By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

What is prayer? There are many definitions.   The CCC quotes, the Eastern Father of the Church, Sant John Damascene’s classical definition: “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.”   The first woman Doctor of the Church Saint Teresa of Avila defines payer essentially as FRIENDSHIP—spending a long time in silence with the one I know loves me! Another concise catechetical; definition for prayer is the following: “Prayer is listening to God, speaking to God and loving God.”  The Doctor of grace Saint Augustine quips up with a charming one-liner on prayer: “He who prays well lives well; he who lives well dies well; he who dies well, all is well.”   Finally, another noteworthy quote on prayer is a comparison easy to understand: “What air is to the lungs so is prayer to the soul.” In a word, the soul that does not breath prayer is destined to suffocate and die in the spiritual life.

Saint Alphonsus wrote a short treatise on prayer with the title Prayer, the key to salvation.  This great Doctor of the Church is also quoted in the CCC with these sobering words: “He who prays will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned.”   Prayer is a matter of life and death in our spiritual life.  Given the supreme importance of prayer we would like to list a number of helps to encourage us to not only take prayer seriously but also to put it into practice and God-willing to be an Apostle of prayer.

1. CONVICTION.  We will never carry out any objective or noble enterprise if we do not believe that it is of capital importance.  It is our hope that the above short one-liners on prayer will serve to motivate us to undertake the journey of prayer, not only to pray but strive to plumb the depths of prayer.  Saint Teresa of Avila asserts the following: “We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.”   The key is perseverance. (Read Lk. 18:1-8). The widow won over the ruthless judge due to her insistence and perseverance.

2. TIME. Saint Benedict, the Founder of the Order of the Benedictines, was famous also for the basic Rule for Religious life. Also, he is known for a famous one-liner on prayer—ORA Y LABORA—meaning we are called to both pray and to work.  Saint Teresa of Avila expresses what might appear to be obvious: “You learn how to pray by praying.”  If you like: “Practice makes perfect.”  Saint Mark presents Jesus in the very first chapter as rising way before dawn and being absorbed in prayer. (Mk. 1) Face it: if we do not give time to prayer, we will never learn the art of prayer.

3. PLACE. Jesus had His place—the Garden of Gethsemane. We should have our own prayer-corner, oratory, of if you like, “Get-away, to get to God.” Perhaps some solitude, corner in your home; perhaps a place in nature. The best place, if possible, would be in front of the Blessed Sacrament. This was the favorite refuge and oasis for Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He was faithful to his Holy Hour for more than 50 years as a priest. He called it his “Hour of power.”   

4. SILENCE. In any case, so as to enter into communion with God there must be an ambience and milieu of silence. Remember the prophet Elijah encountered God not in the fire, nor earthquake, nor storm but rather in the gentle breeze. Samuel in the Temple could hear God’s voice in silence and consequently spoke out: “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

5. CLEAN THE INNER WINDOWPANE.   At times prayer may prove to be tedious, difficult and even fruitless because our heart, mind and conscience is not right with God. In a word, we are loaded down with sin and our conscience is smeared and saturated with unconfessed sins. With Confession the Precious Blood of Jesus cleans the inner window so that we can contemplate the Face of God in prayer.

6. VOCAL PRAYER. Usually, we start out in our prayer journey by learning vocal prayer: the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Act of Contrition, Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity… Any prayer said with purity of intention, faith, and confidence is pleasing to God. This includes the use of vocal prayers.

7. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.   Many of the great saints insist on having a guide, or if you like a Spiritual Director to help us in our journey to the summit of the mountain of prayer. Among the most prominent saints who insist on the indispensable importance of Spiritual Direction to grow in holiness and to grow in our prayer life are the following: Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Faustina Kowalska, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint Francis de Sales.  Blind spots can easily block our growth; adequate and methodical spiritual direction can help us enormously in our prayer growth.

8. FAMILY PRAYER.  Most of us live in the context of the family. Actually, the Second Vatican Council states that the family is the domestic Church.  How important it really is when the family spends time on a daily basis in prayer.    Pope Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary quotes the Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together stays together.”  The same Pontiff insisted that we pray for two special intentions: for the sake of the family as well as for world peace!  How important these intentions now more than ever!

9. MARRIED COUPLE AT PRAYER.   When I preside over weddings very often, in my homily I summarize the book of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen “It takes three to get married” — the husband, the wife and Jesus Christ.   In a word, husband and wife must find times and place to pray together as a couple. This is the super-glue that will hold the marriage and family together. 

10. BIBLE: PRIMARY TEXT.  Saint Teresa of Avila said that she would never go to prayer without taking with her a book as an aid to enter into prayer.  Of all the textbooks to help us in prayer by far the greatest is the Bible—the Word of God.  Other spiritual books can be of great utility, but the Bible, God’s very Word, has pride of place.

11. PSALMS. Then in the Bible itself the Book of Psalms has pride of place with respect to explicit prayer. There are 150 in total, many attributed to King David. This Book of Psalms, inspired by the Holy Spirit, express the total emotional gamut of the sentiments present in the human heart. Praise, thanksgiving, supplication, joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams, wonder and awe, contrition due to failure and sin, fears and doubts—all of these and many more can be discovered in the rich treasure trove of the Book of the Psalms.

12. READING ON PRAYER.   Information on almost any topic is at our fingertips today; this is true also in the realm of prayer.   With proper spiritual direction you can discover what would be the best material to read with reference to prayer.  Once we have a literary guide this can point us in the right direction, and we can start to plumb the depths of prayer.  No reason to be immersed in ignorance today!

13. CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Of the modern writings on prayer Part IV in the (CCC) Catechism of the Catholic Church is a gem, a jewel and a literary masterpiece on prayer.  The reading may be somewhat dense but it is worth the effort.   The Catechism itself states that prayer is not always easy. Quite the contrary it can be compared to the wrestling match that Jacob had all night with the angel. As in any activity worthy of pursuit there must be the exertion of blood, sweat and tears. The athletes put it this way: “No pain, no gain!”

14. ASK FOR PRAYERS.   Jesus stated: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Whoever asks receives; whoever seeks finds; and whoever knocks the door will be opened to him. (Mt. 7:7ss) Ask a friend or a prayer-partner to pray for you to help you to grow in prayer. We are family and we should not be afraid to ask for help.

15. LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Brother Lawrence could summarize his growth in holiness with regard to one simple concept: LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD!  Our goal should be such that wherever we go, whatever we are doing, that we are constantly aware of God’s all-embracing ubiquitous Presence. In the Acts of the Apostles Saint Paul quotes the Greek poet in these words related to God’s omnipresence: “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

16. MEDITATION GUIDE.  A sure guide to launch us into the deep waters of meditation is the classic of Saint Francis de Sales, “Introduction to the devout life.” One of the greatest spiritual classics The Doctor of the Church, Saint Francis de Sales offers a series of easy-to-follow meditations to introduce us into the art of mental prayer, or if you like, meditation.

17. SPONTANEOUS PRAYERS: FIERY DARTS THAT PIERCE THE CLOUDS.  Another great help for prayer-growth is the frequent launching of short prayers, fiery darts to pierce the clouds. You should choose some of your favorites. We will offer a few choice examples of these fiery darts:

• “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”
• “Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust in you.”
• “Jesus, I trust you!”
• “Sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation.”
• “The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall lack. (Psalm 23:1)

18. PRACTICE OF THE DAILY EXAMEN. This form of prayer Saint Ignatius would insist that all of his followers do with great faithfulness on a regular basis.  To be as simple as possible in the explanation you simply rewind the film/movie of your day and walk through it with the Lord Jesus at your side. Spend some time in thanksgiving; repent over failures and propose for the future.

19. SPIRITUAL RETREATS.  We would be remiss if we did not mention the great importance of a more prolonged experience of prayer in the context of a spiritual retreat. Ignatian Retreats over the years have proved to be most fruitful.  Time blocks vary! It could a weekend retreat, five-day retreat, eight-day retreat or even a month Ignatian Retreat.  If done well, with good will and proper direction these retreats can catapult us into the deeper realms of prayer.

20. MOST HOLY ROSARY.  The centuries old practice of the recitation of the most Holy Rosary should never be by-passed or skipped over as irrelevant.  (Read “The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort). This wonderful prayer praised by countless saints and Popes embodies several modes/forms of prayer that can serve as a sure path to holiness and growth in prayer. The Rosary offers vocal prayer, mental prayer or meditation, contemplative prayer, affective prayer and can be a conduit and means to deeper mystical prayer.  It can be prayed alone, or in the family, or in Church, or even on the road on the Highway to Heaven.

We would like to conclude with one of the teachings of one of the Spiritual Directors of Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Peter of Alcantara on the value of mental prayer or meditation:  “In mental prayer the soul is purified from its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope, the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident, temptation is conquered, sadness dispelled, the senses renovated, the drooping powers revive, tepidity ceases, the rust of vices  disappears. Out of mental prayer issue forth, like living sparks, those desires of heaven which the souls conceive when inflamed by the fire of divine love. Sublime is the excellence of mental prayer, great are its privileges; to mental prayer heaven is opened; to mental prayer heavenly secrets are manifested and the ear of God is ever attentive.   (St. Peter of Alcantara, Treatise on prayer, first part, c. i.)

Like fish in water may we all be deeply immersed in prayer and attain the heights of holiness that God has designed for us now so that Heaven will be ours for all eternity.

One of the concrete manifestations of good will towards God and a desire to grow in holiness through prayer and living out an attitude of “Magnanimity” by doing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, is by formulating and writing out in a clear, methodical and practical way a Plan of Life. The variety of ways to hammer out a plan of life are limitless. The Plan of Life proposed in this article focuses on the various areas in our total life, and how we can improve and make our life a fragrance pleasing to God. Let us make the Psalmist’s prayer, our prayer: “O Lord, give success to the work of our hands; give success to the work of our hands.” (Ps. 90: 17)

Of capital importance, a well-formulated Plan of Life serves to order the disordered in our lives. Due to Original Sin and actual sin, our lives are marked by upheaval, confusion and disorder. The Holy Spirit is a God of order. Our Lady of Guadalupe gently arranged in an orderly way the roses in the tilma of Saint Juan Diego. From order comes peace of heart, mind, and soul. The Augustinian definition of peace is “Tranquility of order.”

Before writing out your specific plan of life, why not give this spiritual project a specific theme, motto or emphasis for the year. Some suggestions! Choose a corporal or spiritual work of mercy that you feel God is challenging you to embrace and live out this year. Maybe you prefer to take one of the 14 Stations of the Cross and that can be your motif. Or else you can choose one of the Eight Beatitudes (Mt. 5: 1-12) and strive to live that out with the help of your plan of life. Perhaps you would like to have a Marian thrust and choose one of the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary as your guiding star for the year. Finally, you might prefer choosing a Biblical scene or verse that captivates your attention. Jesus inviting Peter to walk on the water (Mt. 14: 28-29); or one of Jesus’ words from the cross, “I thirst” (Jn. 19: 28); or the words of the Apostles to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Lk. 17: 5). It could even be the essence of the Divine Mercy devotion in the simple words painted on the image itself: “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Now that we have chosen a guiding theme for the New Year, let us proceed in the specifics of our Plan of Life with various concrete areas to examine honestly and make short, practical proposals to continue our growth and improvement in these areas. Much better to formulate proposals that are practical and realistic, than idealistic proposals that go up like smoke before the first week of January has transpired! Remember the words of Jesus Himself: “He who is faithful in the small, will be faithful in the greater.” (Lk. 16: 10) The essence of the spirituality of St. Therese is to do the ordinary things of one’s daily life with extraordinary love. There we have the secret and key to holiness!

PLAN OF LIFE: CONCRETE PROPOSALS AND SPECIFIC CATEGORIES….

I.   PRAYER LIFE. 

Examine seriously the tone, tenor and present status of your prayer life. Pray over this to come up with some concrete way that you can make an improvement. SUGGESTION! Why not decide to add just five extra minutes to your prayer every day. This may seem insignificant, but your faithfulness for five more minutes will earn many graces for you and others!

II.   CONFESSION/RECONCILIATION.  

By birth we are all sinners. Until our dying day we must fight fiercely but trusting more in God’s grace to overcome sin in our lives. Sin is our mortal enemy number one. One of the most efficacious means to conquer sin is through the reception of the Sacrament of Confession. God’s healing touch and grace manifests itself most abundantly through this Sacrament. PROPOSAL! Go to confession more frequently. The more frequently, the more graces you receive to avoid sin! You can decide how often. Also, prepare yourself better the night before you confess, and trust more in God’s mercy! Victory through God’s mercy!

III.   HOLY MASS AND HOLY COMMUNION.  

Our eternal salvation depends on allowing Jesus to save us. The name “Jesus” means Savior. Jesus outlines a clear and concrete plan of action for us to be saved in His “Bread of Life Discourse” (Jn. 6: 22-71). Read it and meditate upon this Word of life. To sum up Jesus’ message in a few words, the salvation of our immortal soul depends upon eating and drinking. Adam and Eve ate and they brought death to the world. Jesus promises us eternal life through eating and drinking His Body and Blood through reception of Holy Communion. He states clearly without stammer or stutter: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever eats my Body and drinks my Blood will have everlasting life and I will raise Him up on the last day.” (Jn. 6: 35,48)  ACTION POINT! Why not aim for Daily Mass and Holy Communion? If this is already your practice, come ten minutes early before Mass and offer your own intentions, depositing them on the altar. The graces that will flow into your heart are in direct proportion to your preparation and disposition. One Holy Communion could transform us into saints! Fantastic and true!

St. Charbel Maklouf.  This saint received permission to celebrate Mass at noon every day, so he could spend the whole morning preparing for Mass and the rest of the day giving thanks.

IV.    APOSTOLIC LIFE. 

To be a follower of Christ is to be a missionary. The last words of Jesus before ascending into heaven were, “Go out to all the world and teach them all that I taught you…and behold I will be with you always even until the end of time.”(Mt. 28: 19-20) We are challenged to grow in our faith, but also to share our faith. Indeed, one of the best ways to fortify one’s own faith is to share it with others! TRY IT! What might be a concrete way? In your family, suggest the daily recitation of the Rosary. By praying one of the four Mysteries of the Rosary each day—the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious—every four days we are praying over the key events in the life of Christ! Outside our home, invite a fallen away Catholic to return to the Catholic Church. If we love God, we should love what God loves—the salvation of souls!

V.    PERMANENT FORMATION. 

Pope Benedict XVI called for a year of faith beginning October 11, 2012 and exhorted us to read the Documents of Vatican II, most specifically the four Dogmatic Constitutions: Dei Verbum (on the Word of God), Sacrosanctum Concilium (on the Liturgy), Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium (Documents on the Church in the modern world). Catholic-Christians today must make a concerted effort to learn their faith more deeply; our Catholic faith is a fathomless ocean in its depth and width. DECISION! Set aside at least 15 minutes every day to apply yourself to a serious study of your Catholic faith.

VI.   PENANCE.  

To take flight, a bird needs two wings. So as to soar high in the spiritual life, the soul needs to apply itself seriously to two practices: PRAYER AND PENANCE. Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three little shepherd children and insisted that they pray—especially the most Holy Rosary—but also that they offer up sacrifices for the conversion of poor sinners.  Jesus expressed this bluntly: “Unless you do penance, you will perish.” (Lk. 13: 3) COUNSEL! Friday is the day that we are obliged to do penance; why not choose one of the following: no meat, give up sweets for the day, fast from watching television, eat less, make the Way of the Cross, do not complain the whole day!!!!

VII.   WORK.  

All of us are called to work. God said to Adam that he would earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.  St. Paul exhorts us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We also all know, probably from personal experience, that idleness is the workshop of the devil. Examine carefully your daily work to see areas for improvement. PROPOSAL! Be punctual in starting, hard in working, and honest in the hour you leave. Remember that you are working for the Lord. As St. Paul reminds us, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God!” (1 Cor: 10-31)

VIII.    VOCATIONAL CALL.  

Most are called to the life of marriage; some are called to the Priesthood and Religious life, and others are called to the single life. If one is called to the married life, then a thorough examination of conscience and concrete proposals can be made with respect to one’s plan of life! Examine your life and respond to these questions. How can I be a better wife or husband? A better son or daughter? How can I improve as a father or mother?  Pray over this and the Holy Spirit will inspire you with a concrete proposal.

IX.    SPIRITUAL DIRECTION. 

In addition to frequent confession, spiritual reading, and serious theological studies, those who are pursuing the path of perfection should have some form of periodic Spiritual Direction. St. John of the Cross put it bluntly: “He who has himself as spiritual director has an idiot for a disciple.” In other words, we all have blind spots and need someone other than ourselves to help us on the demanding and rigorous path to becoming a saint. ADVICE! Pray that God will help you to find this guide. If you have already discovered one, be thankful, humble, docile and obedient! 

X.   MARY: OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE. 

A successful plan of life would be incomplete if Mary were neglected. As St. Louis de Montfort asserts with the utmost conviction: “The quickest, easiest and most efficacious path to holiness is through true devotion to Mary.” In other words, Mary is the shortcut to God! PROPOSALS! The Daily Rosary, so pleasing to Mary. Consecration to Mary through “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort or Total Consecration Through the Mysteries of the Rosary with daily meditations by the author of this article. Then strive to live in the presence of Mary and imitate Mary’s virtues. Why not choose your weakest virtue this year and beg for Mary’s intercession to conquer yourself! Mary is the weak point of God. He can never resist her prayers!

Let us conclude with words of wisdom taken from Adolphe Tanquerey in his classic “The Spiritual Life”.

“The man who holds to a well-defined rule of life saves considerable time: 1) He wastes no time in hesitation. He knows exactly what he is to do, and when he is to do it. Even if his schedule is not mathematically detailed, at least it sets off time-periods and lays down principles with regard to religious exercises, recreation, work, etc… 2) There is little or nothing unforeseen, for even should the unusual occur, he has already provided for it by determining beforehand, exercises that may be shortened and the manner of making up for them. At all events, as soon as these exceptional circumstances cease to exist, he immediately comes back to his rule. 3) Inconstancy likewise vanishes. The rule urges him to do always what is prescribed, and that every day and at every hour of the day. Thus, the habits are formed that give continuity to his life and assure perseverance; his days are full days, teeming with good works and merits.” (Tanquery, Spiritual Life, # 560)

The greatest born of women…

Jesus declared:  “Of all men born of women, none was greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt 11:11) Jesus rarely offered praise as to the qualities of others, but He did in the person of His cousin, Saint John the Baptist.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages us to honor the saints and highlights two specific areas in which the saints can motivate and encourage us to pursue a pathway of holiness and become the saints that we are all called to become. As Jesus stated: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt 5:48)

First, the saints can pray for us; they have a power of intercession before the Throne of God. Being God’s friends, they can indeed help us through their prayers. Second, their holiness of life! Like all of us born in Original sin and struggling to overcome our bad inclinations, the saints had to work, and work hard, to conquer the moral evils in their lives. Instead of capitulating to their desires, following the suggestions of the devil, and becoming enamored with the world, they decided to follow Christ—His words, teaching, and example. The saints serve as brilliant models of virtue for us to strive to emulate, imitate, and pattern our lives after as examples for others.

Therefore, let us lift our gaze to one of the most brilliant stars shining in the firmament of heaven, Saint John the Baptist, to seek his intercession and strive to imitate his holiness of life. Indeed, we become like those whom we associate and communicate with.

1. THE MARIAN ENCOUNTER. Even while in the womb of his mother, Saint Elizabeth, the Baptist had a unique encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Mary greeted Elizabeth the infant in her womb, John, leaped for joy. John was purified and sanctified in his mother’s womb by the word of Mary and the silent Presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. May we allow Mary’s words and prayers to purify and sanctify us. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.”

2. A CHILD IN OLD AGE.  Saint Elizabeth and the infant John the Baptist teach us a very important and pertinent message: human life is precious and sacred from the very moment of conception until natural death. From the book of Job: “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb; the Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Let us always respect life, and leave human life and its destiny in the Providential Hands of our loving Father.

3. NAME: JOHN!  His name was given by the Archangel Gabriel to Zachary in the Temple; thus his father and mother named him John! As the prophet reminds us: “I have called you by name from your mother’s womb to be a prophet to all the nations.” (Jer 1:5)

4. DESERT EXPERIENCE.  Before launching into his busy ministry of preaching, baptizing and pointing the way to Jesus, the Baptist went through an intensive period of preparation. He spent long years in the desert. While there he learned from experience the value of key virtues that would help him arrive at the apex of sanctity. What were some of these practices? Silence, so as to hear the voice of God. Prayer, intimate communion with God. Penance, the Baptist practiced intense penance, fasting, mortification and self-denial to dominate the cravings of the flesh. Detachment in dress in the sense that he wore camel’s fur and rough dress. All of these practices were preparing him to live out a very austere, fervent and authentic mission.

5. VOCATION: PREPARATION.  All of us have a double vocation. The universal vocation is to holiness, to become the saint that God has called us to be. Second, is our specific vocation. This we discern with the help of God’s grace and proper discernment. As John prepared for his vocation, so should we strive to be faithful to our vocation. For most it is marriage; for others it is the single life; still for others it is the priesthood, or Religious life for men or women. Some men have a double vocation: the priesthood and Religious life, living in community as brothers, as is the case with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, the religious community of the author. The better the preparation for each one of us to live out our call to holiness and our specific vocation, the more efficacious the results.

6. BAPTISM: REPENTANCE.  One of the primary roles in the mission of this great saint, John the Baptist, was to administer a baptism of repentance, disposing many to receive the Baptism of Jesus. The Baptism of John was a call to repentance, to renounce sin in all its forms and follow a life of justice, honesty, and virtue.

7. HUMILITY OF THE BAPTIST.  The humility of the Baptist was extraordinary.  His dress, his words, and his mere presence radiated profound virtue, and one of the hallmarks of his virtuous life was that of humility. Meditate briefly on some of the words of this great and humble man of God referring to Jesus:

• “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
• “I am not worthy even to untie His sandal strap.” (Jn 1:27)
• “I am just a voice of one crying out in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord.” (Jn 1:23)
•  “I am the friend of the Groom; when He comes, I disappear.” (Jn 3:29)
• “I should be baptized by you (referring to Jesus) and you come to me?” (Mt 3:13)

8. The Baptist was called to carry out one of the key moments in the Life of Jesus: baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. Not only did the Baptist carry out this important moment of baptizing Jesus, but also he was present during a Trinitarian Theophany. This means that the Baptist witnessed a revelation of the greatest Mystery in the Catholic faith: the most Blessed Trinity—the belief in One God and three separate Persons. At the Jordan River the voice of God the Father could be heard; Jesus entered into the Jordan River; and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The Baptist can help us to appreciate our own Baptism more, but also strive to understand, inasmuch as is possible, the profound mystery of the Blessed Trinity. In fact, the Blessed Trinity lives in our soul in the moment of our Baptism. How sublime, but how true!

9. PENITENTIAL LIFE-STYLE.  The Baptist serves as a counter-cultural model for the modern world. Most especially this becomes manifest in two areas: 1) manner of eating; 2) style of dress. In our modern world that promotes the opposite, the Baptist can help us to be counter-cultural and even to swim against the current. In a society prone to gluttony, wasting food, exotic and luxurious eating, the Baptist by his lifestyle points to frugality and austerity in eating, and even a call to fasting. In a world prone to vanity, immodesty and even provocative dress, the Baptist teaches by his lifestyle the importance of detachment and modesty in wardrobe. Our Lady of Fatima stated that many immodest fashions would enter the world that would offend God greatly. The Baptist ate locusts and wild honey, and wore camel’s fur. How radically different from our modern lifestyle! Perhaps we should eat less, buy less, and pray and fast more!

10. COURAGE AND FORTITUDE OF THE BAPTIST.   The Baptist was not like a reed blown by the wind. He cared little about public opinion, nor did he suffer from the lack of human respect. He had clarity of vision. He understood with absolute clarity his mission or vocation. He had no identity crisis as so many have today. He never buckled under pressure. The Baptist had the courage to denounce King Herod publicly without fear of the consequences for himself. He called a spade a spade, and called Herod out for living with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. This was no ordinary public scandal. It was not only adultery, but public, scandalous and incestuous adultery!

11. PERSECUTION FOR THE TRUTH.  Herod had the Baptist arrested, but Herodias hated the Baptist for his public reprimand of them. The Baptist was thrown in a dark, damp, humid, smelly prison cell. He was living out one of the Beatitudes that Jesus preached: “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my sake; for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 5:10) If we decide to follow Christ, sooner or later persecution will knock at our door. Rejoice! Our reward in heaven will be great!

12. THE MOST NOBLE OF DEATHS!  The Baptist met his death in the context of Herod’s birthday celebration. The exotic and sensuous dance of the daughter of Herodias (Salome was her name) delighted Herod. Under the influence of wine, the King made the extravagant promise of giving the girl anything she might ask for, even to half of his Kingdom. Moved by envy, hatred and revenge, the mother told the girl to request the head of the Baptist on a platter. Executioners were dispatched, the Baptist was decapitated, and his head brought on a platter into the birthday party and given to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

13. MODEL FOR SOCIETY ON CHASTITY AND MARRIAGE.  The primary reason for the death of the Baptist was precisely this: to defend the indissoluble character of holy matrimony. The shedding of the blood of the Baptist was an eloquent testimony for the defense of marriage and the sinful character of adultery, unfaithfulness, and incest. In a society where marriages are being rent asunder, especially due to impurity, the Baptist raises the banner of purity, faithfulness, and commitment to one’s promises.

14. DOUBLE LITURGICAL CELEBRATION.  The Church has such a great honor and esteem for Saint John the Baptist that twice a year he is celebrated. He is celebrated for his birthday, June 24^th. Then he is celebrated for his birthday into Heaven, August 29^th – also known as the Passion of Saint John the Baptist.  Like the Baptist, may we live and die being faithful to the Lord.

15.  JOHN THE BAPTIST: A MODEL FOR US TO FOLLOW.  Let us strive to pay more attention to the Presence and Person of Saint John the Baptist in Sacred Scripture.  He is an Advent model; also, a Lenten figure; but also, a perennial figure—a saint that we should pray to, imitate, love, and long to be united with one day in Heaven.

Let us welcome Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ into the very center of our lives; let us give Him a most warm welcome. It seems as if we are always preparing for something or someone! Graduation ceremonies, weddings, quinceaneras, relatives and friends coming for the Holidays, a son coming back from service overseas—all of these are key events that we prepare for and long for with all our heart. Usually the standard is as such: the more detailed the preparation, the more warm and joyful is the moment of encounter.

Lent is a time of preparation for the Passion, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These forty days of fervent prayer, generous almsgiving and intense penance culminate in the full-blossoming of the Paschal Mystery—the Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS.  What Lent is for Easter, Advent is for Christmas and the Christmas Season. In a word, the more intense our living out the Season of Advent, the more joyful will be that Christmas night when we encounter the Infant Jesus in the arms of His Blessed Mother. This silent night will indeed be the most holy of all nights.

LIVING OUT ADVENT.  In fact, if we do not make an honest and concerted effort to live out the Season of Advent, when Christmas arrives late that night on the 24^th of December, the Christmas joy we should be experiencing will be stunted, stymied, and possibly smothered by materialism and other things secondary to the reason for the season. In fact, the real reason for the season is not so much gifts, money, food, and possessions. The authentic reason for the season is the Person and purpose of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen stated that of all the titles that we can give for Jesus (Christological titles), that of Jesus as Savior is by far the most important. This is for the simple reason that Savior highlights the primary reason for His Incarnation, Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection. Jesus—meaning Savior—came to save us in totality: from sin, from sadness, from the slavery of the devil, from eternal death and the torments of hell. Jesus is the universal Savior.

Therefore, we will offer some key decisions and actions that we can carry out in Advent so that the Infant Jesus will be truly born, not only in the stable of Bethlehem, but in the very depths of our heart, the very center of our soul.

COME LORD JESUS: BE BORN IN MY HEART, MY SOUL!              

1. CONFESSION.  I begin by picturing my own soul as the stable for animals. Dirty, smelly, musty, cobwebs, cold and damp, a hard rock surface scattered with hay and dirt—all the above describe that stable of Bethlehem. All of these elements symbolize my soul. As a result of sin, my soul is sullied. Sin is also the hard rock of my resistance to God’s grace. Sin is coldness to God’s invitations and the way I treat others at times. The cobwebs woven by spiders can point to the cobweb of bad habits or vices that I wove for myself through the weeks, months or even years. All of this can be transformed by God’s grace by means of a good Sacramental Confession. Get a clean-sweep by the broom of the Confessional!

2. RECONCILE.  How true it is that Confession reconciles our heart with God; our friendship with God is renewed. However, there is another step that most of us perhaps have to make to bridge the gap, to heal the breach, to mend what is broken. That is, we must strive to be reconciled with our brother/sister, friend, or any other person whom we have wounded due to our pride, ego, and self-love. Jesus states it very clearly. If we are about to offer our gift and are aware of our brother having something against us, then we should leave our gift, be reconciled with our brother, and then return to offer our gift. (cf Mt 5:23-24) The Lord Jesus cannot be born in the heart of someone who is hating his brother, resenting his brother, or harboring vengeance against his brother. Jesus praises those who are peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (cf Matt 5:9) As the Catholic English poet, Alexander Pope, expressed so succinctly: “To err is human; to forgive is divine.” Advent culminating in Christmas should be a time in which peace is reigning in our hearts.

3. PRAYER.  We should never underestimate the indispensable value, power and importance of prayer. Prayer unites us with God. Prayer rains down peace in our hearts. Prayer is a balm that soothes our hearts and fills us with joy. Prayer bridges and connects heaven to earth. Prayer is the key that unlocks the heart of God Himself with all the infinite treasures that He so desires to shower down upon us and the entire world. What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul. The most sublime, abundant, copious graces flow from Heaven to earth through the person who prays patiently, persistently, perseveringly and potently. (Lk 1:1-8—Read the Parable of the persistent and persevering widow.) Advent is a most propitious time in which we should sincerely apply ourselves to prayer. What prayers you might ask? We can offer a plethora of the variety of prayers at our disposal: Bible readings, the Psalms, Lectio Divina, the Holy Rosary, spontaneous prayers from our heart, Eucharistic visits, and the greatest of all prayers—the Holy Mass.

4. HOLY MASS: ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS.  As a priest, Religious and Spiritual Director, the best advice I can give to anyone striving to live out the Season of Advent and prepare for the coming and birth of Jesus on Christmas is attending Holy Mass. Of course, first taking into account our state and vocation in life, when at all possible attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass I do believe to be the greatest preparation and best gift that we can give to Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph as we prepare for Christmas. There is nothing more sublime! Nothing greater! In fact, the word Bethlehem actually means House of Bread. Therefore, in a very real sense, every time we receive Holy Communion with faith, devotion and love, our soul becomes a Little House of Bethlehem. Our soul welcomes Jesus, who is truly “The Bread of life” into our own Bethlehem—our own House of Bread. There is a true connection and meaning in this play on words. Look at your schedule. Determine those days in which participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, fervent reception of Holy Communion, and perhaps even some Eucharistic adoration can be part of your advent journey to the stable of Bethlehem, where the Infant Jesus awaits you in the womb of Mary, soon to be in the arms of Mary and Saint Joseph.

5. MARIAN TIME OF MOST ABUNDANT GRACES.  It would indeed be remiss if we did not give time to invite Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our own dear Mother—our life, our sweetness and our hope, to accompany us. In fact, to honor Mary is to honor and praise the Blessed Trinity. Mary is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Mystical Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Thus, Mary is the short-cut to the very heart of the Blessed Trinity. Mary can be honored and venerated in countless ways in Advent, culminating in Christmas. The following are some suggestions: Pray the most Holy Rosary (Joyful Mysteries), sing Christmas hymns and carols glorifying God through Mary, spend time in prayer at the Manger scene awaiting with Mary the birth of Jesus, and then behold Jesus in Mary’s arms. Also, the sending of Christmas cards often reflects the beauty and prominence of Mary in Advent and Christmas.

Finally, from the depths of your heart, thank Mary for saying YES to becoming the Mother of God and your own dear Mother, and as a result, opening up the Gates of Heaven for you. Indeed, the more you can invite Mary to be with you, talk to you, walk with you, and accompany you in Advent, the more joyful and glorious will be that Christmas morn when Jesus is born in time and in your heart, and God Himself will be yours for all eternity!

On one occasion I planned to greet the catechism children by giving them their Catechism book that they would use for the year. There was a big group of the children. After distributing the texts one at a time, I was expecting to hear something, something very small, but very important: Thank You! To my chagrin not one of the 25 students expressed a word of gratitude. I left the classroom in dismay feeling sad for the children, but also for their parents, for their lack of gratitude—no apparent attitude of gratitude.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, offers a long list of the virtues in the Summa Theologica among which are some that are categorized as the social virtues. One of the primary ones is that of gratitude, thankfulness. In a very real sense gratitude, thankfulness, and the whole attitude of gratitude, is an all-important virtue that makes our social life more meaningful, more agreeable, more wholesome and healthy.

In fact, a person imbued with a sincere attitude of gratitude, that spontaneous and frequent thank you resounding from their heart and lips, is definitely a sign of being well-trained, well-educated and refined.

WORDS OF WISDOM ON THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE AND US…

Let’s go through a panorama of places where thanksgiving and gratitude are manifested: among the saints (God’s dear friends), in literature, in the Mass, and in Sacred Scripture. Actually Sacred Scripture is replete with references to the dire importance of gratitude.

1. SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA.  This great Saint who left us the Spiritual Exercises, the Rules for Discernment, and the Jesuit Order aka the Company of Jesus, leaves us some gems on gratitude and the lack of it. He actually stated that the essence of sin is Ingratitude—a failure to recognize God’s providential Hand in giving us gifts. Saint Ignatius, in the steps doing the daily Examen, states that we should always start off examining our day by first rendering thanks to God for all that He has given us in the course of the past 24 hours. God loves a cheerful giver, but God is also enchanted with a person who manifests gratitude, a grateful heart.

2. MEISTER ECKHART (1260-1328).  This mystic, writer, theologian and philosopher when referring to the art of prayer and thanksgiving stated the following: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is – Thank You – it will be enough.” How important indeed is an attitude of gratitude.

3. SHAKESPEARE.  In one of his classic tragedies, Macbeth, Shakespeare made this cutting statement related to gratitude and the lack of it: “More painful than a serpent’s tooth is that of an ungrateful child.” How cutting and even devastating it can be, when parents give and give to their children and receive nothing more than ingratitude in return. How important it is for children to simply say “Thank You”, especially to those who brought them into this world, who gave them their life’s breath.

4. THE MASS/THE EUCHARIST.  How fascinating this reality! The greatest of all prayers underneath the sun is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; it is the prayer par excellence. Another name for the Mass is the Eucharist—which actually is translated as Thanksgiving. Every time we enter into the Church for Holy Mass we are indirectly saying “Thank You” to God, Eucharist—thanksgiving! 

5. THANKSGIVING DAY.  Every year, on the 3rd Thursday in November in the United States of America, the National Holiday of Thanksgiving is joyfully celebrated. It is usually one of the most traveled celebrations every year.  Of course, thanksgiving in all respects should characterize this National Holiday. The hope is that the spirit of this day of thanksgiving perseveres and imbues our lives, for all the days of our lives.

SACRED SCRIPTURE AND THANKSGIVING—ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

Let us glean a few key Biblical verses that highlight the importance of expressing and living our gratitude. If there ever was an individual, in fact a great saint, who constantly preached, taught, reminded others and lived out thanksgiving, this attitude of gratitude, it was the Apostle to the Gentiles, the great Saint Paul. Let’s read, meditate and assimilate the doctrine of Saint Paul on gratitude.“And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were all called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col. 1:15) How interesting this really is, the interconnection between peace of heart and being thankful. Perhaps if we had more grateful people in the world we would experience greater peace.

1. “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer, petition and thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

2. “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thes. 5:17)

3. “In whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17)

4. “Give thanks for the faith.” (Romans 1:8)

5. “Give thanks for fraternal charity.” (Col. 1: 3-4)

SOME POSITIVE FRUITS OR BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE.

After giving a list of manifestations of thanksgiving from the lives of the saints, from literature, from the Mass and from Saint Paul who constantly encouraged his communities in his letters to render thanksgiving, we would like to encourage all to cultivate this attitude of gratitude by emphasizing the numerous positive fruits or benefits that flow from this heart-warming attitude of gratitude.

1. THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION.  Every time you express gratitude by word or gesture this pleases God Himself. God smiles down upon you every time you make a simple gesture of gratitude.

2. SOCIAL DIMENSION.  By expressing gratitude the domino effect kicks in. Try it! Very often when we say “Thanks”/“Thank You”, the response will be “You’re Welcome” or “Thank You!” Let’s start the ball rolling in our attitude of gratitude.

3. FAMILY.  In the context of the family, when we are able to constantly render thanks to others there is more peace, harmony, mercy, good will and love. Also, the virtue of humility crowns the attitude of gratitude.

4. PERSONAL GROWTH.  Once I can say “Thank You” to others, I recognize how dependent I really am on others, and as mentioned earlier, the virtue of humility blossoms and flourishes.

5. THE WORK ENVIRONMENT.  All too often in the context of the work environment there is abundant criticism, gossip, back-biting, sarcasm and irony, vulgarity, and even cursing. To neutralize this caustic, toxic and even lethal atmosphere, thanksgiving can transform the whole labor milieux. It is interesting how the reality of evil can be overcome and conquered by goodness. The attitude of gratitude and a thankful heart can turn a gloom and doom atmosphere into peace, joy, harmony, mutual understanding and love.

To conclude our short conversation, let us all make a decision right now to have an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!!! Let us get in the habit of saying “Thanks” at home, at work, in stores, and in family gatherings. But most especially, let us constantly give thanks to God! All the good we had in the past, we have now, or we will have in our lives is the sheer goodness of God who loves us and constantly wants to give us even more graces and blessings. May the words of the Psalmist echo in our minds, hearts and lips: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 136: 1)