Heart to Heart

JMJDFC

Program 11

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.

We have a special guest with us in the studio today. He is a spiritual child to Fr. Novacki, OP. His name is Father David Nicgorski. Welcome to the program, Fr. David.

Father Michael, will you please read a passage for us from the Gospel according to St. John [John 1: 19-28]

The testimony John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask "Who are you?" was the absolute statement, "I am not the Messiah." They questioned Him further, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not Elijah," he answered. "Are you the Prophet?" "No," he replied.

Finally they said to him: "Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?" He said, quoting the prophet Isaiah, "I am 'a voice in the desert, crying out: Make straight the way of the Lord!'"

Those whom the Pharisees had sent proceeded to question him further: "If you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" John answered them: "I baptize with water. There is one among you whom you do not recognize - the one who is to come after me - the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten."

This happened in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Thank you Father. It is interesting to hear John state so clearly who he was and who he was not. This being the start of a new year, many people take stock of their lives and make all kinds of resolutions. As followers of Christ, we are called to live our lives in light of the virtues.

Instead of making a resolution to lose weight, or stop smoking, let's make a resolution to put God first in our lives.

Jesus prayed to His Father, to obtain the gift of perfect union and love for us. "Father, may they be one in Us, as You are in Me, and I am in You." (Jn 17:20-26) The highest expression of human love is friendship. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that charity is specifically the love of friendship between man and God. Friendship requires a certain equality; it demands mutual affection and charitableness. What equality can there be between a creature who is nothing and God Who is the Supreme Being? None, from a natural point of view.

Our loving God willed to raise us to the supernatural state by giving us a share in His nature and Divine life. It is true that we always remain simply creatures, and God remains the Divine Creator; but in His infinite love, He has found a way to raise us to the level of His divine life: Grace. By means of divine grace, God has established between Himself and us a form of equality. This is the first fruit of God's love for us.

God has preceded us, not only by His love as Creator, by which He has given us existence, but also by His love as Father, by which He permits us to participate in His divine life.

Love always makes equal those who love each other. God has loved us so much that He has made us like Himself, so that He may admit us into the circle of His divine friendship, that friendship which exists in the bosom of the Trinity. Just as a friend desires to live with his friend, and always seeks his presence, his nearness, in the same way God has willed to make Himself so present to us and so intimate with us that He has established His dwelling within our souls. Jesus tells us in St. John (Jn 14:23), "We will come to him and will make our abode with him." There is no greater community of life between God and us than this continual communion with the divine Persons Who dwell in our soul and with Whom, by means of charity, we can enter into true relations of friendship?

Friendship demands mutual, reciprocal love. God in His love of friendship has loved us first; and by loving us, He infused in us grace and charity, thus enabling us to return His love. We return God's love not with our human, natural love which would be inadequate, but with the love of charity which the Holy Spirit has infused into our hearts. This is a participation in that infinite love with which God loves Himself. God infuses into us this most precious gift, and we should accept it with a pure, free heart, so that we may cling to it with all the strength of our will and affection.

By offering us His friendship, God has made us like Himself, transforming our natural being into a supernatural one, and we, in response to His friendship, should strive to make ourselves like Him by transforming our will into His. True friendship leads to a oneness of thought, affections, desires and interests.

Our Lord said, "You are My friends, if you do what I command you," (Jn 15:14) and "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." (Jn 14:23) So, from our side, friendship with God, e.g., charity, requires a continual striving to conform our thoughts, our will and our desires to the Thought and Will of our Divine Friend. Our friendship with God will be prefect when there is no longer anything in us that is contrary to the Divine Will, when we are conformed to Him in everything, then our union with Him will be perfect. Perfect charity, perfect friendship, perfect union with God: This is the goal, the resolution, toward which we should tend, advancing by the steps of love.

It is better to be physically crippled than to be spiritually crippled. If our attachment to material, worldly things keep us from a closer union with God, then it is better to be deprived of material things. We can enter heaven without riches, luxuries and unnecessary physical comforts. But we cannot enter Heaven if we become slaves to this world.

The Theological virtues are a good place to start. The standard for our faith, hope and charity must be to believe, to hope and to love without measure. No matter how much we love God, we can never love Him too much. Because the law of love of God concerns the greatest good possible, this love takes on the character of an absolute. Our Lord commands, "You will love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind, and with your whole strength." (Mk 12:30)

We, who are so small and so limited, if we do not use all that we have and are in loving God, how can we truly tend toward the perfection of charity? It is not in our power to love God as much as He deserves to be loved, but it is possible for us to strive to love Him with our whole strength, and this is exactly the perfection of love which God asks of us.

Dealing with things on the natural level, even human love is by its nature complete. The more intense a friendship becomes, the more it demands the exclusive gift of the heart. But when a friend begins to pursue other interests besides the one loved, the friendship loses its strength and grows cold. We must guard against any coldness in our friendship with God. We should give control over our heart to God. We should give our life in love of Him with all our strength. We need to love in such a way that our love always reaches toward our Creator.

Our Lord tells us, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Mt. 10:37) In other words, our Lord commands us to love God above all things. To love God more than any creature, to the point of being ready to give up everything rather than offend God seriously. This depth of love is indispensable for all who desire to be friends of God and to possess His grace.

In a more profound sense, to love God above all things, means to prefer Him to everything else, not only to what might be an occasion of mortal or venial sin, but even to all that does not fully correspond to His good pleasure. This is the degree of perfect charity toward which every soul aspiring to intimate friendship with God must strive. The exercise of perfect charity requires a work of total cleansing of selfishness.

The strength of our soul consists in its faculties, its passions and its desires, all of which are governed by our will. When these faculties, passions and desires are directed by our will toward God, and turned away from all that is not God, then the strength of the soul is kept for God, and thus the soul is able to love God with all its strength.

The new year resolution we make should be to allow all our thoughts, words and deeds to be directed to God. To express our Love for Him in all things, at all times. Even the little things that we don't usually think to offer to God should be given to Him. Remember, when we were in Catholic grade school, and the good sisters taught us to head each of our papers with the sign of the cross and JMJ. This gave all the work on that paper to God. It seems like such a small thing, but if we could recover the habit of paying attention to the small things over the course of this new year, we could make a crown of beautiful flowers to offer to God. Each time we remember to think of Him before getting out of bed, before moving from the chair, before starting the project, etc., these acts draw down graces from Heaven in a quantity that would not believed.

Just do our best and let God do the rest. May this be our motto for the coming year. May we learn to place our trust in God's love for us and His desire to grant our salvation.

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, God willing, 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 next Thursday. 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.

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 been requested by Mrs. Hockel on her husbands behalf. Please keep his medical condition in your prayers. There is a young woman who has recently found out that her unborn child may have Downs' syndrome. Because of her illness with the pregnancy, she has also lost her job. Then there is the young woman who is hearing voices telling her to physically hurt herself. All these people need our 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.