Retreat June 4, 2005

DURING JUNE 4, 2005
RETREAT AT THE SHRINE OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT

SATURDAY MORNING MASS HOMILY – MONSIGNOR CHILEAN

    Immaculate Heart of Mary, I love you; help me to love Jesus, too. The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is very tender. It really does show us the heart of Jesus, the Sacred Heart, celebrated yesterday.
    The Church tells us what we must believe: 1) There is only one God who rewards good and punishes wicked; 2) This one God manifests Himself in three distinct persons: our Creator – the Father, our Redeemer – His Son, Jesus Christ, and our Sanctifier – the Holy Spirit; and 3) Must believe in the Incarnation – that the Son who is our Redeemer by the Blessed Virgin Mary became man, true God, true man, and our Redeemer.
    The Church teaches that we have to know the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church and the seven Sacraments.
    Neither the means nor the precepts mention the Immaculate Heart or the Sacred Heart. Many Catholics leave the Catholic Church because of its pious devotions, and because they have no feelings for these devotions. No text in the Bible of such displays. The Catholic Church does teach us of necessity of means that we have to believe in the Incarnation. The Son of God became flesh and He had to have a Mother. Mary is the Mother that God chose for Him. Mary gave Him that Heart. Jesus knew His Mother, he obeyed His Mother and was subject to Her.
    There are teachings in the Catholic Faith that are mysteries. It is not always perfectly clear to the finite. St. Augustine had a struggle and problem with the mystery of the Trinity. He did not leave the Catholic Church because he did not understand. St. Thomas Aquinas did not understand the Immaculate Conception. He prepared to go to the Council in order to defend against the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. In route he became ill, and while praying in front of the crucifix, Jesus spoke to him in a very substantial way. He never again opposed it.
    Whenever any of us thinks too much on the mystery of life, we can become discouraged. Think too much without faith in the heart just tends to make us sterile. The tenderness of the Sacred Heart because the Immaculate Heart of Mary said "Fiat" – how fortunate we are to have the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are children of God.
    "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus whom I adore, may I love Thee more and more."
    "Immaculate Heart of Mary, help me to love Jesus just as you do."

SATURDAY MORNING INSTRUCTION – MONSIGNOR CHILEAN

    "Jesus, teach me your exercise program."
    We have to exercise: daily spiritual exercises of prayer, meditation, Holy Mass, communion, confession, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Act of Contrition, etc. None of us resolve to grow cold in love with God – we just don't pray. There comes a time in our lives when we do not have too much to do. We must come to Jesus in prayer. The one thing He said for us to do is to be like Him. "Come to Me. I want you to learn from Me, because I am meek and humble of heart." Jesus desires us. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me." Do we believe Jesus? Someone says we are all the same even though we are different religions. "Lord, how do You feel about this? Are we all the same?"
    Everyone of us can know how to grow up just as Jesus did because of the novitiate of our Mom's womb. Your mother will get after you if she does not like what you are doing. Jesus learned to pray from Joseph and Mary. If we want to be with Jesus, get up in the morning and seek Jesus where He is. Where is Jesus to be found when we pray? In Church, in the home, out there. Where is Jesus? We must go out to find Jesus – in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
    Jesus cleansed the outer Temple and Jesus cleansed the inner Temple. Mary found Jesus in the Temple building within Her pierced heart. When you pray go to your room, pray to your Father in secret. In your heart and in mine, there is a room created by God and for you and me. Commune with God in total secrecy. Father spoke about the life of St. Catherine of Siena and how Jesus taught her about the little room in her heart. She had peace.
    The followers of Christ must look for and find Jesus where He really is, exactly as we do in the Blessed Sacrament. He waits there; He knows you; He is very happy to have you come to visit Him. Some people say they do not have to go to church to pray. It is not what the Gospel says Jesus did. If you wish to follow Jesus, you will get up and find Jesus where He really is. In the following of Christ, we must be with Jesus, know, love, and serve Him. On the day we stop believing in the Eucharist, it is only a matter of time before we leave Him.
     How should we begin our day? How should we rise? You should hear Mass, meditate, read good books, grace before and after meals. What do you do when tempted to sin? What prayers should we pray? How should you finish your day? After night prayers what should you do?
We belong to Jesus; we are meant to be His and to be with Him forever in Heaven. Turn to the Blessed Sacrament, to Jesus risen from the dead. We are so fortunate to have our one and only God.
      Begin each day before the Blessed Sacrament, to leave our sins there, receive Holy Communion, praying in the Temple before Jesus here, here in the inner room as only Jesus can enter, to become one with God. Our daily routine becomes complete. "Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us to love Jesus like you do."

HEALING SERVICE – FATHER JOSEPH

    The Blessed Virgin Mary is called 'our nature's solitary boast.' Our Lady as the Woman of the Eucharist. Where you find devotion to the Eucharist, you will find devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and vice versa. The two are always united. The flesh of Jesus in the Eucharist Jesus took from Mary.
    God is with us and for us. He is not apart from us, but with us. In the central part of the Creed, we pray "born of the Virgin Mary". It was through Mary that He chose to belong to the human race. During that Year of the Rosary, 2003, with Mary we contemplated looking at the face of Mary and now we pause to look through the eyes and heart of Mary (in the Eucharist). Woman of the Eucharist – the first tabernacle – the womb of Mary. We can always draw near to Jesus in the tabernacle. She brings the blessing of His presence to Elizabeth and John. John leapt in Her womb. Jesus blesses us through Mary.
    How would Mary feel when She heard the words of Her Son repeated by the Apostles or
when She received the Holy Eucharist after the death of Jesus? When we receive Holy Communion, think about how you are receiving something of what Mary experienced in that awesome moment as Christ is present in us as we become living tabernacles carrying Jesus in us.
    The Lord does not take away all crosses. We pray that Jesus brings you the healing that you are most in need of. He will give all some sort of gift. We never leave with empty hands. Mary obtains that for us.