John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.

(Jn 1:35-42)

Sunday Spiritual Excursion

We pause today from our retreat, and direct our attention to the gospel at Mass. It is a beautiful gospel that speaks about vocation. We know that God calls us; there is a Caller. There is a relationship between the One who calls and the one being called. God calls, we listen; God calls we respond.

Let us imagine ourselves, walking towards the Lord. We have been told that He is the Lamb of God – the One we have been waiting for to save us. Are we going to listen to John the Baptist’s words? Of course we will! We run towards the Lord, we run after Him to catch Him. He turns to us, in seeing us, and in looking into our hearts, He asks: What are you looking for? 

What are you looking for? If you are given the chance to encounter the Lord today, and hear His voice asking you: What are you looking for? How would you respond? At this point of my spiritual journey, what am I looking for? The question of the Lord today in the gospel reading is important; because what I seek today with all my heart will define my plans and actions tomorrow – what I seek today with all my heart will determine who I will become in the years ahead. What are you looking for? – the Lord asks.

Lord, today, I just want to get through this crisis. We are hoping that all might get the vaccine! And I just want everything to get back to normal – not the frenetic, directionless normal, but the normal that you have been trying to show me. Before, I might have taken for granted so many things that you have given me; now, in spite of this present crisis, I realize the gifts that I have: life, health, talents, family, friends – connections & communion. 

What am I looking for – you ask me today… Well, I look around and there is so much confusion, so many questions; people I love, people I consider my friends – they are being played and made to believe so many things by so many personalities (and the Media, on top of that). Sometimes, I feet that there is really no more independent thinkers among us anymore; only puppets of a particular belief system. Our society is driven by personalities – not any of them believe in you. Our society is made up of two opposing sides, and we are pulled on both sides. What am I looking for? I am looking for harmony, I am looking for peace; I am looking for people who would have the courage to stop imposing their beliefs on us, to stop their nonsense and bickering – I am looking for people who are willing to listen to you; I am looking for people who have the courage and humility to pray – to look to you. I am looking for people who really know you, and really follow you. I am looking for people who are not as stuck as I am with myself, and my political views, and my beliefs – a person who could see things independently, lovingly. There has got to be more than life than just winning, and being right all the time. I am looking for a Person. I am looking for you… It is you I seek, hide not your light. 

What are we looking for? When the Lord asks us this question, what is our answer today. More importantly, when the Lord asks you this question today – what are you looking for – what is that you hear that he is inviting you into? Come and see. 

Father,

behold the suffering of your Son, Jesus.
I lift him up to you.
Although I’m weak and don’t have much to offer by myself,
dear Father, your Son’s merits are infinite.
So, behold, to your Son’s suffering,
I unite my own, 
and I ask you to save all those poor, 
Unrepentant sinners who have no one else to pray for them.
Yes, Father, I believe that your Son’s
infinite merits can accomplish this.

Amen. 

Commentary & Excerpts from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

Fr. Gailey points out at this point that our own darkness could be an obstacle  “that prevents us from going to the Lord” (76). In this entry, we will try to reflect on our own weaknesses. I invite you, however, to present these weaknesses in prayer to the Lord with all humility, vulnerability and spiritual authenticity.  

Fr. Michael defined weaknesses as “our imperfections and inability to make concrete progress in the spiritual life” (76).  

“Our weaknesses can send us into a downward spiral that begins when we notice them… As we reflect on these recurring faults, we may begin to think we’ll never overcome them. This then leads us to hate our weaknesses as we feel discouraged because of them. Finally, in our discouragement, we hide from the Lord, because we doubt his love for us…” (76)

Today, when we think of and reflect on our weaknesses, we also embrace them – and “love” them. Because it is these same weaknesses that bring us ever closer to the Lord. St. Therese reminds us that our weakness is our ticket to the “spiritual elevator” that will bring us closer to the Lord. 

“Mercy has two aspects: heart and arms. The heart part always comes first… Mercy begins with a movement of the heart, a movement that reaches out to help alleviate the suffering of the other… Jesus’ Heart is particularly moved with compassion when he sees anguished little souls stuck at the bottom of the rough stairway of perfection” (77-78).

The second movement is to “step up” into the arms of Jesus – so that we might be lifted up, closer to Him. Humility and trust are the virtues necessary in this spiritual uplighting. The real obstacles are not our weaknesses but our “BIG” idea of ourselves and the lack of trust in God.   

Father,

behold the suffering of your Son, Jesus.
I lift him up to you.
Although I’m weak and don’t have much to offer by myself,
dear Father, your Son’s merits are infinite.
So, behold, to your Son’s suffering,
I unite my own, 
and I ask you to save all those poor, 
Unrepentant sinners who have no one else to pray for them.
Yes, Father, I believe that your Son’s
infinite merits can accomplish this.

Amen. 

Commentary & Excerpts from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

This topic of redemptive suffering is probably one of my favorite theological explanations of the meaning of suffering. Suffering is real; we see it everywhere. Each of us experiences suffering in many different ways, and on so many levels. Fr. Michael Gaitley demonstrates the fear of suffering as an obstacle that we have to overcome in order to adhere to our calling to console Jesus – to be his friend. Fr Gaitley goes on further: it is not about escaping from our suffering, but embracing our suffering to be Jesus’ friend – as a way to console him. Moreover, it is through suffering (pain offered; pain sacrificed) that we are saved; it is through suffering that we are redeemed. Everyone suffers; and all are called to console, be a friend of, and co-redeem with the Lord.  

“In his great goodness and mercy, Jesus allows us to participate in his redeeming action in the world. In fact, he needs us. In a very real sense, he needs our suffering to be united with his in order to save souls… Jesus’ suffering is objectively enough to save everyone, and the graces his suffering merits are available to all. In this sense, there’s absolutely nothing lacking in his suffering. Yet there’s a kind of ‘lack’ in Christ’s suffering in the sense that not everyone subjectively accepts his grace and mercy. Moreover, there’s also a lack in his suffering when people don’t fully accept his grace and mercy, that is, when they do so halfheartedly and with reservations and conditions. It’s precisely in such situations where people reject or don’t fully accept God’s grace that our sufferings and bold prayers can come in to ‘complete what is lacking.’ 

…Our prayers and little sufferings really can have great power to move souls – so let’s not waste them” (74-75).

Commentary & Excerpts from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

In the book, Fr. Michael Gaitley continues to explain the two ways that Jesus is calling us to console Him: 1) Retroactively, & 2) in the present sufferings of His Mystical Body. First, Fr Gaitley explains how we can retroactively console Christ “now” as he suffered his Passion way back “then”. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we are taught that Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us… “With this teaching in mind, we can easily conclude… that Jesus’ knowledge of our sins that were “as yet in the future” caused him great sorrow but also that Jesus’ knowledge of our acts of love, which were also “as yet in the future”, brought him great consolation… the same Jesus Christ, throughout his earthly life and especially during his suffering and agony, could see us and know how much we love him” (49-50). 

Then, Fr. Gaitley helps us understand how we can console Christ in the suffering of His Mystical Body. Jesus is united to his Church; when his Church – His Mystical Body – suffers, Jesus continues to suffer. When the Church is persecuted, the Mystical Body suffers the same persecution (see Acts 9:4-6). When truth is silenced, it is Jesus Himself who is muted. “How could Jesus Christ, who loves us… be completely happy in heaven while the members of his body are suffering?” (56). How could Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, be completely happy in heaven, while the members of his body continue to be enslaved by perversion and sin? 

We can still console the heart of Jesus because he continues to suffer through us.    

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart,
and never let us escape from It. We beg this of Your by Your love which unites You to the Father and the holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of your mercy for ever and ever.

Amen. 

Commentary & Excerpts from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

Pages 37-39 of Consoling the Heart of Jesus the speaks about “this”. Fr. Michael Gaitley reminded us also in the video we watched last Thursday of the importance of a goal in our spiritual journey. And in the book he says: “…The Principle “first things first” basically means that when one keeps his/her eyes on such a vivid goal, the “first thing,” then all else falls into place.” Interestingly, in my conversations with friends about having that “one thing” that moves us, drives us, and inspires us to live a full and integrated life. This “one thing” would be the singular driving force that would give us direction – while we attend to, and are responsible for, many things. What St. Ignatius called the Principle and Foundation, and what Fr. Gaitley refers to as “the goal” or the “first thing”, I call “that one thing”. 

“The First Principle and Foundation teaches that we’re made to live the “first thing” (a life of praise, reverence, and service to God) by using “second things” (the other things on the face of the earth) only in so far as they help us to live the first thing. Not only that, it teaches that if a second thing becomes an obstacle to living out the first thing, then we should rid ourselves of it” (37).

Further on, Fr. Gaitley discusses the attitude of detachment or “indifference to all created things”. What is the nature of this detachment? The author is not talking about a loose kind of a detachment, or a stoic type of indifference to goodness and beauty of created things. This strife for indifference that comes up as a result of the “First Principle” – “the first things first”. “…The principle of keeping our eyes fixed on the goal… It’s the principle St. Peter discovered the hard way when he began to sink into the sea after taking his eyes off Jesus (see Mt 14:24-31). It’s the principle we might call “the primacy of contemplation”, the primacy of keeping the eyes of our hears lovingly on the Lord” (39).

There is a recent image going around Social Media of Jesus walking on water with the captions “Fix your eyes on Me, not the storm”. Probably, in light of what is happening around us; the chaos in the political arena, the increasing gap between the political parties, it is probably a good idea to retreat for a moment, and take a moment to reflect on the “first thing”. What better place to start changing the world, that to start locally? We cannot affect change anywhere if there would be a turmoil happening from within ourselves, within our family and smaller communities. 

“The Lord Jesus wants to help us more than we want to be helped. He sees much more clearly than we do that the culture of death in which we live cruelly grinds up so many lives… We think of these tragic realities from time to time, and it makes us sorrowful. But Jesus sees humanity’s pain constantly – in every detail – and it shatters his Heart. Thus, Jesus desperately longs to reach out with his saving, healing, and consoling touch. Whether or not he can, depends – in large part – on us” (39).  

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways,
says the LORD.
As high as the heavens
are above the earth 
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Commentary & Excerpts from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

We continue our retreat and our journey, learning about this Sunday – the Day of the Lord, a Sunday in which the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. It is timely that the section from the book that we focus on today is that part in which Fr. Gaitley speaks about The Desire for Holiness. The topic of the desire for holiness, the desire to be baptized in the same baptism into which our Lord Jesus Christ submitted himself, is fitting as we celebrate this pivotal and final day of the Christmas Season.

In the book, Fr. Gaitley inquires: “Do you want to be a saint? Do you desire to be on fire with love for God and neighbor?” Then he continued to illustrate: “There was probably a time in each of our lives when we heard or read about the life of a saint, our hearts burned within us… After a while, however, especially as we became more conscious of our selfishness and sin, the flames of desire died down and maybe even went out.

Burning desire grows cold when what we desire seems to become unattainable.” The water in which we have been baptized can sometimes turn our hearts to ice. “At first, hearing or reading about the lives of saints captivates us and generates the desire to want to be like them. Then, we begin to realize others are more virtuous and better than we are. That’s when discouragement begins to kick in, and the flame of desire for holiness peters out. That’s when we start to settle for mediocrity and the bare minimum, “I just hope I can sneak into purgatory.”

This is where the invitation of today’s liturgical celebration comes into play. In the gospel reading, John the Baptist was aware of with what he baptized his followers: water. While his message was of preparation for the Real Thing; his message was of repentance and of a change and conversion of heart; his message was to direct his followers to the One who is to come after him – for he clarified: “I (John) baptize you with water, but He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” It strikes me that when repentance and conversion is done, the acceptance of the Real Thing is to be expected. Jesus Christ comes as the only one who can baptize us with the Holy Spirit. While it could be easy to receive John’s baptism of water, it is more challenging to receive the Baptism of Spirit. (Sometimes, it takes us a lifetime to actually receive it…)

While water cleanses and refreshes our souls, the Holy Spirit purifies our hearts with the fire of divine love. The Baptism of Jesus is the one that will draw us closer to be God’s chosen ones, his sons and  daughters; it is the Holy Spirit that inspires us to love – even our enemies; it is the Holy Spirit that moves us to do better, to become more integrated in our thoughts, words and actions; it is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that will move our hearts to grow in and with each other – even with those people we find difficult to love; it is this baptism of the Lord that would allow us to be a community, united in Spirit, united in love with one another as brothers and sisters, united as one nation, trusting in God, and in communion with Him.

Today, while we continue to journey together in this spiritual retreat, we reexamine our desires. I remember Cardinal Tobin (our Archbishop) saying in one of his homilies:  “Be very attentive to desires of your heart; for your desires say a lot about you and where you are headed”; and, so too, to echo the thoughts of Rolheiser: Our desires forms our spirituality. We begin this spiritual retreat with a desire – the desire to be holy, and to be loved as we are – sons and daughters of God.    

O God, we are one with you.

You have made us one with you.
You have taught us that if we are open to one another, you dwell in us.
Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts.
Help us to realize that
there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection.

O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly,
fully, completely, we accept you,
and we thank you, and we adore you,
and we love you with our whole being, because our being is your being,
our spirit is rooted in your spirit.

Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as
we go our diverse ways,
united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world,
and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love.

Love has overcome.
Love is victorious.

~ Thomas Merton ~

~ St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) ~

Excerpt from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:

“Consoling the Heart of Jesus” 

According to St. Therese, it’s precisely the little souls who will become the kind of great saints de Montfort foresaw. For Therese taught that Jesus wants to work some of his marvelous miracles of mercy in our day, miracles in which he takes the littlest of souls and forms them into the greatest saints. Therese could teach that because she understood three things exceedingly well: our modern times, God’s amazing mercy, and the teaching of St. Paul.

According to St. Paul, where evil and sin seem to prevail, God sends his grace in greater abundance (see Rom 5:20). This Pauline principle applies especially to our day that, in many ways, is marked by unprecedented evil. Because of such unprecedented evil, God graciously offers unprecedented mercy. Thus, our time truly can be called a “time of mercy,” a time when God especially wants to demonstrate that his “power finds perfection in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9), a time when it’s easier than ever before to become a saint.