H2H Program 10

Heart to Heart

JMJDFC

Program 10

Welcome to our broadcast of Heart to Heart. We are in the studio today and will be available to take your phone calls. If you live in the south Jersey area you may dial 962-8178 or from any other area 1-609-962-8178. Also, you may write to us at: Heart to Heart, P. O. Box 11431, Philadelphia, PA 19111-0431.

In the Dominican tradition, Happy Feast Day. Today is the feast of St. Stephen. St. Stephen is the first martyr of the Church.

Father Michael, will you please read a passage for us from the Gospel according to St. Matthew [Mt. 10: 17-22]

"Jesus said to His apostles: 'Be on your guard with respect to others. They will hale you into court, they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to give witness before them and before the Gentiles on My account. When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.

"Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all on account of Me. But whoever holds out till the end will escape death."

Thank you, Father! Our Lord wants us to understand all aspects of the spiritual life we have undertaken. He often reminds us that this life is not a bed of roses. We hear in this passage that we are not to worry about what we are to say. There is also the reminder that it is the Spirit of our Father Who will speak. This is a message that confirms what was said a few weeks back about our prayer life.

Our Christmas gift to you today is to continue the topic of prayer and contemplation. Many of you expressed an interest in learning more about deepening your prayer life.

The definition of prayer found in the Catholic Dictionary includes the four types of prayer offered to God: "The raising of the mind and heart to God in adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition. Prayer, which is always mental because it involves thought and love of God, may be vocal, meditative, private or personal, and public, social, or official. Its highest form is contemplation, a foretaste of the beatific vision. The official prayer of the Church as worshipping community is called the liturgy."

Let's break this down into smaller sections. "Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God." We give the Lord our total attention. It doesn't need to be hours at a time. Short, frequent ejaculations are just as effective as longer prayers. Remember, in the Scriptures, our dear Lord tells us that a sheer multiplication of words will not win us a hearing.

"...In adoration..." We adore God alone. In Him do we place all our hopes and fears. Both the Old and New Testaments tell us that God requires that He alone be adored by us, His creation. The perfect external form of adoration is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Of course, the Mass must be prayed properly. It is not enough to go to Church and watch the clock, so to speak. We must make every effort to attend to the prayers and movements of the heart toward God that the Mass can draw from us. So often people tell us that the Mass is boring, especially the youngsters. We must challenge them to listen, really listen, just once to the prayers and readings from Scripture used in the Mass. Ask them to try to hear one thing that God is saying to them alone in that Mass. Ask them to apply that item to their life right now. After the first time it happens and they understand the message is just for them, from God, they will listen and look for the same "touch of God" in future Masses. The perfect internal form of adoration is contemplation. We'll discuss this in a little bit.

"...Thanksgiving..." As God's little children, we should learn how to thank our Loving Father for the good things He has done for us. So often we ask the Lord for things, and when they come, we forget to say thank you. Many children today seem to need a reminder about their manners. The "give me" generation learned the hard way that to demand without giving thanks doesn't work very well. It is the same with God. Why do we expect Him to give us all that we ask for, when we fail, like the nine lepers, to return to give thanks to the Father? There are even simple things to thank God for, such as a glass of cool water on a very warm day. Again, it does not need to be a long dissertation. A short, heartfelt, "thank You, my Lord and my God," will be heard clearly.

"...Reparation..." Those of us who are Catholics, have often been assigned prayers as a penance, by the priest within the Sacrament of Reconciliation (or Confession). Please keep in mind that these prayers are only a reminder of the temporal punishment due to our sins. While they beg pardon for the sin itself, there is still the justice of God that needs to be satisfied. Other acts of reparation can be applied to reduce the time in spent in Purgatory. Simple things like delaying a drink of water for five minutes; offering each pain either mental or physical in union with the Sufferings of Christ on the Cross; accepting the misunderstandings between family members and friends; all can be offered to the Lord.

"...Petition..." This is the one form of prayer that everyone remembers. When there is no one in this life who can help us, we turn to the Lord. We know that He loves us beyond any thing we can realize. We know He won't let us down. We can turn to God directly, or to someone with whom we feel comfortable, like the Blessed Mother, Mary. Maybe we have a patron saint to whom we feel close. All of these petitions, no matter who they are directed towards, go to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity.

Okay, now we know the four main types of prayer offered. Prayers of meditation and contemplation are under the form of adoration. Many people use the terms meditation and contemplation as though they were the same, but they are different. Meditation is something that we can begin which God will use. In meditation, we read a passage from Scripture or another good source. Read the selection slowly, pausing if something within the passage rings in your ears. For example, in the Gospel that Father Michael read to us, the part which stood out in my mind was, "When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you." Preparing this radio program made these words seem appropriate. This speaks to our nothingness and God's Greatness and again, we give thanks to our loving Father for His goodness to us. This might lead us to recall something else which the Master has done in our life. We could then move from one moment in our lives to other moments of God's "touch." The more things we remember, the more our love for God grows, the more effective our prayer becomes. Before we know it, time has flown away and we feel such a deep peace within our soul. These are the fruits of our meditation. If the minutes seem to have included hours of memories, we may have even been raised to contemplation.

Remember, in contemplation, we can only dispose ourselves; God must do the work. Again the Scripture from today, reminds us how much God is in charge, even of all we say. God wants to direct our prayer, if we will let Him. The method mentioned in the last program on prayer begins with sitting quietly in our favorite chair or maybe lying in bed. The main idea is to be as comfortable as possible. We must be as quiet and free from distractions as possible, too. Try to clear the mind of all that is not God. Call His Name or use a title for Him that brings Him to your heart. You know, like Lord, or Master, or Father, maybe Savior. Repeat this title in the depth of your heart over and over again. Maybe you could start by asking His permission to enter His Presence. As Our Lord draws you close to His heart you may feel a sensation in your hands, arms or legs. Some people have described this feeling as a tightness or tingling or even a heaviness. This may be the only sign you receive that your prayer is effective. You may not "hear" the words the Lord speaks to you in your heart, but rest assured that He is speaking directly with you. Another confirming sign you will receive, if you persevere with this form of prayer, is that your moods and dispositions will change. Your thoughts and actions will more conform to those of the Beloved, living within your heart. The more you rest in your Beloved, the more you will take on His features. Little by little, the change will be noticed by others as well. Over time, the virtues will replace the faults and you will find yourself more and more in love with God.

There is a warning I must share with you though. There will be some pain as our Lord guides us through the process of purifying our souls. Just place all your trust in God and He will never leave your side. Remember that His love for you is the only love in this life that is totally unconditional. No matter what you have done in the past, He is your loving Father Who is waiting to help you. You never need an appointment to talk with Him and there are no long lines to stand in while coming into His Presence.

We are planning the reception of the members of St. Martin de Porres Young Dominican's Chapter into the Dominican Family. This special event will include Mass, the ceremony of reception for about sixteen youngsters, ages nine to seventeen: and a banquet. This banquet will be a fund raiser to provide continued air time for the "Heart to Heart" Radio Ministry. Live music will be provided at the banquet by, "Turning Point." The Young Dominican's are working on a chastity play to perform for you. Your presence at this banquet would mean a lot to all of us.

Joining us for this special occasion, will be Father Michael Novacki, OP, Father Joseph Allen, OP, the Provincial Promoter for St. Joseph Province. Father Joseph Griffin, O.S.F.S, from the De Sales Spirituality Center is hoping to be with us. Please keep him in your prayers as he recovers from a heart attack. Mr. Joe Veltri from "My Jesus Mercy Ministries," a Dominican, as well as the members of the band, "Turning Point" will be on hand at the banquet to greet you. All of us look forward to meeting you. Cardinal Bevilacqua has extended his regrets. Due to prior commitments he will not be able to join us for this special day. He has assured us of his prayers for this ministry.

We are also trying to arrange a special guest speaker for our banquet. For now, it will have to be a surprise.

Our banquet will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, in Philadelphia, on January 26, 1997, at 1:00pm. An insight has been given that some of you may be concerned about the weather in January. Please trust in the Lord's goodness to us and know that the weather will be fine for our banquet. The cost for this banquet will be $20.00 if you register before January 15, 1997. After that date, the cost will be $25.00. If you can join us for this very special occasion: Mass, reception ceremony, and dinner, write to us. If you need a ride, we may be able to arrange one for you.

We are preparing a booklet to commemorate our first banquet and we will be able to accept your ads. The requested donation for an ad is: $25.00 for a quarter page; $50.00 for half a page; and $100.00 for a full page. The ad can include a message and/or picture or memorial to your loved ones. Our mission at "Heart to Heart" is: "All for the glory and honor of God: and the salvation of souls." Your purchase of an ad will enable this ministry to continue. The deadline for ads will be January 2, 1997. The letter we received from the Cardinals office will be included in the booklet.

In addition to marking your calendar for January 26, 1997, you may want to mark February 8, 1997. This date will provide you with a family night out. Our Lady of Calvary, on Knights Road in Philadelphia, is the location for a chastity dinner and dance. Refreshments, hot dogs, soda, coffee, etc. will be provided. You may want to make a donation that night before you leave. Music for the evening will be provided by, "Turning Point." This is a great opportunity for your family to spend some quality time together in a safe environment. It will also allow pre-teens, teens and young adults to meet others who believe that chastity before marriage is important. That's February 8, 1997, a chastity dinner and dance at Our Lady of Calvary, Knights Road in Philadelphia. Call us at (215) 743-8332 for further information.

Just a reminder about our other fund raising effort. We have a beautiful picture of the Blessed Mother and Pope John Paul II in a loving embrace. This picture is beautifully framed and glass covered. Everyone who sends in a donation will have their name entered into a drawing for this picture. The drawing will take place at the banquet following the January 26th ceremony. The winner will be announced on the air January 30, 1997.

Another endeavor we would like to undertake is to make home visitations within the Delaware Valley area. If you would like us to visit you or someone you know, please give us a call. Also, we could use some volunteers for various projects we would like to begin. If you have some time on your hands and would like to put that time at our Lord's disposal, drop us a line or give us a call. God rewards everything we do for Him and for our brothers and sisters in Him.

My dear brothers and sisters, it is very easy to become discouraged when you reach out using a radio program. There is no way to tell if the message that is presented is being received and accepted. Your comments, whether by phone calls or notes are the only way we have of knowing that someone is listening. If any of the messages presented on this program have touched you, please let you know. If we are wasting our time and yours, we would like to know that also.

To make a comment, a donation, ask a question or bring up a subject that you would like discussed on this program, write to us at: Heart to Heart, P. O. Box 11431, Philadelphia, PA 19111-0431. You may call us at (215) 743-8332. Beginning with January, we can announce the sponsors of the particular programs we air. The name of the person who contributes towards a program or month can be announced as the sponsor, if they so desire. A contribution of $45.00 will sponsor half a program while $90.00 will sponsor the entire program. To sponsor a full month, multiply the number of Thursdays in the month you choose by $90.00. Please assist us by your prayers and donations. Please make your tax deductible donation to "Heart to Heart." May God reward you, my brothers and sisters, for the assistance you give to keep this program on the air.

Prayers have again been requested by Mrs. Hockel on her husbands behalf. Please keep his medical condition in your prayers. Also, keep all the youngsters from St. Martin de Porres Young Dominican Chapter in prayer as they prepare for their very special day. Keep one another in prayer as well. God will reward you for your charity.

God willing, we'll be with you again next week at 2:15pm. Remember: God's power is in your hands when you pray the Rosary. May God bless you and protect you.

Father, will you please grant our listeners a blessing?

May the blessing of Almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with peace, joy and happiness now and forever. In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.