Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

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

SATURDAY, March 13th    Lk. 18: 9-14   “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

Our Blessed Mother Mary is the model and perfection of humility. Let us strive to imitate her!  

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.” (Lk. 1: 6-49)

Part`1:  The Glories of Mary by Saint John Henry Newman

Part 2:  TEN WAYS YOU CAN LOVE MOTHER MARY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1:  The Glories of Mary by Saint John Henry Newman

Mary’s glories are not only for the sake of her Son, they are for our sake also.  Let us copy her faith, who received God’s message by the angel without a doubt; her patience, who endured Saint Joseph’s surprise without a word; her obedience, who went up to Bethlehem in the winter and bore our Lord in a stable; her meditative spirit, who pondered in her heart what she saw and heard about Him; her fortitude, whose heart the sword went through; her self-surrender, who gave Him up during His ministry and consented to His death…

What shall bring you forward in the narrow way, if you live in the world, but the thought and patronage of Mary?  What shall seal your senses, what shall tranquilize your heart when sights and sounds of danger are around you, but Mary?  What shall give you patience and endurance, when you are wearied out with the length of the conflict with evil, with the unceasing necessity of precautions, with the irksomeness of observing them, with the tediousness of their repetition, with the strain upon your mind, with your forlorn and cheerless condition, but a loving communion with her!  She will comfort you in your discouragements, solace you in your fatigues, raise you after your falls, reward you for your successes.  She will show you her Son, your God and your all. 

When your spirit within you is excited, or relaxed, or depressed, when it loses its balance, when it is restless and wayward, when it is sick of what it has, and hankers after what it has not, when your eye is solicited with evil and your mortal frame trembles under the shadow of the Tempter, what will bring you to yourselves, to peace and to health, but the cool breath of the Immaculate and fragrance of the Rose of Sharon.

PART 2:  TEN WAYS YOU CAN LOVE MOTHER MARY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

We often discuss who might be the best athletes, the best artists, the best writers, the best musicians; also, it must be said, there are the best of mothers. By far—and in a class by herself—the Blessed Virgin Mary was, is and always will be the best of all mothers.

This being said, mothers should recognize the fact that Mary is the best of all mothers and contemplate Mary’s words, actions, gestures, looks, intentions and life to become better mothers.

For our great consolation Mary is the Mother of God and she is the Mother of the Church, but also Mary is our dearest Mother too! Let us try to please Mary our Mother and as a consequence, the many mothers in the world will make huge strides in becoming better mothers all the days of their lives!

Below we will present ten different ways that we can show Mary our Mother our great love for her and without a doubt, through her most powerful intercession, she will attain for us the most choice graces to help us become the saints that we are called to be, and many of us as mothers.

1. Talk to Her

We have to get into the habit of talking to Mary, our dearest Mother, very often. To confide in her, speak to her from our hearts, love her and entrust all of our lives to her is most pleasing to her, as well as to her Son Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is our Model, our Guide, our Friend and our dearest of Mothers. She loves us so much and desires to have frequent conversations with us.

Let us start today! Good friends think about each other and talk frequently! Mary is our Mother, but she is also our friend and confidant.

2. Start Your Day with Mary

Upon waking up every morning, our first action should be that of prayer, and what prayer? Why not start your day by giving yourself totally to Jesus, in all you say, do and think, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Give to Jesus through Mary your eyes, your ears, your mind, your heart, your body and even your intentions—in a word, give everything to Jesus through Mother Mary. How important it is to start our day well through the Heart of Mary!

3. Love Her

A Mother never gets tired of hearing her child say: “Mom, I really love you; you are the greatest!” The temptation might be to say the following: “Well she already knows it, why tell her something that she already knows.” True, a good Mother most likely already knows it. However, it should be expressed in words. By saying: “Mom, I really love you”, the heart of the mother will leap with joy. The same must be said about Mary our Mother. In the simplest of words when we say: “Mother Mary, I love you”, then Mary the Mother of God experiences great joy in her most pure and Immaculate Heart. Therefore, during the course of the day we should simply say: “Mother Mary, I love you!”

4. Walk With Her

There is a well-known song in both Spanish and Italian dedicated to Mary related to this topic with the title: Santa Maria del Camino—meaning, “Our Lady of the Way”. Therefore, when we travel, and it can be a short trip or a very long one, we should invite Mother Mary to come along with us. She is a good traveling companion and can protect us from many dangers in our travels, perils both physical and moral. How many accidents, both physical and moral, have surely been prevented by traveling with Mary—Santa Maria del Camino!

5. Imitate Mary

If we know somebody in a very deep way, that often leads to imitation, and imitation to following, and following to a deep love for that person. Saint Louis de Montfort highlights the ten principal virtues of Mary that we should strive to imitate: her deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom. (True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort #108)

6. Trust and Entrust to Mary

If we truly have confidence in a person then we can entrust our cares to that person, knowing that this special person will care for us and protect us. God the Father entrusted His only begotten Son to the care of Mary. Therefore, we can entrust our lives totally to the care of Mary, our dearest and most loving Mother. “Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection was left unaided.” (The Memorare, Saint Bernard)

7. Tell Mary of Your Sorrows and Failures 

We could be tempted by the enemy, the devil, who truly hates Mary, to feel inhibited in telling Mother Mary our sorrows and deep sufferings. The contrary should be the case! The best of mothers, Mary knows very clearly that when a child is most hurt and wounded, that is when the child needs the most tender love and care. So it should be with us! When the days seem to be the most cloudy, bleak, gloomy and downright depressing in the depths of our souls, it is then that we really need to open up and talk to Mary our Mother! Mary is both refuge of sinners and health of the sick—two titles for Mary in her famous Litanies!

8. Call Upon Mary When Tempted

Our life is a constant battle; we are soldiers of both Jesus and Mother Mary. That means that we are on a constant battle-ground. Our enemies are three: the devil, the flesh, and the world. Aware of this intense reality of spiritual combat, we should call upon the Holy Name of Mary in the midst of the battle and the victory will be ours! The famous Battle of Lepanto proved a striking victory through invoking Mary and the recitation of the most Holy Rosary, at the insistence of Saint Pope Pius V. May we entrust our battles to Mary, who is more powerful than a whole army in battle array! The mere name of Mary causes terror and fear in all of hell!

9. Promote Love for Mary as Mother

If indeed we have truly experienced the love, care, and tenderness of Mary in our daily lives, then undoubtedly we will want to make Mother Mary known far and wide.  Mary is not loved and honored due to one principal reason: she is not known! How can she be made known? In many ways! Encourage the reading of good books on Mary like The Glories of Mary by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort, and Mater Redemptoris and The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary both by Saint Pope John Paul II.

Encourage recitation of the Holy Rosary and praying it daily, give out Rosaries with pamphlets on how to pray the Rosary, and finally, encourage the wearing of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

10. Die in the Arms of Mary

The most important moment in our lives is the very moment that we die. This moment will determine for all eternity our eternal destiny—either heaven or hell.  Why not prepare to die in grace, to die a holy death, at least 50 times a day? How, you might ask? Simply by praying the most Holy Rosary. Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we are preparing ourselves for a holy and happy death with these words: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Therefore, let us rejoice with the keen awareness that we all have a heavenly Mother, Mary the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our dear Mother. She knows us, cares for us, protects us, but especially, she loves us! Indeed, in the midst of the trials, struggles, intense battles of life let us find our refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Friday of the Third Week of Lent

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

FRIDAY, March 12th    Mk. 12: 28-34   “Jesus replied, ‘The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.’”

Part`1:  The love of Jesus for each one of us! By Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Part 2:  GOD’S INFINITE LOVE FOR YOU AND FOR ME! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1:  The love of Jesus for each one of us! By Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Jesus wants me to tell you again how much love He has for each of one of you – beyond all you can imagine! I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus – one to one – you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel – but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love?

Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of you own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying, “I thirst” in the hearts of the poor.

Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living Person – not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say, “I love you” – impossible! Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead – meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him – speaking in the silence of your heart. Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes – to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you.

This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more – He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes – He is the one who always accepts you. 

My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet – only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest.

PART 2:  GOD’S INFINITE LOVE FOR YOU AND FOR ME! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

One of the principal reasons why we commit sin is because we do not really understand the love that God has for each and every one of us. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen defines love in these simple but profound words: Sin is hurting the one you love. This is a very personal definition. That is to say, sin is hurting and damaging your relationship with God, and maybe even rupturing it to the point of severing the relationship. The primary question that each of us should ask ourselves in the depths of our hearts is this: do you really believe that God loves you personally, permanently, unreservedly, and infinitely? This brief essay is aimed at helping us to be convinced of God’s infinite love for us. Consequently, it will be much easier when confronted with temptations to sin to reject them. And the reason is because I do not want to hurt God who loves me so much. In other words, serious sin is not simply breaking a commandment, but breaking the Heart of God!

How then do we know that God really loves us with an infinite love? The following are some reasons.

1. ORIGINAL SIN AND THE INCARNATION. 

A very consoling truth in the Catholic faith is that God allows evil so that He can bring greater good out of evil. Saint Paul asserts: “Where sin abounds, the grace of God abounds all the more.” (Rom 5: 20) If you like, God can turn a tremendous tragedy into a glorious victory! One of the clearest and most penetrating manifestations of this truth is the reality of Original Sin and consequently the Incarnation. God gave Adam and Eve freedom which they abused by committing Original Sin. However, God intervened by sending His only-begotten Son, Jesus, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to save us. As we sing in the Easter Vigil Mass in the Exultet: O happy fault, O happy fault that brought us so great a Savior. Therefore, the Incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God made man, was done for love of you and me. How great God’s love is for us, in that He sent Jesus to save us from the devil, slavery to sin, and eternal damnation!

2. THE LIFE OF JESUS AS A MODEL FOR ALL OF US. 

Another sign of God’s infinite love for us is the Person, Pattern and Model of Perfection that Jesus is for all of us. As to living out the truth, we are not like blind men, or men living in caves, or a man running around like a chicken with its head cut off—far from it! How we are to act, what are we to say, who we are called to become—all of these questions can be responded to in one word, and that WORD is the Word of God, the Logos—JESUS THE LORD! Our whole existence should be a constant study of the Person, Life, Words, and Actions of Jesus. For Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.

3. THE PASSION, SUFFERING AND DEATH OF JESUS! 

In the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in the 3rd Week of the month retreat, the topic for meditation or contemplation is the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus. The retreatant is invited to enter into the very life of Jesus, to enter into the very Heart of Jesus, and beg for the grace to suffer with Jesus—not an easy grace to beg for! Moreover, Saint Ignatius emphasizes this extraordinary truth: Jesus suffered all of His Passion and death for love of you. Indeed, if you were the only person in the whole created universe, Jesus would have gone through all those excruciating pains and tortures for love of you. His sweating Blood, His scourging, His crowning with thorns, His carrying of the cross and falling under its heavy weight, His crucifixion, His prolonged agony on the cross those three hours, His shedding every drop of His Precious Blood, His breathing forth His spirit into the hands of the Heavenly Father, and even the piercing of His Sacred Heart after He was already dead—all this, all His intense and indescribable suffering, He went through because of His infinite love for you and your eternal salvation. Stop to meditate upon this profound truth and tell the Lord Jesus how thankful you are. Beg Jesus for the grace right now to truly love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength!

4. THE CHURCH AND THE SACRAMENTS. 

Jesus promised that He would not leave us orphans, but that He would send us the Consoler, the Paraclete, that is to say, the HOLY SPIRIT. Still more, Jesus left us until the end of time His constant and perpetual PRESENCE in His ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH. However, of supreme importance is the institution and reality of the greatest of all of the Sacraments and that is the most Holy Eucharist. Jesus loves us so much and continues to love us until the end of time and forever in heaven. On earth this love is present to all who believe in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in which the sublime fruit is the Eucharist, which reaches its climax in the reception of Holy Communion. We must remind ourselves over and over again of the sublime and ineffable truth that Holy Communion is Jesus loving us! Holy Communion is really and substantially Jesus in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Indeed, Jesus loves us so much that He wants to come and live in us, abide in us, be part of us. Jesus wants His Body to be part of our body. Jesus wants His Precious Blood to circulate and flow through our veins and enter into our very heart. Jesus wants His mind to be our mind; as Saint Paul says: “Put on the mind of Christ… you have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor 2:16) Jesus wants His very soul to enter into our soul to sanctify and strengthen our soul. All of this truly becomes a reality every time that we receive Holy Communion worthily, with faith, devotion, love and a burning heart. How much Jesus really loves us in all times and in all places! Understanding the immense and personal love of Jesus through His Mystical Body the Church, and especially through the most sublime Sacrament of the Eucharist, motivates us to renounce sin when it is knocking at the door of our hearts. We do not want to hurt Jesus who loves us so much!

5. JESUS’ PRECIOUS GIFT TO US FROM THE CROSS! 

The love that Jesus has for you continues and will continue always, even into eternity! As He hung on the cross in painful agony and abandonment, Jesus gave to the whole world, but to you individually the great gift of His Mother to be your mother. The words of Jesus were addressed to you and to me: “Woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy Mother; from that moment the beloved disciple took Mary into his home.” (Jn. 19: 26-27) Jesus loves you so much that from all eternity He willed to leave for your peace, joy, consolation, and love, the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the person of Saint John, in giving Mary to him, Jesus was also giving Mary to you, to be your tender, loving, meek and humble, and compassionate Mother. You can turn to Mary as your Mother in all times, places, circumstances, and contradictions of life. Mary is always present and willing to listen to you, console you, comfort you, and love you with the heart of the most loving of mothers.

Therefore, when temptation to sin knocks at the door of our hearts, we should call to mind the Incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God made man, His life on earth, His Passion and death that He suffered for love of each one of us; the Church, especially the Eucharist, that He left us to console and strengthen us for the journey; and lastly, the gift of Mary as our loving Mother. Keenly convinced of these truths, we can more easily say NO to sin and YES to love and to a deep friendship with Jesus, the faithful Friend who will never fail us!

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

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

THURSDAY, March 11th    Lk. 11: 14-23   “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

• Saint Ignatius of Loyola: “As in one’s whole life, so also in one’s death, each one should struggle to give glory to the Lord our God. May He be honored and glorified. May other people be edified by the example of our patience and fortitude, by the testimony of our living faith, our hope and our love for the eternal goods.”

Part`1:  Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God… by Saint Albert the Great

Part 2:  FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

PART 1:  Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God… by Saint Albert the Great

Abide in God in the secret place of your soul as tranquilly as though there had already risen upon you the dawn of Eternity, the unending Day of God.

Strong in the love of Jesus, go forth from yourself, with a heart pure, a conscience at peace, a faith unfeigned; and in every trial, every event, commit yourself unreservedly to God, having nothing so much at heart as perfect obedience to His will and good pleasure.        

Let us not forget this truth: the moment a man, by the help of God, succeeds in overcoming his own will, that is, in freeing himself from every inordinate affection and care, to cast himself and all his miseries unreservedly into the bosom of God, that moment he becomes so pleasing to God that he receives an outpouring of grace.

This grace brings love, and love drives out all fear and hesitation, and fills the soul with confidence and hope. What is more blessed than to cast all our cares on Him who cannot fail? As long as you lean upon yourself you will totter. Throw yourself without fear into the arms of God. He will embrace you, He will heal and save you.

If you think often of these truths they would bring you more happiness than all the riches, delights, honors of this false world, and would make you more blessed than all the wisdom and knowledge of this corruptible life.

PART 2. FRIENDSHIP WITH CHRIST JESUS by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

When I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1986 shortly after my ordination at the hands of Saint Pope John Paul II, I was contemplating a compelling portrait of Jesus. It was an image of His Sacred Heart, with flames of fire radiating from His Heart. However, what seemed to really captivate me most in the moment, were six words in Spanish that have been almost a motto of my life as a Catholic, Religious and priest, and follower of Christ. These words were: “Jesus, el Amigo que nunca falla.” Translation:  “Jesus, the Friend that never fails!”

Christological names are many:  The Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, The Way, Truth, and Life, the Alpha and Omega, Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, as well as Lamb of God, Son of man and Son of God. Each of these names, like a precious diamond exposed to the sun, through a process called refraction reflects a different glimmer of the majesty, greatness and beauty of Jesus the Son of the living God. However, there is still another title that has captivated me for many years and hopefully will captivate your heart and it is Jesus, the Friend that never fails us.

On Holy Thursday, as Jesus sat at the Last Supper, about to give to all of humanity until the end of time two extraordinary gifts—we call them Sacraments—Holy Orders and the Most Holy Eucharist, He called the Apostles, and each one of us, by a special name: “I call you friends!” In this most important moment in His life, shortly before being crucified for love of you and me, He called the Apostles and us His intimate Friends.

Our Catholic-Christian religion has rules, precepts, orders, prohibitions, decrees and commands, this we cannot deny.  The Ten Commandments are part and parcel of our deposit of faith. Nonetheless, if we limit our Catholic faith to nothing more than a series of rules, precepts, and Commandments to obey, then we have missed the boat, missed the mark, by focusing on something very important, but not that which is most important and essential.

The essence of Catholicism is a love-affair. It is a deep, dynamic, and growing relationship with three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The second Person of the most Blessed Trinity is Jesus, the Son of God become man. He came into the world to save us. But Jesus also came into the world to establish a deep, dynamic, and permanent Friendship with each and every one of us.

The Bible says that to find a true friend is indeed a treasure. We might even call it the pearl of infinite price that we should be willing to give everything else to acquire. Of all the friends that could exist in this world, friendship with Jesus is by far the best! In the painting of the Sacred Heart, He is the Friend who will never fail us in time and for all eternity. Even the best of friends are destined to fail each other sooner or later. But Jesus will never fail us. We indeed fail Him, but he will never fail us, never!

For this reason one of the best motivations for us to strive energetically to observe the Ten Commandments is for the simple reason of desiring to establish, cultivate and grow in a dynamic Friendship with Jesus.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen coined one of the best definitions of sin on the market:  “Sin is hurting the one you love.” True, sin is breaking one of the Commandments. However, above and beyond the mere breaking of one of the Commandments, by sinning seriously we are breaking the Heart of Jesus, who loved and stills loves us so much that He died on the cross to prove His love and Friendship for all of humanity, and for each one of us individually!

If you were the only person in the created universe, your Faithful Friend, Jesus would have come into the world preaching, teaching, and exorcising demons, but especially this: He would have suffered all of the torments of His Passion, from the Agony in the Garden to His crucifixion on the cross, up to the shedding of His last drop of Blood when the lance pierced His Sacred Heart. All of this Jesus, your best Friend, willingly suffered for love of you so that He would be your Best Friend in time and for all eternity.

Therefore, when we examine our conscience going through the Ten Commandments, why not take a fresh and new approach in preparation for Confession. And it is simply this! Recognize that your sins, in addition to breaking the Commandments, especially hurt the one who loves you and who wants to be loved by you!

Sin is saying “no” to the love of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is madly in love with you and has a burning desire for you to correspond to His love. Still more, by sinning you are breaking the Heart of your Best Friend. By making a good confession, you are healing the wounds in His Sacred Heart and restoring your friendship with the Friend who will never fail you which will not end at the graveside, but will last forever in eternity in heaven.

Therefore, by saying “no” to sin, you are really saying “yes” to the love of God and “yes” to a deep and growing Friendship with Jesus.

Face it, if sinning is simply breaking a series of cold and impersonal set of rules, then chances are we will go back to sinning. However, if we see sin in a personal light, hurting my best Friend, wounding His Heart, then I will stop and think, and renounce this temptation to sin.

May Our Lady and good Saint Joseph pray for us.  They were the ones who loved Jesus best, had the deepest friendship with Him on earth, and now and for all eternity they are the beloved of Jesus.

Let us pray.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, make my heart like 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. Jesus, be my best Friend now, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Amen.

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

Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

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

WEDNESDAY, March 10th    Mt. 5: 17-19   “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Lent is a time of Purification. The Ten Commandments are the antidote to the Seven Capital Sins. Having prayed before Lent over these sinful tendencies that we can all identify with, it behooves us to do an Ignatian repetition and pray with them again so as to assess our progress, measured by our practice of the opposite virtues!

CONQUERING THE 7–HEADED ENEMY WITHIN by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

A father and his young son are taking a leisurely walk through a wooded park in the early evening. Suddenly the father stops, looks into the eyes of his son and says: “Son, I must tell you that I have a wolf within me—a ravenous, angry, vicious wolf.” As they continue walking, the boy tries to make sense of his father having a wolf within him.

They walk on and the father stops again. Looking intently into the eyes of his son, the father says: “Son, I must tell you that I also have a lamb within me—a gentle, kind, loving lamb.

They walk on and the father stops yet again. Looking intently into the eyes of his son, the father says: “Son, I must tell you that I also have a lamb within me—a gentle, kind, loving lamb.

As they continue walking the son is trying to understand what this means, my father has both a wolf and a lamb within him. Finally unable to bear the suspense any longer, the son grabs his father’s sleeve and says: “Dad, Dad, which one is going to win, the wolf or the lamb? The father answers, “Whichever one I feed most.”

By means of this story let us delve into the depths of our own interior lives where we must encounter both the wolf and the lamb, the flesh in battle against the spirit, darkness striving to extinguish light, nobility and courage in contrast to fear and cowardice. This story is not simply a pious, mythical fairy-tale; rather, this is our story. We are all this father with both the wolf and the lamb within, each one vying to surface so as to prove victorious. Which of the two will win in us: the wolf or the lamb? The response is clear as the sun at midday: whichever one we feed most.

THE SEVEN WOLVES AND LAMBS WITHIN—THE SEVEN CAPITAL SINS AND OPPOSING VIRTUES.

As a result of the Original Sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, a moral tsunami was set in motion, like a huge stone pushed in motion from the top of a mountain. In the human person, created in the image and likeness of God and essentially good by nature, there is constant tension within. Even after the reception of the Sacrament of Baptism which washes away the stain of Original Sin, the effects of original sin remain such that our human nature is impaired, damaged, and inclined toward evil. Indeed, if that evil tendency or proclivity is not checked, but given free reign, the wolf will conquer the lamb, slavery will reign over liberty, and addictions can become the commonplace of such a person.

This being the present state of affairs, let us point out the seven wolves that are lurking within and the lambs that must be fed, cultivated, and bred to reign as the ultimate victors in the battle. These are the SEVEN CAPITAL SINS and the SEVEN OPPOSING VIRTUES.

For clarity, simplicity and ease in explaining, we will present the seven capital sins and the opposing virtues. Following will be a brief explanation on how the capital sins can be conquered in your soul; and this means the lamb will conquer the pernicious and vicious wolf always ready and on the prowl to attack!

1. GLUTTONY VS. TEMPERANCE.
2. LUST VS. CHASTITY.
3. AVARICE (GREED) VS. GENEROSITY.
4. SLOTH (LAZINESS) VS. DILIGENCE.
5. ENVY (JEALOUSY) VS ADMIRATION/GRATITUDE.
6. ANGER VS. MEEKNESS.
7. PRIDE VS. HUMILITY.

Now categorically and in an orderly fashion we will give a brief explanation of each of the Capital Sins—the wolf lurking within and the opposing virtue to be practiced. The whole purpose or thrust of this essay is to enhance our self-knowledge so that in all honestly we come to know and then come to terms with our primary weaknesses—so we can conquer the wolf and allow the lamb to dominate. This heightened self-knowledge or self-awareness will prove a huge advantage in our battle for purity and liberty, and the salvation of our immortal soul in the long run!

Many of the classic writers in ascetical and mystical theology insist upon the indispensable need for self-knowledge. The historian asserts: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” Socrates stated: “A life not examined is a life not worthy living.” The Desert Fathers have a famous two-word axiom: KNOW THYSELF! Even athletes, baseball-players, boxers, etc., will study their opponents so as not to make the same mistakes that cost them the prior game.

If you like, this simple analogy can prove quite useful. Superman had incredible strength. However, he had one potential weakness: KRYPTONITE. If exposed to this element, his energy and strength were drained and sapped from his body, and he became as weak as anybody else. Likewise, Samson’s strength was in his long locks of hair, and Achilles in his heel. This essay can help you to name it, claim it, and tame it! We must name our weakness, claim this self-knowledge as indispensable, and then tame the wolf by inviting the lamb to live within!

I. CAPITAL SIN: GLUTTONY.

The Capital Sin of Gluttony can be defined as such: “Gluttony is a disordered desire to eat and drink.” The key word is disordered. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, relying on the wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas, asserts that sin is against reason and is a disorder. Saint Ignatius states that we are called to order the disordered in our lives so that we can discern the will of God.

Ask yourselves this question: “Do you live to eat or do you eat to live?” If you live only to eat, then Saint Paul calls this “The god of the belly.” We call this the Capital Sin of Gluttony—the wolf from within.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—TEMPERANCE.

The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Gluttony is that of Temperance. This virtue can be defined as: “The proper and ordered use of created goods.” Saint Ignatius in Principle and Foundation reminds us that we are called to use created goods and not to abuse them. The virtue of temperance is using food as a means to have energy, strength, and stamina in order to faithfully carry out the obligations of our state of life. We must strive to conquer the wolf within—eat to live healthily, not live to eat only to satisfy our carnal pleasure!

A PRACTICE TO ATTAIN TEMPERANCE: Leave the table a little hungry. In other words, stop eating before you feel full.

2. CAPITAL SIN: LUST.

A concise definition of the Capital Sin of Lust is the following: “Lust is a disordered desire for sexual pleasure.” As a result of Original Sin, one of the strong disordered tendencies is viewing a person as an object to be used, rather than as someone to be valued for their innate dignity that comes from the Creator and even more from the Sacrament of Baptism. Jesus warns us to look beyond the mere act of Fornication or Adultery. He warns us to avoid even lusting after a woman in our heart. The standard is high, but the grace of God is more than sufficient if we correspond to it.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—CHASTITY/PURITY.

The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Lust is that of chastity or purity. So as to contemplate God in this life, as well as in the Kingdom of Heaven, one of the key requirements or conditions is that of purity. The words of Jesus exemplify this truth in one of the eight Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

A PRACTICE TO ATTAIN PURITY: Contemplate daily a beautiful painting, icon or picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary with your physical eyes and the eyes of your soul.

3. CAPITAL SIN: AVARICE/GREED.

 A short and to the point definition of Avarice, also defined as Greed, is the following: “Avarice is a disordered desire for material things or possessions.” The philosophical system or terminology would be that of Materialism and Consumerism. Our life is focused more on what we have than who we are. In other words, our possessions can end up possessing us.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—GENEROSITY.

The opposing virtue to the Capital Sin of Avarice is that of Generosity. Generosity is mastered by the art of giving. The proverb of Saint Paul characterizes the thrust of his life: “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” The saints lived the Gospel of generosity to a point that would shock a person dominated by materialism, as in the case of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta who coined this pithy maxim: “We must learn to give until it hurts.”

A PRACTICE TO ATTAIN GENEROSITY: Every month check your closets, wardrobe, or garage and give to the poor something that you really do not need.

4. CAPITAL SIN: SLOTH/LAZINESS

What is sloth? It is nothing more than laziness, indolence, lack of effort needed to carry out our daily obligations. You might even call it spiritual, mental, and physical inertia in our person, once again, as a result of Original Sin. This sloth can manifest itself in resistance to physical work, mental efforts, and spiritual activity—putting off or neglecting prayer.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—DILIGENCE.

A diligent person manifests readiness and willingness to work hard with their body, their mind, and their soul. Not daunted or overcome by difficulties, they work through the difficulties. One of the best examples is Saint Joseph the Worker.

A PRACTICE: Imagine a typical day in the Carpenter-shop with Jesus and Saint Joseph and you working side by side with them the whole day! No time for laziness; rather hard, methodical, systematic work done and all for the honor and glory of God!

5.  CAPITAL SIN: ENVY (JEALOUSY)

A very dangerous and pernicious Capital Sin that if not overcome through grace, can bring with it many very serious, noxious consequences. This we see most clearly in the murder of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain, a result of unbridled anger fed and nourished by envy. 

Envy is a step worse than jealousy. Jealousy is sadness in our heart because we recognize that somebody has something we do not have. Envy descends deeper into the pit of evil because we rejoice when something bad happens to that person. Truly ugly!

OPPOSING VIRTUE—ADMIRATION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY.

Instead of putting down the person you envy, admire and compliment that person on their talents, successes, and triumphs. Moved by the good spirit, you will come to a keen awareness that whatever gifts they have come from the Author of all good—God Himself. A key Biblical passage to conquer envy in all shapes and forms is from Saint Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.”

A PRACTICE: Every night, look back at your day and find something to thank God for and remember how blessed you are!

6. ANGER. 

This Capital Sin is a transient impulse of passion that can be brought on by multiple factors. All too often, our anger is manifested by an attitude of impatience, and this impatience can be played out against others, our self, and even at times against God. Anger often has as its root cause, pride. We’re angry because we want things done our way, in our time, and according to our concept of perfection. If not held back or checked, anger can wreak havoc in our life, the lives of those around us, and the lives of a host of others.

OPPOSING VIRTUE—MEEKNESS.

In Sacred Scripture, Jesus describes two characteristics of His Sacred Heart—meek and humble. (Mt. 11:29) Contrary to common opinion, meekness is not weakness; quite the contrary, meekness is powerful emotion under control of faith and reason. One of the most famous saints known far and wide for his meekness is Saint Frances de Sales; he fought hard to acquire that virtue, and so can we!

A PRACTICE: A daily prayer to help us acquire meekness is the following: “Jesus meek and humble of Heart, make my heart like unto thine.”

7. PRIDE.

At the root of all sin is that of pride. Pride can be defined in many ways. However, a concise and clear definition of pride might be the following: “Pride is a disordered love for self.” In other words, the proud person places himself at the center of attention. He is number one! He wants to be recognized and applauded in what he considers his excellence and greatness! The saying rings so true: Pride comes before a fall! In every one of our sinful actions, pride is behind that action in one form or another.

THE OPPOSING VIRTUE— HUMILITY.  

A person imbued with the virtue of humility recognizes the following: All the good that I can do physically, intellectually, morally, spiritually, and totally is due to God’s grace and God’s work in my life. In the words of the Psalmist: “Not to us, not to us, but to Thee, O Lord, the honor, glory and praise.” (Ps. 115: 1)

A PRACTICE: Every single day go out of your way to do something kind for someone or say something kind to someone, without expecting anything in return.

So, my friends in the Lord and His Mother Mary, we have come to the conclusion of our essay on the Capital Sins that we all have rooted within our fallen nature. It is incumbent upon us, through serious prayer, examination of conscience, as well as adequate spiritual direction to discern which of the Capital Sins is our predominant one, and what might be our second most dominant. Then, with the help of God’s grace and our good will and effort, work to conquer those Capital Sins by practicing the opposite virtues so your soul will shine like the stars in firmament at night!

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. As in the opening story, we all have the wolf and the lamb hidden in the inner recesses of our heart, our mind, and our soul. We must have a humble and clear perception of this dual reality. With God’s grace and our generous effort, we can conquer the wolf within us, so that the lamb, who is a symbol of Jesus Himself, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, might shine forth brilliantly in our lives. May Mary, the Mother of the Lamb, help us to overcome evil and allow holiness to conquer and reign in our lives!

Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

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

TUESDAY, March 9th    Mt. 18: 21-35    “I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your follow servant, as I had pity on you?”

Forgiveness is a supernatural action requiring God’s grace, not a natural action we are capable of on our own. We have to beg for the grace and then cooperate with the grace! Here are three steps that can help us…

1. Recall your own sinfulness and the terrible price Jesus paid in His Passion and death on the cross to redeem you. Then remember how often you continue to fall, despite your best intentions!
2. Humbly beg Jesus to give you His Heart to forgive others with, because your heart is too small! A prayer He never fails to answer according to the sincerity of the one praying it.
3. We will become the person God created us to be to the extent we imitate Jesus’ Divine Love and Mercy! BEG FOR THE GRACE! Lent is the time to grow in grace!

HOW TO GROW IN GRACE by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

On one occasion the great Saint, Mystic and Woman Doctor of the Church, Saint Catherine of Siena was given by God the grace to contemplate a soul in the state of sanctifying grace. Enthralled and captivated by the magnificent beauty of this one soul, the holy woman mystic fell to her knees ready to adore this soul—believing the soul to be God Himself. Quickly God informed Saint Catherine that this person was not God, but very simply this was nothing more than a soul living in the state of sanctifying grace.  

The utter, ineffable and indescribable beauty of this one anonymous soul in the state of sanctifying grace moved Saint Catherine to the very depths of her soul and caused her to fall to her knees, almost casting her into ecstasy!

SANCTIFYING GRACE, WHAT IS IT? WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? HOW TO GET IT?  Sanctifying grace is participation in the very life of God Himself. It is the “God within us” that makes us pleasing to God. We first receive sanctifying grace at the moment of our reception of Holy Baptism. It is a free, gratuitous gift from God whose nature is to give abundantly, and as abundantly and copiously as we are willing to receive.

THE GRACE OF ALL GRACES.  In one of his many writings, Saint Alphonsus asserted the following related and pertinent to our present topic: “The grace of all graces is to die in the state of grace.” Therefore, let us present a clear but demanding pathway in our lives to appreciate and realize to the highest degree the reality of grace in our soul. We will offer a very simple program on how we can constantly, by making a concerted effort with the help of God’s grace (no pun intended!), preserve grace in our soul, defend grace in our inner being, grow in God’s grace, be a channel of grace to others that we meet, and be a means of spreading and growing the grace of God in the world at large.

Let us turn to Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and the Mother of all of us, who is the full of grace to help us appreciate grace and grow in grace until we reach our Heavenly Home!

TEN WAYS THAT WE CAN GROW IN GRACE DAILY

1. MORTAL ENEMY NUMBER ONE: SIN—MORTAL AND VENIAL. 

The worst enemy in our spiritual life in general is the reality of sin. If you like, it is toxic, poisonous, lethal and deadly in our pursuit of living and growing in sanctifying grace. Venial sin diminishes God’s grace in our soul; mortal sin—our worst enemy—expels grace from our soul. Let us humbly beg God for the grace to detest and have an abhorrence for sin—all sin, but especially mortal sin!

2. PRAYER. 

What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul. It is recorded in the life of the Jesuit scholar Suarez that after having written many solid, scholarly works, he said that he would gladly trade all of these for the value of one fervently prayed HAIL MARY! The reason? This saintly scholar arrived at the keen awareness at the end of his life of the value of grace and how grace flows to the soul through prayer, and especially through Mary, the full of grace! This being said, any prayer offered to God with humility, purity of intention and love increases grace in our souls.

3. PENANCE: PRACTICE OF SACRIFICES. 

Our Lady of Fatima stated with sadness that many souls are lost for all eternity because not enough prayers and sacrifices are offered to God for the conversion of poor sinners. In the eyes of God, even though they may be small, any sacrifice made with love attains grace, and sometimes even the grace necessary for the conversion of a sinner, especially deathbed sinners. Saint Therese stated: “Pick up a pin from the floor for the love of God and you can save a soul.”

4. CHARITY/SERVICE TOWARDS OTHERS. 

All the saints are unanimous on the greatest of all virtues—it is supernatural love or charity. Saint Paul expresses this truth eloquently in his letter to the Corinthians—I Cor. 13. Re-read this treatise on Charity! Then get in the habit of striving on a daily basis to put into practice at least one, better yet some of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy; they are seven apiece. By practicing concrete acts of love toward our neighbor, grace increases in our soul! Let’s get to work now!

5. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION. 

Now we are ascending to a higher level or realm of attaining grace—that is to say, the Sacramental life. If we have the misfortune or disgrace of forfeiting the grace of God in our soul through committing a mortal sin, we should never despair, but rather place our trust in God’s Infinite Mercy. Remember the words of the Psalm: “God is slow to anger but rich in mercy.” (Ps. 145: 8) In the event that we have not fallen into mortal sin, we can still have recourse to frequent Confession by confessing our venial sins, thereby augmenting sanctifying grace in our souls and utilizing the Sacrament of Confession as preventive medicine, as well as healing medicine!

6. DOCILITY AND OPENNESS TO THE INSPIRATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Another most efficacious means to augment grace in our soul is to live a recollected life and be open to God’s presence through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. The more humble, silent, pure, and recollected we can become, the more powerful the work of the Holy Spirit in such a beautiful soul. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit sends us a gentle but insistent touch, inspiration, knock at the door of our heart, each time we say YES a deluge of graces descend into the terrain of our soul and growth in holiness takes place. “If today you hear His voice harden not your hearts.” (Heb. 3: 15) Rather say: “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3: 10)

7. BECOME A BEGGAR BEFORE GOD, YOUR MASTER. 

Jesus stated unequivocally the importance of the prayer of petition or prayer of supplication: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Mt 7:7) Therefore, humbly beg God, as well as Our Lady, the full of grace, to attain for you the ability to defend grace in your soul, to strengthen grace in your soul, as well as to grow in grace.

8. THE GREATEST MEANS OF SKYROCKETING IN GRACE IS HOLY MASS AND HOLY C0MMUNION.

By far and beyond comparison, the most efficacious means by which we can grow in grace, better yet skyrocket in grace, is a fervent, humble, confident and worthy reception of the Eucharist. The reason could not be clearer: the Eucharist is GOD HIMSELF! Therefore, make a decision and concerted effort to attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as possible, with passion, fervor, and burning love for Jesus in your heart. If done, every fervent Holy Communion can result in the reception of an immense ocean of graces. Yes, and immense ocean of graces!

9. HAVE MASSES OFFERED FOR YOU AND YOUR INTENTIONS. 

Arriving at the celebration of my Silver Jubilee as a priest, my good Mom won the prize of all the gifts that I received on that momentous occasion. She had 25 Masses offered for my 25 years as a priest. Explosions of grace skyrocketed to the sky, and an infinite ocean of blessings and graces flowed from every one of those Masses that were offered for me and my intentions. I am infinitely grateful for such a gift and blessing—Thanks, Mom!

10. OUR LADY: “THE FULL OF GRACE”. 

It goes without saying that turning to Mary, the full of grace, praying to her frequently and fervently is one of the most efficacious means to preserve sanctifying grace in our soul, to defend it, augment it, and eventually die in the state of sanctifying grace. Every time we pray the HAIL MARY with love and devotion, Our Lady communicates grace to our soul. Better yet, every time we recite the most Holy Rosary to Mary—50 times more graces—like a deluge—rain down from heaven into the garden of our soul. Therefore, let us beg Our Lady, the full of grace, to attain for us the grace of all graces—to die in the state of sanctifying grace—so as to be united with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Mary and the Angels and Saints forever in Heaven!

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