St. Vincent Ferrer Podcast

God came unto His own and His own received Him not. Mary and Joseph spend these days in contemplation and expectation; what about the multitude? The vast majority of Catholics live the Christmas season in a pagan way. We are too busy in worldly affairs; Mary and Joseph were totally focused on Christ. If we reflect and focus on Jesus, with a sincere and holy disposition, He sanctifies us. In giving us His Mother, He is imprinting upon our souls love of Him after the example of the Heart of Mary.

The Immaculate Conception is a singular example of the infinite power of God’s grace and how God grants grace to overcome sin. She gives us the perfect example of what it means to “put on Christ.” In this mystery, we see the full grandeur of God’s grace. Make it personal! God’s grace can overcome any difficulty, temptation or sin which plagues you. This feast dispels a heresy, promoted by Bregoglio, that at times our “best effort” is a sin, or that God might ask of us a sinful act (in Amoris Lætitia). With God’s grace you can always grow in holiness. And while this world will pass away, God’s grace will never pass away. The grace with which your soul leaves this earth will be kept for ALL eternity.

We rejoice in the Lord because He is near. But we must also prepare for He is coming. God Himself teaches us that preparation is extremely important. The entire Old Testament is a great example of God’s preparation. We could say preparation is one of the grand laws of the divine economy. This entire week, to prepare well, we beg God to move our hearts: “Stir up our hearts O Lord to prepare the wayss of Thine Only Begotten Son.” How well are we preparing?

In giving us His Son, God could give us nothing more. And He gives us everything. God provides this season of Advent so that we will change! Strive to make it a holy season. Father lists numerous ways to grow in Advent. Do not displease Christ. Conform your will to His. May He reign over you. Behold His Heart which has loved so much that It has given itself completely and spared nothing. How do I respond? By Christmas, we must be clothed more with Christ and less with our own self will. Unite my heart with Thine and my will with Thy Will.

In giving us His Son, God could give us nothing more. And He gives us everything. God provides this season of Advent so that we will change! Strive to make it a holy season. Father lists numerous ways to grow in Advent. Do not displease Christ. Conform your will to His. May He reign over you. Behold His Heart which has loved so much that It has given itself completely and spared nothing. How do I respond? By Christmas, we must be clothed more with Christ and less with our own self will. Unite my heart with Thine and my will with Thy Will.

Jesus loves us and calls us to love Him in return His judgment of each one of us will be based on truth and charity. Because we love Him we obey Him and seek to follow His will. Conform yourself to His signified will (as expressed in His commandments, sacraments, church teachings and the commands of our lawful superiors). Conform yourself to the will of His good pleasure (i.e. have a wiling and cheerful acceptance of everything that happens, realizing it comes from His loving hand). Detach yourself from creatures – including self – in order to attach yourself to God.

Faith, hope, and charity are like a mustard seed. Meant to grow from the moment of baptism, they are essential to the Kingdom of God. Charity means loving God above all things for His own sake and loving our neighbor for the sake of God. We must patiently endure the faults of others, forgive injuries, and do good to our enemies. God also calls us to practice charity towards the souls in Purgatory. To be more effective, sacrifices, prayers and indulgences should be offered with true charity. Look to the teaching and example of the saints, such as St. Gertrude the Great. We must first practice charity with our spouse and family.

Christ the King has redeemed and transformed all time. Living in accordance with the liturgical year is a basic and daily way by which we truly live as Christ’s subjects. Yet the vast majority of Catholics ignore His being Lord of all time. The recent feasts emphasize the importance of the saints. Make a special effort to draw closer to them. The examples of St. Rita of Casia (+1457), saint of the impossible, and St. Humility (+1310), illustrate how the saints made Christ sovereign over mind, will, body, time, and life. By their intercession may we too enthrone Christ over our time.

When one makes the Sign of the Cross, he professes the two greatest Christian mysteries. In fact, the cross is the primary symbol of the Christian Faith. It is the source of all blessings and cause of all graces. It represents the mystery of Christ and His infinite love. There is no health of soul or hope of eternal life without the cross.  Yes, the Cross is the proof that God loves us, but it is also the proof He requires of us to show our love fro Him. We must carry our share of the cross. Has anyone done this to perfection? Yes, Our Lady of Sorrows. “O Jesus Crucified, by the merits of Thy cross, help me to carry my cross daily.”

Too often we want to know or experience directly what Heaven is saying to us. (This leads some to give undeserved attention to unapproved private revelations.) Instead, put more faith in what, without any doubt, comes from God. He speaks to us through the Church’s feasts. For example, in these past weeks God is speaking to us about the importance of Christ’s Kingship, venerating the saints, aiding the poor souls, pondering the Four Last Things, and growing in faith, hope, and charity. It is so important that you make a greater effort to live based on the Faith, not on secular customs. Father concludes with a brief catechism on the virtue of hope, including how one sins against hope.