Mother Angelica Live Classics - The Joy of Virtue - Mother Angelica - 03-01-2011

I yeah like a live brought to you from the Eternal Word television studios in Birmingham see in you the love the compassion of Jesus warriors work of all to praise God in his kingdom by this period lives in love lives in God and God what a wonderful thing is our church this whole network is built the essence of evangelization is to tell everybody jesus we are all called to be great Saints don't miss the opportunity good evening everybody and we're just so glad to be with you I asked my zoo director this producer this evening I said to why do she said what you're going to talk about and I said well I don't know her she said I said somebody said joy and she said how about virtue so we're going to combine the two we're going to put the joy of virtue every boys laugh this here Yuri don't believe it do you well you know for three weeks we had the mortification and we need to understand the modification is to to do something opposite of what you feel or what is your really disposition in some areas like I've told you a thousand times I'm impatient by Nature well that's me and I I it's my duty when the occasion comes a lot to overcome is it easy no will it ever be easy I'm writing I waited and not to make you discouraged but we have such a short time in this life to give something to God he is always giving to us and has given us his life the father gave us his son and so God has given some we're going to be happy for all eternity so we need mortification to strive for holiness there must be or should be joy in virtue why because of the results see we just can't look at the pain sometimes I think we get so negative and everything then we only look at pain what does it cost and everybody's looking at what's it cost if you if you get something in the mail and it offers you what's it cost what's it going to cost me if I do this what's it cost and we're oriented in that direction and and see the one who strives for joy in virtual never asks the cost I think that's one of the first things we have to look at don't ask the cost of holiness because everybody's cost is different depending on our personality our temperament our knowledge our circumstances our family life even the country we live in everything everywhere and everywhere we go offers us the opportunity to change and be like Jesus so let's look at what is a virtual whatever choose a virtual is when I have an opportunity to be impatient and I make a decision virtue like love and love is a virtue is a decision I will feel loving when I get Marie Tamar you anybody here feel loving at 6 o'clock 5 o'clock 4:30 right you can hardly get out of bed with a tree huh yeah one of our sisters get out of bed we have a dog and the dog looks just like the sister they're kind of meandering all down the hallway is said both go on the same brick so just hardly can't hit from one wall to the other trying to wake up even dogs can't wake up and avoiding the difference however is the dog can't make a decision you and I make a decision not only will I get up but at that moment that's the hardest moment of the day we get up on a virtuous level and I've notice if I make it that time I seem to have it I go on a roll if I mess it up then write down why I don't know why but say you get up in the morning and you don't look forward to the day you have a problem at home at work wherever that what hits your mind the first thing that one thing now you got to make a decision do I do I fall into a rut or do I say well Jesus help me today I don't look forward to this situation I don't look forward to going to work I don't look forward to get the kids up I don't look forward to going to school whatever it is but now here's where it's important I do it for love of you ah think it's still hard I still don't want to do it but I do it for love for love of God you say it well do mean to tell me that God and his in his heaven cares oh yeah he cares and he knows he knows you know it's always been amazing to me when I dear Lord said Nathaniel I behold a man without guile and without suspicion and that you how do you know me what I do love is talking to the public talking to the apostles talking to everybody he saw him under the victory hmm did you see and he said when you were under the fig tree I saw you oh you know in all these poor new ages come and say their God oh my lord in heaven your hair is getting gray or you're getting more wrinkles on your gods you're not God their creature but this wondrous God is so powerful and so simple the he knows when a hair from your head falls you get excited over it you're all upset you ever see men how they put make this hair real long and they push it over here it's obviously they're not happy over what's happening see but everybody knows that it's over here buddy and that isn't where it's growing ah but see so so what that it's bald here and a lot of hair cut it this virtue be bald happy boat why can't you be happy losing your hair God knows everyone and he let it fall Bing Bing Bing God knows every single hair that falls out of your head and see these simple things that that we don't realize it'll happen God is not that complicated he he wants us to know him in a very simple way a very loving way and he wants love from us the greatest commandment is that I love as God loves the is the father loves the son we can't even imagine that kind of love we can't so it's very simple to have joyful mortification let's go down to three levels of mortification and see how we can practice joyful virtue okay so now we got you up in the morning you go downstairs and and everything goes wrong you're trying to get the children dressed for school you put eggs on there you forget to there they burn one of your kids comes oh hey mom we got burnt eggs again this morning you want to kill him what happened see see Jesus he's right every morning I burn the eggs I'll make a new one out of love for you and him a decision you see well I blow before I think then you got to still make another decision repentance ask forgiveness say you're sorry see if you just let yourself go today's world your now we talk about the world the world encourage you to be yourself whatever that is and they call virtue a Bhakra see no matter what you are you're allowed by the world to keep on being whatever is bad in you whatever is wrong with you whatever is evil they encourage and so you don't make decisions anymore the world says one thing in the church says another so what happened you have to make a decision you know the church is right but your don't your lifestyle is not right and so you look to the world and the world says ah you're okay you're right and so you don't make any more decisions then the church becomes the bad one the the one who doesn't understand the one does not compassion and you keep following the world you keep slipping down why you're mr. decision many decisions now if we look at the third way of mortifying ourselves we realize that the enemy will inspire you why you want to forgive this person they have heard you how thousand times why do you want to forget are you crazy but then you remember what Jesus said and what did he say he said love your enemy forgive do good to that that's a decision virtue is a decision and no one will ever tell me that you don't know what you're doing we do things impetuously sure now you're not going to have happy happy joy joy is not a happening it true is a decision happiness is a happening if I get Wisconsin brick cheese I've got to be very happy but I'm not going to have joy at it I'm going to be happy it's here but if I am grateful to the couple who sent it I can have joy because I am so grateful for their time and their love so I have a combination of happiness and joy in virtue there's only can be joy not happiness happiness is so happening I was very loving good feeling happiness it doesn't last joy is always there can be let's go back to getting up in the morning it's a common ailment in the morning you get up and you make that decision Jesus I'm getting up I'm going through this day for love of you that's all I want I want to be like here today all of that fear will begin to recede and go in the background and you're going to find a kind of peace it says look I I'm okay I'll be all right today he's with me so what comes with with joy peace peace joy and peace we'll go together enjoy won't be that exuberance joy is going to be a peaceful contentment with the will of God and that's what virtue is and that's the only reason why virtue can be joyful I think driving in traffic is awesomely terrible you're going down highways and everybody's speeding you try to get on this side that's another nice act of virtue autumn pass why don't you slow down a bit but somebody pass in front of you you're waiting at a stop sign but it's gone you can't get over to the to the right what is what is virtue courtesy courtesy will have any courtesy anymore a woman goes to the door she overdid herself and his three men behind her and two in front of her I figure they deserve it though because if you want to be like a man then go open your own door but see that's not like I made it no God didn't make this a way God made us so that a man would open a door for a woman he wouldn't sit down to a table first he would put the chair underside you crazy see we've lost courtesy and courtesy is a part of virtue to say thank you is courtesy to say please see everybody wants to be somebody else men are looking like women and women are looking like men sometimes I was going down the mall and you see a lot of things in my and I said after Regina I said what unit does that a man or a woman she said I don't know I said we ought to know before I don't know and I thought to myself why to content with who God made you is part of virtue see not a rebellion I want to be somebody else it's that can peaceful contentment with the Cross of the present moment or the happiness of the present moment a peaceful contentment do we like everything that happens how can you like everything it happens and it can be in simple things and greater things hard hard decisions you have to make hard the things you have to do virtue comes first and then joy but only if I have that peacefulness contentment with doing the will of God and I think that's where our holiness grows by leaps and bounds if I have that contentment and that's one of the problems in lack of virtue we have today today we live in the societies I will not serve I'm going to do as I please when I please I am my own person I am in many instances they think they are God so they could do what they please they can and that's amazing to me because they have to see themselves getting older and that old mirror you can have your face lifted just so many times then it looks like an old piece of leather jibiji somebody's had three or four facelifts oh no I'm in terrible everything's good well darling why we're not content and that's a part of virtue why can't you let your wrinkles show you can always gain weight and hide them but why aren't we content with who I am where I am what I'm doing because it is the will of God see now contentment virtue equals joy if I am content with God's will and I want to do whatever it is it's hard hard you don't hear the word sacrifice when was the last time you heard a sermon on sacrifice that by a razor head not in one not even a finger when did you hear a sermon it says look make a sacrifice give up something for poor souls I am my brother's keeper why don't you fast a little bit once no I do that the fast from every meal some people can't have diabetes they have diseases fast from the things you like why well there's nothing in candy and ice cream it's the idea that I have strengthened my will today we don't have a strengthening of will the whole world the will of the average person is getting weaker and weaker and weaker why because the world tells you to give in to everything to everything if you want it go for it everything on TV everything in magic magazines stresses the need for pleasure the need for entertainment you ever see these ads advertising these special homes and Florida palm trees and coconuts pineapples big oranges and grapefruit beautiful lawn a beautiful house and they had it all furnished and when you go down there some swampland that's all it is they expect you to make it look like the picture see we're always the world is always giving you an idea of something great it has nothing to offer nothing the decision to love the Lord and to change your inner self more and more every day because God gives you opportunities it does to overcome what we call in religious life your predominant faults hmm I intend to throw that out at you but though right through it I'll explain it there's one thing you do most of all if you were to examine your conscious tonight don't pick it apart just examine it and say well what do I do almost every day I lose my temper hmm I'm impatient I get I get angry I'm rude well if you find out that you're one of those every single day I mean you can do a lot of other things but there's one biggie in your life one be if you find that out that's what you want to work on work on it some of you drink also you say well I'm good I go to church I give to the poor you see you've got to overcome that it affects your family that's a virtue you may want to drink you want to take a drug you want to take a pill you want to forget it all but see what about your family what about the people you hurt when you choose to do the opposite of what you feel like doing that's not right they may be absolutely sinful and dangerous that's virtue and when you see the effects of that virtue when you see your family is benefitting by your goodness you're being sober the effects is not only eternal not only do I grow in that image of Jesus in this life and in eternity I begin to affect everybody around me there better self comes forth and some of you have committed so many sins for so long you lose heart the enemy then comes in and tries to attempt to do what despair meaning there is no hope but there is hope you know I thought that was real sweet of our Lord to say that when a sinner repents all the angels in heaven rejoice why don't some of you give the Angels a lot of joy and repent that doesn't mean you just say I'm sorry it means if you're drinking too much you stop if you're smoking too much you stop if you're taking Crocs if you're gay you stop not only is virtue but the whole world we belong to what we call the mystical body and the whole world benefits by every virtual you practice the homework and that's why you have to have joy in virtue because the effect of it is worldwide so many women are your husband's have died or widowers are widows whatever end and you feel useless you just had home you clean your shop you cook you eat and nobody comes to see you say well my my life is justice No never before was your life more important than it is now because you can change the world your prayers your love your contentment with what you have with your age your pains your loneliness I give it to you I give it to you I give it to you that's what changes the work why do you think our lady had fight among all these other places she's appeared keep saying pray pray the rosary you can change the room who believes that who once changed the world you can change the world yeah you can change the world by your prayers by your loving acceptance of the present moment while your joyfully say Lord I give this to you joyful contentment and then you know the whole world would change if every one of us did just a little bit just a little bit it only takes one person sometime and that one person with prayer can change and save millions or so this night wait till we get to heaven and see what we might have done it then it's through it we have a call hello oh hi mother hi where you from I'm from East Point Michigan please talk a little louder oh I'm from East Point Michigan okay and what is your question well my question is if God forgives us for our sins when we ask for forgiveness why would we still have to go to purgatory the question of many centuries well let's just say sweetheart that I have a white dress and I spilled ink on it and I send it to the dry cleaners and the bulk of that ink comes off little shadow that's purgatory let me show you another way when I am forgiven my sins I am forgiven number one because I am sorry and number two because I have what we used to call purpose of amendment I I don't want to do these things again first thing you know I'm blowing my stack or I am impatient whatever well what happens when I go to confession all those sins are forgiven and forgotten don't forget that God doesn't look at us every day so all do I remember what you did July 16th ten years ago forget it forgive it and forgot now every time I commit a sin my tendency for that sin is greater every time I go to confession it's washed away and I I practice virtue then I'm stronger see confession not only wipes away your sins it makes you stronger to overcome the next time so what happens purgatory is not for forgiving sins that you go to purgatory for sins you've been forgiven you go because the tendency to commit dice those sins are still there when you die let's say you had a favorite enemy you see how can you have a favorite enemy well the guy you hate the most you think of the most you talk about the most and you hate the most that's a favorite enemy you wake up with him in the morning you go to bed with a bit like I don't mean it's your husband but but up here in your mind that's what happened so we call that I call it don't worry about anybody else I call it your favorite enemy now you try to forgive and you do and bang boom there it comes again all of a sudden you go to confession and you say I'm sorry and I I don't want to hate this guy and it's okay forgive and forgot all of a sudden you're in an accident and just when you're in that accident you're saying I wish I had this guy I would suck him so hard he wouldn't know what he ate there you are facing the Lord the Lord isn't going to say now you did that's 1560 five times and I counted them every time you went to confession no no no no what's going to happen that attitude is what you take it with you we go to confession we get rid of my sins we don't always get rid of our attitudes we don't get rid of our feelings for hatred or a lack of forgiveness that's it sticks to us like glue and so we never really totally forgive to the place where we can love that person again now you under the impression you're going to smack into heaven hating that person you've been forgiven my hundred times and you've tried a hundred times for some reason we didn't have that will and power of decision to say I'm going to forgive and forget and many times our dear Lord accepts our struggle to forgive and it's hard sometimes but sometimes we have that kind of film on us for example we love the Lord we want to do everything for him and when we offend and we ask forgiveness but sometimes our love for God is not a pure love I love for people is not a pure love so all these kind of shades of clouds and darkness and gray spots that we have purgatory is for that it's not for sins forgiven otherwise we'd all be there for an awfully long time our dear Lord forgives and you can he give you the wonderful parable of the prodigal son you know I hate to say this but I think if both of those boys died the good would want to rent the purgatory you say what well he was envious he was angry he didn't want to forgive his brother he did not rejoice in his brother's repentance and he didn't want his father to forgive him you see the difference so we don't go to purgatory for forgiving sins we go to purgatory because we have these imperfections we never got rid of never tried or never knew how or we're never told we should that's purgatory we have another call hello hello where are you from this Mike from Kansas and what is your question will mother first of all I'd like to tell you that three years ago my dad died and I didn't have anybody to talk to about God he was always my you know we talked about God long and when he died I couldn't understand why he was taken away from me yes and then your program come along and it's been really good I didn't it's been a real blessing okay I kind of getting choked up a little bit that's okay I have two questions that I like to ask you look I have some posted friends that they don't see why Catholics believe in Mary so strong and how that she can be considered how we believe that she was conceived without sin and I don't know how to answer that to them and I'll answer one question at a time yeah the other ones a real quick question oh I gotta give you this from then you give it a quickie because I wouldn't just read you something mine will be a quickie and then you'd give me a quickie okay look at Luke Luke the first chapter let's see 26th verse the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David and the Virgin's name was Mary he went and said to her hail full of grace now if Mary had original sin and that time there's no way to get rid of it there was no baptism that Jesus had not come the Messiah had not come so she would never have been full of grace that means full of God if she had the original sin see so by this passage alone we have proof and there are others we don't have time for tonight proof that Mary was conceived without sin you and I are conceived with Sydney we are conceived with original sin that's why Jesus came Jesus gave us baptism but Mary now was also redeemed now let me explain it meaning that in view she received the grace of being immaculately conceived in lieu of her son's Redemption so even Mary benefited by redemption every prerogative she had the Immaculate Conception being mother of God was all earned for her ahead of time she benefited from the redemption before there was a savior before there was a redeemer she benefited by that redemption God had given her special Grace's because she wants to be the mother of God and when she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit she had to be absolutely totally pure not a stain of sin you say why why you ask why she's conceiving God's eternal word it can't have a little bit of sin and a little bit of good there can never be an ounce a shadow of sin in Mary to conceive the Son of God the enemy of God could not be within Earth through two original sin that darkness would have nothing in common with the light of the eternal word I see when people say why do we believe she's American see you forget that she was chosen to be Mother of God do you think for a moment that the Eternal Word hated by a Satan would come within a body that had that shadow you know that's what happening today in many churches we have forgotten who the Eternal Word is Tabernacles look like they were bread boxes push to the side if they're there at all vessels that made out of kitchen glassware you ought to read the Old Testament some of you see what God demanded and what he deserves as God Almighty you give him the worst you got and yourselves the best the very best and so to answer your question our lady because she was to be Mother of God in anticipation of that wondrous Redemption she received that grace you know I tried to buy the most beautiful vessels that I can buy why because wine will be changed into the blood of Jesus I wanted to be beautiful and perfect because God is beautiful and perfect if that's true of a vessel how much more true is it of the mother of God if you question her matter conception I question that you have a knowledge of what happened when the Eternal Word second person of the Blessed Trinity came down now what was your second question well the other one is in the Rosary that Mary says there's 15 promises and one of the promises I believe is called signal Grace's and in the visions of the children in that book Mary talks of signal Grace's and I don't I can't find it anywhere even in my catechism what signals are your Grace's especially hmm mother first and I'll let you go I just want to thank you I hope you live to be 200 years well thank you very much I don't my everyday I pray for all days my liberal friends are not but I pray for old age because every day I learn something new about God I did not a day passes I don't learn some wonderful attribute or experience his forgiveness or something wonderful I think over age even of your decrepit and it's such a grace from God now signal I think means very special Grace's particular sometimes secure to some people because of an action a mission a vocation on this Saturday one of my sisters will take sonim bow that's a signal grace how many many sisters can do that especially today they it's a very special grace that you do after you have done something else like the rosary like whatever has been promised Jenny we then we many times receive very special Grace's because I got my vocation after made Stations of the Cross I went knelt before Lady of Sorrows statue and I knew at that moment not a vocation I think I got a signal grace because I made the stations know that God chose that moment to give me abou Kayson and that was very special we have another call hello hi mother where are you from I'm from Lincoln Nebraska ah wonderful what is your question my question is a friend of mine about six months ago or so had an abortion she had left the church years ago and I still to this day don't know why but my question is now now today she's been feeling a lot of sorrow and I hope sorry for what she's gone through and I tried it the time to talk her out of it but there's only so much I could do I couldn't tire down although I wanted to yeah but why is is that what can I say to her how can I talk to her about this she has so many questions and I just I have trouble with patients and my and understanding God and I get you know excited about it and but I just want to know the best way to talk to her about it well you need the virtue of patience for one thing and this particular woman needs to be repentant see she's remorseful that what you say she is she regrets right okay she regrets what she did but she needs to repent and then go to confession say she needs to go to confession and asks for forgiveness hey with confession it's just not a matter of telling your sins to Amanda don't tell them to a man you tell them to Jesus that priest at that moment is Jesus at that moment you not only have forgiven your sins have been forgiven there's special grace you get to overcome to be strong and to accept the mercy of God she may be having a hard time accepting the mercy of God see and that's what you need to encourage or tell her about the prodigal son tell her that God will forgive this him and God will restore her to sanctifying grace and tell her she should name the child and tell her she should pray to that child she don't let her get into guilt and despair he that is not of God repentance is of God but see if she maybe feeling so guilty she just don't want to talk about it at that point I would just go with her hold her hands and pray I would say prayer for her now huh and for all of those of you who may have had abortions and repent Lord Jesus there are so many in the world who have had abortions and they are guilt ridden ashamed fearful depressed I asked Lord that you do not allow your enemy to reap a harvest but I pray that I am at heart and Mary will will embrace them and let them know that you are a wondrous forgiving merciful God and they have only to reach out and say I'm sorry I didn't know what I was doing and you shall reach down and take them up and let them feel your mercy love and so lord I asked not only this woman but so many other people who have fallen to grieve grievious II may never despair of your love and mercy amen we have another call hello hi Mother Angelica yeah where are you from I'm from Fort Lauderdale Florida and what is your question ah it's reference to my husband I have a lot of problems and I'm very frustrated he's had a lot of negative things happen in his life and recently he had an organ transplant and I believe we've had many miracles happen and I can I get him to go to church with me he's just no he was brought up Catholic he was baptized I can't get him to go to church and he's very negative toward religion and it's very frustrating and it hurts me and I don't know what to do anymore we phrased very hard I had my family pray if a lot of people and I can't turn him around you have any suggestions well the problem is that we had none of us can turn anybody run if I were you I wouldn't I wouldn't talk to him about it I I wouldn't I would pray for him even if you have to do it by yourself in your room say the rosary every day I have your ear your friends pray for him what he needs is patient endurance that's a cross you have and that cross is going to make you a saint and hopefully save his soul sometimes we can push a little too hard see and if your husband's negative me he doesn't see God and that's where needs prayer he needs prayer we can't make people see we can't take that veil off we can't replace a light for darkness only God can do that so don't get disheartened and discouraged see just say to the Lord look I can't do anything with it I'm going to say my rosary every day I'm going to say I'm going to pray to Our Lady I'm going to leave it Lord in your merciful heart say that every time you get well anxious remember protect your faith why because you got the trust in God not in yourself and not in what you do never be disheartened over a poor sinner you know he could he could repent five seconds before he dies see don't despair hold your faith is a precious treasure don't weaken it by other people's bad decisions or no decisions or whatever God loves you pray for him and be a peace be at peace don't be like the woman who husband was converted on his deathbed was baptized on his deathbed receive communion on his deathbed and died right after communion and she was so mad she said I said what's matter when he's converted he's baptized yeah he went straight to heaven and he called me so much trouble couldn't he just suffer a little bit well would it be wonderful of God's mercy that it goes straight to have a tea we don't resent bad people being converted don't do that your husband's got a chance as long as you pray remember everybody this is a great book I'd read it I love you but God loves you infinitely more by now

Channel: EWTN

Views: 32,789

Rating: 4.8743963 out of 5

Keywords: EWTN, Mother Angelica Live Classics, Mother Angelica, Joy, Virtue, Catholic, MA902637

Id: IXXf0kh-jnw

Length: 55min 46sec (3346 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 02 2011