God's Hospital

My husband and I find our children sometimes like to play a certain game.  I’m not sure exactly what it is called, but its main premise is to dump as many toys as possible onto the floor.  I knew they were in the midst of this game one day when I overheard our son say, “Mom’s not going to like this.”

Oh, was he right.  I entered the bedroom to find the floor scattered with dinosaurs, baseball guys, duplos blocks, and a mishmash of game pieces.  

I was—justifiably—angry.  The children know we have certain rules in our house and intentionally making a mess (for the sake of making a mess) is definitely a violation of those rules.  The kids knew they were wrong and promptly said they were sorry. I forgave them, of course.

But that wasn’t the end of the story.  They were forgiven, yes. Yet, the mess remained.  It still had to be cleaned up and fixed.

Something similar happens to our souls.

When we go to the sacrament of Confession, God always forgives us our sins, no matter how grave.  Our eternal punishment is removed and we are restored to right relationship with our God. But, like the mess in the bedroom, sin leaves a kind of mess in our souls.  The sins are forgiven, but there is still work that needs to be done.  

For one thing, there may still remain the tendency or desire to commit the same sinful act.  Sins leave the soul lacking in love. And then there is need for correction. I forgave our children for the mess they made, but they had a punishment: clean it up!  We, too, as God’s children receive temporal punishment for our sins. This is just and it is also love. Loving discipline directs one to what is good. Just like a child, we also need to be corrected through punishment when we willingly and knowingly disobey our Father.  

We must be purified.  Pope Benedict XVI said, “Evildoers, in the end, do not sit at table in the eternal banquet beside their victims without distinction, as though nothing has happened.”

The question is: when will we be purified?  Sometimes it is in this life.  Other times, it is in the next.  

Let me explain.  On November 1, we celebrate All Saints Day, a joyful occasion when we remember and thank God for our friends in heaven (the Church Triumphant).  The saints are our heroes: they’ve won the race and are now cheering us on.  They have been purified: there is no mess in their souls!

If you look at the lives of the saints, you’ll find a common theme running through their varied life stories.  Whether the saint be a martyr from the fourth century, a wife and mother, or a prisoner at Auschwitz, they all share a commonality: suffering.  More than miracles or mystical prayer, the shared experience of these souls in heaven is that they all suffered. It wasn't something they had to unfortunately "deal with" during their day, an untimely obstacle along the rosy path of life.

No, they embraced the suffering.  They united their suffering with the suffering of Christ on the cross—some, like St. Padre Pio, to the point of even bearing Christ's wounds.  They allowed that suffering to purify them.  It was what made them saints!

They chose to be purified now, here, on earth.  Through suffering they became detached from all sin and made reparation for any damage caused by their previous sins.  Thus their love for God was so pure that, at the moment of their death, they entered directly into heaven.  

Then we come to November 2: All Souls Day.  This is the day when we especially pray for the souls who were not fully purified here on earth.  These are the souls in Purgatory, a word that itself means "purifying." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that Purgatory is a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.”

The Church has always upheld its teaching on Purgatory and we find support in sacred Scripture for this doctrine.  For example, in the Old Testament we read, "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out ... Thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin” (2 Maccabees, 12:26, 32).  

The Church Fathers also professed belief in Purgatory.  St. Augustine, in his Confessions, relates how his mother, St. Monica, asked him to pray for her soul after death.  She said to him, "Lay this body anywhere at all. The care of it must not trouble you. This only I ask of you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you are."

Purgatory is God's hospital for souls.  It works just like a hospital does here on earth.  A patient in a hospital realizes that he or she is sick and needs a cure.  He or she recognizes that a cure will come only through suffering—surgery or a medical procedure.  The infirm person willingly proceeds with the suffering, knowing that it is for his or her ultimate good and in hope for full health one day.  Similarly, the souls in Purgatory (the Church Suffering) await the ultimate cure: the bliss that is the Beatific Vision.  Father Benedict Groeschel writes in his book After This Life that Purgatory “heals it [our sinfulness], cleansing the human soul, gently and lovingly making us into the beings God wants us to be.”  

St. Catherine of Genoa says of Purgatory, 

"The Almighty is so pure, however, that if a person is conscious of the least trace of imperfection and at the same time understands that Purgatory is ordained to do away with such impediments, the soul enters this place of purification glad to accept so great a mercy of God.  The worst suffering of these suffering souls is to have sinned against divine Goodness and not to have been purified in this life."

Joyfully, there is only one door out of Purgatory and that is the door into heaven.  But until the purification is complete, the soul will experience a suffering "more painful than anything a man can suffer in this life" (St. Augustine).  The souls in Purgatory suffer because they see so clearly the evil of their sins and sin's effects. They seek the peak of the mountain, but must make the painful ascent, shedding their sins and sinful desires as they rise to the top.  

While being purified, these holy souls in Purgatory cannot earn merit for good works.  They cannot hasten their ascent to the top.

This is a teaching we affirm at every Mass when, following the consecration, the priest prays in the Second Eucharistic Prayer, "Remember our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again; bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence."

Who are these "brothers and sisters" for whom we pray?  Not the saints in heaven—prayer will not help them, as they have reached eternal happiness.  Not the souls in hell—prayer will not help them, as their unrepentant sins have damned them to eternal punishment.  We pray for the souls in Purgatory, who were not purified here on earth and must therefore be purified later.

Then we come to a somber realization.  We are each given suffering, every day, in a myriad of shapes and sizes.  How will we use that suffering? Will we squander it? Or will we use it for the atonement of and reparation for our sins?  Will we be like the saints who embraced their suffering and were purified through it?

That's what we can do now.   C.S. Lewis—in The Great Divorce— said that we begin to choose—today!—our eternal destination.  Heaven and hell begin on earth, through the decisions we make about how to live our life.  We are the Church Militant, journeying toward our goal of Heaven, like soldiers marching onward to victory.

Right now we can allow our suffering to purify us.  

And right now we can help those in Purgatory.  

Remember, they cannot help themselves: they cannot hasten their ascent to the heavenly mountain.  But we can! Through our prayers and by offering up our sufferings, we can hasten their way to heaven.  

We all have loved ones who have died.  Don't assume that they are in heaven because, if they are in Purgatory, they need your help.  Offering our suffering, our prayers, our work, any difficulties in this life is a way to show these departed ones our love.  My own family has gotten into the habit of praying for the souls in Purgatory immediately after we say our grace before each meal.  We pray: “And may the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”  

Also consider having a Mass offered for someone who has died.  Mass is the highest form of prayer and worship here on earth, so there are many graces that flow from this practice.  As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “From the beginning, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.”

We can (and should) remember the souls in Purgatory every day, but most especially now, in the days following All Soul's Day.  

Each day from November 1 until November 9 we can gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory.  An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment due to sin. The Church has an infinite treasury of merit (good works) “stored” up, so to speak.  These merits are from Christ’s Passion and death, as well as the good works of our Blessed Mother and the saints. So an indulgence is the exchange of spiritual goods from the treasury of the Church to a particular soul—in this case, the indulgence could be applied to a soul in Purgatory.  A plenary indulgence is extremely powerful: it removes all temporal punishment due to sin, allowing a soul in Purgatory to go to heaven!  

In order to obtain this plenary indulgence, one must:

1. Visit a cemetery (any cemetery will do; it need not be the one where your loved one is buried).

2. Say a prayer for the particular soul for whom you wish to gain the indulgence.

3. Attend Mass the same day.

4. Go to confession within 20 days of the cemetery visit.

5. Have a spirit of detachment from all sin.

6. Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope.

Now, through God's grace, we can atone for our sins and perfect our love for God.

Now we can aid the suffering souls in Purgatory.  They will be so grateful to you! As Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “As we enter Heaven, we will see them so many of them, coming towards us and thanking us.  We will ask who they are and they will say: ‘A poor soul you prayed for in Purgatory!’”

Now we can try to bypass Purgatory and aim for heaven, where we will see God face-to-face.

Holy Mary, Refuge of Sinners, grant us the strength and grace of God to act "now" so that "later" will find us adoring God in heaven, in the company of all the angels and saints!  

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May the souls of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Morgan, Deli

I suppose I had known him for my whole life, but I first met him when I was a freshman in college.  I was working as a cashier at Price Chopper. When I was in the middle of an order, someone came up to me and hastily handed me a small, folded piece of paper.

"Thanks," I said, surprised, as the deliverer quickly rushed away.  I opened the note to see in a scrawled script a brief message: You will do well here.  It was signed: Morgan, Deli.

I didn't recall meeting a Morgan before.  During my break, I went over to the deli to do some investigating, but to no avail.  I kept the note in my cashier apron's pocket and, after a few weeks, forgot about the strange occurrence.

It was then midterm time for the fall semester.  Unfortunately, I was scheduled to work the evening before my big history exam.  I was a bit beside myself: I had hoped to spend the whole night finalizing my test preparation but where did I find myself? Scanning groceries.  Great … just great.

During my break, I sat myself in the little eating area of the store where I lamented my lost study time and seemingly inevitable failing grade.  I glanced up to see a man sitting a few tables away, carefully watching me. He smiled and approached my table. "You look sad about something. What's wrong?"  I proceeded to tell him my troubles and he listened most graciously. As my break neared an end, I asked his name and he replied, “Morgan.” 

I had found the author of my mysterious note. 

We spoke several times after that initial encounter. On one instance, Morgan noticed the Miraculous Medal that I was wearing and excitedly showed me his medal, enthusiastically sharing with me his devotion to our Blessed Mother.

It came to pass that I transferred to a new store and, as such, no longer saw Morgan. Time went by and I forgot about him. I began to forget about other things, too—it was a dark time in my faith journey and my relationship with God became lukewarm as I questioned and challenged long-held beliefs. 

My life was on a collision course and it manifested itself quite concretely a few months later during, of all times, Holy Week. Driving home one afternoon down my quiet, rural street I prepared to turn left into my driveway. As I turned, seemingly from nowhere bounded a truck that inexplicably attempted to pass me on my left as I turned. 

The truck hit my car and swerved off the road while my car spun in place. Dazed and shocked, I managed to drive my car into the driveway, the front bumper dragging along the road as I numbly realized that the truck had missed the driver’s door by a matter of feet. 

Shaking, I exited my car and watched the driver of the truck also exit his vehicle and then abruptly begin sprinting down the road away from me (I was later to learn he had stolen the truck).  Alone and frightened I stood as another car approached the scene of the accident. The driver stopped and came toward me. 

It was, of all people, Morgan. 

As he walked, I saw a Crown of Thorns in his hand, which he said he would be using for the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. He stayed with me as I called the police and helped me until everything was resolved. 

The last memory I have of Morgan was that Easter Sunday morning.  He attended the same Mass as me and I remember, driving home, watching him walking alone down the sidewalk, the sun on his back.

In retrospect, I see the bizarre car accident as a metaphor for my faith life at the time.  It was in danger and about to crash. This was God’s intervention at a crossroads to warn me and encourage me to choose to follow Christ… and Morgan was the messenger.

Did you know that the word angel means "messenger?"  I have no proof either way, but I really do wonder whether Morgan was my guardian angel in human form.

But, wait, you might argue.  That’s a nice story and all, but do angels really exist?  Aren’t angels fantasy or myth, the stuff of Lifetime movies or children’s stories? 

Let’s look at two of our sources of truth: Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition.  The Bible is very clear about angels: they exist and they are powerful. At the major moments of salvation history, angels were present.  An angel guarded the gate to the Garden of Eden after the Fall of Man. Angels appeared to Abraham to share the news that he and his wife would bear a child.  Later, an angel stayed the hand of Abraham when he prepared to sacrifice his son. The archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to share the message that she had been chosen to become the Mother of the Savior.  Then, at the Savior’s birth, angels danced and sang for joy in the midnight sky. Angels ministered to Our Lord after Satan tempted Him in the desert. They likewise comforted Him during His agony in the garden. The morning of the Resurrection, it was an angel that announced that Our Lord was alive.  When Our Lord ascended into heaven, an angel encouraged the apostles to return to Jerusalem and their ministry. An angel aided St. Peter in escaping from prison. When Christ comes again, the angels will trumpet His glorious return.

Christ makes clear the reality of angels.  He says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10).

Church Tradition has similarly been clear about the existence of angels.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.”

But, if we need further evidence, just consider for a moment the order and hierarchy of the natural world.  Think about all of the creatures that exist, starting with a single-cell organism, all the way up to the complex human person.  There are so many creatures along the steps of that hierarchy. Analogously, why wouldn’t God do the same in the supernatural world?  At the bottom is man (body and spirit); at the top is God (perfect Spirit).  What fills in the space between those two? Angels.

Angels are all around us, even though we may not be aware of them.  Most times, we cannot see them. Unlike us humans, angels are pure spirit: they have no body, no matter.  Because they have no body, angels are neither male nor female. They also can never die, since they have no body that can be destroyed.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.”  Sometimes, guided by the misinformation given in movies, people think that we humans become angels after we die.  However, an angel is an entirely different species from people. Humans can’t become angels, though it would help us to try to act like them!

We often think of angels as chubby little cherubim, sweet and innocuous.  But in reality, angels are supremely powerful, fearful (in a good way) and “awe”-some.  Consider this: just about every time an angel appears in Scripture to someone, the angel immediately reassures, “Do not be afraid!”  

Angels are pure intellect: they know perfectly and immediately. (This is why, in art, angels are sometimes depicted as heads with wings on either side!)  Let’s say that I’m trying to learn how to sew. How would I go about that? It would be a process, right? I would need to maybe watch some YouTube videos, take some classes, practice, make mistakes and correct them, etc.  My knowledge is gradually acquired. An angel, in sharp contrast, knows instantly. As Peter Kreeft in his book Angels (and Demons) writes, “They are more brilliant minds than Einstein.” 

The word angel means “messenger.”  It describes more what angels do, than what they are.  As messengers, they have various roles. Actually, there are nine different levels (or choirs) of angels:

Seraphim: this is the highest level of angel.  The word Seraphim means “the burning ones.”  These angels burn with the greatest love of God and exist to contemplate Him.

Cherubim: Cherubim means “fullness of wisdom.”  These angels adore God as well, but specifically for His wisdom.

Thrones: Just like an earthly throne brings to mind a king, the Thrones contemplate God’s kingly power. 

Dominions: These angels have power (dominion) over the angels below them. 

Virtues: They receive orders from the Dominions to guard the universe. 

Powers: The Powers work with the Virtues, specifically in combating evil. 

Principalities: They care for earthly kingdoms and countries.  For example, the United States has its own Principality to care for it! 

Archangels: They are messengers of very important news from God to man.  For example, Gabriel, who appeared to the Virgin Mary, is one of the archangels. 

Angels: These are the guardian angels.  Every person has a guardian angel to protect and guard him or her.

Our guardian angel in an incredible gift from God.  From the moment of your conception, there is an angel by your side at all times.  That angel’s whole purpose is you!  Isn’t that an incredible thought?  God has created an angel for the sole purpose of protecting, guarding, and watching over you! 

Sometimes angels intervene in our lives in a miraculous way.  Maybe my Morgan was indeed an angel. When angels appear this way, it’s as though they are putting on a very realistic costume.  We see this in Scripture in the Book of Tobit, when the Archangel Raphael appears as a man to help Tobias and his family. 

More often though, angels help us behind the scenes in quieter—though no less potent—ways.  Your guardian angel may give you strength in a moment of temptation. Or maybe sometimes you’ve had a sudden inspiration or idea.  Its source could be your guardian angel! Also, your guardian angel prays for you before the throne of God in heaven.  

The Church has two special days devoted to angels.  September 29 is the Feast of the Archangels (Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel) and October 2 is the Feast of the Guardian Angels.  Take these days to thank God for the gift of the angels! And remember, “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2).  

Angel of God,

my guardian dear,

to whom God's love

commits me here,

ever this day,

be at my side,

to light and guard,

rule and guide.

Amen.

Sister Death

Have you ever been present at someone’s death?

It’s a strange feeling, isn’t it?  One moment the person is there and the next … he or she is gone.  The person’s body is still warm to the touch. Maybe even the blood is still pulsing a little in the veins.  But that person, the unique individual who laughed and loved and lived, that person is no longer there.  

In the course of one week, our family experienced life and death.  Our son was born and, six days later, my brother died. As I worked through my contractions in one hospital, waiting for new life to be born, my brother suffered through brain surgery in another hospital, waiting for the terminal diagnosis his stage IV brain cancer gave him.  My mind is still contemplating this: life and death.  

I think about our newborn son and his life in the womb.  Since the day he was created, that was all he knew: life in utero.  The sound of my heartbeat, the feel of the amniotic fluid surrounding him, and the rocking movements of my body: his only knowledge of the world.  Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, he went through what must be the frightening, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar experience of birth. His world completely changed.  Suddenly, everything was new: a world of sunlight and his mother’s warm touch and faces that smile with love upon him.  

My brother only knew this earthly world—and maybe, some would say, in an imperfect way since Michael was born with developmental disabilities.  Last week he suddenly experienced death. Everything changed for him. He is in a new world: a perfect, eternal world. The face of God can now smile upon him.

Life and death.

As I sat beside Michael’s hospital bed in those final moments, I kept repeating to myself the words of St. Augustine: “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”  This world is not our home. Death does not have the final say; it is life, death … and eternal life. I found myself, even in my sadness, smiling quietly as I looked at my brother.  I saw his breathing tube, the bandage on his head from his brain surgery, the brace around his broken ribs and spine, and thought: this isn’t the end of Michael’s story. This suffering and pain is not the final chapter.  Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday and the suffering my brother has bore so courageously, with so few—if any—complaints, is earning him an eternal crown of glory.  

As the moment of death drew nearer, the nurse removed Michael’s tubes and braces.  He already looked free: God was calling him home and we were letting him go. Our family circled his hospital bed and we prayed together, “Jesus, I trust in You.”  We were praying him home.  

We are an Alleluia people.  What would we do without this precious faith?  Death would be so final, so dismal. It would be a permanent goodbye.  Yet, with the hope that Christ gives to us, we can talk about death with joy.  Michael died at the age of thirty-seven, but his soul was that of a young child—innocent and pure.  It was indeed with joy we could return that pure soul back to God. And, one day, through God’s grace, we will see him again.

In every Hail Mary we ask our Mother, “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”  God’s presence in Michael’s hospital room was palpable.  A priest gave Michael the Anointing of the Sick. Holy cards were spread on his lap while a rosary and brown scapular were placed in his hands.  Surrounded by family members, Michael breathed his last breath and died. It was a holy death. To die in God’s grace, to persevere and run the race well to the end, should be the goal of each one of us.

When we heard Michael’s diagnosis just a couple of weeks ago and knew his brain tumor to be terminal, I wondered how I could go through each day with the weight of that knowledge on my mind.  Yet, we all have a terminal diagnosis, you might say. It’s called original sin and it brought death to the world. Any of us, at any moment, could die. We must stay alert, as Our Lord urges us: we know not the day nor the hour He will call.  This shouldn’t fill us with fear. Rather, the expectation of being with the Lord and the hope of heaven should spurn us on in living holy lives. St. Francis of Assisi in his “Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon” proclaims,

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,

from whom no-one living can escape.  Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm.  Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.

Yes, through our faith we don’t need to fear death; our true fear should be of mortal sin.  If we persevere to the end, death will do us no harm, but will lead us to our true homeland in heaven.  Our Lord assures us that He has prepared a place for each one of us. I trust that Michael, in his purity of heart, is there.  In heaven, there is no more suffering or pain. In heaven we will see Christ face-to-face in an eternal embrace of perfect love.

Could there ever be a greater goal?  

The Heart of the Matter

The shortest sentence in the whole Bible is only three words: “And Jesus wept” (John 11: 35).  It’s when Our Lord visits the grave of his dear friend, Lazarus, who has been dead for four days.  While succinct, the words give us much to ponder.  Here we have Jesus, God Incarnated—all knowing, all powerful—not just shedding a tear, but literally weeping.

Jesus is true God and true man.  He has a human heart that beats as ours; He has a divine heart that loves with a perfect love.  God feels emotions.  He has a heart that feels deeply because He loves so deeply.

The whole month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The devotion also has its own special day, which is the third Friday after Pentecost (this year: Friday, June 28).

When we consider the Heart of Our Lord, we are really talking about two different levels of meaning.  Of course, on the surface, there is the literal physical heart of Christ.  This organ should be the most important one in the body since it provides life to all the other parts.  Our Lord’s heart now beats in heaven in His Resurrected body.  It is with us, too, in the Eucharist where He is fully present body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Yet, when we think about a heart, we also mean more than a bodily organ.  On Valentine’s Day there are hearts galore and they mean more to us than an anatomical muscle.  In Judaism, the word “heart” has to do with the very core, the essence of a person: it is the very center of one’s spiritual life and emotions.   

Just consider some of the turns of phrase we use.  “He has his heart set on it.”  “My heart goes out to you.”  “She poured her heart out to him.”  “He wears his heart on his sleeve.”  All of these point to the fact that the heart is an outward expression of a person’s inner reality.

And the inner reality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of abounding love and mercy.  Christ has a heart of flesh that contains the love of God for us.  Everything Our Lord did in His life was directed by this love in His heart, from humbling Himself to be born an infant in Bethlehem, to curing the sick, to suffering and dying on the Cross for each one of us.  Christ Himself tells us, "Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart" (Matthew 11:29).

Historically, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has Scriptural roots and a long history in Church Tradition.  Yet, it became much more widespread after Christ appeared to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque in the 17th century.  St. Margaret Mary was a Visitation nun living in France.  In 1672 Our Lord explained devotion to His Sacred Heart to her.  The next year He gave her the great gift of being able to rest her head upon His Heart, which filled her with consolation.  Our Lord told her that she would spread the message of His love for all people.  Then, in 1674, Jesus shared His desire that people would honor His Sacred Heart, especially on the First Friday of each month.  In 1675 He asked that the Feast of the Sacred Heart be celebrated every year on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi. 

On May 8, 1873 Pope Pius IX officially approved devotion to the Sacred Heart and in 1899 Pope Leo XIII dedicated the whole world to the Sacred Heart.

You have probably seen an artistic rendition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, either in a painting or on a statue.  This image of the Sacred Heart that we have comes to us through St. Margaret Mary, who saw it in her visions.  She describes:

“The Divine Heart was presented to me in a throne of flames, more resplendent than a sun, transparent as crystal, with this adorable wound. And it was surrounded with a crown of thorns, signifying the punctures made in it by our sins, and a cross above signifying that from the first instant of His Incarnation, that is, as soon as the Sacred Heart was formed, the cross was implanted into it and from the first moment it was filled with all the sorrow to be inflicted on it by the humiliations, poverty, pain, and scorn of His sacred humanity was to endure throughout His life and during His sacred passion.”

Christ’s Sacred Heart is surrounded by flames, a sign of the intensity of His love.  His heart literally burns with love for us!  The fire also reckons back to the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which were burnt offerings.  Christ’s perfect, one-time sacrifice on the Cross was the perfection and completion of all the Old Testament sacrifices.  Fire is a sign of God, too (think of Moses and the burning bush).

The Sacred Heart also shines with a light brighter than the sun.  Jesus is, after all, the light of the world.  This resplendent light recalls the Transfiguration, when Christ’s face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white.

Christ’s Sacred Heart is surrounded by a crown of thorns, which obviously points to Our Lord's passion.  He felt the pain of His suffering right into the depths of His heart.  Yet, Christ’s Heart still feels pain.  As St. Margaret Mary writes, the punctures of the thorns aren’t from Good Friday; they are from today, from you and from me and the sins that we commit.  This is a sobering reality.

Finally, there is the cross above, “implanted” into the Sacred Heart.  The positioning seems to suggest that we can only really understand the crucifixion through the love of Christ.  Love is more than pretty words; it is sacrifice, the giving of oneself.  Our Lord suffered on the cross out of love for us.  “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15: 13).

Christ opens His heart to us … He doesn’t keep His Sacred Heart closed or hidden because He wants every soul to receive His love and mercy.  As He said to St. Margaret Mary, “Behold this Heart which has so loved men!”

Yet, in opening His Heart to us, Christ makes Himself vulnerable.  The reality is that Christ’s love for us isn’t always reciprocated.  Many times, His love is even rejected or despised.  Our personal sins puncture the Sacred Heart.

So this Friday when we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, let us try to console the Heart of Christ, so wounded by indifference, lukewarmness, sin, and rejection.  Devotion to the Sacred Heart should lead us to reparation, to making up for the times when Christ’s love is spurned.  Maybe it’s beginning the First Friday devotion Our Lord recommended.  (Here is a great explanation of how to do this.)  Perhaps it’s placing an image of the Sacred Heart in your home where it can be honored.  

Or maybe it’s just placing yourself in the presence of Our Lord in prayer and saying simply, “I love you, Jesus.”

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Stairway to Heaven

 I have had marriage on my mind a great deal recently.  My sister is getting married this summer, as are three of my cousins.  Recently, my husband, Chris, and I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary, which is such a tremendous blessing!

A number of years ago, my husband and I attended the wedding of some friends.  A Dominican priest whose name I cannot recall now gave the most beautiful homily, reflecting on the sacrament of matrimony.  I often think about his words and find inspiration in them.

He said that we should always thank God for the gift of marriage.  Just think about how good God is to us. For those of you called to marriage, God in His great love and generosity has created an entire, other person—just for you!  As He formed Eve to be the perfect complement to Adam, God has created a whole other soul, made and molded specifically for you. As I have said to my husband before, he is not a perfect person … but he is perfect for me.

Beginning from infancy with your baptism day, God has formed you to be the person you are, through the good times as well as the bad.  God did the same for your spouse, too. And while you may never have even known each other growing up—perhaps living in completely different areas of the country—God knew you belong together.  Slowly and carefully, like a master-craftsman, God prepared you for the day you would meet your future spouse and fall in love.

All of us should rejoice whenever a man and woman come forward before the altar of God to be married.  Why? What the couple is about to do has eternal ramifications. They are, by exchanging their vows, literally changing the face of heaven!  The purpose of their union is to create—with God—new life, new little souls who will hopefully one day be with all the saints and angels in heaven.  Marriage is a gift to all of us!

When the man and woman marry, their lives are forever changed.  Marriage only begins at the altar. The sacrament of marriage isn’t just the moment of saying, “I do.”  Once the couple exchanges their vows, they live continuously in a sacrament.  It is always there!  A husband and wife, joined in matrimony, are always living in the grace of the sacrament.  Just consider: their wedding rings are sacramentals. This is why my husband and I, when saying goodnight each evening, kiss each other’s wedding ring.

Of course, those of us who are called to marriage know that living this sacrament can sometimes feel like a crucifixion.  Marriage is hard. It’s a process of dying to self and living for the other. And sometimes it can feel like we are running on empty.  But Christ gave us the model of what to do during those times of difficulty: we should go to our Blessed Mother and then go to Jesus.

Reflect on the wedding feast at Cana.  Like that new couple, sometimes in marriage the “wine” runs out.  But if we go to Mary and then to Jesus, we will find that God will always refill the jars.  We may go to him one thousand times with empty jars.  No matter: He will refill them. And not just that! He will refill them with even better wine than what was there before.  Ten years into marriage, my love for my husband has definitely changed: it is richer and fuller, like wine that has aged and become more perfected in time.  God has refilled our jars again and again.

A man and woman must exchange their wedding vows before a priest, who is the “witness” to their marriage.  But what, exactly, does that mean? Well, the man and woman are expressing one kind of love. But the priest is witnessing to another kind of a love, a higher and more perfect love: the supernatural love of God.  As much in love as a man and woman may be, it is just a small reflection of God’s divine, perfect love.  The priest reminds us of this love and invites the husband and wife to lead each other closer to the One who is Love.

This week we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, when Christ was lifted up into heaven.  Someone once said to me, “Your stairway to heaven has a name and it’s Chris.” For those called to the vocation of marriage, our whole goal and purpose is to help our spouse grow closer to God.  If we are going to be with Christ in heaven one day, it is through our marriage.

That is reason enough to say, “I do” in every moment of every day!

The Best Mother's Day Present

I've been trying to think of a good present to give to my Mother for Mother's Day.  I could give her a bouquet of flowers. Something tangible is always good. But I also thought about giving her the gift of time—just being present with her and talking with her.  

What about you?  Did you pick out a gift for our Mother?

It's a little tricky, since our Mother is the Queen of Heaven and Earth.  In a sense, she doesn't need anything. Yet, she is a true mother and, as such, she desires the love of her children.

May is the month of Mary, which seems only fitting, since it's when we celebrate Mother's Day.  It is a special time to reflect on Mary's role in each of our lives and to honor the great gift Christ gave us in His most perfect Mother--our helper, our protector, our model, our mom.

When I think about the Blessed Mother, I don't always have an emotional response.  I'm not filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling all the time, so to speak. However, there is not a single doubt in my mind that she has been watching over me and with me.

I particularly call to mind an experience I had while in college.  I was sitting in a practically-empty chapel, praying before the Blessed Sacrament.  My heart was in turmoil over some particular problem. As I spoke with Our Lord, the door to the chapel opened and a young man came in.  I didn't recognize him and tried to put him out of my mind as I returned to prayer. Yet, a few minutes later, the young man walked up to me.  He held out a Miraculous Medal and said simply, "This is from your Mother. She is praying for you."

During the big moments of my life, I definitely see our Mother's loving presence.  My husband and I began our relationship on the Feast of the Assumption. On our wedding day, we placed a bouquet in front of the statue of Our Lady.  I knew that she had worked behind the scenes to bring us together. When I was in labor with our children, I prayed the Hail Mary through each contraction.  

If ever there is some trouble or distress, I run to her ... just like our toddler seeks me out when she is upset.

And why not run to her?  She is our Mother. As Our Lord hung on the cross, He looked down upon Mary and St. John, the beloved apostle.  "Behold your son ... behold your Mother." In these words, Christ gave His Mother to all of us, represented in John.  Why would we ever reject this gift from our Lord? He wants us to love Mary and to be devoted to her.

Besides, drawing closer to our Mother means drawing closer to Our Lord.  St. Louis de Montfort urged devotion to Mary, explaining that such devotion is the surest, the easiest, the shortest, and the most perfect way to Christ Himself.  Mary's intercession for us is so powerful: just remember the wedding feast at Cana. Our Lord performed His first miracle at His Mother's request. Jesus "began and continued His miracles by Mary, and He will continue them to the end of the ages by Mary" (St. Louis de Montfort).

Perhaps, as a gift to our Blessed Mother during this month of May, you may consider praying the rosary—whether alone or as a family.  The word "rosary" comes from Latin word rosarium, or rose garden.  Our rosary prayer is like a wreath of roses we are presenting to our Mother.  For those less familiar, here’s a helpful summary of how to pray the rosary. There are lots of rosary apps out there as well.

This might just be the perfect gift, since it's the one our Mother especially requested!  When the Blessed Virgin appeared at Fatima in 1917, she asked that the rosary be prayed every day.  If that isn't enough motivation, every pope for the past 400 years has encouraged this devotion. The rosary is our opportunity to sit with our Mother and to ponder those great events of her life and that of her Son. While we finger the rosary beads and speak the vocal prayers, our hearts can contemplate those mysteries of our salvation.  “The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you will be amazed at the results” (St. Josemaria Escriva).

Our Mother is with you.  She watches over you, prays for you, loves you, and desires to bring you ever closer to her Son.  Let us all be better children of this most perfect Mother and, this month of May, may we come to love her even more.