June 2 (P.S. June 17,22,23,25,26,28,30)

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It is nice to communicate with you again. There are so many awesome feasts this month, in particular Pentecost (June 3), Trinity Sunday (June 10), Body and Blood of Christ (June 17), Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 22) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 23). Here is a thought to share.

Just as in the art of marriage, our relationship with Jesus and Our Heavenly Mother, seems to consist in learning to fall in love with them, again and again, with or without emotion. When we are in love with them, we would begin to surrender [to them] and do things for God and others which we normally would not.

Without doubt, leading a Christian life without a deep love of Jesus and Mary is like having a spiritual life without excitement and energy, deprived of any Heavenly relationship, love, joy and peace, having to carry by ourselves all kinds of earthly burden, dullness, dryness, listlessness, frustration, depression, bitterness and confusion, etc.

How do we, then, fall in love with Jesus and Mary? Obviously, it is through praying, praying, and more praying, whole-heartedly so. How else? Very often, if we would wisely or foolishly (for God) spend a lot of time praying with all our heart, as in a retreat, prayer meeting, private prayer, before or after Mass, etc., it would be impossible not to begin falling in love with Jesus and Mary, being given personally a bit of a foretaste of Heaven.

It becomes a necessity these days for many people in our society to talk about [created] energy crisis. What about [Uncreated] Energy crisis, i.e., the depletion of God's grace or Energy within? As the latter is a bigger crisis, blessed are those who begin to notice it. How do we, then, overcome such an interior depletion of Divine Energy? The following model of the Church, as a suggestion, may work, i.e., the Church as a Spiritual Gas Station, a Divine Power House, a Channel or Generator of God's Love and Energy. If so, we may have to spend, as never before, a lot of time in prayer, in particular before the unceasing radiance of the Holy Eucharist. The first round or hour might be difficult. Who says prayer is always easy, especially before the Tabernacle? Indeed, after we have received sufficient grace or Energy from the first or second hour of prayers within the same day, we would become much more focused. This amount of Divine Energy is usually needed to cleanse or unburden our contaminated system from various impure spiritual and human energies. (A good Confession in addition is even more helpful.) Having been set free from such a bondage, we might begin to experience a profound sense of God's grace working within. We might experience a certain heavenly sweetness and intimacy, an unspeakable love, joy and peace, a deep conviction that God is being within and around, guiding us forward in life…

As we know, a sacrament is a visible sign for God to give us grace or Divine Energy. Praying before the Sacrament of Sacraments is thus a God-given opportunity or window to grace in our loving union with the Lord. But oftentimes it is also a purification, a trial or battle before it becomes such an unspeakable joy. The following example of St. Sr. Faustina (Diary no. 268) seems quite inspiring. It is especially practical to those who desire to have a taste of the Church as a Gas Station, a Channel of God's Grace, a Sacrament of profound union with God in overflowing love, joy and peace.

"I tried to make a Holy Hour, but began it with great difficulty. My mind was dimmed so that I could not understand the simplest forms of prayer. And so passed by an hour of prayer, or rather of struggle. I resolved to pray for a second hour, but my inner sufferings increased - great dryness and discouragement. I resolved to pray for a third hour … which I resolved to spend kneeing without any support, my body started to clamor for rest… I persisted by sheer will… I offered Jesus the feelings… After a while, I feel my heart inundated with a wave of love. A sudden recollection of spirit, the senses quiet down, and God's presence pervades my soul".

Can a car run without gas? Similarly, can we have an interior life without Divine Gas, Energy or Love? Since to have the Holy Spirit is to have all the graces necessary for such a purpose, the following prayer might be very helpful: "Come, Holy Spirit! Come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Thy well-beloved Spouse!"

May the Most Holy Trinity, the Uncreated Family of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, be with us always, together with Its whole Heavenly Family of Holy Angels and Saints!

Yours brother in Christ and in Our Heavenly Mother,

Editor

P.S. (June 17) Today is both the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, as well as Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, therefore, to every dear father and reverend Father (priest), especially to dearest God the Father who gives us His dearest Son, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity! With regards the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, see also above (June 2) which seems to be a gift from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, first to the editor (who has it printed) and then to our dear readers. Alleluia!

P.S. (June 22-23) If we really wish to console and make the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 22) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 23) happy, perhaps we should regularly be fasting and praying for the conversion of sinners, especially for those who are blindly (as sin blinds) promoting, selling and celebrating the sins of the flesh these days, on the internet and in cities around the world. We could imagine how wounded and saddened the Hearts of Jesus and Our Heavenly Mother must have been!

According to Our Lady of Fatima, most souls who ended up in everlasting Hell were due to their unchaste life, i.e., against the Sixth and the Ninth Commandments of God. If there were indeed no Hell [who wants it?], no salvation and evangelization would be needed. All sins would be OK. Our Heavenly Mother at Fatima, therefore, wants us to pray as follows: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy!"

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! Lord Jesus, who loves us with all Your Sacred Heart, have mercy on us! Mother Mary, who loves us with all Your Immaculate Heart, pray for us! Without doubt, "there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Lk 15:7). Alleluia!

P.S. (June 25) Hell is one of the most difficult and hesitant topics today among theologians and philosophers. However, modern scientists (especially astrophysicists), as they best see it, often do not hesitate to talk about Hell. According to the article entitled "How the universe will end: peering deep into space and time, scientists have just solved the biggest mystery in the cosmos" [in Time, Canadian Edition (June 25, 2001), p. 42]: "In the end, the universe, once ablaze with the light of uncountable stars, will be an unimaginably vast, empty, cold, dark and lonely place". In other words, the whole universe, including each one of us without exception (unless some inconceivable power or event would intervene), will all devolve, disintegrate, decay, die and end surely in a cosmic Hell. What an appalling pessimism this sole natural revelation (i.e., in the absence of the Divine Revelation) is! It is precisely here where we can find unspeakable consolation from the Divine Revelation, as we read:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God… 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be His people and God himself will be with them; He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.'" (Rev 21:1-4)

At the same time, the Sacred Scriptures also offers us the divinely revealed version of Hell, in contrast with the Heavenly City: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murders and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood" (Rev 22:14-15).

"Master, Master, we are perishing!" (Lk 8:24; cf. Mk 4:38) "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" (Mk 4:40; cf. Lk 8:24) "And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and there was a [great] calm" (Lk 8:25; cf. Mk 4:39). "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?" (Mk 4:41; cf. Lk 8:25)

Dearest Jesus, the indisputable All-powerful Creator, Lord, Saviour, Transfigurer, Energizer, Life-giver, and Pantocrator (All-Ruler) of the whole Visible and Invisible Universe, You love each one of us with all Your Sacred Heart, and yet at the same time, for some reasons You wanted to hide Yourself deep within the boat, the Consecrated Bread and Wine, and even the whole visible universe, have mercy on us! Our Heavenly Mother, Gate of Heaven, who deeply desires to spend the rest of eternity with us in Heaven in the Divine Heavenly Family Party which will never end, pray for us!

P. S. (June 26) Earlier, readers were encouraged to make the whole Heaven (or the whole Divine Heavenly Family) rejoice, even without precedence, by fasting and praying for the conversion of sinners, but at the same time, they might have read on June 9 during Mass that "prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness" (Tobit 12:8). Does St. Raphael, who as one of the seven Holy Angels stands ready and enters before the glory of the Lord (cf. Tobit 12:15), put down prayer and fasting, especially doing so before the glory of the Lord whose most glorious presence on earth can be found in the Blessed Sacrament, however hidden from our eyes?

As we know, there can be two kinds of almsgiving, i.e., the temporal one for the needs of others on earth (materially, emotionally, socially, etc.), and the eternal one which concerns the absolute eternal well-being of those in need (or desperate need). Is there, then, an almsgiving with more righteousness than praying and fasting for souls who are dying in the state of mortal or serious sin (unless there were no everlasting Hell)? Perhaps one of the best ways is to do so before the Blessed Sacrament, kneeling and begging God's mercy for those poor souls. Are they not the poorest of the poorest on earth (unless there were no unending Hell)? St. Sr. Faustina would recommend us to do so during the Divine Mercy Hour, i.e., between 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the afternoon or morning.

"O my Jesus, forgive our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy!" As we all know, "there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Lk 15:7). We are sure that St. Raphael would agree with us here. Alleluia!

P.S. (June 28) Today is the Feast of St. Irenaeus. He once said: " God's glory is man [a human being] fully alive", presumably in a healthy balance. It is in that spirit that the following is said.

While Time's major article last week entitled "How the universe [world] will end" was about our inescapable future when all will end in a cosmic Hell, the sequel this week entitled "Taking care of business" (July 2) is about how we can deal with such an inescapably future. This, in the final analysis, is the message of non-believers or our not-yet-believing brothers and sisters: "Let's focus on our present business". There is no doubt that we have to be busy with what we are doing, but not in that ostrich policy. How we Christians wish that they would see the whole situation in light of Divine Revelation, such as "God so loved the world (universe) that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16)!

We have talked about Heaven, Hell and earth above. As for Purgatory, instead of approaching it only in November at the time of All Souls' Day, let us also pray and fast regularly (or once in a while) for these poor souls. They may not be the poorest of the poorest, but they are certainly the poorer of the poorest. Imagine: Once they enter Heaven, they would be eternally grateful to us and would not cease praying for us and blessing us with their Heavenly wealth. Alleluia!

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P.S. (June 30) Here we wish our dear readers a restful and fruitful summer, as the Lord is pleased. We would have written something every day this month if we had the time. By God's grace, both Rev. Prof. Michael Lapierre, S.J., and the editor are going to deliver a research paper this summer at the Ultimate Reality and Meaning Conference. Organized by Rev. Prof. John Perry, S.J., this international conference is to be held at University College, University of Toronto, during Aug. 15-18. All are welcome. Alleluia!

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* Fr. Michael Lapierre, S.J., and the editor John Cheng are currently taking part in this column. While the former is doing January, March, May, etc., the latter is partaking in February, April, June, etc. As usual, we take a summer break in July and August. Thank you.