Lord, In Your great love, answer me.
I believe this responsorial psalm can be a beautiful and power mantra that we can take to prayer to maintain hope in times where we may be tempted to despair, particularly as it relates to the lost sheep in our lives. We must always remember, as far away as our loved ones may seem from the Lord, there is always hope and one fact remains, love never fails.
Some of you have heard my story as a lost sheep. Unfortunately, we don't have the time for a witness of that nature today. But, you might remember when I first walked through these doors 18 years. Wrangler Jeans, Charlie Horse Cowboy hat, and matching black leather cowboy boots....I even had the large belt buckle. I'm sure some would say I was quite a sight. But, it was what you couldn't see, beneath the cowboy persona that told the real story.
Sitting in these pews, I learned the the heart cannot be ruled by two masters. Mine was ruled by the fear...the great fear that comes with the world, the flesh, and the devil as opposed to being ruled love...the great love of God that answers our greatest needs as described in our Psalm today. While I certainly can't speak for every lost sheep out there, I suspect many of them can probably relate to this dichotomy of fear vs. love. In the midst of the chaos and confusion between these two opposing powers, the great news is that Love never fails.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe taught this followers to be submissive to the Immaculata and to have faith that she would teach them limitless confidence in the mercy and love of God. Our call is to imitate Mary in all things, imitate her life of prayer, imitate her contemplation of the mysteries of God (which encapsulate the sacramental life of the Church), and imitate her trust in Divine Providence (even as it relates to the salvation of those closest to us). Because Mary is the model of prayer, she is also the model of evangelization and a model for how we minister to the lost sheep in our lives.
The Holy Spirit will help us, just as He helped Mary. Saint Louis De Montfort said, "The Holy Spirit, finding His spouse (the Immaculata) present in souls, will come down into them with great power. He will fill them with His gifts, especially wisdom, by which they will produce wonders of grace. This fiery deluge of pure love with which they are to set the whole world ablaze and which is to come, so gently yet so forcefully, that all nations (including our lost sheep)...will be caught up in its flames and be converted."
Brothers and sisters, that is incredible news; particularly resonate on this first Saturday. As we unite our hearts to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, truly surrendering our lives and our wills to the Flame of Love, it will be the Holy Spirit that prays within us, sighing and groaning for the hurts and pains in our lives. Our efforts to evangelize to and minister to the lost sheep in our lives then becomes not our work, but the work of the Flame of Love indwelling us. So, have faith and hope which is the key to prayer. Truly surrender to and trust the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: after all, love never fails.
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Faith, hope, love, surrender, trust...these are simple concepts of the spiritual life. They are not easy, they are simple. There are some practical things I have added to my prayer life to help strengthen these virtues in my spirituality, particularly as it relates to the lost sheep in my life. I would like to share a handful of these tools with you that you may be strengthened in these virtues.
#1 Consecrate yourself to to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There are many different formulas of consecration out there, such as “33 Days to Morning Glory” and “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”. The method of consecration that is part of my spiritual journey is enrollment to the Militia of the Immaculata, which was started by Saint Maximilian Kolbe. The idea is to consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that she may make full use of you as an instrument for the work she herself undertakes, namely, to help souls in their sanctification. Total consecration to Mary will form you into a vessel of the Flame of Love, just as Mary is.
#2 Wear the Miraculous Medal and encourage others to do so as well. Saint Maximilian Kolbe understood the power God had given Mary to change hearts. Therefore, he adopted the Miraculous Medal as an external sign of internal devotion. He knew the history of conversions associated with the medal and the message of Mary when she said: “all those who wear this medal will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their necks. I shall bestow many graces on those who put their trust in me.” Personally, I have come to see the Miraculous Medal as a spiritual lightening rod of sorts for the effect of grace of the Flame of Love. I think you will as well.
#3 Carry a Green Scapular and use it to consecrate our lost sheep to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When the Immaculate Heart of Mary is invoked through the Green Scapular, Our Lady will obtain great favors from her Divine Son—especially in the area of spiritual conversion. Mary will obtain the conversion of those who have fallen away from the True Faith, or who had never possessed it. By consecrating your lost sheep to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the Green Scapular, they will have access to this grace of conversion. In fact, consecrate your entire family to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the Green Scapular, regardless of whether or not they are lost sheep Every day, I consecrate my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and my Godchildren to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the Green Scapular. I hope you will do the same.
#4 Fasting. Fasting is another often forgotten tool in the spiritual toolbox, yet even Jesus said some demons can only be defeated through prayer and fasting. Fasting is meant to empty ourselves in order to focus more on God and others. Through this emptying, we can be a better conduit for the effect of grace of the Flame of Love. The graces made available through our fasting can be applied to the conversion of our lost sheep. There are several methods of fasting out there. Find one that works for you and then fast diligently, fast intentionally, and fast frequently for the intention of the conversion of your lost sheep and the triumph of the Immaculate Heart.
#5 Most importantly, is the Eucharist. Jesus changed my life, drastically, dramatically, and dare I say miraculously, through His real presence in the Eucharist. The Eucharist will change the lives of our lost sheep. Every single Mass is an opportunity to join the intention of the conversion of our lost sheep to the intentions of Jesus on Calvary. Every single Mass is an opportunity to be strengthen as a prophet to spread effect of grace of the Flame of Love to those around us and to be a visible sign of the joy of the gospel...a joy that most people outside the Catholic Church are desperately in search of.
Also, take up a regular practice of Eucharistic Adoration. Take advantage of our adoration chapel to sit with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane for the intention of our lost sheep. Pray with Jesus as He lifts His mind and soul to the Father surrendering His will to the will of the Father that the Father's will may be done through Him across all time and space. The intentions of the conversion of our lost sheep can be part of that divine exchange.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe said “Eucharistic adoration is the greatest power in the universe, capable of transforming us and changing the face of the world.” That transforming grace can be applied to our lost sheep.
One other thing you can do related to the Mass is to have your guardian angel invite the guardian angel of your lost sheep to attend Mass with you. Pray that the transforming power of the Mass and the Eucharist will be carried back to them through their guardian angel.
Pope Francis has titled 2025 to be the Jubilee Year of the “Pilgrims of Hope”. In doing so, our Holy Father said “the forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire.” Particular focus of the Jubilee is on helping people repair their relationships with God and come to a deeper sense that Love never fails.
I am soliciting ideas of things we can do in 2025 to help make the Jubilee year a true encounter with the great love of God within Incarnate Word. Ideas that will hopefully be good opportunities to reach out to and engage our the lost sheep in our lives. If you have ideas, let me know. We can put together some recommendations for Father to consider.
Additionally, I am leading a group from the parish on a Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome in September 2025 to gain the Jubilee Indulgence. Of course, all are welcome to join us. However, the main reason I mention it now is that as we get closer to the pilgrimage, I hope you will help me compile a list of the lost sheep associated with Incarnate Word. My intention is to spiritually carry them on this great pilgrimage of hope, to be an intentional intercessor for their conversion, for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart in their lives, and that the extraordinary graces the Holy Father and the Church are making available will be made manifest in their lives in a profound way through the effect of grace of the Flame of Love.
Ultimately, the conversion of others starts with prayer and your own personal sanctification. Allow the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to rekindle the awe of the Sacramental Life. Renew and deepen complete trust in the promises Christ has made through His Holy Catholic Church. Take every opportunity to have a real and substantial encounter with Him through, with, and in the Eucharist. In prayer, raise your mind and soul to God uniting your will to the will of God so that God's will may be done in you and thus in the entire world. The more you can do these things, the more you will become what you receive at Mass. Then, you can be a true missionary disciple. Then, you can be a true prophet of love and reconciliation to the world. Then, you can lead the lost sheep home, to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, never, ever, lose hope. If the Flame of Love can transform Cowboy Scott into Deacon Scott, He can change anyone and bring them to a life of grace. Why? Because Love never fails.
Thanks be to God!
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