Heart to Heart

JMJDFC

Program 16 - February 6, 1997

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.

Father Novacki, OP, will you please read the Scripture for today from

St. Mark [Mk. 5:7-13]:

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing on the journey but a walking stick-no food, no traveling bag, not a coin in the purses in their belts. They were, however to wear sandals. "Do not bring a second tunic," he said, and added: "Whatever house you find yourself in, stay there until you leave the locality. If any place will not receive you or hear you, shake its dust from you feet in testimony against them as you leave." With that they went off, preaching the need of repentance. They expelled demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures.

Thank you Father.

Can you imagine us setting out on a trip without a suitcase and without money! Yet that is the trust that Jesus demands of His friends. Our Lord wants them to trust in Him so completely that they will make the journey without a suitcase, without a change of clothes, without food and without money. Jesus expects His followers to depend on Him for all their needs.

Take notice that the Apostles don't even question Jesus as to how they are to get along without the bare necessities. They seem to know that if Jesus is asking this of them, He must have a good reason. They realize that their job is to follow the counsel of the Lord for the salvation of their souls as well as others. The best part is that Jesus doesn't let them down. God does provide all that is necessary.

Our heavenly Father asks the same trust from us today. A trust that comes from the bottom of our heart, with full confidence that He will provide all that is necessary for us-for our salvation. God loves us so much that He will arrange all things for our good, to bring us to our eternal home. In this life, we may not understand all the details of why God allows things to happen to us: What is going to happen, or how these things can be for our good. Yet if we really trust in our loving Father, He will bring good out of all the chaos in our lives. We need to keep in mind that we are not alone in our trials. God is with us and so are all the angels and saints.

I enjoy talking with people about the things that the Lord is doing in my life. One reason is that when we share with others and they with us, we get a better understanding of how God is working. So many times, when I revealed a secret of my heart to a friend regarding the workings of God in my life, I find out my friend is going through the same feelings or trials or concerns. We truly are not alone. We must let God work in our lives in His way, in His time, because He really does know what is best for us.

Our Gracious God gives us many different ways to cope with our daily living. Tomorrow, as an example, is first Friday. Many of you know that there is a special devotion to the Sacred Heart for nine first Fridays. Saint Margaret Mary was the chosen instrument for the message of the devotion of the nine first Friday's. Jesus told her, "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."

There are four reasons for this magnificent promise from our Dear Lord. (1) To show how important is a devotion to His Sacred Heart. (2) To encourage us to practice it, especially by receiving Holy Communion in a spirit of reparation, particularly on Fridays, the day He died for us. (3) To reassure those who are striving for virtue but who are sometimes worried about their salvation. (4) To encourage sinners to return to Him, lest they fall into despair.

The conditions of the promise are:

1. The Communion must be on the First Friday.

1. The Nine First Fridays must be consecutive.
2. There must be the intention of making the Nine First Fridays.
3. The Communions must be Communions of Reparation.

Some of you may be unable to get to Church for Mass and Communion due to illness. God understands this and so does your parish priest. Give the rectory a call and ask if they can arrange for a priest or Eucharistic Minister to bring Communion to you on the first Friday of each month. If they give you a hard time. Give us a call and we'll see what we can work out for you. The promises made for this devotion is too good to pass up without making every effort to comply with our Lord's request.

Let's prepare for tomorrow by together praying the prayer of offering that goes with this devotion:

The full first Friday program consists of:

1. Assist at Holy Mass if duties permit. Receive Holy Communion with great love to make up for those who do not receive Him; who do not love the Sacred Heart and who wound Him by sinful lives.
2. Offer and spend the day in loving reparation to the Heart of Jesus. Be kind to all with whom you associate. Do everything out of love for Jesus.
3. Visit Jesus during the day if possible. He is waiting for your visit. A Holy Hour or an hour of Night Adoration in the home on the eve (that's tonight) would be a generous act of love.
4. Renew the Act of Consecration of your family to the Sacred Heart. Jesus wishes to reign in your home and especially in your heart. Tell Him often how much you love Him and how you want to belong entirely to Him. Make the First Friday a month Feast of the Sacred Heart in your home.

Another promise that our Lord made to St. Margaret Mary is, "Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart never to be blotted out."

If you haven't made this devotion before, try to start this month. Being that this is February, the second month of the year, it is a good time to start. The ninth month will be October, the month of the Holy Rosary. As long as we are on the air, we'll try to remind each month, to make the commitment to Our Lord for all He has done for us.

Another reason to begin this devotion now is that next week, on Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent. The season of preparation, of remembering the suffering and death of our Lord and Savior. What better way can there be to begin this period? This is a way we have of uniting ourselves with the Heart that longs so much to atone for our sins to the Father.

The CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, tells us that Lent is, "The forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name "Lent" means spring. The number forty is first noted in the Canons of Nicaea (A.D. 325), likely in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert before His public ministry (with Old Testament precedent in Moses and Elijah). Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends quietly during the afternoon of Holy Thursday, and the Easter Triduum begins with that evening's Mass of the Lord's Supper. On Good Friday the paschal fast (not the disciplinary fast of Lent but an anticipatory fast in preparation for Easter) is observed, prolonged whenever possible through Holy Saturday as well.

Next Wednesday, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting: According to the Catholic Ency. Fasting is: Limiting the intake of food and drink for a religious purpose. Full participation in the saving mysteries of Christ not only demands that Christians share in the Christ Who is resurrected and glorified, but also in the suffering Christ. Fasting has traditionally been one of the foremost ways in which we express our desire to share in His suffering. Fasting is legitimately undertaken to discipline our passions and desires and to express our commitment and devotion to God. Customarily, fasting required that a person take only one meal a day, but current Church discipline permits one to take a main meal and two lesser meals which together do not equal the main meal.

Another term us should know is abstinence. Abstinence in this case means depriving oneself of meat or of foods prepared with meat on days prescribed by the Church as "penitential": Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent are penitential abstinence days. This discipline binds those fourteen years of age and above.

An important aspect of the Lenten Liturgy was the observance of the Station Masses whereby the Pope would celebrate Mass, preceded by a procession with a relic of the True Cross, in a different church in Rome for each day in Lent. The present sacramentary recalls this custom and then "strongly encourages the chief shepherd of the diocese to gather his people in this way. Especially during Lent, he should meet with his people and celebrate the liturgy with them."

The Lenten sacrifice is a misunderstood offering. Many people are locked into their childhood when they were taught to "give up something" for lent. Yes, we are called to offer something along with Christ to Our Heavenly Father, but giving up, say candy, does that really speak to our spiritual growth? Many of us remember when the church told us we were to refrain from eating meat every Friday of the year. Many of us still perform this act of reparation for the Lord. Confusion came to many when the Bishops told us we could eat meat on Friday except of course during Lent. While everyone heard, "We don't have to abstain from meat on Friday" many failed to hear that some other form of reparation must be substituted on Friday if we choose to eat meat. For many the Bishops document translated into, the offering was no longer necessary. This is so wrong. Friday is still the day Jesus died for us and we cannot ignore this offering of Himself for us without, from the depths of our heart, wanting to offer something back to Him. How ungrateful we would seem to be if all we did was take His offering for us and not say thank you. While the words of thanks are important, as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder that words."

This Lenten season, let us try to offer something of real substance back to the Lord. Again, it doesn't need to be giving up something, unless of course it is a vice you are giving up. It should be a positive offering. An offering of more time for prayer. An offering of our sufferings, visiting a prisoner or someone who is ill. Taking time to help a child or someone in need, going out of our way to comfort and assist others are good offerings to God. Accepting insults and misunderstandings and giving them back to the Father are also positive ways of uniting ourselves with the sufferings of Christ.

Together we can work to make this the best lent ever, from the spiritual point of view. God is so good to us and He is eagerly awaits this period of time in the Church's calendar. This is a time for many of us to show Him just how much we love Him. It is the offerings of this blessed time which helps our Mother Mary, hold back the wrath of her Son. Every offering does help no matter how small it may seem to us. If we unite it with the sufferings of Christ, it takes on infinite value.

Fr. Joseph Griffin, OSFS, still obedient to his superior is not doing any spiritual direction. He is however, hearing Confessions and with the help of God's grace will be back to his full ministry perhaps something in March. He has asked me to thank you for all your prayers especially during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Also, know that he has kept us in his prayers as well especially during his daily Masses.

Rose S. is requesting prayers for her daughter and her friend Fr. Roman.

Diane asks for prayers for her daughter Jenn and I ask for my daughter Jen as well. Both girls are having heart problems.

Rose D. requests prayers for Mary and her family situation.

JoAnne asks for prayers for a friend who is going through a difficult pregnancy.

If you have a prayer request, please call us at 215-743-8332.

We are still 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 letter we received from the Cardinals office, assuring us of his prayers for our ministry, will be included in the booklet.

While I am restrained from asking you for money, I must let you know that we need funds if we are to continue on the air. Your help is greatly appreciated. The form to request tax exempt status requires a $450.00 fee be paid in advance. There is also the air time which must be purchased. We pray that the messages we have brought to you have touched your soul and allowed you to grow in your love for God. Mother Angelica asks that you place her between you gas and electric bills, I would ask that you place us between your phone and water bills. The only sponsors we have are your generosity. We offer a special "thank you," to the who has sponsored this weeks program.

Thank you for your prayers and contributions. Please don't be concerned about the amount you send. If everyone who listened to this broadcast sent in $1.00 each month, we would be assured of being on the air for a long time to come. We are looking now for people to sponsor our air time for the month of March.

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.

You may want to mark February 8, 1997, on your calendar. 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 free of charge. You may want to make a donation that night before you leave. Music for part of the evening will be provided by, "Turning Point," the band which performs the "O Lumen," for this program. 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. I'll be on hand to greet and meet you from 7:00pm until 9:00pm.

For those who love the Blessed Mother and St. Therese: The Little Flower, and also like to travel have I got a deal for you.

Just a reminder about another 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.

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.

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.