Monday, May 18, 2015

Fr. Brooms Blog

It was a laborious and strenuous two years of Confirmation teaching. I had the teen boys, a group I really worked hard to prepare them for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Right around the corner awaited the Bishop to confirm my little flock. Knowing that often the Bishop would ask spontaneous questions to the candidates, I wanted to make sure that my boys at least knew enough on the Person of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, as a teacher, I could be in trouble!

Therefore, in one of the last classes I launched the all-important question to my prospect confirmandi: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” This question met with a resounding and penetrating silence in my ears! Thinking that possibly they were distracted I pitched out the question the second time: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” To my chagrin, the question was met with the same terrifying silence! Well, I thought, maybe they did not hear me properly, so I decided to beg the question a third and final time: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” One boy, seeming to be camouflaged in the back seats of the classroom, opened up his mouth and said clearly and bluntly: THE BIRD!!!

To my relief, I rested a bit more in peace, at least one of them articulated one of the most eloquent and known symbols of the Holy Spirit—not so much “The Bird”, but the Dove. But at least he was close; at least in the ballpark!

In Ephesus Saint Paul once launched the same question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit.” Their response was a little bit worse than my Confirmation students: “We did not so much as know that there is a Holy Spirit.”(Acts 19:1-9)

For many the Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the most Holy Trinity. We pray to the Father, at least the Our Father; the Son Jesus, we read the Gospels and know Jesus at least partially, but how many of us know of the Holy Spirit, much less pray to Him and have devotion to Him? I imagine very few across the board! Indeed, He is the forgotten Person of the Blessed Trinity.

This being the case how can we know, love and cultivate a deep friendship with the Holy Spirit, who is so important because the Holy Spirit is God; He is the third Person of the most Blessed Trinity. Countless are ways that we can grow deeper in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, but we would like to mention just a few, three will suffice!

1. LEARN ABOUT HIM. Two sources I would suggest! First, read and meditate attentively the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. A fascinating book attributed to Saint Luke is one of the best action books of the New Testament. But also it is known as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is that there are so many references to the action of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole inspired text. As you read underline texts and passages that mention the Holy Spirit and note His manner of proceeding and talk to Him as an intimate Friend. Then read the spiritual masterpiece of the modern author Jacques Philippe: “The School of the Holy Spirit.” The essence of holiness is to learn to be docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

2. FRIENDSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Get in the habit of talking frequently to the Holy Spirit. You can pray a formal prayer or hymn to the Holy Spirit or talk to Him in your own words. Note also your relationship to the Blessed Trinity. God the Father is your “Dad”; In Hebrew He is known as “Abba”—meaning “Daddy”. Jesus is your older Brother. What an honor to have Jesus as your elder brother starting at the moment of Baptism. Then who exactly is the Holy Spirit for you? To be theologically exact the Holy Spirit is your BEST FRIEND. How consoling this truth. In concrete this means that you are never alone; you do not have to experience a crushing loneliness so characteristic of the modern world. In any time and place you can stop and talk to this loving Friend who you can discover in the very depths of your heart, the very depths of your soul—of course, if you are in the state of sanctifying grace.

3. DOCILITY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit is the best of Friends, but at the same time He is the most demanding of Friends. This means that the Holy Spirit will inspire you often with heavenly touches that are called inspirations. At times the Holy Spirit will move you against the grain, go against your will, and even nudge you in the direction of the cross. Do not resist His heavenly beckonings! An interesting story is related by the famous and highly respected modern writer Jacques Philippe in his literary masterpiece “The School of the Holy Spirit”. In essence this is the account. Fr Jacques returns home from a retreat and exhausted, with the only desire to retire to his room and rest for the night. However, something happens. Within Father Jacques he hears the gentle bit insistent invitation to do something small but important for God. What to do? The inspiration was to not to go to his room immediately; rather, the Holy Spirit as nudging him to go to the chapel and to make a short visit to Jesus present in the most Blessed Sacrament. After possibly a bit of resistance Fr. Jacques capitulated and pays Jesus a short but fervent visit before retiring to his room. Consequently he retires, falls asleep and gets up the next day with consolation and ready to start afresh new apostolic initiatives. Question? What most likely would have happened if Fr. Jacques were to have resisted the invitation? I think we all know what would have happened to us! Getting to sleep would have been close to impossible, tossing and turning all night with our conscience pricking away at us; due to the lack of sleep cranky and irritable the whole day! What do you think? In sum, our attitude and response should be that of the young Samuel in the Temple: “Speak O Lord for your servant is listening.” We must be docile, open and responsive to Our Best Friend—the Holy Spirit.

Finally, a closing note of paramount importance! Draw close to Our Lady and she will draw you close to the Holy Spirit. Our Lady is the Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, but she is also the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit. For this important reason Saint Louis de Montfort asserts forcefully: “Those who love Mary, the Holy Spirit flings Himself into their souls.” If we desire a New Pentecost in our lives and a divine invasion and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, then the key is a true, filial and loving devotion to Mary. Let us pray this short but fervent prayer: “Come Holy Spirit come through the Heart of Mary.”

The Pope's homily on Pentecost Sunday

2015-05-24 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis presided over Mass in St Peter's Basilica this Pentecost Sunday saying that, the world needs men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Below is the English translation the Pope's homily this Pentecost Sunday

“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you... Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:21-22). The gift of the Spirit on the evening of the Resurrection took place once again on the day of Pentecost, intensified this time by extraordinary outward signs. On the evening of Easter, Jesus appeared to the Apostles and breathed on them his Spirit (cf. Jn 20:22); on the morning of Pentecost the outpouring occurred in a resounding way, like a wind which shook the place the Apostles were in, filling their minds and hearts. They received a new strength so great that they were able to proclaim Christ’s Resurrection in different languages: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Together with them was Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the first disciple and the Mother of the nascent Church. With her peace and her smile, she accompanied the joyful young Bride, the Church of Jesus.

The word of God, especially in today’s readings, tells us that the Spirit is at work in individuals and communities filled with the Spirit: he guides us into all the truth (cf. Jn 16:13), he renews the face of the earth (Ps 103:30), and he gives us his fruits (cf. Gal 5:22-23).

In the Gospel, Jesus promises his disciples that, when he has returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit will come to guide them into all the truth (cf. Jn 16:13). Indeed he calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth”, and explains to his disciples that the Spirit will bring them to understand ever more clearly what he, the Messiah, has said and done, especially in regard to his death and resurrection. To the Apostles, who could not bear the scandal of their Master’s sufferings, the Spirit would give a new understanding of the truth and beauty of that saving event. At first they were paralyzed with fear, shut in the Upper Room to avoid the aftermath of Good Friday. Now they would no longer be ashamed to be Christ’s disciples; they would no longer tremble before the courts of men. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they would now understand “all the truth”: that the death of Jesus was not his defeat, but rather the ultimate expression of God’s love, a love that, in the Resurrection, conquers death and exalts Jesus as the Living One, the Lord, the Redeemer of mankind, of history and of the world. This truth, to which the Apostles were witnesses, became Good News, to be proclaimed to all.

The gift of the Holy Spirit renews the earth. The Psalmist says: “You send forth your Spirit… and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps 103:30). The account of the birth of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles is significantly linked to this Psalm, which is a great hymn of praise to God the Creator. The Holy Spirit whom Christ sent from the Father, and the Creator Spirit who gives life to all things, are one and the same. Respect for creation, then, is a requirement of our faith: the “garden” in which we live is not entrusted to us to be exploited, but rather to be cultivated and tended with respect (cf. Gen 2:15). Yet this is possible only if Adam – the man formed from the earth – allows himself in turn to be renewed by the Holy Spirit, only if he allows himself to be re-formed by the Father on the model of Christ, the new Adam. In this way, renewed by the Spirit of God, we will indeed be able to experience the freedom of the sons and daughters, in harmony with all creation. In every creature we will be able to see reflected the glory of the Creator, as another Psalm says: “How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!” (Ps 8:2, 10).

In the Letter to the Galatians, Saint Paul wants to show the “fruits” manifested in the lives of those who walk in the way of the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22). On the one hand, he presents “the flesh”, with its list of attendant vices: the works of selfish people closed to God. On the other hand, there are those who by faith allow the Spirit of God to break into their lives. In them, God’s gifts blossom, summed up in nine joyful virtues which Paul calls “fruits of the Spirit”. Hence his appeal, at the start and the end of the reading, as a programme for life:“Walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:6, 25).

The world needs men and women who are not closed in on themselves, but filled with the Holy Spirit. Closing oneself off from the Holy Spirit means not only a lack of freedom; it is a sin. There are many ways one can close oneself off to the Holy Spirit: by selfishness for one’s own gain; by rigid legalism – seen in the attitude of the doctors of the law to whom Jesus referred as “hypocrites”; by neglect of what Jesus taught; by living the Christian life not as service to others but in the pursuit of personal interests; and in so many other ways. The world needs the courage, hope, faith and perseverance of Christ’s followers. The world needs the fruits of the Holy Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22). The gift of the Holy Spirit has been bestowed upon the Church and upon each one of us, so that we may live lives of genuine faith and active charity, that we may sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Spirit and his many gifts, may we be able uncompromisingly to battle against sin and corruption, devoting ourselves with patient perseverance to the works of justice and peace.

St. John Paul II and St. John Vianney

Jesus said: “The Harvest is rich but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.” Essential to the extension of the Kingdom and the salvation of souls is the Sacrament of Holy Orders, that we call the priesthood.

One of the greatest priests in the history of the Church, who spent close to forty years in the Parish of Ars France, spending from 13 to 18 hours on a daily basis in the confessional, reconciling souls to God, commented on the indispensable presence of the priesthood. This was the Saint John M. Vianney, known as the Cure of Ars (1786-1859). This saint knew the extraordinary value of the priesthood: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.”

Let us listen to the exact words of the Cure of Ars and then translate them into the application in our spiritual lives. Some of the words and quotations of the Cure of Ars are overwhelming in depth and beauty but of the utmost simplicity. Let us read and meditate and then apply: “O how great is the priest! If he realized what he is he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from Heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host. Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in the tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for the journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest—always the priest. And if the soul should happen to die (as a result of sin) who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again the priest. After God, the priest is everything. Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.” Following will be a brief commentary on all the sublime functions the priest carries out so as to glorify God in heaven and for the salvation of the souls on earth.

All-encompassing power of Holy Mass

If there is no priest, then there is no Holy Mass; if there is no Holy Mass, then there is no consecration of the Sacred Host; if there is not consecration of the Sacred Host then there is no Holy Communion; then if there is no Holy Communion there is no Sacramental Presence of Jesus. That means that we become spiritual orphans. We become like a ship without a port, an arrow without a target, a scout without compass, a dog without his master. We wander through life aimless and with no clear purpose.

The same great Saint made the following observation. In all the key spiritual moments in our lives, who is present? Baptism? Usually it is the priest who God uses as the instrument to transform that child into a son/daughter of God. Confession? It is only the priest who is the means by which we are reconciled to God through the outpouring of the Blood of the Lamb that cleanses our souls and consciences of sin and guilt that weighs us down so heavily. Finally we can experience true peace of soul! First Holy Communion? It was the priest who celebrated Holy Mass, confected the Eucharist and gave us the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus the Lord.

Confirmation? It was the Bishop, who has the fullness of the priesthood, who confirmed us by which we were fortified by the presence of the Holy Spirit, ready to be soldiers of Christ to both spread and defend the faith. What about Holy Matrimony? It was most likely the priest who sat down explaining the sublime vocation of Holy Matrimony, the importance of being faithful until death do we part and the importance of being open to life and bringing forth children into the world so that one day they will be eternal citizens of Heaven.

Anointing of the Sick? It is the priest that we spontaneously call when we see our grandmother, mother or any person’s health has so seriously declined that they might die. It is the priest who anoints them with holy oil by which they are strengthened to fight the good fight and unite their sufferings to the sufferings of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Death and burial? Who is present at the Funeral Mass praying for our loved one who has passed away and has gone to be judged by Jesus who will come to judge the living and the dead? We all must pass through the gateway of death and pass from the realms of time into eternity. It is the priest, acting in the person of Christ, while celebrating Holy Mass, who offers the Victim Jesus to the Father for the purification and salvation of this immortal soul.

Family problems? Often when family problems set in who is it that the family will have recourse to as a means to work through these tangled and intricate and knotty problems? Frequently it is the person of the priest who comes to mind. The priest becomes the listener, the sounding board, the counsellor as well as the consoler to save the family from capsizing and sinking into the depths of sadness and oblivion! It is the priest who, like a human sponge, absorbs all of the problems in his heart and offers them to Jesus the Eternal priest for healing and salvation.

Sorrows and sufferings of all sorts? When sorrows, sufferings, contradictions, and depression visits our homes and hearts, who is it that we seek out as a solution for problems that seem to be beyond the realm of solution? It is the priest! It is the priest that listens to the problems. It is the priest who opens up his heart to hear and understand. It is the priest who is called to the ministry of compassion. Exactly what does this word compassion mean? Compassion means the willingness and the ability to suffer with those who suffer.

Like the Holy Father, the priest is a listener

Listening? Who is the one we seek out to listen to our inner anguish and agony, because we know others either do not know how to listen or they simply do not want to listen attentively. It is the priest the one that we seek out to be heard, listened to and to be understood. How true this is! Often we might come into the priest overloaded with moral, emotional, spiritual baggage that we know not where to dump it, to leave it and to be alleviated from this burdensome weight. Then the priest receives us and invites us to be open and bare our hearts and reveal our tortured consciences.

Listening and healing. How often this is the scenario! We unload all of our baggage and the priest is simply there to listen. We weep, cry, complain, get angry, and blurt out nonsensical ideas in our anguish and confusion. And the hands on the clock fly by—already 50 minutes and then an hour has flown by! The poor priest has barely even opened up his mouth to say a word! After this session of unloading, we get up renewed, energized, with healing and hope. Overflowing in gratitude we tell the priest thanks a million times for having been of great help to resolve these—so to speak—impossible problems!

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen in prayer

Prayer? How often have we felt totally overwhelmed with life and problems that seem to be a mountain in size and weight? We want help and we know only God can help us. Who then is it that we turn to with faith and trust to intercede on our behalf and to pray for us so that this problem will be resolved or at least we can cope with the problem better? It is the priest. The priest becomes the intercessor or the mediator for us between heaven and earth.

Our Lady with the priest at Holy Mass

OUR LADY. Let us then turn to Our Lady who is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, the Mother or all mankind, but especially she is the Mother of priests. Let us beg Our Lady to place her mantle of love and protection and comfort over all priests so that they would be protected from the fiery darts of the enemy, also that they would be protected from the devil of discouragement. Let us beg Our Lady to pray for priests that they would strive with all of the energy in their minds, hearts and souls to conform themselves to Jesus the High and eternal priest. May Our Lady’s prayers help them to recognize that Jesus is the High and Eternal priest—how lofty and sublime—but also that Jesus is very close to them as their best Friend in time and He will be their best Friend in heaven for all eternity. Posted by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

Ethnic divisions

The war between Christian Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks in the early 90s resulted in deep ethnic divisions. There was also a Bosniak-Croat conflict within the wider war.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's Catholics, from the Bosnian Croatian community, are estimated to number 10-15% of the population.

Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said a central aspect of the visit would be boosting the morale of Catholics, many of whom left the country after the conflict.

"In December the 20th anniversary of the war will be remembered but the traces and the wounds of war are still there," he told AFP news agency.

The Pope was welcomed in Sarajevo by children wearing traditional costume representing Bosnia-Herzegovina's three main faiths.

He also spoke to the three-member presidency and called on the country to reject division and continue working for peace to create "a melody of sublime nobility and beauty, instead of the fanatical cries of hatred".

Speaking to reporters on his flight to Sarajevo, he described Sarajevo as the "Jerusalem of the West".

"It is a city of very different ethnic and religious cultures. It is even a city that has suffered much during its history. Now it is on a beautiful path of peace. I am making this trip to talk about this, as a sign of peace and a prayer for peace."

At least 5,000 police are on duty and authorities have published a helpline number if members of the public spot any suspicious activity during the visit.

On Friday local media reported jihadists claiming to be from Islamic State had issued a video, calling for action in the Balkans. However, it is not thought to be linked to the papal visit.

It is 18 years since Pope John Paul II travelled to Sarajevo during a severe snowstorm in 1997. A monument was erected in his honour in 2014.

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