the avoidance of the moral infirmity of sin!

Let us offer a few concrete suggestions on how we can upgrade or improve our reception of the Sacrament of Confession, augment grace in our soul—even allow God’s grace to fall in a deluge upon our soul, and most important, to overcome falling into the same sins over and over.

1. IMAGINE THIS TO BE OUR LAST CONFESSION, THEN JUDGMENT.  This thought can be of incalculable value: try to imagine that this Confession might be the last in your life and then Judgment ensues. No doubt with this thought in mind, your preparation will improve 100%.

2. EXAMINE OUR CONSCIENCE THOROUGHLY.  Make a concerted effort to examine your conscience most thoroughly with the help of a good Examination of Conscience Booklet that explains the Ten Commandments in minute detail. We can all use this more detailed examine to make better confessions. Moreover, those who have drifted away from the Church for years and have not studied their faith, almost certainly do not know the Commandments and have a poorly formed conscience.

3. WRITE DOWN THE SINS.  Of great utility for us as penitents would be that of writing down our sins. If this is done, sins will not be forgotten and skipped over in the context of the Confession. The Sacramental Grace of Ordination gives the priest the ability to absolve and forgive sins, but not to read minds.

4. REWIND THE FILM OF OUR LIFE AND DETECT OUR SINS.  Even before writing down your sins, you should rewind the film of your life since your last Confession and see your sins with great honesty, not glossing over sins, or justifying sins, or rationalizing sins—this is pride. Try to see your sins through God’s eyes with total honesty and truth.

5. THE PRECEDING REASONS THAT LED US TO FALL INTO SIN.  Now what is of prime importance in this short essay aimed at improving your confessions, is to arrive at the root causes or reasons that led you into your sins, what decisions and actions led up to the sins, and possibly led you to fall into the same sins in the past. This knowledge of self is of enormous importance in helping you to avoid falling into the same sins again, the same traps you have in the past.

6. DESOLATION.  In general, relying upon the wisdom of the saints, especially Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the state of desolation is often a key trigger or catalyst that can easily catapult you into the mire of sin. By desolation basically is meant that you feel sad and depressed, have a sense of futility and lack of purpose in life. Therefore, immersed in such a state, you must double your spiritual armaments to fight against the ensuing temptations.

7. KRYPTONITE (Superman’s weakness).  The devil will take advantage of this weakened state of your soul to launch his missiles to manipulate and maneuver you into his camp and tempt you to sin, and sin again.

8. SELF-KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST TO AVOID SINS IN THE PRESENT.  Being aware of having slipped and fallen into the mire of your sins in the past due to a state of desolation, you must now kick into high gear the Ignatian concept of Agere Contra—this means instead of succumbing to sin, deliberately doing the exact opposite. Instead of overeating, practice temperance. Instead of capitulating to impatience, be doubly patient with the people around you. Instead surrendering to laziness, bounce out of bed 15 minutes earlier. Instead of looking at something impure, contemplate Jesus on the cross with His Mother Mary at the foot of the cross. By living out the Agere Contra—doing the exact opposite, the victory can be won!

9. PRAYER, PENANCE, POWER OF WILL, AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.  This is the key to confessing better, most specifically in carrying out Step Three, having a firm purpose of amendment in the scheme of the Sacrament of Confession—and the key is comprised of Prayer, Penance, Power of Will, and Preventive Medicine. Let us look at these series of words with the Letter “P”.  First, by Prayer is meant that even before entering the confessional, strive to make a fervent Act of Contrition. In this prayer you are already aware of your weaknesses and sins, as well as what preceded these sins. Second, you will be adding to fervent prayer, an act of Penance. One that shows your sincere desire to make amends, such as practicing the opposite virtues of the sins confessed. Third, Power of Will—make a firm act of the will—a determined determination not to sin again. Fourth, now have recourse to Confession, which is not only Medicine and healing for the sick of soul, but also  Preventative Medicine. If done well, not only are your sins forgiven, but the Sacrament confers grace not to fall so easily into sin again, and past habitual sins will be greatly diminished. In other words, you are having recourse first and foremost to God’s grace, but second and of great importance, doing your own part with good will!

10.  NUNC CAEPI—Now I begin! Despite our good efforts, we can still fall. If that is the case, then we should strive to bounce back as soon as possible, and then strive with the help of God’s grace, and an even more firm commitment, to fight against those sins. As the Psalmist reminds us: “God is slow to anger, but rich in mercy.” (Ps. 145:8) This refers to sin and the Sacrament of Confession. “Even if I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times I will get up again and say Nunc Cœpi–Now I begin.” (Motto of the Founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary)

11.  COMMUNION AND CONFESSION.  Another added help to improve your Confession is to connect it with Communion. By this is meant, when you receive Holy Communion, beg the Sacred Heart of Jesus to support you in your weakness, in your struggles, in your fight against sin. Beg the Eucharistic Lord to strengthen you when you are weak and being tempted, and He will quickly run to your aid. Both Sacraments—Confession and Holy Communion—are intimately connected.

12.  OUR LADY REFUGE OF SINNERS.  The saints all agree that Mary is most powerful in our struggle against sin. Before having recourse to Confession, let us place our Confession in the hands and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and beg her most fervently every time we confess to the priest to make the best Confession in our life, as well as upgrade our firm Purpose of Amendment! Let us beg Mary to help us to avoid any person, place, thing, or circumstance that can plunge us into the mire of ugliness that is sin. But rather may we choose beauty—and that is virtue. “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

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

SUNDAY, March 21ST   Jn. 12: 20-33   “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

• Jesus speaks other words similar to these. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mt. 16: 24)
• “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (Jn. 13: 2-5)
• “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. He asked them, ‘Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’”(Jn. 13: 12-17)
• “Washing one another’s feet” is a way of serving others according to their need. This includes any act of kindness done for another for love of Christ. Always keeping in mind that Charity begins at home! We serve FIRST according to our vocation – as priest, religious, husband or wife, son or daughter.
• What motivated Jesus, as Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and Son of God, to serve human beings? One word, LOVE! For love of each and every one of us, Jesus served us in his preaching, teaching, miracles, casting out demons, and most important, in dying on the cross for our eternal salvation!
• What should motivate us to serve whomever God puts in our path? Our love for Jesus, who first loved us!

TRUE LOVE IS TO SACRIFICE AND SUFFER FOR THE LOVED ONE!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Jesus loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed Himself by dying on the cross for us. Not only did Jesus suffer and shed every drop of His Precious Blood for the salvation of all of humanity, but He suffered excruciating pains for each one of us, for you and for me!

The saints point out that if you were the only person living in the world, Jesus would have undergone all of the most gruesome and horrible pains of His Sorrowful Passion for you. As Saint Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Galatians: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

In the Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Secretary of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina, states that we can truly understand the meaning of love by the willingness of someone to suffer for the other, for the loved one. Jesus loved and still loves us so much that He was willing to suffer His Passion for us, not once, but many times over if necessary! Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, suffering for guilty sinners. How great is the love of Jesus for you and for me!

On a human and natural level, we all know how much suffering we undergo when we manifest a great love for someone and that person is cold, indifferent, and even ignores us. Our heart breaks!!!

So it is with respect to our relationship with the greatest of all lovers—the Lord Jesus Christ. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is burning with love for each one of us! Look at the image! Jesus said: “I have come to cast fire on the earth, and I am not at peace until that fire be enkindled.” (Lk. 12: 49) The enormous conflagration in the Sacred Heart of Jesus for you and for me can barely be contained! How do we respond to this burning love?  

Jesus complained to the recipient of the message of His Sacred Heart, Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque. Displaying His Sacred Heart surrounded by thorns with fire flaming forth, He uttered these plaintive words: “Behold the Heart that has loved so much and has received only coldness, indifference and ingratitude. Console my Heart.”

One of the ways in which can console the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Heart overflowing with love and mercy, is to offer sacrifices, even though they be very small, for the conversion and salvation of poor sinners. Jesus does not look so much at the greatness of the action, but rather, at the intensity of love with which the action is carried out. Remember the Biblical story of the Widow’s mite!!!

In fact, immortal souls can be saved from the fires of hell and attain eternal salvation if, like the little children of Fatima who are gigantic saints, we can form the habit of offering small sacrifices to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary with purity of intention and great love. Saint Pope John Paul II called Jacinta, “A Little Victim soul.” Jacinta was a Victim of Love! She loved Jesus and Mary and what Jesus and Mary love most – the salvation of immortal souls for all eternity!

Therefore, we would like to offer a list of small sacrifices that you can undertake and share with your family. Every small sacrifice is a concrete manifestation of love for God and a powerful means to convert and save for all eternity poor sinners!!!

SACRIFICES OF LOVE TO JESUS AND MARY FOR THE SALVATION OF SOULS.

1. THE HEROIC MINUTE (MOMENT). Promoted by Saint Josemaria Balaguer (Founder of Opus Dei). As soon as you hear your alarm clock, spring to your feet, kneel down on the floor, and make your Morning Offering for the day. The Cure of Ars, Saint John Vianney, stated that he who starts the day well, is most likely to live the day well, and end it well!

2. THE CURBING OF THE TONGUE. We should all read James Chapter 3—the best chapter on the sins of the tongue! A great sacrifice that we can make, especially when we find ourselves frustrated and angry, is to follow the advice of Saint James: “We should be slow to speak and quick to listen.”

3. KIND AND ENCOURAGING WORDS. Never allow a day to go by in which you forget to say both Please and Thank You to God, as well as to your Mom or Dad, or anyone else. To say both please and thank you are condiments that give special seasoning to the domestic life!  (Read the book KINDNESS, Fr. Lovasik)

4. SMILE EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT! A nagging headache, a lingering cold, pangs of a stomachache, we all experience these at times. Often, we trumpet and publicize them!!! How difficult, but how pleasing to God it might be that when we do not feel up to par physically, we smile at our husband/wife or a family member. Sadness and a frown are contagious; but a smile and joy are contagious also! A sincere and radiant smile is one of the clearest signs of being a follower of Christ.

5. BANISH BAD THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY! Indecent and bad thoughts, we all have them! However, the question is what do we do with them? Once, a priest asked a man if he entertained bad thoughts. The man responded: “No, Father, they entertained me!” As soon as we are aware of any bad, impure, indecent, or sinful thoughts, we should immediately, manfully, and forcefully reject them in our will and invoke the grace of God!

6. CUT OFF ON THE HIGHWAY: PRAY AND DO NOT CURSE! All of us have experienced through years of driving on the Freeway, as well as on commercial and residential streets, people who cut in front of us and cut us off. (Sometimes we do the same!!!) Our immediate reaction is to cuss or curse them out! However, the Lord Jesus would prefer that we pray for them. Jesus says we have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us! (Mt. 5: 44) Therefore, the next time some driver cuts you off, pray a Hail Mary for them, pray that they have a safe trip on earth and arrive safely in Heaven.  How hard, but how pleasing to God!!!

7. PRAY EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT! Unfortunately, many people follow their feelings more than they follow faith and reason. The saints prayed often and even when they did not feel like praying. Jesus experienced a profound desolation and sadness in the Garden of Olive, but He prayed all the more fervently. May Jesus be our sublime example, especially in prayer!

8. READ A CHAPTER FROM THE BIBLE EVERY DAY OR EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED. The mental/spiritual discipline of reading, especially the best of books – the Bible, can be a real sacrifice for many. Start with the Gospels and read a chapter every night. If this is done, you will start to know, love and desire to follow Jesus more fully in your life.   It is impossible to love somebody we do not even know. Know Jesus by reading and meditating upon the Bible, the very Word of God!

9. DO YOUR TASK AT HAND, YOUR DAILY WORK BETTER! All of us are assigned by God a job or work to carry out. It might be to study, or that of a homemaker, or a factory or office worker, or some professional work. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know that we could improve. How easy it is to come late, cut corners, do the job halfway! As the saying goes: “If a job is worth doing, then it is worth doing well.” Saint Paul reminds us: “Whether you eat or drink, do all for the honor and glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10: 31)

10. TAKE THE LAST PLACE AND SMALLEST PORTION. Due to pride, vanity, and gluttony we naturally prefer the place of honor. Also, we prefer the best and biggest portion. Why not get in the habit of seeking the lowest place and the most simple portion. Jesus reminds us of true greatness: “God casts down the proud, and He exalts the humble.” (Mt. 28: 12)

To conclude, we have offered a list of ten concrete ways in which we can make small sacrifices in our daily lives. Maybe choose one or two a day and be faithful to your proposal. Never forget that love is manifest by the willingness to suffer for the loved one. How much Jesus loves us and suffered for us. What are we willing to sacrifice and suffer for Jesus, the Greatest of all Lovers!!!

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

SATURDAY, March 20th    Jn. 7: 40-53   Gospel Verse: “Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.”

• One of the most challenging Beatitudes for many is the Beatitude of Purity. This is exacerbated in today’s social milieu where morality is being re-defined not according to God’s Word, but according to man’s insatiable and aberrant desires.
• More than ever, we need to seek the truth in the Word of God “with a generous heart” and thereby “yield a harvest through perseverance.” For the sake of our young people and ourselves!
• In praying with the following meditation by Fr. Ed Broom, be sure to carefully read the accompanying Bible passages. Let the Word of God touch you!

“BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART; THEY WILL SEE GOD.” by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Taken from the Beatitudes, Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5: 8)

The lover of the youth, the great Saint John Bosco, was keenly aware of the effects of Original Sin, concupiscence, and the battle that young people would have to wage to attain mastery over their passions. The saint was keenly aware of this mortal struggle to attain the virtue of purity, or the virtue of chastity. The basic practices that he insisted upon were fervent prayer, the assiduous and frequent reception of the Sacraments—Confession and the Holy Eucharist. He encouraged hard work and an overflowing spirit of joy. Finally of greatest importance, Bosco instilled in his young people a deep, filial, and ardent devotion to Our Lady, Help of Christians. Today our youth confront many more obstacles to attain chastity than ever before. So we have put together a very simple, clear and concrete ten step program to attain the virtue of chastity. This program can easily be applied to adults as well as the young.

Our Lady of Fatima warned the children, as well as the world at large, that the primary reasons why souls are lost for all eternity are due to the sins against the 6th and 9th Commandments—both referring to the virtue of purity, in thought and in deed. Our Lady also stated that many fashions would be introduced into the world that would gravely offend God. Still more, our Heavenly Mother stated that many marriages were not pleasing to God. Even though she did not state it explicitly, it could be understood that many marriages are dominated by the spirit of lust, rather than purity and chastity.

TEN STEP PROGRAM TO STRIVE FOR PURITY

1. BEG FOR THE GRACE. We cannot live humility, forgiveness or purity without God’s grace. They are supernatural virtues.
2. PERSISTENT PRAYER. (Read Lk. 18: 1-8. The insistent widow.) All things are possible for God with persistent prayer.
3. CONTROL YOUR EYES. (Read 2 Samuel Chap. 11. The sin of David who committed adultery with Bathsheba.) The eyes are the mirror of the soul.
4. STRICT VIGILANCE OVER USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. (Read Jn. 10: 1-18. The Good Shepherd) Social Media is one of the easiest ways that the wolf (the devil) can get into the flock of sheep (God’s children).
5. AVOID LAZINESS. “Idleness is the workshop of the devil.” If we have nothing to do, the devil will give us a lot to do!!!
6. FREQUENT CONFESSION. What medicine is to the body, so frequent confession is to the soul. Go as often as possible! Confession serves as curative medicine and preventive medicine as well! If you fall, get up quickly!!! Saint John Bosco was ahead of his time encouraging frequent confession to fortify souls against sinning.
7. FREQUENT, FAITH-FILLED, AND FERVENT COMMUNIONS…. Nothing is more efficacious for the body, mind and soul than frequent, faith-filled and fervent Holy Communions. With each Holy Communion, the most pure Blood of Jesus rushes through your heart, mind, soul and every artery of your body. This is a sure remedy to conquer temptations that Saint John Bosco applied to the young!
8. GOOD AND SOLID SPIRITUAL READING. Fill your mind with pure, noble and good thoughts through the daily practice of spiritual reading. Remember the proverb: “The thought is the father of the deed!” We end up doing what we have conceived in our mind beforehand! The lives of the saints are efficacious reading for all, but especially the young.
9. FRIENDS: GOOD AND WHOLESOME FRIENDSHIPS. We all need friends. Jesus chose the Apostles to be His friends. However, a tried and true friend is one who deepens our friendship with Jesus, who should be our BEST FRIEND!!!
10. FILIAL LOVE AND DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.  Experience manifests in the lives of the saints—God’s true friends—that a tender, filial love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, devotion to her Immaculate Heart, and a love for the Holy Rosary are very efficacious in attaining virtue, especially the demanding but essential virtue of purity or chastity!

We hope and pray that these ten concrete practices will help all, both young and old, to attain the virtue of purity and live out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5: 8) By an ever deepening of our whole person may we contemplate the beauty of the Face of God now and for all eternity! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

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

FRIDAY, March 19th    Mt. 1: 16, 18-21, 24A   “Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’”

Saint Joseph: Our Sublime Model for Fatherhood by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

If we want to look to the saints as models then we should raise our eyes, mind and heart to the greatest of all saints and that is, of course, Saint Joseph!

The Church celebrates liturgically Glorious Saint Joseph twice a year: March 19th and May 1st. In March he is celebrated under the title Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary. In May his title is Saint Joseph the Worker.

In this short essay we would like to focus on Glorious Saint Joseph as patron of families and patron of fathers. As we all know, in the world in which we live the family is definitely in crisis, as well as fatherhood. For these two reasons we would like to raise our minds and hearts to Saint Joseph to pray for families, as well as to serve as a splendid and shining model for fathers to follow.

One of the titles given to Saint Joseph in the beautiful prayer that we call the Litany of Saint Joseph is the poetic expression: Saint Joseph, Ornament of the Domestic Life, pray for us. What do we mean by the word ornament? Very simply, an ornament has as its nature and purpose to adorn, to beautify, to dignify, to make noble. If Saint Joseph is given a more prominent role in the family, then families indeed will become more beautiful, more noble, more loving, more pure — in a word, more holy!

Therefore, we encourage all families to invite the Glorious Saint Joseph to be a living member of your family, of course in union with Mary, the spouse of Saint Joseph, and Jesus, our Lord. Two suggestions on how to invite Saint Joseph to have a more prominent presence and role in the sanctification of your family. First, purchase either an attractive statue of Saint Joseph and place it in a prominent place, or you might prefer to purchase an attractive painting of this great saint. Next, on a daily basis, have the family pray together a prayer to Saint Joseph; it might even be the Litany of Saint Joseph. Do not be surprised to experience real changes improving your family life in a short time if this is done. The great Saint Teresa of Avila, woman Doctor of the Church, who loved and promoted devotion to Glorious Saint Joseph commented that sometimes saints delay in their intercession. But not so with Saint Joseph, he works quickly! She said that he is the saint to beg graces from in all circumstances and situations.

Now let us move on to another dimension of the personality of the Great and Glorious Saint Joseph and that is with respect to his Paternity—or if you like, Saint Joseph in his role as Father.

The Church actually gives Saint Joseph a theological category that places him in the apex or zenith of all of the saints and this is called Protodulia. By this title, we mean that Saint Joseph as saint is the first to be venerated among all the saints. Saint Bernardine of Siena and other saints give the reason and it is because of the dignity of his office or the dignity of his sublime vocation. For, according to the vocation that God gives to any individual, He will always give corresponding graces commensurate with that vocation. The Sacrament of Marriage enables a husband and wife to be faithful to each other, and to be responsible and holy parents. Holy Orders enables the priest to carry out his priestly duties with grace, order, love, and perfection.

Likewise, God called the great Saint Joseph to be both spouse of Mary, the Mother of God, as well as to be the earthly father to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Therefore, it stands to reason, that due to these two sublime duties, Saint Joseph would be endowed with a super abundance of graces. For this reason, we want to love Saint Joseph, pray to Saint Joseph, and trust in the power of his intercession.

Saint Joseph as Father

One of the most astounding and mind-boggling works of the Eternal Father was to send His Only Son Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and allow His Son to become a little Baby — vulnerable, weak and totally dependent upon a human mother and a human father — Mary and Saint Joseph. Indeed, Saint Joseph was and always will be the earthly father of Jesus! This was the will of the eternal Father for all eternity. And of course, Saint Joseph was the best of all earthly fathers.

We would like to highlight only a few sublime qualities of Saint Joseph as father so that it will serve as a springboard for many fathers to imitate. We all desperately need good role-models to imitate, and now, more than ever, fathers need a role model, and Saint Joseph is by far the best!

The following are five specific qualities that Saint Joseph lived as father to Jesus and as a model for all present and future fathers. May Glorious Saint Joseph intercede for fathers that they will faithfully carry out the sublime role that God has entrusted to them!

1. First, Saint Joseph was a faithful son of the Eternal Father.

What is meant by this is simply the following: to be a good father, one must first and foremost be a noble, loving, and obedient son to the heavenly Father. All fathers must pray with utmost sincerity the prayer of the Lord: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” A true father must have God as his guide, source, life, and inspiration. May fathers, in imitation of Saint Joseph, cultivate a deep relationship with the heavenly Father, and learn the true meaning of the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father!

2. Second, Saint Joseph was a faithful and loving spouse.

The Liturgy highlights how Saint Joseph cherished his wife, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The word cherish means that he really loved her. It is true that both Saint Joseph and Mary decided upon and lived faithfully a virginal marriage, under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, on a human level there existed a most profound and dynamic love that bound them together, a love imbued with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, to be true and genuine fathers, husbands must love God, but then they must really love their wives. For when they love their wives, this love overflows and descends upon their children, like rainfall that falls and moistens the parched ground. A husband’s gesture of kindness and love given to his wife, is a gesture of kindness and love given to their children!

3. Third, good Saint Joseph was a teacher.

He taught Jesus, on a human level, many important practices. He taught Jesus how to speak and say Abba — Daddy! He taught Jesus how to walk. He taught Jesus the art of being a craftsman as a carpenter. Now listen to this: Saint Joseph even taught Jesus how to pray! Take the words of the Psalms, such as “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want…” (Psalm 23:1), Saint Joseph prayed these words and taught the Child Jesus to pray them. How sublime! The great Saint Joseph taught the Logos, the Eternal Word of God the Father, how to pray using human words!

The documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church insist on the fact that the parents—both father and mother—are the primary teachers of their children, most especially in that which refers to the faith. May good Saint Joseph be a model for parents to truly be the first and best teachers of their children in all areas: academic, social, human, emotional, but especially as teachers of morality, spirituality, and all that refers to the good of the soul of the child and their eternal salvation.

4. Saint Joseph was present to his child and to his wife.

What we mean by present refers to the all-pervasive sad fact that so many fathers today actually become what we might term Drop-out Dads! This term Drop-out Dad has a multiplicity of interpretations, all nefarious and noxious to the well-being of the child and the family at large. Here are a few: divorcees, those involved in adultery, those hooked to vices (drinking, porn, drugs, casino gambling or the horses), those who are physically present but emotionally disengaged or disconnected.

This indeed becomes a vicious cycle passed on from one generation to the next. Contrariwise, good Saint Joseph was always, and we emphasize always, available to the needs of his family — both wife and Son! Saint Joseph prayed with the family, worked with the family, ate with the family, went to the Synagogue and Temple with the family, laughed with the family, relaxed with the family, and finally died in the arms of those he loved most — Jesus and Mary!

5. Saint Joseph was willing to sacrifice for his family.

A very important final note on the noble, sublime, and holy presence and person of the great Saint Joseph was his willingness to sacrifice himself and suffer for Jesus and Mary. Not in one isolated case but many times, and intense sufferings!

Saint Joseph suffered due to the Virginal Conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, until the angel cleared his doubt, and Saint Joseph took Mary to be his wife. Saint Joseph made the long and grueling trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, in total obedience to the governing authorities, accompanying his pregnant wife on a donkey those many miles. Upon arriving, Saint Joseph received nothing but rejection: “There was no place for them in the Inn.” 

Then Saint Joseph had a dream that the wicked King Herod wanted to kill his son. In the bitter cold and darkness of night, the faithful, strong, and obedient husband and father, good Saint Joseph, fled with his family to Egypt, thereby saving Jesus from being slaughtered. The strong, valiant, courageous, and trusting Saint Joseph experienced all these episodes and more, motivated by a most profound love for his family — his wife and his Child!

True and authentic fathers have a compelling need to look up to the valiant and courageous Saint Joseph as model and guide. In other words, true fathers must be willing to work hard for their children, sacrifice for their children, and even be willing to suffer for their children, and sometimes suffer painfully for their children to bring them to safety from the many wiles of the modern Herods! Our human nature shirks and recoils from the prospect of suffering. However, it is part and parcel of human existence.

Final Thought on Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph sacrificed himself and suffered intensely for one reason: love. This great saint loved God; he loved his wife Mary, and he had an all-encompassing love for his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. May our modern fathers, our modern Dads, lift up their eyes to good Saint Joseph and beg for his heavenly intercession, especially in moments of trial when pain and sacrifice are demanded. No doubt, good Saint Joseph will be present, powerful and providential in his assistance!

The first devotees (those truly devoted to) this great and glorious Saint Joseph were both Our Lady and Jesus, the Lord. For all of us to have an integral, well-balanced and complete relationship with Jesus and Mary, then we must also have a great love for glorious Saint Joseph.

We would like to end with a prayer to Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul;

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like unto yours.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony;

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I breathe forth my soul unto thee.

O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament Divine,

all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine. Amen.